WEEKLY HAWK

This week was all about getting back into the swing of things! Students came back ready to learn and transitioned back into the school routine really well. The next few weeks is the longest chunk of the school year without any days off. Sometimes students start to get a little tired during this time, but for the most part this continuity in routine really helps them in the final stretch of the school year.

In a few weeks, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be working hard on CMAS tests. We will use this data to reflect on current practice and how we can adapt and change, if necessary, to best serve our learners. If you have a student in these grade levels, encourage them to try their best and show what they know! We know they are brilliant and can't wait to see their engagement.

My highlight of the week was our Talent Show audition process. I had the pleasure of spending the day with many students and their variety of talents. On April 10, we will have an exciting and fun night showcasing all of these awesome kids!

This Thursday, I will be hosting our first Coffee with the Principal in the STEAM room. This is a no-agenda time to come and chat as a community. I look forward to hearing insights, feedback, and general commentary from our amazing families. Feel free to stop by or stay for the hour.

Take care,

Katie

This week's Hawks Highlights were:

Wyatt: For helping first graders.

Rune: For being creative in PE while dancing.

Sophia: For being hall monitor and being good.

Alden: I cleaned up a game by myself

Boone: Working hard

Step right up and get ready to experience the magic! This year, we’re bringing the wonder of Disney to life for our Field Day, and I’d love you to be part of it. If you enjoy a little fun, a lot of laughter, and helping create unforgettable moments for our students, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

Our amazing 5th graders will be leading and running the stations, but they’ll need the support and guidance of enthusiastic adults to help everything run smoothly and keep the magic going strong. If you’re interested, please take a moment to fill out the form below and join us in making this a truly memorable day for our Homestead Hawks!

I’ll be hosting a brief pre-Field Day meeting early May to go over all the details, and I’ll keep you updated as we get closer to the big event. I will offer a morning shift and an afternoon shift or if you are able to do the whole day, that would be great as well.

Mark your calendars:
Field Day: Friday, May 15th
Rain Date: Monday, May 18th
Times:

• 5th Grade: 10:00 AM – 11:10 AM
• Kdg-4th Grade: 12:00 - 2:30 PM

Google Form:

https://forms.gle/3mUhKWqot9TUMGZr5

To make this day as magical as possible, we are hoping to have at least 12 volunteers. We’d love for you to join us and help bring the joy, energy, and Disney magic to life! ✨💫

Dear Homestead community,

We have the chance to keep plastic film out of landfills! This spring during Earth Month, our school is hosting a Ridwell recycling drive. You’re invited to bring your used plastic film (ziptop bags, grocery bags, bubble wrap, and lots more) to school from April 15 to April 22 and Ridwell will make sure it stays out of landfills. Start collecting plastic film now so you have a bunch to bring during the drive!

This info sheet explains what plastic film is and why it’s hard to recycle, and this video shows a ton of examples. All the plastic film we collect during the drive will be turned into Trex decking!

Curious about Ridwell at-home recycling pickup? They collect hundreds of common household items you can’t recycle curbside, like plastic food packaging, lightbulbs, clothes, Styrofoam, and more. You can help the school earn rewards if you sign up for a household membership by May 22. We’ll earn pickup of the school’s plastic film for the entire ‘26/’27 school year when 10 new members sign up.

To get students excited, there will be a grade-level competition at our school. The grade level with the most plastic film collected during that week will earn an extra recess and an ice cream treat! Each grade will collect as much plastic film as possible. The grade level that has the most film (determined by weight) will be the winner!

Thank you!

From,

Your Student Council

More information can be found here: https://get.ridwell.com/hes

New activities just added!

We have several after school clubs and summer activities offered at Homestead through outside organizations such as Chess Club and Coding Club. Stop by the front lobby of our school to see what is offered and pick up a flyer for more information. Or, click on this link to access the flyers electronically.

Stan Yan, artist and graphic novelist, will be visiting 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at Homestead Elementary on Friday, April 24.

If you would like to purchase one of Stan's books, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, they are on sale beginning Monday, March 23 ONLY through Homestead's MySchoolBucks store for $12.75 each.

By making your purchase on or before April 10, Stan will autograph and personalize a copy of the book for your child which they will receive when Stan visits our school on April 24.

Click on this link to make your purchase: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZ62VGMRWM2U8OB_ZZ69E6IYUBJPLOE

Please note: Since these autographed books are only being sold through our MySchoolBucks account, be sure to set up an account (if you haven't already done so). See below for MSB account set up instructions.

We are excited to share that we are expanding our use of MySchoolBucks to provide a more convenient way for families to handle school costs.

You likely already use this platform to add snack money to your student's lunch account. Beginning after spring break, you can use that same login to take care of other items, such as:

• Lost library book fees
• Club or Grade Level t-shirt sales
• Other school-related fees

What You Need to Do:

• Existing Users: Simply log in as usual. You will see these new options available in the "School Store" or "Invoices" section.
• New Users: If you don't have an account yet, please create a free account today. Having your login ready now will ensure a quick and easy checkout for upcoming sales.

Thank you for helping us consolidate our school payments into one easy-to-use location!

If you have any questions about getting started with MySchoolBucks, call (855) 832-5226. For any general questions, please contact Homestead’s front office at 720.554.3700.

We’re excited to celebrate our amazing Homestead teachers and staff, and we need your help to make it extra special!

Springtime Breakfast – April 8
We are looking for two more volunteers to donate breakfast items as part of our spring-themed appreciation.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B45AAAB2BABFB6-20192020

Staff Appreciation Week – May 4–8
Staff Appreciation Week is just around the corner! We have a fun week planned with a stocked lounge, treats, a coffee bar, catered meals, and more.
All donations should be dropped off at the front office or teacher’s lounge on Monday, May 4 during school drop-off.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B45AAAB2BABFB6-staff1

Thank you for helping us recognize and celebrate our wonderful staff!

In today’s world, safety starts at home—and with us. We’re inviting parents, coaches, friends, and neighbors to take part in an upcoming Parenting Safe Class designed to give you practical tools, confidence, and awareness to better protect and support the kids in your life.

See the flyer and fill out the interest form below!

We have special guest speakers Katie Lloyd, our Principal of Homestead and Aspen Burkett, Principal of West Middle School joining us for a discussion.

We will also be voting on our PTCO Bylaw Changes - which can be reviewed here and also voting on our 2026/2027 PTCO Board Slate - available here for review!

Childcare will be provided!

The Inside Out summer enrichment program, sponsored by the Office of Neurodiverse Student Services, offers students a learning environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and effective communication skills. Inside Out offers classes with options for half-day or full-day for one or two weeks during June 2026. Registration opens March 23rd and closes April 20th. For more information – please click the link below:

https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/academics/neurodiverse-student-services/insideout

Please click on this link to access the flyers in different languages.

All meals (breakfast and lunch) remain free for all students due to the Free Meals For All legislation that passed in November of 2022. We encourage families to complete a meal application to take advantage of other benefits offered to them and to support Title I funding in CCSD.

Meal Application: www.myschoolapps.com

Online Payments for Meal Accounts: www.MySchoolBucks.com (there is no fee for this service).

For questions or assistance with making payments please call 1-855-832-5226.

To view Menus: www.MealViewer.com

Please see attached picture for the IA schedule for the year.

Colorado legislation has prompted greater need to screen and document volunteers in our schools. As of January 2022, we began asking every volunteer to complete a brief application to support activities in CCSD schools.

If you are currently volunteering or plan to volunteer in the future, please complete the CCSD online volunteer form. To access the form, click on the following link: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NzU0OmVuLVVT or scan the QR code. It should only take a few minutes to complete and you will only need to complete this form once a year to meet the requirements to volunteer in all CCSD buildings.

Please note: if you completed this application more than one year ago, it is time to do it again!

The safety and security of our students and staff remains our top priority. Every person entering our buildings must have a badge printed from our Raptor system or a District ID.

We want to thank you in advance for your support of our schools and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Homestead main office at 720.554.3700.

2:45-4:00 in the 3rd Grade Cafe

October 9, 30

November 13, 20

December 11

January 15

February 5, 19

March 12

April 9, April 30

Download Today! Search in your app store for Homestead Elementary. Or use these links:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1115937231

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sia.homestead

What's on the app?

Attendance form

Contact info for staff

Parent calendar

School Supply Lists

Weekly Hawk Newsletters

Other resources

Our school has started using Talking Points, a secure app that makes it easy to communicate with teachers and the front office via text. It's a great way to stay connected! If you need help or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the front office at 720-554-3700.
Download Talking Points and get more information here!

English:

Please contact (name of liaison) at (email) for support with this resource in your language.

Amharic:

እነዝህን መረጃዎችን በተመለከተ በቋንቋዎ ዕገዛን ለማግኘት ከፈለጉ እባክዎን ተሊሌን በዝህ እሜይል ያግኙዋት thirpa@cherrycreekschools.org

Arabic:

يرجى الاتصال ب )جميعة صباحي أو جاودة العلمي( على ) jsebbahi@cherrycreekschools.org أو

jdajanialami@cherrycreekschools.org للحصول على الدعم مع هذا المورد باللغة العربية .

Chinese:

如有需要，请经由ctaylor9@cherrycreekschools.org 与凯瑟琳•泰勒联系，以您的语言获得此资源的支持。

Dari:

لطفا برای کمک در مورد اين منابع به زبان خودتان با قزافی مهرزاد با اييمل qmehrzad@cherrycreekschools.org تماس بگيريد .

Hindi:

अपनी भाषा में इस संसाधन के समर्थन के लिए कृपया जेम्स रसाइथिी को jrasaily@cherrycreekschools.org पर संपकथ करें।

Korean:

귀하의 언어로 이 자원에 대한 지원을 원하시면 (리아 리) 에게 (llee6@cherrycreekschools.org) 로 문의하십시오.

Nepali:

कृपया जेम्स रसाइथिीिाइथ jrasaily@cherrycreekschools.org मा तपाइथको भाषामा यो संसाधनको सहयोगको िागी सम्पकथ गननथहोिा।

Russian:

Пожалуйста, обращайтесь к Ларисе Бака по адресу: lbaca3@cherrycreekschools.org для получения поддержки с помощью этого ресурса на своём языке.

Somali:

Fadlan la xiriir Omar Nur cinwaanka emaylka onur2@cherrycreekschools.org si aad u hesho macluumaad ku qoran luqadaada.

Spanish:

Si necesita ayuda con este recurso en su idioma, póngase en contacto con Ilse Chavez Maldonado en ichavezmaldonado@cherrycreekschools.org, Rosa Han en rhan4@cherrycreekschools.org, Carmen Vargas-Ball en cvargasball@cherrycreekschools.org o Monica Pantoja en mpantoja@cherrycreekschools.org.

Ukrainian:

Будь ласка, зв'яжіться з Зоряною Герман по електронній пошті zherman@cherrycreekschools.org, щоб отримати підтримку з цього ресурсу на українській мові.

Vietnamese:

Vui lòng liên hệ với Thuý Ngọc tại Lchung2@cherrycreekschools.org để được hỗ trợ về tài nguyên này bằng tiếng Việt.

You can keep up to date with the Homestead PTCO by visiting www.homesteadptco.org and our Facebook page.

Location: 7451 South Homestead Parkway, Centennial, CO, USA
Phone: (720) 554-3700