Dunstan Newsletter

August 28, 2026

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This has been our first full week together. Students and staff are acclimating back to the pace of school, length of the day, and most importantly - connection with each other. Our staff have focused on implementing purposeful connection activities to get to know your students. When I have asked students how it is going so far they have responded:

• “The 8th grade teachers are truly loved by the students and seem cool.”

• “Super good! I’m making friends, all of my teachers are nice and I look forward to everyday,” a new 7th grader.

• “School is amazing so far, awesome teachers, and super fun in general. It’s so different from elementary school, in a really good way, and a really easy transition” a 6th grade student.

Our staff members are also feeling strong and positive about this year! The teachers expressed appreciation for our students and their preparation to be successful middle schoolers.

We have also welcomed our new 6th grade class and many new 7th and 8th graders. I love this time of year because it is a time of renewal and a chance to form new friendships and connect with others. More than anything, we are building a sense of community across the school.

Back to School Night

Thank you for your engagement with our Virtual Back To School Night. All teacher videos will remain accessible on our website throughout the school year. This will help our 6th grade families when 6th graders rotate to new explore classes for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters and 7th and 8th grade families when we change semester classes in January.

If you watched our Back to School Night videos, please provide some feedback via this survey:

https://forms.gle/QWTfeavVQCbN1z2n7

We Welcome Our Families!

Parents, we want you to know that you are welcome in our school. Please feel free to come volunteer and help at our lunch/recesses. Even if you can only help for 1 grade level lunch recess or if you want to assist with all grade level lunches and recesses, we welcome you. The times of our lunches and recesses are below. We ask that you please sign in at the main office and wear a visitors badge at all times you are in the school. This has been a joyful event for other parents in the past and we want to extend it to you.

Our lunch and recess times are:

• 6th Grade: 11:28–12:03

• 7th Grade: 12:26–1:01

• 8th Grade: 1:24–1:59

Volunteering during lunch and recess has been a wonderful experience for many of our parents in the past, and we would love to extend that opportunity to you. Your presence and support make a difference!

This has been an exciting and also tiring week. I am not surprised if you kiddos are coming home tired as they are adjusting to a new school year. Please know we are here to help both your kids and you!

It continues to be a joy to serve you all!

Jen Pennell

• Tuesday, September 1st and Wednesday, September 2nd: ELA MAP testing
• Thursday, September 3rd: 6th Grade Parent night 5:30-6:30 PM at Dunstan (library)
• Monday, September 7th: NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)
• Wednesday, September 9th: PTA meeting at 5:30 (DMS Library)
• Friday, September 18th: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Professional Development Day)
• Monday, September 21st: On/Off Track letters go out to students
• Wednesday, September 23rd: Greece parent information meeting 6:30 PM (DMS Library)
• Thursday, September 24th: Jeffco Tenor/Bass Festival 8:45-2:15 PM
• Friday, September 25th: Picture re-takes
• Monday, September 28th: On/Off Track letters go out to students, CMAS reports go out in Advise classes
• Wednesday, September 30th: Band concert 6:00-8:00 PM @ DMS

Please click HERE to sign up to support Dunstan's PTA through King Soopers Community Rewards. This is a quick and easy way to support our school!

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and we want to highlight some of the community offerings that are available, as well as some of the things we are doing around Dunstan. On Wednesday, our SEL Specialist, Leslie Pruitt, filmed a video educating students on suicide prevention. The information in this video was modeled after a nationally renowned program that 7th grade Jeffco students participate in called, Mindwise Signs of Suicide (SOS). SOS effectively raises awareness about suicide and getting adult help while teaching students about coping tools. Studies have shown that after SOS lessons the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts also decreases as well.

Hello Dunstan Families and welcome to the new school year! Over the next few weeks, starting with today, all Dunstan students will take part in grade-level assemblies during advise. The purpose of these assemblies is to discuss the student expectations of Jeffco Public Schools and Dunstan Middle School. These expectations (and more) are outlined in Dunstan’s Patriot Path Student & Family Handbook as well as Jeffco’s Student and Family Handbook.

Our grade-level administrators will facilitate the assemblies and will be supported by the grade-level’s school counselor. Teams will have their assemblies on the following dates:

6th grade Falcons - Friday, August 28th

6th grade Wolves - Monday, August 31st

7th grade Pikas - Thursday, September 3rd

7th grade Marmots - Friday, September 4th

8th grade Swift Foxes - Tuesday, September 8th

8th grade Rams - Wednesday, September 9th

We will review these expectations, including recognizing areas where our students are excelling as well as areas for growth, periodically throughout the year, specifically after extended breaks.

If you have questions, please contact your child’s grade-level administrator.

Jen Pennell, Principal and 8th grade administrator

Michael Kitch, Assistant Principal and 7th grade administrator

Michelle Grove, Assistant Principal and 6th grade administrator

Dear Families,

Student Insights is a resourceful tool for K-12 families and students in grades 6-12 to view current and historical assessment data and plans that are applicable to your student.

2025-26 CMAS/CoAlt student score reports are now available electronically in Student Insights. Our school will also be sharing paper reports with families on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, through their Advise class. If you would like your paper reports sooner, please request this with Michelle Grove at Michelle.Grove@jeffco.k12.co.us

Login to Student Insights here using your Infinite Campus parent portal login credentials to view the following applicable* information:

• Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) - 2025-26 results now available!

• WIDA ACCESS - 2025-26 results now available!

• MAP Growth results

• DIBELS 8 results

• Lectura results

• READ Plan goals and supports

• Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) goals and programming supports

• Graduation requirements progress report

• High School Transcript Grades

• PSAT & SAT results

Click here to learn more about Student Insights and here to learn more about our state and district assessments.

*Available data listed above is based on student grade levels and programming.

Students have begun our district MAP assessments in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). Students completed Math MAP testing this past Wednesday and Thursday and will complete ELA MAP testing on Wednesday, September 2, and Thursday, September 3.

MAP assessments are not timed, allowing students the time they need to do their best. Students who need additional time may continue or make up testing through the end of the testing window. All required testing accommodations are being provided to ensure students receive their appropriate supports.

The district MAP testing window closes September 17. Thank you for encouraging your student to take their time, give their best effort, and show us what they know!

August 2026

Dear Green Mountain Articulation Area Families,

As you prepare to send your student back to school next week, we want to share some important safety reminders about arriving and leaving campus. Our top priority is—as always—ensuring a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for everyone from day one. In that spirit, and with electric bikes, scooters, and other rideable devices becoming an increasingly popular way for students to commute, we would like to highlight a few key rules and guidelines.

We strongly support the use of standard bicycles and legal e-bikes; however, we need your partnership to ensure all students are following state laws and local rules. It is essential to understand what type of vehicle your child is operating:

• E-Bikes: Feature functional pedals assisted by a low-speed electric motor (under 750W as anything 750W or higher is not considered a legal e-bike in Colorado). These are legal for students to ride on streets and public property under specific conditions.

• E-Dirt Bikes & Moped-Style Vehicles: Propelled solely by a higher-powered motor without standard pedals, reaching higher speeds. These are illegal for anyone under 16 to ride on public streets/property, as state law requires a driver's license, DMV registration, and proper road equipment.

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Important: Because elementary and middle school students are under 16, no students should be riding e-dirt bikes, mopeds, or high-powered non-compliant vehicles to school.

Please talk with your child about these rules and make sure any vehicle they ride to school fully complies with the law. Learn more about the difference between e-bikes and e-motos on the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office website.

Our School Resource Officer, John Goodrich, will follow up with families of students who continue to ride illegal or non-compliant vehicles to campus:

1. First Violation: A formal warning will be issued to the family.

2. Subsequent Violations: May result in traffic citations/tickets and potential seizure of the vehicle by law enforcement.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students and neighborhood safe! Please feel free to reach out to the school office if you have any questions.

In partnership,

Megan Madsen, Jennifer Pennell, DeAnn Hoffman, Thomas Gardner, Brad Mallers, Shannon Schneider

Green Mountain Articulation Area Principals

Jeffco has officially launched ParentSquare as our primary platform for school communication. Families will now receive messages through email, app, voice or text, helping everyone stay informed and involved.

An account is automatically created for each parent or guardian using the contact information in Infinite Campus, our student information system. We encourage you to activate your account to download the free mobile app, set your language preferences, and choose how and when you’d like to receive messages.

What you can do with ParentSquare:

• Receive updates from your school via email, app, or text notification

• View posts, photos, calendars, and important announcements

• Communicate in your preferred language with automatic translation

• Comment on school posts and stay engaged with your school community

• Send direct messages to teachers and staff

• Participate in group conversations

Thanks to Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA), Jeffco Public Schools will continue to provide all students with one breakfast and one lunch at no cost through the 2026-27 school year, regardless of income eligibility. Research shows that students who are not hungry perform better in school. Even though meals are free for all students, families are strongly encouraged to complete a Student Benefits Application.

We use SchoolCafé to:

Families Who Need Meal Modifications - You need to communicate your needs with our new Kitchen Manager, Sandra Bartle at Sandra.Bartle@jeffco.k12.co.us. Also click for the district special diets link with info.