The Bobcat Blast

Dear Bobcat Community,

Happy Labor Day weekend! Please remember that there is no school on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day, giving our students and staff a well-deserved three-day weekend to relax and recharge.

Here are the key highlights to check out in this week's Bobcat Blast:

• Plant Sale Dates: Stop by for the plant sale today (presale for staff/families 4:00 PM–5:00 PM), Friday (4:00 PM–6:00 PM), or Saturday (9:00 AM–12:00 PM).

• Music & Performing Arts: Updated band and orchestra schedules for 5th & 6th graders are listed, along with registration links for 3rd–6th grade choir.

• Spirit Gear Ordering Extended: You now have until September 13th to order spirit gear. Proceeds directly support our students!

• Colorado Student Count Day Info: Review important details about Count Day on October 1st and how regular attendance helps secure our school funding.

• Veterans Day 25th Anniversary: Save the date for our annual celebration on November 10th.

Friendly Reminder for Tomorrow:

Friday, September 4th is a Late Start PLC Day. Breakfast and campus supervision begin at 9:30 AM, and the first bell rings at 9:45 AM.

We hope you have a wonderful and restful extended weekend!

In partnership,

Julia Scott

Thursday, September 3rd

• Larkspur Families and Staff ONLY plant presale 4p-5p

Friday, September 4th

• LATE START PLC (Breakfast and Supervision Begins 9:30a; First Bell 9:45a)
• Whole Community Plant Sale 4p-6p

Saturday, September 5th

• Whole Community Plant Sale 9a-12noon

Monday, September 7th

• NO SCHOOL--Labor Day

Wednesday, September 9th

• 3rd thru 6th Grade Choir 8:15a

Friday, September 11th

• LATE START PLC (Breakfast and Supervision Begins 9:30a; First Bell 9:45a)

Tuesday, September 15th

• Cold Stone Scoop Night 4:30p-7:00p

Monday, September 21st

• NO STUDENTS--Teacher Professional Development Day

Wednesday, September 30th

• School Accountability Committee Meeting 4p

We are extending the ordering window for Larkspur Spirit Gear to September 13th. We would love to get some more orders placed. Money raised through this order goes back to Larkspur Elementary students.

Douglas County voters approved a $490 million bond in November 2024 to fund our district. This interactive map lets you explore Douglas County School District and see the progress as bond money is put to use for the benefit of current and future students.

Dear Parents and Families,

As we move into the fall, we want to highlight a critical date for our district: Thursday, October 1, 2026. Student count day is the official date each fall when Colorado school districts record their enrollment numbers, which the state then uses to calculate per-pupil funding for the year.

The state determines our funding based on three factors around this date: your student's active enrollment, their scheduled instructional time, and their daily attendance. To ensure our funding is accurate, the state evaluates attendance specifically on October 1st and during the standard two-week window encompassing the week before and the week after Count Day.

How you can help support our schools:

• Make Attendance a Priority: Please make every effort to ensure your student is present and engaged in their learning on Thursday, October 1st.

• Keep the Momentum: Consistent attendance throughout the entire two-week window surrounding Count Day is strongly encouraged to ensure accurate state reporting.

• Communicate Absences: We understand illnesses and emergencies happen. If your child is sick, please notify our attendance office right away. Proper documentation allows us to navigate state exceptions if a student must miss the exact count date.

Larkspur Elementary School is proud to announce that its 25th Annual Veterans Day Celebration will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2026 from 10-11am in the school gym. All veterans and active duty personnel are invited to join us, along with their families, as we honor their service at this beloved event. The event was first established by 2 former Larkspur teachers, Mrs. Ingram and Mrs. Eckert, who wished to educate our students about the importance of military service. The program will include guest speakers, the Larkspur Choir, and patriotic songs performed by our students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 4th Grade. Representatives from the American Legion Harry C. Miller Post 118 will present a flag folding ceremony. After the assembly, veterans and active duty personnel are encouraged to stay for lunch with their families in the school library. The lunch is generously provided by our teachers, staff, and parent community. For more information on the event, please contact Sally Erickson, (303)-519-4251. We hope you will join us at Larkspur Elementary in honoring all those who have served, and continue to serve our country.

Castle View Crescendo is excited to announce that we are able to offer band and orchestra two hours a week now after adding Mr. Mark Cellar, the band director at Castle View High School, as the Larkspur band director! He is very excited to be working with younger band students and getting them started on a great musical journey. This means our schedule has changed from the original times we sent out. Please see the new schedule below.

Orchestra - Tuesdays and Thursdays - 8:00-9:00 am

Band - Tuesdays and Thursdays - 4:10-5:10 pm

If you haven't signed up yet, there is still time! Please register via the TWO links below.

MySchoolBucks - this hosts the district waivers and the link to pay

Google form - this form is needed for your instrument choice, t-shirt size, parent contact information, etc.

You can rent an instrument through our amazing partner - Sweetwater Music. By renting with them you will receive the method book, a music stand, and other needed equipment for free with your rental.

Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. McCollum (amccollum1@dcsdk12.org) with any questions.

Have an announcement, update, or flyer you’d like included in this week’s newsletter? Send your details and/or flyer to jbattiatoscott@dcsdk12.org by Wednesday at 5:00 PM to be featured in that week’s edition! Submissions received after the deadline will be included in the following week's newsletter.