PCK Weekly Newsletter

Hello PCK Families,

Topic: Traffic & Pedestrian Safety

The purpose of this weeks Badge Brief is to review traffic safety expectations for both parents and students. Data from the Colorado Department of Transportation for January 2025 through November 2025 show that most crashes in the state occur during morning commute hours (6:00–9:00 a.m.) and late afternoon/early evening hours (3:00–7:00 p.m.). Both of these timeframes are critical for the school, as they coincide with student drop-off and pick-up.

For Parents:

• Follow the posted speed limit, especially when driving in school zones and residential neighborhoods.
• Keep your focus on the roadway. That text message or phone call can wait. Siri or Google Assistant may be used only if it does not distract or hinder your ability to drive safely.
• Come to a complete stop at the painted stop line at all stop signs.
• Vehicles may begin lining up for student pick-up at 3:05 p.m., not before.

For Students:

• Be sure to look both ways before crossing any intersection or entering a roadway or parking lot.
• Never assume a driver sees you when crossing. Ensure the vehicle comes to a complete stop before you proceed.
• If a ball or other object enters the roadway, ask an adult to retrieve it.

Let us continue working together to keep our roadways safe for our school, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Stay safe,

Deputy Castillo

This past week, our 5th and 6th grade students prepared for their upcoming field trips to Young AmeriTowne and International Towne by participating in job interviews for the roles they will hold during their visit.

These immersive experiences introduce students to the fundamentals of banking, business, economics, and government, all within a hands-on, real-world classroom setting. Prior to attending, each student must apply and interview for a position, presenting themselves professionally and explaining why they are a strong candidate for the job.

This process gives students valuable real-world experience before they even leave elementary school. They learn essential skills such as maintaining eye contact, demonstrating confident body language, and adapting to questions in the moment.

Our returning volunteer interviewers noted remarkable growth from students between their 5th and 6th grade years. Having gone through the interview process before, students return more confident and better prepared, showing that this experience strengthens an important life skill at an early age.

We are beyond grateful to the volunteers who generously gave their time to serve as interviewers. Their support plays a vital role in helping our students grow as critical thinkers and equipping them for future success.

Our Battle of the Books teams have advanced to the semi-finals in the Douglas County Library 2026 Tournament. Our 3rd & 4th grade team won against North Star Academy, with a final score of 46-35. Our 5th & 6th grade team won against Gold Rush with a final score of 40-28. Their next competition will be on Monday, March 2 against Cherokee Trail.

Recently, our 1st grade students had the exciting opportunity to connect a history lesson with a hands-on science experiment. As they explored the history of the Aztecs, students learned about the civilization’s advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, and agriculture. In particular, they discovered how the Aztecs used “chinampas," floating gardens made from reeds, vegetation, and mud built on lakes, to grow crops. These early innovations laid the groundwork for the deep-water culture hydroponic systems we use today.

To bring this concept to life, students observed a modern hydroponic system in action by growing lettuce from seeds into fully mature plants. Although the 1st graders pioneered the project, it sparked interest and excitement throughout the hallway, as students from other classes eagerly monitored the plants’ growth along the way.

Since returning from winter break, our lost and found has gradually filled up. Please encourage your student to check the lost and found to see if any of the unclaimed items belong to them. Any items remaining at the start of spring break will be donated.

Don’t forget to purchase your student’s yearbook for the 2025-26 school year! Please remember that the deadline to purchase yearbooks is April 28. If this is your first time ordering, you’ll need to create an account using PCK’s unique school code, 1015343699083637, before purchasing a yearbook for your student.

You can purchase yearbooks through the button below.

Don’t forget that next Thursday, March 5, will be a $1 Dress Down Day to support our 8th grade graduation. Just like our other $1 Dress Down Days, students can donate $1 as they enter school and enjoy a full dress down day, all while helping make our 8th grade graduation celebration special.

For families who join their student for lunch, we kindly ask that you stop by the front office to check out before leaving. It only takes a few extra minutes to return to the office, and it helps us maintain an accurate record of everyone in the building.

Keeping this information accurate ensures that all visitors are properly accounted for in the event of an emergency.

We are searching for a new team member to join our school as a Special Education Teacher starting in the 2026-27 school year. This role delivers individualized instruction to students by adapting general education lessons to meet their specific needs. If you or someone you know may be interested in this role, please click the button below.

Additionally, we have several other positions open for the 2026-27 school year, which can be found on our website.

Thank you to everyone who signed up to donate snacks for our students during the upcoming CMAS testing window! To make sure every student has a snack during their testing period, we still need over 60 boxes of individually wrapped snacks (24 per box).

CMAS is an important assessment for our school, as it helps us measure student academic progress. Research consistently shows that hunger can make it harder for students to focus and regulate their emotions, which may negatively impact both their learning experience and their performance on assessments.

To make donating easier for our families, we’ve created a curated Amazon Wishlist. All purchased snacks can be shipped directly to the school, making the process simple and convenient. Just click the button below to view and shop from the wishlist.

Registration for our spring clubs is now open! Our spring clubs will run from March 23-April 23, and registration will close on Monday, March 9. Please pay close attention to the dates, times, and locations that your student's club meets in when completing their registration.

If you would like to view the full schedule of what clubs meet on what day, you can click the button below.

Meeting Dates: Thursdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Room 201

Grades: 2-4

Session 2 is when you will be able to create your own products and run a booth at our PCK Student Marketplace event. What will your business be? (Families will be responsible for purchasing necessary supplies for their products)

Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Room 201

Grades: 5-8

Session 2 is hands-on. You will develop your ideas, create products, and sell them at our PCK Student Marketplace event. Are you ready to be an entrepreneur? (Families will be responsible for purchasing necessary supplies for their products)

Meeting Dates: Mondays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Science Lab

Grades: 4-8

Turn "trash" into treasure and chaos into clockwork! Re-Inventors Lab is a hands-on club for students in grades 4-8 who love to build, break, and create. We blend the precision of science with the messy fun of art to tackle big challenges using everyday recycled materials.

Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Science Lab

Grades: K-1

Giggles and Glitter Club is a fun and creative club for kindergarten and first grade students where imagination shines and smiles are guaranteed! Students will explore art, movement, and playful activities that build creativity, boost confidence, strengthen friendships, and spread lots of joy. Through intentional creative tasks, interactive games, and fun stories, children will strengthen self-expression, practice perseverance and risk-taking, and learn together to laugh and shine!

Meeting Dates: Thursdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Room 120

Grades: 1-2

Math Club is for all math levels and will focus on the joy of hands-on, high-energy math. 1st and 2nd graders will enjoy the power of learning through play, building, and exploring, while strengthening their essential math skills.

Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Room 123A

Grades: 2-5

Unleash your creativity and join our Minecraft Club, designed specifically for builders in grades 2-5, this is your chance to explore epic worlds and level up your crafting skills while learning cool new tips and tricks from your fellow players. Here we'll build a community of friends ready to collaborate and create. Grab your pickaxe and sign up today!

Meeting Dates: Monday-Thursdays, 3:20-4:15 p.m.

Meeting Location: Room 115

Grades: 3-6

Homework Club is different from our other clubs, as it will take place all school year. At this club students will have the opportunity to work on their homework while a teacher is there to guide them through their work.

Last night, the Board of Directors heard a presentation from PCK’s Preschool team, including Preschool Director Sarah Mares and teachers Teja Tsangarakis and Aubrey Doyle. They shared insights into the foundational skills students develop through the preschool program and offered a glimpse into what a typical day looks like for our preschoolers.

Dr. Weyman also presented to the Board on several key topics, including DCSD’s annual site visit to PCK, the implementation of a new talent management system, and ongoing professional development efforts, among other updates.

The meeting concluded with a discussion about the upcoming April election, during which one Board seat will be open. We encourage anyone interested in running to begin preparing a biography and to watch for upcoming communications with details on how to submit materials and formally announce candidacy.

PCK Palooza & Auction is coming!

Mark your calendars for our most interactive fundraiser of the year — a high-energy night of games, music, great food, and community fun.

More details (and ticket info!) coming soon… you won’t want to miss this one. Remember, no prior pickleball experience is required!

Looking for a place to eat before the Father Daughter Dance? Swing by Red Robin for our PCK Spirit Night! Present the flyer below at checkout for a percentage of sales to go back to PCK.

Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:15 a.m. This meeting will have a virtual option, which can be found in the newsletter the week before this meeting.

We warmly invite the PCK community to join us for an opportunity to engage with our team and learn more about the vital role we play within Parker Core Knowledge.

The SAC serves an essential function by providing accountability in an advisory capacity. Our purpose is to inform, encourage, and create opportunities for parents or guardians to engage meaningfully with the school's performance, budget and improvement plans.

For this week’s Volunteer Spotlight, we are proud to recognize someone who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help make our spring musical a success. Ramona Romero dedicated hours last week preparing costumes, ensuring that every student’s wardrobe was ready so they could focus on performing without added stress.

Her selfless commitment and generosity truly reflect her character, and we are so fortunate to have her as part of our school community. Acts of kindness like Ramona’s remind us of the powerful impact volunteering has on our students and the experiences we create together.

Thank you, Ramona, for your time, care, and dedication. We are incredibly grateful for all that you do!