Dear Families,

Happy Spring! Spring is always a busy time in schools as we wrap up the year. It is bittersweet because it's a time of celebration, but also a time of closure and good-byes. Please pay close attention to communication from the school and your child's teacher for special events happening at Arrowhead over the next couple of months.

Currently, our 3rd-5th grade students are taking our standardized state assessment, CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success). CMAS is an opportunity for us to get a snapshot of your child's achievement and growth in English Language Arts (reading and writing) and Math. As a school and district, this is just one measure of your child's progress, but this is the test that is given across the state to assess students on their progress towards meeting statewide grade level expectations. In a few weeks, all students in Kindergarten through 5th grade will take the STAR assessment to measure their progress in reading and math. Your child's teacher will send home the results of the assessment before the end of the school year.

In November I sent an email to our community asking for your help in addressing hatred in our community. We are so fortunate to have an incredibly diverse community and every student deserves to feel a sense of belonging when they step through our doors. Unfortunately, we have recently seen an increase in racial language being used by students towards their peers. I ask again for your partnership in having conversations with your child about being an inclusive and kind member of our Arrowhead community. Racial and homophobic language will not be tolerated and if used, age-appropriate consequences will be given, which could include suspension. Thank you for helping to promote inclusion and belonging at Arrowhead!

Kind regards,

Kelsey Jones

Principal

Save the date for STEAM Night on Thursday, May 2 at 5:30 pm! A flyer will be coming home soon with more details. We hope you will join us for an evening of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics!

Congratulations to the following Arrowhead staff who were honored by Superintendent Smith this month for their commitment to Cherry Creek's core values of Whole Wellbeing and Engagement:

Theresa O'Brien (Ms. OBK)

Senika O'Connor

Emily Palmiotto

Chris Sisto

Karen Watson

We are so proud of them and appreciate all they do for our Arrowhead students, staff, and community!

As you plan ahead, Arrowhead will be closed beginning Wednesday, May 29 as our building will be undergoing renovations again this summer. We will be getting new flooring! The office staff and administration will be based out of Cimarron Elementary until Friday, June 7 and will be able to answer phone calls from there.

If you have a child who will be attending Kindergarten next year, please join our Kindergarten team for Kindergarten Orientation on Friday, May 3 at 8:30 am in Arrowhead Library. If you know anyone who is planning to attend Arrowhead for Kindergarten, please share this with them as well!

Our last School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 pm in the Arrowhead Conference Room. We will be talking about staffing, budgeting, and school goals for the 2024-2025 school year. We hope you will be able to join us!

We have scheduled the continuation pictures for our Kindergarten and 5th Grade classes for April 30th. Picture forms will be going out the week of April 22nd.

April 9- Skate City Night 6:00 pm

April 10- PTCO Meeting 5:30 pm, SAC (School Accountability Committee) Meeting 6:30 pm

April 26- PTCO Spring Carnival (more information to come!)

May 2- STEAM Night 5:30-7:00 pm

May 3- No School, Kindergarten Orientation 8:30 am

May 16- Field Day, Last Day for PreK

May 17- PASS Parent Coffee 8:00 am in the Arrowhead Library

May 24- Last Day of School for K-5 (11:00 am dismissal)

Hi, Arrowhead Fox Families! Did you know that in addition to all the events the PTCO puts on, there are other ways to support the Arrowhead Elementary PTCO?

Questions? Feel free to reach out to your Arrowhead PTCO

arrowheadelementaryptco@gmail.com

arrtreasurer@gmail.com

arrowheadptcosecretary@gmail.com

It’s pizza time! For the month of April, we’re selling Little Caesars Pizza Kits and In-Store Meal Deals. It’s easy to join the fun!

The Inside Out summer enrichment program, sponsored by the Office of Gifted and Talented 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 2024. Registration opens March 25th and closes April 22nd. For more information – please click the link below:

https://cherrycreek.revtrak.net/other-programs/rw-ccsd-inside-out-summer/

Kindergarten-5th Grade

8:00 am-2:45 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

8:00 am-1:45 pm Wednesday

Pre-Kindergarten

AM Session: 8:00-10:55 am Monday-Thursday

PM Session: 11:50 am-2:45 pm Monday-Thursday

Enrichment: 8:00 am-2:45 pm Monday-Thursday

If your child is eating breakfast at school, they may arrive at 7:40 am and enter through door 8 on the south side of the school (Cafeteria doors). Students not eating breakfast may arrive between 7:45-8:00 am and should enter through the doors closest to their grade level (see map below). Please note that supervision will not be provided before 7:45 am except for breakfast. The bell rings at 8:00 am and students who arrive after 8:00 am need to enter through the main office doors. Students eating breakfast in the cafeteria will be sent to their classrooms at 8:00.

The school day ends at 2:45 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the school day ends at 1:45 pm. Students will exit from the same doors they entered.

If you are interested in our before and after school child care program, please contact Bobbie Smith at 720-886-2853. They open at 6:30 am to provide before school care and are open until 6:00 pm to provide after school care. They can only accept students who have been registered in advance. They accept Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) for families who qualify and give discounts for families who qualify for free or reduced price meals.

All Cherry Creek elementary schools have early release days every Wednesday at 1:45 pm for Kindergarten-5th grade students to enhance professional development and training opportunities for our elementary teachers. PreK students continue to dismiss at their regular time. By having this specific time set aside, there will be less of a need to pull teachers out of the classroom during the day, which creates continuity for students and less of a reliance on substitute teachers. For families who participate in after school child care, the after-school program is extended every Wednesday at no additional cost. You can register for after school care by contacting Bobbie Smith at 720-886-2853.

Please help us keep kids safe by following our parking lot procedures. Refer to the map of our parking lot below for where you can safely drop off/pick up.

Drop-Off/Pick-Up (Blue): This space allows you to quickly drop off and pick up at the beginning and end of the day. This is a fire lane, so you must always remain in your car. Students should enter and exit the car on the curbside (right side), as vehicles will pass in the through lane on the left side of the car.

Red Curve: This is a no-parking or waiting zone, as our buses need to be able to get around that curve safely.

Bus Parking (Yellow): Only buses may park here. Cars parked in this space will be asked to move to accommodate buses. Once the buses have departed, this may be used as additional space for pick-up/drop-off.

Through Lanes (Green): These lanes should continuously move. Please do not wait or park here, and at no time should cars be double parked.

Parking: The only space where you may park is in a marked parking spot. If a spot is unavailable, please park on the street and walk in.

Right Turn Only (2:45-3:00 pm, 1:45-2:00 pm Wednesdays): When exiting the parking lot during afternoon dismissal, all cars must turn right out of the parking lot and loop through the neighborhood. For safety reasons, please do not make a U-turn in the areas around the school (signage indicates where U-turns cannot be made).

Loading Dock (Red): This area is used by pedestrians at the beginning and end of the school day. No vehicles may enter this area or park in the loading dock.

Please help us keep our students safe by driving safely around the school. The streets surrounding Arrowhead (Bates and Ceylon) are no u-turn zones. Please slow down, be vigilant, and do not double park along Bates or Ceylon. Children should only exit vehicles on the curb side and we ask that you pull all the way up to the curb before letting them out. Please model pedestrian safety for your child by using crosswalks.

If you see unsafe driving, please report it to Aurora Police Department. As a school, we do not have the authority to enforce traffic violations.

We understand that birthdays are special days for children, and we will celebrate your child's birthday both in the classroom and with a school-wide announcement! While it isn't necessary, if your child would like to bring treats for their classmates, they are welcome to bring non-food items to celebrate. This allows us to be a community that is inclusive of children with food restrictions. Some ideas for birthday celebrations can include:

• Stickers
• Pencils
• Bookmarks
• Small trinkets/toys (school appropriate- no pretend weapons or items that can be used as weapons, no whistles, etc.)
• Goodie bags with non-edible items
• A book donation to your child's classroom (have your child sign the book so the class remembers who donated it!)

Each grade level celebrates birthdays differently, and your child will be recognized on their birthday, regardless of whether they bring in something to celebrate with. If you wish your child's birthday not to be celebrated, please notify their classroom teacher.

Please refrain from sending flowers and balloons to school for your child. Any flowers and balloons received will be delivered at the end of the school day.

Please note that dogs are not allowed on school grounds. If you want to bring your dog to drop off or pick up your child, please remain on the sidewalks around the school's perimeter or in the field past the last goalpost.

Email: kjones100@cherrycreekschools.org

Website: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Arrowhead
Location: 19100 E Bates Ave, Aurora, CO, USA
Phone: 720-886-2800