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Teller Elementary School

Teller Summer Happenings Newsletter!

06/12/23, 9:02 AM

Dear Teller Families,

We hope everyone is enjoying the first few days of summer break! The goal of this letter is to keep all of our current and new families up-to-date on summer happenings and beginning of school year information. This letter is lengthy, but we promise it is worth the read.

Before you get started, if you have received this letter and are not planning on having your child(ren) attend Teller for the 2023-2024 school year, please fill out this form so we can plan accordingly.

1. Congratulations, Teller Elementary School!

It is my privilege to announce that Teller was just awarded two Colorado Department of Education awards. The Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award and the John Erwin Schools of Excellence Award.
- The Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award - This award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional student growth.
- The John Erwin Schools of Excellence Award - This award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement over time.

2. Wanna Stay Connected!?

The best way to stay in touch this summer, or any time of the year is through our school’s app ReachWell and our website.

3. Save the Dates!

For those of you who enjoy long-range planning, you can access the 2023-2024 school calendar here.
- Outside of the 2023-2024 school year calendar, below is a list of important dates you will want to add to your calendar. Detailed information about these events are included in this letter.
  - Wednesday, July 26th: Fall Enrichment Registration Opens
  - Sunday, July 30th: Fall Registration Opens
  - Thursday, August 17th: New Family BBQ
  - Thursday, August 17th: Teacher Meet & Greet
  - Monday, August 21st: Assessment Day
  - Tuesday, August 22nd: Assessment Day
  - Wednesday, August 23rd: First Day of School
  - Thursday, August 24th: Back to School Night
  - Monday, September 4th: No School (Labor Day)
  - Thursday, September 7th: Gifted and Talented Information Night
  - Friday, September 8th: Teller’s Community Block Party
  - Friday, September 22nd: No School (Professional Learning Day)
  - Saturday, October 7th: Totally Teller
  - Friday, October 27th: Teller’s Fall Festival

4. Fall Enrichment Registration

Fall enrichment registration will open at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26th. Our enrichment catalog can be found here. As a reminder, all enrichment payments will be accepted through MySchoolBucks. As a reminder, if you are a “new to Teller family” you will not be able to set up an account until July 1st.

5. Fall Registration

All families must complete fall registration via Parent Portal prior to the first day of school. Failure to do so could result in your child(ren) missing the first day of school.
- Registration Opens: Sunday, July 30th
- Registration Closes: Friday, August 11th
If this is your first time using Parent Portal and you need support navigating this online platform, you can If you need help in navigating the Parent Portal, check out the Family Navigation Guide.
All parents/guardians will need their child(ren)’s student ID number, you can retrieve it here.

6. New Family BBQ

We will be hosting a new family BBQ at Teller on Thursday, August 17th from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the staff parking lot. All new to Teller families are encouraged to come!

7. Teacher Meet & Greet

Join us on Thursday, August 17th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to reconnect with friends and meet the 2023-2024 Teller staff. Kona Ice will provide FREE snow cones for all Teller students.

8. Assessment Days

Monday, August 21st and Tuesday, August 22nd are assessment days for all ECE - 5th grade students. Students will be asked to come to school for one-on-one assessments. Assessment sign up information will be shared with families in August.

9. First Day of School

Following our assessment days on Monday, August 21 and Tuesday, August 22nd, our first full day of school will be on Wednesday, August 23rd.

10. Back to School Night

Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, August 24th. Our teachers will host two, identical back to school night information sessions. The first session will be virtual starting at 5:00 p.m. ending at 5:45 p.m. The second session will be hosted in-person from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Classroom teachers will send out virtual session links on Thursday, August 24th.

11. No School Days

All Denver Public Schools will be closed on Monday, September 4th in observance of Labor Day and again on Friday, September 22nd for a professional learning day.

12. Gifted and Talented Information Night

Join on Thursday, September 7th for a gifted and talented information meeting. Our GT teacher, Mrs. Dorsey will host a virtual session starting at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 5:45 p.m., followed by an in-person session from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Families who have children who have been identified as Gifted and Talented (GT), Highly Gifted and Talented (HGT), or Magnet Eligible (ME) are encouraged to attend, in addition to any families interested in learning more about our program.

12. Teller’s Community Block Party

We will be hosting our annual block party on Friday, September 8th from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.. We will have a variety of food trucks, obstacle courses, rock climbing wall, SpiderJump 4-Way Bungee Trampoline, and a family-friendly movie shown under the stars. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to this FREE event as our hope is to continue to build our strong community.

13. Totally Teller

On Saturday, October 7th our amazing PTA will be hosting Totally Teller at The Denver Botanic Gardens. Once a year we come together around a theme to socialize and raise money for our school. After soliciting donations from local vendors, our fundraising committee organizes a silent auction and a live auction filled with trips, experiences, and retail items. The money raised during Totally Teller supports the PTA's annual financial gift to the school, programs and events, and one-time, specific needs that are requested by school leadership. These funds directly support Teller's dedicated team of teachers and staff, and allows them to invest in all of our kids. If you are interested in volunteering to help with this event, please email Emily Musser at fundraising@tellerpta.org.

14. Teller’s Fall Festival

Join us on Friday, October 27th for our annual Fall Festival. Our Fall Festival is FREE for all participants and will include a Trunk-or-Treat, pumpkin patch, costume contest, outdoor dance party, and fresh-pressed apple cider.

15. Teller’s Bell Schedule

Our bell schedule is shifting by five minutes for the 2022-2024 school year. School will now start at 7:40 a.m. and end at 2:40 p.m.

16. Who is my child’s teacher?

We strive to ensure that all classrooms are diverse, equitable learning environments. Our primary consideration in developing class lists is equity. Additionally, the second round of School Choice is open now through August, which means our enrollment numbers continue to shift throughout the summer, therefore, class lists will not be available until August.

17. School Supplies

At Teller, we offer a unique opportunity to save money and support our cause by harnessing our bulk purchasing power for school supplies. By doing so, we aim to build equity within our classrooms right from the start of the year, ensuring that every student has access to the same essential resources. Research has indicated that providing students with the requested, basic, yet high-quality supplies such as pencils, paper, and notebooks fosters a sense of pride in their work and can significantly impact their motivation to succeed. Moreover, by reusing supplies from previous years and reducing excessive packaging and shipping, we actively contribute to Teller's sustainability goals. Additionally, our initiative relieves the burden on teachers and staff, allowing them to focus on welcoming students on the first day of school rather than collecting and organizing school supplies. Our PTA has made the purchasing of school supplies super easy and affordable. Families can purchase school supply kits here. All kits (ECE - 5th grade) are $50.

18. School Lunch Update

Denver Public Schools will provide breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge for the 2023-2024 school year, regardless of students free or reduced price meal benefit status. Students must bring money or have money in their MySchoolBucks accounts to purchase second entrees items. All families are still strongly encouraged to complete an application for their household as the information determines critical funding for Denver Public Schools. Applications can be found here.

19. Volunteering at Teller

If you would like to volunteer (including chaperoning field trips) at Teller during the 2023-2024 school year, you must complete a FREE background check. You can do so here. As a reminder, background checks must be completed yearly, so if you volunteered at Teller last school year, you will need to complete a background check for the upcoming school year.

We wish each and every one of you a fantastic summer filled with joy, relaxation, and cherished moments with loved ones. It has been an incredible journey together, and we are immensely proud of the hard work and dedication exhibited by our students, staff, and families throughout the year. As we embark on this well-deserved break, we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you all back in the fall, rejuvenated and ready to continue our pursuit of academic excellence. Enjoy your summer, stay safe, and we look forward to seeing each one of you in the upcoming school year!

Best,

Sabrina Bates, Principal

Jason Smartt, Assistant Principal