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Teller Elementary School

Teller Elementary School Important Information

08/03/23, 12:30 PM

Dear Teller Families,

As we continue working hard behind the scenes in preparation of the start of the 2023-2024 school year, we want to ensure you have everything you need to help your child start the school year strong. This letter is long, however it contains important information you will need for the first few weeks of school and it is organized in chronological order. 

  • Stay Informed

    • As a reminder, Teller uses the ReachWell app for all school communication. If you haven’t already downloaded our app (and turned on notifications), please do so now.

    • In addition to our app, we are now on social media. Join us on Facebook and Instagram for daily highlights, important reminders, Team Teller shoutouts, and more!

      • Instagram Username: @tellerelementarytigers

      • Facebook Page: Here is the link

  • Girls on the Run

    • Girls on the Run is back at Teller this fall. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting the week of September 11th. The season will culminate with a 5k race on November 12th at Empower Field. Registration opens on Monday, August 7th and will close on Sunday, September 10th. Registration is open to girls in 3rd through 5th grade and costs $195 per person (scholarships available). To register, click here. If you have questions about Girls on the Run, please email ssingh@dpsk12.net.

  • After School Enrichment Registration

    • There is only one more week to register your child for after school enrichment classes. Registration closes on Tuesday, August 8th at 10:00 p.m. There are still spots available in some of our classes, which can be viewed here.

    • Enrichment classes will start on Wednesday, August 23rd unless specified otherwise in the brochure. 

    • After school enrichment questions can be sent to cheryl_ruiz@dpsk12.net.

  • Fall Registration

    • All families (current and new) must complete fall registration via Parent Portal by Friday, August 11th. Failure to do so could result in your child(ren) missing the first day of school. 

    • If this is your first time using Parent Portal and you need support navigating this online platform, check out the Family Navigation Guide. 

    • If you do not have your child’s student number, you can retrieve it here. 

  • Class Lists 

    • Class lists will be posted on Friday, August 11th at 3:00 p.m. All (ECE - 5th grade) class lists will be posted on the cafeteria windows (corner of 12th Ave. and Garfield St.) or viewable online via Parent Portal.  

  • 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.

  • 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. All teachers (ECE - 5th grade) will be on the blacktop, eagerly waiting to meet their students. Kona Ice will provide FREE snow cones for all Teller students. Snow cone coupons will be distributed by classroom teachers. 

  • School Supplies

    • This year, we are encouraging all families to purchase school supplies through our PTA. All supply kits (ECE - 5th grade) are $50 and can be purchased here. The deadline to purchase school supplies is Friday, August 18th. 

    • Please note the following items are not included in the school supply kits and will need to be purchased before the first day of school: 

      • ECE - 5th Grade: Backpack, Reusable Water Bottle, Lunchbox

      • Kindergarten - 5th Grade: Headphones (Wireless Headphones Prohibited)

      • ECE - Crib Sheet

  • Required Assessment Days for Kindergarten - 5th Grade Students

    • We would like to take this opportunity to clarify the purpose of assessment days to our families, so they understand the reasons behind this change. Our goal this year is to start intervention and enrichment groups within the first 2-3 weeks of school. This means we can address achievement gaps much earlier. Traditionally, our teachers spend the initial 4-6 weeks assessing students individually. This process takes time as we have a large class size, often over 30 students.

    • In order to do this, we need to start the beginning of year assessments before school starts. After the assessment days, our teachers, along with Special Service Providers, the Gifted and Talented team, and our English Language Development teacher, come together to analyze the data. This analysis helps us identify each student's abilities, needs, and interests. Based on this information, we can plan for small group instruction, intervention support, and gifted and talented services. 

    • We understand that having assessment days before the start of the school year may be challenging for some families, and we want you to know that this decision was not made hastily. If any families have further questions or concerns, please reach out to Sabrina Bates. 

    • All Kindergarten - 5th grade students will participate in assessment days either Monday, August 21st or Tuesday, August 22nd. Your child will attend the assessment day and time that corresponds to the first letter of their last name. 

 

Monday, August 21st

Tuesday, August 22nd

8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. 

   First Letter of Last Name: A-F   

   First Letter of Last Name: Q-U   

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

First Letter of Last Name: G-K

First Letter of Last Name: V-Z

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

First Letter of Last Name: L-P

X

  • Drop Off and Pick-Up Procedures (Assessment Days): 

    • Kindergarten Drop Off - Parents/guardians will check their child in at Door 14 (south side of the building), walk them to their classroom, and exit the building through the designated classroom exit door.

    • Kindergarten Pick Up - When our Kindergarten students finish their assessments, they will go outside to play on the south playground. Parents/guardians can pick their child up from the south playground at their designated pick-up time (listed above). Please note, all parents/guardians will need to sign their child out. 

    • 1st through 5th Grade Drop Off - All 1st through 5th grade students will enter the building through the main entrance (Garfield St.). There will be separate tables for each grade-level located outside the main entrance. Parents/guardians will check their child in at their designated grade-level table. Once in the building, all 1st and 2nd graders will go directly to the library to meet their teachers, and 3rd-5th graders will go directly to their teacher’s classroom. 

    • 1st and 2nd Grade Pick Up - When our 1st and 2nd grade students are finished with their assessments, students will return to the library. Parents/guardians will pick up their child at Door 2 ( Auditorium) at their designated pick-up time. Please note, all parents/guardians will need to sign their child out.

    • 3rd through 5th Grade Pick Up - When our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade have completed their assessments, they will go outside to play on the north playground and field. Parents/guardians of 3rd grade students can pick up their child at the large gate near the baseball backstop. Parents/guardians of 4th or 5th grade students at the gate near the basketball court. Please note, all parents/guardians will need to sign their child out. 

    • Discovery Link - If your child is registered for Discovery Link on Monday, August 21st and/or Tuesday, August 22nd, a Teller staff member will pick them up for their assessment  and bring them back to the cafeteria once they are done testing.

  • Required Assessment Days and Orientation for ECE (Preschool) Students

    • There is no school for ECE students on Monday, August 21st as this is a district-wide training day for all ECE staff members. 

    • ECE families will be required to attend an ECE orientation on Tuesday, August 22nd. Orientation will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. and end at 9:30 a.m. During this time, families will learn the ins and outs of ECE, complete necessary paperwork, and tour our ECE classrooms. It is imperative that you bring your child with you as they will be participating in various activities to prepare them for the first day of school. After orientation (9:30 a.m.), ECE parents/guardians will leave the school. ECE students will stay with their teachers until 3:00 p.m. to complete individual assessments. 

    • On Tuesday, August 22nd, ECE families (and children) will gather on the ECE playground (corner of 11th Ave. and Garfield St.). At 3:00 p.m., ECE students will be picked up by their parents/guardians on the ECE playground.    

  • First Day of School

    • Our first full day of school for all ECE - 5th grade students will be on Wednesday, August 23rd. As a reminder, school starts at 7:40 a.m. and ends at 2:40 p.m. Additional details regarding the first day of school will be sent out in the upcoming weeks. 

  • 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. 

  • No School

    • 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.  

  • 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.

  • 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 a strong Teller community!

We will continue to share important information about the 2023-2024 school year in the coming days, until then, enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. 

Best,

Sabrina Bates, Principal 

Jason Smartt, Assistant Principal 

Cheryl Ruiz, Dean of Operations

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