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Grant Ranch School K — 8
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Paw Prints
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Grant Ranch School K — 8
Principal Selected at Grant Ranch
Dear Grant Ranch Families,
The district is pleased to announce that Carla Erickson has been selected as
principal for Grant Ranch.
Grant Ranch School
5400 S. Jay Circle
Denver, CO 80123
She will begin spending time at Grant Ranch and will also schedule “meet and
greets” to begin getting to know parents. Please join us welcoming Carla to
Grant Ranch.
Carla's Introduction letters are posted below:
Office
(720) 424-6880
Dear Grant Ranch Community:
Attendance
(720) 424-6961
Paw Prints is a monthly
newsletter for Grant
Ranch School. This is an
important communication
link for parents and
includes important
happenings at our
school.
You can read, download,
and print this newsletter
monthly on the Grant
Ranch Webpage.
http://
grantranch.wikispaces.dp
sk12.org
It is so exciting for me to introduce myself to you as the new principal of Grant
Ranch ECE-8. Throughout the past few months, I have learned a lot about our
school, and am convinced that this is a great place to be! We have a fantastic
opportunity ahead of us to work together to make Grant Ranch a premier ECE
-8 school that will make our community proud.
Continued...
Grant Ranch School K — 8
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My experience in education started as an 8th-grade language arts
teacher at Wheat Ridge Middle School in Jefferson County. I have also
taught both 7th- and 8th-grade social studies. I moved into school
leadership as an assistant principal at West Jeff Middle School in
Conifer. I loved my work there and enjoyed 6th-grade students at the
middle level for the very first time. I later became an elementary
principal in both Greeley and Jeffco. I have been in DPS for six years
now in various roles: data and school improvement administrator, data
partner and, for the past four years, assistant principal at Holm School.
Without a doubt, I believe my entire career has prepared me to be our
school’s next leader.
I moved to Colorado from Ohio with my family when I was in the 3rdgrade – and I’ve never left. My husband and I have raised our children
here, and they all attend college in Colorado. One thing they will tell you
that they heard throughout their childhood was “school is your job” -that line was well used in almost every conversation with each of our
children. I am a strong believer that students and their families need to
prioritize learning and balance education with outside interests. This is
often easier said than done. That said, I want you to know that I believe
in this community and your children, and will dedicate my work to
ensuring that your students receive a competitive, high-quality
education and have opportunities to explore other areas of interest. My
team will work hard to ensure that Grant Ranch is a safe, special place
for your children to learn and grow.
Soon after spring break, there will be an informal meet-and-greet
opportunity where we can learn more about one another. Additionally, I
hope I have the chance to connect with you further as I begin to
transition to Grant Ranch by spending more time at school throughout
the spring. I am really looking forward to meeting you and your students
and getting ready for our 2015-2016 school year!
Best Regards,
Carla Erickson
Principal
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Grant Ranch School K — 8
Estimada comunidad de Grant Ranch:
Estoy muy emocionada de poder presentarme como la nueva directora
de Grant Ranch ECE-8.º. A lo largo de estos últimos meses, he
aprendido mucho sobre nuestra escuela y estoy convencida de que
este es un lugar ideal para trabajar. Tenemos por delante una gran
oportunidad para trabajar en conjunto con el fin de hacer de Grant
Ranch ECE-8.º una escuela de primera categoría que sea motivo de
orgullo para nuestra comunidad.
Mi experiencia en educación comenzó como maestra de lengua y
literatura de 8.º grado en la Escuela Secundaria Wheat Ridge, en el
condado de Jefferson. También he sido maestra de estudios sociales
de 7.º y 8.º grado. Ejercí cargos de liderazgo como subdirectora de la
Escuela Secundaria West Jeff en Conifer. Me encantaba mi labor y
disfruté enseñando por primera vez a estudiantes de 6.º grado de
secundaria. Más adelante, me desempeñé como directora en Greeley y
el condado de Jefferson. He trabajado en DPS por seis años y me he
desempeñado en varias funciones: administración de datos y mejora
escolar, procesamiento de datos y, por los últimos cuatro años, como
subdirectora de la Escuela Primaria Holm. Sin lugar a dudas, creo que
mi carrera me ha preparado para ser la futura líder de nuestra escuela.
Me mudé con mi familia a Colorado cuando cursaba 3.er grado y me
quedé para siempre. Mi esposo y yo criamos a nuestros hijos aquí, y
todos asistieron a la universidad en Colorado. Algo que les dirán que
escucharon a lo largo de su infancia fue que “la escuela es su
obligación”. Esta frase la utilizamos en casi todas las conversaciones
con cada uno de nuestros hijos. Creo firmemente que los estudiantes y
sus familias tienen que hacer del aprendizaje una prioridad y combinar
la educación con los intereses personales. Pero esto es mucho más
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Grant Ranch School K — 8
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fácil de decir que de hacer. Sin embargo, quiero que sepan que creo en
esta comunidad y en sus hijos, y dedicaré mi esfuerzo para asegurar
que sus hijos reciban una educación competitiva, de alta calidad y
cuenten con oportunidades para explorar otras áreas de interés. Mi
equipo trabajará arduamente para garantizar que Gran Ranch sea un
lugar seguro y especial donde sus hijos pueden aprender y crecer.
Poco después de las vacaciones de primavera, organizaremos una
reunión informal para conocernos mutuamente. Además, espero tener
la oportunidad de conocerles mientras comienzo la transición a Grant
Ranch, ya que pasaré más tiempo en la escuela durante la primavera.
Espero conocer a las familias y los estudiantes y empezar a
prepararnos para el año escolar 2015-2016.
Cordialmente.
Carla Erickson
Directora
Grant Ranch does not endorse or
recommend any advertisers listed
in this publication. Any links to
advertisers are for your
convenience only and are not an
endorsement or recommendation
of those sites or the products or
services associated with those
sites. Grant Ranch does not
control or provide any content or
information at these sites, makes
no representation or warranty of
any kind with respect to these
sites or their content, and does
not maintain, operate, or take
responsibility for information
provided. Any use thereof is
solely at the user’s risk.
Grant Ranch Receives Grant From DPS Foundation
We pleased to announce we are the recipient of the A to Z Fund Grant
from the Denver Public Schools Foundation. Denver Public Schools
Foundation is Denver Public Schools’ fundraising partner, generating
resources for public education to impact system-wide achievement and
help every child succeed.
Grant Ranch has been awarded 1,000.00 for the spring, 2015 semester.
Grant Funds will be used to enhance the school's Positive Behavioral
Intervention and Support (PBIS) program by rewarding students who
demonstrate good behavior.
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Grant Ranch School K — 8
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News From Art
Hey!! Grant Ranch Art Room now has a tumblr and a flickr!! You can
down load pics of art and see what’s happening in the art room at
GRS!!
The Flickr link is: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131507512@N07
You can download any photos from this website!! Also, GRS
animation videos created by students will be there soon!!
There is also an art room blog: http://juliabrowndethomas.tumblr.com/
COMMUNITY LITERACY AND
LEARNING EXPO NIGHT
Please come see our work!! ECE-8th grade Students and staff want to
share our love of learning and our fantastic work!! Come see Poetry
performances, Shakespeare street performers, Art Displays, free
books, Community guest speakers, and more!! On APRIL 30th from
5:30-7:30!!
News From Technology –
Common Sense Media
Presentation for Parents!
In conjunction with the Grant Ranch Literacy and Learning Expo Night,
there will be a Common Sense Media presentation for parents about
Safe & Smart Internet use. Brian Dino, from Common Sense Media,
will present this information for parents in the computer lab from 6:00 6:45.
CMAS Testing - April 14 - May 1
Parent Information
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http://standards.dpsk12.org/assessments/
http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/
assessmentoverviewfactsheet
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Grant Ranch School K — 8
CMAS testing is For Grades 4, 5, 7, and 8
Attendance is important during the testing window!
News From PTO
PTO, teachers, and staff are very excited about this year's Read-AThon, called Open a Book and Open a Whole New World! Read-a-Thon
day is Friday, April 10th. Students and teachers alike look forward to a
fun filled day of reading, literary activities, guest readers, snacks,
pajamas and lots of great learning opportunities. At the same time, this
is a fundraising event for our school.
GRS PTO will also be hosting our annual Grandparents Tea on April
10, giving students an opportunity to entertain and read with their
grandparents as well as show off our fabulous school. The Tea will
take place from 9:00 -9:45 in the cafetorium.
Important Upcoming Dates in
April
April 10 - PTO Sponsored Read-A-Thon
April 10 - Grandparents Tea
April 13 - Blue/Green Day – No School
April 14 - May 1 - CMAS Test Window (This is for 4th, 5th,
7th and 8th grades only.)
April 14 –16 - Vision and Hearing Screenings – Library
April 14 - CSC Meeting 6:00pm – 7:30pm
April 17 – Continuation pictures
April 17 – No School for ECE students
April 24 - Shakespeare festival
April 30 - Community Expo Night 5:30-7:30 pm
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