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Dakota Valley Elementary
3950 S. Kirk Way
Aurora, CO 80013
720-886-3000
Attendance: 720-886-3095
Principal News
Upcoming Events:
November 2014
Dear Dakota Valley Families,
10th-14th Conferences & Book Fair
10th-14th CCSD Veterans Week
11th Veterans Day Parade 2:45 pm
14th NO SCHOOL/Conferences
18
th
Accountability Mtg. 5:30-6:30 pm
18th PTCO Parent University
6:30-7:30pm
th
19 Picture Re-take day 10 am – 1 pm
20th PASS Mtg. 5:30-7 pm
25th Turkey Trot
26th-28th NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
As you know, communication between teachers and
parents is a key ingredient for student success.
Parent
teacher conferences will take place the week of November
10. If you haven’t seen a sign-up from your teacher yet, it
should be on its way soon! This is an opportunity for parents
and teachers to collaborate as partners in education. Below
are some strategies, identified by the National Education
Association, which may be helpful in planning for the
conference.
Before the Conference

Make a list of the things you want to find out from the
teacher.

Let your child know you’re going to talk to the teacher,
and ask if there’s anything she/he would like you to
discuss.
Please make sure to call the
Attendance Office if your student will
be out of school for any reason.
720-886-3095

Share with the teacher any experience that may
affect your child’s work.
During the Conference

Since time for the conference on these days may be limited, please arrive on time and be aware of
the time when the conference ends. If you feel you need more time, schedule another meeting.

Listen carefully and objectively to the teacher’s comments about your child’s strengths and areas of
challenges.

If necessary, develop an action plan with the teacher to help your child.
After the Conference

Share what was discussed with your child (leaving out anything she/he may not be mature enough to
understand).

Be positive about any changes or new plans.

Start right away with any actions you’ve decided to take at home.

Let your child know that you and the teacher are working together because you both care about how
he/she does in school.
We look forward to working with you during these planned conferences and throughout the year. Together
we can ensure success!
Happy conferencing!
Cheryl Fullmer
Juliet Steward
Principal
Assistant Principal
News from the Nurse
“Flu season is just around the corner in Colorado! There is no way to predict in advance how severe flu activity will be so
prevention is the best strategy to stay healthy. The single best way to avoid getting influenza is to get vaccinated each year.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged 6 months and older, who do not have a contraindication to
the vaccine. Most health insurance companies (including Medicaid) cover the cost of getting a flu vaccine so families with health
insurance can go to your in-network health care provider to receive a vaccine at no cost. Many pharmacies will bill your
insurance and not charge a fee for flu vaccine (check with your local pharmacy). If you are uninsured, or your insurance won’t
cover vaccines, or you have Medicaid or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), you can call Tri-County Health Department at 303-4510123 to be vaccinated in one of their clinics. You can also visit http://flushot.healthmap.org/ to find flu shot clinics near you.”
¡La temporada de gripa está por llegar en Colorado!No hay manera de predecir qué tan grave será la gripa por lo que la
prevención es la mejor estrategia para mantenerse saludable.La mejor manera de evitar contraer la gripa es vacunarse cada
año.Se recomienda la vacunación anual contra la gripa para todas las personas de 6 meses de edad y mayores, que no tienen
una contraindicación a la vacuna.La mayoría de las compañías de seguros médicos (incluyendo Medicaid) cubren el costo de la
vacuna contra la gripa. Las familias con seguro médico pueden ir a su proveedor de atención médica que esté en la lista de su
seguro para recibir la vacuna sin costo alguno.Muchas farmacias enviarán la factura a su seguro y no cobran una cuota por la
vacuna contra la gripa. (Consulte con su farmacia.)Si no tiene seguro, o si su seguro no cubre las vacunas, o si tiene Medicaid o
Child Health Plan Plus (CHP +), llame al Departamento de Salud Tri-County al303-451-0123 para ser vacunado en una de sus
clínicas.También puede visitarhttp://flushot.healthmap.org/ para encontrar clínicas de vacunación contra la gripa cerca de
usted.
Jody Laughlin, RN
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Jan. 12th, 2015
Feb. 9th, 2015
March 9th, 2015
April 13th, 2015
All meetings begin at 9:15 a.m. but are preceded by 30 minutes of
refreshments and networking which starts at 8:45a.m.
Meetings held at SARC - 14188 E. Briarwood Ave.,
Centennial, CO
Dogs on School Grounds:
Over recent weeks, I have heard from some of you about dogs
on school property before and after school. I have also noticed
a few on campus myself. While I am an avid pet lover I do want
to take this time to remind you that pets, especially dogs, are
not welcome on school property. I assure you that we do not
mandate this to make your morning walk with Fido less
convenient or because a few of us have stepped in “presents”
left on the field. We ask this in order to ensure the safety and
well-being of our students.
Allergies, phobias and immature pet manners make dogs
hazardous to our students. You never know when a dog may
get spooked by the crowds, break away from their leash or
snap at a child. So, it is for those reasons that we ask you to
leave your furry friends at home. Service animals however, are
always welcome.
Coyote Tracks is underway!
Please join us on the following dates.
Everyone is welcome.
Coyote Tracks 8:15-8:45 am Nov. 7, Nov 13, &
Nov. 21
5th Grade Leaders in Wellness meet the same
days 7:45-8:45 am.
P.I. N. meets the
1st Tuesday of
each month.
Next meeting is
November 4th at
SARC from 9:15
to 11:15 am.
Challenge School is a K–8 magnet program in
_____________________________
applications for the 2015-2016 school year, from
PTCO Parent
CCSD designed to meet the needs of
academically advanced and highly motivated
students. Challenge will be accepting
residents of Cherry Creek School District only,
between November 3, 2014 and January 27,
University
Topic: Leader
in Me
2015. Applications and information are
available on the school’s website at
http://challenge.cherrycreekschools.org
November 18th
6:30-7:30 pm
The deadline to submit a complete application
is 4 pm, January 27, 2015.
Tours (for adults only) are available on select
days at 9 a.m. Check the calendar on the
website, determine the date that works for you,
Book Fair
th
Nov. 10 – 13
th
and sign up by calling Challenge at 720-7472100.
Thank You,
Student Council News!
Synergize with us for our 3rd Annual Penny Harvest!
Who: Dakota Valley Community
What: Mad Scientist Penny Harvest
When: November 3 – December 6
Why: Our goal this year is to reach 45 bags! If we meet our goal we will have a
Mad Scientist celebration at the end of the year with all sorts of fun
experiments and some CRAZY scientists!
**The second week of the Harvest will be Silver Wars!**
Save that silver and those dollar bills for that week! All teachers will have a
special container in their room, students are encouraged to give their silver and
dollar bills to the teacher that they would like to see do something CRAZY! At the end of the week the teacher
with the most money (silver and dollar bills) will have to do something RIDICULOUS for the whole school!
Keep an eye out for our Dollar Days hand out as well! Thank you and start saving!
Dollar Days for Mad Scientist Penny Harvest
Please join us in dollar days to help support our Penny Harvest! Be sure to pay attention to what each day is
and how much it costs! Help us meet our goal by participating!
November 6, Thursday
$1 - Crazy Hair (nothing too crazy!)
November 20, Thursday
$1 -Hat Day (wear a hat)
November 25, Tuesday
$2 - Stuffed Animal/ PJ day (wear PJs and bring a SMALL stuffed animal)
December 4, Thursday
$1 - Crazy Clothes (nothing too crazy!)
Saluting America
Honoring Service Past and Present
Veterans Celebration
Dakota Valley Elementary School would like to honor your service to our
country.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Please join our staff and students for a reception and parade, featuring our second graders, in
your honor.
Reception: 2:15 – 2:45
Parade: 2:45
In addition to the above celebration we would like to have a wall of honor for all
that have served and are now serving. Please complete the attached star with
information of any service man or woman in your family. Feel free to attach a
picture (pictures will not be returned).
Please return the star to school no later than Monday, November 10th.
Please complete this star and return to Dakota Valley by November 10 if you have a member
of your family that has served or is serving in our military. We would like to display them
during our Veterans Day celebration. Please include name, branch, years of service and any
wars that they served in. Feel free to include a picture. Stars and pictures will not be returned.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
A MORE ACCURATE INDICATOR OF SUCCESS THAN I.Q.
We all want our kids to be happy, healthy and successful, right? At PIN’s last presentation, Diana Thompson
explained how a child’s emotional intelligence is the key to making that happen.
“Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, identify and manage emotions in a way so that they can be
leveraged for your success,” Diana explained. “Emotions are often seen as
something bad, but feelings are actually valuable clues—they’re a resource we can
“The more words a
use to understand what’s really going on.”
The cycle of a child’s emotions begins with an experience that leads to a feeling;
the feeling turns into a thought, and then a belief, and then a reaction. Over time,
negative thoughts like “I’m stupid” can become reinforced in the mind of a child
and can lead to beliefs that create a destructive, self-fulfilling cycle. To help
develop emotional intelligence, Diana advises parents to teach their children to:
child has to define
their problem, the
better equipped
they’ll be to solve it.”
1. Recognize Emotions. Emotions can be subtle, and detecting them takes
keen awareness. Give your child tools to read their own emotions and to recognize emotional cues in others.
Make sure he or she knows that having emotions is okay; they’re clues to what’s going on inside.
2. Identify the Feeling. “The more words a child has to define their problem, the better equipped they’ll
be to solve it,” said Diana. “Don’t settle for ‘happy,’ ‘mad,’ or ‘sad.’ Dig deeper to find out what’s really going
on. Does ‘sad’ mean lonely or overwhelmed? Remind them that what they’re going through is normal, and
that they’re not alone in struggling with these things.
3. Manage the Emotion. What your child chooses to do with their emotion will determine whether the
outcome is good or bad. Anger, for example, can lead to bad decisions. But it doesn’t have to. It can be
channeled into positive, constructive action instead. The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving is an example
of how anger against alcohol-related teenage deaths was turned into determination to raise awareness and
bring about positive change in our culture.
“When kids are overwhelmed by their emotions, they enter a fight-or-flight mode I call ‘emotional hijacking,’
where rational decision-making shuts down,” said Diana. When this happens, parents need to help them
understand their emotions and show them the choices that can lead them to a better place. Having kids draw a
picture of how they feel can help. “The earlier we can get to the root of the problem, the stronger the foundation
we can build for happiness, health and success in our kids,” she added.
For tips, tools and more information, visit Diana’s website: www.dramaticadventures.com.
Mark Your Calendar for Tuesday 11/11 at *6:30-8:00 p.m.* to hear Rod Olson speak about A Parent’s Battle
Plan for Enjoying Amateur Sports. Appetizers will be provided. Bring your team’s parents!
Do you have website management, social media and/or people skills? Call Barb Goettelman at (303) 759-9560
or email [email protected] to find out how you can use your gifts and talents to help PIN.
www.PINccsd.org
PTCO NEWS
The BOOK FAIR is coming to Dakota Valley!
Monday, November 10th 8 am to 5 pm
Snake Lady 6 to 8 pm
Tuesday, November 11th 8 am to 5 pm
Wednesday, November 12th 8 am to 7 pm
Thursday, November 13th Muffins for Mom 7 am to 8 am
Thursday, November 13th 8 am to 5 pm
On November 12th we will be providing our wonderful teachers with dinner while they have
conferences. We will be sending out a sign-up sheet soon for donations to provide food for the
dinner.
PTCO is still accepting donations. If you would like to donate please bring your donation to the
front office or contact Vicki at [email protected] for more information.
S.T.O.P . P r og r a m
As a result of increasing traffic congestion and danger to children in school zones, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has
developed the S.T.O.P. program.
The amount of time it takes for us to Slow Down, Think, Observe, and Proceed with care (S.T.O.P.) only takes a few extra minutes
from our day
 Slow down
 Think
 Observe
 Proceed
This program is intended to help keep children safe, increase awareness and more effectively enforce school zone traffic laws.
The purpose of the S.T.O.P. program is to serve as a notice to motorists who are observed committing traffic violations in school
zones.
The Sheriff’s Office will obtain the violator’s registration information and a S.T.O.P. program letter will be mailed to the registered
owner. The letter serves only as a notice; however, subsequent violations may result in a traffic citation.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the schools, will continue improving the safety and quality of life for our
children through the S.T.O.P. program.
PASS Meeting
November 20, 2014
5:30 to 7:00 pm
To build an inclusive school community that promotes the
development of confident global leaders and success for all
students through empowerment by partnerships between
school and families.
Next Month Calendar:
December 2014
9th
Accountability Meeting 5:30-6:30 pm
13th
PJ’s & Pancakes 9 am to 12 noon
19th
Winter Wonderland of Reading
9:00-9:45 am
Dec. 22nd – Jan. 2nd NO SCHOOL Winter Break