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Weekly News from Steele Elementary

03 03 2016   
Contents
From the Principal
School News
PTA News
Community News
Quick Links
Dates To Remember
From the Principal
PARCC/CMAS on the Horizon
The CMAS testing season is right around the corner. It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun! We'll send updates about testing throughout the test period, but I wanted to send the schedule to you now, so you would be aware of when your child will be testing. To view the schedule, click here. We've created a testing schedule that does not disrupt the schedules of students who are not testing. This is the first time we've been able to do that at Steele, and I'm very excited about it.
 
When students are testing, I'm going to ask that parents are not walking around the building; this is a state requirement and we can have test results disallowed if the requirement is not followed. If you're volunteering in a class, please check in at the office and go straight to the class where you're volunteering.
 
On the days your student is taking a CMAS test, please make sure your student gets a good night's rest the night before, is on time to school, and has had a healthy breakfast (or has time to get breakfast in the cafeteria).

CoffeeCoffee with the Principal - TODAY, Thursday, March 3 
We will meet in the cafeteria from 8:30 - 9:30 AM; coffee and light refreshments will be served. This is a great time to get to know one another better, share successes and concerns, and also talk about what is coming up in the near future at Steele. I look forward to connecting with you.

Thanks for all you do!
 
Cheers,
Kevin
School News
City Written Spelling Contest
On Thursday, February 18, Steele's Semantics Club competed (along with over 300 DPS elementary and middle school students) in the City Written Spelling Contest. Contestants had to spell 80 words and take a quiz on the meanings of 20 others. Among other words, they had to spell archivalia, woolliness, pinnigrade, and braggadocio.

The top 25 spellers were invited to the City Oral Spelling Bee. Though none of our Stallions scored in the top 25, we're very proud of Cade Ramirez (2nd), Hayden Dempsey (5th), and Kate Kotowski. And a big congratulations to Kate Kotowski, our School Spelling Champion of the year! Way to go, Kate!
 
To learn more about DPS Semantics, click here.  

- Mr. Miller

BoxTopsStudent Council Box Top Contest
Box Tops for Education logoStudent Council is collecting Box Tops for Education! We are challenging each classroom to collect at least 100 box tops by March 24. The class that raises the most box tops
will earn a pizza party on Friday, March 25! We'll continue a school-wide collection for the remainder of the year but only box tops collected between now and March 25 will be part of the competition. Containers are in classrooms for students to put their box tops in. Questions? Contact Ms, Parks, Room 306.

JumpJump Rope for Heart Wrapping Up
Thank you to all students who joined our Steele Jump Rope for Heart team. If you collected cash or checks, please turn them into Coach Welch's office or mailbox by TOMORROW, Friday, March 4. Make sure to fill out all info on the envelope so your child gets credit for the total amount and the correct thank-you gifts can be ordered. Coach Welch will place Steele's dog/thank-you gift order on Saturday. Generally, it takes 3-4 weeks to receive our order.

The Wizard of Oz
The third grade classes are presenting Wizard of Oz on the following dates. All shows at 5:30 PM.
  • 308: Tuesday, April 19
  • 211: Wednesday, April 20
  • 312: Thursday, April 21
After School Enrichment
It's that time of year to start thinking about Spring Enrichment Classes! Numerous after-school programs are starting new sessions in the coming weeks -- Little Chickadees Nature Club for K/1, CELL, Garden Club, Chess Wizards, Young Rembrandts, and many more! Visit the Steele website for further details on these and other programs offered.

Summer Camps
Looking for fun activities for your children this summer? Many terrific camps will be offered by our enrichment providers, teachers, and associated community partners (such as South High and SPREE). To view all current opportunities, click here -- and make sure to check back, as other camps will be added when information becomes available.
PTA News
PTA Logo PTANext PTA Meeting: March 8 at 6:00 PM
The next PTA Meeting will be Tuesday, March 8. This month we're excited to include a teacher demonstration of a Promethean Board, the latest classroom technology in use at Steele. Please plan to join us from 6:00 to 7:30 PM; signs in the school lobby will direct you to the 4/5 classroom for the demonstration and meeting. Child care will be available in the library for $3 per child. Drinks and conversation will continue nearby following the meeting.

SDOSteele Dines Out at MOOYAH - Monday, March 14, 5:00 - 9:00 PM - Save the Date!
Bring your family and friends to MOOYAH (1390 S. Colorado, Blvd, Suite 900) for burgers, fries, and shakes! Bring the flyer posted online (or pickup one in the school office) and MOOYAH will donate a percentage of all sales to Steele.

HomeTourWash Park Home Tour 2016
Mark your calendars! This year's Wash Park Home Tour takes place on Saturday, May 7, featuring these fabulous five houses:
  • 441 S. Franklin - Victorian cottage
  • 523 S. Gilpin - Classic Wash Park family home
  • 595 S. Gilpin - Renovated Craftsman bungalow with pop-top
  • 551 S. High - Contemporary masterpiece
  • 964 S. High - New build with timeless neighborhood style
We'd love to include as many Steele family businesses as we can on the Wash Park Home Tour signs and in the directory -- which by itself reaches 1800 people! Check out all of the sponsorship and advertising opportunities, starting at $250.

Your Time, Their Money! And Our Kids Benefit!
Many corporations donate to organizations for which their employees volunteer. Does yours? You can help the Wash Park Home Tour fundraising effort by volunteering your time - and your employer's money! (Usually a minimum number of volunteer hours is required.)

To learn more about the many ways to volunteer for Steele's biggest fundraiser, contact Maureen Savage.
 
After School Garden Program
We're inviting 20 students to learn about caring for seeds, planting, and much, much more! Registration is open now. We'll meet on Wednesdays from April 6 to May 25, 3:00 - 4:00 PM. This year we will include a garden milk jug experiment, transplanting, and (if weather permits) planting a few beds in the garden.  Download the Registration Form for more information.
Community News
A Message From a South High Student 
My name is Courtney and I am a student at South High School. Our school will be holding an event on March 10 in collaboration with local law enforcement. The purpose of the event is for students to come out and socialize with police through various lighthearted activities. In order to include as much of the community as possible, we would love to have students from all of your schools in attendance! To view a flyer that has more information, click here. We hope you and your students will be able to join us! Thank you!

Interested in Becoming a Teacher? 
Steele has a long history of training skilled and dedicated teachers. The Stanley Teacher Prep program is seeking intern candidates for placements at Steele, as well as other public school and private schools. For more information, click here or email Jessamyn Lockhart . 

Merrill Middle School News
To check out what's happening at Merrill Middle School, click here.
To submit information to this newsletter, send it in edited, final-draft format to the appropriate person from the list below by 5 PM on Tuesdays:
For all other questions, please email Cynthia Swanson and Liz Marvan (parent volunteers) at steelestallionpress@gmail.com.