2020/21 Staff Changes Headed Our Way
Heidi Kruglet • February 12, 2020
Looking ahead to next year...Changes on the Horizon
At the end of this school year, we will be saying goodbye to three very talented and dedicated educators: Kirstin Halpert, Laurie Knapp, and Hilary Price. These three teachers have given Platte River Academy an abundance of wisdom and care in their combined total of 49 years!
Kirstin Halpert began as an Instructional Aide at PRA in 2000 when her daughters attended PRA. Mrs. Halpert first began teaching 3rd grade in 2004; she and Mrs. Knapp job-shared the position for eight years before taking the classroom on her own in 2012. This year marks Mrs. Halpert’s 30th year teaching, 20 at PRA. Thank you Mrs. Halpert! We wish you a happy retirement!
Laurie Knapp’s story is very similar to Mrs. Halpert’s...she also began as an Instructional Aide in 2000 when her children attended PRA, and she taught 3rd grade as Mrs. Halpert’s job-sharing partner. After leaving 3rd grade, Mrs. Knapp became one of our Reading teachers where she supported readers in small groups. After a few years teaching Reading, we asked Mrs. Knapp to become our Building Resource Teacher where her focus shifted to supporting teachers. Mrs. Knapp has been essential in supporting our transition to i-Ready and guiding teachers in their interpretation of data. Thank you Mrs. Knapp! We wish you a happy retirement!
Hilary Price has taught Full-Day Kindergarten at PRA since 2011. Always with a patient and caring smile, Mrs. Price has introduced many families to PRA. Mrs. Price’s twin daughters began PRA in Kindergarten the same year she did; they will graduate 8th grade in May. Thank you Mrs. Price! Here’s to your next adventure!
We will be posting both the 3rd grade and the Kindergarten positions soon, and we plan to conduct interviews in March. We feel very optimistic about the pool of candidates out there, and we won’t stop looking until we find the very best fit for each position. We are not going to seek a new Building Resource Teacher; instead, we plan to distribute these responsibilities to other staff.
With every change comes new beginnings, and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome new caring and talented teachers to our team. We will keep you posted as decisions are made.
Thank you PRA Families for taking the SAC “Returning in the Fall and Remote Learning Feedback Survey” at the beginning of June. The information you provided will be immensely helpful to PRA Leadership as they navigate the coming school year. Please click here to see the results. Listed below are a few key highlights. Thank you! PRA SAC Returning to School in the Fall Approximately 60% of all K-8 PRA students were represented through survey responses : 80% of responses indicate they feel ok with students returning to school in the fall 52% say it’s critical that in-person school resume and I am not anxious about sending my student back 28% say I feel somewhat anxious – but will be ok if social distancing, masks, and other measures are in place 20% of responses indicate they do not feel ok with students returning to school in the fall: 14% say I am unsure about returning my student to school, even if social distancing and other measures are in place 6% say I honestly cannot imagine sending my student to in-person learning while the pandemic continues In addition to health concerns some reasons given why families do not feel ok with students returning to school in the fall are : Safety precautions could negatively impact the learning environment Concern about teachers getting sick Students not adhering to precautions Additional reoccurring comments/feedback are: If hybrid model is adopted make sure families are grouped accordingly Are there alternatives to masks Social interactions are key Remote Learning Feedback On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being good : Parents felt their child’s response to remote learning was a 3.2 Parents’ satisfaction with their child’s grade level team was a 4.0 Parents’ satisfaction with PRA leadership was 4.4 Several areas of remote learning that worked well for students were: Teachers Technology Flexibility to work on own timeline Planned classroom virtual hangouts Several areas of remote learning that did NOT work well for students were: Distractions at home Lack of accountability Social connections Screen time Regarding remote learning time commitments : On average, students spent 2-3 hours per day remote learning On average, parents felt students should spend 3-4 hours per day remote learning On average, parents spent 1-2 hours supervising their child’s school work On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being important, you rated the following comments in order of importance: Teacher availability to answer questions – 4.6 Opportunities to interact “live” with the teacher and other students – 4.5 Video lessons – 4.2 Grades/student accountability for work 4.0 Choice/flexibility in lessons – 3.7 Following the “regular” school schedule – 3.4
Get one while supplies last! Only a few left. They are $38 each. If you are interested in buying a yearbook, please email Heidy Tomic .
DCSD Nutrition Services FREE Summer Lunch Program will continue through July 31! *Weekend meals will be included with Friday meals. Please note that no meals will be served on Friday, July 3. Times and Locations Monday - Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Fridays 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Castle Rock Rock Ridge Elementary School, Main Entrance First United Methodist Church The Pines at Castle Rock Apartments, Clubhouse Highlands Ranch Acres Green Elementary School, Main Entrance ARIUM Apartments, Outside Rental Office Cresthill Middle School, Main Entrance Northridge Elementary School Roxborough Primary School Roxborough Intermediate School Parker Challenger Park, Recreation Drive, Near the Baseball Fields Iron Horse Elementary School, Main Entrance Pine Lane Elementary School, Intermediate Main Entrance
The Douglas County Libraries Foundation will give $500 each to the elementary, middle, high and charter school that signs up the most readers for Summer Reading with DCL. It’s that simple! Students (and siblings, teachers and parents) can register NOW online at DCL.org/summer-reading . On-site registration will be available at all DCL locations once we are able to return to our buildings. Participants should include your school name and their grade when they register so your school gets credit. The Summer Reading contest runs through July 31; people can register through the last day. The winning schools will receive their $500 prizes in August.
By clicking on the picture above, you will be taken to a list of Summer Enrichment Activities across all grade levels and subject areas. These are potential ways to keep your child engaged over the summer - just for fun- completely optional.
Broadcasting on RMPBS channels statewide in English with Spanish closed-captioning, the program provides fun early literacy lessons with Master Teachers from around Colorado to help children and their parents stay engaged in learning to read.
