From The Principal

September 1st, 2023

Dear Heritage families,

And just like that, one month down! It’s crazy how time flies…but I don’t need to tell you all that. I’m sure most of you posted back to school pictures of your kiddos with a caption that said something like “Time needs to slow down!” or “How do I have a 6th grader?!” This time is precious and I’m so grateful to be a small part of our students' journey through elementary school!

I want to share some exciting news around our 2023 CMAS Testing results. In typical Heritage fashion, we showed great growth as well as achievement. Families of students in 4th-6th grade should have already received your individual student’s CMAS results in the mail. We created a slideshow for our staff to celebrate our success and I wanted to share that with our families. I am thrilled to share that Heritage Elementary School was ranked number 14 on SchoolDigger out of 922 schools in the state of Colorado! This rating is based on all CMAS scores from the spring of 2023 in both math and literacy. In addition, we are the number two neighborhood school in the district!! This is a direct result of our staff’s unflagging dedication to student success and our amazing students’ hard work! Great work, everyone! To see our results on SchoolDigger, follow this LINK.

Our annual Fund Run event is right around the corner on September 13th. This is one of two annual fundraisers and we’d love your support! If we have 75% of total school participation then I’ll get turned into a human ice cream sundae!

Other School Wide Celebration Awards:

• $10,000: Crazy Hat Crazy Hair Day!

• $15,000: Our EAs will dress up in COSTUME all day!

• $20,000: CONCERT@ Heritage featuring Mrs. Lawson!

• $25,000: Ninja Nation Obstacle Course At Our School

Over the last couple of weeks, students participated in iReady testing. These assessments provide valuable insights into students' strengths and areas for improvement, helping educators tailor their instruction to better meet the needs of each individual student.

Overall, the start of a new school year is a time of adjustment and excitement, as students and teachers alike adapt to new routines, make new connections, and embark on a fresh year of learning and growth. We are off to a great start and I can’t wait to see where we go!

Sincerely,

Katie Lawson

In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).