Message from Dr. Larkin:
We are so happy to see our students back at school after a week off! As our weather changes, I have a few reminders for school drop-off procedures:
Students should not be dropped off at school until 8:00 a.m. We are not able to supervise students until this time.
If the temperature is below 20°, students will come into the building at 8:00 a.m.
Please send appropriate outerwear with your students. We will be outside before school or recess if the temperature is 20° or warmer. If you are in need of winter gear for your child, reach out to Ms. Patricia, our school counselor.
If you need childcare prior to 8:00 a.m., please register for our Discovery Link program.
Thank you for adhering to these guidelines in order to keep our students safe.
The PTO’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner is next week! This is one of our largest community events of the year. Please join the PTO and Lowry staff for an evening of community and a delicious meal. More details are below in the What’s Happening at Lowry section, including the RSVP link.
Important Dates:
December 2: Chop Shop Dining for Dollars (all day at the Lowry location only, PTO Fundraiser). Mention Lowry Elementary when you order in-person or put it in the notes when you order pick-up through Chop Shop’s website.
December 5: Coffee with the PTO, 8:15 in the library. See below for more information.
December 9:
Gifted Education Info Session, 4:30-5:15 p.m. See below for more information.
PTO Spaghetti Dinner, 5-6:30 p.m. See below for more information.
December 11: Bertha’s Baja Bistro Dining for Dollars (PTO Fundraiser).
December 16: Collaborative School Committee (CSC) Meeting, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
December 17: Winter Concert (Kindergarten-2nd Grades), 1:30-3:00 p.m.
December 18: Winter Concert (3rd-5th Grades), 1:30-3:00 p.m.
December 22-January 5: No School for Students
What’s Happening at Lowry:
Please join us for Coffee with the PTO on Friday, December 5 at 8:15 a.m. The PTO will provide a light breakfast. There will be a brief presentation about the DPS app and then we will have a presentation about medical rights, including best practices before, during, and after receiving care, and changes to Medicaid and Omnisalud. All parents/guardians are welcome to attend. We will have interpretation available in Spanish, Arabic, and Amharic.
Are you interested in learning about Lowry’s Gifted Education program? Join Ms. Mills and Dr. Larkin for an info session on Tuesday, December 9 (4:30-5:15 p.m.), then head to the Spaghetti Dinner! RSVP for the info session.
The PTO’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner is on Tuesday, December 9. The meal is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per family. All donations will fund new school signage! Donations will be accepted online and in-person on December 9. RSVP for dinner.
Our first trimester (grading period) has ended. Did you know you can see your student’s grades through the Parent Portal or Parent Connect app? This is a helpful tool to understand your child’s progress throughout the year.
Do you have sports equipment that your child has outgrown? East High School’s Female Athlete Wellness Club is organizing a new and used sports equipment drive. They are partnering with local organizations such as Soccer Electric, the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund, and Y-Zero/ Building Resilience to donate the collected gear to children in Bijagua, Costa Rica and the Tapir Valley Nature Reserve. This partnership will promote the inclusion of girls in sports in their country as well as providing safer gear for as many children as possible. Lowry has a collection box for new and used sports gear, including footwear, clothing, and equipment. Please deliver items by Thursday, December 4; items can be delivered to the main office for Courtney Riordon to collect.
Staff Spotlight:
We were happy to see so many families attend our annual Thanksgiving Lunch on November 13. There are many people who help that day run smoothly, but we really couldn’t do it without Denise Pruit, our cafeteria manager.
Ms. Denise grew up in Colorado and attended Denver Public Schools, including Stedman Elementary and South High School. Ms. Denise’s two children also attended DPS schools. She has seven grandchildren, including one in college at CSU Pueblo and one at George Washington High School; two other grandchildren attend High Point and three live in Texas. Ms. Denise and her lunchroom staff work diligently to make sure our students are fed, the food is hot, and to the students’ liking.
Ms. Denise is an integral part of our school community. If you have any questions for her, please reach out via email.
Family Spotlight:
This month’s family spotlight is on a family that everyone at Lowry knows–Ms. Zahra Alhilo, our librarian, and the Alsaeed family!
Ms. Zahra is originally from Iraq and has lived in the United States since she was 10; Ms. Zahra speaks Arabic and English. Zahra lives with her husband Ammar and her children, Hasssan (4th grade) and Ali (1st grade); Hassan has attended Lowry since Kindergarten and Ali has been here since ECE. Hopefully you had the opportunity to meet the entire family at a school event, including the Trunk-or-Treat in October. Ms. Zahra loves being surrounded by her family and participating in activities as a family–these help her be herself and unwind!
Ms. Zahra joined the staff at Lowry because she wanted a job that fits her kids’ schedules. Her position as librarian has worked well for their family so she can be involved with Hassan’s and Ali’s lives. The library gives Zahra peace and personal satisfaction. She feels “joy when helping readers find books they love and watching children discover the magic of reading.”
Ms. Zahra has helped transform the library into a comfortable place that all students can enjoy. We are lucky to have Ms. Zahra and the Alsaeed family as part of the Lowry community!
Grade Level Shoutout:
Shout out to Kindergarten who have been jumping for joy these last few weeks because they have been learning to READ!! They have also been doing tons of fun fall activities like harvesting in the Lowry garden, disguising a turkey, meeting buddies in other grade levels, and discussing many reasons why they are thankful!
They have also been WRITING letters to their families about why they are thankful for them. As they head into the month of December, they are excited to be experiencing joy on their very first field trip to see Goodnight Moon! They are so excited to bring joy into their classrooms next month by reading the Gingerbread Man books, decorating gingerbread men, hunting for gingerbread, and decorating gingerbread houses before winter break! Keep being amazing kindergarten students, teachers, and paras!! Follow Lowry Kindergarten teachers on Instagram @krazykinders ✈️❤️
In partnership,
Dr. Annie Larkin