Links: 25-26 Calendar (Calendario 25-26)

Feb 4           PTO 5:30-6:30pm

Feb 11-12   Interim #2 (Math and ELA)

Feb 16        No School - Presidents’ Day

Feb 19        National History Day School Competition @ Skinner

Feb 23        No School - Skinner-only Professional Development Day 

Feb 24        Lockdown Drill 

Feb 25        Hat/Hoodie/PJ Day (for no tardies) 

Feb 26        Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8pm - stay tuned for more info! 

Feb 26        Skinner Fundraiser at Panera Bread 4-8 pm

Feb 27        No School -  DPS Staff Development Day  

Skinner's Parent/Teacher Organization meets the first Wednesday of every month 5:30-6:30 pm in the Skinner Library. Come learn about and help with fundraising, teacher appreciation, parent volunteers and more! Check out Skinner Website PTO for more information If you’d like to join virtually, use this link

Skinner families, we wanted to remind everyone that energy drinks are not allowed at school for lunch. We have noticed an increase of students drinking energy drinks before school and during lunch. We want to make sure our students have healthy lunches that support their learning. Thank you for your support!

Spring tackle football for 7th and 8th graders planning to attend Denver North High School.

Tryouts: March 2 & 3 at 5:30 pm at North High School - Gym Entrance

What to bring: Sweats, shorts, t-shirt, gym shoes/cleats and a water bottle

Must have an up-to-date physical and be academically eligible

Please click to sign up today - more info and reminders will be sent via email - https://tinyurl.com/VikingsFutures

Fast Enterprises' Camp Code for Girls is happening again in Denver this summer! Applications for the FREE 1-week Summer Camp, July 6-10 at CSU Spur, are now open to DPS MS students (rising 7th, 8th, & 9th graders). Click here for more information and to apply. Spaces are limited.
2026 Camp Code for Girls: Quick Links      English flyer   - Spanish flyer    - Application link

Campers participate in a variety of educational coding games and technology activities led by experienced software developers. Camp Code introduces campers to a variety of women in technology and explores the diverse opportunities available to women who code.

The University of Colorado Cancer Center has an exciting opportunity for students to participate in cancer research activities at the University of Colorado Anschutz (CU Anschutz). A newly-funded grant program called START (Students and Teachers Achieving Cancer Research Experiences Together) is offering Summer Science Camps for students entering 7th, 8th or 9th grades in Fall of 2026 (Current 6th - 8th graders). 

Dates for rising 9th graders: Monday, July 20, 2026 through Friday, July 31, 2026 (2 weeks/weekdays only)

Dates for rising 7th & 8th graders: Monday, July 13, 2026 through Friday, July 17, 2026 (1 week)

Hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm

Cost: FREE - START Summer Science Camps are free and lunch is provided.

Location: Students will need their own transportation to and from CU Anschutz in Aurora, Colorado.

Details: Click here to see all details - scroll down to your grade level.

Deadline: Applications are now open and will close at 11:59pm on 3/31/2025. Applications are found on the website. Click here

We’re excited to inspire the next generation of cancer and biomedical science researchers like you. We hope to see you at CU Anschutz!

We are in search of volunteer judges who will help review student projects against the National History Day evaluation criteria to determine the top contenders in each category. There is no experience or background necessary to participate in the judging process, however, we request you plan to be at Skinner Middle School on Friday, February 6, 2026 from 8am - 3pm. Please sign up here Skinner NHD: Request for Judges 25-26. 

National History Day Showcase Event Important Details

All students at Skinner Middle School are currently working diligently on their National History Day projects in preparation for the Skinner Middle School NHD showcase event on Friday, February 6, 2026. We’re excited to see students’ creativity and strive to ensure every project is judged fairly and used as a meaningful learning experience.

We encourage you to review the rubric with your child, discuss common pitfalls - insufficient or weak primary-source support for the central argument, a thesis that is unclear or not consistently developed, weak connection to the annual theme, factual inaccuracies or important omissions, limited consideration of multiple perspectives, overreliance on secondary sources - and to support independence in their work. 

Click for more info: Colorado National History Day  National National History Day 

Skinner Middle School has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) this year. NAEP, often called “The Nation’s Report Card,” is a national assessment that helps measure what students across the country know and can do in various subject areas.

While we understand the importance of the data collected through NAEP in helping shape educational policy and practice, nationwide, we also want to ensure that families feel informed and comfortable with their student’s participation.

Only a random sample of 100 our 8th grade students will be selected to participate.  However, families do have the option to opt their student out of this assessment, similar to CMAS. If you would like to opt your student out, please complete the form below or log into your Parent Portal to indicate your preference.

Parent Portal Opt-Out Directions:  Assessment Opt-Out (English)

Assessment Opt-Out (Spanish)

Assessment Opt-Out (Arabic)

OR print and turn in the following Opt-Out Form to the Main Office

Testing Opt-Out Form (English)

Testing Opt-Out Form (Spanish)

Skinner PTO
The Skinner PTO is a community of parents, guardians, and staff working together to support our school and create memorable experiences for our students. You don’t have to commit to attending every monthly meeting — you can jump in on projects that excite you or bring you joy! Whether you love planning, decorating, organizing, or just lending a hand when needed, there’s a place for you. Contact PTO President Frank Coyne at fcoyne7@gmail.com to get involved!

Parent Engagement Opportunities:

CSC: Collaborative School Committee - first Wednesday of every month 4:00-5:30 at Skinner Library

• Meet with parents, admin, staff to discuss issues, impacts, and solutions for the school

• All meetings are open to the public

• Check website for more info 

• Due to the budget timeframe, CSC will be meeting January 28th (no February CSC meeting).  On January 28th, Skinner Administration will be presenting the 26-27 budget and staffing proposal.  Official CSC members will provide recommendations aligned with the proposal.  In the following Skinner Family newsletter, there will be links to CSC Budget slide-deck, CSC notes, and recorded meeting for those who are interested. 

PTO: Parent/Teacher Organization - first Wednesday of every month 5:30-6:30 at Skinner Library 

• Fundraising, teacher appreciation, parent volunteers

• Check out Skinner Website PTO for more information

• If you’d like to join virtually, use this link

Want to see a prior issue of Skinner Family News? Links are posted on the Skinner website, click here to access.