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

• Sept 22       No School for Students - DPS Staff Development Day

• Sept 24       Mandatory 8th Grade Meeting 6-7pm (for 8th parents/guardians and students)

• All Skinner Staff have been thoroughly trained on Emergency Procedures

• Skinner has a Campus Security Officer on-site 

• Fire Drills will be completed once a month

• Lockdown Drills occur once a semester - our first lockdown drill will be October 2nd.  We will notify students in advance, as we don’t want to create any panic or fear. During lockdown drills, there will be an announcement over the intercom.  Teachers will support students in silently hiding out of sight of the doors.  Teachers will turn off lights, close and lock doors.  Students will remain silent until they hear an announcement over the intercom.  During the lockdown drill, DPS Department of Safety and Skinner Admin will be walking through the building, checking to see that all of the doors are locked, and everyone is out of sight and quiet.  The lockdown drill will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

As a reminder, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) posted final CMAS/CoAlt student score reports at the end of June. Paper copies were delivered to “tested” schools for distribution this fall. 

Accessing Your Student's Scores Online:

• Online: Use the Family Portal to view reports immediately. The Family Portal Guidance Document provides step-by-step instructions for accessing and interpreting your student's scores. Translated versions of the guide are also available. 

• Paper copies:  Please expect your student to bring home a paper copy of their test results by Friday, September 25th.

Please contact your student's teacher if you need help understanding your student's score report.

Volunteers, Donations, and Entries Needed!!!

The Skinner PTO is busy stirring up a plan for the upcoming Fall Festival on October 4th from 10am - 2pm! We will sponsor a Cake Decorating Contest in conjunction with a Cake Walk for the event.

There are a few ways you can help!

1. Donate baked items for the cake walk (can be anything...store bought or homemade)

2. Volunteer to help set up, run and clean up these events the day of the festival.

CLICK HERE to sign up for cake walk donations and/or volunteer slots!

3. Enter your best decorated cake and/or cupcakes into the cake decorating contest! (Channel your inner Jacques Torres (Nailed IT!) - the competition is always tight!

CLICK HERE to enter the Cake Decorating Contest.

Cake Walk Donation Details: - You can drop cake walk baked goods donations on 10/3 during school hours in the front office or drop them on 10/4 between 9-10am in the Skinner gym.
Cake Decorating Contest Details: Cake and Cupcakes entries only. Your entry must be Fall or Halloween themed and must be hand decorated (not store-bought).

Questions? Contact Sarah Foley: foley.sem@gmail.com

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP & SEE YOU THERE!

Youth on Record is an organization dedicated to empowering young people through music and creative media. We’re excited to announce our new schedule of FREE fall programs for musicians ages 11-24 including:

• Creative Enrichment Classes for middle and high school students.

• Studio Bookings where 14-24 year old musicians can book out space in our Youth Media Studio for recording, mixing, band rehearsals, songwriting sessions, and jam sessions

• Drop-in Fridays - Youth and Families are welcome to drop in on Fridays for tours, studio access, and a regular schedule of events and activations!

To get started, click here https://form.typeform.com/to/rrBVPw3a to register. Once registered, artists and their families will have access to our scheduling system. Contact David Landon at david@youthonrecord.org with any questions.

***New Date - moving from Sept 18th to Sept 24th due to North’s Homecoming Football Game!

• We are hoping that all 8th grade parents can attend with their 8th grade students. 8th grade students are able to attend without a parent/guardian. If you are not able to attend, the slide-deck will be in that week’s Skinner Family News for review. 

• If you would like to request language interpretation for this event, call Lyzbe Paz at 720-424-1482.

At this meeting, you’ll learn more about:

• 8th grade Continuation Expectations

• 8th grade Continuation Events

• Guest Speakers from area high schools

Addressing the behavioral and social-emotional needs of our students is critical to ensuring their well-being and healthy development, their access to safe and welcoming schools, and their ability to engage with grade-level texts and tasks. Universal behavioral and emotional screening is a proactive and systematic way to determine appropriate supports for students.

In Denver Public Schools, we use the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) to screen all students for behavioral and social-emotional risk. This screener is completed by students, teachers, and parents/caregivers at the beginning and end of each school year. The screening results will support data-driven decision-making across all tiers (levels) of supports in school buildings, in order to meet students’ needs as appropriately as possible.

Action Needed: BESS Parent/Caregiver Form - If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes to complete the BESS for your student. Our fall parent/caregiver screening window is open through October 31st. Please go to tinyurl.com/bessparent to complete your student’s screening today. You will need your student’s ID number and date of birth to log in.

If you'd like to learn more about the BESS and universal behavioral and emotional screening in Denver Public Schools, please review the BESS Overview for Parents/Guardians document.

Thank you so much for your participation!

For questions, reach out to: Lauren Wingender, Skinner School Psychologist lauren_wingender@dpsk12.net

Welcome/Welcome Back to the Gifted and Talented Program at Skinner Middle School. I'm excited to launch a new year of inspiring learning and growth! To keep you connected and informed, please review our very first GT specific newsletter - the Scorpion Spark: September 2025 Family Edition. It has my contact information, news about the virtual Family Gifted Educational Series, and important updates related to our GT programming plan and your student's Advanced Learning Plan. I'm excited to continue (or begin) our collaborative partnership! - Becca Glosser

Arrupe Jesuit High School is just a 3 minute drive from Skinner MS and a great high school option for your student! Come learn more about our unique Corporate Work Study Program—where every student works one school day each week—along with other exciting opportunities at the upcoming 8th Grade Parent Meeting.

Below are important dates for you and your student to visit our campus, learn more about Arrupe, and discover if we’re the right school for your family.  

• 8th Grade Visit - Use this link for availability: 8GV Registration

• Open House - Use this link to reserve your visit: Open House Registration

Skinner's support staff team is in need of your help! We have many students who are in need of a snack on a daily basis. Please check our Amazon wishlist and consider making a donation so we are able to sustainably offer healthy snacks to our students in need.  We also have some items listed to re-stock our Skinner loaner closet for students who need a change of clothes in the day. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to our community's youth!

Skinner is part of Longmont Dairy's Milk Caps for Mooola program.  Please save all Longmont Dairy caps (milk, juice, lemonade, cold brew, etc.) and turn them into the container in Skinner's main office.  Skinner's PTO will earn 5 cents per cap so save, save, save!

We anticipate having a limited selection of Student Clubs that will be offered during Learning Family Period 7 Advisement. Parents, if you would like to volunteer to sponsor an after-school club, please email Assistant Principal Rachel_Johnson2@dpsk12.net.

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!

From the Fall Festival and school dances to fundraisers and special events, there will be plenty of opportunities to help out throughout the year. 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!

CSC: Collaborative School Committee - first Wednesday of every month 4:00-5:30pm

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

Will need 3-5 Parent representatives - please submit interest by filling out this survey by September 12th. If you were on CSC last year, you’re welcome to serve again this year. 

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