Letter from Principal Ken Burdette |
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Greetings Steck Elementary Families:
I hope this message finds you doing well as we return from our week of Spring Break. It is hard to believe, but it is already April, and we are down to the final eight weeks of school. First and foremost, I want to again share my appreciation for how you have welcomed me into the community. You have made me feel at home from day one. It is an honor to be here, and I’m looking forward to continuing the good work we are doing at Steck for many years to come.
These final two months will certainly be busy, as we begin our CMS testing tomorrow, April 7. We also have a lot of in-class and out-of-class activities coming up in these final months, including our Spring Fling Family Dance (4/24), Steckretariat Fun Run (5/8), Field Day (5/20), 5th grade Balarat (4/28-29), continuations, and much more.
As I have shared in prior messages, an initiative of mine is to continue building the culture here at Steck. This includes our student culture as well as our adult culture. Watching the outside lineup today was a sign of positive vibes and good culture building. I look forward to many more days like this. I also ask that you continue to talk to your children at home about the importance of kindness and of showing our Steck STARS traits. This is how we build a strong and sustainable school culture.
We are also busy planning for next school year. I will spend some time in April working on our school culture plan, schedules, hiring, and much more. We will also take time to welcome our new families who have accepted a seat here at Steck for next school year. Thanks to our PTSA, we have some welcome activities set for this month as well as throughout the summer. Please join our next PTSA meeting if you would like to learn more and/or volunteer to help.
I am excited for what the future holds here at Steck, and I appreciate your partnership in this journey. If there’s anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Ken Burdette
Principal
Steck Elementary
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MONTHLY REMINDERS - APRIL |
April 6 - outdoor line up begins
April 14 - PTSA meeting at 7:45am in the school cafeteria with coffee with Ken
April 14 - CSC meeting at 6:00pm in the school teachers' lounge
April 24 - Steck Annual Spring Fling Family Dance hosted by Steck PTSA
April 30 - NO SCHOOL Teacher Work Day
May 1 - NO SCHOOL Professional Development Day
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Colorado Measure of Academic Success CMAS Testing for Grades 3-5
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We need your help . . . Please refrain from scheduling appointments, vacations, etc. during the testing window
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Steck Spirit Days - April |
Every Friday is always Steck Spirit wear day! |
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Starbucks winners for the month: ECE Jack A., Kinder Christian M-H. and Vance A., 1st Anna G. and Anaiah J., 2nd Ryan O. and Leandrew R-L., 3rd Taylor D. and Benjamin B., 4th Amelia and Everett W. 5th Quinn H. and Outshine N.. |
Minute to Win It Winners: ECE Ezra T., Kinder Mila K., 1st William L., 2nd Lizzie F., 3rd William S., 4th Tyson F., 5th Dani C.
This month's game: Lucky Charms cereal sorting game!
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The 2026 Steck Talent Show was a hit! From dancing to singing, cello to piano, drumset to jokes, to even high-flying gymnasts, we had a fabulous time performing for you! Backstage crew did the lights, sound, curtains, staging, and marketing to make everything run smoothly and showcase the enormous talent we have in our Steck community.
Thank you to every performer and crew member for making this year a rousing success! We had a total of 59 students in the show this year! Thank you to Mrs. Southwell for putting on this production. And thank you to our supportive staff, PTSA, and administration for seeing the impact the arts have for our students and community.
Way to go Steck! A few performers from the show are photographed below.
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Students skating and dancing to YMCA at the Steck Roller Rink in gym class |
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First grade classes celebrate the 120th day of school! |
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Kinder: "Twinsies day", look what happened when reading Dr. Seuss' "The Sleep Book" during Read Across America celebration, and even Mrs. Hansen's class pet Gwynn the tortoise gets to celebrate her birthday |
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Attendance Matters - March |
Students who miss 1 day or less in the month of March will receive a March Attendance certificate and a funky star eraser cap! We are again competing as Homeroom Classes to reach the highest overall attendance percentage. The winning class will have a frozen dessert picnic and play time! The winning class will be announced during our Steck Stars assembly on April 6th!
Homeroom Attendance for March through March 20th:
ECE- Ms. Kirschling: 94.03%
Kinder- Ms. Leonard 89.34%
Kinder- Ms. Hansen 95.12%
1st- Ms. Lang 92.35%
1st- Ms. Adatto: 94.78%
2nd- Ms. Maxfield 94.03%
2nd- Ms. Garay 95.71$
3rd- Ms. Gould 93.49%
3rd- Ms. McRae 95.55%
4th- Ms. Mackey 91.10%
4th- Ms. Brown 94.06%
5th- Ms. Stanton 93.79%
5th- Ms. Kronen 95.01%
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Hello from the Nurse’s Corner,
Welcome back from spring break, Steck families! I hope everyone had a restful week. I want to encourage all guardians to read the email sent on 3/26/26 from the Nursing Department and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) regarding active measles cases in Colorado. While our school has a solid 96% vaccination rate for MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), I would like to see us get to 100% by summer break! Below is a section of the email you received about what steps are taken if we have an exposure at Steck. This protocol applies for students who are un/undervaccinated as well as students with a ‘non-medical exemption’ on file with the health office.
Students and staff who are not vaccinated or who do not have documentation of immunity may be required to stay home (quarantine) and be excluded from school for an extended period of time (21 days) following exposure. This helps protect the school community and prevent additional cases. If you believe you or your child have been vaccinated, locating those records now may help avoid the need for quarantine in case of exposure.
If you have questions about the efficacy and safety of the MMR vaccine for your child, you can reach out to me or your child’s pediatrician, or use one of the free district resources here or here (appointment required). Please reach out to me with any questions!
Nurse Emily
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GT NEWS for April 2026
I hope that Spring Break was rejuvenating for everyone.
Spring Cognitive Testing Dates
Kinder: 4/9
2nd: 4/10
3rd & 4th: 4/21-4/24
CMAS Testing
As we all work together to complete CMAS testing in the building schedules shift for everyone. Primary grades will have groups at different times, while 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will not have groups during testing. If your Steck Star mentions missing a group, please remind them about CMAS testing.
6th Grade Math Placement Assessment Window April 27 - May 18
Details and info about the assessment went out to 5th grade families via Thrillshare.
If you ever have any questions, contact Kat Zimmerman at kathleen_zimmerman@dpsk12.net
GT Family Website: gt.dpsk12.org
Kat Zimmerman
Steck GT
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REMINDER: Please join us for our next PTSA Meeting featuring coffee with Principal Ken!!
DATE: Tuesday, April 14th and Tuesday, May 12th, both will be held in the cafeteria after morning drop off
This is a great way to learn more about the inner workings of our school. We’ll also be serving coffee generously donated by local favorite, Under the Umbrella!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Being a part of the PTSA is a GREAT way to build community, learn about the inner workings of our school, and make a real impact on Steck's Success. Open positions for next year include:
Annual Auction Chairs
Room Parent Coordinator
Fundraising Coordinator
Community Events Coordinator
And many more!
If you're interested in learning more, please click HERE to fill out our Volunteer Interest Survey.
CHIPOTLE DINE OUT COMING UP!
Date: Wednesday, 4/15
Location: 745 CO Blvd
Time: 5-9pm
25% will go back to Steck
Order online for pickup using code: JKBTA7B
Or show this Flyer at the register
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR ANNUAL STECK SPRING FLING: Glow & Groove Sneaker Ball - think disco meets rad sneakers! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 24th. You won't wanna miss it!
If you would like to volunteer to help with the dance, here is our volunteer link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45ACAF2AABFFC34-63166219-steck
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