Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016
Top 5: What Makes Your School Great?
Last night at the Great Schools Expo, our families had the opportunity to learn more about our incredible schools and educators! Last week, we asked, "What makes your school great?" and you shared your one-sentence responses with us. Here are the Top 5! Congratulations to this week's winner, CJ Skelskey at Lowry Elementary
  1. "Our talented staff, caring families and amazing students come together to create unstoppable learning at Lowry Elementary!" -- CJ Skelskey, Lowry Elementary (Giveaway Winner!)
  2. "The kindness, caring and humor of Pascual LeDoux Academy, both among students and staff, makes it worthwhile being here every day." -- Matthew C. Easterwood, Pascual LeDoux Academy
  3. "Manual High School is innovative, we're meeting the scholars' needs, we utilize 21st century technology and we know all students can succeed. " -- Eric Posey, Manual High School
  4. "The reason that Castro Elementary is great is because when times get tough, teachers, students and staff stick together to overcome every challenge." -- Mike Whittlef, Castro Elementary
  5. "Goldrick is the best because of the amazing and welcoming staff, unstoppable leadership and the friendliest, warmhearted students." - Kyley Bussewitz, Goldrick Elementary 
Your Voice Matters: CollaboRATE is Coming Soon!
On Nov. 29, make your voice heard and strengthen your team by participating in CollaboRATE. This survey is one of the most important tools that you can use to provide your leader, your team and DPS as a whole with anonymous feedback that will be used to help us grow and improve.

Strong leaders need strong advice and, with your help, they and all of our teams can challenge existing processes in support of positive changes that strengthen our efforts to ensure Every Child Succeeds.  For more information, including FAQs, visit celt.dpsk12.org/collaborate/ .
Win a Giveaway! Top 5 Call-out: What Are You Thankful For?
Thanksgiving break is two weeks away, a fact we're all thankful for! In the spirit of gratitude, we'd love to know what you're thankful for this year. Share two or three things that have you counting your blessings. Email us at  newsletters@dpsk12.org and we'll choose the Top 5 responses for next week's newsletter. Then, we'll select one winner to receive a giveaway!
Donate Used or New DSLR or Point-and-Shoot Cameras to a Photography Class for Refugees and Immigrants
Do you have a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera that you don't use? Picture Me Here, an organization that empowers refugees and immigrants to tell their stories through photography, is seeking camera donations for its class at Emily Griffith Technical College. More than 30 students have registered for the class but there are only 11 cameras for them to share. Lynn Townsend with David Lynn Photography is co-teaching the class and is asking for community members to donate DSLR or point-and-shoot cameras. If you have a camera that you don't use, Lynn will coordinate pick-up or drop-off for the donations. Please contact Lynn at info@davidlynnphoto.com or 303-638-4646. 
Give to Team DPS by Friday at 1 p.m. and Win Four Nuggets Tickets and a $50 Humboldt Gift Certificate!
Tonantzin Espinoza won two tickets to a Marc Anthony concert.
If you participate in the DPS Foundation's annual employee giving campaign, I Give for Team  DPS , by tomorrow at 1 p.m. , you could win four tickets to a Nuggets game (some exclusions apply) and a $50 Humboldt restaurant gift certificate , courtesy of Kroenke
Sports & Entertainment, and Humboldt The DPS Foundation, our fundraising partner, works to support all schools and to benefit all students.  The foundation generates resources, builds relationships and champions public education to impact system-wide achievement.  It also provides classroom grants for teachers each semester.

Congratulations to last week's winner, Tonantzin Espinoza in the Department of Technology Services. Tonantzin received two tickets to a Marc Anthony concert! No contribution is necessary to win. For more information, click here
Benefits Terms Giveaway: $15 Gift Card
Here's what you've been waiting for. We've "decoded" four benefits terms in our Team DPS Weekly newsletters, starting in the Sept. 29 edition. Now's your chance to win a $15 gift card from some of the following vendors: Amazon, iTunes, REI, Target and more! All you have to do for a chance to win is email us the correct answer to the following question: 

What is: an alternative to in-person care for Kaiser members that requires them to have good internet connection and a computer, smart phone, or tablet with a camera, microphone and speakers.

Send the correct answer to newsletters@dpsk12.org, and one person will be randomly selected to win a $15 gift card!

Congratulations to Christina Bell at Holm Elementary School, last week's winner of a $15 gift card!
Living Our DPS Honoree:
Jeremy Cooper
Secondary Literacy Partner, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Equity

Jeremy Cooper (right) is living our Shared Core Value of Equity.
Jeremy Cooper, a secondary literacy partner in the department of Curriculum & Instruction, believes every one of our kids can achieve at high levels. That's why he's being recognized for living our Shared Core Value of Equity!

Nominate  one of your colleagues to be featured as a Living Our DPS honoree, and read more about Jeremy's' commitment to literacy for all of our students!

"Jeremy Cooper of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is an incredible model of Equity. I attended two of Jeremy's Saturday literacy trainings and was blown away with how thoughtful, knowledgeable and approachable he was, especially when talking about Equity for all DPS students. Since my background is in science and math, I didn't know how to establish an equitable learning environment in literacy classrooms -- and that task seemed quite daunting to me. But Jeremy did an amazing job explaining the rationale behind instructional moves that promote equity, and what the best practices are for literacy instruction. Even when some questioned the feasibility of bringing 'all' students up to grade level, Jeremy never doubted that all of our students CAN achieve at high levels. Further, he could articulate the rationale and instructional strategies in a way that allowed me to quickly become familiar with equitable literacy instruction. He is amazing!"
-- Melissa Mouton, Contemporary Learning Academy HS
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