October 28, 2016 
Good morning from TheWeek@DMPS. A quick reminder that today is a professional development day for our faculty. School resumes its normal schedule on Monday. In this edition we report on everything from a visit by a foreign diplomat to a middle school "college" and seatbelts on buses! Plus, students cast their votes. Read on for those stories and more.
STORIES ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
DMPS students come from all over the world, and so do visitors to the district. Central Campus and Central Academy welcomed Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Hamdullah Mohib on Thursday. The former war refugee met with DMPS School Board members, staff and students. Click here to learn more about the 33 year-old diplomat and his message.
Middle School Mocks Model Democracy
Two weeks from the Nov. 8 election, DMPS middle school students participated in the nation's largest student mock election. They constructed voting booths, exchanged facts about candidates and cast their ballots, even working in a localized version of the Electoral College. Click here to read more about this experiment with democracy.
DMPS Adds School Buses with Seatbelts to Fleet
The district will introduce its first bus with seatbelts to the school bus fleet Monday morning. The bus is part of a viability study in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education. The bus will serve students in our elementary, middle and high schools. Click here to read more about the two buses and where they will be deployed.
Jodi Grant, Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance, visited Cattell Elementary School for a firsthand look at after school programming in DMPS.  Click here to read about how staying after school has gone from being punishment years ago to being a benefit for working parents, but also a way to enrich the educational experience for students.
Congratulations to East High School's rugby team on winning the 2016 State Girls Championship last weekend. The Scarlets defeated top-seeded Valley 21-14 to bring home the title. East senior Patience Murray was also named the tournament MVP! For more information about the championship,  visit the Iowa Youth Rugby Association web site .
Student-musicians from Lincoln, North and Roosevelt high schools will be represented at this year's All-State Music Festival. Auditions were held at six regional sites around the state last weekend by the Iowa High School Music Association. The students will participate in the annual All-State Music Festival at Iowa State University on November 17-19. IPTV will broadcast their concert beginning on Thanksgiving Day.  Click here for a list of the student-musicians from DMPS .
REMINDER: NO CLASSES TODAY
Today is a professional development day for faculty at Des Moines Public Schools. There will be no classes held today. School resumes its regular schedule on Monday, October 31.
PHOTO GALLERIES OF THE WEEK
Cyclones Visit Scavo High
Members of the Iowa State University men's basketball team stopped by Scavo High School the other day, part of their annual Stay In To Win campaign about the importance of education and graduation from high school.  See photos on our Flickr page.
McCombs Eagles Soar High, Jump Higher
McCombs students partnered with Hy-Vee for a KidsFit assembly Wednesday afternoon in the gym. The students learned about fun exercises and good nutrition. See the photos on our Flickr page.

UPCOMING EVENTS
TODAY
Teacher EQ Development Day - No Classes (ALL Schools)  
October 31
How "Scary" is School Funding? - Visit  Community Legislative Action Team website for details
November 1
School Board Meeting - Central Campus (6:30 PM) 
November 8
ELECTION DAY - Polls are open in Iowa from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM 
Fall Sports
Football/Cross Country/Golf/Volleyball/Swim  | Visit athletics.dmschools.org for schedules 
ICYMI: DMPS IN THE NEWS
Recent items in the news or online about or of interest for students, teachers and parents at Des Moines Public Schools:
  • Never underestimate the knowledge kids in this country have, and it's all thanks to their teachers, who are hoping an enthusiastic attitude about voting now will lead to active citizens down the road, said WHO-TV reporter Ried Chandler in his story about Goodrell Middle School students voting in the nation's largest student mock election.
  • Des Moines elementary schools have a special opportunity to learn about STEM concepts thanks to our partnership with Iowa State University. Learn more about the Trinect Fellowship in this Iowa State Daily 
  • A DMPS Culture and Climate summit over the summer sent educators back to their districts with great ideas to improve their schools. In this Des Moines Register article, Indianola middle school students proved they could sprinkle their day with happiness! Click here for the paper's story.
TheWeek@DMPS is a recipient of the 2016 Award of Merit 
from the National School Public Relations Association.
It is the policy of the Des Moines Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you believe you have (or your child) has been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact the Equity Coordinator, Isaiah McGee at 2323 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312 or 515-242-7662 or isaiah.mcgee@dmschools.org.