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Living Our DPS Honorees: The Math Fellows Team at Collegiate Prep Academy lives every one of our Shared Core Values. Scroll to bottom to read their story.
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Access Mental Health Services Through the Employee Assistance Program
Mental health was the number one health concern expressed by DPS employees in the Employee Wellness Survey. Did you know that you and your team members have access to the free and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? It is designed to provide short-term counseling services for you and your dependents to help you handle concerns constructively before they become major issues. You can discuss concerns related to marriage, relationships, family, stress, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, job pressures, and substance abuse. About 95% of people's concerns were resolved with the help of the EAP. For more information, visit the
EAP page on The Commons; call 855-327-1377; or, visit
www.guidanceresources.com and use the web ID "DPS" to learn more. Also, review these
frequently asked questions about your EAP.
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Share Immigration FAQ for Students and Families
In the wake of last week's election, a number of you have requested resources to respond to questions from our students and families about immigration issues. Our legal team has prepared a family-friendly Immigration FAQ, available in English, Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese. Please email us at [email protected] for FAQs in additional languages, including Amaric, Burmese, French, Nepali, Russian and Somali.
Also, last week we shared Tom's post-election message in English and Spanish, including resources for difficult conversations and these key points:
- Our mission is more important than ever. Education can help us bridge our differences and can help bring us together around respect and understanding rather than fear.
- Through education, we can better understand our past and grapple with the issues of today, including those that are dividing us. We can encourage more dialogue about the differences and bias in our country around race, ethnicity, gender and class.
- It's important that we don't demonize those we disagree with -- no individual or party has a monopoly on wisdom. We should seek to understand the diverse views and perspectives of all members of our community.
- We should not hesitate to emphasize how deeply we believe in our core values of equity and inclusion, respect for the dignity and worth of all members of our community. We will fight for these values and advocate for our kids and the families we serve, and the educators we serve with. We value every student and every educator.
- We encourage students, families and educators to talk, to create safe spaces where hopes, fears and differences can be raised -- spaces where we can challenge each other to reach common ground on issues that divide us.
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You're Invited: Join Us for the New "ED Talks" Speaker Series
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Ash Beckham |
Join us for a series of thought-provoking speakers brought together by our Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT). "ED Talks" are designed to bring educators and community together to discuss issues affecting our schools and to help us learn from each other in pursuit of our district vision, Every Child Succeeds.
The series was created following the
recent report by Dr. Sharon Bailey
documenting race and equity issues in our schools.
The next scheduled speaker is Ash Beckham, whose 2013 talk about empathy at TEDxBoulder has drawn more than 2.5 million views. Watch her short talk, "We're all hiding something. Let's find the courage to open up." Beckham's later talk focused on the increasing polarity in our country; see that talk, "When to take a stand -- and when to let it go." Following Beckham is Principal Kafele, a teacher and principal who led urban school turnarounds before becoming a nationally known speaker, writer and consultant. We'll provide more information closer to his speaking engagement.
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Top 5: What Are You Thankful For?
There was a central theme in the responses to last week's call-out. Response after response, we heard how grateful you all are to be educators and to have this opportunity to empower our kids. Thank you for all you do to put Students First and congratulations to our giveaway winner,
Seth Lavender at Lena Archuleta Elementary!
- "There are many things in this world that I am thankful for. If I have to pick three they are: 1. My students; they amaze me every day, and they make me smile, laugh and love. They work so hard daily to overcome obstacles to show greatness! 2. My teammates at Archuleta. We always have each other's backs. They are my family away from home. 3. My beautiful wife and awesome kids." -- Seth Lavender, Lena Archuleta Elementary
- "I'm grateful for the gifts that every student brings and presents on a daily basis. It's a joy to see their talents and passions unfold throughout the school year as they begin to discover their own gifts and share them with the world!" -- Kristie M. Burke, Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy
- "I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work with the greatest and most awesome group of people in DPS, people who care for each other as though we are family. And, I'm grateful to be able to live in the most beautiful state in this country." -- Sherri Jones, Transportation Services
- "I am thankful for the opportunity to make an impact in the life of a child every day. I am thankful for my family of school leaders that I am blessed and honored to lead. I am thankful for the gift of each new day and the opportunities that it offers to be the difference." -- Lee Cooper, Instructional Superintendent (Near Northeast)
- "After three decades working in the field of nursing, I chanced into an invitation into DPS school nursing. I am so very thankful to the most amazing group of caring, dedicated, hardworking, passionate people in Student Services. That wide-eyed excitement we all felt when we graduated into our respective fields has been rekindled by my nursing support staff, nursing and student services administrators, and fellow school nurses." -- Myra Coyle, Escalante-Biggs Academy
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Win a Giveaway! Top 5 Photo Call-out: Send Us Your Favorite Thanksgiving Break Photos
Whether you're cooking, traveling or enjoying a quiet staycation, we want you to share photos from your Thanksgiving break. Send us your selfies, your food photos, your travel pics -- we want to see the fun! Remember: We'll publish the next issue of
Team DPS Weekly on Dec. 1, so send us your response before Nov. 29. Email us at
[email protected] and we'll choose the Top 5 responses for the Dec. 1 newsletter. Then, we'll select one winner to receive a giveaway!
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Give to Team DPS by Friday at 1 p.m. and Win Two Tickets to The Fray Concert on Nov. 26
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Toni Mitchell won four tickets to a Nuggets game and a $50 gift card to Humboldt.
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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 two tickets to see The Fray on Nov. 26.
Participants qualify to win weekly prizes; no contribution is necessary to win. Here's how you can participate:
Give
or
get involved
.
The DPS Foundation, our fundraising partner, works to support all schools and to benefit all students. As a way to express its gratitude to its generous supporters, the foundation is teaming up with Shift Bodyworks today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to offer free 15-minute chair massages at the Emily Griffith Campus (1860 Lincoln St., Room 1235A). Sign up here!
Congratulations to last week's winner, Toni Mitchell, who won four tickets to a Nuggets game and a $50 gift card to Humboldt restaurant (courtesy of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and Humboldt).
For more information, click here.
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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: the modern equivalent of a house call that allows DHMP members to schedule a home visit with a trained medical professional, who can order labs, administer an IV and test for infectious diseases.
Send the correct answer to [email protected], and one person will be randomly selected to win a $15 gift card!
Congratulations to Christa Hill in Transportation and Support Services, last week's winner of a $15 gift card!
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Complete a Financial Fitness Checkup and Access a Free Financial Advisor for 30 Days
There is still time to increase your financial security and reduce stress while competing against Jefferson County Public Schools to be the most financially fit district.
More than
380 members of Team DPS have already completed their financial checkup, and o
nce you are enrolled in the Academy, you can access a Financial Fitness Advisor for 30 days for free.
Visit this website for more information.
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Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Leader: Leroy Lopez
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Leroy Lopez was a beloved leader in Denver Public Schools for 33 years.
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Leroy Lopez, who retired in 1994 after 33 years as an educator for Denver Public Schools, lived the district's Shared Core Values -- Students First, Integrity, Equity, Collaboration, Accountability and Fun -- long before they were put on paper. He was a vocal advocate for equity, consistently elevated the needs of students, had a wonderful sense of humor and was a role model for his colleagues.
Lopez, a former associate superintendent of education for DPS, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in September and died on Nov. 9. A
memorial service is tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 18.
His wife, Pat, a retired manager of psychology services for DPS, said he treated others with kindness and respect. Years after Lopez retired, his former colleagues continued to tell Pat how much they missed him.
"He changed the way that people looked at life," Pat said. "The people he worked with, his students, their parents -- they've all said his impact was lasting."
Read Full Story >>
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Kate Senecal, Halah Mohammed, Emily Auer, Liz Milton, Alyssa Fluss and Heidi Gray
Math Fellow Team, Collegiate Prep Academy
Students First
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The Collegiate Prep Academy Math Fellow Team lives every one of our Shared Core Values, but the team truly puts Students First.
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Collegiate Prep Academy's Math Fellow Team -- Kate Senecal, Halah Mohammed, Emily Auer, Liz Milton, Alyssa Fluss and Heidi Gray -- represents every one of our Shared Core Values. But, it's evident in all they do that they truly put Students First!
Nominate
one of your colleagues to be featured as a Living Our DPS honoree, and read more about the Collegiate Prep Academy Math Fellows' commitment to our kids!
"Our Math Fellow Team at Collegiate Prep Academy is truly a Students First team. Whether it is supporting our students with a snack, talking through a personal problem or helping with homework, we are there for them. Our team maintains the Integrity of the fellow program by following through with student concerns that are in the best interest of the student, the program and our school. CPA fellows Collaborate on our Algebra 1 content to make sure that we are meeting all of our students' needs, differentiating for specific learning styles, language needs and content extensions. We remain Accountable by constantly analyzing our instructional moves as individuals and as a group. And finally, we end our week with Fun through "Shout Outs!" to ensure that all of our hard work is noticed and to make sure we get in some belly laughs."
- Kate Senecal, Merrill Middle School & Collegiate Prep Academy
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