Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016
Eight barbers from Famous Fadez and Denver Barbers volunteered to give free haircuts to more than 150 students at West Early College on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Pictured in the top right photo: Andre Black, David Ramirez and Dino Reyes Jr., deans at WEC and DPS grads, organized Tuesday's event. 

Haircuts for the Holidays: Local Barbers Answer Call to Give Back at West Early College
West Early College (WEC) is sending students home for the holidays in style! Local barbers gave free haircuts to more than 150 students at WEC on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

"We truly believe in the Whole Child," said WEC Executive Principal Ana Mendoza. "We know that our families struggle this time of year, and providing something as simple as a haircut cuts that cost for them, and makes our kids feel good about themselves."

Dino Reyes Jr.,  David Ramirez and Andre Black, deans at WEC, organized the event. They posted on social media last week to ask local barbers to volunteer. Reyes, a West High School graduate, was pleased to see local barber shops answer the call.

Eight barbers from Famous Fadez and Denver Barbers participated in Tuesday's event. They set up stations in the hallway outside of the school's gym. Black, an East High School graduate, scheduled kids' cuts, while WEC teammates swept floors and set a fun atmosphere. Ramirez, a North High School graduate and a DJ in his spare time, played music while students waited. Reyes, Ramirez and Black organized the event to show students that they're loved. They were very grateful for their team's support. 

"I say, 'Young people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care,'" Reyes said. "I want our young people to know how much we care." 


LIFT/EPMP Mid-Year is Here
The mid-year portion of the LIFT/EPMP performance year is here! If you haven't already had your mid-year conversation, schedule time with your manager to talk.  Regular performance conversations are essential to ensure that we stay on track toward our goals, celebrate our progress and problem-solve challenges as we work together toward our vision, Every Child Succeeds. During our LIFT/EPMP mid-year conversations, we engage in formal discussions to ensure performance expectations are clear and documented with a go-forward plan for the second half of the year.  What happens at mid-year?
  • Examine the competencies in LIFT. Reflect on your demonstration of the competencies and the impact.
  • Discuss progress towards achieving goals, comment on goals and adjust plans as needed in Infor GHR Talent Management.
  • Celebrate accomplishments.
  • Address barriers and roadblocks.
  • Target development opportunities for the remainder of the year.
Here are resources to help you prepare for your mid-year conversation:
For more information and helpful resources, please visit the LIFT/EPMP website. If you need further assistance, please reach out to Employee Services at 720-423-3900.  
Thank You for Brightening the Holidays for Homeless Kids!
Members of Team DPS gathered for a fun and festive gift-wrapping party on Dec. 15 to wrap gifts for our homeless students. 
The annual Giving Tree to benefit homeless students was a tremendous success this year. Members of Team DPS donated more than 120 gifts and more than 35 gift cards for the Homeless Educational Network to distribute to our kids in need. 

Teammates donated new hats, gloves, scarves, socks and underwear for our kids. They also met at the Emily Griffith Campus on Dec. 15 for a fun and festive gift-wrapping party. Thank you for your generosity this holiday season and for your continued commitment to our kids!
Access Whole Child Support Services Online
The Whole Child Deployment Platform  is an online tool for members of Team DPS to request speciļ¬c, immediate or short-term support services from district  responders . One hundred percent of the requester feedback showed they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the services they received! The service provider feedback is also very positive. Many users have indicated the request provided a very powerful opportunity to open doors for schools to receive supports for students about which they were not previously aware! Click here to access the request form in the Deployment Platform. If you have questions, please contact Barb Downing at 720-423-2047. Click here for the platform's mid-year report. 
Discount Alert: Avalanche Tickets on Sale Now
Bart Muller, winner of a $750 United Airlines Voucher
Thank you to all who participated in the DPS Foundation's I Give for Team DPS annual employee-giving campaign. Congratulations to Team DPS member Bart Muller, the grand prize winner of a $750 United Airlines voucher! The employee-giving campaign is over but that doesn't mean that the fun ends now. 

Join us Monday, Jan. 23, at the Pepsi Center for a night with the Colorado Avalanche! Join DPS alum and watch the Avs take on the San Jose Sharks. Discounted tickets start at $28 and each ticket comes with an exclusive Avs/DPS puck. A portion of every ticket sold benefits DPS schools!  Get your tickets here.
The Commons: Access it Anywhere, Anytime in January
In January, you'll be able to access internal resources on DPS' intranet, The Commons, anywhere, anytime. Your feedback has been important to this process. In the new year, you'll have access from home to ELA Teacher Qualification requirements, Curriculum & Instruction supports, and information on Benefits and Employee Wellness programs - plus so much more! We've also updated the footer on The Commons to provide easy access to DPS' portals and tools. Use our new footer by scrolling to the bottom of the intranet homepage (or any page on the site) to quickly access links to the following:
  • Infinite Campus
  • Master School List
  • Principal, Secretary and Teacher portals
  • Request a Substitute
  • Webmail
In the footer, you'll also find an updated FAQ and access guide for The Commons.  This update is one of many recent developments on our intranet. 

We also launched a new Department Directory  with more than 60 department sites and created a resource section on the homepage to keep you informed about new internal resources being added to the site each week. Questions? Feedback? Please contact us . 
Living Our DPS Honoree:
Silvana Gorton
School Psychologist, Office of Social Emotional Learning
Collaboration

Silvana Gorton in the Office of Social Emotional Learning lives our Shared Core Value of Collaboration.
Through Collaboration, Silvana Gorton is putting Students First at Barnum Elementary, where she teaches a small-group class each week.

Nominate  one of your colleagues to be featured as a Living Our DPS honoree, and read more about Silvana Gorton's commitment to Collaboration. 

"Silvana Gorton in the Office of Social Emotional Learning spends many extra hours supporting students at Barnum Elementary, all in addition to her own schedule. She collaborated with the team at Barnum to plan and teach a six-week course for a small group of students. Silvana provided the materials, including superhero notebooks that the students look forward to journaling in each week. When Silvana comes to help, she works with the students in a very calm and respectful way that helps these students feel extra special. She even stays to help support the students' transition back to their classroom. The students look forward to the small group time each week. Silvana's Collaboration helps put Students First in a building where she is not even based full-time."
-- Haleh Torbaghan, Barnum
Connect with Us
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