Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017
Team members celebrate during a recent Creating Connections session.
Connect with Our DPS Values, Vision and Teammates at Creating Connections
Have you attended our Creating Connections values-based leadership program? This one-day, off-site opportunity is designed to build professional and personal skills, while also creating relationships with DPS educators and leaders across the district. Participants will engage in topics and discussions about the history of DPS, team dynamics, effective communication, why our Shared Core Values matter and more. All DPS team members are encouraged to attend a Creating Connections session. Registration is now open for the Feb. 13 session. There are also sessions March 13 and May 17 this semester.
 
Register now for the upcoming Creating Connections: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, at the PPA Event Center ( 2105 Decatur St., 80211).
 
For more information, or if you have a question, contact [email protected].
 
Teachers: Guest teacher pay is available if needed. Contact [email protected] for details.
 
Past Attendees: Love Creating Connections and interested in volunteering as a Red Shirt? Contact [email protected]. 
Top 5: Shared Core Values Week Reflections 
Last week was DPS' Shared Core Values Week, and we loved hearing from teammates about why the values are important to them and how they are living them with our teams and students. Congratulations to this week's giveaway winner, Shayla Fountain, a teacher at Goldrick Elementary!
  1. "I can honestly state that I have had more Fun with my current group of students than I ever have in my seven years of teaching. We seem to really connect in my classroom this year and they are some of the most energetic and hard-working kids I have ever had the pleasure of working with." -- Shayla Fountain, Goldrick Elementary
  2. " Equity is the most important value. If we can set up DPS where everyone belongs, everything else will win." -- Laci Gettings, Culture Equity and Leadership Team  
  3. "My favorite value is Fun, mainly because your students tend to learn more when their teacher is having fun in the classroom." -- Jameelah Whimbush, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College  
  4. " Students First is my favorite value, because my school, Sandra Todd-Williams Academy, really celebrates our kids." -- Marta Villegas, Sandra Todd-Williams Academy
  5. " Equity is the most important value for me. Our students deserve the support they need to achieve their dreams in education and society." -- Alejandrina Barajas, Noel Community Arts School

     
Top 5 Callout: Best Joke You've Heard from a Student 
Fun is one of our Shared Core Values -- and we know our kids can teach us a thing or two about how to keep living it every day. With this in mind, we want to hear the best joke a student has told you. Click here to submit, and check back next week for some laughs and to see who wins our giveaway prize.
Attend Comms U to Learn How the Communications Team Can Support You
Ever wonder how to submit to the newsletter cascade? Wondering what the newsletter cascade even is? Learn answers to these questions and many more during Comms U: Communications Team Expo and Open House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 on the 14er of the Emily Griffith Campus.

Media relations, social media, the DPS website, The Commons, school marketing, DPS branding, Denver Plan 2020, EDUCA and language services are just some of the services that will be highlighted, with team members available to answer your questions and discuss how they can best support you and your work. Food, games and prizes are all part of the fun, so be sure to stop by! Questions? Contact [email protected].
Discount Alert: Special Offers and Discounts for DPS Employees
Did you know that you can save big on travel, tickets, popular brands, retailers and services -- just for being a part of Team DPS? Check out all the deals and learn more about our DPS Employee Discount Program here. Verizon, Turbo Tax, Farmers, Applebee's and Disney Cruise Line are just a few of the many discounts and offers available now, so start exploring this program today!
Living Our DPS Honoree:
Brian Dino
Project/Program Manager, Ed Tech Department
Accountability

Brian Dino not only lives the Shared Core Value of Accountability by providing excellent service, but he also teaches our kids how to be accountable.

"Brian Dino, of the Ed Tech Department, lives Our Shared Core Value of Accountability in the way he cares for our kids. He teaches our kids how to stay safe on the internet and makes sure that students' online profiles reflect the values they are taught in their classrooms. Brian does this all with humor and magic that engages the students and even inspires some budding magicians. He reminds the kids to use common sense when using the internet because our digital presence lives forever and has consequences in the real world. Thank you, Brian, for keeping our kids engaged and safe while they interact with 21st century learning."
  -- Janine Logar and Jeffery McMahn, Sabin World School

Nominate one of your colleagues to be featured as a Living Our DPS honoree.
Connect with Us
Note: We send many DPS communications via this platform. Please do not unsubscribe from these messages or you will not receive future and important messages. If a specific message doesn't interest you, simply delete it and stay tuned for a future communication that will be of more interest. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].