Thursday, April 13, 2017
Members of Team DPS captured memorable Spring Break moments all over the globe.
Top 5: Spring Break Photos
Photo by Team DPS member Steve Pulver.
From Zanzibar to Rome to right here at home, team members captured their memorable Spring Break moments on camera. Congratulations to our giveaway winner,  Steve Pulver at Ashley Elementary School! Read on to see what team members had to say about their breaks. 
 
1. "What did I do over spring break? I tried to keep my fiance from falling into the water during an engagement photo session!" --Sherri O'Lear, Barnum Elementary
 
2. "Over spring break, I flew all the way to Tanzania! I had the pleasure of spending time with these spectacular starfish off of the coast of Zanzibar!" -- Marisol Calderon Santacoloma, Farrell B. Howell

3. "I visited Rome! This was my first international flight so I was pretty unsure of how it would go but it was just amazing. Once in Rome I tried many types of food, and I took tours of the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, Santa Maria Church and more. Everyone should travel and experience a culture outside of their own!" --  Tyshia Seldon, Stedman Elementary
 
4. "I organized a short all-female friends' adventure trip for Spring Break to Iceland! We lucked out with mostly sunny winter weather and had a total blast hiking to waterfalls, exploring black sand beaches, caving, soaking in hot springs and viewing the northern lights!" -- Joanna Lilley, Office of College and Career Readiness

5. "I was able to get out and enjoy my hobby of landscape photography over spring break. After shooting an amazing sunrise at Red Rock Lake up in Ward, I headed down to A-basin and enjoyed a day of skiing." --  Steve Pulver, Ashley Elementary
Top 5 Callout: What Do You Do to Preserve the Planet?
Earth Day is Saturday, April 22, and we want to know the little things you do to make a big difference for our planet in your classroom, your office or at home. Do you upcycle used materials or have a fun, creative way to get others excited about recycling? Email [email protected] with your planet-preserving tips and we'll select one winner to receive a giveaway!
Flex Your Character at Mindfulness Event
Join other DPS educators for DPS' first-ever Mindfulness Event to learn more about our work to support the Whole Child through social-emotional learning and character-strength development. The event will highlight mindful approaches to leveraging our strengths as educators to achieve our vision, Every Child Succeeds. Attendees will hear from team members and leave with strategies for practicing mindfulness in education and connecting to their strengths. 

The event is from 8-11 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel, 3801 Quebec St. RSVP online.
Don't Miss ED Talk: Black., a Play and Discussion About Race
Join the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT) at the next ED Talk:  B lack., a play and discussion about race in our community, presented by Curious Theatre Company. Written by Lamaria Aminah as part of the Curious New Voices project, this startling and original play gets to the heart of communication between races and presents a great opening for a facilitated conversation about our own roles and voices regarding race in our community.

ED Talk:  Black. is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at Manual High School, 1700 E. 28th Ave. All are encouraged to attend.  RSVP for the event online.  ED Talks are designed to bring educators and community members together to help create an open environment to learn from each other in pursuit of our vision, Every Child Succeeds. Questions? Email [email protected].
Want to Know More About DPS Benefits? Visit The Commons
The 2017-18 Benefits Enrollment Guide is now available on The Commons. 
The Commons is the one-stop-shop for all team members' Open Enrollment (April 24-May 12) needs. Find information on key dates, supports and resources, including the 2017-18 Benefits Enrollment Guide, rates and plans, the Plan Selector Tool and much more. 

Use the site to register for a one-on-one benefits consultation with a benefits specialist or sign up for an Enrollment Lab where benefits specialists will be on hand to help team members complete their enrollment. You can also attend an Enrollment Lab during the Benefits and Wellness Fair from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Bruce Randolph School, 3955 Steele St. 

Please check  thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment  now through the end of Open Enrollment on May 12 for up-to-date information, including who needs to take action during Open Enrollment.
Select Your Life Insurance Beneficiaries
With Open Enrollment quickly approaching, consider your life insurance options. Full-time benefit-eligible employees (who work 30 hours or more per week) are eligible and automatically receive -- free -- twice their annual salary in basic life insurance through MetLife. It's very important to designate a beneficiary for this policy if you haven't already. If a beneficiary is not designated, your life insurance policy will default to your estate. DPS doesn't have a record of your beneficiaries and can't view or update them for you. 

To designate a beneficiary, visit mybenefits.metlife.com. You may need to set up a username and password. Email [email protected] if you have any questions. 
Living Our DPS Honoree:
Jennifer Slatten
Supervisor, Payroll Department
Accountability
 
"Jennifer Slatten of the Payroll team demonstrates Accountability daily. One example of this was when she trained herself on Contract Pay, the new pay system for DPS employees. She worked endless days, nights and weekends for several months to learn and understand how the new Contract Pay system worked. Once she knew how it worked, she was able to train the Payroll Technicians. 

The Payroll staff is very grateful for her dedication and hard work. We could not have implemented the new pay system without her. Even when she is busy, Jennifer dedicates herself to Payroll staff and fellow employees outside of Payroll. She strives to ensure all employees understand how they are paid each month. Most importantly, she always has a smile. Thank you, Jennifer!" 

-- Gina Sandoval, Payroll

Nominate one of your colleagues to be featured as a Living Our DPS honoree.
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