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Lowry Elementary School teacher Diana Gaiter works with ECE students in her classroom.
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Friday is the Final Day to Complete Open Enrollment
This Friday, May 12, is the final day to complete Open Enrollment. Have you selected, changed or waived your benefits? Here's who must take action:
- If you work 30 hours a week or more and you currently waive medical coverage or wish to waive medical coverage, you must log in to Employee-Self Service and choose "Waive Coverage." If you do not complete this step, you will be automatically enrolled in DPS' lowest-cost, employee-only medical plan (post tax).
- If you have a Healthcare, Dependent Care or Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and would like to re-enroll for the 2017-18 plan year, you must log in to Employee Self-Service to re-enroll to maintain your account. If you do not complete this step, you will not be automatically re-enrolled in your FSA.
- More than 1,200 teachers and 900 paras who need to take action have yet to do so -- are you one of them?
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Please Take the Talent Management Survey Next Week
On Monday, May 15, all teachers, specialized service providers and school leaders will receive a personal link to the end-of-year Talent Management survey, which will ask for your important feedback on the LEAP (Leading Effective Academic Practice) growth and performance system, Teacher Leadership & Collaboration and other related topics. The survey will be open through May 26.
Your time and candid thoughts are greatly appreciated! Please note that feedback will be kept confidential and not shared in an identifiable manner. Results will only be shared in aggregate at the school level when at least five teachers have responded.
We are also offering a prize of $500 in school supplies to the three schools (one small, one medium and one large school) with the highest response rates. Please take the survey to share your feedback.
If you have questions, please reach out to [email protected].
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Join a Curriculum Review Committee to Share Feedback
Teachers are reminded that the deadline to apply for a curriculum review committee is 5 p.m. Friday, May 19. Both teachers and school leaders are invited to apply. Please share your voice and feedback regarding middle school science, high school social studies or K-5 literacy intervention curricular materials. Substitute coverage will be available for mid-week, full-day meetings and participants will be paid at the applicable extra duty rate. If you are interested in helping shape the future of the 2018-19 curriculum adoption, please click here to learn more or apply.
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Apply to be Part of the Urban Advantage Program
Teachers interested in participating in the Urban Advantage program for the 2017-18 school year should apply by Friday, May 19. The Urban Advantage program connects DPS middle schools and families to the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Denver Botanic Gardens. The program includes free field trip experiences for middle school students, paid teacher professional development opportunities, and free family events and passes to participating organizations. School leader approval is required and priority will be given to schools in which the entire science department is invested. Please click here for more information or reach out to Renee Belisle if you have questions.
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Teacher Leadership & Collaboration
REMINDER: Registration Deadline for Required Professional Learning for All Teacher Leader Roles
Session descriptions for Teacher Leadership & Collaboration's (TLC) Summer Professional Learning courses are now available for new-to-role and returning-to-role teacher leaders, differentiated by role and experience level. Sessions include Leading Learning Cycles, Supporting Novice Teachers, Goal Setting and many more.
See this page to access an overview of your role-specific sessions; click on your role and experience level under "Professional Learning Requirements" to review sessions. If you haven't already, please
register here no later than May 15. Check your email for additional details from the TLC team.
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Denver Kids Tab Added in Infinite Campus
In Infinite Campus (IC), there is now a Denver Kids tab to make it easier to enroll kids in this valuable program. For more than 70 years, Denver Kids has been an instrumental community partner in helping address the dropout rate. Professionals from Denver Kids work with students in years-long relationships to provide support and continuity as their needs change, including connecting them to enrichment activities, volunteer mentoring and post-secondary options. To determine if a student is enrolled in Denver Kids, see the Denver Kids tab in IC -- if it is blank, the student is not currently enrolled; if the tab shows an acceptance date, the student is enrolled in the program. Refer a student who may need some extra support or contact Denver Kids to learn more.
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Reserve Seats for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre for Young Audiences Matinees
This fall, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is launching the Theatre for Young
Audiences program, a new field trip opportunity to introduce ECE-3 students to the theatre. The program runs Sept. 21-Nov. 28 with a production of "The Snowy Day," based on the book by Ezra Jack Keats. Tickets for the 2017-18 student matinees went on sale online May 8. Discounted tickets ($10) are available for ECE-3 students and extensive scholarship opportunities are available for Title I schools. There are a limited number of seats, so call
303-446-4829 to be added to a reservation list or visit the DCPA's student matinees page to reserve online. The DCPA also offers discounted weekday matinee tickets for field trips for older students, as well. Please visit the DCPA's field trips page for more information.
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Professional Learning & Resources
DPS Instructional Coaching Series
The Professional Learning Center and Teacher Leadership & Collaboration teams have partnered to create the DPS Instructional Coaching Series, which includes online modules coupled with job-embedded support and meta-coaching guidance to assist all educators who provide coaching in DPS, especially those new to their role. The initial course, Foundations to Coaching, includes multiple modules to support participants in utilizing a learner-centered approach toward coaching; it will be a strong complement to any program-specific approach schools/departments may be implementing.
Modules will launch in early June 2017.
- Module 1: How to differentiate coaching strategies to meet the needs of those you support.
- Module 2: Strategies for engaging in productive coaching conversations.
Additional modules for the first course will be added to the
Professional Learning catalog throughout the summer. DPS will also supplement the online series with face-to-face, skill-building opportunities that include extensive practice time. Check for updates on the
Professional Learning Center website.
Register Now for Summer and 2017-18 School Year Professional Learning
Registration is now open for summer 2017 and 2017-18 school year professional learning! Please register before the end of the school year to ensure your spot is reserved. Visit the
Professional Learning catalog to learn more and register. To see professional learning opportunities applicable to you, filter by school, subject and grade level, and then scroll over to applicable dates. For a calendar view of offerings, visit the
Professional Learning calendar. If you have questions, please contact
[email protected].
You Can Become a Biliteracy Specialist
¡Atención maestros de ELA-S y ELA-S/E!
Do you want to improve the bilingual program at your school?
Click here to learn more about the 2017-18 school year Biliteracy Specialist Professional Development Unit being offered by the English Language Acquisition department.
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