Welcome to a new edition of TheWeek@DMPS. This morning we share an update on efforts to improve pedestrian safety, highlight the great showing by DMPS students at the State Science Fair, and share how DMPS continues to be a national leader in energy efficiency. Also, do you know a great DMPS teacher who deserves to be recognized? See our notice about nominations for Iowa Teacher of the Year.
Read on for these stories and much more.
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STORIES ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
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Des Moines Public Schools and the City of Des Moines are furthering efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the SW 9th
Street corridor. City and school district leaders met recently to begin implementing steps to create a safer environment for pedestrians, motorists and students. A Lincoln student tragically died after being hit by a vehicle while crossing SW 9th Street last month. Click here for further details on the efforts.
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Student-Scientists Shine at State Science Fair
More than 80 DMPS student-scientists who qualified at the school district's science fair in February took their projects to the next level late last week in the State Science and Technology Fair at Iowa State University in Ames. Their work went neither unnoticed nor unrewarded. In both the middle school and high school divisions DMPS entrants won top honors in multiple categories.
Click here for a complete list of award recipients
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DMPS Earns 6th Consecutive Energy Star Award
Des Moines Public Schools has been named a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for the sixth consecutive year. DMPS is one of only two Iowa recipients of the honor. Congratulations to our operations staff on their great work at energy efficiency and conservation, meaning more resources are available for education.
Click here to read more about why DMPS is a national leader when it comes to energy efficiency.
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DMU Hosts Students for Girls in Science Day
Thanks to our partners at Des Moines University for hosting more than 200 DMPS students for Girls in Science Day to introduce them to science and health-related educational and career opportunities. At this year's DMPS Science Fair, more than 60% of the participants were female.
Click here to see photos from the event on DMU's Facebook page.
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High School Art on Exhibit Thru April 11
Make plans to visit the Polk County Heritage Gallery for our 2017 High School Art Exhibit. See nearly a hundred different works of art created by high school students throughout DMPS. The Heritage Gallery is located at the corner of 2nd and Walnut in the Polk County Administrative Building. Hurry, the exhibit is only on display through Tuesday, April 11.
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Harding Breakerz Host Dance "Battle"
The Breakerz, a dance group at Harding Middle School, were in the national spotlight last year when they performed at the White House. Saturday they hosted the Youth Breakdancing Battle 2017, bringing together students, parents and community members for a workshop and some friendly competition. Congrats to East junior Enrique Davis (pictured at right) for winning and Windsor 4th grader Jaiden Martel on being runner-up, and thanks to coach Anthony San for organizing the event.
Click here for photos.
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NOMINATE A DMPS EDUCATOR FOR IOWA TEACHER OF THE YEAR
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Have a favorite DMPS teacher whose good work deserves recognition? Then be sure to nominate them for Iowa Teacher of the Year! The Iowa Department of Education is accepting nominations through April 28. Nominations can be made by anyone familiar with what makes a teacher deserving of this honor, including students, parents, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members and associations.
Click here for more information and a nomination form.
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VIDEO AND PHOTO GALLERY OF THE WEEK
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Promise of Iowa is in our Students
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Boys Track Teams Compete at East
East High School hosted the Don Graves Spring Classic on Saturday. The Scarlets were joined by boys' track and field teams from the other DMPS high schools - Hoover, Lincoln, North and Roosevelt - as well as Ft. Dodge and Ottumwa in the early season meet.
Enjoy photos from the meet on our Flickr page
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April 18
School Board Meeting - Central Campus (6:00 PM)
April 19
No Classes for Grades 9, 10, 12 ONLY - Grade 11 attend for morning ACT test
April 20
No Classes for Grade 11 ONLY
Spring Sports
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ICYMI: DMPS IN THE NEWS
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Recent items in the news or online about or of interest to students, teachers and parents at Des Moines Public Schools:
- Monroe Elementary School staff says the biggest challenge with a global student body isn't teaching English, it's poverty. See how employees throughout the building are stepping up to face this challenge in this story from WHO-TV's Josh Nguyen. Click here for Channel 13's report.
- As we've shared in several recent editions of TheWeek@DMPS, the school district is considering a change in school hours. The Des Moines Register reported on Tuesday's School Board meeting, where the issue was discussed further. One area the Board wants additional information on, before reconsidering the issue at its next meeting, is the impact of the proposal on Ruby Van Meter and Smouse schools. Click here for the newspaper's story.
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TheWeek@DMPS is a recipient of the 2016 Award of Merit
from the National School Public Relations Association.
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It is the policy of the Des Moines Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you believe you (or your child) have been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact Anne Sullivan at 2323 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312 or 515-242-7709 or anne.sullivan@dmschools.org.
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