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"All of this critical work wouldn't be possible without the support of Denver voters, who've trusted us to put Students First when we spend these funds."
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Dear Team DPS,
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Supt. Tom Boasberg
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As our students and teachers head into the final weeks of the academic year, DPS construction and facilities teams are just getting started -- preparing for a busy season of school improvement projects districtwide, made possible thanks to the support of our Denver community.
When voters cast their ballots in support of the 2016 bond and mill levy, they gave our schools the funding to make critical improvements to our facilities
to provide better learning environments for our kids
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The $572 million bond is
funding projects ranging from classroom renovations and building additions to improved athletic facilities and maintenance updates
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One of the most well-received parts of the 2016 bond is the ability for school communities to choose how to upgrade their learning environments.
Through the bond-funded Focused Investments program,
a number of
schools will welcome students and team members back in the fall with a fresh new look, co-designed by architects in partnership with students, community members and school teams.
A collaborative community design is coming to life on the Abraham Lincoln shared campus, where the Abraham Lincoln High School, Compass Academy and Respect Academy communities worked in partnership to envision a new look for the benefit of all of their students.
"We are so excited for the improvements coming to our school," said Marcia Fulton, Compass Academy Executive Director. "There was a lot of stakeholder diversity in the design process. We were able to come to the table and truly put the needs of the Students First; it's about what serves the entire campus."
We're also excited about the opportunity to support our schools in becoming more environmentally friendly.
A key part of the 2016 bond is our commitment to sustainability.
Over the next two years, and starting in 18 schools this summer, we'll transition all of our buildings to LED lighting. Changing light bulbs is a simple step that will dramatically decrease our energy consumption, saving the district over $1 million a year!
All of this critical work wouldn't be possible without the support of Denver voters, who've trusted us to put Students First when we spend these funds. We take that responsibility seriously. We're committed to transparency and sharing our progress with the community every step of the way. I encourage you to visit
bond.dpsk12.org
for the latest updates on our progress.
I look forward to our students and team members coming back to the 2018-19 school year with even more opportunities to learn and grow.
Tom
Pictured above: Members of the George Washington High School community discuss the school's need for renovation in this
DPS Bond Update video. School renovations are funded by Denver voter-approved bond and mill levy measure and are scheduled to occur over the summer.
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Students Creating Change with Challenge 5280
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"They don't know how it feels to be me."
That was the opening statement from a
DCIS-Baker (Denver Center for International Studies) student submitting a plan -- along with his Challenge 5280 team -- to tackle the racial division at his school through a series of tactics that drive home the importance of cultural competence.
The goal for all participants in the Student Board of Education's Challenge 5280 is to make DPS a better place and, specifically, for students to make our schools a better place to learn. Every student board challenge team identifies an issue within their school and implements a social justice policy that tackles an issue of equity, and ultimately improving our schools for all students.
The Student Board's Challenge 5280 social justice policy campaigns span the course of nine months and begin with students being asked to engage with community members, organizations and companies to brainstorm root causes, strategies, solutions and policy implementation.
Watch this DPS Features video to learn more about Challenge 5280.
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DPS High School Seniors Celebrate College Signing Day
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DPS seniors and educators kicked off College Signing Day celebrations at South High School on Thursday. |
Across the district, DPS seniors are celebrating College Signing Day! Similar to the tradition of athletic signing days to recognize sports stars as they commit to a college, seniors are sharing their post-graduation plans, including pursuing college, career and/or the military.
On Thursday, DPS leaders visited South High School, where 90% of the Class of 2018 has already applied to a two- or four-year college or trade school.
"I moved from Ethiopia eight years ago -- my family made a lot of sacrifices to make sure I earned an education," said South High School graduating senior and Daniels Fund Scholarship recipient Sara Gebretsadik. "My high school has not only prepared me for college, but for life. I'm so grateful for my family, teachers and mentors. I'm studying business at CU-Boulder in the fall."
Stay tuned to our Facebook photo album to see more pictures of DPS seniors celebrating College Signing Day!
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DPS Wins ELPA Excellence Awards for District and Charters
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Team DPS is excited Denver Public Schools is a district winner of the Colorado Department of Education's
ELPA Excellence Award for the 2017-18 school year! The award is given to school districts with evidence-based English language development (ELD) programs that have demonstrated the highest English language and academic growth among English learners, as well as the highest academic achievement for English learners who have transitioned out of program services. This marks the third consecutive year DPS has won the award.
Additionally, six of the 10 schools that received ELPA Excellence Award for Charter Schools were DPS charters.
DSST Cole High School,
DSST Green Valley Ranch Middle and High Schools,
DSST Conservatory Green Middle School,
KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and
KIPP Denver Collegiate High School were all honored.
Jorge Robles, DPS' Executive Director of English Language Acquisition, praised the work of educators throughout the district in achieving this prestigious honor.
"We won this award thanks to our school leaders, teachers and administrators who all share a deep commitment to creating environments where our English learners can achieve at the highest levels," he said.
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