March 22, 2018
Bonus submission: Marianna Lucero, a teacher at Goldrick Elementary, received this card from a student. It read: "Dear Ms. Lucero,You inspire me to 'be the change' and to be myself. Thank you for always teaching to never be afraid to do what we have to do!"
Top 5: Best Student Compliments
Our kids have a way with words -- and a knack for compliments! We asked you to share the best compliment you've received from a student. The Top 5 are below, and congratulations to our giveaway prize winner, Joey Denoncourt at College View Elementary!
 
5.  " I thought P.E. teachers were supposed to be dumb, but I actually learn a lot from you!" -- Michael Whittlef, Castro Elementary  

4. "In the middle of a guided reading group, a student looked up at me and said, 'Thank you.' I asked, 'What for?' She replied, 'Thank you for supporting me every day.'" -- Tasha Price, Columbian Elementary
 
3. " Don't take this the wrong way because it really is a compliment, but you smell like my grandma." --  Jessica Buckmaster, Postsecondary Readiness
 
2. "It smells like smiles in your classroom!"  -- Allison Bracken, International Academy of Denver at Harrington

1. " This drawing (right) came from one of my fourth-grade students. I appreciate the compliment, and had no idea she was evaluating my style every day! She encouraged me to step up my wardrobe and show up to school looking ready to teach!"  -- Joey Denoncourt, College View Elementary

Friday Deadline: Last Call for Night of Honor Nominations
Tomorrow is the last day to nominate members of Team DPS for a coveted Night of Honor award. If you work with a person or team who inspires you, take this opportunity to celebrate and recognize them by submitting a nomination:
  • Leadership Lamp Award: Our most distinguished award designed to honor our Shared Core Values champions who model the way for DPS (four awards total).
  • Excellence in Team Award: High-performing and effective teams making a difference (teams of 3-12, four awards total).
  • Family Leadership Award: Recognize a parent or family of a DPS student who is making a positive impact in their school communities.
Nominations for all awards are due tomorrow, March 23, so don't wait -- nominate!

Promote Your Department's Brand Identity with New Internal Branding Resources
We value equity and diversity, and we honor the unique contributions of individual departments, which is why DPS has adopted a branding model similar to higher-education institutes and other large school districts. Building awareness of your department's brand internally helps team members understand our structure and find resources available within DPS. 
 
Dive into our internal brand standards for guidance on how departments can celebrate their own identity within the organization while staying true to our overarching brand. From there, consider adopting a department logo with a customized color. Not sure if your team has a department logo? Access our department branding assets here, including all logos and brand guides that have been created. Download internal branding templates in Word, PowerPoint and Adobe InDesign to support your work communicating within Team DPS.
 
If you have questions, or would like guidance regarding your department or school's branding, check with your manager or school leader and reach out to [email protected].
Year-End Finance and Purchasing Deadlines are Approaching
Finance and purchasing deadlines are coming up as early as April 11. Click below for the cut-off dates for accounting, budget, purchasing, accounts payable and warehouse transactions for the 2018 fiscal year.

Support Our Kids: Join the DPS Foundation for the Achieve Gala
The annual DPS Foundation Achieve Gala is a can't-miss event supporting our kids. Get discounted tickets now for the April 18 gala, where you'll see how you're  helping students -- past and present -- cultivate bright futures.  You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the planning of the gala through the eyes of student producers, and a sneak peek at North High School and PREP-Excel's collaborative spring musical. Get your discounted tickets below! 

Celebrating Team DPS at Creating Connections
Thanks to everyone who participated in our Countdown to Creating Connections. More than 185 members of Team DPS came together Wednesday for our last Creating Connections of the year. Congratulations to our final trivia winner, Amanda Newell from Force Elementary!
 
If you missed the opportunity to attend Creating Connections this year, dates are now available for the 2018-19 school year. Register now and save your space for Creating Connections on Oct. 24.
Living Our DPS Honoree
 
Jackie Henderson
Social Worker,
Marie L. Greenwood Academy
Students First
 
"It is National Professional Social Work Month, and our social worker at Marie L. Greenwood Academy, Jackie Henderson, is phenomenal and lives our Shared Core Value of Students First every day. She has the amazing ability to be in 12 different places all at once, looking out for our students, our families and our staff! In the middle of handling the day-to-day crises that pop up, she's providing resources for our families, establishing community connections to enhance our students' lives and working with our students on building skills that will help them throughout their lives. And, she's doing it all with a great sense of humor and positivity! It almost seems effortless. I can't imagine working on a team that did not include her!"

-- Misty Schroeder, Marie L. Greenwood Academy

COMING UP:
Connect with Us
Denver Public Schools sends all district newsletters and critical employee communications through Constant Contact. Please do not unsubscribe your dpsk12.org email address from any message; if you unsubscribe from one newsletter or one communication, you will be removed from all other district-managed email lists in Constant Contact. 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].