Dear Team DPS,
This week is
Teacher Appreciation Week
-- a time for the DPS community to thank our educators and honor them for the positive impact they have on our students in and outside of the classroom. The tragedy this week at STEM School Highlands Ranch in neighboring Douglas County further underscores the important role our educators play in both the academic and emotional growth of our students, as they help them make sense of the lessons in the classroom as well as make sense of what is happening in our world.
Our teachers help motivate and inspire our students. Each and every day, they work to provide safe, welcoming spaces where our students feel loved and cared for. In the wake of the heartbreaking events that have shaken our schools and communities, we want to recognize our dedicated educators who have spent time talking with their students, offering support and working to rebuild their sense of safety.
As Sophia Guan, an eighth-grader at
Denver Discovery School
says, “A teacher is someone you can always go to, trust and feel safe when you are around them.” Sophia’s teacher, Cassandra Lopez, and so many other educators in DPS, are here this week and every week for our kids.
We remain deeply committed at DPS to keeping our schools safe.
But we also challenge our lawmakers to support the efforts of teachers, parents and students in DPS and throughout our nation by accelerating actions to address the issues of school safety.
Groups like the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) have weighed in on this. National PTA President Jim Accomando and Florida PTA President Linda Kearschner shared a statement on the anniversary of the Parkland School shooting, which reads in part: “The anniversary is an important time to reflect on the efforts of student activists and other advocates over the past year to push for solutions to eliminate gun violence and keep our children safe. It is also an important time to redouble our nation’s efforts to make meaningful changes to ensure every child learns in an environment that is safe and has the opportunity to grow into a happy and healthy adult.”
“The PTA has a strong history of supporting and advocating for policies in the areas of gun safety and violence prevention, juvenile justice, mental health and students’ overall well-being. It remains a top priority of our association to promote safety for children and youth, make sure the needs of the whole child are met and ensure every child reaches their full potential.” I agree wholeheartedly with their statement and want to share that we are continuing to invest in mental health supports. I am grateful for our partnership with the City of Denver as we work to ensure that our schools are safe places of learning. I also know that as a city, state and country we need to embrace common sense solutions to gun violence.
We are all dedicated to finding solutions that will keep our kids and educators safe so that our classrooms are the places of learning, exploration and joy they were meant to be. Thank you to our teachers for the essential role you play in this work. Thank you for your passion and dedication, your early mornings and late nights, and for the love and care you give our students every day.
Warm Regards,
Susana
