Dear Team DPS,

As we begin planning for the rest of the school year, we wanted to share information for families who would like to change their learning option (either in-person or virtual) for next semester.

Elementary school families with students in grades K-5 can request a change to their current learning option the week after Thanksgiving break. The window to make a change will be open from Monday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 6. Elementary families that don’t take action will remain enrolled in their current learning option through the end of the school year. 

We will share more information with middle and high school families after Thanksgiving break once we have updated information on COVID trends and guidance from our health partners.

Next semester, we are hoping to be able to offer in-person learning for all elementary students, including 3-5 graders, along with a 100% virtual option, but it will depend on current health conditions at the time. Therefore, families enrolled in the in-person option are choosing that they want their student to attend school in-person as much as possible as soon as the health conditions allow through the end of the school year. Families that don’t feel comfortable having their student participate in in-person learning for the spring (through May 2021) should be enrolled in the 100% virtual option.

Families who would like to request a change to their current learning option for their elementary student should complete the Learning Option Update form on the Parent Portal between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. They can also call their school’s front office to complete a paper form or make a request for changes over the phone. Please note, families whose students attend a charter school should check with their school for details on how and when they can change learning selections.

Schools will make every effort to accommodate change requests for families who need it. Families who put in a request for a change to their student’s learning option can expect to receive confirmation from their school after Dec. 7.

As a reminder, all K-12 grades will be remote through at least Dec. 18, including our special-education and newcomer center programs, and ECE families will receive support for at-home instruction. We will continue to assess health conditions and will share more information about the January return in December.

Thank you for your continued support and flexibility through these times of change. Be safe, and have a great Thanksgiving break!

Free breakfast and lunch meals are available to DPS families at 37 DPS school locations during remote learning. Visit the food distribution website for details and locations. As a reminder, meals will not be served during Thanksgiving break Nov. 23-27. Meal service will resume on Nov. 30 and will be available Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For a list of food pantries that will be open the week of Thanksgiving, click here.

Now through the end of December, free COVID-19 testing is available to all community members. Through a partnership with Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, COVIDCheck Colorado -- which has been providing free testing to all DPS employees -- is offering free tests for all employees, their families and members of the Denver community to help slow the spread of COVID.

Community members can use this link to schedule a free test at one of several locations throughout the Denver-metro area. (DPS team members should continue registering for testing using this link to support our internal case tracking efforts.) Please register for a test in advance to help manage testing flow and reduce wait times.

With the shift of all K-12 grades and programs to remote learning through Dec. 18, Discovery Link will not offer before and afterschool programs and will shift to offering Remote Learning Support Centers for elementary school students.

Remote Learning Support Centers will be available at multiple locations for families who need support, available from 7 a.m.-4 p.m with a capacity of 30 students per site. The majority of locations will cost $16 per day, with eight grant-funded locations being provided free to families who attend those schools. Spots at Remote Learning Support Centers are limited, and available on a first come, first-served basis. You can choose the site closest to you during registration, which is now open.

If this cost is prohibitive to your family, contact discovery_link@dpsk12.org to see how we may be able to support. Please note that cost is subject to change after December if remote learning continues.

The African American Young Ladies Summit Program (AAYLS) is hosting a Summit IV – Career Day on Dec. 2. The virtual event will be held on Zoom from 11:45 a.m.- 1 p.m. Students from sixth grade up to college level are welcome. During the event, we will be discussing personal interests and the alignment to careers, as well as an interest and gift assessment. Space is limited, so please register here and click here for additional information.

Access past editions of Our DPS Weekly.