Teacher Weekly
Working together at Dora Moore ECE-8 School.
March 11, 2020
Updates and Resources about COVID-19
Dear Educators,

We continue to naviga te the COVID-19 (or coronavirus) situation, we wanted to share a few resources that may be helpful for you as educators and members of Team DPS.

To start, please know that we are staying in close contact with the CDC and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and following their guidance as needed to keep our schools a safe place to be. We continue to share updates with our team members and families as new information is shared -- please visit our website for the latest updates and information, including an FAQ .

We know this can be a scary time for kids and adults alike, and students, family and staff can benefit from information regarding emotional support. Here are some resources from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that could be helpful:




  • Colorado Crisis Services can be reached at 844-493-TALK (8255), or text to "Talk" 38255.

Thank you for your continued support during this evolving situation. We will continue to share updates as we are able to.
 
Many thanks,
Tamara and Mike
This Week's Top 5 Things to Know
PDU Proposal Workshop: Designing Effective PDUs Using Practical Measures
Are you interested in leading a Professional Development Unit (PDU) next school year? Do you have questions about PDU data collection or action research requirements? Consider attending this workshop for potential PDU leaders 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 22 at the Acoma Campus, 1617 S. Acoma St., room 113.

The workshop is designed to support PDU applicants by presenting practical measures of data collection that can be applied in their PDUs. This workshop is open to potential PDU leaders in all content areas. It is recommended that participants have a clear idea for their PDU and bring a draft version of their PDU application to the workshop. Contact our PD Quality Specialist with questions.
Mini-Masters Program: Become a College Instructor
Through our partnership with CSU Global, "Mini-Masters" offers teachers with a master’s degree and a desire to teach concurrent enrollment courses the opportunity to earn the 18 graduate-level credits needed to teach English or math college-level courses.

Read the math flier and English flier and complete this teacher interest form to learn more. If you have questions, contact Tara Schneider.
On Track to Graduate: Access Competency Data
View the screencast of this week's On Track to Graduate (OTG) Tool Tip. This week's tip is about competency data on the student detail page of the OTG tool in the Teacher Portal. Please see the On Track to Graduate Data Upload Schedule for when certain data are uploaded and updated. If you would like additional support with OTG data, or in-person training sessions, please contact the Data Support Team .
Schoology Resource Group
DPS has a group in Schoology where teachers can find resources including information on rubric grading, Google Drive Assignments, mastery tracking and more. Join the group and enter code SPP6-9DPS-79XZH . Educators can log in to Schoology through the Teacher Portal or by visiting Schoology .
Tools of the Mind Open Houses
Tools of the Mind open houses offer an opportunity to experience classrooms in action. Upcoming sessions will allow for observation time along with a teacher panel for sharing perspectives on implementation. Space is limited, so secure a spot soon.
 
A kindergarten open house will be held from 8-11 a.m. Monday, March 16, at College View Elementary. Please register here. 
 
Two ECE sessions will be held on Thursday, March 20. Register for Valverde Elementary from 8 a.m.-noon or Pascual LeDoux Academy from 1-4 p.m. Please note: If you plan to stay all day, please use both links to register.
Additional Resources and Information
Click here to learn more about these resources and opportunities:  

  • Reminder: DPS Garden and Sustainability Forum March 14

  • Save the Date: 2020 Biliteracy Conference July 30

  • Summer Concurrent Enrollment Opportunities
DPS Myth Busters
Myth Buster: Questions about the Pledge
Question: Do students have to say the pledge of allegiance?

Answer: No. Students have a legal right to choose whether to recite the pledge of allegiance. They can't be pressured to take part in the pledge of allegiance or disciplined for their choice to not participate. Reach out to the DPS Legal Office if you have any questions.  
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