Team DPS Weekly
Physical Education teacher Addie Howard sharing a favorite "Fun Run" memory with students at Asbury Elementary from earlier this year. Members of Team DPS shared their favorite stories and pictures from all year long -- see more memories below and here .
May 28, 2020
Top 5: Favorite Photos and Memories
Team DPS made it clear: We always put Students First! Enjoy this look back on 2019-20. From encouraging students to try new things to applauding collaboration and inclusion, thank you for supporting our kids! Here's to a great summer!
5. "Our students got to try kumquats one day for snack. Their faces were priceless!"
-- Arielle Walker, Munroe
4. " I worked with Mrs. Han Nhuyen and Mrs. Manpreet Sandhu to organize a celebration of Asian New Year that included a buffet. … The best part was when one student, who none of us had ever had in class, told Mrs. Nhuyen that it was the first time since she had been in school in the United States that someone in the school had done something nice for her and actually cared about her as a person. It was a striking reminder that even the littlest gesture can have a huge effect on our students and how they feel."
-- Steve Beaudion, Abraham Lincoln
3.  "With 35 students in the classroom this year, there was never a dull moment in our class. We had so much fun learning everyday, and we enjoyed special days like Halloween. I want to send a shout out to my co-teacher and friend Alexandra Ramirez for sharing these wonderful memories with me. What a year!"
-- Adriana Gutierrez, Barnum
2. "Our school had a Día de Los Muertos celebration in early November. My wonderful cheer squad performed and did an amazing job! These were simpler times and here is a silly picture of us after the performance."
-- Leslie Quiñonez, Kepner Beacon
1. "It was so hard to pick a favorite moment from this year, but one I am most proud of is when our school’s Gay Straight Alliance club 'Spectrum' celebrated a huge step toward equity for our LGBTQI+ friends. The Board created an ordinance requiring all schools and district buildings to have an all-gender restroom, and Spectrum got to host the unveiling! This was an inspiring day and still makes my heart happy. When we return to buildings, they will be more inclusive and loving places." -- Devon Cozens, Collegiate Prep
ICYMI: Nominations for Night of Honor Awards
It’s never been more important to recognize those who've gone above and beyond during the 2019-20 school year. Do you know someone on Team DPS who embodies the Shared Core Values every day? How about a successful and effective team? Recognize these Team DPS members by nominating them for a Night of Honor award:

  • Leadership Lamp Award: Our most distinguished award honoring our Shared Core Values champions (four awards total).

 
The nominations will remain open through the summer, and we look forward to celebrating these honorees early next school year. Also, we are excited to celebrate last year's honorees in fun, surprising, and “socially distanced” ways in   the next few weeks. If you have any questions, email  Our_DPSValues@dpsk12.org .
School's Out For Summer ... And So Are Our Newsletters!
As DPS wraps up another school year, it's also a wrap on our regularly scheduled newsletters. We will continue to send all-team updates on an as-needed basis, especially as we plan for our return to the 2020-21 school year. To review the summer schedule for all of our DPS newsletters, visit the Newsletters Submissions page on The Commons.
As we plan ahead for next year's newsletters, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to provide some feedback on our newsletters in this quick survey.

Questions? Email newsletters@dpsk12.org. Have a great summer!
Sign Up for June's Month of Wellness
Sign up for one of these stress-relieving opportunities on mindfulness, exercise and relaxation during June, brought to you by the Employee Wellness team.

  • "Mindfulness Mondays" online workshops from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on June 1, June 8, June 15 and June 22 will offer ways to show up in positive and productive ways and help relieve stress.

Additionally, check out the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga classes. First, sign a release of liability waiver found here , and an email will be sent confirming classes:

  • Mid-week online HIIT from noon-12:30 p.m. every Wednesday offers quick and efficient workouts.

  • "Friday Unwind" from 3:30-4:30 p.m. will wrap up your week with a relaxing online yoga class.

If you have questions, email staffwellness@dpsk12.org.
Self-Care Optimism Strategies
The Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT) is offering a variety of strategies aimed at supporting team members in staying healthy and strong, both physically and emotionally. Check out this week's videos:

  • Evaluate the Situation: This strategy can help overcome feelings of frustration and being stuck. Shifting your mind can bring resiliency and an opportunity to grow.

  • Use Your Energy Where It Counts: Using your energy where it counts starts with being aware of what renews and what drains. Drains on your ability to think clearly can affect feelings of fully being present. This strategy can offer relaxation, focus and energy.

  • Keep Learning: Get ready to invite one to four colleagues to join a learning journey about an article or a book. Join in, get some reflection prompts and discuss for 10 minutes a week.
Living Our DPS Honorees
Camille Antolak
Teacher, Garden Place Academy
Students First, Fun
Thomas Philip
Dean of Culture, Grant Ranch
Equity

" Camille has gone above and beyond to put Students First and connect with each student in our class. She made a spreadsheet of important information on every student so she could do weekly one- on-ones along with pre-recorded lessons and two Google meets a day! She has contacted parents and families to help best support them. Camille also lives our Shared Core Value of Fun by creating weekly themes for our Google Meet sessions that include 'Monsters In Monday', 'Minion Monday', 'Teach me Tuesday', 'Wacky Wednesday', 'Hard Work Wednesday' and our weekly 'ROAR Rallies' on Fridays!"

-- Eleanor Lucy, Garden Place
"Tom organized the Socio-emotional Learning (SEL) Team for the past two years ensuring that all students, especially those at most risk, have the supports they need to be successful in school. The team has weekly morning meetings that continued during remote learning. The SEL team set up a website full of resources for our families. Tom checks in with families when students' participation dips to see what supports they need and then helps secure resources. He is truly living our Shared Core Value of Equity!"



-- Patricia Hurrieta, Grant Ranch
Congratulations to all Living Our DPS honorees this year!

We will continue sharing Living Our DPS honorees in the fall, but gratitude can continue year-round with these Shared Core Value cards, to keep the celebration going.

Recognizing team members for living our Shared Core Values helps foster connection in a time when we’re physically apart. During social distancing, we can still honor teammates for living DPS values by sending virtual values cards. H ere’s how to send one:

  1. Download your card.
  2. Type a message honoring your teammate in the text box.
  3. Email the card to your honoree!
 
You can also celebrate teammates with virtual values pins on our Shared Core Values board. To pin, you can submit your shout out or follow these instructions .
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