Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations |
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We are excited to share that the process is underway to offer access to vaccines to our eligible team members, and we plan to continue this momentum in providing access to vaccines for all team members, as the state and our health officials allow.
As Interim Superintendent Dwight Jones shared last week, the current focus of vaccination efforts for Colorado is on the high-priority "above the line" group of Phase 1A and 1B. In DPS, this group includes health care workers such as nurses, health technicians, occupational and physical therapists, and speech language pathologists, as well as center-based program, security, and Gilliam staff.
While this first group represents only a small percentage of staff members, we continue to work hard to ensure all staff members will have access as soon as the state and our health officials allow. Teachers and other staff assigned to schools who spend the majority of the day in contact with students are next in line for eligibility through the state, and are expected to begin receiving vaccinations in early March.
We are partnering with Children’s Hospital for our first round of vaccine distribution, and are continuing to work hard to identify more partners that have enough of the vaccine and the structures set up to deliver the vaccine. As a reminder, DPS is not requiring team members to get the vaccine.
Additional Information and Resources
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Team members 70 years of age or older are encouraged to check with their personal health care provider to schedule a vaccine. Additional information on contacting providers can be found here.
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Anyone who is interested in receiving a vaccine may register with Kaiser Permanente to be notified when they are eligible to receive a vaccine and when supply is available. Follow these instructions to sign up; both Kaiser members and non-members can use this service. For more information, click here.
- In addition to Kaiser, many hospital systems have websites where people can register to get on the vaccine list. We encourage all team members who are interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to explore those options.
We appreciate your continued flexibility as we navigate this complex and evolving process. Please know that we will continue to share frequent updates as we receive new information about the COVID-19 vaccine and its distribution process outlined by the state. In the meantime, if you have questions about the vaccine, please contact your personal health care provider.
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Top 5: New Year's Resolutions |
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DPS team members shared their 2021 New Year's resolutions -- and we are cheering on everyone dedicating this year to achieving their goals! Check out all of the resolutions we received here. Congratulations to our winner, Mayra Saenz of Lake Middle School!
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5. “This year, 2021, I am committed to achieving daily goals that include the ‘Five F's’: Focus, fitness, flexibility, fun and family. (Photo with Harold and Barb Nitz, the best mom and dad in Wisconsin!)” -- Cheryl Nitz, Columbine Elementary
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4. “I am working on becoming more fluent in Spanish. My husband and I plan to spend the summer (if COVID numbers are down) in Honduras with my niece's in-laws so we can improve our Spanish skills.” -- Ronda Bailey, Steck Elementary
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3. “I'm not making any resolutions! I am going to continue living and pursuing a healthy lifestyle every day and throughout my life, not just starting on Jan. 1 and abandoning it in a few short weeks! I am focused on improving my mindset, my meal plans and my overall wellness. It's not, ‘New Year, New Me,’ it is ‘New Year, Better Me!’” -- Danielle Mitchell, Early Education
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2. “A few years ago, I started choosing a word to focus on for the year. The idea is to look for something you want more of in your life or that is inspiring to you. In the past, I have chosen words including ‘trust’ and ‘build.’ This year, my word is ‘wait.’ I am working on patience and taking time to think rather than rushing into decisions or starting projects I may never finish. The word ‘wait’ reminds me to take that time.” -- Debbie Darrow, Edison Elementary
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1. “My New Year's goal is to be the best teacher I can possibly be for my students. Being a first-year teacher during a pandemic is very hard, especially when things change at any given moment. I want to remind myself that being a teacher has been my dream since I was 6 years old, and a pandemic isn't going to put a damper on finally making that dream come true. The circumstances may be different than what I had envisioned, but I'm finally teaching and I am grateful for that.” -- Mayra Saenz, Lake Middle School
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Top 5 Callout: Inspirational Quotes |
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Did you know that reading inspirational quotes helps maintain a positive frame of mind during times of change? So we want to know what quote that inspires you! Submit your quote through this form, and you may win a giveaway prize! |
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Donate to the DPS Foundation's I Give for Team DPS Campaign and Be Entered to Win Free Coffee for a Year!
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I Give for Team DPS is an employee giving campaign that encourages a culture of philanthropy in DPS. For those team members who can, we encourage you to donate to the campaign, which helps ensure all students have the tools and resources needed to succeed. A gift to the DPS Foundation can support emerging student and school needs as well as programs like the A to Z Fund Classroom Grant for Teachers.
Donate by 5 p.m. Jan. 15 and you'll be entered to win free coffee for a year from Pablo's Coffee! Learn more and enter to win here. Note: No contribution is necessary to qualify for prizes.
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Sick Leave is Now Available for All Team Members |
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To ensure equity for all members of Team DPS, and to align with Governor Polis' Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), we have updated our sick leave policy to ensure all team members accrue sick time.
What this means for our team members:
- All employees will earn one hour of sick time for every 20 hours worked.
- Hourly employees who have never accrued sick time will now accrue sick time.
- Employees who have additional hourly-paid assignments will now accrue sick time for hours worked on those assignments.
- Sick time will be accrued for extra duty pay.
- Every employee can accrue up to 96 hours of sick time per school year (Aug. 1-July 31).
- These changes are currently in effect and began on Jan. 1.
To use your sick days, time must be entered in TruePay and approved by your supervisor. Find more information on changes to our sick leave policy here.
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Reminder: New Login Process to Protect Your Personal Information |
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As we shared last month, all DPS team members are now required to complete several steps to enroll in a new authentication system when accessing Employee Space, Manager Space, District Training Registration and the internal Job Board for the first time. Please keep in mind that team members enrolled in electronic delivery of their W2 and 1095-C forms will need to complete this new authentication process in order to access your tax documents.
This new login process -- called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) -- significantly increases the security of your DPS login by combining something that you know (your password) with something physical that only you possess (e.g., your smartphone). DPS is making this change to protect the security of your personal information like your paycheck, as well as student and district data.
Visit the Duo Page on The Commons to learn more about other methods of MFA and access additional resources.
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Learn the Power of Mindfulness During Uncertain Times |
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The Employee Wellness Team has collaborated with Dr. Kristen Race -- a past educator in Colorado and a world-renowned mindfulness expert -- to create a self-paced, four-part video series focused on ways to help you persevere through these unprecedented times. You’ll learn how to build resilience through understanding the neuroscience of stress, practice breathing techniques, learn ways to manage stress and anxiety, and practice self-compassion and positivity.
Learn more by watching this short video and sign up by searching “The Power of Mindfulness During Uncertain Times'' in Learning Space. The video series is available through May 2021.
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Patty Mather
Librarian and Technology Support, Steele Elementary
Integrity
"Ms. Patty has gone above and beyond for all of our students and staff during remote learning. She has spent hours over weekends and evenings troubleshooting tech issues with parents and teachers, while also safely distributing library books to students joining classrooms for read-alouds. Ms. Patty has created fun and interactive Seesaw classrooms for our students to enjoy. Each day, she watches a class at recess so a teacher can eat lunch. Ms. Patty works tirelessly to make sure our students come first and are supported and ready to learn. She is a true team player who steps in where she is needed -- always with a smile on her face and ready to help get things done." -- Melissa Nawrocki, Steele Elementary
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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 you have any questions, please email newsletters@dpsk12.org.
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