On Tuesday, Supt. Susana Cordova helped welcome back kindergarten and first-grade students and their families on their first day back to in-person learning, including here at Edison Elementary in Northwest Denver, as well as CMS Community School and Stedman Elementary.
|
|
Hearing from our Student Voice and Leadership Team |
|
Dear Team DPS,
During a typical school year, one of the best parts of the job is visiting classrooms and campuses and having the chance to see and hear from our amazing students. That’s not as easy to do, obviously, in this most atypical of school years. But thanks to the work of our Student Voice and Leadership team, I had the opportunity to virtually sit down with high school students from across the city on Monday, along with Board President Dr. Carrie Olson and Board Director Tay Anderson.
This was a great opportunity to talk to our student leaders, both answering their questions and hearing about their experiences. And they were candid and thoughtful about the struggles they are facing, and how their lives have drastically changed since March.
One student shared, “It’s been hard on my mental health. A huge part of going to school is seeing people and making relationships with everyone, and COVID has put a huge strain on that. I miss having the ability to talk to my teachers. I miss all my friends; not being able to communicate with them has been so hard. It’s good we can still be on the computers and talk in some sort of way.”
To listen to the full conversation, watch this video on Facebook.
There are so many complexities and changing conditions making this school year challenging for all of us, especially our students. In addition to staying connected with health officials and collaborating closely with our educators, we need to get insight and ideas from our students.
Warm regards,
Susana
|
|
Video Update: Tracking Our COVID-19 Conditions Dashboard |
|
We continue to work very closely with our local and state health officials to monitor the current COVID-19 conditions in Denver County, as we move toward returning more students and staff to in-person learning. Dr. Bill Burman, Director of Public Health for Denver Health and Medical Officer for the City and County of Denver, has been a trusted advisor to DPS since the pandemic began. Watch today’s video for his analysis and perspective on DPS’ data dashboard.
|
|
Two DPS Teachers Named as Finalists for Colorado Teacher of the Year Award |
|
Congratulations to Rachel Lamb and Gerardo Muñoz, who are among just seven finalists statewide for the 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year Award!
Each year, the Colorado Teacher of the Year program recognizes exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teachers -- and the entire DPS community is proud Rachel and Gerardo are among the select finalists.
Rachel is a second-grade teacher at Inspire Elementary School, where she’s known for lessons that are punctuated by real-world applications, layered by technology, design thinking and project-based subjects.
Gerardo teaches high school and middle school social studies at the Denver Center for International Studies at Baker. He has been involved in a number of programs, initiatives, campaigns and organizations to promote equity and antiracism.
The finalist will be announced at the end of October and becomes Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year award. Learn more about Rachel and Gerardo here.
|
|
October is Career and College Success Month |
|
Celebrate Career and College Success Month this October, when DPS will be highlighting inspiring student stories, graduation resources and virtual career and college events designed to empower all of our students to take charge of their own education.
Participate by sharing your student’s career and college plans using hashtag #MyPlanDPS. Make sure to follow DPS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to be inspired by how our students are preparing for success in their individual career and college journeys, and check Our DPS Weekly for updates throughout the month of October. To learn more about what DPS is doing to help students prepare for Career and College Success, visit collegeandcareer.dpsk12.org.
|
|
The African-American Equity Task Force Presents: Anchored in Resiliency, A Virtual Family Symposium |
|
Families, students and DPS team members are invited to join the Virtual Family Symposium on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9 a.m.-noon. This is an event designed to be a welcoming space centered on the work of the Black Excellence Resolution, which commits the district to prioritizing Black student success and was passed by the DPS Board of Education in 2019. Throughout the symposium, the African American Equity Task Force will offer tools to support the DPS community in navigating this school year, with topics including mindful healing, family engagement aligned with the Black Excellence Resolution, college and career exploration storytelling, and affinity spaces. Learn more on Facebook, share this flier, and register here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
