April 22, 2022
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Students Celebrate the 38th Annual Shakespeare Festival
Dear Team DPS,

For the first time since 2019, students gathered in person to celebrate the 38th annual Shakespeare Festival at the Denver Arts Complex. The festival is organized by the DPS Arts and Physical Education Department and is the largest student gathering of its kind in the country, drawing students from kindergarten through high school! Students from more than 40 DPS schools joined together today to perform on numerous stages throughout the complex to this year’s theme, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Check out some photos from the celebration below!

Catch up with Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero by following him on Instagram and Twitter, both @DrAlexMarrero!

Highlights from the 2022 DPS Foundation Achieve Gala
Last week, hundreds of business and community leaders gathered for Denver Public Schools Foundation's Achieve Gala with one purpose: To ensure DPS students graduate ready to lead a successful life.

Moudjibatou Alassani, the evening’s keynote speaker and senior at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, shared her story of overcoming and advocating for cultural differences throughout her educational career and learning to honor inclusivity to all types of students' cultural identities. 

“We are but only a small part of the solution. There is still much more work to be done in relation to creating authentic and collaborative learning relationships between students and authoritative figures within school buildings. We, and other schools, are still working to create the change that we want to see, but it takes a certain kind of support, and a certain kind of space for students to be able to do so. This is why engaging the community and gaining their support significantly matters,” Moudjibatou shared.

Student entertainment included performances from West High School’s drumline, Strive
Prep–SMART’s cheerleading squad, Teller Elementary School’s choir and two student DJs from Lake Middle School.

To make a difference in the lives of our students, visit DPS Foundation's website to help ensure that Every Child Succeeds.
Last Week to Apply for the DSF Scholarship
The DSF Scholarship application deadline for the 2022-23 academic year is May 1. The DSF Scholarship offers additional money for college, and takes students less than 20 minutes to complete with no essays or letters of recommendation required.

DSF offers need-based scholarships to qualifying graduates of DPS. The scholarship can be used at DSF's College Partners in Colorado -- including technical, community and four-year colleges and universities. Students must enroll full-time to be eligible. For more information about the eligibility requirements, award process and DSF Scholar checklist, click here.
DPS Receives Grant for More Than $500,000 to Provide Additional School-based Mental Health Support
The Caring for Denver Foundation recently announced that they are awarding DPS with a $596,200 grant to strengthen and expand mental health services in our schools. This announcement builds on our ongoing initiative to provide additional mental health support for students.

“These funds will go a long way to increase and improve the support that our schools will be able to provide to our scholars,” said Superintendent Dr. Marrero. “Just like school districts across the country, we are seeing an increase in students who need additional support to feel safe and secure. Without this, learning can be difficult.”

Learn more about our plans to utilize this grant to support our scholars here.
CASE Announces DPS Principal as Colorado’s Outstanding Elementary Principal of the Year for 2022
The Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and the Colorado Association of Elementary School Principals have named DPS principal Sheldon Reynolds -- principal at the Center for Talent Development at Greenlee Elementary School -- as their 2022 Colorado Outstanding Elementary Principal of the Year!

Congratulations, Sheldon! Read more about Principal Reynolds and the award here.
Upcoming Lunchtime Learning Webinar: What You Should Know About Youth Vaping
Join the DPS Prevention Services Team at noon on May 4 for a Lunchtime Learning Webinar with Dr. Annemarie Wolfe from Children’s Hospital Colorado to learn about the impacts that adolescent vaping has on lung health. According to the 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Data, 24% of DPS high school students have tried vaping, making this an important topic in the DPS community. Register for the webinar here.
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