Teacher Weekly
June 1, 2022
Thank You and Have A Great Summer!
Dear Educators,

As we close the chapter on another school year, we want to share our gratitude and appreciation for all our amazing educators here at DPS. This year had its challenges and we cannot thank you enough for your resilience in overcoming obstacles to ensure students felt supported and connected to their learning.

We hope you are able to take some much needed time over the summer to relax and do all the things that help you unwind and recharge. As you look forward to a well-deserved break, we hope you can also take a moment to look back and reflect on all that you’ve accomplished this school year and start thinking of goals for next year.

Have a great summer break and thank you again!

Many thanks, 
Tamara and Mike
Apply or Nominate for the 2023 Colorado Teacher of the Year
The deadline to submit an application for the 2023 Colorado Teacher of the Year is Wednesday, June 29. The Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teacher to represent the entire profession in the state.

The Colorado Teacher of the Year is honored at a special ceremony at the White House and gets the opportunity to go to NASA’s Space Camp! Colorado’s Teacher of the Year is also put forward as Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year program.

Want to nominate a fellow teacher? Complete this nomination form. After a teacher is nominated, they are sent a notification and an invitation to apply.

Learn more about Colorado’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, DPS’ own, Gerardo Muños.
TSEAL Tip of the Week: A Circle to End the Year
As the school year closes, it’s important to provide meaningful space for reflection. Use the Circle to End the Year resource to support you in providing that space for yourself, your students and your school community.

  • Yourself: Take time to answer some of the guiding prompts about your own school year as an educator.

  • Students: This resource supports student reflection on the school year through a guided visualization, circle and community-building activity.

  • Schoolwide Community: Think about how you might adapt this for the whole school community. Which of these prompts might support parents and community members in closing the year?
This Week's Top 5 Things to Know
Apply for K-12 Teacher Work Group to Support the Humanities Team
The DPS Humanities Team is looking to work alongside a work group of teachers and STLs this summer to reflect, revise and prepare for our support for teachers and leaders in the coming year. This work group will be part of a small collaborative team working to complete a few projects each week and will work 20 hours total per week from June 13-30. This includes three hours of meetings and 17 hours of work time. With the exception of the three hours of meetings, work can be done at a time and pace that works best for them. Participants will be compensated at an hourly rate of $40.45.

We are looking for teachers who:

  • Have positively impacted student learning in the past year (as measured by formative or summative assessment data).

  • Have ideas about what supports could be in place to better meet teacher needs. 

  • Are interested in lesson and unit planning, creating text sets and examining and revising curriculum embedded materials.

  • Want to collaborate with other teachers.

Interested in participating? Apply by completing this Google form, and provide a referral letter from a leader at your school. Participants will be selected on a first come, first served basis.
Summer Professional Learning and August Teal Day
Summer Professional Learning session information is available in the Session Guide. Please note whether the session you are interested in is virtual or in-person (and the location if applicable). Access a directory of room locations for sessions occurring at Bruce Randolph School here.

August Teal Day will be a full day of centrally delivered professional learning on Aug. 16. More information is available in this flier and a full list of sessions will be available on the Professional Learning page on The Commons on Aug. 1.
ICYMI: Register for 2022-23 PDUs
PDUs for the 2022-23 school year are now available in the PDU Course Guide. Check the course guide for PDU registration links and course information, and visit the PDU page on The Commons to learn more. If you have questions, email pdu_team@dpsk12.org.
Register for the 2022 Biliteracy Conference
The fourth annual DPS Biliteracy Conference will be held on Aug. 10. The Multilingual Education Team will offer a variety of session options for all teachers of Multilingual Learners. For more information about the conference and links to register, click here.
Register for Summer Social Studies Professional Learning
The DPS Humanities Department will lead professional learning for Inquiry Journeys, the new elementary social studies curriculum. K-3 teachers should attend one of the three sessions offered. Fourth- and fifth-grade teachers who did not attend the summer sessions last year are also welcome to attend. Register here.

The sessions will be virtual from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 14, 15 and Aug. 2. If you have questions, contact Ambria Reed.
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