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Kicking Off Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Dear DPS Community,
Today marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month! This month-long celebration from Sept. 15-Oct. 15 recognizes generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation. Sept. 15 marks the day when five Latin American countries -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua -- earned their independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico, Chile and Belize became independent on Sept. 16, 18 and 21 from Spain and the United Kingdom, respectively.
You may notice that the terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably by many. Hispanic describes someone of Spanish-speaking origin, while Latino, Latina and Latinx are used to describe a person of Latin American origin. No matter the term you use, Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes those whose roots are in a country where Spanish is the primary language.
In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that the U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.5 million -- which is 19% of our nation’s population! According to the U.S. Census, 29.4% of the entire Denver community is Hispanic or Latino. Here at DPS, 51.7% of our students and 33.2% of all our employees are Hispanic, making them the largest population of color that the district serves and employs!
Now that you know just some of the facts and figures around when, who and how many people celebrate this month, I hope this ignites curiosity and opens up a door for the entire DPS community to learn more about Hispanic history, cultures and traditions -- of which there are many! I also encourage all members of the DPS Community to join in the celebrations happening at their schools and around Denver this month and beyond. Stay tuned to the DPS social media pages and Our DPS Weekly for Hispanic Heritage Month features of students and staff through Oct. 15.
Wishing everyone a happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
In collaboration,
Dr. Alex Marrero
Superintendent
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In this week’s episode of the DPS EDUCA Podcast, we sat down with our school-based Health Clinics. Physician Assistants, Joseph Rojas and Laura Fagundes, talk with our hosts about vaccines and the resources available to DPS families.
This week's episode is available for viewing in English and Spanish, linked above. You can also listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platforms.
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Dr. Marrero Attends Collaborative Principals Event |
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Dr. Marrero visited Dora Moore ECE-8 School and Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment, where principals hosted a collaborative meeting with over two dozen of our school leaders. At this meeting, principals had the opportunity to engage with other leaders in similar schools.
“I really value these times together because often, being a principal can be a job that you are doing alone. So, this is a great opportunity for us to come together and share similar experiences,” said Liliana Melendes, principal of Cowell Elementary.
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Valverde Elementary Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary |
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Valverde Elementary has been a staple in the community for the last 100 years. District leaders, Valverde staff, alumni and current students came together to celebrate Valverde's rich history and sing happy birthday to their beloved school. Watch a video of the 100-year celebration!
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Colorado Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced |
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DPS is excited to share that Rawa Abu Aksamah, a special education teacher at Rocky Mountain Prep, has been named one of seven finalists for the Colorado Department of Education’s 2024 Teacher of the Year award! The winner will be announced in the coming weeks.
Rawa has over seven years of experience teaching in public schools and is working on her Ph.D. in education leadership and policy studies at the University of Denver. Rawa made history as the first Saudi Arabian woman to earn a master’s degree with honors in educational equity and cultural diversity from the University of Colorado-Boulder’s School of Education.
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Vista Academy -- Growing Through Gardens |
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Vista Academy students have partnered up with the City of Denver to create community gardens and clean up their campus in an effort to celebrate their community. On Wednesday, they held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of their progress.
The school received a grant from Healthy Food for Denver's Kids, a voter-approved initiative. The funding has established a community garden on the campus, an aquaponics system, a healthy snack student initiative and an educational program through the culinary department that provides monthly cooking lessons for students’ families.
The students are also starting a Chapter in Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) . Click here to watch Channel 9’s video covering this story!
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Register for LGBTQ+ Parenting Classes |
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FACE University is a resource and learning website for parents and families in the Denver metro area. Please see our upcoming virtual sessions below and RSVP here!
Parenting & Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth - Fortaleza Familiar: Thursday, Sept. 21 (English) and Thursday, Sept. 28 (Spanish) at 6-7 p.m. Fortaleza Familiar will be sharing information on inclusive language, queer parenting and supporting students that identify as LGBTQ+.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Kids - Resources and Information from PFLAG Denver: Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5-5:45 p.m. This session will provide families and caregivers of queer youth with resources to show up as informed, supportive advocates. Content includes educational resources on allyship, tools for navigating school and other systems, and information for further support and connection.
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Join Team DPS for the Second Wind Walk/Run on Sept. 24 |
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Join Team DPS at the 22nd Annual Second Wind Walk/Run on Sept. 24 at Clement Park. Second Wind Fund, in partnership with our school-based mental health supports, helps DPS students get mental health support related to thoughts of suicide or feelings of depression.
All students, staff, families and community members are invited to join Team DPS!
Follow the steps below to join Team DPS:
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Click here to register.
- Check the, “Yes, add this registrant to a team created by someone else” box.
- Then select Team DPS.
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Application Open for DPS 101: A Community Leadership Course |
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Apply today to the DPS 101: A Community Leadership Course. This course focuses on DPS collaborative leadership -- exploring departments' inner workings and fostering civic engagement. Participants gain a deeper understanding of department functions and a sense of belonging.
This in-person learning opportunity is open to all DPS community members, including parents and DPS affiliates. The course consists of seven two-hour meetings at various DPS locations, scheduled for Oct. 11, Nov. 6, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 21, March 13 and April 17.
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Multilingual Education District Advisory Committee Meeting on Sept. 20 |
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Please join us at the Multilingual Education (MLE) District Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 5-7 p.m. at Bruce Randolph High School. This meeting will be a Parent Academy, with information on MLE programs, Federal programs, MLL parent rights and Assessments.
Dinner, childcare and interpretation will be available. Staff is encouraged to attend. Please register here. For more information, visit the MLE DAC website or call 720-423-3058.
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My Spark Denver Helps DPS Families Pay to Play |
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This resource is for all DPS middle school students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. DPS Athletics is one of the approved providers, which can make paying the athletic fee that much easier for our qualifying families. This also can benefit your student athletes during the off-season so they can have the opportunity to continue training/practicing with other athletic providers.
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