Today is the final day to donate to the Giving Tree!
Like last year, members of Team DPS will use donations to purchase gift cards and distribute them to students who need them most. With your help, we will continue the giving tradition to make a difference for our students this holiday season!
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Top 5: First-Semester Highlights
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Thank you to all the team members who shared their favorite memories from this semester. Check out the Top 5 below and here to read team members' semester highlights.
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5. “The staff and faculty here at Hallett have made the first 12 days of my teaching journey absolutely fantastic. The love in this building and support I feel from my peers is unmatched. As a first-year teacher starting mid-year, I was nervous to jump into such an important position with such lovely little humans. Each member of this school has made a conscious effort to make me feel welcomed and offer their support, all while attending to their own students.”
-- Kara Milward, Hallett
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4. “My favorite moment was when one of my students shared that she had received her second COVID vaccine! She is in the group of kids under the age of 12 who just became eligible. She can't wait to get her booster and was disappointed she has to wait six months and isn't currently eligible. So grateful for students doing what they can to keep us all safe!”
-- Caitlin Woolums, Goldrick
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3. “A great moment in my English 122 class was when my students -- completely unprompted -- began collaborating and using the board. They were asking each other for help and feedback, teaching each other, and doing so from their own personal motivation. I hope that this speaks to the learning environment I fostered, but I believe it speaks especially to such fantastic students that I have been blessed to have at my school.”
-- Donald Dilliplane, Collegiate Prep Academy
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2. “My favorite first-semester memory was collaborating with students and staff on our in-person production of ‘Frankenstein.’ This is a challenging play with song, dance and 18th-century language, and our students pulled it off without a hitch!”
-- Michael Berquist, Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy
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1. “While reading to first- and second-graders every Friday, one of the second-graders told me, ‘You are the best teacher and I will do anything for you.’ When I heard this, it made me remember why I have chosen a career in education -- to continually make a positive impact in the lives of students and families. ”
-- Erin Ellis, Early Education
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Enroll in W-2 and 1095-C Electronic Delivery by Jan. 10 |
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Did you know that team members who sign up for electronic delivery can receive their W-2 and 1095-C up to two weeks earlier than those receiving through mail? It is quick and easy to enroll! Just follow these steps by 5 p.m. on Jan. 10 to sign up and receive your 2021 tax documents electronically:
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Log in to Employee Space on the Employee Action Center with your DPS username and password.
- Click "Access Electronic W2 & 1095c" and enter your username and password again. You will need to be inside the DPS Network.
- Under "My Delivery Settings," click on 1095-C and W2. You will see a green check mark once you authorize.
- When these documents are available, turn "off" your pop-up blocker and click "My 1095-C” or “My W2s" under "View My Documents."
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The Second Cycle of A to Z Fund Applications Is Open |
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DPS Foundation is now accepting applications to the second cycle of the 2021-22 A to Z Fund, which provides small grants to schools to reduce inequity in resources for our students. Every DPS school is eligible to apply for up to $2,000 each cycle for programs and activities that go beyond the limits of schools’ budgets. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 18. Learn more about the A to Z Fund and our new online system here.
We are also seeking 20-30 community reviewers, including high school students, to support the application review process on Jan. 26 and 27. Know a high school student who would make a great reviewer? Email atozfund@dpsfoundation.org for more information.
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SchoolChoice Resources Available for Families |
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We're also excited to offer several upcoming events. A SchoolChoice Facebook Live session is planned for Jan. 13, and our virtual School Expo Week is scheduled for Jan. 18-20. Get more info about these events here.
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Share the Healthy Start Times Flier with Students, Families and Team Members |
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DPS will be making changes to allow middle and high schoolers to get more sleep! In May, The DPS Board of Education passed a resolution to have all middle schools and high schools (district-managed and charters) start no earlier than 8:20 a.m. each school day to support healthy sleep habits in adolescents. Please share this flier with your students, families and team members to help build awareness around this initiative, and to share the opportunity to provide input on what scenarios work best for the community in implementing this change. Learn more by visiting the DPS website.
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Nominate the Next School Counselor of the Year by Jan. 28 |
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The third-annual DPS School Counselor of the Year nominations are now open. Take a moment to highlight the great work of a school counselor by completing the nomination form, which will remain open until Jan. 28. We will award an elementary, middle and high school Counselor of the Year during National School Counselor Appreciation Week in February. If you have any questions, contact Katie Gianatasio.
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Tyler Crippen
Physical Education Teacher,
Southmoor Elementary
Fun
"Mr. Crippen embodies what it means to be an educator. He has found a way to connect with every single student to not only teach them new skills, but to remember what Fun looks like. He has participated in home visits to get to know students, created themed 'Rockin' Moose' days where students are learning themed dances and becoming characters for the day -- such as pirates or Olympians. Every single student and staff member knows Mr. Crippen as a reliable adult in the building who is constantly thinking of others and helping us each enjoy our day just a little bit more."
-- Evyenia Pappas, Southmoor 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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