Teacher Weekly
Nov. 16, 2022
Thankful for Our Exceptional Educators
Dear Educators,

As we approach the Thanksgiving break, I wanted to take a moment to pause and share my deep gratitude and appreciation for each of you. The safe and welcoming environments you all are creating for our students, teachers and families do not go unnoticed and go a long way in making students feel connected, supported and excited to learn.
 
Thank you for the work you do every day. Whether it's coming in early and leaving late, supporting your fellow educators and checking in regularly with students and families, you never lose sight of what’s most important; our students. The work you are doing today will have ripples far into the future because of your dedication to ensuring Every Learner Thrives. 

I hope you all can take this time to be with your loved ones, rest, reflect and rejuvenate as we head into the second half of the school year. 

Respectfully,

Dr. Tony Smith
Deputy Superintendent of Schools
Focus Group Opportunity for Parents: Assessments in DPS
DPS is seeking feedback from parents. Invite families to join us at any of the four upcoming virtual opportunities to discuss assessments at DPS. All focus groups will be held at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6, Dec. 15, Jan. 10 and Jan. 12. Parents can scan the QR Code or click here to share feedback and sign up for a focus group. 
TSEAL Tip of the Week: The Value of Expressing Gratitude
Research has shown that regularly practicing gratitude can result in many benefits. People who regularly practice gratitude sleep better, feel better about themselves and have more mental resilience. November is a great time to build awareness around gratitude practices, and has great benefits when practiced year round!

  • Educators: Reflect on what qualities about yourself you are grateful for. What makes you a great friend, colleague, family member and educator? 

  • Students: Create daily gratitude practices. These could be daily reflections in journals or discussions.
 
Find more gratitude activities for the classroom here.
This Week's Top 5 Things to Know
Educator Evaluations Update: 2022-23 School/Collective Measures
For the 2022-23 school year, all required components of educator evaluation are required by the CDE as outlined in state statute and State Board of Education rules. As a reminder, evaluations are still based on 50% professional practice and 50% student growth. This one-pager explains this year’s updates to Student Growth and how the schoolwide SLO “Percent of Points Earned” will be used for assigning the Collective Measure rating, which is required by the CDE. If you have questions, email LEAP@dpsk12.org.
Provide Feedback on Local Assessment
The DPS Assessment team is looking for your feedback to improve our opt-in local assessments – including interims, unit assessments, capstone and course finals – for next year. Please provide your feedback here by Nov. 19.
Register for the African American Young Ladies Summit on Dec. 8
The 2022-23 African American Young Ladies Summit Program invites African American/Black girls in sixth grade through college for a day full of exciting experiences. 

The agenda will include:
  • Career exploration and conversation
  • Issues to action
  • Worth of love and respect
  • Post-secondary and community options

Join us in cultivating our young Black/African American girls on Dec. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at New Hope Church (3701 Colorado Blvd. Denver, 80205.) Register here and/or sign up to volunteer. If you have questions, contact Dr. Plashan McCune at higherlearningu@gmail.com.
Read the 2021-22 DPS Sustainability Report
The DPS Sustainability Team has been working hard to promote environmental protection, economic prosperity and social development in our schools and community. Read the 2021-22 Sustainability Annual Report to learn how we’re working toward a livable future and acting with urgency for the students who so bravely stood up for their future and got a climate action policy adopted by the DPS Board of Education. We believe our future is bright and full of innovative thinking, and we hope these results will inspire you to join us!
Join the High School English Curriculum Proposal Review Group
The Humanities team is considering adopting a new high school English curriculum, and teachers’ and leaders’ perspectives are crucial! Our goal is to find a culturally and linguistically sustaining curriculum that meets the needs of all DPS students and teachers. We will be facilitating a review group to evaluate and provide feedback on vendor curriculum proposals. The review group time commitment will be 15 hours from Dec. 5-14; teachers will be compensated for their time. View the project plan here for more specific information. If you would like to participate, please complete this survey by Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. Please note that if there are more than 20 responses, we will send invitations on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions? Contact Anne Marie Blieszner.
Additional Resources and Opportunities
Click here to learn more about these resources and opportunities: 

  • ECE Update: Early Childhood Educator Income Tax Credit Information

  • DPS Schools Computer Science Education Week Dec. 5-9
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