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Gearing Up for a Great First Day |
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Dear Team DPS,
One of my favorite memories of growing up was the feeling I always got the night before the first day of a new school year -- butterflies in my tummy, thinking about the new kids I’d meet, who my teachers would be. This year is so different -- I still have butterflies but in a very different way. I am very grateful for our teachers, leaders and all DPS staff who are working incredibly hard to welcome back our students in new and innovative ways for virtual learning.
That has already begun this week, as teachers have started reaching out to families and students, helping get them ready for Monday. While the circumstances of the start of school are certainly not what any of us wants, I know from talking to so many of our educators this summer just how excited we all are to see our students’ big smiles and bright faces.
And while we continue working toward gradually and safely opening our schools back up to in-person learning, we’ve spent much of the summer talking with our teachers and principals about how to improve remote teaching and learning. (Read the full DPS Remote Learning Plan.)
Live Instruction Every School Day
The first major enhancement has been to work with schools to ensure teachers can provide live, virtual instruction every school day. In elementary schools, the expectation is that teachers will do live, virtual instruction for a minimum of three hours each day, with additional time for check-ins and office hours. In middle and high schools, the expectation is that teachers provide a minimum of 3.5 hours of instruction daily. Schools have received guidance on scheduling for all content areas and have the flexibility to develop their own schedules for this instruction, so families should please check with their teachers for those details if they haven’t been shared already.
Daily Social-Emotional Support
Our families also told us that when their kids had the opportunity to engage in social-emotional supports, their overall experience of school improved in the virtual environment. This year, all of our schools will be devoting a minimum of 20 minutes each day to social-emotional learning in elementary schools and 30 minutes daily in middle and high schools. This will include teaching of specific social-emotional skills, such as relationship-building, reflecting on identity, discussing differences -- including biases, and developing student confidence and independent-thinking skills.
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School Day Scheduling Expectations
Elementary (grades K-5):
Daily - at least 3 hours of live instruction
- 75 minutes of literacy live instruction, plus an additional 65 minutes of self-paced instruction.
- 60 minutes of math live instruction, plus an additional 20 minutes of self-paced instruction for grades 1-5 (45 minutes of math live instruction plus an additional 15 minutes of self-paced instruction for kindergarten).
- 20 minutes of social-emotional learning live instruction.
- 25 minutes of English language development live instruction for English learners, plus an additional 20 minutes of self-paced instruction.
- 45 minutes of science/social studies (alternating days; can be either live or self-paced instruction).
Weekly
- At least 45 minutes of physical education (PE), can be either live or self-paced instruction.
- An average of 135 minutes of arts (visual arts, music, theater, dance), can be either live or self-paced instruction.
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Secondary (Grades 6-12):
Daily - at least 3.5 hours of live instruction
- 30 minutes of social-emotional learning.
- At least 45 minutes per day (or 225 minutes per week) of English language development for English learners.
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Fewer Websites/Apps, More Technology Support
This school year we’ve simplified the process for families and students to connect to the websites that serve as our online “classrooms.” Last spring, there were times when families would have to navigate multiple online-learning websites (called Learning Management Systems) during the day or the week for different teachers or classes. This year, there will be one main website/app (Seesaw) for students in kindergarten through fifth grade to log in to each day. And there will also be one main site/app (Schoology) for students in grades six through 12.
We’re also doing all we can to support the technology needs of our families. Since last spring, we’ve provided more than 65,000 Chromebooks and 3,800 internet hotspots to our students for remote learning. And we’re working to fill the remaining gap for the new school year.
Please test your computers and Internet access prior to the start of school and reach out to your school if you need a computer or Internet hotspot. Affordable Internet options are also available through Internet Essentials and Starry Internet. To provide further assistance, we’ve posted “how to” videos to help families get connected under the Parent Portal "Remote Learning" tab. And please reach out to your school or the Department of Technology Services desk at 720-423-3163 for support at any time during remote learning.
Working toward a Gradual and Safe Return to In-Person Learning
I know it’s challenging not to have schools open for the start of the school year, but we want to make sure we’re following the advice of our health partners and prioritizing health and wellness. We’re hopeful to begin gradually welcoming back students who have been prioritized for in-person learning (ECE and kindergartners, students with disabilities, and English learners) after Labor Day, and we’re doing everything we can to be ready to offer in-person learning to all students in the second quarter of the school year (which begins Oct. 21 for most students).
Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the changes and adjustments during the COVID crisis and for your continued support of our students. We here at DPS send along our well-wishes to all of our families, and we look forward to working together with them to get the new school year off to a great start.
Warm regards,
Susana
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2020 Bond Measure and Debt-Free Schools Ballot Initiative |
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The DPS Board of Education voted on Thursday to adopt a bond and mill levy proposal for the November 2020 ballot. Denver voters will be asked to consider two measures that would provide $795 million in bond funding to build and maintain DPS schools, and a Debt-Free Schools ballot initiative that would provide $32 million for priorities such as mental health, nursing and special education supports. See the full Aug. 17 presentation to the board. |
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Team DPS Health and Safety Reminders |
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As some team members are choosing to return to their school or office building, it’s important to remember that we all must follow The DPS 5 health and safety protocols to keep each other safe. In order for us to safely reopen schools to in-person learning, it’s critical that all members of Team DPS follow the health and safety protocols.
Additionally, please be sure that if you are entering a DPS building to please first complete this Employee Health Screening Form from your phone or home computer, including answering a series of questions about your symptoms.
And don’t forget DPS is offering free COVID-19 testing, thanks to a partnership with Gary Community Investments. Scheduling is easy and the testing process is safe and efficient. Team members are encouraged to take the test regularly (it’s not limited to just one), so learn more and sign up for your test today!
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DPS Child Care Available for Staff and Families |
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We know that our DPS community and team members need support in looking after their children during their remote instruction time. On Monday, our Extended Learning and Community Schools team and our valued community partners opened 55 child care sites to support DPS team members and families through Oct. 16.
Looking for child care? Registration for 8 a.m to noon care for the weeks of Sept. 8-Oct. 16 will open on Monday, Aug. 24, for DPS staff and families. The cost is $10 per day, per child, through Oct. 16. Access sites and registration here.
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