Thomas Jefferson's Matt Nicolo spent time hiking with his family outside this summer. See more memories from across Team DPS below and here.

As you may know, DPS is partnering with Denver-based Gary Community Investments to provide access to free COVID-19 testing to all of Team DPS. Team members who are already reporting on-site and those who will be returning to work in person at a later point can access this free testing. Scheduling is easy and the testing process is safe and efficient. Learn more and sign up for your test today!

We strongly encourage all team members to take advantage of this free service, keeping in mind that 40% of those who test positive have no symptoms. Plus, testing now helps us get baseline data and will help to make the decision about when it is safe for us to reopen schools in person. Keep an eye out for reminder emails from PrimaryBio, our partner in signing up team members for COVID testing.

Not covered by Aetna or Kaiser Permanente? You can still find care on Colorado’s COVID Response page. In most cases, you can access free nurse lines or telehealth appointments to help you determine next steps in testing and treatment plans. 

As a reminder, anyone who is choosing to return to their school or office building must first please complete a health screening. Learn more and find the screening form on The Commons. We are in the process of creating a new screening app, which we hope to release soon. 

Additionally, remember the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available, offering free resources and supports for team members, including with mental health, finances and well-being. Visit the EAP page on The Commons to learn more, and check out the EAP COVID-19 toolkit and resources.

Top 5: Summer Photos

Even though this summer may have looked different, DPS team members still explored, had adventures and spent time with people they love! Thank you to everyone who shared their summer pictures, and congratulations to our giveaway winner, Lauren Bell of University Prep! See all the photos here and click the information icon in the top-left to read each caption.

5. "I spent the summer quarantining in a cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with my husband and son. I had plenty of time to learn about more about online teaching tools!"

4. "I spent the summer working at Target and when we had to begin wearing masks, I saved up the disposable masks and made this welcome wreath. I wanted to show my students and family that something beautiful can come from a bad situation. It reminds me that I can turn any situation into an opportunity for growth and flex my creative muscles. It might not be the ideal summer shot but I love sharing what I made with people and seeing their reaction!"

-- Greg Rios, Knapp

3.  "My two daughters learned to water ski at the lake where I learned to water ski as a kid."

2. "My 5 amazing children spent the entire summer together and thrived. We have grown so much as a family this year and will cherish our 'extra' time as a bunch."

1. "Despite an unfortunate fall early in Our Adventure, my fiance and I were able to camp in all 48 states ... crutches, social-distancing and all!"

While we may not be coming together in person at the start of this school year, we know educators and team members across DPS have been getting creative in connecting with students this week. How have you built connections with our kids and families during the remote start of school? Share your stories, photos and videos here!

Registration will open Monday, Aug. 24, for the second session of DPS child care, held from 8 a.m.-noon Sept. 8-Oct. 16. This care will be available for children ages 5-12 with locations at about 55 elementary schools across the district, and will include support in their remote learning schedules. Child care supports will cost $10 per student, per day through Oct. 16. If DPS remains in remote learning after Oct. 16 or returns to remote learning later in the year, and the need for child care returns, the cost will increase to $14.25-$17 per student, per day (depending upon the availability of federal funding). Please click here to register and find additional details on The Commons.

We are pleased to announce the release of DPS' Employment Practice Manual. This manual provides managers and employees with guidance around key Human Resources practices. Please review the Employment Practice Manual to help raise your awareness of Board policies, practices and expectations. There are three particularly important items that we want to call your attention to:

Employee Wellness Champions are ambassadors for the Employee Wellness Department who promote wellness initiatives to staff, design and implement site-specific wellness programs, and inspire their team members to lead healthy lifestyles. They receive a stipend up to $600, in addition to funding of up to $1,200 for site-specific wellness initiatives. If you work at a school, submit your application here; and if you are not school-based, submit your application here by Sept. 2.

We hope you were able to watch Our DPS Day last week to join the rest of Team DPS in kicking off the school year. In case you missed it, you can still watch it here. View these resources to help make the most out of the video.

Thank you to all the teams who sent in screenshots of their team's viewing party, including Hamilton Middle School's dog party! View the rest here.

Even though we may not be meeting together in person, it’s never been more important to recognize others who are living our Shared Core Values. Have you seen a colleague or small team living one or more of our Shared Core Values? Nominate them for Living Our DPS and they may be featured on The Commons and here in a future edition of Team DPS Weekly. Nominate today and check back weekly to see who we're recognizing!

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