A student works on remote learning during Discovery Link at Newlon Elementary. Picture taken by David Zalubowski, Associated Press.
Sept. 16, 2020
Supporting Our Students to be Multilingual and Linguistically Diverse
Dear Educators, 

In order to truly become an Equity district, we know we must adjust our thinking and structures to best support our students. A big part of this work is standing by our collective commitment to prioritize culturally and linguistically responsive education in DPS.
With that in mind, we are excited to announce that the ELA Department will become the Multilingual Education Department (MLE). As part of this transition, World Languages will join the MLE Department, and all team members will retain their current position. Multilingual Education will continue to help DPS build on the work that has already been established as we strive toward the goal of every student graduating bilingual and biliterate. And, in alignment with the Black Excellence Resolution, this move will allow us to increase access to language instruction for our Black and Indigenous students, who are underrepresented in rigorous courses and in our Seal of the Biliteracy graduates.
The new Multilingual Education Department will focus on the asset of being a multilingual and linguistically diverse student, instead of focusing solely on acquiring English. While the team will continue to strive to ensure that our students become English proficient, we will enthusiastically celebrate students’ native languages and cultures. We recognize the unique stories and voices of our multilingual students and honor them by calling them Multilingual Learners (MLLs), and we believe that developing home language skills help students stay connected with their family, culture and community.
One important way we can all support our students in further developing their native language proficiency both at school and at home is through earning the Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by DPS in recognition of students who have attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The Seal appears on the transcript and diploma of the graduating senior and is a statement of accomplishment for future employers and for college admissions.

The application for juniors and seniors to apply for the 2020-21 DPS Seal of Biliteracy is now open. Please help make sure your school has a point of contact to ensure your students take advantage of this opportunity. See the School Checklist here for more details and additional resources.

Thank you for all you do to support our students and to celebrate their incredible diversity.

Many thanks,
Tamara and Mike
This Week's Top 5 Things to Know
Mandatory Trainings Due Oct. 2
All team members are required to take two mandatory trainings by Oct. 2: Student Data Privacy (taken once) and Mandatory Reporter (taken once per year).

For questions on:
CRE Guidance on Virtual Learning and Meetings
In pursuit of what is best for the students of DPS, especially our Black and Brown students, CRE has put together culturally responsive guidance for virtual learning and meetings. We used feedback to inform this work, aiming to continue learning and growing our understanding of virtual learning best practices. We will update the guidance regularly as we continue on this journey.
Calling for Submissions: Share Student Work and Art for Hispanic Heritage Month
Throughout the year, DPS will be joining in local and national celebrations and recognitions of a range of cultures, histories and identities, starting with Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15-Oct. 15. We want to feature how our students are learning about, connecting with, interpreting and celebrating this cultural moment through their writing, artwork, music, photos and videos. We’ll share each month’s submissions on our website and social media channels.

Please email your submissions to DPSEquity@dpsk12.org by Tuesday, Sept. 28, for consideration. We encourage educators to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month through teaching, and intentionally focus on supporting student instruction with additional resources available on The Commons.
Rise Above Colorado is Offering a Free Resource to Educators
Rise Above Colorado is offering educators the "Not Prescribed" curriculum, an interactive and engaging resource to educate and empower teens about prescription drug misuse. This resource is standards- and science-based and can easily be integrated into existing curriculum and utilized within the online learning environment.

"Not Prescribed" is an hour-long lesson that provides teens with the science and stories to understand the risks of misusing prescription drugs as well as the tools to advocate for their own health and the health of their peers. This lesson provides educators with an online, interactive presentation that features personal testimonies from teens and their families and a facilitator’s guide to support educators with the content.

Visit RiseAboveCO.org to access free resources. Email info@riseaboveco.org with questions.
Newsela Online Resources Available for All Secondary Dedicated ELD Teachers
All secondary dedicated English language development teachers with courses coded as "ELD" in Infinite Campus should have access to Newsela online resources and articles. Teachers can find a detailed how-to for activating their teacher login here. Contact Cristina Kinz with questions.
Contact Us
Connect with Us
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.