DPS Board of Education Meeting Feb. 23 |
The Board of Education will hold a regular Board Meeting this evening, Thursday, Feb. 23, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Watch the meeting on board.dpsk12.org and access the agenda on BoardDocs.
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Celebrating Black History in Colorado! |
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Know Your Benefits: Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care |
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Urgent care centers are same-day clinics, often with 24-hour availability, that treat a variety of medical problems like fevers, vomiting, dehydration, sprains or strains and some smaller cuts that need stitches. They are less costly than emergency rooms and provide many services with high-quality care.
Emergency rooms should be used for critical emergencies, such as trouble breathing, or chest pains, broken limbs, serious burns, head or eye injuries, severe cuts and other critical incidents. Your insurance will cover a portion of your emergency room costs.
Get engaged in your benefits now and be prepared for Open Enrollment April 17-May 5! Visit thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment for more information . Remember, every benefit-eligible employee must enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what they elected last year.
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DPS Wellness Department is Now Health Links Certified |
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The DPS Employee Wellness Department would like to share that Denver Public Schools has been recognized as a Certified Healthy Workplace Leader by the Colorado School of Public Health in partnership with Health Links!
Health Links takes on a holistic approach to worker wellbeing that enhances safety, health and productivity. This program champions health and safety at work, and we are honored that DPS is a workplace leader. To learn more about Health Links, please click here.
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Top 5: What Do You Love About Your Team? |
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Thank you to the team members who shared what they love about their team! Check out the top 5 below and more responses here.
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5. “As a first-year teacher, I love the support that comes from my team! We have a variety of talents and experiences. From a veteran teacher to a new teacher, our team is a quilt of diversity. We have such different personalities. What we have in common is the love of uniqueness. We celebrate the differences in all of us! Together we continue working in a demanding job with limited resources. I love you team!” -- Lorena Desantos, Abraham Lincoln High School
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4. “The Special Education Team at Lake Middle School including special education teachers and special service providers are all here for kids, 100%. They show up and support students and the other team members with anything needed. We are constantly holding each other up to support. This team means the world to me and it's an honor to work with them!” -- Grace Hauck, Lake Middle School
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3. “There are too many amazing things about my teams to name, but I will try. The leadership at our school is second to none. Ian Jones, Nadia Coleman, and Jennifer Carpenter are fastidious in their work to support us as teachers in creating environments where students can thrive. They collaborate with our leadership teams to ensure all teacher voices are heard. I'm so impressed with the emphasis on work-life balance, and while no system is perfect, it is clear we as educators are highly valued. Every teacher at Denver Online is committed to making positive connections with students, and building strong relationships that keep students coming back year after year, while pushing instruction to new heights. The math teachers at Denver Online are some of the best at developing creative solutions for providing student support. We often meet with students in smaller groups to revisit topics or set learners on their own paths toward deeper understanding. They strive to create options where students feel empowered to take charge of their learning, knowing they are in a safe space to make mistakes and grow.” -- Heather Morris, Denver Online
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2. “I have the privilege of coordinating the Department of Social Work and Psychological Services Float Team. Our school psychologists and social workers on the float team fill in for leaves and vacancies across the district. These 13 providers are skilled at quickly building relationships with staff and students, assessing coverage needs, and providing high-level, professionally delivered best practice services. They are compassionate individuals who care for each other and the providers/schools they are covering for. Outside of coverages they often pick up extra duties that support our department like SOP creation and interview panels. I consider them leaders in our department and am grateful for their strong mentorship with staff that they help onboard. Their flexibility and grace in making difficult situations always amazes me and I'm fortunate to call them teammates.” -- Libby Malone, Social Work and Psychological Services
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1. “Community Hubs is a team dedicated to building strong communities. We are a group of individuals that are putting their heart into every interaction with our families. We don't limit ourselves to a job description but go above and beyond to assist every family. It is impressive to see the connections that every one of us is making to respond to the needs of our region. Integrity is what makes our hub's team so special.” -- Esmeralda De La Oliva, Family and Community Engagement
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Top 5 Callout: Black History Month |
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All month long, our students have been learning about, connecting with, interpreting and celebrating Black History Month. Whether through writing, artwork, music, photos or videos, how are you, your team or your students recognizing Black History Month this year? Share your response through this form for a feature in next week’s edition!
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Special Education Affective Needs Corrective Action Plan (CAP) Advisory Committee |
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As part of the 2022 state complaint surrounding Special Education Affective Needs (AN) Center programs, the Exceptional Student Services (ESS) team is creating an AN Advisory Committee, which will kick off in April 2023. The purpose of the committee is to give the DPS community and staff an opportunity to provide input on the direction and actions that DPS central and school teams can take to address disparities. The committee will be made up of members from Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Denver School Leaders Association, DPS Office of Schools, community partners, Denver advocacy groups, DPS families and DPS students.
The application window to apply is March 1-16. Contact Dr. Charlie Merrow if you have any questions.
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HBCU Shoutout: Patrice Brown |
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In Celebration of Black History Month, we asked members of Team DPS to share their Black History Month gear! Patrice Brown, a counselor at East High School, attended Grambling State University (GSU) in Louisiana. She says that although she was raised in Colorado, she grew up at Grambling. “GSU taught me how to come out of my shell, how to advocate for myself, and taught me about the world around me.” She views the Grambling State community as her family.
When asked about advice she would give to DPS students interested in attending a HBCU, Patrice said, “I would tell DPS students who are interested in HBCUs to absolutely go for it! The experience will by far surpass any experience you will have in this world. Take advantage of one of the only opportunities you have to be the majority in a space. Learn lots, get involved, and most definitely have fun.”
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Happy National Health Month! Join us in celebrating by wearing red tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 24! This annual movement unites millions of people for a common goal -- to fight heart disease and stroke. Submit a photo of your red here.
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Participate in the 'Fill Your World with Good Campaign' and Win a Mural for Your School |
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Healthy Kids Colorado data from 2021 shows that over 90% of middle school youth and over 80% of high school youth are not using substances -- efforts such as the FYWWG campaign aim to spread the word that most kids are making positive, healthy choices.
This is a great opportunity for student groups, including: Student Councils, sports teams, GSAs or Sources of Strength. The contest runs from March 1-April 7. Learn more here.
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Review 2023 Financial Services Year-End Deadlines |
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Please review the Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Services Year End Deadline Memo for important upcoming dates regarding year-end close. If these year-end close processes are not completed prior to June 30, they could have potential budget implications for the 2023-24 fiscal year. If you have questions, contact your Financial Partner.
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Nydia Gonzales
Head Start Liaison, Samuels Elementary
Collaboration
"It is with pleasure that we nominate Nydia Gonzales, Head Start Liaison, at Samuels Elementary for demonstrating the DPS Shared Core Value of Collaboration. Nydia came to Samuels last January. Her focus at Samuels has been to support our parents, their children and to connect with the existing Head Start teachers at Samuels. From the beginning, Nydia let it be known that although she worked for Head Start, she was available to all families at Samuels.
Nydia has provided clothing, emotional support and assistance to the entire staff and community. For example, Nydia helped a first-grade student find a dry pair of socks and shoes (after the child was playing in the snow before school) from her 'closet' of donated clothing.
Nydia is a problem-solver, innovator and a dynamic member to our school and community. She goes above and beyond with the events that she has brought to our Head Start program. She is great at making relationships with the community businesses surrounding Samuels. She has received toys, clothes, books and shoe donations for the children and families. She just had an amazing party for all of the children and families to receive these wonderful gifts during winter break.
She provides activities to support our school community like setting up photo booths at events. Staff, families and students have taken many memorable photos at these booths. At present, Nydia has tirelessly worked to support various schools who are lacking liaisons. It is hard to share her but we understand that her services are needed at other locations and those schools utilizing her are fortunate to have a hard-working and caring liaison to support them. We know this is a lot of work for her but this also demonstrates the collaborative skills she possesses."
-- ECE/Head Start Staff, Samuels 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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