The 2023-24 CollaboRATE survey closes tomorrow, Jan. 12. Responses to the survey provide essential feedback to help improve the Adult Experience for Team DPS. Check your inbox for an email from K12 Insights to access your unique survey link and complete the survey in 20-30 minutes.

Congratulations to our giveaway winner, Noire Lin at Marie L. Greenwood Academy. The winner was selected from a pool of DPS team members who either completed the survey or emailed surveys@dpsk12.net for survey access assistance on Jan. 2. We will be in touch soon to coordinate the delivery of your prize!

There will be prizes for the schools and departments with the highest completion rate when the survey closes on Jan. 12. Stay tuned to see if your team is a winner!

DPS will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., and our continued commitment to equity and inclusion by participating in the MLK 40th Annual Marade. Please join us Monday, Jan. 15 for a two-mile walk at the MLK statue in City Park at 9 a.m. Click here to sign up. The first 20 volunteers will receive a 40th Anniversary commemorative t-shirt!

Let us elevate our Shared Core Values through a district-wide Unity Week Jan. 15-19. Upload images or videos of yourselves, students and team members engaging in Unity Week here!

DPS has partnered with Tutored by Teachers to offer our 11th-graders at district-run schools free eight-week SAT prep! This virtual program is led by live, expert teachers and aims to elevate SAT scores and enhance college admission prospects.

Registration is open now through Friday, Jan. 19 for sessions happening Jan. 29-March 23 and Feb. 5-April 5. Visit the registration page for more information.

For those who prefer spending winter indoors cozied on the couch, the hunt for our new favorite TV show becomes our extreme winter sport! Share your go-to rewatch, new binge-worthy favorite or whatever show is getting you through the cold season through this form.

DPS schools have access to a monthly, high-level Chromebook Data Report for reported Chromebook loss and damage rates to review trendlines. This report includes risk factor analysis as to whether a school is at risk of no longer being 1:1. Review the ‘HOW TO READ THIS REPORT’ tab in the report to understand the risks and supports to address any trending breakage rates.

The spring schedule for DPSSkills workshops is now available on the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team page on The Commons. Register for our first workshop of the new year: Disrupting Bias on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. If you have any questions, email Melissa Muniz.

The Colorado High School Mock Trial program is seeking volunteers to preside, score or courtroom monitor at the Denver Regional and State tournaments.

The Denver Regional Tournament will be held Feb. 9-10. Volunteers are required to attend orientation before each of the four trial rounds begins. If you are interested in volunteering for the Denver Regional Tournament, fill out this form. If you would like to volunteer for one of the other eight regional tournaments, visit the mock trial website and contact the regional coordinators directly.

The State Tournament will take place March 8-9. If you are interested in volunteering, fill out this form.

Join the Employee Wellness team today at 5 p.m. for the Benefit Information Webinar, an overview of all the benefits included with your PERA membership. You'll learn how to determine when you can retire and what your income will be. Plus, hear more about built-in benefits you may not be aware of such as survivor and disability benefits.

Visit the Employee Wellness page on The Commons for more information, or email staffwellness@dpsk12.net.

The Ritchie Program for School Leaders is offered in partnership with DPS and the University of Denver Morgridge College of Education - Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS). Grounded in equity teachings, systems thinking, adaptive leadership and improvement science, the Ritchie program engages participants in the real work of school leadership. Graduates are eligible for a Colorado principal license, and students may choose to continue with 15 additional credit hours to complete a Master’s degree or continue for an EdD or PhD. 

Please join us for a virtual informational session on Friday, Jan. 17 from 4-4:30 p.m. to learn more about this program. Sign up to attend the informational session.

We work to rebuild and repair professional relationships for DPS employees and recognize that often, an apology goes a long way in mending relationships. “Do you know how to make an effective apology?,” by Marsha L. Wagner (1999) captures elements of an effective apology.

Learn more about us at our virtual Information Session on Thursday, Jan. 18. Register here and a calendar invite will be shared with you.

Equity

-- Philip DAmico, Restorative Practices

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