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October 25, 2021

Dear DCIS Community,
 
Thank you to our incredible PTSA for organizing the online auction that occurred this past week to raise funds to support our school. We are grateful for the partnership and ongoing support that allows us to continue to meet our diverse community needs, especially around the upcoming winter and holiday season. Like last year, we will be organizing support for families in need connected with Thanksgiving and Winter Break/Holidays. 

To recognize our students needs for expression and joy, as well as balance our classroom needs for instruction, we will be allowing students to wear costumes on Friday, October 29, 2021. No masks will be permitted, except for the type of mask students usually wear to keep our community safe from COVID. No props will be permitted such as any fake weapons, sprays, or other paraphernalia that would impact our classrooms or be distracting.

We have an altar in honor of Dia de los Muertos set up in the main hallway of the school by the office. Students and community members are welcome to add pictures of loved ones who have passed away to the altar if they so choose. Information about the holiday and the difference between Halloween and Dia de los Muertos is also in the displays. We will be welcoming all community members on November 1st to our Fall Fest. See information in our Boletín for more details about this celebration.

Finally, a note about jobs available at DCIS! We are actively seeking people for the following positions:
  • Guest Teacher to be assigned to DCIS daily and consistently
  • Student sweeper to work from two hours per day after school with light custodial duties
  • Paraprofessional/Activity Bus Driver
If you know anyone who would like to work for our school, please put them in contact with me through email at marisa_vasquez@dpsk12.org.

Be well,
Ms. Marisa Vasquez
Principal
marisa_vasquez@dpsk12.org

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Mr. Gerardo Muñoz, Colorado Teacher of the Year 2021
From the classroom to the White House! Y'all give it up for Mr. Gerardo Muñoz, 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year!! We are so proud and grateful for your leadership — your voice, your story, and your willingness to lift up others along the way help create more paths for current and future generations.

Honored to witness your incredible journey this past year and happy you're part of our DCIS community. Cheering you on from afar as you share what's important in education here in CO and in our local communities with the Biden Administration.
BIG congrats from all of us! 🎉
DCIS MIS Connection #1
At DCIS, we are committed to prioritizing the social-emotional health needs of students and staff over all other priorities. We will do this through anti-racist practices, advisement, MTSS*, and community resource systems. In June 2021, we collectively named social-emotional health as our top Major Improvement Strategy (MIS) focus for the 2021-22 school year. 

Check out this
6-minute podcast from the Education Department and see how our school-based priority aligns with a greater initiative to increase mental health access for students and awareness within schools nationwide.

*MTSS = multi-tiered system of support - this is a team made up of mental health professionals, educators, and administrators that meets to problem-solve around students with needs weekly.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

Preliminary SAT (PSAT) 9
October 28, 2021 9th Graders
(REGULAR SCHEDULE: periods 1-6 at DCIS for middle school, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders)
Students and teachers will see how far along students are in developing the skills they need for college and career. By providing early feedback and a baseline to measure a student's progress as they move through high school, it will help to pinpoint the areas most in need of support. 
Reminder: PSAT9 will be conducted on Thursday, October 28, 2021
  • 9th graders will take the test and can leave after the test at 12:30 PM.
  • All other grades will attend classes as usual.
Student-Led Conferences
Your child’s Advisement teachers will be contacting you to schedule a student-led conference between the dates of 10/11-11/5. These conferences will be held virtually through Google Meets or Zoom, and they will be scheduled at a time convenient to your family. If you do not hear from your child’s Advisor about scheduling this meeting please contact DCIS so we can help.
Reminder to Review Student In-Progress Grades for Semester 1
The first nine weeks of the school year have passed and we invite you and your child to review all of their Semester 1 in-progress grades. We expect that you, your child, and their advisor will do this during student-led conferences but remind you that at any time you may log into Portal following
these instructions to view current grades. Note: there is no 'Quarter 1 report card' because we are on a semester-based system this school year for both Middle School and High School. If your family has any issues with viewing grades in Portal please reach out to Ms. Wickham at courtney_wickham@dpsk12.org or your child's advisor(s). Thank you! 
Travel Center Updates: Phoenixes Take Flight!
We are so excited to be re-opening the Travel Center starting this second nine weeks of the school year. Many of you have eagerly been awaiting updates on how the Travel Center will provide access to both domestic and global opportunities. Starting this week the Travel Center will be holding informational sessions about upcoming travel for the school year. Announcements for weekly sessions will be posted in the Boletin as well as on Schoology. Upcoming sessions are detailed below:
  • Tuesday, October 26th: 3:30-4:00 American Exchange Project for Class of 2022 Students
    AEP is a FREE travel opportunity for any of this year's seniors. Students will be able to visit another part of our country that they've never been to before. HERE is a deck with more information. Students and/or families can virtually join this session by logging into Ms. Wickham's google meets at  meet.google.com/lookup/dciswickham
  • Tuesday, November 2nd: 3:30-4:00 Guatemala Service Learning Trip June 2022
    This adventure is open to any current DCIS student and will be hosted by Walking Tree Travel, a local travel group that has partnered with DCIS for other trips. Information about the trip may be found HERE.

    Students and/or families can virtually join this session by logging into Ms. Wickham's google meets at meet.google.com/lookup/dciswickham. During the meeting, Ms. Wickham will provide some information about trip funding avenues as well as giving the date for the first 'planning meeting' with Walking Tree Travel. 
  • Thursday, November 4th: 5:30-6:30 DCIS Travel Center Question and Answer Session
    If you are interested in opportunities for 2022 and/or want more information about how your child can get connected to Travel Center resources please join Courtney Wickham, Travel Center Coordinator, for a virtual session via this zoom link.

    From 5:30 to 6:00 she'll provide current opportunities and partnerships as well as financial planning lessons that students will begin to receive via Advisement. Details about our Sister Cities involvement will also be offered. From 6:00 on she'll be available for any travel-related questions. 
DCIS Students & Teachers! 
Please share and check out the student scholarships and teacher grants available from the DCIS Foundation.

The application portal will be open from October 25 to November 8, 2021.

View more & apply here: 

https://www.dcisfoundation.org/studentscholarships
Dever Parks & Recreation Survey 
Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR) would like to learn about the types of outdoor adventure experiences YOUR STUDENTS would like to have in Denver and our nearby Mountain Parks. The more we know about how our youth wants to recreate outdoors, the better we can shape a plan to meet our city’s needs for outdoor adventure and alternative sports experiences. DPR will use this information to create a strategic vision for outdoor adventure in Denver.

Please take this short survey by October 31, 2021:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DPRoutdoors2

➡ Learn more about the project here.

KEY DATES 

Coffee with the DCIS Administration Team — Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Our next 
Coffee with the DCIS Administration Team will be Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM. Coffee and light snacks provided! We can't wait to see you there!

Join us at the Southwest entrance for coffee with Ms. Wickham, AP for DCIS middle school, or the East entrance for coffee with Dr. Martin, AP for DCIS high school, and Ms. Vasquez will rotate between the two entrances.
DCIS Fall Festival Celebration — Monday, November 1, 2021
Join us on November 1, 2020  from 4:30-5:30 PM for a fun fall celebration with food, games, student clubs, a haunted house hosted by the student council, a performance by the MOTUS Theatre Group, and a special scene preview from our fall play of Romeo y Julieta. 

RSVP
: https://bit.ly/DCISFallFestival2021

Info Sessions:
  • 4:30-5:30 pm | Information for multilingual families
  • 4:30-6:30 pm | Signing up for FAFSA for senior families
  • 5:00-5:30 pm | Graduation info for senior and junior families
DCIS Collaborative School Committee  — Tuesday, November 9, 2021 
Join us! Our next meeting is this Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 5-6PM.

Public comment is in the first 15 minutes - Zoom details are below: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3394623166?pwd=UFEzWnB2UVRIMllSWmlRb2phR00xUT09 
Meeting ID: 339 462 3166
Passcode: 525389
STUDENT SUPPORT
If your child has experienced significant grief, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we invite your child to join the Mending Wing program, an hourly, once a week group opportunity to join with their peers to learn about the grief process, discuss and process stressors from school, life, family, and peers, share experiences, and be reminded that they have support in their healing process.  While students will be encouraged to share (when they are ready), students are also welcome to just sit listen as well.  Additionally, if your child would like support, but would prefer it on an individual, one on one basis, I can also meet with your child one on one as well for support.

This group is open to all grades 6-12 and it will be a closed group, meaning that once all 7 seats are filled (although this number could fluctuate), the group will be closed, and then additional closed groups (as needed) will open up to meet the remaining demand.  We also ask that you please reach out to Vincent Scudella ideally by October 29th, but you can always reach out after this soft deadline as well.

 If both you and your child feel this would be a good fit and support for your child, please feel free to reach out to DCIS' School Social Worker Vincent Scudella at
vincent_scudella@dpsk12.org.
Free COVID Rapid Tests Available for Home Delivery
CDPHE recently announced the
Rapid-At-Home program, in which they will ship free rapid antigen tests directly to homes. Students, families, and educators can enroll in the program here. Please keep in mind:
  • Due to significant interest, there may be a several-week delay in initial shipments after signing up.
  • These rapid tests are intended for ongoing screening; a rapid test cannot clear an individual with symptoms to go to school or clear someone from quarantine. Individuals can only be cleared with a PCR test at COVIDCheckColorado or your primary care physician.
Social-Emotional Support & Resources

Judi’s House for Grieving Children and Families

We are excited to let you know about the FREE services Judi’s House will be offering: "Caring for Grieving Kids" virtual workshops for parents and guardians.
 

Parents/Guardians! 
Want support on how to engage your child/teen? Check out
THIS!

What do you do when feeling a little down? 
Try some of these
Coping Skills!

Grief Support 
Click
HERE!

Do you need to talk to your counselor? 
Fill out the form below and your counselor will get in touch with you either via email, phone or Google Meet. 

   Virtual Counselor Pass
 


DCIS Special Service Providers:

Additional Organizations:
  • Safe2Tell Colorado: 877-542-7233, https://safe2tell.org
    Note that DCIS staff and DPS Safety & Security and DPD monitor Safe2Tell 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. This is the quickest way to reach out if you have safety concerns that are imminent.
  • Second Wind Fund of Metro Denver, Counseling Services (English/Spanish): https://www.thesecondwindfund.org/
  • Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth): 866-488-7386
  • Colorado Crisis and Support Line: 844-493-8255, or text TALK to 38255

STUDENT SERVICES NEWS

Class of 2022 — Seniors

All things Senior Year!
Parents: Please be aware that November starts the beginning of College Application deadlines. November 1st is often the first major deadline. Please support your senior by asking questions about where they are at with their application process.

Here are a few other ideas to help support these next couple of months. Supporting College Application Process by the College Essay Guy

FAFSA Parent Workshop Night
November 1st as part of our Fall Festival we will be having experts in the field of filling out the FAFSA form. This will take place from 4:30-6:30 at DCIS. If you have questions or just don’t know where to start on the FAFSA, this is the workshop for you!!

Senior Parent College Planning Night
Senior Parents/Guardians - Did you miss the Senior Parent College Planning and Financial Aid Presentation?  Here are the slides of the topics covered. Please feel free to reach out to your student’s School Counselor for further questions. Presentation Slide Deck

Financial Aid 
FAFSA Website is now open as of October 1, 2021. Please talk to your student about this process. Reach out to your student’s school counselor for further questions.  

The CASFA is also available for in-state tuition opportunities.  What is CASFA? 
Overview: In 2019, the General Assembly passed H.B. 19-1196, Financial Aid For Students With In-state Tuition, which allows state aid to be awarded to students who do not have lawful immigration status but have resided in the state for at least three years before graduating from a Colorado high school or passing a high school equivalency exam. 

The Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) is the application by which students that meet the qualifications can apply for this aid. Students who do not have lawful immigration status and who do not meet the qualifications listed above are also encouraged to apply for institutional aid using the CASFA. Students who are eligible for Federal Title IV aid by completing the FAFSA should not complete the CASFA. 

Reach out to your student’s school counselor for further questions.  

Upcoming College Rep Visits 
Will be held in the courtyard unless otherwise noted
Scheduled Visits

Class of 2023 — Juniors

Upcoming College Rep Visits
Will be held in the courtyard unless otherwise noted.
Scheduled Visits


Parents - What’s after high school?
Post-Secondary Planning Checklist

Class of 2024 — Sophomores

Upcoming College Rep Visits
Scheduled Visits

Parents - What’s after high school?
Post-secondary planning checklist

Class of 2025 — Freshmen

Tips to help our high schooler
https://theparentcue.org/what-teachers-wish-parents-of-high-schoolers-knew/

Parents - What's after high school?
Post-Secondary planning checklist

Middle School

Middle School can be an exciting time and sometimes a bit overwhelming, as well. Here are some resources to support you and your student through middle school:
Parenting Guides
Ways to Help Your Child in Middle School

8th Grade Virtual Career Fair - November 2, 2021
All 8th grade students will have an opportunity to explore a variety of careers during Advisement on November 2nd. They will complete career inventory surveys before entering the virtual fair.

FAMILY COMMUNITY RESOURCES

DCIS Clothing Closet and Food Pantry
We are continuing to accept donated food, water, and canned goods, as well as clothing to support students, families, and community. If you'd like to contribute or would like to receive support, please feel free to contact DCIS' School Social Worker Vincent Scudella at vincent_scudella@dpsk12.org.

➡ Please check out this list of recommended foods and household items.

COMMUNITY NEWS

A HUGE Thank You to all who participated in our Week of Giving! We raised nearly $5000 with your generous support. Auction winners have been notified via email and can pick up their items in front of the school near the basketball court this Wednesday & Thursday (10/27 & 10/28) from 3:30 - 5:30 PM. 

Also, get ready for more giving as we head toward the holidays. Thanksgiving Food Baskets will be organized by the PTSA and distributed by school staff. Keep an eye out for sign-up genius links to donate grocery items & your time assembling them.
Boletín Requests
Please send bi-weekly boletín requests (key announcements, community updates, and feedback) to our School Communications Specialist at 
Stephenie_Lock@dpsk12.org
Website
DCIS Facebook Page
Instagram
Weekly Newsletter for DCIS Parents and Guardians

October 25, 2021

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