(Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.)
WE GOOFED! The first issue of the newsletter that went out yesterday morning completely omitted the Raise Your Hand section, which details opportunities for parents to help out. This week we're asking you to:
Give us your input on Back to School Night by filling out the survey.
Consider making a one-time or recurring contribution to our Phoenix Fund.
Help our DCIS staff by checking out their Staff Wish List for donation and volunteer opportunities.
We also discovered that accessing the Lifetouch website to order school pictures using the access code on the linked flyer was creating some problems for folks, so we've provided instructions below to resolve those.
Finally, we provide some more details on the Sept. 27th meeting for parents of 10th-graders, where they can learn all about the class trip to Canyonlands, Utah, or the alternative Stay Local adventure.
So sorry to be pinging you again with similar content. We'll try our best to get it right the first time going forward. Thanks for understanding!
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Every Thursday, you'll receive this DCIS Connect newsletter in your email inbox to keep you up to date on all the events and happenings at our school. It's also available on the DCIS Connect app, which you can download at the Apple Store or Google Play.
If you don't wish to receive the newsletter, click the Unsubscribe link at the end. If you're receiving multiple copies of the newsletter, please email dcis.connect@gmail.com to report the problem; be sure to indicate your first and last name and preferred email address so we can update our records.
Newsletter submissions are due by 10 am on the Tuesday preceding the issue date. Email submissions to dcis.connect@gmail.com.
PICTURE DAYS!! Sept. 26, 27. Your students will be bringing home order forms, or you can order pictures online. Click here to find out how. NOTE: If you copy the access code from the linked flyer and paste it into the box on Lifetouch's website, the code gets scrambled (the letters and numbers appear in a different order). Try typing the code instead. Or under Find Your Picture Day, look for our school under "Denver Ctr for Intl Studies Secondary."
PTSA EQUITY AND INCLUSION TEAM meeting, Monday, Sept. 26, 9–10 am, room 103. Simultaneous interpretation provided. We'd especially like to invite our Spanish-speaking parents to attend.
DPS SUPERINTENDENT PARENT FORUM: "Denver Plan: Great Schools in Every Neighborhood and Bond/Mill Overview," Tuesday, Sept. 27, 9:15–11:15 am, National Western Complex
CROSS-COUNTRY MEET — Huskie Hustle, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4–5 pm, James A. Bible Park, Denver (see map)
10th-GRADE PARENTS MEETING, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6–7 pm, DCIS Auditorium. Learn everything you need to know about 10th-grade Travel Week (May 15-19, 2017), during which ALL 10-graders will be either in Canyonlands, Utah, or on a Stay Local adventure.
DCIS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DUE, Wednesday, Sept. 28, by noon. More info here.
OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7:30–9 am, DCIS
COLLEGE FAIR, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6-8 pm, Monarch High School
DCIS FOUNDATION FALL FUNDRAISER featuring award-winning author Helen Thorpe. Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6 pm, Four Mile Historic Park.
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Parents,
As fall arrives in Denver, classrooms at DCIS continue to take on new and interesting topics! Ask your 6th grader how to define globalization. Ask your 7th grader about "the case of women in India." Ask your 9th or 10th grader in Civics about how the Bill of Rights applies to real issues today, such as prayer in schools. Your 11th grader should be able to give you full details on their Passage proposal. And of course seniors are busy learning all about the college application process. All parents and senior students are invited to attend a College Application and Planning Workshop next Thursday, Sept. 29, 6–7:30 pm, here at DCIS.
Looking ahead, I want to highlight a few changes in our DCIS school calendar. The calendar posted on our website is correct, even though it differs from the DPS calendar. The DPS calendar has students attending classes until Dec. 21, which presents problems for many families who travel during that time. In addition, we have many families with siblings at DCIS Fairmont, and students there go only through Dec. 16. So in an effort to accommodate families who travel and families with siblings at Fairmont and to avoid attendance issues, we "borrowed" the DPS student holidays on Oct. 27 and Nov. 4 and made them regular school days for DCIS students so that we could end the semester for all students on Dec. 16. Please let us know if you have any questions about this.
Thank you for sending us your charming, smart, creative and hardworking children every day. They make DCIS a joyous place to work.
Theresa McCorquodale
SPREAD THE WORD!
Know any parents or students who might be interested in DCIS for the 2017–18 school year? Please let them know about our Open Houses. The first is coming up next Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7:30–9:00 am. Others will be at the same time on Thursday, Oct. 6; Monday, Oct. 17; and Tuesday, Nov. 1. Here's the agenda:
7:45–8:00 Observe hallway culture and students' arrival
8:05–8:35 Overview w/administrators and student ambassadors
8:35–8:45 Question-and-answer session
8:45–9:30 Student-led tours of DCIS classes in session
There are many ways for parents to "raise their hand" to get involved in the goings-on at DCIS and in the Denver Public School (DPS) district. Sometimes it's just by giving us your opinion on a survey, other times by lending a hand at an event. And if you want to up your involvement a notch, we have plenty of ways you can do that as well. We'll feature various opportunities in this section as they arise. Please join us!!
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT FEEDBACK: Parents: We want to hear from you! The school has requested feedback about Back to School Night ... whether or not you attended. Please share your thoughts here: English or Español
STAFF WISH LIST: The staff wish list is "live"! The staff wish list is a place for staff to post their classroom supply (e.g., planners) or volunteer (e.g., help with yearbook) needs and for parents to then raise their hand and say "I got ya." Please click here to see if you can meet some of the needs at DCIS!
DONATE TO THE PHOENIX FUND: Looking for an easy way to support your student's experience at DCIS? Consider making a one-time or recurring direct donation to our Phoenix Fund! To find out what your donation supports and how it works, click here: EnglishEspañol. Click on the button below to make a donation.
DPS OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT include Districtwide Advisory Committee (DAC) meetings for English Language Acquisition (ELA) families, Superintendent Parent Forums on various topics, and Family Leadership Institute trainings. More information.
CULTURAL ENRICHMENT ...
ITALIAN INVASION. On Sept. 20, 12 students and two chaperones from Casale-Monferrato, Italy, will join us for 10 days, learning what U.S. education is like and making new friends. This is a great opportunity for all of us to better understand the students' perspectives on American culture or their own. If you have any questions, please contact either Sonia Burns or Sally Bishop. Grazie mille!
YOUTH IN ACTION 2018 DESTINATION JAPAN informational meeting Thursday, Sept. 29, 7 pm, Highlands Methodist Church, 3131 Osceola Street, Denver 80212. YIA is a local nonprofit that helps Denver-area teens become hardworking, responsible leaders. The program includes Japanese language and culture study, community service and fundraising, culminating in a month-long cultural exchange trip to Japan. Open to students grades 6–12. Please plan to attend this meeting to find out more about joining this dynamic group. For more information, please contact JoAnne Harada at yia-colorado@comcast.net or 720-217-2160, or visit their website here. RSVPs requested.
TO YOUR HEALTH ...
DID YOU KNOW ... a cup of orange juice contains almost as much sugar as THREE DONUTS?!! Or that drinking one soda every day means that, after a year, you will have consumed 66 POUNDS of sugar?!! Seriously … if you're more likely to reach for a juice or soda before drinking a glass of water, click here to find out why that's not a good idea. Also learn how students can get a free water bottle (donated by Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation) by making healthy choices.
Here's to your health!
Lauren Goettsch, RN, BSN, CNRN, AE-C
NOTES AND REMINDERS ...
PICK-UP/DROP-OFF SAFETY: Please remember to follow these rules when picking up and dropping off your student each day. We are still having problems, including parents parking in the drop-off zone on Delaware. For the safety of all our students, please do not drop your student off in the middle of the block or have them get out of the car on the traffic side.
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
SENIORS!!! We have a few upcoming events specifically geared to you and your parents.
COLLEGE APPLICATION AND PLANNING WORKSHOP: Thursday, Sept. 29, 6–7:30 pm in the DCIS Community Room (103). Senior year can be stressful and overwhelming when it comes to getting through the college application process. We will be presenting information on how to stay organized, using Naviance and other important college-planning tools. Parents and senior students are strongly encouraged to attend!
FAFSA WORKSHOP: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 5–7 pm in the DCIS Community Room (103). We will have experts from the Financial Aid Office at Community College of Denver here to assist in filling out the FAFSA. Seniors and parents who have questions or would like some guidance in completing this important form are strongly encouraged to attend.
COLLEGE FAIRS: Juniors and seniors interested in learning more about local and out-of-state colleges, sign up for one of the dates/locations below:
Monarch High School (Out-of-State College Night) 329 Campus Drive, Louisville 80027 (map)
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6–8 pm
Lakewood High School (Out-of-State College Night) 9700 W. 8th Ave., Lakewood 80215 (map)
Thursday, Sept. 29, 6:30–8 pm
Mountain Vista High School (map) (In-State and Out-of-State College Fair/Workshops) 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch 80126
Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 am–noon
Out-of-State College Travel Stipends!
Juniors and seniors planning to visit colleges outside Colorado can apply for a stipend to help offset the cost of travel. Thanks to a generous grant from Western Union Foundation, we have about $2,000 available for stipends. Stipends are $150 each; a limited number of students in need (as determined on a case-by-case basis) may receive a double stipend of $300.
Students are reimbursed after they travel, but they MUST complete the first part of the two-part application BEFORE traveling and be approved by their counselor. Part 1 involves a meeting with and approval by the student's counselor. Part 2 requires the student to provide a written reflection on the visit along with an airlines receipt or boarding pass in order to be reimbursed. Applications are available in both the Counseling Office and Travel Center.
Because stipends are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, we encourage you to complete Part 1 of the application process soon, even if you won't travel until next semester. Part 2 must be completed and the paperwork submitted by April 14, 2017. For more information, please contact the Counseling Office or Geri Badler in the Travel Center.
TRAVEL CENTER NEWS ...
NATIONAL SECURITY LANGUAGE INTENSIVE FOR YOUTH. Students ages 15–17 … are you interested in a summer or yearlong language intensive in Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, Turkish, Russian, Arabic or Persian? Check out NSYL-I (National Security Language Intensive for Youth)! This is a U.S. State Department program with a full-ride scholarship. Applications available online. Deadline to apply for 2017–2018 programs is Oct. 27! More information here.
TRAVEL CENTER — NEW DAYS, NEW HOURS, NEW ROOM! Mondays 8 am–12:15 pm Wednesdays 8 am–1:30 pm Thursdays 8 am–1:30 pm Room 204
DCIS Foundation Fall Fundraiser
Featuring Author Helen Thorpe
Join us Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6 pm, at the Four Mile Historic Park in the Grant Family Education Center. Featuring guest speaker Helen Thorpe, award-winning author of Just Like Us andSoldier Girls; a student panel; a silent auction; and food and cocktails. Tickets: $25/students and alumni,$35/all others. Purchase tickets or learn more.
MEMORIES MAY FADE, BUT YEARBOOKS ARE FOREVER
Order your DCIS 2016–2017 yearbook now for $40, before the price goes up in January. Buy them during non-class times from Mrs. Hoffman in room 216A, Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch outside of room 118 or Ms. Rodriquez's room (109), or online via the DCIS website. Cash and check only for in-person purchases.
NEW THIS YEAR: advertisements and tributes! Want to advertise your business and support DCIS at the same time? You can get a 1/8 page, full-color ad that includes 1 photo and 4 lines of text for just $45. Also, don't miss this chance to show your support for your favorite DCIS student by paying tribute to them in the yearbook. Tributes are a special way to show someone you care, and they cost just $10 for DCIS seniors and $20 for everyone else. Tributes are 1/8 page, full-color and include 1 photo and 4 lines of text. If you'd like to purchase an ad or tribute, please see Mrs. Hoffman in room 216A or email her.
Help us create an even better yearbook! The yearbook staff is gratefully accepting donations of unwanted cameras and SD cards. We're also looking for support with yearbook sales, ad and tribute sales, and distribution. If you would like to donate a camera or equipment or would like to offer hands-on help in any of the areas noted above, please see Mrs. Hoffman in room 216A or email her.
PHOENIX FUN!!!
The answer to last week's question: "What is Daniel McCorquodale's favorite jelly to put on his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" is pineapple! The winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is 10th-grader Anika O'Brian.
This week's question is from a student who was selected by his peers at the DCIS all-school meeting by an applause meter: "What is Imad Rashed's favorite restaurant?"
A: Qdoba B: Panda Express C: Chipotle D: Elway's
Submit your answer here. If you are correct, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card!
TO YOUR HEALTH ...
NOTES AND REMINDERS ...
