(Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.)
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.
STAFF SUPPORT DRIVE
Did you know Colorado ranks 43rd in the nation when it comes to school funding — below the national average by nearly $3,000 per student?! It seems crazy when our economy is booming. What's even crazier is that our teachers have to pay out of their own pockets for basic supplies for their classrooms. They and our students deserve better!
If you agree, please help out with the DCIS PTSA's STAFF SUPPORT DRIVE. The goal is to fulfill 100% of our DCIS staff's URGENT needs on the Staff Wish List within the next TWO WEEKS. Learn more here: EnglishEspañol. Every single contribution helps. Thank you!
HAPPENING THIS WEEK ...
PTSA FUNDRAISING AND EVENTS team meeting, Thursday, Oct. 13, 6-7 pm, DCIS Community Room (103)
GUEST SPEAKER, Former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Mark Ferrandino speaking on the Colorado legislative process, Friday, Oct. 14, 9-9:50 am, 11 am–noon, MUN room. Parents welcome!
8th GRADE DRAMA FIELD TRIP, "Shakin' Up Shakespeare," Friday, Oct. 14, 9:30 am–1 pm, Cherry Creek High School, 9300 E. Union Ave., Greenwood Village (map)
YEARBOOK COVER DESIGN CONTEST deadline, Friday, Oct. 14. Submit to Ms. Hoffman (room 216A) by the end of the day
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY applications due (grades 10-12), Monday, Oct. 17. Contact Mr. Brown or Mr. Pomponio with questions.
OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES: Monday, Oct. 17, 7:30-9 am, DCIS
PSAT/NMSQT: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 8-noon, DCIS gym
PTSA EQUITY & INCLUSION TEAM MEETING: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6–6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room (103)
DEBATE TOURNAMENT, Saturday, Oct. 22, Manual High School, 1700 E. 28th Ave., Denver (map)
CHANGE OF HeARTS FESTIVAL, Sunday, Oct. 23, 11 am–5 pm, DCIS Drama students perform at noon and 1:30 pm, Central Park Festival Area, Stapleton (map)
ADOLESCO YOUTH EXCHANGE applications due Sunday, Oct. 23. For more info, click here or send an email.
SHADOWING FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS on the following Mondays: Oct. 24, Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Dec. 5.
8th GRADE TRIP: DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 9:30 am-2 pm
LOCAL COLLEGEAPPLICATION DAY, Tuesday, Oct. 25, periods 1 and 2
DCIS DATA NIGHT, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 6–7 pm, DCIS auditorium
SUPERINTENDENT PARENT FORUM: A Foundation for Success — Early Literacy and Bond/Mill Discussion, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 10 am–noon, Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, 15500 E. 40th Ave., Denver (map)
NATIONAL SECURITY LANGUAGE INTENSIVEFOR YOUTH applications due Thursday, Oct. 27. More information here.
DPS FAMILY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, Thursday, Nov. 3, 9 am–12:30 pm, PPA Event Center, 2105 Decatur St, Denver (map)
FALL BACK! Daylight Savings Time ends. Sunday, Nov. 6.
ELECTION DAY! Tuesday, Nov. 8.
DEBATE TOURNAMENT: Saturday, Nov. 12, all day, Aurora Central High School, 11700 E. 11th Place, Aurora (map)
CITYWIDE DRAMA FESTIVAL for high school students, Thursday, Nov. 17, 10 am–4 pm, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
DRAMA CLUB FUNDRAISER, Thursday, Nov. 17, all day, Patxi's Pizza, 185 Steele St., Denver (map)
DCIS DRAMA FALL SHOW, "She Kills Monsters," Thursday–Saturday, Nov 17–19, 6–8 pm, DCIS auditorium, tickets
EVERYONE'S INVITED!
Mark Ferrandino, former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives and current DPS Chief Financial Officer, will be at the school TOMORROW, Oct. 14, to speak to 9th and 10th grade civics classes about his time in the Colorado legislature and the legislative process. Mr. Ferrandino will present in the MUN room 9:50–10:50 am and 11 am–noon. ALL DCIS parents are welcome and are encouraged to attend one of the sessions.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
There are many ways for parents to "raise their hand" to make a difference at DCIS. As the saying goes, "It takes a village." Whether you have time, a little money, a lot of money or particular skills to offer, it all helps. The more people who raise their hands, the more your children benefit. Here's how you can make a difference for your DCIS student:
STAFF SUPPORT DRIVE: See box at beginning of newsletter.
GET INVOLVED ON A TEAM:
Fundraising & Events team meeting, TONIGHT, Oct. 13, 6–7 pm, DCIS Community Room (103)
Equity & Inclusion team meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6–6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room (103)
COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The next meeting is Thursday, Oct. 20, 4:30–6:30 pm in the DCIS library. The first 10 minutes of every monthly meeting is open for public comments, and we welcome and encourage ALL families to stick around for the entire meeting. If you have something you would like the CSC to discuss or questions you'd like answered, we encourage you to reach out to one (or all!) of your representatives (student/teacher/parent) and let us know what's on your mind. Check out our most recent minutes here. On this month's agenda:
Public discussion
Share data (PARCC/CMAS, PSAT, ACT results; attendance; etc.)
Discuss School Performance Framework rating
Update on research into Innovation status
SPREAD THE WORD TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ...
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 and shadowing opportunities.
OPEN HOUSES The next Open Houses are Monday, Oct. 17, and Tuesday, Nov. 1. Two evening Open Houses will also be held on Nov. 15 and Jan. 18, 6–7:30 pm. Check out this page for details on the morning and evening agendas.
SHADOWING In addition to open houses, the DCIS Student Ambassadors have launched a shadowing program to provide prospective students with a glimpse of a typical day at DCIS. Middle and high school students considering DCIS have the opportunity to shadow a current DCIS student, giving them an inside look at all our school has to offer. A limited number of shadowing spots are available on selected Mondays between October and December: Oct. 24, Nov. 7, Nov. 14 and Dec. 5. Click here for more information and a link to register.
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
FAMILY NIGHT PRESENTATION: COLLEGE 101
DCIS counselor Melisa Monteon presented "College 101" at the DCIS Family Night on Oct. 11. She provided lots of helpful information on the different types of colleges, how to plan by grade level for college, and an overview of testing, scholarships, financial aid, and much more. You can view a PDF of her PowerPoint presentation in English here or Spanish here and checklists by grade level of how to prepare for college here.
LOCAL COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY
Oct. 25,8-10 am, in the DCIS cafeteria. All seniors are required to attend and are strongly encouraged to be there at the beginning in order to make the most of the limited time available. The following schools will be working with students on filling out applications, answering questions and, in some cases, admitting students on the spot:
Adams State
Arapahoe Community College
Community College of Denver
Emily Griffith
Front Range Community College
Hastings
Johnson & Wales
Metropolitan State University
Regis University
University of Colorado–Boulder
University of Colorado–Colorado Springs
University of Colorado–Denver
University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
OCTOBER IS DPS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS MONTH
Team DPS members across the district are working hard to achieve our Denver Plan 2020 goal of ensuring our graduates are college and career ready, and we're celebrating their progress throughout October! Students from across the district will be sharing how they are making their college and career dreams a reality — such as by taking challenging courses, mapping out an academic plan with their school counselor, visiting a college campus or participating in strategic extracurricular activities. Each day, the Office of College and Career Readiness and CareerConnect will highlight one student's plan on www.dpsk12.org, Facebook, and Twitter. But it doesn't stop there: We want students of all grade levels to share their career and college aspirations using the hashtag #myplan. DPS educators and school leaders can also join the conversation by celebrating their students using #everychildsucceeds.
CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT
All juniors and seniors interested in taking college courses on a college/community college campus, please see your school counselor as soon as possible to discuss dates and deadlines for concurrent enrollment. Juniors can take up to 3 credits and seniors up to 6 credits. It is first come, first served, as funding for tuition is limited. Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation, books and additional fees. Parents/guardians will also be responsible for tuition if their student's grade is lower than a C or if the student withdraws from the class after the deadline.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
The Spring Institute is hosting a women-only event to discuss Islam and the hijab on Saturday, Oct. 22, 6-10 pm. It is looking for a few female students to volunteer at the event on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Community service credit will be awarded.
The hijab and its place in American society are hotly debated. Women who choose to veil face intense scrutiny in their communities. Islamic xenophobia impacts these women daily, but adding insult to injury is the traditional Western view that women who wear the hijab are somehow oppressed or subjugated within their culture. To unveil in the company of women who are eager to learn will help Muslim women define the conversation and enlighten those who question these women's expression of faith through the veil.
This evening will bring together women from all faiths to learn about each other's culture in a safe space with facilitated conversations, food and dancing.
Interested students may reach out to the organizer, Jennifer Gueddiche, by email or text: 720-341-4670.
TRAVEL CENTER NEWS ...
THE TRAVEL CENTER WILL BE CLOSEDFriday, Oct. 14.
MEET THE MIDDLE EAST: A CULTURAL AND TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY TO THE MIDDLE EAST
High school students interested in the Middle East, the Israeli–Palestinian situation, peace, and cultural and social justice issues and who would like to travel to Israel and Palestine this summer, check out the Young Ambassador Program through MEET THE MIDDLE EAST! Since 2008, MTME has been teaching high school students to listen and dialogue through conflict resolution and negotiation, using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study. For more information, attend an information session on Oct. 26; Nov. 15 or 19; or Jan. 11, 17 or 31, 6-8 pm. RSVP for one of these sessions here. Or check out MTME's website. Applications are due Feb. 6, 2017.
SUMMER PROGRAMS IN LANGUAGE/CULTURAL IMMERSION, SERVICE, AND SCIENCE
CIEEoffers semester- and yearlong exchanges as well as three types of summer programs:
Language and Culture Immersion (earn 4 college credits) in Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Peru and Spain
Service and Leadership Programs in China, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Mexico and South Africa
Global Discovery Programs: marine ecology with diver certification in Bonaire, wildlife conservation in Botswana, digital film-making and documentary in Spain, K-pop immersion in South Korea, sustainability in Portugal, and global entrepreneurship in Ireland and Germany
Scholarships based on merit and financial need are available. DEADLINE TO APPLY IS DEC. 1.
Information on both of these programs is available online and in the Travel Center.
Last week's Phoenix Fun asked you to select which piece of international trivia was TRUE. The answer is B: The shortest place name is "Å," located in Sweden. The winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is 11th grader Sierra Romero. Congrats!
The other three answers?
A: Less than 1% of the Caribbean islands are inhabited. (FALSE: Actually 2%) C: Vatican City and San Marino are the only countries completely surrounded by one other country. (FALSE: Need to add Lesotho to the mix.) D: There is only one river in Saudi Arabia (FALSE: There are NO rivers in Saudi Arabia.)
THIS WEEK'S RANDOM TRIVIA QUESTION ...
The average American does what 22 times a day:
A: Yawns B: Checks the time C: Opens the fridge D: Laughs
Submit your answer here. If you are correct, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card.
