P/T conferences, yearbooks, Día de los Muertos signups and more ...
Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students
October 12–18, 2017
(Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.)
Every Thursday while school is in session, 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.
Check out the updated Staff and Student Club pages on the DCIS website!
HAPPENING THIS WEEK ...
Cross Country Championship: Thursday, Oct. 12, 4-5:30 pm, Bear Valley
Shadowing Day for Prospective Students: Monday, Oct. 16, all day
Open House for Prospective Students: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7:50–9 am
Middle School Dance and Haunted House: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6-8 pm, Cafeteria
NO SCHOOL for Students: Thursday-Friday, Oct. 26-27 (faculty professional development)
Shadowing Day for Prospective Students: Monday, Oct. 30, all day
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Monday, Oct. 30 and Wednesday, Nov. 1, 3:30-7:30 pm (access the online signup sheet here)
Coffee with the Principal (English): Wednesday, Nov. 1, 8:15–9:15 am, DCIS Community Room 103
DPS Superintendent/Parent Forum – Advocating for Your Child: Wednesday, Nov. 1, 9:30–11:30 am, Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center. More info here.
PTSA Fundraising & Events Team Meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 7, 6–7:30 pm, DCIS Community Room 103
Café con la Directora (en Español): Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8:45–9:45 am, DCIS Community Room 103
Open House for Prospective Students: Wednesday, Nov. 8, 6–7:30 pm
PTSA Family Night: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6–7:30 pm, DCIS Cafeteria. Join us for a conversation with Principal Theresa McCorquodale about DCIS' most recent School Performance Framework (SPF) scores and what they mean. Dinner, simultaneous interpretation and child care provided.
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Parents,
After a snowy start to the week, students are enjoying the return of warm fall weather. I hope you are too. Thank you to all of you who were able to come to our Family Night this week to learn all about The DCIS Way. In a nutshell, The DCIS Way is our school culture plan. It lays out how students should behave in school, in classrooms and in the hallways. It means things like walking instead of running in the hall, using appropriate language at all times (no swearing), arriving to class on time, etc. But it's much more than that. It also means highlighting the core values of our school: Diversity, Reflection, Integrity, Collaboration and High Expectations. At its core, The DCIS Way is about respect — staff members respecting students and each other and students respecting staff members and each other. It means respecting our building by keeping it clean. It means respecting students who are different than you in age, culture, religion, style of dress and much more. It means valuing our culture of learning, because learning something new each day is its own reward. Ask your child about The DCIS Way.
Looking ahead, students have a short two-day fall break on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 26 and 27. Then the following week we will host parent-teacher conferences on Monday, Oct. 30, and Wednesday, Nov. 1. The link in the Mark Your Calendars section above will take you to the online signup sheet. We'll also send out instructions for signing up via IC tomorrow.
For these fall conferences, we are giving parents time with content teachers to discuss any concerns/successes/suggestions for improvement. In the spring, we will host student-led conferences via students' advisement class during which students will lead a review of their work and reflect on their learning. Students, teachers and parents look forward to this every year. Hope to see you for these conferences.
Thank you for sending your children to DCIS. They are a joy and make me excited to be here every day.
Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
CSC Join the CSC next Thursday, Oct. 19, 4:30–6:30 pm, in the DCIS Community Room (103) for its monthly meeting. As always, meetings are open to the public, and the committee would love to see you there! If you have a comment or suggestion for the committee, public comment time is the first 10 minutes of each meeting, or you can contact one of your representatives. Contact information and the September minutes are available on our website.
MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES If you are interested in chaperoning or bringing snacks to the Middle School Dance on Wednesday, Oct. 25, sign up here.
YEARBOOKS
Preorder your yearbook and save!
Yearbooks are available for just $40, but prices go up in December, so get yours now! You can purchase a yearbook online by clicking here, contacting Mrs. Hoffman at abby_hoffman@dpsk12.org, or visiting room 216A anytime. Pay by cash/check in person or by credit card online.
All senior section materials (senior picture, senior quote and a baby picture) are due by 3 pm on Friday, Dec. 8. Please email your items (.jpeg or PDF files) to dcisphoenixyearbook@gmail.com.
Your PTSA is preparing to celebrate Día de los Muertos by sponsoring a FREE family field trip to the Botanic Gardens' Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 4. (Admission on this date and the bus ride are both free.) We'll have two buses leaving the school from the south parking lot at 11:30 am, returning from the gardens at 4:30 pm. If you'd like to reserve seats on the bus, please click here. Families can also reserve seats on the bus by texting or calling Melissa at 303-507-1256. If families prefer to drive, we will be happy to meet you at the gardens so we can enjoy the afternoon together as a school community.
PARENT SOCIALS ...
The SW Parent Social will take place on Friday, Oct. 20, 6-8 pm. Whether you live in the southwest area, weren't able to attend your neighborhood social or just want to drop in and meet other parents, please join us at the Christian's home, 1249 S. Quivas St. To RSVP for this event, click here.
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
SENIOR COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY ON TUESDAY, OCT. 17 DCIS staff will be taking seniors to the Double Tree in Stapleton for the DPS regional college application event. Students will have work time and access to college admission officers from the colleges listed below. This is a great opportunity and work space for students to complete their college/university applications. Students are encouraged to bring a laptop if they have one.
Click here for the agenda and a list of college representatives that will be present.
If you do not want your student to attend, please have him or her complete the negative permission slip they received in their Connections class on Monday. The form is due TOMORROW, Friday, Oct. 13.
SENIORS-CSS PROFILE Nearly 400 colleges, professional schools and scholarship programs use the CSS profile to award non-federal aid. Many application deadlines fall between Jan. 1 and March 31. Some schools have early filing deadlines in November. For more information and to see a list of participating colleges, check out the CSS website. Click here for a list of CSS Profile completion workshops available to students applying to DU.
JUNIOR/SENIOR PARENTS: CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT Deadline for students interested in taking concurrent enrollment classes Spring 2018 is TOMORROW, Friday, Oct. 13! Students please contact Ms. Monteon if you are interested in taking a course.
JUNIOR/SENIOR PARENTS: OFF-CAMPUS PERIODS If your student has an off period, you and the student should have signed a paper agreeing to these terms. If you have questions about off-campus period, please contact Melisa Monteon or Theresa McCorquodale.
COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS Tami Schmidt: Middle School Ted Brugman: 9th and 10th Grade Melisa Monteon (Springsteen): 11th and 12th Grade Aly Bortle: 12th Grade Post-Secondary Coach, Wednesdays and Fridays in room 101B
COLLEGE WORD OF THE WEEK Commencement: Day of graduation.
Looking for special event credit? Check out this free screening of a documentary about healthy relationships! The Relationship You Deserve is a film made by DPS students, including DCIS student Evan Tribelhorn. If you have any questions, talk to Evan. Tickets and more information available here.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
