(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.
HAPPENING THIS WEEK ...
Picture Day: Friday, Oct. 6, students who have English on Green Days,
PTSA Fall Bulb Sale: Monday, Oct. 9, Fall Bulb Sale Orders Due
Open House for Prospective Students: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7:50-9 am
PTSA Family Night: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7 pm, Linwood Washington, Dean of Culture, will present on the new culture at the school: "The DCIS Way," Cafeteria
Cafe con La Directora en Español: Wednesday, Oct. 11, 8:45-9:45 am, DCIS Community Room 103
MARK YOUR CALENDARS ...
Cross Country Championship: Thursday, Oct. 12, 4-5:30 pm, Bear Valley
Shadowing Day for Prospective Students: Monday, Oct. 16, all day
Collaborative School Committee: Thursday, Oct. 19, 4:30-6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room 103
Southwest Parent Social: Friday, Oct. 20, 6-8 pm, 1249 S. Quivas Street
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 (online signup will be posted the week of Oct. 9)
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
NO SCHOOL: Friday, Nov. 3
Dia de los Muertos Family Field Trip: Saturday, Nov. 4, 11:30 am-5 pm, Denver Botanic Gardens
Daylight Saving Time Ends: Sunday, Nov. 5
SANTA FE FIRST FRIDAY PARENT SOCIAL
Please join us on Friday, Oct. 6, for our first-ever Santa Fe Art Walk Parent Social! In addition to taking in this great neighborhood event, we'll be able to connect with one another AND with some of our community partners. We'll start the evening at 6 pm on the patio at Alliance Francaise (corner of 6th and Galapago), to enjoy some refreshments (donations of drinks or snacks welcome!), check out their artist of the month and learn about what AF has to offer DCIS students and families. Our next rendezvous will be at 7 pm at the MSU Center for Visual Art, where there will be art viewing and hands-on activities and a chance to find out about their free Young Artists Studio program available to DCIS students. Feel free to join us for some or all of the evening. If you know you're planning to join us, we'd love to get an RSVP. Last-minute decision maker? Please feel free to drop in anyway!
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Parents,
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated this Thursday, Oct. 5, as World Teachers Day. DCIS teachers are dedicated, talented and hardworking professionals, so along with UNESCO, I would like to take this moment to honor and thank our awesome teachers! They not only inspire students to learn, but they are inspired by learning themselves, and I am so grateful to them for teaching, inspiring and caring for our amazing DCIS students. If you have the time, consider taking a moment to write a quick email to a teacher or two who has had an impact on your child. Teachers love to get happy notes from parents!
We have completed the practice testing for PSAT/SAT so that our 9th, 10th and 11th graders know exactly what is involved in terms of preparing for these important college readiness exams. Students will take these exams "for real" in April, but we wanted to give all students a chance, early in the year, to practice with the test and see exactly what skills they need to improve in order to do their best. We will hold a second practice test session in January/February as students make their final preparations for the actual test in April.
Meanwhile, our middle school students are busy learning reading strategies and how to cite evidence for a claim in writing, and improving their mathematical literacy across all grades 6-8. Ask your 6th grader about least common denominator and greatest common factor. Ask your 7th grader about graphing x,y points and about the "Wumps" and how to graph them. Ask your 8th grader about how to write the equation for a line.
As a reminder, the first class of the day begins at 7:50. Students should be in the building no later than 7:45 so that they have time to get to class during the five-minute passing period. Breakfast is free for all students, but we stop serving at 7:45 (so that students can get to class on time). If you would like your child to eat breakfast here at school, please make sure he or she arrives before 7:45. The school day ends at 2:55. In the coming weeks we will be instituting a tardy plan and issuing consequences like lunch detention and/or after-school detention for students who are consistently tardy to class. Look for details of this plan coming soon. We appreciate your support in making sure your child arrives to school on time. Thank you!
Wishing everyone some time this weekend to enjoy the glorious fall weather. We are so lucky to live in Colorado!
Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal
FALL BULB SALE-FINAL DAYS! Order Deadline: Monday, Oct. 9
We're a little over halfway to our goal! Please visit our website, order some bulbs for your garden and the school, and post our campaign to your social media accounts. Parents, friends and family can buy bulbs for beautifying their own gardens and our school. 50% of the proceeds from all bulb sales will go to the PTSA. Our campaign goal is to raise $1,200, but the more we raise, the more we can do for our kids!
Thank you, DCIS families!
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
PTSA CULTURAL ENRICHMENT AND INCLUSION (CEI) MEETING Friday, Oct. 6, 5:30 pm, at the Alliance Française de Denver (571 Galapago St., Denver 80204). Before joining the Santa Fe Art Walk from 6 to 8 pm, we'll be forming an action group to get more DCIS teachers and staff to apply for the CEI grants. Please click here for how to apply.
FIRST PTSA FAMILY NIGHT/MEETING OF THE YEAR The PTSA would like to invite all families to our first PTSA Family Night/Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7:00 pm, in the DCIS cafeteria. Dinner, childcare and simultaneous interpretation will be provided. Along with hearing PTSA team updates, announcement of the slate of board nominees and making plans for the year, we are excited to have Mr. Linwood Washington, DCIS Dean of Culture, presenting on the new DCIS culture: The DCIS Way. Come and learn how to support your student toward their best success at DCIS!
If you weren't able to make it to Back-to-School Night, follow the links below for important letters from various grade level, language and administrative teams. We understand there were some issues with the links for iOS devices last week, which should now be fixed.
JUNIOR/SENIOR PARENTS: CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT GUIDELINES (SPRING 2018) In order to support as many students and families as possible with concurrent enrollment funding, we have added some guidelines for the Spring 2018 semester. If your student is interested in taking a concurrent enrollment course, please have them contact Ms. Monteon by Friday, Oct. 6.
SENIORS-CSS PROFILE Nearly 400 colleges, professional schools, and scholarship programs use CSS profile to award non-federal aid. Many 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 their website. Click here for a list of CSS Profile completion workshops available to students applying to DU.
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 Bachelor's degree: A degree awarded to undergraduates, usually after four years of college classes.
TRAVEL AND EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES ...
ADOLESCO YOUTH EXCHANGE INFO MEETING Sunday, Oct. 8, 2-4 pm: Decker Library (1501 S. Logan St., Denver, CO 80210) Basement. RSVP marie@adolesco.org or contact Marie Meyer, Exchange Coordinator, at 303-913-4845 for more info.
Adolesco is a flexible and affordable nonprofit program of unique, two-way exchanges to France, Germany and Spain for qualifying U.S. students ages 9–18. Find other upcoming info meetings here, and sign up for the Adolesco newsletter here. Applications due by Tuesday, Oct. 31.
MEET THE MIDDLE EAST YOUTH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Since 2008, Meet the Middle East has been leading teens to the Middle East through its Youth Ambassador Program — a fun and exciting seven-month program designed to educate high school students in four disciplines. To find out more, click here.
SPORTS ...
The flag football (boys and girls) and volleyball (girls) seasons begin in October. The first games are on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and try-outs will be conducted the week before.
Any student wanting to try out for either team must have a current physical on file at DCIS. Parents may bring a copy of the physical to the DCIS nurse, Ms. Su. Students also can get a copy of the physical form from Mr. Tricarico to have their doctor fill out.
Mr. Garvey will coach volleyball, and Mr. Beins and Mr. Powell will coach flag football. Please email them if you have specific questions, or speak with Mr. Tricarico at the school.
PARENT SOCIALS ...
Our SW Parent Social has been rescheduled for 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.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
