DCIS Connect Newsletter (Dec 5-11, 2019)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students December 5–11, 2019 (Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.) CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT REGISTRATION Students who plan to concurrently enroll in OFF-CAMPUS college classes next semester need to sign up here for a time to REGISTER for those classes. Various slots are available only on Monday, Dec. 9, in the MUN room. HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... DCIS Drama One-Act Plays: Auditions, Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 9-10 after school; tech applications due by Tuesday, Dec. 10 MARK YOUR CALENDAR ... Travel and Language Fair: Thursday, Dec. 12, 5-8 pm, DCIS Cafeteria and Gym Dine Out for DCIS: Thursday, Dec. 19, 10 am-10 pm, California Pizza Kitchen inside the Cherry Creek Mall CSC Meeting: Thursday, Dec. 19, 4:30-6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room NO SCHOOL: Dec. 23–Jan. 6 FROM THE PRINCIPAL ... Greetings DCIS Community: Recently, I had the opportunity to work with some concerned parents. It served as a good reminder to me about the importance of working with my own three children to see how they are doing in their classes with just a few weeks to go in the semester. It also provided me with the opportunity to talk about the importance of advocating for themselves. Truthfully, having been a school leader for the past nine years, I think this may be one of the most important skills that differentiates the successful from the struggling. Do your children know the importance of advocating for themselves? Are they willing to go and have a conversation and own the problem? While a teacher may not always change a grade or dismiss a missed assignment, the ability to have a conversation goes a long way.    With just a few weeks to go, please ask your students about their grades and their plan to improve if things should be going better. Please ask them to speak with their teachers to understand how they might improve. I truly believe it could be one of the most important conversation you could have with your children! Cheers, Dr. Gamba   ENGAGE IN THE PRINCIPAL SELECTION PROCESS The process to find a permanent principal for our school has started. While all of the official information and timeline are included in the letter that went out to all DCIS families prior to Thanksgiving, please note that there are two different ways that DCIS parents/guardians, students and community members can engage in the selection process.   1. Attend the Community Forum at 6 pm on Thursday, Dec. 12, in the auditorium at DCIS: The forum will allow the community to hear from principal candidate finalists. All members of the DCIS community are welcome and encouraged to attend. (You can buy tacos and coffee beginning at 5 pm as part of the Travel and Language Fair, then check out the fair vendors and exhibitors both before and after the forum.)   2. Apply to be a member of the School Principal Selection Advisory Committee (SPSAC): With any principal selection committee, there are certain steps we must take to ensure that the committee members and the community-at-large are confident and clear with the process. We value the diverse views of all in the DCIS community. As such, we invite you to apply to be a part of the group that will make up the School Principal Selection Advisory Committee (SPSAC). The role of the SPSAC will be to interview top candidates and provide feedback on the candidates to the Superintendent. Top candidates will also participate in a student focus group, a learning walk with the Regional Instructional Superintendents, and a Community Forum. Therefore, we would like as many students, parents and community members to apply to serve on the SPSAC and student focus group for the interview process. If you are interested in participating, please submit your application online here, pick up an application in the DCIS main office, or call the Family & Community Helpline at 720-423-3054. Please note that applications are due by Saturday, Dec. 7, at 8 am.  RAISE YOUR HAND...  COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thanks to all who attended our CSC meeting on Nov. 21. The minutes are now available on the DCIS website, and more information about the CSC can be found here. In order to have the best representation on the CSC, we will be looking for a new parent member in the coming month. Please keep an eye on this space and on messages from Campus Messenger for the nomination form. Our next meeting will be Thursday, Dec. 19, at 4:30 pm in the Community Room. As always, we welcome public comment at our meetings, or, if you are unable to attend a meeting, please reach out to one of your constituency members.   At our November meeting, representatives from the district outlined the principal selection process. The first step is for the CSC to select members for the School Principal Selection Advisory Committee (SPSAC). You should have received communication regarding this from the school on Nov. 22. If you are interested in applying to be part of that group, please submit your application online, pick one up from the DCIS main office, or call the Family & Community Helpline at 720-423-3054. Applications are due by Saturday, Dec. 7, at 8 am. PTSA Looking for a volunteer opportunity where you can make an impact in the DCIS community? Consider joining the PTSA Board of Directors for a two-year term, beginning next fall with the 2020-21 school year. We are recruiting individuals who are interested in running for the following officer positions: President, Vice President and Secretary. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Lucy Rosas or call 602-315-6257. Elections will be held in March 2020. TEACHER WISH LISTS As we approach Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 10, consider giving to one of our wonderful DCIS teachers. If you've been thinking about making a donation by purchasing something from the wish list of a favorite teacher, now's the time! Check out the wish list here. Please don't forget to go to smile.amazon.com before checkout and select our organization (search for DCIS PTSA) as your AmazonSmile under My Account. There is no cost to you, and Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to the DCIS PTSA. TRAVEL FAIR TEACHERS-ONLY INVITATION Do you know any teachers or school staff - in DPS or anywhere? PLEASE SEND THEM THIS INVITATION!  Dear Teacher, YOU ARE INVITED to a TEACHERS-ONLY event at the Travel and Language Fair on Thursday, Dec. 12, starting at 3:30 pm in the Community Room at DCIS Baker (574 W. 6th Ave., Denver) with refreshments (sponsored by ADOLESCO.ORG — language immersion for kids 9-18, NO WORK for teachers or schools!). Come hear Dr. Carrie Olson, Member, DPS Board of Education, at 4 pm talk about the importance of student travel and how travel positively impacts students as well as informs and inspires teachers and their instructional practice. Dr. Olson wrote her Ph.D. thesis on the impact travel had on the over 800 low-income and minority students she accompanied to Washington, D.C., and Europe during her 30 years as a DPS teacher. Ms. Sally Bishop will also share her extensive experience with student travel and organizing exchanges at the Denver Center for International Studies (DCIS Baker), where she is the Director of the Travel Center. This will be followed by one-on-one time with Travel and Language Fair Exhibitors and Vendors beginning at 5 pm and FREE tacos for about 50 teachers (sponsored by WALKING TREE — educational custom trips for teachers and their students). ARTS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ...  VISUAL ARTS Students are perfecting their final artwork for the DCIS Travel Fair Art & Craft Exhibition and Marketplace, which will be held on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 8 pm. Come meet with travel organizers, try international foods and best of all, view (and possibly purchase) student fine art by 140 artists and handmade crafts by 50 student artisans!   On Monday, Dec. 9, period 3 middle schoolers will go to the Denver Art Museum to view the works of Claude Monet and Shantel Martin, in anticipation of next semester's projects. Cookie Sale — Art Club students will be selling cookies in front of the art room starting this Friday, Dec. 6, as school is dismissing. This week we are featuring high-end handmade cookies from Sarah Christian (and daughter Maddie, DCIS senior), manager/baker of the Victory, Love + Cookies Bakery and DCIS parent! Yum ... and then some! Calendar of Visual Art Events DRAMA Auditions for One Acts will be Monday, Dec. 9 and Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 4:30 pm in the auditorium. Please sign up outside the auditorium and prepare a one-minute comedic or dramatic monologue.  The One Acts will be on Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, at 6 pm. Students $3, Adults $5. Tickets sold only at the door. TRAVEL FAIR SPOTLIGHT ...   About EF Education First Through the mission of opening the world through education, EF Education First has provided global education opportunities for students for the past 53 years, including educational tours both internationally and domestically, language schools, high school cultural exchanges, International Baccalaureate programs and graduate school degrees. EF also offers professional development study tours for educators. Our educational philosophy is simple: The best way to help students gain new perspectives and build skills for the future is through experiential learning. As an accredited institution, we partner with educators to create global education programs that blend classroom, digital and experiential learning for students. We offer more than 350 itineraries specifically designed to meet the needs of educators and their students. Programs include Educational Tours, Language Immersion Tours, Service Learning Tours, STEM Tours, Student Leader Summits, Custom-Designed Tours, Inauguration Tours and tours designed specifically for Middle School and High School students. All allow students to experience new cultures and languages, interact with local people, and connect classroom lessons with global experiences. We're local right here in Denver, as well as around the world (116 countries and counting) to support students and school districts like Denver Public Schools. For more information about opening your world through education, contact Durban Ripley.          TRAVEL CENTER NEWS ...  TRAVEL NEWS A BIG THANK-YOU to the DCIS Foundation, and specifically, Executive Director Theresa Conley and board Vice President Matt Harrison, who came to DCIS on Monday to personally congratulate scholarship recipients, deliver their checks and give them a special gift. It was a personal touch we haven't seen before and was appreciated immensely.  Sister City trip for high school students to Japan — Application deadline: Wednesday, Dec. 18; cost $3,500; Dates: June 3-18. Sister City trips focus on connection with the people in the towns visited, including home stays. See their website or the Travel Center Facebook page for more information. Walking Tree Guatemala trip — We need just one more student to qualify for two of our DCIS teachers to travel with students. If you have been on the fence, the time to sign up is now! Contact Kristen Miller.  Luby-Jenkins Mongolian-US Student Exchange Program - DEADLINE EXTENDED to JAN. 10; drop by the Travel Center for information and applications. This is a highly impactful program sponsored by the Denver Sister Cities. Please email Sally Bishop for a program description and application.  IMPORTANT DATES CIEE applications due TOMORROW, FRIDAY, DEC. 6. If your student has started but not finished an application, make sure they complete it before midnight tomorrow. Thursday, Dec. 12, 5-8 pm: DCIS Travel and Language Fair SUPPORT STUDENT TRAVEL Friday, Dec. 13, 4-7 pm: Festa Italiana at the Alliance Française — Wine tasting, Italian appetizers, silent auction (including mountain cabin retreat, tamales!, zoo passes, services, art), contemporary Italian music, and a festive atmosphere. Come support our Italian exchange students! Tickets can be purchased through Venmo at "DCIS Italian Exchange," the Travel Center Facebook page through Eventbrite, the Travel Center on Mondays and Tuesdays, or at the door. Space is limited, so it's best to buy ahead of time. Calling all coffee lovers! The Italian Cultural Exchange will be selling coffee from Copper Door Coffee Roasters that has a location right here in the Baker neighborhood. This women-owned and -run business imports coffee by women-owned coffee farms around the world. Samples will be available at the DCIS play nights, and bags will be sold at the DCIS Travel Fair and by order from any student participating in the Italian Exchange. Support women, support student travel! Buy your delicious coffee from our travelers.  DenverRAP ... The  DenverRAP Activity Calendar for the month of December is now available here. This calendar provides information about free activities happening in the Denver area.  Please share this with anyone who might benefit from this resource.   You can also have information about free activities happening in Denver sent directly to your phone by texting "DenverRAP" to 67076. CONNECT ... DCIS Website DCIS Facebook Page DCIS Parents Group (closed, non-school-sanctioned) on Facebook DCIS Drama Club Facebook  DCIS Travel Center Facebook DCIS Foundation Facebook   DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Please send questions or comments to dcis.connect@gmail.com.  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 below. 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 noon on the Tuesday preceding the issue date. Email submissions to dcis.connect@gmail.com.  Copyright © 2019 DCIS Connect Newsletter, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email newsletter because you are a member of the DCIS community. If you do not wish to receive the newsletter, please click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email. Our mailing address is: DCIS Connect Newsletter 574 W. 6th Ave. Denver, CO 80204 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list