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.
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Newsletter submissions are due by 10 am on the Tuesday preceding the issue date. Email submissions to dcis.connect@gmail.com.
DCIS FAMILY NIGHT:Tuesday, Sept. 20, DCIS Community Room (103), 5:30–6 pm, dinner; 6–7:30 pm. Geri Badler, director of the DCIS Travel Center & Community Partnerships; Sara Murphy, who heads the PTSA’s Cultural Enrichment team; and Theresa McCorquodale, DCIS principal, will talk about travel and cultural enrichment opportunities near and far.
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.
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)
DCIS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DUE, Wednesday, Sept. 28, by noon. More info here.
OPEN HOUSES FOR PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES, Wednesday, Sept. 28; Thursday, Oct. 6; Monday, Oct. 17; and Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7:30–9 am, DCIS
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,
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend Back to School Night. We had a good turnout, and both parents and students who attended seemed to enjoy the evening. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to email your child's teachers or visit their websites for more information. All teacher emails can be found on the DCIS website.
I would like to invite all parents to our first PTSA Family Night next Tuesday, where we'll talk about upcoming travel opportunities. We have a variety of teacher-led trips, professional tour group-led trips, student exchange opportunities and a few grade-level trips planned. Come find out what we have to offer and what is in the works!
DCIS has a rich variety of clubs. We encourage parents to ask their children which clubs interest them. Getting involved in school is a great way to enrich your child's middle school/high school experience. In addition to a Club Expo that students will attend during their Advisement class on Oct. 12, there also are regular club announcements at our Friday all-school meetings, so encourage your child to explore an area of interest and join a club!
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 will be coming up in two weeks on 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!!
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Please take a few minutes to complete our four-question survey to help our Cultural Enrichment Team in planning events and activities for the 2016–2017 school year. These experiences will provide our students with additional knowledge, skills and perspectives to support their development as global learners. Take the survey here: EnglishSpanish
COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE: Congratulations to Orah Fireman and Mateo Pardo, our two new parent representatives on the CSC! Our first meeting is Thursday, Sept. 15, at 4:30 pm. in the MUN. This meeting is open to the public, and we encourage EVERYONE to join us!
HELP BEAUTIFY THE SCHOOL: The PTSA Beautification Team will tour the school and talk about beautification project opportunities on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at two different times: 7-7:30 am (meet in lunchroom) OR 7:30–8 pm (meet in room 103), immediately following the DCIS Family Night. To RSVP, click here.
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!
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. Check out the calendar for all these events here.
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
Attention DCIS students! Interested in learning more about colleges and careers? If so, please make sure to log in to your Naviance account. All students have access to it from grades 6 through 12. You can start a resume, take career inventories, watch videos, and so much more. Parents, also make sure to check out the site and update your contact information.
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.
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!
CLUBBING IT ...
CHALLENGE 5280 is a problem-solving group that offers students a chance to practice their critical thinking, tap into their creativity, and offer their fresh perspectives in developing innovative solutions to the biggest social challenges facing our community. This article from last year's event will give you a better idea of what we're about. We are looking for five members from grades 9–12 who are leaders and change-makers — those who are passionate about making a difference. We would like at least two people from each grade to create a diverse and visionary team to represent DCIS. If you missed the informational meeting on Sept. 13, you can still submit an application by Monday, Sept. 19 (applications available from Ms. Finnegan-Doyan in room 217A). We'll conduct interviews on Tuesday, Sept. 20. For questions or more information, email Anpa'o.
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, 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.
NOTES AND REMINDERS ...
If your student has excused absences that haven't yet been recorded on the Parent Portal, not to worry! The front office staff has been overwhelmed these first few weeks of school dealing with scheduling problems, transportation concerns and record updates. The dust is beginning to settle, and attendance records should be up to date within the next week or two. Thank you for your patience!
CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT: AP CHEMISTRY ...
Students in Mr. Saller's AP Chemistry class are investigating the safety of Colorado drinking water. To determine how hard our tap water is, students measured how much calcium carbonate was left after putting calcium chloride and sodium carbonate in tap water. Zero to 120 mg/liter is safe, while higher values constitute hard water. After making their calculations, the students wrote letters to potential Colorado residents to explain their results.
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR TO HEADLINE FUNDRAISER Helen Thorpe, award-winning author of Just Like UsandSoldier Girls, is the featured speaker at the DCIS Foundation's fundraiser on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6 pm, in the Grant Family Education Center at Four Mile Historic Park. The event will include a student panel (including students from our school!) who will discuss immigration-related topics, as well as a silent auction and food and cocktails. Tickets: $25/students and alumni,$35/all others. Click here for details.
TRAVEL CENTER NEWS ...
MIDDLE SCHOOL COSTA RICA TRIP (June 2017). An informational parent meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 6 pm in Ms. Iversen's room (212). The trip is open to current 6th and 7th graders. For more information, please contact Ms. Iversen.
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 October 27! More information here.
DCIS FOUNDATION TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP mandatory meetings will be held this Thursday, Sept. 15, and Friday, Sept. 16, during lunch in the Community Room (103). Students must attend one of these meetings to obtain an application. Open to high school students who have not previously received a DCISF travel scholarship and to middle-school students for sponsored school trips. WE WELCOME OUR 2016–17 DCIS EXCHANGE STUDENTS! Alef from Brazil Alvaro from Spain (here for a month!) Felix from Sweden Gisela from Spain Lara from Germany Markus from Norway Sofia from Argentina Tim from Germany
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
PHOENIX FUN!!!
The answer to last week's question, "What is the favorite cartoon character of Dayana Quintana, one of our DCIS secretaries?" is the Tasmanian Devil. The winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is Karen Gentzler, parent of Alea Gentzler, 9th grader.
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 Daniel McCorquodale's favorite jelly to put on his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
A: Raspberry B: Dragonfruit C: Pineapple D: Grape
Submit your answer here. If you are correct, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card!
NOTES AND REMINDERS ...
