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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.
FREE TRAVEL?!!
Check out Travel Center News below for information on unique hosting and travel opportunities, including some FREE and PRACTICALLY FREE travel experiences!
HAPPENING THIS WEEK ...
SUPERINTENDENT–PARENT FORUM: College and Career Ready (graduation changes), Thursday, Dec. 8, 9:15–11:15 am, Temple Emanuel, Denver (map)
ADOLESCO COOKIE EXCHANGE: Learn about foreign exchange opportunities in France, Germany and Spain for students ages 9–18. Sunday, Dec. 11, 3–6 pm. RSVP here.
SHADOWING FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: Monday, Dec. 12 (last one)
8TH GRADE SHAKESPEARE SCENES: Tuesday, Dec. 13, 12:30–1:30 pm, Auditorium. ALL are welcome to attend.
HIGH SCHOOL DEVISED THEATRE SCENES: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 12:30–1:30 pm, Auditorium. ALL are welcome to attend.
PTSA FAMILY NIGHT: Wouldn't you agree? We need to come together! We need to celebrate! Please join us Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6-7:30 pm, for a potluck social in the cafeteria to wind down the semester and celebrate "DCIS: Our Families, Our Traditions." Come get to know the families of DCIS and celebrate the amazing variety of cultures and traditions of our DCIS family! Bring a family favorite dish to share and/or enter your best dessert in our "Sweet Treat Smackdown" competition!. Whether you can stay the whole time or just drop by to say hello and have a bite to eat, we'd love for you to join us. RSVP here.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS ...
HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA I: "Hard Candy," Thursday, Dec. 15, 12:30–1:30 pm, Auditorium. ALL are welcome to attend.
DEBATE TOURNAMENT: Friday–Saturday, Dec. 16–17, all day, University of Denver (map)
END OF SEMESTER: Friday, Dec. 16
TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH: Tuesday, Dec. 20. Look for information in next week's newsletter on how to contribute.
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Parents,
With only seven schooldays left in the fall semester, students and teachers are busy preparing for final projects and exams. Ask your child about their end-of-semester projects. No doubt you will find some interesting answers such as literary circles, psychology experiments, demographic assignments, oral presentations (in a variety of languages) and much more. Please help your child make time to prepare for end-of-semester projects and tests, as well as to get enough sleep. Often students underestimate the amount of time their work will take them and then end up staying up way too late. High school students in particular struggle with sleep, so any support you can give your child around their time management (which will lead to more sleep!) would be a big help.
A special thank-you to the 8th graders and their parents who came out to our 8th grade parent information night. Our high school students did a fantastic job speaking very passionately about why they chose to remain at DCIS after middle school. We even heard from one student who chose to leave DCIS as a freshman but came back as a sophomore, and is very glad she did!
One other important piece of information for 8th grade parents is that this year parents have to complete a SchoolChoice form in order to stay at DCIS. Previously, 8th graders automatically "rolled over" into high school. This year, only students who select DCIS as their first choice on their SchoolChoice form will be guaranteed a seat for DCIS high school. Students who choose another school as their first choice may or may retain their seat, depending on the Choice lottery. For more information, please check out the information on SchoolChoice for DCIS 8th graders here.
Even with all the stress that can accompany this time of year, we have reasons to smile, often because of things our students say, like the following (overheard this week):
Only at DCIS would you see an 11-year-old 6th grader sitting next to a senior with a beard, talking as friends at lunch.
You listen to us at this school — not like at my old school.
Our teachers really care about us. You can tell because they will talk to us even though it is their lunchtime too and they really need a break from us.
We have been allowed to take action that we think is important, not just take action that our teachers think is important.
I love my second period teacher because she smells like flowers and cookies.
Thank you for your continued support of our school. We are always open to any ideas you have to make it even better.
Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal
YEARBOOK DEADLINE TOMORROW!
Senior pictures, quotes and baby pictures for the yearbook are due by Friday, Dec. 9! Seniors who do not submit their senior photo, baby picture and senior quote will not be featured in the yearbook. Email submissions to either yearbookatdcis@gmail.com or abby_hoffman@dpsk12.org.
NEW THIS YEAR ... TRIBUTES! Tributes are a special way to honor your student, their friends or their favorite teachers. For just $20, you can include a photo and up to four lines of text in your 1/8-page, full-color tribute in the yearbook. Share a funny memory, honor a special accomplishment or let your senior know how proud you are. Special discounts available for seniors, 8th graders and their families. To purchase a tribute, email Mrs. Hoffman or visit room 216A.
Order your yearbook by next Friday, Dec. 16, for just $40. The price goes up to $50 after winter break, so get yours today! Purchase them during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays outside room 109 or anytime in room 216A or by emailing Mrs. Hoffman. Online purchasing is also available — email Mrs. Hoffman for details.
TRAVEL CENTER NEWS ...
FAMILIES NEEDED FOR SHORT HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES! JAN. 21-29, 2017 — AMESON SINO-AMERICAN YOUTH AMBASSADORS EXCHANGE.We need host families for 10 Chinese teens and 1 chaperone. A one-week hosting opportunity and a great way to bridge the cultural gap and practice Chinese without a passport! Plus, a summer exchange to China will be offered (details to follow). NEED HOSTS BY TOMORROW ... FRIDAY, DEC. 9!
FEB. 25-MARCH 11, 2017 — U.S. BRAZIL CONNECT. We need host families for eight Brazilian teens. This will be the fifth year we have participated with USBC!
For more information on these hosting opportunities or to sign up, please contact Geri Badler ASAP (contact info below)!
JUNIORS AND SENIORS: OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGE TRAVEL STIPENDS ARE STILL AVAILABLE! The Counseling Center and the DCIS Travel Center are offering stipends to offset the cost of an airline ticket for juniors and seniors to visit out-of-state colleges. The $150 stipends are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. They are available only for visits to out-of-state colleges or universities and only to students who have been approved following a simple three-step process:
Complete the Out-of-State College Travel Stipend Application Part I (available in the Counseling Center), and return it to your counselor.
If approved, book your flight!
Complete the Out-of-State College Travel Application Part II, and submit it to your counselor or the Travel Center, with a copy of your airfare receipt or boarding pass, to be reimbursed before April 14, 2017.
FREE TRAVEL! The U.S. Youth Ambassadors program offers two separate three-week leadership exchanges abroad for U.S. teenagers ages 15-17 and adult mentors: one to Brazil and two to Argentina and Chile in May 2017. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the programs aim to develop a cadre of young adults in the United States who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to their communities, an awareness of current and global issues, and strong interpersonal leadership skills. The programs aim to promote mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between the United States and South America. This program is implemented by World Learning in Washington, DC. Click here to learn more.
STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR:
SISTER CITIES BREST, FRANCE, EXCHANGE. Spring Break. Applications due NOW. See Ms. Malnati.
MORE FREE TRAVEL!! MONGOLIA EXCHANGE. Applications for the Luby-Jenkins Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Exchange are now available. Application closing date: Thursday, Dec. 15. Application
MEET THE MIDDLE EAST: ISRAEL/PALESTINE PROGRAM. Applications due Feb. 6, 2017. Summer travel.
PLANNED OR ANTICIPATED DCIS TEACHER-SPONSORED TRIPS
PANAMA — GLOBAL ISSUES NETWORK CONFERENCE (MARCH 7-13, 2017). Open to high school students who want to change the world. Sponsor: Ms. Hilborn
PERU — INCA TRAIL AND PERUVIAN HEARTS (JUNE 9-19, 2017). Open to high school students. Sponsor: Ms. Finnegan-Doyon. This is a strenuous trip. Students should be prepared to camp, carry 30-40 lbs and hike.
CUBA SUMMER 2017 WITH DCIS MONTBELLO. Open to high school students. This would be a joint trip with Montbello. If interested, please contact Geri Badler (contact info below) ASAP!
For up-to-date information on trips, scholarships and travel opportunities, please be sure to check the Travel Center page on the DCIS website and the DCIS Travel Center Facebook pages. Information is also posted on the Travel Center bulletin board in the hall near the main office (across from the old Travel Center) and outside the new Travel Center (room 204).
TRAVEL CENTER Geri Zabitz Badler Travel Center and Community Partnerships geri_badler@dpsk12.org Office Phone: 720-423-9043
There are many ways for families to "raise their hand" to make a difference at DCIS and in the community. Here's one:
COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE The next meeting is Thursday, Dec. 15, 4:30–6:30 pm in the DCIS Community Room (103). The first 10 minutes of every monthly meeting are 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 comment
Equity with austerity (how to support all our students in a post-application process world)/school culture
Preliminary priority discussions for budget (include work from last year's priority work and look at how it aligns with our current data)
Strategies for improving parent engagement
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
SEMESTER GRADES Students' last day of the fall semester will be Friday, Dec. 16, with finals taken on the 15th and 16th. The semester grades your student receives will appear on your student's transcript. Students earn 5 credits for every passing grade and 2.5 credits for student assistant grades (high school only). Final grades are important to maintaining a good GPA and eligibility for sports. Please encourage your student to stay on track and push through the rest of the semester.
SCHEDULE CHANGES (high school students) Students who have any scheduling concerns for spring semester should visit the Counseling Office before the winter break. The following situations should be addressed immediately:
Have no schedule at all
Empty period(s)
Placed at the wrong level (e.g., put in Algebra II instead of Algebra I)
All other schedule change requests must be handled in the first two weeks of the spring semester, either before school, during lunch or after school.
COLLEGE TERM OF THE WEEK Audit: To attend a class without receiving academic credit.
COFFEE!
Thank you to all who participated in our coffee fundraiser, and a BIG shout-out to Pablo's Coffee and Craig and Lisa Conner for making this possible!
Coffee orders will be delivered to your student in advisement on Wednesday, Dec. 14, and we'll announce the final tallies and prizewinners in the coming week.
PHOENIX FUN ... The answer to last week's question: "If you brew your own coffee at home, you will pay about ____" was "30 cents a cup." The winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is DCIS parent Mary Kenderes, mother of Erik Benning II, 12th grade.
This week's question is just in time for EGGNOG season! Eggnog originated in which country?
A. England B. France C. Russia D. Sweden
Submit your answer here. If you are correct, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card!
RAISE YOUR HAND ... 
