(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.
DCIS Homecoming: Saturday, Oct. 7, 7–10 pm. Details to come.
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 Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7 pm, Linwood Washington, Dean of Culture, will present on the new culture at the school: "The DCIS Way", DCIS Cafeteria
Cafe con Padres en Español: Wednesday, Oct. 11, 8:45-9:45 am, DCIS Community Room
Cross Country Championship: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 4-5:30 pm, Bear Valley
FALL BULB SALE
This Thursday, at Back to School Night, the PTSA will be kicking off our fall fundraising campaign, a bulb sale! We have a great web site set up for online orders and hard copy order forms will be available Thursday or at the school office.
Parents, friends and family can buy bulbs for beautifying their own gardens, but they can also buy bulbs for beautifying our school. For orders placed for the school, the shipping address is Dayana Quintana, DCIS PTSA, 574 W. Sixth Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 and your order will also be eligible for a tax-deduction.
50% of the proceeds from all bulb sales will go to the PTSA. Our campaign goal is to raise $1200, but the more we raise, the more we can do for our kids! Our campaign will run through October 9th.
Please visit our website, order some bulbs for your garden and the school, and post our campaign to your social media accounts! Thank you DCIS families!
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Families,
We are in the middle of Passages Committee week for our juniors. Passages is one of the most important, most unique, and most valuable experiences that DCIS has to offer. And this year is no exception. I am proud of all of our juniors who are presenting their topic, their initial research and their first draft of their thesis statement for what will become a 15 page, college ready argumentative paper. Hats off to all of our juniors this week!
Meanwhile, there are lots of other events going on at school such as 8th graders raising money for hurricane victims in Cuba and the Bahamas, seniors working on their senior service projects, 10th graders learning about our big 10th grade travel week in the spring, 9th graders taking a practice version of the PSAT 9 and much more! In addition, middle school boys' soccer is in full swing for their season, rehearsals are underway for the fall drama production, Model United Nations club is busy preparing for their first competition, and cross country team is "running" smoothly!
School picture day is coming soon! Students will have their pictures taken via their English classes. However due to scheduling conflicts with the photographer, the two days assigned to our school are on two different weeks. Students who have English on Blue Days will have their picture taken on Tuesday, September 26th, and students who have English class on Green Days will have their picture taken on Friday, October 6th.
In summary:
BLUE English Classes: 9/26/17 (periods 1-4)
GREEN English Classes: 10/6/17 (periods 5-8)
We have had a sharp increase in students arriving to school late in the morning. In some cases, we do have buses arriving late, and we are working with transportation to fix that. However, we also have approximately 20-25 students arriving late in the morning who do not ride the bus. We are asking your help to make sure that every student arrives at school on time. Thank you!
Looking ahead…The Homecoming Dance for all high school students will be held on October 7th and the Fall Dance for all middle school students will be held on October 25th. Then students (but not staff) have both October 26 and October 27 as school holidays, with no school on those days.
Wishing everyone a happy first weekend of Fall!
Theresa McCorquodale
SANTA FE FIRST FRIDAY PARENT SOCIAL
Please join us on Friday, October 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 6:00 pm at the Alliance Francaise, to enjoy some refreshments, 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 7:00 pm, at the MSU Center for Visual Art, where there will be art viewing and making activities and a chance to find out about their Young Artists Studio program available to DCIS students. Feel free to join us for some or all of the evening.
DCIS FYI
PICTURE DAY: SEPTEMBER 26, OCTOBER 6
Picture Day is just one week away. You can order online using our Picture Day ID: CG947541y0 at the Lifetouch website.
A reminder to students that the front of our building is a red area during lunchtime, meaning that students are not allowed to go near 6th Avenue during lunch.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WELCOMES NEW PARENT MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES! Jennifer Gentry and Amber Shearer were elected as new Parent Representatives to the CSC. They began their terms on September 19, and will serve on the CSC through the 2018-19 school year. Congratulations to Jennifer and Amber, and thank you to all who voted!
PTSA CULTURAL ENRICHMENT AND INCLUSION (CEI) MEETING Friday, October 6, 5:30pm, at the Alliance Française de Denver (571 Galapago St., Denver 80204) before joining the Santa Fe Art Walk from 6-8pm. 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.
PTSA BOARD ELECTIONS The PTSA became aware of an oversight in our Board elections last spring. We are holding elections again this fall to ensure that everyone interested has the opportunity to throw their hat in the ring to be nominated for election to our Board.
Elected Board positions are: President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary.
State PTA requires that all elected Board members be 18 years of age or older.
The existing PTSA Board (Karen Mortimer, President, Terri Porter, Vice-President, Edmond Horsey, Treasurer, and DawnMarie Gallardo, Secretary) has elected a Nominating Committee of Tanya Tribelhorn, Karen Herbert and Vivian Masket.
Nominees need to be PTSA members (having paid the membership dues - $10 adults, $7 students). This can be completed by taking a check made out to the DCIS PTSA to the school office or dues can also be paid online via this link (put your name and "membership" in the Instructions to Seller box).
Nominations may be submitted via email to tribelhorns@comcast.net through September 29, 2017
After receiving all nominations, the Nominating Committee will select and nominate one eligible person per office and present their slate of four candidates at the October 10th PTSA meeting.
At the next PTSA meeting, Tuesday, November 14th, the slate (four nominees - one per office) will be presented and additional nominations can be accepted from the floor.
Election ballots can only be completed by PTSA members.
MVP CLUB LOOKING FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS Mr. Washington is launching a new club for middle school students, called the MVP Club, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4 pm. The students involved with the MVP club will participate in service projects. Mr. Washington is looking for volunteers - parents or community members - who would like to help him with this new club. If you are interested, please reach out to him at linwood_washington@dpsk12.org.
PHOENIX FUND CLARIFICATION
At Back to School Night, as a PTSA, we realized we miscommunicated regarding the Phoenix Fund. We are afraid that we gave the impression that Phoenix Fund donors = people donating $20 a month. In reality, any and all one-time or recurring donations are appreciated, no matter the amount. Our donors range from families who have made a one-time contribution of a few dollars to families who are donating over a hundred dollars a month. Every bit helps!
AND, every bit is appreciated as it beautifies your child's school environment and enriches your child's experience at DCIS. We have many projects on the back burner that your donation could help bring to fruition.
So, we've updated our Phoenix Fund Paper Pledge Form accordingly and we've also created an Electronic Pledge Form. If you would like to become a Phoenix Fund donor today with your tax-deductible donation, you can do so by clicking here.
YEARBOOKS Pre-order 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, contact Mrs. Hoffman at abby_hoffman@dpsk12.org, or visit room 216A anytime. We accept cash/check in person, or credit cards online.
All senior section materials (senior picture, senior quote, and a baby picture) are due by 3 p.m. on December 8. Please email your items (JPEG or PDF files) to dcisphoenixyearbook@gmail.com
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
NEW COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS Tami Schmidt- Middle School Ted Brugman- 9th and 10th Grade Melisa Monteon (Springsteen)- 11th and 12th Grade
REMINDER APP FOR FAMILIES WITH JUNIORS AND SENIORS The Counseling Office has created a Remind App for junior parents and senior parents. The goal is to send out notification to families about important dates and deadlines. Below are the instructions for each class. Juniors: Text @co19pg to the number 81010 Seniors: Text @co18pg to the number 81010
DCIS FAFSA NIGHT Wednesday, Oct. 4 5:30-7 pm, DCIS Community Room Walk-in and complete your FAFSA. We will have representatives from University of Denver and University of Colorado, Denver supporting you through the application process. We are aware that not all applications will be completed that night, but please join us to get started.
12th GRADE POST-SECONDARY COACH: NOTE TO SENIORS Hey DCIS! My name is Aly Bortle, and I will be your Post-Secondary Coach this year! I will be here for the entire day Wednesdays and Fridays, in room 101B in the main office. My goal is to help you accomplish anything and everything you want for yourself after high school. If you want to go to college, let's find the best one for you with the most scholarships available. If you want to start a career, let's make sure you are doing something you love! I am here to help you complete applications, write college essays, research interests, and much more! Email: ALYSSA_BORTLE@dpsk12.org
10th GRADE SPRING TRAVEL-MANDATORY PARENT MEETING We're hoping that all 10th grade families will join us on Thursday, September 21 at 6pm in the Auditorium to discuss the spring travel week options--Canyonlands and Local--for 10th graders. Pizzeria Locale has generously offered to host a fundraiser for this travel experience on the same evening.
MEET THE MIDDLE EAST-YOUTH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Since 2008, Meet the Middle East has been leading teens to the Middle East through their 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.
COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE Announcement: Tuesday, September 26, at 6:00 in room 115, there will be a CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) informational parent meeting. For families interested in learning more about the CIEE Language and Culture, Service and Leadership, and Global Discovery programs, Natalie Elizondo, a fluent Spanish speaker and CIEE representative, will answer questions for families interested in their students applying. CIEE has granted DCIS a minimum of $25,000 in scholarships if ten of our students simply APPLY. Scholarships are based on financial need and quality of application. For more on their programs, go to their website: https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad.
PARENT SOCIALS ...
The PTSA is trying something new this year! Since DCIS families are spread all over the Denver metro region, we thought it would be nice to give DCIS parents a chance to get to know their neighbors at regional small-group socials at various parents' houses. Bilingual (Spanish-English) parents will be in attendance at each of these events, and we're aiming to have a DCIS administrator at each one too. Parents are welcome to attend any and all socials, not just the one in their area. Please join us on one or more of the following evenings:
Southeast--New Date!: Sunday, Oct. 1, 6–8 pm, Terri Porter's home, 117 S. Lincoln St., Denver.
To RSVP for one or more of the socials, click here.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS ...
DPS IN-SCHOOL PREVENTION The DPS In-School Prevention Program is a program within DPS that is designed to provide evidence-based prevention programs to middle and high school students. We aim to prevent substance use or reduce use for students who may already be using.
The In-School Prevention program uses an upstream prevention model, with the goal of addressing the subject of substance use before it becomes an issue. The program focuses on positive youth development through evidence-based programs such as Sources of Strength, and LifeSkills Training.
Through the program, DPS has full-time prevention specialist in three schools, Hamilton, Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences, and Noel Community Arts School. Through a grant funded by the Colorado Department of Education, DPS also has health professionals doing prevention work in 23 other middle and high schools throughout the district.
Keep an eye out in this space for updates on how you can help your student abstain from drug and alcohol use. For more information on the program, please contact Michel Holien, the program supervisor, at 720-423-2433.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
PHOENIX FUND CLARIFICATION
