(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 ...
Boys Soccer Game: Friday, Sept. 29, 4-5:30 pm, Grant
Shadowing for Prospective Students: Monday, Oct. 2
Cross Country Meet:Tuesday, Oct. 3, 4-5:30 pm, Bear Valley
PTSA Fundraising and Events Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 6 pm
Coffee with the Principal: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8:15-9:15 am, DCIS Community Room 103
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 103
Cross Country Championship: Tuesday, Oct. 12, 4-5:30 pm, Bear Valley
Middle School Dance and Haunted House: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6-8 pm, Cafeteria
No School for Students: Thursday-Friday, Oct. 26-27
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ...
Dear DCIS Parents,
Happy Fall! Thank you to all of you who have really made it a priority to have your students on time to school. You are making a difference! We really are working on making sure students get to class on time. In the next few weeks we will be reaching out to students who are tardy to class on a regular basis and calling parents to keep you in the loop. After that, we will be starting a lunch detention program for students who are consistently tardy. Look for details soon. Our goal is to make sure no students lose instructional time due to being late to class. And as mentioned above, your cooperation is much appreciated and already is making a difference.
So many of our students dressed up today for the first of two school picture days. They looked amazing. The second day of school pictures (if your child has English class on green days) will be Friday, Oct. 6, so we look forward to more dressed-up students on that day. Parents can order copies of their child's picture online. All students were given the order form via their Advisement class. If you didn't get it, please ask your child to check their backpack or locker.
Thank you for sending your students to DCIS. They make every day a joy!
Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal
SPIRIT WEEK! OCT. 2–6
Monday: Pajama Day Tuesday: Twin/Dress Like a Teacher Day Wednesday: Wacky/Meme Day Thursday: Throwback Thursday ('80s,'90s etc.) Friday: Class Colors ...
6th Red
7th Orange
8th Green
9th Blue
10th Purple
11th White
12th Black
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 MEETING OF THE YEAR The PTSA would like to invite all families to our first official PTSA Family Night/Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7:00 pm, in the DCIS cafeteria. Dinner, childcare and simultaneous translation 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!
PTSA BOARD ELECTIONS PTSA Board nominations end tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 29. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please send the name and desired board position (Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President or President) to tribelhorns@comcast.net. The Nominating Committee will then consider all candidates and propose a slate of candidates to be voted on at the Oct. 10 meeting. Voting will occur at the Nov. 18 meeting. Please remember that you must be a PTSA member to vote.
MVP CLUB LOOKING FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS Mr. Washington is launching the MVP Club for middle school students who want to participate in service projects. The club will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4 pm. 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.
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.
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!
FALL BULB SALE
Parents, friends and family can buy bulbs for beautifying both their own gardens and 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 $1,200, but the more we raise, the more we can do for our kids! Our campaign will run through Monday, Oct. 9.
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!
PHOENIX FUND CLARIFICATION
At Back to School Night, the PTSA board realized it miscommunicated regarding the Phoenix Fund. We're afraid we gave the impression that Phoenix Fund donors are those giving $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 more than 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. If you would like to become a Phoenix Fund donor today with your tax-deductible donation, you can do so here.
ATTEND THE SUCCEEDS PRIZE AWARDS EVENING
As you may have seen, DCIS is an Honorable Mention school for The Succeeds Prize Award-High School category. The Succeeds Prize, a partnership between 9NEWS and Colorado Succeeds, recognizes and rewards the transformational impact of Colorado's public schools and educators. All finalist and honorable mention schools will be celebrated at a live reveal celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 6:30-9:00 pm at the Newman Center in Denver. To attend this event, please use this form. For all other questions, please contact Mr. Washington at linwood_washington@dpsk12.org.
COUNSELORS' CORNER ...
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.
Documents needed to complete the FAFSA:
Social Security numbers and Social Security card (if applicable): Student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to receive federal aid. Non-U.S. citizens may be eligible for institutional aid in Colorado. Parent does not need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Student's alien registration or permanent resident card (if applicable)
Birth dates: month/day/year (parent AND student)
2016 W-2 forms and other records of money earned last year (parent AND student, if applicable)
Student's 2016 federal income tax return (if applicable)
Parents' 2016 federal income tax return(s)
2016 untaxed income records (if applicable)
Social Security benefits statement
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Veterans benefits records
Disability benefits records
Date and year parents were married and/or divorced
Savings and checking account dollar amounts (parent AND student, if applicable)
Business and investment mortgage (not the home in which you and your family live) information; business and farm records; stock, bond and other investment records (if applicable)
Your FSA-ID or FAFSA PIN numbers (parent AND student, if previously applied for)
You can save a lot of time by creating your FSA-ID before the FAFSA workshop. To create an FSA-ID, click here. Be sure to write down the username and password and bring that information withyou.
CSS PROFILE Before you get started, note your school's CSS Profile deadlines. Many fall between Jan. 1 and March 31. Some schools have early filing deadlines in November.
1. Create a College Board account. You might already have one if you took the SAT.
2. Gather your financial documents. Having the following documents on hand will make filling out the application easier:
2016 federal tax returns
W-2 forms or other records of income for 2016 and 2017
Records of untaxed income for 2016 and 2017
Bank statements
Mortgage information
Records of savings, stocks, bonds and trusts
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. These are the guidelines:
DCIS will pay for up to 3 units ($434); the remaining is parent/student responsibility
Students must have a college readiness score through the ACCUPLACER, SAT or ACT
Courses must be taken at a local community college or university (no technical schools)
Students must have a 95% attendance rate for fall 2017
GPA 2.5 or above
First come, first serve (once our money is spent, we cannot take any more applications)
Paperwork and adviser meeting must be completed by Friday, Dec. 1
Must be a guaranteed transfer course
If you have any questions about the guidelines, please contact Theresa McCorquodale, DCIS Principal, or Mario Giardiello, DCIS Assistant Principal.
JUNIOR/SENIOR PARENTS: OFF-CAMPUS PERIODS If your student has an off period, you and the student should have signed the following terms. If you have questions about off-campus period, please contact Melisa Monteon or Theresa McCorquodale.
My student and I understand and agree to the following terms:
If my student is granted an off-campus period(s), he/she must be off campus during the selected period.
Off-campus period(s) are only available during the beginning and end of the day (1st and 8th periods). *If another period is requested, administration approval and signature are required.
Seniors are allowed up to two off-campus periods, and juniors may receive one off-campus period.
I ensure the school that my student has the necessary transportation to either arrive at school late or leave school early, and I give my child permission to walk/drive/ride the bus in order to be able to arrive at school late or leave school early.
I can verify that my student has met all graduation requirements during grades 9-11 and is on track to graduate, based on the student transcript.
I understand that if my student should fail any of his/her current classes, the off-campus period may be removed from the schedule so that credit recovery for graduation can take place.
I have discussed all of the above terms with my student.
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
REMINDER APP FOR FAMILIES WITH JUNIORS AND SENIORS The Counseling Office has created a Remind App for junior and senior parents. The goal is to regularly notify families about important dates and deadlines. Below are the instructions for signing up: Juniors: Text @co19pg to the number 81010 Seniors: Text @co18pg to the number 81010
COLLEGE WORD OF THE WEEK Audit: To attend a class without receiving academic credit.
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 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 ...
One more parent social going on this week! Whether you live in the southeast area or missed your neighborhood social or just want to drop in and meet other parents, please join us this Sunday, Oct. 1, 6–8 pm, at Terri Porter's home, 117 S. Lincoln St., Denver. The southwest area social is being rescheduled, and we'll have a date soon. To RSVP for this Sunday's event, click here.
RAISE YOUR HAND ...
