DCIS Connect Newsletter (Sept 7-13, 2017)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students September 7-13, 2017 (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.  BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT Thursday, Sept. 14, 6–7:30 pm We hope all parents will join us for Back to School Night next week. We'll start in the auditorium at 6 pm for a welcome and some general information from our administrative team. Then you will move on to your child's advisement class to learn about how your child's adviser can support your child this year. In addition, you'll learn about grade checks in Infinite Campus (IC); DCIS requirements for school service, community service and special events; and much more! Finally, we will switch to an "Open House" format to end the evening, during which you can walk around and meet/greet all your child's teachers. Hope to see you there! HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... PTSA Fundraising & Events Team Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 7, 6-7:30 pm, DCIS Community Room (103) Cross Country Meet: Friday, Sept. 8, 4-5:30 pm, Harvard Gulch Park Regional Parent Socials: Sunday, Sept. 10 (Northwest); Sunday, Sept. 17 (Northeast);Friday, Sept. 22 (Southwest); Saturday, Sept. 23 (for Spanish-speaking/bilingual parents); Thursday, Sept. 28 (Southeast). Boys Soccer Game: Monday, Sept. 11, 4-5:30 pm, Henry Middle School DCIS Fall Play Auditions: Monday & Tuesday, Sept. 11-12, 3:05-4:30 pm, DCIS Auditorium (audition sign-ups on auditorium door); call-backs on Thursday, Sept. 14, 3–5 pm Cross Country Meet: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 4-5:30 pm, Fred Thomas Park Open House for Prospective Students: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 7:50-9 am Parent-Principal Coffee en Espanol: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 8:45-9:45 am, DCIS Community Room MARK YOUR CALENDARS ... Cultural Enrichment and Inclusion (CEI) Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 14, 5:30-6 pm Back-to-School Night: Thursday, Sept. 14, 6-7:30 pm   Summer 2018 New York City Trip Parent Meeting: Monday, Sept. 18, 5:30 pm, DCIS Auditorium   Collaborative School Committee (CSC) Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 4:30–6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room (103) YIA Destination Japan Informational Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 7 pm, Highlands Methodist Church, 3131 Osceola St., Denver Cross Country Meet: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 4-5:30 pm, Harvey Park Boys Soccer Game: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 4-5:30 pm, Kepner Mandatory 10th Grade Parent Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 21, 6-7 pm, DCIS Auditorium DCIS Homecoming: Saturday, Oct. 7, 7–10 pm. Details to come. Parent Social — Santa Fe Art Walk: Friday, Oct. 6, 6-8 pm, meet at Alliance Française de Denver, 571 Galapago St., Denver  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 LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ... Dear DCIS Parents, Our campus has been affected by the news that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) might end. Many of our students are worried and even scared about what it might mean for them and for their families if DACA ends. This potential legislation affects a large number of our very own DCIS students. One bright spot this week was the event that took place on Tuesday. Middle school students participated in a walk around the school  building, made signs, and posted them around the school in support of DACA. It was important to our school community to give our middle school students a safe and supervised way to learn about DACA if they were interested and share their support for fellow students, without leaving campus. Meanwhile several high school students participated in an organized, safe and spirited walkout, culminating in a rally on the Auraria campus with over 2500 students from all over Denver. All events were closely monitored by adults, and yet allowed student voice to thrive. If you would like more information about DACA, here are some resources for you, so that you will be able to discuss this with your child. What is DACA?  Rights for DACA Recipients although the program ends What DACA recipients should do next? In other news, teachers are getting ready for Back to School Night next week on September 14 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. We hope to see you there. In the meantime, ask your student about what they are learning in school! Ask your 6th grader about their math notebooks including colorful charts and cool foldable cut outs, complete with important math facts. Ask your 7th grader about the Reformation in Europe and ask them to share the rap about Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Ask your 8th grader about the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Soon they will be doing a project highlighting one of the Articles in this document. Ask your 9th grader about the Five Themes of Geography. If you're lucky, they might sing you the song. Ask your 10th grader about their writers' notebook and why it is called "finger exercises." Ask your 11th grader about their Passage proposal. Soon they will be holding committee meetings to get their proposal approved, so that they can begin writing their Passage paper. Ask your 12th grader about their Senior Service Project. There are so many great projects planned for our school. Thank you for sending your child to DCIS. Your children are an inspiration to me every single day. Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal 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: Northwest: Sunday, Sept. 10, 6–8 pm, Edmond Horsey's home, 4540 Raleigh St., Denver.  Northeast: Sunday, Sept. 17, 6–8 pm, Karen Mortimer's home, 2949 Lafayette St., Denver.  Southwest: Friday, Sept. 22, 6–8 pm, Brent and Sarah Christian's home, 1249 S. Quivas St., Denver Spanish-Speaking/Bilingual Parent Social: Saturday, Sept. 23, 4–7 pm, DawnMarie Gallardo's home,1005 Mariposa St., Denver.  Southeast: Thursday, Sept. 28, 6–8 pm, Terri Porter's home, 117 S. Lincoln St., Denver.  To RSVP for one or more of the socials, click here. DCIS IN THE NEWS   DCIS High School received an Honorable Mention for the Colorado Succeeds Prize, which is touted as the state's most prestigious awards and recognition event honoring transformational public schools and educators. Read more about it here! PRINCIPAL CONNECTION ...  Ten parents met with DCIS Principal, Theresa McCorquodale, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, for the first monthly Parent-Principal Coffee. Ms. McCorquodale will hold another monthly gathering in Spanish, which will be next Wednesday, Sept. 13, 8:45–9:45 am.  These gatherings, which have no agenda, are a prime opportunity for parents to talk about what's working and what's not, to ask about school goings-on and policies, and to share ideas with the principal. In this first one, for example, discussions covered the new cooling units in the school, glitches in Infinite Campus, the new Dean of Culture and "The DCIS Way," the students' DACA protest on Tuesday, the school's dress code, the calmer and more welcoming environment in the middle school, Lunch Bunch, class sizes and how to get DCIS stickers (hint: come to Back to School Night on Sept. 14!).  The gatherings in English are the first Tuesday of every month (the next one is Oct. 3), from 8:15 to 9:15 am in the DCIS Community Room (103). The meetings for Spanish speakers will mostly be the second Wednesday of every month, with a couple of variations during the second semester (exact dates will be announced as the time draws closer). Hope to see you there! RAISE YOUR HAND ... PTSA PARENT INVOLVEMENT FORM In case you missed the opportunity at registration to complete a Parent Involvement Form, it's not too late!  And, you can do it online!  The DCIS PTSA is a fun-loving and motivated group of parents who love DCIS and work hard to help DCIS be the best it can be.  Want to raise your hand?  Just click here:  English   Español  COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE PARENT MEMBER VOTING Watch your email for a link to the ballot, coming out later this week. PTSA FUNDRAISING AND EVENTS COMMITTEE The PTSA Fundraising and Events Committee will have its first meeting of the school year on Thursday, Sept. 7, 6–7:30 pm in the DCIS Community Room (103). We look forward to meeting new committee members! Snacks and child care provided. PTSA CULTURAL ENRICHMENT AND INCLUSION (CEI) MEETING Thursday, Sept. 14, 5:30-6 pm, meet at the PTSA table before Back to School Night. Call or text Marie at 303-913-4845 to RSVP, or send her an email. Click here for the CEI welcome letter. COUNSELORS' CORNER ... NEW COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS Tami Schmidt- Middle School Ted Brugman- 9th and 10th Grade Melisa Monteon (Springsteen)- 11th and 12th Grade   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   SENIOR COLLEGE & SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT Wednesday, Sept. 20 5:30-6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room Representatives from the following universities and technical college will be present. • Metro State • Emily Griffith Technical College • University of Denver • University of Colorado, Denver • Community College of Denver (pending)   They will be discussing their admission process and how to navigate college applications. Even if you are not planning on attending any of these schools, it is a great time to get information about the overall application process and ask questions. *Students: Event may be used as a special event (dependent on reflection)   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 to bring: 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 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 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 number (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, go here. Be sure to write the username and password down and bring them with you.   COLLEGE WORD OF THE WEEK Academic year: The school year that begins with autumn classes. The academic year at most US colleges and universities starts in August or September. TRAVEL AND EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES ... NYC THEATER TRIP All theater fans! Caroline Kerswill is organizing a trip to New York City for summer 2018. There will be a preliminary informational meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, at 5:30 pm in the auditorium. YIA 2019 DESTINATION JAPAN Youth in Action (YIA) is a local nonprofit organization 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 in June 2019. Open to students grades 6-12. Interested students and parents should attend the informational meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 7 pm, at Highlands Methodist Church, 3131 Osceola St., Denver. To find out more about this dynamic group and how to apply, please call JoAnne Harada at 720-217-2160, email her or visit the YIA website. ADOLESCO YOUTH EXCHANGE Adolesco Youth Exchange is a flexible and affordable nonprofit program that facilitates short-term family-to-family exchanges to France, Germany and Spain for qualifying U.S. students ages 9–18. Applications are due by Tuesday, Oct. 31. Start by submitting the free pre-application (available here). Find upcoming informational events in your area here. Sign up for the Adolesco newsletter here. Call Marie Meyer, Exchange Coordinator, at 303-913-4845 or email her for more info. BRAZILIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HOSTING  Open your home to a Brazilian student this Thanksgiving! US-Brazil Connect is looking for 10-12 host families for a two-week exchange with exceptional Brazilian high school students. This life-changing opportunity enables these students to see snow for the first time and experience the uniquely American tradition of Thanksgiving, as well as any other family traditions or activities you'd like to share with them! In return, you'll learn about life in the recent Olympic host country, and build a relationship that will last a lifetime. The visit will be Nov. 18-Dec. 2. Check out this website, or email for more information. SPORTS ... Schedules for middle school cross country and boys' soccer can be found here.  We are not able to have a softball team this year because a coach could not be found last spring in time for the transportation schedule to be finalized for the league. We hope to have a team in 2018-19. High school athletes and their families can find out more information about this season's opportunities by contacting the athletic director where students want to participate. A complete list of DPS high school athletic directors can be found here. Of course, if anyone has questions or needs additional information, please contact John Tricarico, DCIS Assistant Principal. DENVER WEST CROSS COUNTRY This sport is a great way to MAKE FRIENDS, get in shape, be involved, socialize, compete and HAVE FUN! Every day after school at 3:45 in the Butler Building at West High School Email Coach Joey with questions DENVER WEST BOYS BASKETBALL Workout Schedule: Tuesday, Aug. 29 - September 30th (2:00-3:45PM) Friday, September 1st - September 30th (5:30-7:00PM) Where: West Main Gym Questions? Contact Mike Brookhart (303)-589-6046 EXTRACURRICULARS ... CHALLENGE 5280 TEAM The Challenge 5280 team is searching for teammates (students in grades 9-12). If you're interested in dedicating 3-5 hours per week on social justice work at DCIS, please contact Lucero (12th grade), Jocelyne (11th grade), Kiaya (11th grade) or Ms. FD (Room 217A). Curious about the 5280 Challenge? Check out these videos highlighting last year's winning DCIS team, as well as the competition. NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY  Applications are due by Wednesday, Sept. 20, and are available from Mr. Brown (Room 215) or Mr. Pomponio (Room 216B). 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.  Copyright © 2017 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