DCIS Connect Newsletter (Dec 7-13, 2017)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students December 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.  DCIS TRAVEL FAIR IS TONIGHT! Tonight, Dec. 7, please join us in the DCIS cafeteria, 6–8 pm, for the school's first-ever Travel Fair! Travel is truly one of the things that makes DCIS so special, and the fair provides a chance for students and parents to explore a wide variety of opportunities that meet different needs, desires and budgets. Student Council will show the family-friendly and travel-themed movie Moana in the auditorium for those young travelers who aren't quite ready to explore the more worldly possibilities. Movie admission is $1. Everyone (parents AND students) is welcome. Hope to see you there! HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... Open House for Prospective Students: Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:50–9 am DCIS Travel Fair: Thursday, Dec. 7, 6–8 pm, Cafeteria Yearbook Deadline for Senior Submissions: Friday, Dec. 8 Coffee Fundraiser Orders Due: Monday, Dec. 11 One-Act Plays Auditions: Monday–Tuesday, Dec. 11-12, 3:05–4:30 pm, Auditorium (sign-up sheet on Auditorium door) CSC Meeting: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 4–6 pm, DCIS Community Room 103 Family Holiday Party: "Our Families, Our Traditions": Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6–7:30 pm, Cafeteria. More info here. DPS Superintendent Parent Forum: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 9:30-11:30 am, New Hope Baptist Church MARK YOUR CALENDARS ... One-Act Plays Callbacks: Thursday, Dec. 14, 3-5 pm, Auditorium Italy Bike Trip Info Meeting: Thursday, Dec. 14, 6-7 pm, Ms. Bishop's room (115) Middle School Boys Basketball: Friday, Dec. 15, 4-5 pm, at Grant Ranch Middle School Girls Basketball: Friday, Dec. 15, 5-6 pm, at Grant Ranch Middle School Boys Basketball: Monday, Dec. 18, 4-5 pm, at Henry Middle School Girls Basketball: Monday, Dec. 18, 5-6 pm, at Henry Final Exams: Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 18-19 Makeup Day: Wednesday, Dec. 20 (ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE WORK OR AN EXAM TO MAKE UP WILL COME TO SCHOOL THIS DAY) Staff Appreciation Lunch: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 11:30 am–1 pm, Cafeteria (sign up here to bring food or beverage) NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS: Thursday, Dec. 21 (staff professional development) WINTER BREAK: Friday, Dec. 22-Thursday, Jan. 4 NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS: Friday, Jan. 5 (staff professional development) SCHOOL RESUMES: Monday, Jan. 8 Fundraising & Events Team Planning Session: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 6-7:30 pm, DCIS Community Room 103, RSVP Coffee with the Principal (English): Wednesday, Jan. 10, 8:15–9:15 am, DCIS Community Room 103 Middle School Boys Basketball: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 4-5 pm, at DCIS vs. Kepner Middle School Girls Basketball: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 5-6 pm, at DCIS vs. Kepner Open House for Prospective Students: Thursday, Jan. 11, 6–7:30 pm DCIS Foundation Mandatory Scholarship Orientation: Jan. 15, 16 or 18 TIME IS RUNNING OUT!! The deadline for ordering coffee is this coming Monday, Dec. 11. Don't miss out on getting the perfect gift for the java lovers in your life ... and supporting DCIS at the same time. (Not to mention that the family with the most sales will win a $100 Amazon gift card!!) The PTSA gets $6 for every $13 bag of coffee sold, which is used to provide cultural enrichment and other opportunities for YOUR student at DCIS. Monies from last year's fundraiser paid for magazines for Italian class, a Holocaust speaker for a social studies class, guidebooks for a Denver Art Museum field trip, and much, much more. You can order online here. Coffee will be delivered to your student on Monday, Dec. 18. Thank you for your support! HOLIDAY PARTY: OUR FAMILIES, OUR TRADITIONS Tuesday, Dec. 12 6–7:30 pm, DCIS Cafeteria LET'S PARTY! Whew … the end of the semester is here! Join us for a celebration potluck and social at the PTSA December Family Night with the theme "Our Families, Our Traditions," on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6–7:30 pm, in the DCIS cafeteria. Bring the whole family … get to know other DCIS families and staff. Enjoy some  great games and activities together. Bring a dish from your family's tradition to share. Enter a dessert in our Sweet Treat Competition (gets to everyone help with judging!).  To see photos from last year's wonderful celebration, click here. Hope you can join us! YEARBOOK DEADLINES   ATTENTION: FAMILIES OF DCIS SENIORS — FINAL DAY! Yearbook deadlines are HERE! Send your senior pictures, baby pictures and senior quotes to dcisphoenixyearbook@gmail.com by no later than TOMORROW, Friday, Dec. 8, if you want them to be included in the yearbook!   Remember ... seniors and their families can purchase yearbook tributes for just $10! See Mrs. Hoffman for details in room 216A or email abby_hoffman@dpsk12.org. RAISE YOUR HAND ... CSC MEETING Join the CSC on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 4–6 pm, in the DCIS Community Room (103) for its monthly meeting. As always, meetings are open to the public, and the committee would love to see you there! If you have a comment or suggestion for the committee, public comment time is the first 10 minutes of each meeting, or you can contact one of your representatives. Contact information and meeting minutes are available here.   HOLIDAY RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES IN NEED This holiday season, Denver Public Schools is compiling a list of free holiday meals, gift giveaways, food assistance organizations and child care resources for our families and kids. Need assistance this holiday season? Click here for a list of resources. Do you know an organization that provides one or more of these services, and isn't on the list? If so, email us at office_communications@dpsk12.org and provide us with an attachment or a link to more information, so we can add it to the list. Happy holidays! STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCH Help us show our fantastic DCIS staff how much we appreciate them by donating food or beverage to our staff appreciation lunch on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 11:30 am–1 pm. Sign up here.  HAVE FUN AND EARN MONEY FOR DCIS Mom UP! Project @ Stanley Marketplace Save the date for Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 (4–9:30 pm) and purchase your tickets for the Mom UP! Project. This first-of-its-kind event will have something for everybody: pop-up shops, prolific guest speakers and demos, pop-up restaurants and swag bags loaded with offers/samples for every attendee. It gets better! $8 from every ticket will be donated back to the school of each attendee's choice. Tickets are limited. Buy your tickets here and type in "DCIS" as your school.  TRAVEL AND EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES... BIKE TRIP IN ITALY For all DCIS community members: An informational meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 14, at 6 pm in Ms. Bishop's room (115) regarding a planned bicycle trip to Italy next June. All members of the DCIS community are invited to attend and participate in the trip that will wind through northwest Italy from Bolzano to Venice. DCIS FOUNDATION MANDATORY SCHOLARSHIP ORIENTATION The DCIS Foundation requires that every student who wants to apply for a scholarship attend an orientation meeting and participate in interviews. The orientation dates for DCIS-Baker students are: Monday, Jan. 15, 5:30–6:30 pm: MUN Room Tuesday, Jan. 16, 12:30-1:30 pm: DCIS Community Room (103) Thursday, Jan. 18, 12:30-1:30 pm: DCIS Community Room (103) STUDENT REFLECTS ON PAKISTAN EXPERIENCE Thank you to the PTSA Cultural Enrichment and Inclusion team for providing funds to support Ms. Kerrigan's students' field trip to the Posner Center for a conversation with Global Kids Connect Pakistani Pen Pals. Student Django Hope wrote the following reflection: What​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Pakistan​ ​event​ ​is​ ​that​ ​Pakistan​ ​is​ ​not​ ​what​ ​the​ ​social​ ​media reports​ ​have​ ​said​ ​it​ ​is. It​ ​is​ ​very​ ​much​ ​like​ ​everywhere​ ​else —​ ​it​ ​has​ ​regular​ ​super​markets, and​ ​it​ ​has​ ​some​ ​street​ ​markets​ ​that​ ​have​ ​spices.​ ​Also​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​they​ ​don't​ ​have kidnappers​ ​and​ ​people​ ​who​ ​kill​ ​others. The​ ​project​ ​between​ ​Denver​ ​and​ ​Pakistan​ ​is​ ​​ ​where we​ ​are​ ​getting​ ​groups​ ​of​ ​people from​ ​Denver​ ​to​ ​be​ ​pen​ ​pals​ ​with​ students in ​Pakistan​. ​We​ ​write​ ​to​ ​each​ ​other​ ​with ​questions like​ ​what​ ​is​ ​it​ ​like​ ​there,​ ​what​ ​do​ ​you​ ​do — the​ ​purpose​ ​for​ ​this​ ​is​ ​we​ ​want​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​the​ ​other person​ ​what​ ​it​ ​is​ ​like​ ​where​ ​they​ ​live.​ ​We​ ​want​ ​to​ ​show​ ​a​ ​good​ ​impression,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​want to​ ​put​ ​the​ ​real​ ​information​ ​of​ ​that​ ​place​ ​and​ ​what​ ​we​ ​think​ ​and​ ​not​ ​what​ ​​social​ ​media says. What​ ​stuck​ ​with​ ​me​ ​while​ ​we​ ​were​ ​asking​ ​the​ ​Pakistani​ ​students​ ​was,​ ​"What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​do in​ ​your​ ​free​ ​time?"​ ​They​ ​​said,​ ​"I ​like​ ​to​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​music​ ​and​ ​draw,"​ ​and​ ​I​ ​think​ ​us Americans​ ​have​ ​some​ ​things​ ​in​ ​common. I​ ​think​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​different​ ​cultures​ ​is​ ​important​ ​because​ ​you​ ​are​ ​basically​ ​learning about​ ​them​, ​and​ ​also​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​their​ ​people.​ ​It's​ ​better​ ​than reading​ ​a​ ​textbook​ ​for​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​day.​ ​And​ ​in​ ​a​ ​way,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​better​ ​than​ ​researching​ ​and doing​ ​a​ ​performance.  One​ ​of​ ​my​ ​favorite​ ​things​ ​that​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​is​ ​what​ ​Pakistan​ ​really​ ​looks​ ​like​ ​and​ ​not​ ​what the​ ​internet​ ​says​ ​it​ ​is​ ​like. COUNSELORS' CORNER ... COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS Tami Schmidt: Middle School Ted Brugman: 9th and 10th Grades Melisa Springsteen: 11th and 12th Grades Aly Bortle: 12th Grade Post-Secondary Coach, Wednesdays and Fridays in room 1010 12TH GRADE POSTSECONDARY COACH Aly Bortle, the DCIS Post-secondary Coach, is available to help seniors accomplish anything and everything they want for themselves after high school. If they want to go to college, she'll help them find the best school and scholarships for them. If they want to start a career, she'll help them find a way to do something they love. She can help students complete applications, write college essays, research interests, and much more! Email ALYSSA_BORTLE@dpsk12.org or stop by Room 101B in the main office on Wednesdays and Fridays. SENIORS COLLEGE APPLICATION UPDATE 68% of our seniors have applied to a university, community college and/or technical school 7% of students who have applied have been admitted thus far 47% of the senior class have completed their FAFSA REMINDER APP FOR FAMILIES WITH JUNIORS AND SENIORS The Counseling Office is using the Remind app to notify the parents of juniors and seniors about important dates and deadlines. To sign up for reminders:   Parents of juniors: text @co19pg to the number 81010 Parents of seniors: text @co18pg to the number 81010 COLLEGE WORD OF THE WEEK Extracurricular activities: Groups you belong to outside of class, such as sporting teams, clubs and organizations. 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? 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