DCIS Connect Newsletter (March 15-21, 2018)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students March 15-21, 2018 (Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.) 6th Graders, Families and Friends are invited to the   DCIS POETRY SLAM Under the Umbrella Cafe 3504 E 12th Ave, Denver, CO 80206   Thursday & Friday, March 22 and 23 3–4:30 pm All students will have the chance to present the poetry they've been working hard on in class! Come on out and see our young poets. All are welcome to share their poetry, lyrics or spoken-word pieces. HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... CSC Meeting: Tuesday, March 20, 4–6 pm, DCIS Community Room (103) Café con la Directora (en español): Wednesday, March 21, 8:45–9:45 am, DCIS Community Room (103) DCIS Poetry Slam: Thursday & Friday, March 22 and 23, 3-4:30 pm, Under the Umbrella Cafe MARK YOUR CALENDAR ... NO SCHOOL: Spring Break, Monday–Friday, March 26–30 NO SCHOOL: Monday, April 2 (staff professional development); school resumes Tuesday, April 3 Coffee with the Principal (English): Wednesday, April 4, 8:15–9:15 am, DCIS Community Room (103) College Readiness Testing for 9-11 Grades: NO SCHOOL for middle school students or Seniors, Tuesday, April 10, all day Café con la Directora (en español): Wednesday, April 11, 8:45–9:45 am, DCIS Community Room (103) CSC Meeting: Tuesday, April 17, 4–6 pm, DCIS Community Room (103) DCIS Foundation Passport Dinner: Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 6–8 pm, Museum of Nature & Science DCIS Reunion & Celebration: Saturday, April 28, 3–7 pm, DCIS FROM THE PRINCIPAL ... Dear DCIS Parents, I know I say this a lot, but yesterday was yet another great example of why I am so proud of and grateful for the students of DCIS. We began the day with a student-led presentation in the auditorium around school safety. The students presenting did a fantastic job of providing information, leading an audience participation activity, and asking for further student input. Meanwhile, students in the audience were 100% respectful and attentive. After the assembly, every 6th-period class calmly and respectfully walked outside the building to honor the victims of the Florida shooting last month. High school students held signs and lined up along Sixth Avenue, Fox and Fifth Avenue. Middle school students lined up close to the field, alongside the school building. All students remained outside safely and respectfully for 17 minutes. Despite the tragic course of events that led to yesterday's activities, I am incredibly proud of our entire student body. DCIS students are a model for how students can take meaningful action while remaining poised and staying safe. Kudos also go out to our wonderful staff who support and encourage students every step of the way. One outcome of yesterday was for students to identify a "go to" person on campus. The goal is for every student to have an adult in the building who they feel comfortable talking to and whom they trust. Students having a trusted adult in the building can be a huge advantage in terms of school safety. We will be coming back to this idea of "Who's Your Go-To?" throughout the remainder of the school year. In the meantime, ask your child "Who's Your Go-To?" Thank you for sending your amazing children to DCIS. We are grateful for them every day, and especially so on a day like yesterday. Theresa McCorquodale DCIS Principal THANK YOU TO THE PTSA  ... One of the units in 10th grade English is "What Is Happiness." During the unit, we learned about different ways people can achieve happiness and how it can vary for different people. One of the ways that happiness can be achieved is through mindfulness. This means learning about how to be mindful in every aspect of your life from eating to walking. To learn more about this, we went to the Compassionate Dharma Cloud Monastery, a beautiful monastery where we learned about meditation and Buddhist traditions, and experienced a new culture through food. We also learned about how Buddhist monks achieve happiness through meditation. On the field trip I had the opportunity to spend the day with my classmates and Buddhist monks. It was beautiful outdoors, and we got to explore the amazing landscape. One of the activities we did was a walking meditation outdoors. Our class went outside where we were taught how to meditate while walking and relaxing while continuing to stay attentive of our surroundings. We then walked through the forest where we saw the beautiful nature as well as marble structures depicting different Buddhist gods. Through this I saw different parts of nature that I had never seen before; I also learned about a new culture and way of living life. Another memorable experience we had was mindful eating during lunch. The Buddhist monks made us an amazing lunch with food that many of us had never had before. Before the trip we learned about how monks try not to harm nature or any animals in nature. Because of this we ate a vegan lunch. Many of us had never participated in mindful eating before. This is where everyone enjoys lunch and focuses on the flavor of the food rather than talking and interacting with the people around us. It was interesting to eat a meal while focusing so much on the food rather than on conversation. This wonderful field trip would not have been possible without a donation from the PTSA. So, thank you for providing money for transportation to the monastery. It was an amazing trip that I would recommend for everyone. Without your donation, we would not have been able to go on this excursion, so we are very thankful for your generous donation. Claire Weiser RAISE YOUR HAND ... VOLUNTEER SOCCER COACH  In order to provide a great soccer experience for all the kids who tried out this week, we are in search of a volunteer coach for the Middle School Girls' Soccer B team. If you're interested, please email Mr. Muñoz. In case you missed seeing Screenagers, below are links to some parent guides put out in conjunction with the film: English Spanish 2018 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES INTERNSHIP  Application Due March 26 This 90-hour project-based summer internship exposes high school students to the local creative professional sector and engages the next generation in the evolving cultural capital of our city.  The Colorado creative sector is refreshingly innovative and growing exponentially. This internship provides access to art, people and professional practices to get you started in a creative career. Leaders in the arts use their voices to create impact in their communities. This internship is for the future creative leaders in Denver!  The Center for Visual Arts also offers a free Young Artist Studio.  The next session is from April 3-May 17 and will focus on printmaking. Register here. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK TO DCIS! DCIS is a finalist for the Succeeds Prize, which recognizes and rewards the transformational impact of Colorado's public schools and educators. The next step will be a school visit, which includes interviews of school administrators, teachers, parents and students, as well as observations of classroom teaching. Last year, DCIS was an Honorable Mention School for the Succeeds Prize. Go DCIS! DCIS FOUNDATION PASSPORT DINNER   This year the DCIS Foundation's annual fundraising event will take place at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science! Please join us for "DCIS Foundation Passport Dinner: Igniting Global Understanding, Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders," Thursday, April 26, 6 pm. Order tickets here. **Own a business or have connections with one?** We are seeking sponsorships! Please view our sponsorship packet for our Globetrotter, World Traveler, Domestic Destination Explorer and Travel Bug sponsorship levels. Thank you for helping us get more kids out of the classroom and into the world! 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.  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 below. 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.  Copyright © 2018 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