DCIS Connect Newsletter (Jan. 24-30, 2019)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students January 24-30, 2019 (Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.) HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... CSC Meeting (new date): Thursday, Jan. 24, 4:30-6:30 pm, DCIS Community Room Middle School Basketball: Friday, Jan. 25, 4-5 pm girls, 5-6 pm boys, at Grant Ranch MIddle School Middle School Basketball: Wednesday, Jan. 30, 4-5 pm girls, 5-6 pm boys, at Bear Valley Middle School PTSA Sponsorship Workshop: Sunday, Jan. 27, RSVP Marie 303-913-4845 Open House for Prospective Families: Thursday, Jan. 31, 6–7:30 pm MARK YOUR CALENDAR ... NO SCHOOL — Non-Student Contact Day: Friday, Feb. 1 DCIS Drama Presents One-Act Plays: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 1-2, 6 pm DCIS Drama Spring Musical Auditions: Monday-Tuesday, Feb. 4-5; Thursday, Feb. 7, after school Restorative Justice Presentation: Monday, Feb. 4, 6-8 pm, Cafeteria FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ... Hello DCIS Community:   It warmed my heart to see throngs of DCIS students lining up to give their condolences to our principal, Mrs. McCorquodale, after Daniel's memorial. I saw student after student hugging her and giving her words of encouragement. Their maturity and resiliency have not ceased to amaze me. Thank you to those who came to the memorial to support the McCorquodale family (more than 500 in attendance), and to those sending cards and contributing to the meal train. The extraordinary support from our community has strengthened the resolve of the McCorquodale family to carry on and to feel the radiant love they were so used to getting from Daniel. His light shines through you all.   I also want to acknowledge the courage, inspiration and love emanating from all the speakers at the memorial. Three of our teachers shared feelings that we all will treasure and hold in our hearts as we continue to try to make sense of it all. Kevin Adams helped us focus on what we can all learn from Daniel's life that can strengthen our spirit and lives; Frank Pomponio reminded us of the zest for life Daniel had and, again, to model our lives on that enthusiasm; and Julia Houk poetically captured the images that can best explain Daniel: light, a prism ... a rainbow.   Despite the toll of the past week and the uncertainty surrounding the impending strike by DPS teachers, our school strives on. We are in the process of solidifying a contingency plan for the strike, which I will communicate to our community via IC in the next day or two. My commitment to you is that your students will be safe, will learn and will continue to be there for one another. I'd like to make one thing clear: We support all our teachers, whether they strike or not. Those who strike are within the law of doing so and believe in their hearts that it is what is best for students in the long run. Just as we support them, we have to understand that striking isn't a choice for all our teachers, and we will support them too. My goal after all this is done is to bring the whole staff together to foster common ground moving forward together, as one team — no resentments, no judgments. The task is made easier because of the wonderful students we have to support, and we know that we need one another to do it well.   With love and appreciation,   Mario Giardiello Assistant Principal RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AT DCIS As you may have previously read in our newsletter, DCIS has hired two Restorative Practices Coordinators. What is restorative justice, and what does it mean at DCIS? Please join us Monday, Feb. 4, 6-8 pm in the cafeteria at DCIS to find out! RAISE YOUR HAND ...   PTSA We are DCIS! Please Help Us Build Our Community! The DCIS PTSA is seeking volunteers to help plan for 2019-2020, and we welcome any time or talent you can offer. Please see this week's SignUpGenuis for specific asks related to PTSA communications, teacher appreciation, advocacy and fundraising. Please let us know if there is something else you can offer ... we would love to hear from you. You can also contact Marie at 303-913-4845 or dcis.community@gmail.com. Your help will be much appreciated! PTSA SPONSORSHIP VOLUNTEER WORKSHOP Interested in helping our school find and connect with potential community sponsors? Learn how at a PTSA workshop this Sunday, Jan. 27 (you pick the time), RSVP to Marie at 303-913-4845 or dcis.community@gmail.com for directions. CSC The next CSC meeting has been moved to Thursday, Jan. 24, 4:30–6:30 pm in the DCIS Community Room. All members of the community are welcome to sit in on these meetings, and there is a period for public comment at the beginning of each meeting. YOUTH CELEBRATE DIVERSITY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED YCD is seeking volunteers to help with the 26th annual Cherry Creek Diversity Conference, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 2. As a volunteer, you sign up for a specific "work shift" so that your volunteering has a specific start and end time and you have an idea of the kind of work you'll be doing. Examples include: Greeting participants Handing out programs, giveaways and food Staffing a registration table Organizing and delivering lunch Directing participants around the campus or venue Quietly sitting in on a student discussion, to guarantee everyone's safety Tabulating evaluations we collect throughout the day and inputting them into our website DCIS students who volunteer can get community service credit. Apply online here. FUNDRAISING SPOTLIGHT ...  DCIS TRAVEL CENTER The DCIS Travel Center has a wealth of information on travel opportunities and cultural experiences for DCIS students, staff and parents. Hours: Thursdays and Fridays, 8 am to 4 pm (including lunch).  What we provide: Information about travel opportunities for all students, including undocumented students Help researching travel opportunities Support completing travel applications and scholarships Ideas and support regarding fundraising Click the button below to donate via PayPal. If you'd rather mail in your donation, please send a check made payable to "PTSA at DCIS Baker" to 574 W. Sixth Ave., Denver, CO 80204. If you can provide any of the following tangible items, please contact Marie at 303-913-4845 or dcis.community@gmail.com: World map decal for the office walls Ink for the color copier 14" x 18" paper Scotch tape holder Full-spectrum set of dry erase markers (Costco has them for cheap) Official, durable banner that can be moved to wherever the office happens to be that mentions Melanie Grant Two literature folders — one for near the TC office, the other under the new corkboard by the main office where we can leave information and literature Table and matching chairs Pay for two days to go meet with leaders in other buildings to find out how they do and fund travel ($113/day) Thank you from the PTSA and your Travel Center coordinator, Sally Bishop.   8th GRADE FAMILIES A reminder for all families with 8th graders: The DPS SchoolChoice window opened on Tuesday, Jan. 15, and closes on Friday, Feb. 15. All current DCIS 8th graders who wish to stay are automatically granted admission to DCIS High School, but in order to secure your spot, you must fill out the DPS SchoolChoice application, selecting DCIS High School as your choice. You can apply online here. TEENS AND ANXIETY **FREE EVENT** Parents and teens, join Dr. Aimee Sullivan, PhD, for a free event to learn more about anxiety and teens. Learn to recognize when "teen angst" becomes something more concerning, understand the important differences between typical and atypical teenage behavior, and learn how to seek appropriate professional support when necessary. Dr. Sullivan will speak on Thursday, Feb. 7, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the East High School Auditorium. See the flyer here for more information.  DCIS TRAVELS AND HOSTING ...  MEET THE MIDDLE EAST DCIS Families, our students have a unique opportunity to learn more about one of the world's most important and intriguing regions. Meet the Middle East has extended a special invitation to all DCIS high school students —automatic acceptance to the Youth Ambassador Program taking place June 10-19.   Application deadline: Monday, Feb. 25   Please see their website for more information, or contact DCIS Travel Coordinator Sally Bishop. HOSTING OPPORTUNITY WorldDenver has upcoming spring 2019 home-stay opportunities, including one 10-day youth program in March and two 3-week professionals programs in May and June. Check out the flyer for more information. For potential host families interested in learning more and connecting with existing host families, plan to attend an information session on Monday, Jan. 21; Thursday, Jan. 31; or Saturday, Feb. 9. Find more information on WorldDenver's website. ADOLESCO EXCHANGE Are you ready to spread your wings to France, Germany, Italy or Spain?  We offer a unique, two-way exchange program that gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new language and new culture AND to host your carefully matched exchange partner in turn.   At ADOLESCO YOUTH EXCHANGE we will match you with a student about your own age in France, Germany, Italy or Spain (your choice); you will decide exactly WHEN (whatever's best for your schedule) and for HOW LONG (between 6 and 12 weeks) you want to go on exchange and host as part of our flexible and affordable nonprofit language immersion and cultural exchange program for qualifying students between the ages of 9 and 18. Please join us for an INFO MEETING on Saturday, March 2, 2–4 pm, at the Sam Gary Library in Stapleton. RSVP here, and see the website for more info.  The application deadline is March 15, and matches will be announced by late April.  FRENCH SCHOLARSHIPS Each year since 1979, the Alliance Française de Denver has offered three types of scholarship programs: a French language scholarship, a cultural project scholarship and a French after-school scholarship. These scholarships are at the heart of the organization's mission to promote the Francophone cultures and French language wherever it can. The application deadline for all scholarships is Monday, Feb. 11, with scholarship recipients notified on Monday, Feb. 25. To learn more and apply online, click here. Students Bring Awareness to Issues of Teen Mental Health and Suicide Jan. 21-Feb. 10   Hundreds of students from more than 20 Denver Metro area middle and high schools will participate in the upcoming "HOPEfull Drive" Jan. 21-Feb. 10. Students are teaming up to raise awareness about the epidemic of teen depression, anxiety and suicide and to bolster the need for mental health resources in our communities. During the HOPEfull Drive, students will share information with the community and have buckets for donations. Proceeds will benefit Robbie's Hope Foundation.   WHAT: In response to alarming teen suicide rates in Colorado and across the nation, teen advocates from more than 20 high schools will participate in the HOPEfull Drive to "drive" dialogue and raise awareness about this important issue. Student teams will be out in their communities with collection buckets at various times and days between Jan. 21 and Feb. 10.   WHY: Colorado has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, and suicide is a leading cause of death for kids ages 10-18. Nationally, it is the second-leading cause of death for youth between ages 12 and 18. A 2017 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey showed that 17 percent of all participating middle and high school students reported considering suicide, and 7 percent reported making one or more suicide attempts in the previous 12 months. EXTRACURRICULARS ... CHESS TOURNEY Register soon for the Denver North Chess Open on Saturday, Feb. 9 for all kids in grades K-12. Find more information in English or Spanish. Register online here.  All players are welcome — you do not need to be in an organized chess club. Schools with five or more players registered will be in the team competition.  There will be no registration on the day of the tournament. Space is limited, so register soon!  SUMMER ARTS PROGRAMS REGISTRATION Registration opened on Wednesday, Jan. 16, for KidART Camp (ages 6-13) and Summer Teen Studio (ages 14-17) at Art Students League of Denver. Click here to learn more and search for courses for the young artists in your life. COUNSELORS' CORNER ...  COUNSELORS Tami Schmidt Middle school 720-423-9006 Melisa Springsteen High school last names A-J 720-423-9105 Ted Brugman  High school last names K-Z 720-423-9094 Welcome back! Some important dates to add to the calendar. Friday, March 22: 9th grade College Expo Tuesday, April 9: PSAT and SAT testing for grades 9-11 Friday, May 3: 12th grade college signing day during all-school meeting Wednesday, May 22: Graduation Senior Stuff Folder 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 noon on the Tuesday preceding the issue date. Email submissions to dcis.connect@gmail.com.  Copyright © 2019 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