DCIS Connect Newsletter (Oct. 3-9, 2019)

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Staff and Students October 3–9, 2019 (Leer en Español usar el traductor de Google aquí.) Colorful, Amazing Guatemala ... HERE WE COME!  Please join DCIS' Kristen Miller and Luke Mueller from Walking Tree Travel on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 6 pm in the Community Room to learn about the upcoming middle school trip to Guatemala. Students will be working on a service project, hiking a volcano, learning about Mayan traditions, swimming and kayaking, zip-lining through the jungle, and improving or learning Spanish. Program tuition is $2,290. HAPPENING THIS WEEK ... Spirit Week: Monday–Friday, Sept. 30-Oct. 4 PTSA Meeting: Thursday, Oct.3, 6-7:30 pm, Community Room DCIS Foundation Scholarship Application Window: Oct. 3–14 (see below) Homecoming Dance: Saturday, Oct.5, 7–10 pm PSAT/SAT Practice: Monday, Oct. 7, 8 am Guatemala Trip Informational Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 6 pm, Community Room Picture Day: Wednesday, Oct. 9, all day MARK YOUR CALENDAR ... Drama Club Fundraiser: Monday, Oct. 14, 4–8 pm, Pizzeria Locale, 6th and Broadway DCIS Foundation Scholarship Application DUE: Monday, Oct. 14 Middle School Volleyball: Monday, Oct. 14, 4 pm, at DCIS FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY: Tuesday, Oct. 15; learn more here Family–Teacher Conferences: Wednesday-Thursday, Oct. 16-17, 3:15–7:15 pm NO SCHOOL (Non-Student Contact Days): Friday, Oct. 18; Monday–Tuesday, Oct. 21–22 CSC Meeting: Thursday, Oct. 24, 4:30-6 pm, DCIS Community Room Middle School Volleyball: Friday, Oct. 25, 4 pm, KCAA, 2250 S. Quitman St., Denver Middle School Dance and Haunted House: Friday, Oct. 25, 6–8:30 pm, DCIS Cafeteria Middle School Volleyball: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 4 pm, vs. BVI, at DCIS School Safety — A Shared Responsibility: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 6–7 pm Middle School Perception Survey: Monday, Nov. 28, 7:50–9:20 am High School Perception Survey: Monday, Nov. 28, 7:50–9:20 am Family Trivia Night: Monday, Nov. 8, 6–8 pm CSC Meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 4-6 pm, DCIS Community Room Fall Play — Almost, Maine: Thursday–Saturday, Nov. 14–16, 6 pm Dine Out for DCIS: Thursday, Nov. 21, 4–8 pm Click here to access the schedule for all West High School sports. FROM THE PTSA ...   The 2019 Colorado General Assembly, through House Bill 19-1257, referred a measure to the 2019 November ballot. This measure is known as Proposition CC, and the ballot language states:   "Without raising taxes and to better fund public schools, higher education, and roads, bridges, and transit, within a balanced budget, may the state keep and spend all the revenue it annually collects after June 30, 2019, but is not currently allowed to keep and spend under Colorado law, with an annual independent audit to show how the retained revenues are spent?"   A "yes" vote on Proposition CC: Changes state law and means the state can keep all of the money it collects over its revenue limit to spend on education and transportation. For a flyer on how Denver County will benefit from Proposition CC, click here.  Scholarship Information and Deadlines for Fall 2019 This year the DCIS Foundation is putting the Scholarship orientation and applications online. Moving the process online will allow for more student flexibility, better school travel coordinator guidance (Sally Bishop), and the ability for students to share information with their parent(s) or guardian(s) more easily. The applications will be ready by Friday, Oct. 4, and the submission period is open Oct. 4–14. Visit the Foundation website for more information. RAISE YOUR HAND...  PTSA MEETING Please join us for a PTSA meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, in the Community Room from 6-7:30 pm. Everyone welcome, but paid-up PTSA members will get to vote on the 2019-20 budget. Please email us to join the DCIS PTSA; the membership fee is $10 per person (students also pay $10). You can pay by check or via PayPal. Email the PTSA for payment details.    PTSA VOLUNTEERS FOR TREASURY AUDIT We're transitioning the treasurer position and need two volunteers to support our new Treasurer! We need to audit last years' books and serve as check and auditor for the 2019-2020 year. If you can conduct an audit this week (estimated 1 to max 2 hours of review - the books are in order and complete) so we can complete our filings, please email Andrew Watson or call him at 303-505-1164. COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL COMMITTEE Our next CSC meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24, 4:30-6 pm, in the Community Room at DCIS. All members of the community are welcome to sit in on these meetings. Want to know more about the role of the CSC? Check out our webpage. Minutes from the September meeting can be found here. NEED A HAND ...  DISCOUNTED RTD FARES RTD's new income-based fare discount program offers 40% off transit for qualifying adults between the ages of 20 and 64 (other discounts are offered for those outside this age range). Click here to read more about this program. As always, students at DCIS can receive free RTD passes if they reside more than 2.5 miles from the school. HELP WITH ENERGY BILLS If you or someone you know needs assistance paying their energy bill, Energy Outreach Colorado and DPS Family and Community Engagement may be able to help. Click here for more information.   SEAL OF BILITERACY We're excited for the Seal of Biliteracy opportunity for our seniors! Please visit this page for information on how to earn the seal and this one for more info about the seal (the application and timeline). Applications are due Friday, Nov. 1! If you have any questions, please email Dr. Jenna Martin. COUNSELORS' CORNER...  COUNSELORS Tami Handley - 720-423-9006 Ted Brugman - 720-423-9094 SENIORS FAFSA is now open! Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college or grad school. Read this resource to find out the three common roadblocks and how to solve them.  The Daniels Fund application window is now open! The Daniels Scholarship is a comprehensive college scholarship that pays toward the costs of: Tuition and fees Room and board Books and supplies Miscellaneous educational expenses It is a "last dollar" scholarship, so it is secondary to all other grants and scholarships. After considering the student's other scholarships, financial aid (federal, state and institutional), and any work-study accepted, as well as the determined Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the Daniels Fund pays toward the scholar's remaining education costs. Scholarship amounts are unique to each Daniels Scholar and can vary from year to year. College Rep Visits – Week of Oct. 7 American University, Monday, Oct. 7, 9:30 am New York University, Monday, Oct. 7, 1:30 pm Knox College, Friday, Oct. 11 , 9:40 am ALL SCHOOL October is National Bullying Prevention Month  #BlueUp Every October, schools and organizations across the country join STOMP Out Bullying™ in observing National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal: encourage schools, communities and organizations to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying and put an end to hatred and racism by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of all forms of bullying on all children of all ages. Wear blue on Monday, Oct. 7, for the World Day of Bullying Prevention™. You can begin to change the culture by putting an end to bullying and cyberbullying! FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY For the second year in a row, the Colorado Department of Higher Education has teamed up with colleges and universities all across Colorado to waive college application fees for all Colorado students on Tuesday, Oct. 15. That means if you submit your application between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm that day, you can apply for free to any public Colorado institution and many private institutions. ARTS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ... DRAMA UPDATES Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2 pm, DCIS Auditorium  "Superheroes Save Ikea"  Come see the Unified Theatre class perform an original play written by students in the class and performed by students from the MIS class (Ms. Cox's class). All parents and classes are welcome to attend! You don't want to miss this special performance about making spaces more accessible for people with disabilities, performed by students with disabilities.  Tuesday, Oct. 14, 4-9 pm, 6th & Broadway Pizzeria Locale Fundraiser for DCIS Drama Club. Please come out to support!  Thursday–Saturday, Nov 14-16, "Almost, Maine" Performed by the DCIS Drama Club. $5 for students, $8 for adults, $10 for first three rows. Mr. Matsumoto and Marie Meyer will be there to represent DCIS' amazing Japanese program. Stop by and say konnichiwa! TRAVEL CENTER NEWS...  HELP WITH ITALIAN EXCHANGE FUNDRAISER Students traveling to Italy next spring are looking for a NO-COST venue for our big fundraiser for the Italian Exchange. Last time we held it in the common house for a co-housing community that had a kitchen, a patio, was big enough for about 80 people, but we no longer know anyone who lives there. Does anyone know of such a venue they might be able to suggest to us and put us in touch with the person or people responsible for this venue? Grazie! DCIS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP Application window coming up! Need funds for educational travel? The DCIS Foundation will open its first online application on Thursday, Oct. 3. The last day to complete an online application is Monday, Oct. 14, at midnight (NO EXCEPTIONS). Ms. Bishop will host help sessions during both middle school and high school lunches on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 7 and 8, for students who might need assistance filling out the application. Stay tuned for details about how to access this application.  SPORTS ...  MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS Girls' volleyball and co-ed flag football have begun! Students will need to have physical forms completed in order to participate. For volleyball, please see Ms. Rodriquez in Room 109. For flag football, please see Mr. Krummel in Room 202A. FROM THE OFFICE OF WHOLE CHILD SUPPORTS ... CALENDAR OF FREE ACTIVITIES IN METRO DENVER The October DenverRAP Activity Calendar is now available. This calendar provides information about free activities happening in the Denver area. You can also find a printer-friendly version of the calendar online or have information about free activities happening in Denver sent directly to your phone by texting "DenverRAP" to 67076. TALKING TO YOUTH ABOUT MARIJUANA  Fall is finally here, and many Colorado teenagers and families are looking forward to the fun activities that come with the season, including homecoming, football games, dances and parties. These activities provide a great opportunity for parents to have a conversation with their teens about their expectations involving marijuana. SMART Colorado has put together a great resource that provides parents with tips on how to talk to their kids about marijuana.  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