1. Denver Schools Thrive Initiative and Addressing Declining Enrollment in Denver

The Superintendent made his recommendation to address the impact of declining enrollment in our district last week.
Schools recommended for closure:

• Columbian Elementary
• Castro Elementary
• Schmitt Elementary
• International Academy of Denver at Harrington
• Palmer Elementary
• Denver School for Innovation and Sustainable Design
• West Middle

Grade Level Restructures.

• Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy
• Dora Moore
• Denver Center for International Studies - Baker

Team DPS has made each of the affected schools an individual school webpage that explains the specific rationale for why the school is a part of the Superintendent's recommendation.

The Board of Education will vote on this recommendation on Nov. 21.

If you have questions, I encourage you to visit the Denver Schools Thrive Initiative Web Page.

2. National School Psychology Week

This week, schools across the country celebrated National School Psychology Week (NSPW) to highlight the important work of school psychologists in helping students succeed. In DPS, we have more than 200 licensed school psychologists and graduate students supporting student success through both big-picture efforts and one-on-one services.

3. Upcoming Webinar: Talking With Your Kids About Substance Use

Join the DPS Substance Use Prevention Team on Nov. 20 at noon for an informative session on how to discuss substance use with your children. This conversation can be daunting, but the team is here to help you navigate it. Register here through the link. Spanish interpretation will be available.

4. Find Out if you Qualify for Government Benefits at MyFriendBen!

It’s a tool that screens for over 50 public benefits, including funds specific to Denver like property tax rebates, afterschool programming and more. On average, in six minutes you will know the cash value of those programs and the time it takes to apply so you can quickly decide what’s right for you.

Go online right now to see if you qualify. Questions? Find answers about MyFriendBen.

5. November is Native American Heritage Month

Are you curious about learning more about Native American Heritage Month? I’ll link some resources in our shownotes.