1. DPS School Thrives Initiative
The board has voted to approve the recommendation for the 2025-26 school year, meaning that: Columbian Elementary, Castro Elementary, Schmitt Elementary, International Academy of Denver at Harrington, Palmer Elementary, Denver School for Innovation and Sustainable Design, West Middle

All will be closing at the end of this year and will not reopen for the 2025-26 school year. Grade level restructures will take place at: Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, Dora Moore, Denver Center for International Studies - Baker

Denver Schools Thrive Initiative webpage.

2. FREE meals and Snacks for Youth at Tasty Food sites

Tasty Food sites are OPEN from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29 serving FREE meals and snacks for youth ages 3-18. No registration or ID needed. Visit their website.

3. FACE University

There are three upcoming offerings with FACE university.

a. Homework Help for Parents on Wed., Dec. 4 from 3-4 p.m.

Register, or join the Facebook live.

b. DPS College and Career Success will be on Dec. 10 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Register or join the Facebook live.

c. Family Leadership Programs

Round 2 launches in Jan. 2025! Pre-register using the interest form.

4. 2023-24 Climate Action and Accountability Annual Report

The DPS Sustainability Team’s 2023-24 Climate Action and Accountability Annual Report documents progress toward DPS’ 2028 climate action goals.

The report is available in English and Spanish, access the one-page summaries in English and Spanish.

Email the Dept. of Sustainability: dept_sustainability@dpsk12.net.

5. 2025 Colorado Outstanding Assistant Principal

Congratulations to Hazael Roman-Lagunas, the Munroe Elementary Assistant Principal, who was named the 2025 Colorado Outstanding Assistant Principal (COAP) for elementary schools by the Colorado Association of Elementary School Principals.

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.

En el episodio de esta semana del Podcast de EDUCA DPS, Courtney Kallas, maestra de Educación Especial de DPS, habla en profundidad sobre el Centro de Autodeterminación. Sintonícese para escuchar de primera mano cómo el centro está ayudando a los adultos jóvenes a establecer y alcanzar metas personales, explorar trayectorias profesionales y prepararse para la vida más allá de la escuela secundaria.

Míralo en inglés y español. Escuche en su plataforma de podcast favorita mediante la búsqueda, simplemente busque The Denver Public Schools Podcast.

In this week’s episode of the EDUCA DPS Podcast, Courtney Kallas, a Special Education teacher at DPS, talks in depth about the Self-Determination Center. Tune in to hear firsthand how the center is helping young adults set and achieve personal goals, explore career pathways and prepare for life beyond high school.

Watch in English and Spanish. Listen in on your favorite podcast platform by searching, just search for The Denver Public Schools Podcast.

1. Denver Schools Thrive Initiative and Addressing Declining Enrollment

The following schools have been impacted:

Elementary schools recommended for Closure:

• Columbian Elementary
• Castro Elementary
• Schmitt Elementary
• International Academy of Denver at Harrington
• Palmer Elementary

Secondary Schools Recommended for Closure

• Denver School for Innovation and Sustainable Design
• West Middle

Schools with Grade Level Restructures.

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

Team DPS has made each of the affected schools a school webpage with more information

Timeline:

• Nov. 11-15 - Board Engagement: The BOE will hold meetings and will hold a special public comment at each of the schools.
• Nov 18-21 - Superintendent Engagement: The Superintendent will hold meetings at each of the schools recommended for closure and consolidation.
• Nov. 18: Public Comment. Only individuals who have not previously signed up and spoken to the BOE at one of the Special Public Comment meetings at an impacted school will be allowed to sign up to speak at this meeting.
• Nov. 21: Board vote.

Visit the Denver Schools Thrive Initiative Web Page.

2. DPS School Calendar Survey for 2025-2027

Your input is crucial in planning our school calendars for '25-26 and '26-27. Please complete our calendar survey.

3. A New Newsletter– the DAC Dispatch

The DPS District Accountability Committee (DAC) is a group of parents, community members and staff members who provide recommendations to DPS at the district level. Read the Nov. edition in English and Spanish. The monthly DAC meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit the DAC webpage. To subscribe, complete this form.

4. Your Voice/Tu Voz Family Survey

The Your Voice/ Tu Voz Survey has been extended until TONIGHT, Nov. 8 at 11:59 p.m. Please complete the survey by 11:59 p.m. tonight to have your voice heard.

5. 2024 Denver Bond PASSES

Thank you, #Denvervoters, for supporting our students by voting YES on ballot issue 4A! With a $975 million bond approved, we’re ready to tackle important upgrades across the district—from cooler schools to more advanced learning environments. Here’s to building a brighter future, together!

1. Read your whole ballot

Tuesday is election day, so make sure you get out and vote!

This year’s ballot is the longest in Denver history. Resist the urge to skim or skip sections! Every item matters.

Keep an eye out for ballot measure 4A - it will be near the end of your ballot. It asks Denver voters to approve the passage of a 975 million dollar bond investment for Denver Public Schools. If approved, the bond proposal will NOT increase property taxes. This bond will provide capital improvement projects, including air conditioning, critical maintenance, safety and technology upgrades, and quality learning environment funding for students across the city.

Check out the link in the show notes to learn more about how ballot measure 4A would impact your school (here).

2. Prioritizing Attendance around the upcoming holiday breaks
As we transition near the holiday season, we want to take a moment to remind you of the importance of consistent school attendance. Regular attendance not only builds students’ ability to follow daily routines but also is important to their personal, social, academic and emotional development.

With the upcoming holiday breaks, we encourage you to plan family activities around our school calendar to ensure your child is present in school all day, every day. Each day of instruction is vital in helping our students meet their educational goals and maintain their learning progress. Make-up work does not fully help students recover missed instruction, and one student’s absence affects classmates’ progress due to the collaborative nature of learning.

We’re linking the 2024-25 school year calendar in the show notes. Make sure to plan appointments and travel around the following breaks:

November Break: Nov. 25-29

December Break: Dec. 23, 2024-Jan. 6, 2025

3. Share your voice with DPS

DPS wants to hear from families about how we can better serve your students! The window to complete the “Your Voice/Tu Voz” has been extended to Friday, November 8. This survey is very important for both individual schools and for the district overall. The more family opinions and experiences we learn about, the more accurate our data is, enabling school and district leaders to make informed decisions.

Take a few minutes to complete the survey linked (here).

4. Honoring Dia de los Muertos

Throughout October, DPS students and staff have been setting up ofrendas at their schools to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. These alters honor loved ones with photos, cherished mementos and colorful marigolds. Ofrendas give students the opportunity to connect with Mexican heritage and reflect on the importance of remembrance.

Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment celebrated Dia de los Muertos with ofrendas, delicious churros and music. You can check out a fun video of their celebration (here).

5. Celebrating pride and achievement at the LGBTQ+ Student Awards Banquet

October was also LGBTQ+ History Month, and DPS students from across the district celebrated at the LGBTQ+ Student Awards Banquet. The event featured student performances, delicious food and awards recognizing student accomplishments. The video linked is a great recap of the banquet - check it out to hear the perspectives of students who attended!

Exciting updates on DPS Career and Technical Education (CTE) in this week’s EDUCA DPS Podcast! CTE is expanding fast and if passed by #Denver voters, the 2024 Bond plans to fund three new innovation centers where students can gain industry certifications and college credits while honing practical skills. Don’t miss this engaging episode!

¡Actualizaciones interesantes sobre la educación técnica y profesional (CTE) de DPS en el podcast de EDUCA DPS de esta semana! CTE se está expandiendo rápidamente y, si los votantes de #Denver lo aprueban, el Bono 2024 planea financiar tres nuevos centros de innovación donde los estudiantes puedan obtener certificaciones industriales y créditos universitarios mientras perfeccionan sus habilidades prácticas. ¡No te pierdas este interesante episodio!