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SUBJECT: Week In Review - May 6-10, 2024
May 10, 2024
Happy Friday!
Teacher Appreciation Week and Employee Appreciation Week
It was so much fun celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week as well as DCSD Employee Appreciation Week over the past few days. We love and appreciate our teachers and staff every day, but this gave us a chance to put a little extra spotlight on their work. It was fantastic to see how many PTOs and families showered their teachers with much-deserved thanks. Our teachers received coffee carts, lunches, handwritten notes, gift cards and so much more. In addition, this week we shared stories about some of our incredible employees on our social media pages. Here is the video message I shared with our staff and community earlier this week.
Celebrating Our Award-Winning Schools
Last week at the State of DCSD event, we had the honor of celebrating our schools that received an award from the Colorado Department of Education. Watch the awards ceremony and the full State of DCSD event here.
Congratulations to these incredible schools!
Castle Rock
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John Irwin Schools of Excellence:
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Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award:
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Both the John Irwin Schools of Excellence and Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award:
East Highlands Ranch
West Highlands Ranch
Parker
DCSD Charter Schools
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John Irwin Schools of Excellence:
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Academy Charter School
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Ben Franklin Academy
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Challenge To Excellence Charter School
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North Star Academy
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Platte River Academy
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Renaissance Secondary School
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STEM School Highlands Ranch
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Winner of BOTH the John Irwin Schools of Excellence and the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award:
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Winner of the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award AND the Colorado 2023 National Blue Ribbon School:
Have a very happy Mother’s Day weekend!
Erin Kane
Superintendent
Douglas County School District
GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND DCSD
DCSD Home to National Merit $2,500 Winners
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation released the names of winners in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program, including four from the Douglas County School District.
Congratulations to these outstanding DCSD scholars:
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Cathryn Church from Mountain Vista High plans to study law
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Alicia Tan from Rock Canyon High will pursue engineering
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Vinisha Tripathi from Mountain Vista High plans to study medicine
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Payton Tereick from Highlands Ranch High will pursue neurosurgery
These four outstanding DCSD students are the recipients of a National Merit $2,500 scholarship, selected from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists. These recipients have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Recipients of the National Merit college-sponsored scholarships will be announced in June and July.
Welcome to the Rox Nature Lab!
With a bright, sunny day as the perfect backdrop, those gathered counted down from three to cut the ribbon on the newest addition to the Roxborough community - the Rox Nature Lab!
The greenhouse was created through a collaboration between the Douglas County School District (DCSD) and the Roxborough Metro District to grow native plants on the Roxborough Intermediate Campus. The ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated all of those who contributed to the project since its origination back in 2019. Read more about the plants found at the Rox Nature Lab.
Frontier Valley Students Enjoy Career Day with Visits from Community Members
Frontier Valley Elementary students studied a variety of careers and jobs during Career Week. Topping off the curriculum was the school’s first-ever Career Day with visits from members of the community including CORE Electric Cooperative, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Parker Center Animal Clinic, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Read more about FVE’s Career Day.
Crossing Continents: Meet DCSD’s Newest American Citizen and Bus Driver!
Dave Schluter joined DCSD’s Transportation Department in fall of 2021, earning his Commercial Driver’s License after completing DCSD’s six week bus driver training program. Born in Wimbledon and having lived in the suburbs of London, he never owned a car and didn’t drive until he was 33. “There was no need to have a vehicle with great public transportation, like the bus, train, and the tube within a five-minute walk,” said Schluter. Ironically, he worked as a postman in the suburbs of London for ten years, driving a full transit van down small, narrow roads. That experience has no doubt helped Schluter become a very skilled driver. Read more about Dave Schluter.
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR PARENTS
Mental Health Resources
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The world is constantly changing and it can be overwhelming to deal with everything going on around you. While society is getting more comfortable discussing mental health, it can still be hard to know “Where to Start” when it comes to taking care of your own well-being. For anyone struggling with the pressure of today's world, feeling alone, or wondering if they can feel better, Mental Health America will provide support. In a Crisis? Call or Text 988.
Literacy Resources
DCSD Summer Reading Contest - May 24-August 12, 2024
Join the DCSD District Library and Media Center (DLMC) this summer for our first summer reading program! Open to all DCSD Students and Staff. Check out the DLMC’s literacy programming website for official details. 
Health and Wellness Resources
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has suggestions for keeping kids healthy during the summer, by learning new skills. Read more about healthy bodies and minds here: Help Kids Learn New Skills to Be Healthy During the Summer.
EVENTS
Celebrating a graduation soon? Get details on all of DCSD’s Graduation Ceremonies here. Congratulations Graduates!
Hero Fest 2024: Celebrating First Responders
Hosted by Canvas Foundation
Saturday, May 18 | 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Adventist Health Hospital (NW Parking Lot)
2350 Meadows Blvd., Castle Rock
Canvas Foundation is thrilled to bring our annual Hero Fest to Castle Rock. Join our community's first responders as the Canvas Foundation teams up to support Rock of Hope and bring comprehensive cancer care to Castle Rock. Hero Fest is a FREE, fun-filled day. Learn more.
Save the Date! Perseverance Scholarship Golf Tournament
Hosted by the Foundation for Douglas County Schools
Monday, July 22 | 8:00 a.m.
Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course, Castle Rock
For more information and to register, click here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Serve on a DCSD Board Committee
The DCSD District Accountability Committee (DAC), Fiscal Oversight Committee (FOC), Long Range Planning Committee, and Mill Bond Oversight Committee (MBOC) are seeking candidates to fill vacant member positions. Visit their webpages to learn more and to apply.
Nominations are open for 2025 Teacher of the Year
The Colorado Department of Education is calling for nominations for Colorado’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year program elevates and celebrates exceptional educators, and the state’s 2025 winner will become a nominee for the National Teacher of the Year award. Nominations will be open until Tuesday, May 28. Read more.