Story 1: SchoolChoice 101: Boundary School vs. Enrollment ZonesEvery K-12 student in Denver is guaranteed a seat at a DPS school, but do you know how your address impacts your options? In the second installment of the SchoolChoice video series, DPS is breaking down the difference between Boundary Schools (aka a single neighborhood school assigned to your address) and Enrollment Zones (aka a geographic area shared by several nearby schools). With Round 1 opening in less than a month on Dec. 1, now is the perfect time to start exploring! Watch the quick two-minute video linked in our show notes, then head over to the School Finder to explore your options. Families are also encouraged to stay connected by signing up for the SchoolChoice newsletter; where you’ll get key updates, deadlines and helpful tips delivered straight to your inbox. You can subscribe by visiting our show notes. Story 2: FACE University Did you know that FACE University Online brings you a new online course every Wednesday at 5 p.m.? Tune into these upcoming sessions: Today, Nov. 4: session titled SchoolChoice MLE and Seal of BiliteracyNov. 11: Family Meals Challenge 1: Benefits of Family Meals Nov. 18: Family Meals Challenge 2: Managing Screen Time, Social Media and SleepAll of these sessions are linked in our show notes. Story 3: Native American Heritage Month & Employee Celebrations In November, DPS recognizes National Native American Heritage Month. It is a dedicated time to honor the vibrant cultures and creations of our Native American peoples. While acknowledging the painful and complex histories of tribal nations, we also celebrate the tremendous accomplishments and contributions of Native peoples, who continue to be leaders and a source of inspiration. As always, it is important that we ground ourselves in the DPS Land Acknowledgement. The DPS Land Acknowledgement states: The DPS community acknowledges our Indigenous relatives who have lived in and cared for this ancient Land from time immemorial. We honor the deep, enduring relationship that the Arapaho (Hinono'ei), Cheyenne (Tsitsistas), Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute (Nuuchu), and citizens of all Tribal Nations maintain with the waters, plants, and living beings that call this place home. We pledge our respect for those enduring Indigenous connections to the place we now call Colorado. In addition to Native American Heritage Month, we are also celebrating: National School Psychology Week! On Nov. 9-13, we celebrate National School Psychology Week to recognize the work of school psychologists in helping students succeed. School psychologists work on prevention and intervention at all grade levels and lead mental health screening efforts like the Universal Social Emotional and Behavioral Screening (BESS). On Nov. 18, we will celebrate National Education Support Professionals Day! National Education Support Professionals Day and honor the efforts of every staff member who works to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of all students. Paraprofessionals, food service workers, bus drivers and mechanics, custodians and facility managers, school secretaries and clerical staff, nurses and health aides, maintenance employees, security personnel, landscapers and groundskeepers, technicians and more help create safe and welcoming learning environments for everyone. Last but not least, On Nov. 20, we celebrate Substitute Educators Day and recognize the effect guest educators have on our schools. They make a significant impact in maintaining what a teacher has in place for their classes, making sure that students continue learning and classrooms run smoothly. That’s all for this week. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of DPS Snapshots. Please remember to like and subscribe to our show to never miss an episode, and we’ll see you next time on DPS Snapshots.
