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Important Dates
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12.23-1.3 - Winter Break; school closed
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Athletic Events
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12.9 - Varsity basketball @ Denver Waldorf; girls at 5:00 p.m., boys at 6:30 p.m.
12.11 - MS basketball vs. Jim Elliot; girls at 4:00 p.m., boys at 5:00 p.m.
12.12 - Girls Varsity basketball @ Excelsior, 5:00 p.m.
12.12 - Boys basketball @ Arrupe Jesuit, JV at 5:30 p.m., Varsity at 7:00 p.m.
12.13 - Boys Varsity basketball @ Clear Creek, 6:00 p.m.
12.14 - Boys Varsity basketball @ Middle Park High School, 1:00 p.m.
12.17 - MS basketball vs. Front Range Christian; girls at 4:00 p.m., boys at 5:00 p.m.
12.17 - HS basketball @ Gilpin County; boys JV at 4:00 p.m., girls Varsity at 5:00 p.m., boys Varsity at 6:30 p.m.
12.19 - HS basketball vs. Skyview Academy; boys JV at 4:00 p.m., girls Varsity at 5:00 p.m., boys Varsity at 6:30 p.m.
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Dateline DA December 2013
Greetings!
Be a part of something amazing--24 hours to give where you live! On Tuesday, December 10, Coloradans will come together to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like ours through Colorado Gives Day. This is the perfect opportunity to support the Denver Academy Annual Fund.
Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day asks you to give to your favorite charities through the Colorado Gives Day website. Last year, a remarkable $15.7 million in gifts were donated to Colorado nonprofits.
Why donate to the DA Annual Fund?
- It supports 100 percent of DA students this school year
- It is budget relieving, covering five percent of our school's operating budget
- Your donation is tax deductible
Why participate in Colorado Gives Day?
- Be a part of a state wide effort to make a difference
- 100 percent of your donation benefits Denver Academy--no credit card processing fees!
- The value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund
You can donate now by pre-scheduling your donation, or wait until December 10 and donate online at any time during the 24-hour period on December 10 to "give where you live!"
Thank you for your belief in and support of Denver Academy!
Karen Lozow
Denver Academy
Director of Development
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DA News and Upcoming Events
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Hour of Code is Coming to DA!
We use electronics on a constant basis, but how many of us really know how they work? Fewer students in America are learning how computers work than a decade ago. Girls and minorities are severely underrepresented. And yet, technology is increasingly shaping almost every aspect of how we live our lives.
That's why teachers and students are joining in on the largest education event in history: The Hour of Code. During Computer Science Education Week (Dec. 9-15).
At Denver Academy, teachers Bev Ball, Chad Lindburg, Monica Johnson, Sara Bailey, Wanda Zimmermann and others will lead select classes of students through various tutorials. These tutorials can teach anything from Javascript to app creation. Ms. Ball, for example, will be teaching students to use Scratch, a program where students can create their own interactive stories, animations and games.
Our students are among over 5 million already planning to try one Hour of Code next week. We hope this experience will get students excited to learn these critical skills for 21st century success!
DAPA and Herd Meetings--Cancelled
December's DAPA and Herd meetings in December have been cancelled. Please attend our next meetings in January.
Mustang Net--Q1 Grades
What? Another great feature of Mustang Net is now available! Parents and students are now able to see quarterly grades online. Log in today and check it out!
Grant News
The DA Counseling Department received a grant of $6,600 from RLC Foundation, a donor-advised fund of  Rose Community Foundation to help expand its Girls' Empowerment Program in 2013 and 2014. This generous grant affords opportunities for a ropes course for senior girls; empowerment group opportunities for girls in grades 6 - 11; self-defense training for 11th grade girls and mother-daughter relationship building programming for middle school students and their mothers.
DA also received a grant of $10,000 from the Daniels Fund.
 We sincerely appreciate the support of the Daniels Fund and alumni parent, Brian Deevy, for arranging this trustee-directed gift. Since 2004, the Daniels Fund has provided grants totaling $310,000 to help advance our school and its programs. The benefits to DA students are immeasurable.
Book Fair a Success!
Thank you so much for your support at our Scholastic Book Fair! We had the most successful fair we've had in years, selling over $4,500 worth of items (over $2,700 of that comes back to the library and literacy specialists). We were also able to put 75 new books worth--nearly $1,000--in classrooms thanks to all of the classroom wish list donations, and we raised nearly $200 for Adopt-a-Family. Click here to take a look at some of the photos from the fair.
Unintentional Humor
Denver Academy alumni Brent Anderson co-authored the book Unintentional Humor and we're lucky to have a limited number of autographed copies for sale for the discounted price of $10 each. If you're interested, please contact Jolene Gutierrez. Profits will benefit the DA Library.
 | | Unintentional Humor Presentation |
Parent iPad Controls
At our Learning Differences Education Night last month, we offered a session with DA Counselor Lana Gollyhorn about how to manage technology with kids. At this session, many parents requested more information about how to set parental controls on iPads. Luckily, our IT staff had already created and posted this information and other great resources on their google site. Be sure to check it out!
Admissions Open Houses
Do you know a child that could benefit from a DA education? Be sure to let your friends know about our upcoming DA Admissions Open Houses. Prospective parents and students can come learn about our school, take a tour and talk to our student ambassadors and Admissions staff. www.denveracademy.org/openhouse
Next Open House: January 25 , 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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High School News
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College and Transition Information
Also, Juniors and their parents will have an abundance of post-secondary planning events during the second half of the school year. Events specific to Juniors may be found here.
After-Prom Committee
This year's after-prom committee is forming now and will start meeting after winter break on Jan. 23rd. We need volunteers for planning and for the night of After-Prom. Please contact Heather Rule, head of Mustang Connection, to let us know how you can help (planning committee, night of volunteering, donations of food and gift cards for raffle prizes).
High School Boys Basketball Coach Hired 
Anthony Mitchell, a learning specialist at George Washington High School, has been hired as the head coach for the Denver Academy Boys Basketball Team. Coach Mitchell brings a wealth of coaching experience to lead the Mustang "hoopsters" in 2013-2014. Mr. Mitchell, recently coached at 5A Brighton High School and led that team to the State tournament.
Asked about his first few weeks leading the Mustang five, Coach Mitchell replied, "I am enjoying every minute of coaching our young men. We are getting better by the practice but have a long way to go yet. I am looking forward to winning some games this year."
Coach Mitchell will be assisted by Coach Martin, a member of the physical education department. Jessica Greenberg will assist Coach Andy Klaus-Corritore with the Denver Academy Girls Basketball Team this season.
High School Baseball Information 
Looking at the snow outside, one may think of "springtime in the Rockies," and that brings to mind Denver Academy baseball. This year the team will practice on Thursday and Friday of spring break, (April 3 and 4) as we will be playing a game on Saturday, April 5 against Clear Creek. Parents of interested baseball players, please make your spring break plans knowing this ahead of time. If there are questions, please contact Coach McLaughlin.
Finals Schedule
Thursday, December 19
| Homeroom check-in | 8:00-8:25 a.m. | | Final - 1st period | 8:35-10:05 a.m. | | Final - 3rd period | 10:15-11:45 a.m. | | Lunch | 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | | Final - 6th period | 12:45-2:15 p.m. | | SEC | 2:25-3:15 p.m. |
Friday, December 20
| Homeroom check-in | 8:00-8:25 a.m. | | Final - 2nd period | 8:35-10:05 a.m. | | Final - 4th period | 10:15-11:45 a.m. | | Lunch | 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | | Final -7th period | 12:45-2:15 p.m. | | SEC | 2:25-3:15 p.m. |
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Lower School News
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The Middle School had their 4th Annual People vs. Pets Fundraiser in the month of November. People vs. Pets is a competition for a good cause, with the goal of donating non-perishable goods to Jewish Family Services of Colorado and pet products to the Dumb Friends League.
This year, the west side represented the pets and the east side represented the people. The west side won the contest with 157 lbs. of pet food, over a very respectable 133 lbs. of "people" food from the east side. The Middle School will be rewarded with a waffle breakfast on a Wednesday in January.
Elementary Winter Celebration 
Families, please join your DA student for an afternoon of music, festivities and fun. Students will celebrate the season through a winter-inspired musical performance. Snacks and fellowship will follow. We look forward to seeing you there!
Date: Thursday, December 19
Time: 2:15-3:00 p.m.
Place: Denver Academy Elementary Building
MS Information Meeting
Middle School will have an information meeting for 6th grade parents on Dec 12 at 8:00 a.m. in the Middle School. Please join our middle school teachers as they discuss the complete transition process including shadowing, expectations, observations, electives and placement.
Elementary Food Drive
Elementary held a food drive for the month of November for the second year. The students donated 230 pounds (wow!) of non-perishable goods to Jewish Family Services of Colorado.
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LD & Community News
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Raising Happiness
Graland Country Day School and The Graland Parent Association's Parent Education Network invite your school community to join us for an evening with:
Dr. Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Graland Country Day School
We kindly ask that you rsvp at: www.graland.org
New scientific research reveals that happiness is a learned skill and that parenting styles and practices have a tremendous effect on children's emotional outlook on life. A sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, Ph.D. also writes an award-winning blog, which is syndicated on the HuffingtonPost and PsychologyToday.com. Dr. Carter draws on psychology, sociology and neuroscience, and uses her own chaotic and often hilarious real-world adventures to demonstrate the do's and don'ts in action.
Developing Social Skills in Children
Helping children learn to socialize with their peers and manage their emotions is crucial to their long term well-being and success. Fortunately, children's brains are wired to help them become socially successful.
Craig Knippenberg, child therapist and former DA board member, has a new video out about the social brain. It is connected to an upcoming book that he is publishing.
For a quick look at how children develop social skills, check out Craig's video series, Will You Be My Friend? Understanding Your Child's Social Brain Into Young Adulthood.
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