Cole Arts and Science Academy students give these compliment cards to school staff and each other as random acts of kindness. Head to the Top 5 for more kindness stories! |
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Recognizing Juneteenth as a Districtwide Holiday |
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Juneteenth was officially recognized in 2021 as an annual federal holiday and celebration to commemorate June 19, 1865. On that day, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Black people who were enslaved in Texas were told that slavery had been abolished and that they were free. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated throughout the country to recognize the end of slavery and honor the culture and achievements of Black and African Americans.
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, a historic law recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday each year on June 19. Last year, DPS recognized this through an early release day and committed to incorporating this holiday into our work year calendars going forward. This year, we're excited to add Juneteenth as a paid holiday for all DPS employees, making Monday, June 20, a paid day off.
Like with other holidays, if there is work that must happen on this day, employees will earn the holiday premium pay. We are partnering across departments to reflect this holiday in this year's calendar and future years. If you have questions about this work-year calendar change, reach out to your manager.
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Top 5: Random Acts of Kindness |
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Thanks to all the team members who shared their stories of kindness in honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day! Check out the Top 5 responses below, and find more heartwarming moments of kindness here. |
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5. “Several former students of mine handed me handwritten notes. One of them said, ‘Thank you for being my teacher and believing in me.’ This totally lifted my spirits and made my day!” -- Melinda Arguello, Marrama Elementary
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4. “Our head secretary, Rene Hernandez, often receives flowers from her husband. I admired one of her bouquets and she came into my room later with a small sampling of her flowers to brighten my room and my day.” -- Ami Patra, Schmitt Elementary
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3. “I was the recipient of a random act of kindness from Ms. Wagner's fourth-grade class. They all made me beautiful ‘Thank You’ cards telling me their favorite thing about art class, what they learned, or why they love it. I was overwhelmed when they each came up and handed me their handmade cards, said thank you and gave many hugs too! It made my day.”
-- Bonnie Roman, Florida Pitt Waller
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2. “At Cole Arts and Science Academy, our school social worker gave compliment cards to each student. The students then got to write a compliment for another student or staff member in the building. Devin Rodriguez makes sure our school is celebrating others and providing positive moments for all of our students.”
-- Meredith Brown, Cole Arts and Science Academy
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1. “I'd like to shout out one of our school social workers, Audrey Harriger. Audrey gives up her lunch time almost every single day to open up the gym and play basketball with our students. When I talked to her about it she said, ‘This is an opportunity to provide an outlet for students, to build community, and get to know kids that I may never get to know.’ This is a random act of kindness that builds bridges and breaks down barriers.”
-- Jessica Rodriguez Bracey, Northfield
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Top 5 Poll: Shared Core Values
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Whether it's our guiding value of Students First, the importance of Collaboration or an attitude of Fun, we want to know which of our six Shared Core Values resonates most with you. Choose your favorite below and we'll share the results in next week's edition!
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What's your favorite DPS Shared Core Value?
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1095-C Tax Forms are Now Available in Employee Space |
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Team members who enrolled in electronic delivery for their tax forms may access their 1095-C forms in Employee Space as of Feb. 18.
Use these instructions to access your 1095-C forms:
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Log in to Employee Space on the Employee Action Center with your DPS username and password.
- Click "Access Electronic W2 & 1095c" and enter your username and password again. You will need to be inside the DPS Network.
- Download your tax forms under “Recent Documents” on the left side of the page.
Team members who have not signed up for electronic delivery may expect their forms to be mailed this week. Note: 1095-C forms are not required for filing taxes; employees are able to complete federal and state tax returns without a 1095-C.
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Apply to the District Accountability Committee by March 11 |
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Do you have a passion or desire to help improve DPS by serving on an Advisory Board? Apply to the District Accountability Committee (DAC) by March 11. The DAC is open to DPS parents, staff and community members. The DAC application is available in the Consent Decree languages -- access the one-pager in your language for the link to apply.
The mission of the DAC is to serve as an advisory committee to the Denver Board of Education on matters such as budget priorities, SIP, charter school applications and other matters outlined in state statute or identified by the Board and superintendent.
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Participate in the Team DPS GIVES Campaign to Win a DMNS Gift Package |
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Win a Denver Museum of Nature and Science Gift Package by participating in the DPS Foundation’s Team DPS GIVES employee giving campaign! Make your donation by 5 p.m. Friday, March 4 and you’ll be entered to win a swag bag filled with:
- Six IMAX and museum entry vouchers
- A crystal growing dinosaur
- Coffee mug, tumbler and more!
The winner will be selected and notified on Friday, March 11. Support year round with payroll deductions of as little as $5 and you'll automatically be entered for this and future prize drawings. Already signed up for Team DPS GIVES payroll deductions? You're automatically entered! Note: No contribution is necessary to qualify for prizes. Visit the Team DPS Gives website to learn more.
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Discount Alert: Colorado Avalanche Hockey Games |
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Join the DPS Foundation for their DPS Discount Days to watch the Colorado Avalanche in three games at Ball Arena on March 13, 23, and 31! Discounted tickets start at $30, and $5 from each ticket sold will go back to the DPS Foundation to ensure every child succeeds! Get your tickets here.
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Unwind and Refresh with Mindfulness Practice |
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Looking for opportunities to relieve stress, learn how to slow down and settle, and become centered? Join mindfulness experts from Passage Works to learn how to work more skillfully and compassionately with the challenging emotions of work and life.
Register for a virtual mindfulness session on these dates:
Each session is from 4-4:30 p.m. Once you sign-up, you will receive an email from the Employee Wellness Team a few days in advance of your session with meeting information. Learn why mindfulness is good for your overall health here.
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Register Today for the ‘Spring into Motion’ Step Challenge |
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Ready to spring into motion? Rally your coworkers and get ready to enjoy the great outdoors this spring during this four-week step challenge, starting March 7. Participating in the challenge will keep you energized physically and mentally as you track your steps and compete against other DPS employees!
Whether you’re into biking, rock climbing or yoga -- you can log other physical activities that convert to steps on the challenge portal. Sync with 60+ mobile apps and devices include Apple Health and Fitbit! Through Spring into Motion, you’ll also be able to access daily tips, healthy recipes, a motivating team competition, and an engaging message board. Learn more and sign up today!
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Tracy Smith
School Nurse, Newlon Elementary
Students First and Accountability
"Tracy goes above and beyond for our students every single day. When she heard a student was having difficulty obtaining a new medical device due to a recall and supply shortages, Tracy quickly got to work finding a device for the student and taking the necessary steps to get it ready for his use, even hand delivering it to the student's home. When another student received a new medical diagnosis, she quickly got to work training necessary staff and getting a plan in place to support and keep them healthy. She has also worked incredibly hard for our entire community to protect us against COVID by disseminating information in a timely manner, bringing a vaccine clinic to our school and securing KN95 masks for our whole staff and student body."
-- Ashley Wessel, Newlon
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Denver Public Schools sends all district newsletters and critical employee communications through Constant Contact. Please do not unsubscribe your dpsk12.org email address from any message; if you unsubscribe from one newsletter or one communication, you will be removed from all other district-managed email lists in Constant Contact. If you have any questions, please email newsletters@dpsk12.org.
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