Katy Krogstad from Lena Archuleta shared this photo and said,"My favorite part about fall is the beautiful changing colors of the leaves. I like to take my dog up to the mountains to hike and camp in the fall colors! Last year we drove up to Aspen through Independence Pass, which has some of the best views of the trees as they change.” Read more fall favorites below!

We are committed to keeping all DPS team members informed about the changing conditions due to COVID-19 and how these changes affect your work. And, we recognize that keeping our team members up-to-date has meant many updates over the past few months!

To support Team DPS, we have gathered all of the latest information you need to know about returning to schools and worksites, and made it available in one place on The Commons. Just look for the orange button in the main navigation of the homepage to access the full Return 2020 site or type in thecommons.dpsk12.org/return. And be sure to check out these key resources:

Don't miss more information about free COVID-19 testing, allowable in-person activities, health standards and much more, all in one place.

Questions? Please reach out to thecommons@dpsk12.org.

The last few days may have felt like winter, but we're pretty sure we'll still have a fall and it's right around the corner. And one thing is for sure: Y'all love fall! Thank you to everyone who shared their fall favorites, and congratulations to our giveaway winner, Kirby Peterson of Farrell B. Howell ECE-8! 

5. "I love to decorate my home for Halloween; I have three Halloween dolls (witch, vampire, Frankenstein) that move and light up that we have had in my family for over 30 years! I have a collection of pumpkins, Hocus Pocus decorations, candles and even a mummy that does the 'Cupid Shuffle!' Fall and Halloween are my favorite!" -- Valerie Lovato, Edison

4. "I love fall because it's the time to really start using the oven to start baking all kinds of goodies! Especially my homemade pumpkin pies and banana bread -- yummy! And delicious homemade chicken rice soup!" -- Donna Rodriguez, NCAS

3. "SCARY MOVIES." -- Kirsten Myers-Blake, Brown International

2. "After the hot July and August, I love the slight chill in the air on my morning runs!" -- Tim Walmer, Communications

1. "Spring gets all the credit for being about rebirth and renewal, but what about fall? I love the cooling temperatures and getting to live in the midst of change! It reminds me that we're all constantly changing and there is beauty in that!" -- Kirby Peterson, Farrell B. Howell ECE-8

In the spirit of our Shared Core Value of Fun, we want to know what you think about this wild weather! Answer these two poll questions, and check back next week to see Team DPS' results.

To support team members in buying a home in the community they serve, DPS has partnered with Landed -- a San Francisco-based startup that helps employees in education buy a home through a down-payment assistance program. The company offers a shared equity down payment program for educators interested in purchasing a home.

Landed is hosting two online information sessions on Sept. 16 for all team members interested in learning more about Landed’s down payment program and other home-buying resources. Click here to RSVP and receive event login information for the 4 p.m. session and here for the 6:30 p.m. session. For more information, visit landed.com/signup or email Paula Davis.

"Mrs. Southwell has been a HUGE help in developing Marrama's virtual Back to School Night. She has collaborated with all of our staff to make a fun welcome back video and an extremely user-friendly Back to School Night website for students and families including Meet links, important information, help sheets and a question form. Without her creativity and intentionality, Marrama's Back to School Night wouldn't have been the success it was. We're lucky to have her on our team!"

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