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1. Applications for Colorado’s 2027 Teacher of the Year Close Today

Apply to be the next Teacher of the Year today via the link in our shownotes! The Colorado Teacher of the Year program elevates and celebrates exceptional educators. The 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year will receive $10,000 prize, become a nominee for the National Teacher of the Year award and get the opportunity to travel to D.C. with other state teachers of the year from across the country. Applications close TODAY, Friday, April 17.   

2. RSVP for an Upcoming Mill Levy Override (MLO) Community Meeting

Don’t forget to join DPS at one of the upcoming regional meetings to share your thoughts on the potential mill levy override. Attendees will participate in an interactive budget allocation tool to allocate funding for their top priorities. Each meeting will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. and food, childcare and interpretations will be available for each meeting. Meetings are scheduled for: 

• Tuesday, April 21: Gust Elementary (3440 W. Yale Ave.), Southwest region
• Monday, April 27: Westerly Creek Elementary (8800 E. 28th Ave.), Near Northeast Region
• Monday, May 4: Holm Elementary (3185 S. Willow St.), Southeast region
• Wednesday, May 6: Trevista At Horace Mann (4130 Navajo St.), Northwest region
• Tuesday, May 12: Responsive Arts & Steam Academy (RASA) (19201 E. 62nd Ave.), Far Northeast region
• Thursday, May 14: Whittier ECE School (2480 Downing St.), Central Region

We’ll see you there! 

3. Sustainability Updates: Earth Day Opportunities and More!

Earth Day is coming up! Ahead of Wednesday, April 22 be sure to read the Sustainability Team's newsletter. The newsletter provides opportunities to engage with local climate action, explore classroom resources and learn from what others are doing across the district. 

Sign up to receive the Sustainability newsletter or email dept_sustainability@dpsk12.net with your sustainability questions, and be part of the movement to help achieve the goals of the DPS Climate Action Plan. Together, we are building a cleaner, safer and more hopeful world for DPS students. 

4.Force Elementary Hosts CMAS Pep Rally

Force Elementary celebrated its first Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) pep rally, creating a fun and supportive sendoff for students ahead of testing. Students were cheered on as they walked the halls and into the gym, where they enjoyed a dance party and shared testing advice with one another. Younger students not taking the tests lined the halls, clapping and cheering on their peers.

You can watch the celebration.

5. DPS Celebrates Volunteer Appreciation Week

National Volunteer Appreciation Week is (April 20-25), and  DPS is celebrating the incredible impact of our family, employee and community volunteers who show up for our students every day.

There are 6,000 background-checked volunteers who are supporting our district-run schools and helping create brighter futures. These committed individuals help students feel seen, supported and ready to thrive. DPS volunteers are true partners in education. Thank you, DPS Volunteers for creating welcoming, inclusive and thriving learning environments grounded in our DPS Shared Core Values.

We have a Volunteer Appreciation video.

That’s all for this week, folks!