
Dear Commander Community, Happy New Year! Winter Break began with the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. Many say that the Solstice is a time for reflection and contemplation, a time to withdraw into the darkness to find the light that we will bring into the New Year. This year, the ceremonious time of the Winter Solstice was compounded with the rare occurrence of Jupiter and Saturn appearing so close they seem to almost collide. What a powerful way to end such a tumultuous, unprecedented year! I am hopeful that you were able to rest, recharge, let go of hardships that 2020 may have brought you and your loved ones, and make space to let in hope, gratitude, and positivity for 2021. We will begin the second semester strong on January 5th remotely for all students and the bell schedule will not change; therefore, you will not have to learn a new routine or schedule. Check your Student Portal for your schedule, since you will have 4 new classes, and log on for your Anchor Cohort at 8 am sharp. Tuesday the 5th is a GREEN day. Your grades for semester 1 are final and you will receive a packet in the mail that includes your report card and important semester 2 information. Counselors worked over the break to ensure that you had correctly scheduled semester two courses. The counselors will post information on how to request a schedule change if necessary; but, as in the past, schedule changes will only be made for a limited amount of time and for necessary reasons. Click here for the breakdown of what a day in the life of an in person student looks like should we return to in person learning on 1/19/20. In person hours at school are from 8am - 2:20pm. We prioritized safety, getting students back on track, excellence in academic and social emotional learning, and equitable learning experiences for all. Please note that most students will return for 2 days of full day in person learning, while many of our most vulnerable students will return for 4 days of full day in person learning. This will be the model we utilize as long as we are restricted by state COVID-19 health and safety guardrails. Thank you for all of the parents and students who gave us feedback and ideas as we developed this plan. We are so much stronger together! Starting in January, Denver Public Library will be offering Chromebooks/Hotspots for 3-month checkout periods and it is open to anyone! Those interested will need to contact them at 720-865-2362 and leave a message or email nap@denverlibrary.org. They can also call with an interpreter for people who need more language support. These devices will hopefully be available in January, but I do not have an exact timeline yet. Denver Public Library is starting to spread the word so they can have a list of who is interested and they can help them get library cards and understand the checkout process with language support. These devices will be in limited supply and high demand, so they can't guarantee a device right away for everyone but it may be a good resource for those who have been on our hotspot waitlist for a while! This program is sponsored by the Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. I am looking forward to beginning the new year with all of you, and hopefully welcoming many of you back into our school on January 19th. Stay safe, strong, and joyful. |
Tiffany Almon
Proud Principal
She, her, hers and why they matter
tiffany_almon@dpsk12.org
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