Weekly Commander Communicators

• Picture Day Retakes/Alternatives: On Friday, January 22nd, we will host another make-up day and will be sending out detailed information on this closer to the date!
   
  We also have another service that students can use to take photos at home and still be included in the yearbook if they are not comfortable coming to the school. This service is called Yearbook Snap.
   
  This is how you use it:
  Download the “Yearbook Snap” in your IOS or Android app store
  Enter our school name and the access code: JFK to upload from your phone 
       OR 
  Go to www.yearbookforever.com
  Enter our school name then click “Snap” or “Community Upload”
  Enter access code: JFK and upload from your computer
  Please reach out to ryan_aichele@dpsk12.org if you have any questions regarding in-person picture day and logan_radigann@dpsk12.org with any questions on Yearbook Snap!
   
• Free COVID Testing Available for All Community Members: Now through the end of December, free COVID-19 testing is available to all community members. Through a partnership with Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, COVIDCheck Colorado -- which has been providing free testing to all DPS employees -- is offering free tests for all employees, their families and members of the Denver community to help slow the spread of COVID.
  
  Community members can use this link to schedule a free test at one of several locations throughout the Denver-metro area. (DPS team members should continue registering for testing using this link to support our internal case tracking efforts.) Please register for a test in advance to help manage testing flow and reduce wait times.

• Commander Spotlight: Micheal Kazimour made an IB Film youtube channel on his own time!
• Commander Shoutout: 
  • Kaylee Bartsche - Student Leadership in Groups
  • Daniel Martinez (9th grader) - continually demonstrates inclusion and collaboration by always responding in the pear deck, chat, and even on the mic. He has modeled to his peers what it truly mean to be a Commander with P.R.I.D.E!
  • Monique Garza - Contribution to class culture and discussion.  Thoughtfulness.
  • Benny Hoang -  Critical thinking and taking on challenges.
  • Lynzie Lucas -  Taking risks
  • Yvette Hernandez - Thinking deeply and considering carefully.  Taking risks in her responses.
  • Alan Ayala -  Going above and beyond in his writing!

• PRIDE Celebration: We will be hosting our PRIDE Celebration the Thursday we return from break: Thursday, December 3rd.

• PRIDE Podcast: Check out the latest episode of our PRIDE Podcast here.  

• Here is a link to information on Free Covid Tests.
• C4HCO - Open Enrollment Begins Sunday, November 1! With spikes in COVID-19 cases and the cold and flu seasons at our doorsteps, it more important than ever to make sure all Coloradans have access to affordable health insurance. To do so, Connect for Health Colorado has spent the last couple of months making necessary changes for a successful, mainly virtual, eighth Open Enrollment Period. This year’s Open Enrollment period begins November 1, 2020 and ends on January 15, 2021. Here are some helpful reminders and virtual tools for you:
  • Web and print versions of resources are available to you free of charge through our Open Enrollment Online Toolkit and our Online Store.
  • Free, virtual, and in-person help is available from our certified Connect for Health Colorado enrollment experts located throughout the state. Click here to find assistance in your area.
• Here is information on an organization that helps families get access to food. 
• Here is information on where to get Free Meals from DPS.
• Here is the link to access DPS Coronavirus Resources. 
• Here is the Southwest Denver Free Activities Calendar
• FLU VACCINES are now available at our Denver Health Clinic!
  • You must be a DPS STUDENT
  • You must be consented for the Denver Health Clinic and also for the Flu Vaccine
    • English E-Sign
    • Spanish E-Sign
  • To make an appointment: E-mail SBHC@dhha.org or call 303-602-8958 or the JFK Clinic direct number: 720-423-4355
• For more information on resources click here.

IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING REMOTE LEARNING!
Due to a trend of dangerously high COVID19 rates outside of schools in many parts of Denver, DPS is making the difficult decision to shift all grades and programs to remote learning, beginning on Monday, Nov. 30 through the winter break. This means our center based program and remote learning center students will be going back to remote learning at home. You can read the entire update here. 

Same as last week:

• Chromebooks: If you are in need of a Chromebook you can pick them up at the school any weekday between 7 AM and 3 PM.
• Hotspots: If you are in need of a hotspot please email laurentz_gilmore@dpsk12.org. We do not have many available but we are working on adding more to our inventory so for now, you will be put on a waitlist until we have more.
• DoTS has been working with CenturyLink in regards to the issue of slow internet speeds on Chromebooks and have narrowed it down to newer modems that have built-in security features.  
  CenturyLink has created an email address specifically to provide customer service for families who may be experiencing slow network speeds on their DPS-issued Chromebooks.  
  For any families continuing to experience these issues, please have them email chromebook@centurylink.com for continued troubleshooting on their end.
• Snow Days: In the event of inclement weather that would require closure of DPS buildings and offices, all K-12 students will have a remote learning day. Our students have already lost so much learning time due to the COVID-19 crisis. Our students lost two weeks around spring break last school year, when the crisis hit. We started this school year a week late, and there have been countless instructional hours lost in the transition from in-person to remote learning. We also know that for most of our students who are currently learning remotely, a snow day is no different than a normal remote learning day. With that in mind, DPS feels it’s critical to do whatever we can to maximize academic instruction and support for our students, even on days when students and staff can’t report to school for in-person learning. 

• Troubleshooting: Please contact laurentz_gilmore@dpsk12.org if you are having issues attending your courses in Schoology.

• 11/23 — 11/27 — No School
• 01/04 — Return to In Person (tentative)
• 01/24 —

For more information on any of these events check jfk.dpsk12.org

• Here is a helpful guide for students containing schedule resources, student information, and more!
• Here is the link to our Thanksgiving Basket Fundraiser
• Click here to access Student Schoology Supports
• Here is a Schoology Parent Guide
• Download our Free Online Tutoring App
• Here is a resource outlining Mask Guidance
• Here is the link to the Virtual Town Hall Q&A Document.
• Here is the "How To Get to Class in a Remote World" guide in English and Spanish.
• Here is the link to our 20-21 Attendance Policy.
• Here is the link to our step by step online Registration process. All families are required to register their children each school year.
• Schoology Parent One-Pager English | Spanish 
• Parent Portal Login Presentation
• Parent Portal Login Video
• Schoology App Login Guide - English | Spanish
• Schoology Parent/Guardian FAQ - English | Spanish
• Here is the link to our COVID Relief Go Fund Me page, donate if you can, and reach out to me at tiffany_almon@dpsk12.org if you need support from this fund

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL

2855 S. LAMAR ST. DENVER, CO 80227