Hallett Academy Community News: Friday, December 4

Posted December 8, 2020

Download the newsletter here.

Upcoming Dates For Your Calendar

  • Fridays December 4, 11, & 18 (12:30-3:30pm): Food Pantry Pick-up
  • Dec 14-18: Spirit Week!
  • Friday, Dec 18: Asynchronous Day (No Live-Instruction)
  • Dec 21 – Jan 4: Winter Break, No School

Community Updates

Dear Hallett Families,

I hope your Thanksgiving Break gave you an opportunity for rest and respite. We are back in remote learning through winter break, for now. While we all miss being together in person, we continue to get better at this new form of learning. I am grateful for your adaptability, flexibility, and resilience throughout these ever-changing times. You bring me life and hope!

Thank you for being with us.

With love,
Dominique Jefferson


Friday, Dec 18 – No Live Instruction

Please mark your calendars for an Asynchronous Day on Friday, December 18th before we head into Winter Break. There will be no live instruction on this date.


Spirit Week – Dec 14-18

Join us during the last week of school this month for a fun Spirit Week! Participate by dressing up in the themes below:


Important Note From Ms. Yvonne & Front Office

As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, I want to tell you how very thankful

As we begin planning for the rest of the school year, we wanted to share information with families who would like to change their learning option (either in-person or virtual) for next semester.
Elementary school families with students in grades K-5 can request a change to their current learning option the week after Thanksgiving break. The window to make a change will be open Monday, November 30.

Elementary families who don’t take action will remain enrolled in their current learning option through the end of the 2020 / 2021 school year.
Much like this semester, we are hoping to be able to offer in-person learning for all elementary students next semester, along with 100% virtual option, but it will depend on current health conditions at the time. 

Therefore, families enrolled in the in-person option are choosing that they want their student to attend school in-person as much as possible as soon as the health conditions allow through the end of the school year. Families that don’t feel comfortable having their student participate in in-person learning for the spring (through May 2021) should be enrolled in the 100% virtual option.

If you would like to request a change to your current learning option, please complete the Learning Option Update form on the Parent Portal by December 6th. You can also call the school’s front office at 720-424-6070 to request a paper form or you can request the changes over the phone.
Please keep in mind that the office staff will be working remotely, so please leave a message and the office staff will return you call as soon as possible.
We will make every effort to accommodate change requests for families who need it. Families who put in a request for a change to student’s learning option can expect to receive confirmation from us after December 7th.

Again, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.


Remote Learning Center Center Updates

**Hallett will no longer be a Remote Learning Site through Discovery Link. Hallett Families can use the code: grantsite2020 to participate in one of the 30 locations for free. If you are having issues registering, please contact dia_bryant@dpsk12.org

As COVID-19 conditions change in Denver, we are adjusting our programming to prioritize the health and safety of our students and families.DPS announced the difficult decision to shift all K-12 grades and programs to remote learning, beginning on Monday, Nov. 30 through the winter break. ECE families will receive supports for at-home instruction, but we will not be offering full remote learning for ECE students. This means that Discovery Link will not offer before and after school programs and shift to offering Remote Learning Support Centers for elementary school students. Registration opened on November 19th at 6 pm.

Please click here to register for Remote Learning Support Centers, which will be available at 30 locations for families who need support from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m with a capacity of 30 students per site. The majority of locations will cost $16 per day, with 8 grant-funded locations being provided free to families who attend those schools. Spots at Remote Learning Support Centers are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Families should remove days from their calendars and accounts will be credited for before and afterschool fees through Dec. 18. If you have questions, please contact discovery_link@dpsk12.org

Sites offering Remote Learning Support: Barnum, Isabella Bird, Bill Roberts, Bradley, Brown, C3, Carson, Colfax, Cowell, DCIS Fairmount, DLS East, Eagleton, Ellis, Inspire, Kaiser, Lincoln, McKinley Thatcher, McMeen, Monroe, Polaris, Sandoval, Slavens, Southmoor, Steck, Steele, Swigert, Teller, Trevista, Valdez, Willow.


Free Workshop – Caring for Grieving Kids

Hosted by Judi’s House, this workshop is tailored for parents, guardians, and adult family members. The workshop fosters increased understanding and connection for adults caring for grieving youth. Experienced grief counselors will share information about children’s common grief reactions, understanding of death, and coping in addition to reviewing helpful caregiving strategies. Register for one of the upcoming sessions:December 10th, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST (English)December 10th, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST (Spanish)


Cold vs Flu vs COVID-19

Feeling sick? Many of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, which can make it hard to tell the difference based on symptoms alone. They are both contagious respiratory illnesses that are caused by different viruses. If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue or others, we recommend you get a COVID-19 test.  
Free testing for DPS students will be available for same day appointments, including Saturday, with a 24-hour turn around at the following Denver Health locations:

  • Federico F. Pena Southwest Family Health Center and Urgent Care
  • Lowry Family Health Center
  • Montbello Family Health Center
  • Rita Bass Trauma and EMS Education Institute



Food & Other Assitance

Please see the letter above about weekend food bags. If you are interested please fill out this form or contact Ms. Talvy at brittany_talvy@dpsk12.org or 720-424-6099.

Important: If your family is struggling in ways that we might be able to support, we hope you will reach out. We have access to many resources that might be helpful and would appreciate knowing how we can best meet the needs of our families. Please fill out this survey and we will be in touch:


Free COVID-19 Testing for Students

Denver Health’s School-based Health Centers (SBHC) and Denver Public Schools (DPS) announced yesterday that students throughout the entire district will now have access to free COVID-19 tests at any of the four Denver Health testing sites, starting immediately.
Read HERE for more information.


Technology Reminder

Please remember to send your child with his/her device every day. Given these uncertain times, you never know when your child will need to work remotely.


Emergency Assistance

Knowing the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the lives of Denver families, DHS is now offering emergency/disaster assistance payments up to $4,000 to qualifying residents. These payments can be used for a variety of reasons – to cover rent or pay the mortgage, to pay for mental or medical care, to pay for home or auto repairs, to pay for food or school supplies, and more. To qualify, one must be:

  • TANF Broad-Based Eligibility Criteria for Disaster Aid: Denver resident
  • Household is determined to be ineligible for public assistance programs;
  • Annual household income is under $75,000;
  • Eligible child in the household (according to state rules and regulations);
  • Lawfully present in the country; and
  • Has a need for services directly relating COVID-19-related emergency

The program is open until funds are exhausted. To apply, go to Colorado.gov/PEAK and apply for Colorado Works/TANF. Please note that because this is a unique and temporary program, the “Am I eligible?” feature will not distinguish between this program and the regular Colorado Works/TANF programs. We encourage anyone with questions to call 720-944-4DHS (4347) to speak with a customer services representative.