Posted December 18, 2020
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Dear Hallett Families,
We have reached Winter Break, and I could not be more proud of the work our community has done to get here. Our team has been committed to serving our students despite constantly changing environments and challenges. Our students have committed to daily engagement and growth despite new and often frustrating platforms.
I am proud to say that during recent reading assessments, our Hallett Hawks demonstrated the highest growth of students reading at or above grade level here in the Near Northeast region! This is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to our amazing community of educators and students.
Though this isn’t the holiday season that we had hoped for, I hope you are able to find rest and joy during this break. We look forward to the days when we can resume our holiday celebrations together, and we know they will only be sweeter after the lessons and experiences of 2020.
As we prepare for the new year, remember that DPS announced the intent to return to in-person learning on Monday, January 11th. This means that when we return after Winter Break (on Tuesday, January 5), all of us will continue in remote learning until January 11th.
Thank you for being a part of our community. Have a safe, healthy, and joyful winter break and holiday season. (If you are in need of support over the break, please see below for several resources.)
With love,
Dominique Jefferson
Hallett Families: All families with children entering ECE, Kindergarten, Middle or High School MUST participate in SchoolChoice. This year, Round 1 is taking place from January 15th-February 16th. Please be sure to let us know if you have questions about this process (which takes place entirely online). Ms. Yvonne or Ali Larson can support you through this process, so please reach out at any time: 720-424-6070 or alison_larson@dpsk12.org.
Please tell your neighbors and friends about Hallett and the wonderful things happening here!
5th Grade Families: We hope to provide space for a few virtual tours of some middle school options in January. Please keep an eye out for emails from various schools to learn more about what is out there for your child! See below for more information.
We will continue to provide more information about options as we receive it!
Denver Green School Northfield Open House: DGS Northfield is a middle school option in our zone that students of Hallett have a preference to get into. The school is hosting open houses on January 12th and January 19th. You can sign up for an open house here. You can also learn more about this school, which focuses on creating a joyful and safe community and the power of engaging and relevant learning by checking out their website, dgsnorthfield.org and watching their informational video.
McAuliffe International School: You are welcome to access our online presentation, promotional video, and activities list at your convenience, or you can join us at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th, January 7th or January 14th, to watch the presentation and video and then join us for a live question and answer session with McAuliffe staff members via Zoom. If you choose to join us for one of the evening presentations, please be sure to sign-up here to reserve your spot.
Denver Discovery School: Offering virtual tours soon. Check out more about them here.
AGENCY: ACTION CENTER
AGENCY: INTEGRATED FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICES
AGENCY: COMMUNITY MINISTRY
AGENCY: KENZI’S CAUSES
Location: 2877 Lawrence St. Denver County
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.