Hallett Community News: 11/18/21

Posted November 18, 2021

Upcoming Dates For Your Calendar

  • Monday, November 8- Sunday, November 21: Virtual Scholastic Book Fair
  • Friday, November 19 – Friday, November 26: Thanksgiving Break, No School for Students
  • Monday, November 29: Students Return to School
  • Monday, December 20 – Monday, January 3: Winter Break, No School for Students

Dear Hallett Families,

This week was packed with fun, joy, and learning! Thank you to all of our Hawks who made it extra special by participating in Spirit Week!

As a reminder, DPS decided that Thanksgiving Break will start early. There is no school for students tomorrow, Friday, November 19! We look forward to seeing students back on Monday, November 29.

Thank you to all the parents/guardians who have reviewed the Title I information, and filled out the form! Parents/guardians who have not reviewed that information will receive a reminder on Monday, November 29.

We will provide answers to all the questions submitted through the Title I form in next week’s newsletter.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Break! We can’t wait to see everyone again on Monday, November 29!

With love,
Dominique Jefferson

In This Newsletter

Click on the item to read more!

COVID-19 Reporting Over Break

Greetings Hallett Families, 

I certainly hope that everyone in our community has a very happy and healthy week away from school. If a situation arises where there is a COVID positive result for your Hallett student or within your household, please follow the steps listed below so that we are able to report any student cases and have an accurate record of student return dates. 

COVID Reporting Over Break:

  • Email: Dominique Jefferson and Nurse: Ashley Mcmullen 
  • Please provide the following info:
    • Date of symptom onset (if symptoms are present)
    • List of symptoms (if symptoms are present)
    • Date of testing
    • Date of the positive result
    • Type of test administered – PCR/Molecular or Antigen
    • *If a student needs to quarantine based on a positive COVID result within the household, please only report the date of symptom onset for the COVID positive person, the date of testing, and the date of the positive result. We do NOT need info regarding specific symptoms of test type. 
    • Any other information that you feel is pertinent to the case

I will be checking email periodically over the break to monitor for any COVID reports. I will follow up via email if I have any clarifying questions and with the specific information about when the student can return to normal activities and school. 

Over the break, we will not send out any schoolwide notices for positive cases as we will not have any close contacts to report, and students will not be in shared spaces during that time. The total number of cases will continue to be reported on the DPS COVID Dashboard.

As always, thank you for your help in making sure this process runs as smoothly as possible!

In Partnership,

Dominique Jefferson 

Title I

Hallett is a Title I school, and as a parent of a child at a Title I school there is some important information you need to have! It is important that you watch the short video below, and fill out form letting us know you have watched the video!

Thank you to all the parents/guardians who have reviewed the information, and filled out the form. We will send out a reminder to all parents/guardians who have not signed the form on Monday, November 29. Additionally, we will answer all the questions submitted through the form in next week’s newsletter!

Thanksgiving Basket Pick-Up

If you reserved a Thanksgiving Basket with The House Worship Center pick-up is this weekend!

When: Saturday, November 20 12:30-3:00pm
Where: The House Worship Center 4141 E 35th Ave

Help The Hallett Music Program!
COVID-19 Vaccines for Children

INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

The most effective way to keep our schools healthy and safe — and our students learning in person — is by getting your family vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are now available for everyone age 5 and older. 

Benefits of getting vaccinated:

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 has many benefits for you, your child, your family and your community, including:

  • More in-person learning days! The vaccine helps us reduce the unpredictability of the pandemic.  
  • If you are exposed to COVID you will not need to quarantine, unless you develop symptoms.
  • Safer and easier to participate in extracurricular sports and clubs.
  • Helps us get closer to returning to more of our pre-COVID freedoms, like not wearing masks.
  • Protects your family members, particularly those at higher risk — and means there can be more hugs!

Where to get a vaccine:COVID vaccinations for all eligible individuals — now including children ages 5 and up — are available for free through our Denver Health School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs). With 18 locations across the district, our SBHCs offer a quick and convenient way to get vaccinated. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, please contact Denver Health at 303-602-8958.
Other vaccine providers:COVID vaccinations are widely available across the City and County of Denver. Talk with your child’s primary-care provider to find out if they are providing COVID vaccinations. You can also locate a vaccine provider through the national website Vaccine.gov.To learn more about DPS’ response to COVID-19 and how to keep your student safe and healthy, please visit www.dpsk12.org.

Book Fair November 8-21!
Resources for Families

Visit the new resources page on our website to find a wide range of supports available to families!
Below is just some of what you will find there! Visit our website to view all of the resources available!

Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Agencies (Therapy/Counseling)

Mental Health Hotlines & Websites

Denver Health School-Based Health ClinicsThe closest Denver Health School-Based Health Clinic to Hallett is at Bruce Randolph: 3955 Steele St.
Services

  • Well Child Checks or sports physicals. This may include:
  • routine lab tests and
  • immunizations.
  • Prescriptions and medications
  • Care for chronic conditions such as asthma and depression
  • Care for acute injury and illness
  • Individual, group and family mental health counseling
  • Dental screening, sealants, routine cleanings, and dental
  • X-rays (at select locations)
  • Parent and child health education

Community Resources

Housing and Shelter

Food Pantries

Counseling Resources

The University of Colorado Denver Student and Community Counseling Center clinic provides counseling services for children, families, and individual adults for DPS at a rate of $10 per session provided by our Masters-level counselors.

Friday Powersacks

Dear Hallett Families,

This school year your student will receive and bring home a large “Powersack” of food, which is being provided by your friends at Food for Thought!

We are a grass-roots group of neighbors who want to make sure every student has meals to eat over the weekend! We hope this bag will help provide meals and snacks for your student and your family each weekend. All funds for this food are privately funded with great passion. Please be respectful of the contents of the bag! Help us by ensuring all the food gets to your home or a family in need. We are very cautious of ‘expired’ dating. Please review the attached documents to understand how these dates are determined. If you don’t need the food in this bag, please pass it on to another family member or neighbor in need.

Your student will receive a Powersack every other Friday during the school year. Students will receive the Powersack on the following dates Friday:

9/24, 10/1, 10/29, 11/12, 12/3 and 12/17.

We welcome your feedback! Please let us know what you think of our program! You can reach us at info@foodforthoughtdenver.org. If you have additional questions feel free to contact your School representative, Brittany Talvy at 720-424-6099 or brittany_talvy@dpsk12.org

We wish you and your student(s) a productive and fun school year.

Bob Bell

Co-Founder

Food For Thought – Denver

720-201-9192

www.FoodForThoughtDenver.com

Pink Pantry Totes of Hope

Pink Pantry Totes of Hope is teaming up with the staff of Hallett Academy and the Food Bank of the Rockies to offer a supply of nutritious meals and snacks for students over their weekends and extended breaks, free of charge. Bags will be distributed to students at dismissal on the last school day before the weekend or break. Occasionally there will be fresh produce and food available on Friday on the playground by the basketball courts.

Any child enrolled in Hallett Academy is able to receive these weekly bags of food. If you feel like your family is in need from this program, we encourage you to sign up by filling the form out below and returning it to school. Only one form is needed per family, but include information for each child on the form below. This information is kept confidential. Once your family is signed up, they will receive bags of food each week until they leave the school or until you no longer wish to participate.

We encourage you to take advantage of this program for your family and your students. Questions or concerns? Please contact: Brittany Talvy, School Psychologist 720-424-6099 or at Brittany_talvy@dpsk12.org

———————————————————————————————————————

Click here to download the form | Fill out online: https://forms.gle/4mPvo4tfEwKYRJeW9

Drive-Thru Food Distribution
DPS Weather Delay Process

New for this school year, all schools (regardless of start time) will be delayed by two hours if a Weather Delay is called by the district.

We are committed to informing families about school closures or delays as early as possible – with the goal to make the call by 5 a.m.

The decision to delay or close will be made by the superintendent. That decision is based on expected accumulation of snow, the size of the storm and its duration.

The superintendent, transportation director and other district officials assess local & national weather projections and an independent weather service. Leaders also confer with City of Denver plowing schedules, CDOT and neighboring school districts before making the call.

When inclement weather reaches the metro area, members of the DPS Department of Safety and Facility Management teams visit sites checking on the impact of the weather in and around our schools. That information is shared with DPS leadership and is used in the decision-making process.

FAQ

How will I know if my child’s school is closed or delayed?

DPS announces closures or delays via the following communications tools:

  • Automated calls and emails – Families who provide phone numbers or email addresses to schools will receive a phone call and/or an email announcing any closure or delay due to inclement weather.
  • Bus Bulletin, DPS’ new tool automatically informing parents of any school bus delays. Learn more or sign up here.
  • News media – DPS immediately notifies news media for inclusion on their weather closing or delays lists.
  • DPS homepage – Closures and delays are announced via a red “alert” banner across the top of the district homepage at www.dpsk12.org.
  • DPS social media – Announcements to close or delay school will quickly be posted to Facebook @Denver Public Schools and Twitter @DPSNewsNow.
  • District closure/delay hotline – A message announcing the closure or delay will be left on the school district’s closure hotline at 720-423-3200, as well on the DPS Transportation Services hotline at 720-423-4600.

What goes into the decision to close or delay a school?

The decision to keep schools open, to delay them or to close them during winter weather is made with one overriding factor in mind: the well-being of DPS students and their families. Schools are not only vital places of learning for students, but they also provide nutrition, health care, counseling and essential support services. Whenever possible, DPS strives to keep schools open. If schools are closed, all school-related activities that day – athletics, performances – are also canceled.

What happens with other activities, such as after-school sports, if schools are closed?

If schools are closed, all school-related activities that day – athletics, performances – are also canceled.

What is a weather delay? How does it impact Discovery Link?

New for the 2019-20 school year, all schools (regardless of start time) will be delayed by two hours if a Weather Delay is called by the district.The end time of the school day will not change.

Discovery Link programming, available at many of our schools, will also be delayed by two hours, beginning at 8:30 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m. Please know that Discovery Link is available only for enrolled students.

What if I need to go to work before the delayed start time?

We encourage families to seek out alternative childcare. If you are concerned about your ability to do so, please connect with your school leader in advance of a delay. Note that before school Discovery Link programming will still occur (beginning two hours later) however these programs are only available to already enrolled students due to state licensing restriction

What time will buses arrive during a delayed start? 

You can expect your bus to arrive about two hours later than it would arrive on a traditional day.

What is the impact of a two-hour delay on afterschool activities?

Unless it is otherwise communicated, afterschool activities will still happen on days when there is a two-hour delay.Updates will be posted on the dpsk12.org homepage.

What if I have another question?

Please submit questions to communications@dpsk12.org; frequently asked questions will be added to this list.

Rent Assistance
FACE Center

The FACE Centers offer free wraparound services to community members 16 or older in order to obtain critical life skills to increase their economic self-sufficiency and the academic achievement of their students.

The FACE Centers offer a variety of multi-generation services at one location, making it convenient for families to benefit from multiple services offered in their school community. Participants do not have to be DPS parents, all services are open to all community members.

FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES OFFERED AT THE FACE CENTERS

  • GED Classes
  • Workforce development: Job placement, resume building, workforce training, interview preparation
  • DPS Hiring Pipeline: for jobs available in Food Services Department, Facilities, Paraprofessional and more!
  • English Classes
  • Financial LiteracyCitizenship classes
  • Computer classes
  • Early Literacy classes
  • Legal Clinics and Workshops
  • Basic needs assistance
  • Social Emotional Support
  • Free Childcare during all classes

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CLASS SCHEDULE
AND TO REGISTER FOR ANY OF THE CLASSES AND SERVICES, PLEASE CONTACT:
FACE Center – Johnson Elementary School

1850 South Irving St. Denver, CO 80219 Phone: 720.424.2970

FACE Center – John H. Amesse Elementary School

54400 Scranton St. Denver, CO, 80239 Phone: 720.424.2961

Benefit Concert Video