 I hope that you and your family have enjoyed a restful three-day Martin Luther King Day weekend. The second semester is off to a fast start, and I am sure that the extra day of rest will be valued by our students, faculty, staff, and families.
Tuesday, January 22nd is an important day in the enrollment timeline for the 2019-2020 school year. On this day, the Enroll Now function of EnrollJeffco (enrolljeffco.org) will go live. This allows families to enter the EnrollJeffco system to select schools for next school year. We ask that D’Evelyn families with current students enter the system to make selections for next year. However, it is especially important that all families with students interested in attending D’Evelyn next year for the first time in grades 7, 8, or 9, enter the system and submit their child’s name for potential enrollment. This includes families with students in all priority groups, including students finishing sixth grade at Dennison Elementary and students with older siblings already attending D’Evelyn. The deadline for completing your enrollment declarations and requests in EnrollJeffco is Friday, February 8th. After that day, D’Evelyn will not be able to add any students to their lottery for the first round of choice enrollment. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
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Welcome back! I hope that you and your family enjoyed the Winter Break and a very happy holiday season. I am excited to begin 2019 and lead the D’Evelyn community through an outstanding 2nd semester of the school year. It is always refreshing for me personally to welcome back students after an extended break, as I have the opportunity to renew my work amongst the most important people in our D’Evelyn community. The semester is off to a great start both inside and outside of the classroom, and I know that many more momentous occasions, experiences, and accomplishments lay ahead.
January and February bring us into a very important window for students and families as the enrollment process of the 2019-2020 school year will begin in earnest. This year, Jeffco Schools is transitioning to a new enrollment system, entitled EnrollJeffco, accessible at enrolljeffco.org. Because of the transition to EnrollJeffco, it is critical that all D’Evelyn families read and review the forthcoming updates. EnrollJeffco Update: All families need to use this system to let us know where your student(s) will go to school next school year. EnrollJeffco is a user-friendly way for families learn about and enroll in Jeffco Schools. This new process will create an organized method for school enrollment, and it will help families and schools plan ahead. Here is a brief overview: EnrollJeffco has two buttons – · School Finder provides information about all 155 neighborhood, option, and charter schools in the district · Enroll Now accesses the system all families will use to indicate where they intend to go to school next school year All families with students that plan to attend a Jeffco Public School during the 2019-20 school year will need to go to www.EnrollJeffco.org between Jan. 22 – Feb. 8 to indicate if they will: · Return to the same school in 2019-20 · Attend their neighborhood school in 2019-20 or · Apply to attend a different neighborhood school, option school, or charter school for 2019-20 As an option school, D’Evelyn is uniquely impacted by the EnrollJeffco system. Our students are enrolled in a 100% choice process. We ask all D’Evelyn families to ensure that they have entered younger 6th grade siblings in the D’Evelyn lottery by way of EnrollJeffco between January 22 and February 8th. Additionally, please share these expectations with friends and community members you know with interest in D’Evelyn for their children who do not currently attend our school. The D’Evelyn enrollment priority system remains the same as in previous year; however, it is essential that all students seeking enrollment for 2019-2020 are entered into our lottery system by way of EnrollJeffco. If your current D’Evelyn student will be returning to D’Evelyn in 2019-2020, as soon as you indicate your intentions, you are done until registration in July/August. If your student is applying to attend D’Evelyn, enrollment offers will be sent to families in late February along with instructions on next steps. To access EnrollJeffco, you must have a Jeffco Connect account. I encourage you update your Jeffco Connect account, prior to January 22, and then take a few minutes to check out www.EnrollJeffco.org for details. To tell prospective families about our great school, we will be hosting our final Prospective Student Information Night on January 31st at 7 pm in the D’Evelyn Auditorium. Any family interested in the potential for D’Evelyn enrollment for their student(s) must attend one of these events, and this will be the last Information Night for the 2019-2020 school year. Thank you for sharing this important information with interested families. If you have questions regarding EnrollJeffco after reading this article and reviewing the website materials at enrolljeffco.org, please contact D’Evelyn registrar Sue Brown or D’Evelyn principal secretary Jan Skelton. By Josh Griffin, Principal  Jeffco Public Schools are undergoing a transition for how students will be enrolled in school beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. The new system is called EnrollJeffco, and the first stage of the platform was released on Monday, December 17th. To learn more about EnrollJeffco, please visit the official website, www.enrolljeffco.org. Currently, the new School Finder application is available on the EnrollJeffco website, which allows families to identify and research school programs for the forthcoming choice enrollment process.
The transition to EnrollJeffco will have a big impact on families interested in enrolling students at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. Beginning January 22, all families in Jeffco will be required to apply for enrollment to their school(s) of choice for the 2019-2020 school year. The window for application for enrollment will end on February 8. All families interested in including their student(s) in the D’Evelyn lottery for 7th, 8th, and/or 9th grade in 2019-2020 must submit the application in EnrollJeffco. This includes families whose students attend Dennison, as well as families who already have students at D’Evelyn. After February 8th, D’Evelyn (along with all other schools in Jeffco) will run the annual lottery to determine student admissions and wait list for the 2019-2020 school year. To learn more about the D’Evelyn lottery process, please visit our Enrollment webpage. It is important for all families in Jeffco to review and consider the resources available for the enrollment process in the county. We are committed to the communication of important updates to D’Evelyn families, but I ask that you share with friends in the Jeffco community the importance of following the new guidelines in the EnrollJeffco system, as well as pertinent information as it becomes available. High School Information Night - Wednesday, January 9, 2018, 7 PM in the D’Evelyn Auditorium The D’Evelyn Founders thoughtfully created a junior/senior high school for students in grades 7 - 12 when they developed the D’Evelyn Program. There are many advantages to the 7-12 program, primary among them the opportunity to design a junior high school program that thoroughly prepares D’Evelyn students for high school. It is our sincere hope that the D’Evelyn junior high program is an outstanding academic program that prepares all students for the increasing complexity and challenge of high school. The family’s choice of high school placement for their children is an important component of our educational system, as it allows families to determine the best fit schools for their students. Not only do we hope that D’Evelyn 8th graders feel that our high school program is the right fit for them, we hope to see our 8th grade students continue in the program through graduation. The D’Evelyn junior high program is uniquely positioned to prepare students for success in our liberal arts high school. With that in mind, the D’Evelyn Administration is hosting its first ever High School Information Night, on Wednesday, January 9th, at 7 PM in the D’Evelyn Auditorium. The purpose of this presentation is to help the families of 8th grade students understand the nature and operational details of our high school program. While all D’Evelyn families have attended a Prospective Student Information Night prior to enrolling, the information needed for families considering whether D’Evelyn offers the proper high school program for their children is unique. This will be an opportunity for those families to learn more about our high school and the high school experience of our students. We hope to see many of our 8th grade families in attendance at this event. It will be an important opportunity to learn even more about our great school, particularly the high school experience. I wish your children an outstanding conclusion to the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year, and hope that you and your family enjoy a wonderful, relaxing, and restful Winter Break and holiday season. By Josh Griffin, Principal
Last week, the Colorado Department of Education released a list of schools recognized for several annual awards. D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School was honored with two awards - the John Irwin Award and the High School Growth Award. The John Irwin Award is given annually to schools that demonstrated excellent academic achievement over time as measured by the School Performance Framework. To learn more about this award, please visit the CDE John Irwin Award website. D’Evelyn students have a long track record of outstanding achievement; however, it is worth noting that this is the 15th time that D’Evelyn has received this award since its inception in 2002. The CDE High School Growth Award has been award since 2016, and D’Evelyn is one of only eight schools in the state that received this award. This award is granted to the high schools that achieve the highest level of academic growth in reading, writing, and math. This is the first time that D’Evelyn received this award. To learn more about the award, please visit the CDE High School Academic Growth Award website. I am proud of D’Evelyn students, faculty, and staff, and grateful for the support of D’Evelyn families, all of whom make these achievements possible. These awards are a great tribute to the quality of the D’Evelyn liberal arts program, as well as the daily efforts of students and educators to bring that education to life. I am fortunate to serve as principal of a school with such a powerful educational vision, and I sincerely appreciate the efforts of all D’Evelyn community members to make this a great school.  By Mr. Griffin, Principal
On Monday, December 3rd, members of the Dennison/D’Evelyn 6th Grade Task Force presented to interested community members about their proposal for addressing 6th grade offerings between the two schools. A recording of the Dennison/D’Evelyn 6th Grade presentation is available for your review. The Task Force was comprised of administrators, parents, and teachers from both schools, as well as Jeffco Schools community superintendents responsible for supporting each school. During a collaborative process that began in the Fall of 2017, Task Force members discussed and deliberated on an array of issues to reach their ultimate recommendation. Based upon those deliberations, the Task Force recommends the following transition and timeline for 6th grade between Dennison and D’Evelyn.
This conclusion was reached by the Task Force, but also in consideration of the community survey shared with families, faculty, and staff from both schools in the Fall of 2018. While the feedback in the survey showed mixed results, it was clear that both communities are sincerely committed to sustaining a strong K-12 academic program between the two schools and ensuring excellent academic opportunities for our 6th grade students. The Task Force reached the conclusion to support the aforementioned proposal, in the interest of maintaining the quality option school programs offered at Dennison and D’Evelyn. The Task Force acknowledged that Dennison Elementary is an amazing school with outstanding student achievement for many years. In addition, the Task Force considered changes in enrollment trends at both Dennison and D’Evelyn, as well as the value of minimizing transitions between different schools for students in 5th-8th grade. The D’Evelyn stakeholders are committed a thoughtful, collaborative approach to developing the specifics our new 6th grade program, and will work closely with Dennison administrators, faculty, and community members to ensure that we start an excellent 6th grade program at D’Evelyn. The Task Force and D’Evelyn Steering Committee have supported and approved the content shared in the presentation on December 3rd, which provides an overview for how D’Evelyn plans to meet the academic, personal, and social-emotional needs of our new 6th graders. To clarify any questions or concerns regarding the enrollment and lottery process, please note that throughout this proposed transition, students that complete their elementary career at Dennison will continue to be granted automatic enrollment at D’Evelyn. The Jeffco Schools Board of Education will consider the proposal in January/February 2019 and have the ultimate authority to approve the proposal. The proposal includes a request for additional construction of new classroom space for 6th graders at D’Evelyn. The design of the building and program will be dedicated to ensuring that 6th grade students have a structured, supportive environment that meets their academic, developmental, and social emotional needs. To learn more about the proposal, we encourage you to watch the presentation from Monday, December 3rd night. As more information is developed, and opportunities for community engagement arise, the D’Evelyn administration is committed to providing timely updates to all community members. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break offer D’Evelyn students, faculty, staff, and families many opportunities to attend extracurricular events to support our students. While it is a busy time of the school year, it is also an important time for us to come together as a community and celebrate the great achievements of our students. Please join me and our administration in attending the various upcoming student events.
The D’Evelyn Winter Sports competitive season began this week. The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have already participated in their first tournaments, and the girls swim & dive team had their first meet over the weekend. There are many more competitions for all three programs between now and Winter Break.
For families interested in keeping tabs on the schedules and other happenings of D’Evelyn athletic programs, there are several valuable online resources available for your access. The D’Evelyn Athletic Calendar captures information on competitions for all programs at all levels in the school. You can access this calendar through the school website, or the Jeffco Sports Calendar. D’Evelyn teams, along with other programs in Colorado, utilize MaxPreps to organize and publish pertinent information about their programs. You can visit the D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School landing page to get more information on all our programs on MaxPreps. Additionally, D’Evelyn performers have many opportunities to show their talent and skills on the stage in the next few weeks. I hope that many of you had the chance to see our state champion D’Evelyn Marching Band perform during the 9News Parade of Lights last weekend. For those looking for even more opportunities to watch D’Evelyn musicians shine, we have plenty of performances in store. On Thursday, December 6th, the D’Evelyn junior high instrumental and vocal musicians will put on their 2018 holiday concert in the Auditorium at 7 pm. We are fortunate to have such strong musical programs for junior high students, and it is an annual highlight to watch both groups of students come together to perform for the holidays. On Tuesday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 12th, the D’Evelyn senior high instrumental and vocal musicians will perform their 2018 holiday concert in the Auditorium at 7 pm. Our high school musicians have been working diligently to offer an outstanding holiday performance. Please join other members of the D’Evelyn community in support and recognition of these hard-working, talented students. We are fortunate to have rich and robust athletic and extracurricular opportunities for D’Evelyn students, both in junior and senior high school. Thank you for your ongoing support of D’Evelyn students. I am personally immensely grateful for the opportunity to lead this great school and look forward to seeing many of these events in the upcoming weeks.  I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as D’Evelyn principal. I feel fortunate to lead a school that embodies an educational philosophy that so aligns with my own views of what school should be for our students. I am grateful for the great effort put forth by students, the dedication of our faculty and staff, and the support of D’Evelyn parents and families.
The D’Evelyn Education Foundation Annual Dinner Auction on Friday, November 9th was a great reflection of the support and enthusiasm I feel from our community. The enthusiasm and shared belief in the quality of the D’Evelyn education was on full display throughout the evening. This year, the DEF Board of Directors established a new fundraising approach and set out to fundraise to support the complete renovation of the D’Evelyn Main Gym. This improvement to the school will positively impact D’Evelyn students, faculty, staff, families, and community members. I am happy to report that the fundraising efforts from the Dinner Auction were a great success. After expenses, the Auction generated over $70,000 in new funds to support the operations of the Foundation as well as the gym renovation. Additionally, the Live Auction “paddle raise” netted over $30,000, which has been matched by the Foundation from general fund savings accrued over the years. We are on our way to reaching our $250,000 fundraising goal and the DEF will share more specific fundraising details with the community after Thanksgiving Break. The passion, commitment, and support for D’Evelyn shown by our parents, family members, faculty, and staff are overwhelming. The event was sold out, meaning 250 D’Evelyn community members contributed to this outstanding fundraising effort. The community support we enjoy at D’Evelyn is a big part of the great success of the students in the school - past, present, and future. I hope that you and your family enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving and associated Thanksgiving Break. I look forward to an excellent finish to the first semester. |
AuthorJosh Griffin, Principal Archives
December 2018
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