Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal
Thank you to the students, teachers, staff, and families for your support and engagement as we adjusted back to the hybrid model this week. It has been great to see D’Evelyn students back in the building and beginning to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities again. The first week back in the hybrid model has been a great success in many ways. I hope that the adjustment required in the return to hybrid learning went well, and I am hopeful that as we proceed in this model, the opportunities for in-person connection between students and their teachers and peers will yield more positive experiences this school year. Additionally, I am grateful to all of our community members for your continued vigilance in honoring health and safety guidelines, as we all do our part to minimize the spread of Covid-19 in our community. As has been well-established in previous communication, we adjusted our hybrid schedule for the 2nd semester in an effort to best support our students and teachers. At the core of the adjustment, we have provided hybrid students the option to participate in 7th hour either from home or in school. The purpose of this specific shift was to provide students the opportunity to make thoughtful choices with their families about how they can best use 7th hour time each day. During 7th hour, we expect that students will remain productive, regardless of their location, by taking the time to study, complete homework, and seek additional help/support from teachers. Please encourage your student to maximize their time during 7th hour, as we expect the extended time period will give students a great opportunity to complete a significant amount of their daily work while getting additional support when needed. Accountability Committee Survey Reminder: For those parents/families that have not done so already, please take the opportunity to complete the D’Evelyn Accountability School Satisfaction Survey. If you have more than one child currently attending D’Evelyn, you have the opportunity to complete the survey on behalf of the experience of each of your children. The survey will be available until Friday, February 12, 2021. You can complete the Parent survey here: D’Evelyn Parent School Satisfaction Survey We look forward to reviewing the feedback provided by our families in this survey process. Parent Teacher Conferences - February 11th and 12th Mr. Schmeckpeper has shared information and updates on our 2nd semester conferences, which will be held on February 11th and 12th. We are expanding our typical amount of available conference time to provide support for families during this challenging remote / hybrid learning environment. Please review Mr. Schmeckpeper’s message and sign up for conferences as you are able in accordance with the plan that he has outlined. I hope that it will be a valuable time for parents to connect with our teachers in an effort to collaboratively support students. Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal
Return to hybrid learning - January 25, 2021 We look forward to the return of students in the hybrid learning model on Monday, January 25th. I am encouraged by the improvements in public health data that have allowed approval from the Jefferson County Public Health Department for our school to return to the hybrid learning model. Thank you to the students, teachers, staff, and families that have worked so diligently to ensure successful implementation of the 100% remote only model of the past few months. We believe in the power and strength of in-person connection between and among students and teachers, and remain optimistic that we will continue to improve upon the course of the school year with the adjustment back to the hybrid model on January 25th. For important updates/reminders on the return to hybrid learning, please review the following content that was distributed earlier this week via School Messenger: Tuesday 1/19/2021 School Messenger (Schedule, Rotations, 7th hour): Thursday 1/21/2021 School Messenger (Drop-Off, Pick-Up, Busses, Safety Updates): We remain committed to ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of all D’Evelyn community members, and dedicated to continuing to support quality learning for our students. Thank you for your partnership in supporting our students throughout this challenging year. D’Evelyn Marching Band performs in the 2021 Presidential Inauguration Congratulations to the award-winning D’Evelyn High School Marching Band on their outstanding performance in the virtual presidential inauguration ceremony, the “Parade Across America”. What a great achievement for these hard-working students, dedicated coaches, and supportive parents and families. We know that the D’Evelyn High School Marching Band is a remarkable representation of D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School, Jefferson County, the state of Colorado, and this great nation. Below, please find links to the band’s full performance and the recording of the inauguration events, including a time marker for the D’Evelyn Marching Band performance. D’Evelyn High School Marching Band performance of American Patrol Parade Across America (D’Evelyn at 6:08.20) D’Evelyn Accountability Committee Surveys Each year, the D’Evelyn Accountability Committee surveys D’Evelyn families about their experiences in the school. While the survey is dedicated to measuring feedback regarding the current school year, the Accountability Committee, in collaboration with the Steering Committee, did not tailor the questions to reflect remote learning. We hope to ascertain valuable feedback from our families regarding the school year, nonetheless, and hope that all families will take some time to provide their feedback, both positive and constructive. Thank you in advance for your time in completing this survey. Parents/guardians have the opportunity to provide feedback based on the unique experiences of each of their individual students, which is helpful in our reflective practice as a school administration. Please complete the Parent survey here: D’Evelyn Parent School Satisfaction Survey Season B CHSAA Sports Good luck to the D’Evelyn girls basketball, boys basketball, and girls swimming & diving teams on a successful 2021 season. We are thrilled that our winter sports teams will be able to participate and compete this year, and we wish you all the best on a successful season. Big thanks to our Athletic Director Mr. McWhorter, our coaches, student-athletes, and families for your dedication to continuing participation in these sports during this difficult time. Let’s make it a great winter season at D’Evelyn! CHSAA girls basketball preseason polls CHSAA boys basketball preseason polls Thank you for your continued and ongoing support of your student(s) and our school. I appreciate the additional care, dedication, and vigilance required of parents and families during this unique period in our history. I hope that you all had a nice weekend, and best wishes on a successful return to the hybrid model. Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal Thank you to our students and families for your efforts to help us get the 2nd semester off to a strong start at D’Evelyn. The success of our school depends strongly on the dedication and commitment of our students and families, and I am particularly grateful for the efforts made so far this semester. We know that a strong start to the semester is crucial to student success over the course of a school year. I am hopeful that students will be able to build a strong routine to start this semester, and if additional help or support is needed, we encourage students to connect with teachers during class, during 7th hour, or during Office Hours as appropriate. In order to support students, I want to ensure D’Evelyn families are familiar with the “Securly” app, which can be used to monitor student device usage during school hours. This may be a helpful tool for parents/families to support students in their efforts to engage productively in classes throughout the school day. Please see the comparison chart below for clarifying information about the different aspects and functionality of this tool. D’Evelyn Well Being Application
As we have presented to students and shared with parents/families via School Messenger, we are excited to launch our new D’Evelyn-specific well-being online application. During the course of the pandemic, we have identified that our students often feel disconnected from their peers, teachers, and fellow school community members. While we await a return to normal operations once the pandemic has subsided, we continue to seek opportunities to engage and connect with our students. Among the various operational elements of this new application, the app will offer students a chance to connect with one another, to participate in unique 30-day schoolwide challenges, to complete journaling exercises, and to see/hear inspirational messages during this challenging time. Our first thirty day challenge will center around Resilience. We are optimistic that this application will help offset at least a small piece of what has been lost with the substantial adjustment to operations we have experienced since March 2020. Thank you for your continued and ongoing support during this challenging year. I am proud that we have continued to provide our students a strong liberal arts education in spite of our challenges, and am eternally grateful for the support and sacrifice of so many that have helped to make this school year successful. Best wishes on a continued strong start to the school year, and if we offer any additional support, please be sure to reach out to the most appropriate person at D’Evelyn. We are here to help! Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal
Happy New Year and the Start of a New Semester Happy New Year! I hope that you, your family, and your loved ones had a safe, healthy, and restorative Winter Break and a very happy holiday season. While we are hopeful that 2021 will be a better year in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on our school, community, state, and nation, we are also looking forward to a great second semester for D’Evelyn students. I am grateful for the engagement, support, and dedication shown by D’Evelyn students, teachers, staff, and families throughout the pandemic, and I am hopeful that by continuing to work together towards the best possible outcomes for our students, we will have a successful semester. Mr Griffin’s 2nd Semester Welcome Video In our faculty meeting this week, we had an important opportunity to reflect upon the first semester and plan for the second semester. While our faculty and staff made many thoughtful adjustments to typical D’Evelyn operations in the first semester as a response to the pandemic, we acknowledge that continuing to refine and improve direct instruction to best support student learning is crucial this semester. In particular, we emphasized: · Educating our students with mindfulness for the challenges of our times, including continued thoughtful adjustment to curriculum, instruction, and assessment to best support meaningful student learning · Limiting the typical Friday time commitment to one-hour per class for students in standard, grade-level courses · Engaging students proactively in the new 7th hour system We will continue to work with our faculty and staff throughout the duration of this school year to ensure that we are delivering the best possible educational experience to our students during this challenging time. With the beginning of this semester in the 100% remote learning model, we encourage our students to start the semester off on a strong note, with consistent routines and steady dedication to their academic responsibilities. Our focus remains on supporting student learning. While grades are very important to our students, we know that it is easier to keep grades up than it is to raise them throughout the semester. Below, please find several recommendations for our students to start the semester in a positive manner: Consistent, daily engagement in classes - we made the determination to utilize a 6-period bell schedule in this initial period of remote learning because the shorter class periods with more consistent connection between students and teachers would be most effective to start the semester. As aligned with the D’Evelyn Founding Document, the daily interactions between students and teachers will facilitate greater connection between the two groups and improve the learning experience. We encourage all students to establish a consistent, daily routine for engaging and participating in classes in a distraction free environment. The first few weeks of school in each semester are an important time to learn routines and norms of classes and begin the learning process for the semester. The importance of a strong start to a semester cannot be underestimated and consistent routines are critical to early and sustained success. Connect with teachers in 7th hour - this semester, 7th hour will be at the end of the school day with voluntary participation. Students will be able to connect virtually with any of their teachers each day during 7th hour. The 7th hour time is a critical part of the school day, and we encourage students in need of additional support or guidance to utilize 7th hour time wisely by attending sessions with the teachers from whom you need help. Productive Fridays - in the asynchronous, remote learning model used on Fridays, it is important for students to maintain consistent routines and engagement. In our faculty meeting this week, we established the expectation that student work commitment should not exceed one hour per course in a standard-level class on Fridays. The assigned learning and work products are nonetheless very important to student learning and success this semester. I encourage all students to continue to maintain structure in their learning on Fridays. While learning is designed to be asynchronous, we encourage students to get a good start in the morning and follow their schedule in order as they would in a typical day. Reach out for help when needed - students should communicate with teachers if expectations are unclear or not understood. Students are also encouraged to reach out to their assigned counselor and/or administrator if they are struggling during this semester. A simple request for help can go a long way, and if it does not, please contact your assigned administrator for additional assistance. Most importantly, it is crucial that as a community we continue to work together to best serve the personal and academic interests of D’Evelyn students. We know that this has been a challenging school year, but with teamwork and thoughtful collaboration, we can continue to provide our students with a strong liberal arts education in the remote and hybrid learning environments. I reiterate my gratitude for the engagement and support we have seen from students and families. In the event that your student is struggling or needs additional support during this time, please reach out to the most appropriate member of the D’Evelyn faculty, staff, or administration. Best wishes to all D’Evelyn students and families on a great start to the new semester. Whether your first semester went well, poorly, or somewhere in between, you all have a unique opportunity to start fresh and start strong in the new year. Best wishes on a successful semester! |
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