Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal Thank you to our students, teachers, staff, and families for a great school year. Throughout the year, we faced many challenges, and frequent changes, and I am so grateful to all of our community members for their respective efforts to make this school year a success. I am particularly grateful to our students and families for maintaining a focus on learning in spite of the challenges associated with the pandemic. On behalf of the D’Evelyn faculty, staff, and administration, I wish you and your family an outstanding summer. I hope that it is a great opportunity to rest, relax, and recharge for our students and families. With the ongoing easing of Covid-19 related restrictions, I hope that you will all enjoy a return to more typical personal, social, and professional activities over the course of the summer. Have a great summer. Thank you to our departing faculty/staff members We have a number of faculty and staff members departing the D’Evelyn community at the conclusion of this school year. I am forever grateful to the following individuals for their service and dedication to D’Evelyn students and families. Please join me in congratulating the following individuals that will be moving on from D’Evelyn to new opportunities and/or retirement. Valerie Schreiber, Financial Secretary Brenna Bushey, Full-Time Guest Teacher Kathy Hays, Registrar/Counseling Secretary Micaela Johnson, 6th Grade Counselor Trevor Zonnefeld, 6th Grade Teacher Tim Schmeckpeper, Assistant Principal Deb Pruit, Math Teacher Terry Carlson, Math Teacher Jennifer Tompkins, English Teacher Pierre Habel, Latin Teacher Whether here for one or two years, or 25 years, these teachers and staff members have made a huge impact in our school community. Thank you for your service! D’Evelyn Construction & Ground Breaking Ceremony This summer, D’Evelyn will undergo significant construction and improvements. Primarily, the Main Office, front entrance, and current instrumental music classroom will be renovated this summer. In addition, the construction of the new sixth grade wing will begin, with completion in Fall 2022 as the established timeline. As a result of the Main Office renovation, our administration and office staff will be working under unique circumstances, and at times, we will be working remotely. Thank you in advance for your patience over the summer. When our office staff is working in the summer, we will maintain office hours from 8 am - 2 pm. D’Evelyn Groundbreaking - New 6th Grade Wing D’Evelyn Jr/Sr High School officially broke ground on its new wing on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. It is scheduled to open August 2022 and will accommodate D’Evelyn’s 6th grade class as well as a new music department. The D’Evelyn Marching Band kicked off the event by playing, “Just Dance”, “Sweet Caroline”, and the D’Evelyn Fight Song. We have arrived at this point as the result of the hard work, dedication, and contributions of many people. It was great to have a ceremony commemorating the groundbreaking, and to have many influential people in this process represented. Among the countless individuals that have contributed to the initiation of the 6th grade program and the upcoming construction of the new wing, I am grateful to the following groups and individuals for their dedication to and support of this project.
We were fortunate to be joined at the ceremony by Mr. McMillen, Mr. Cohan, and Ms. Susan Miller (Jeffco Schools Board of Education), and Tim Reed (Executive Director of Facilities for Construction), along with representatives of the Steering Committee and Education Foundation. Thank you to DEF Board members Ralph Spencer and Kay D’Evelyn Montagne, along with numerous members of the D’Evelyn High School Marching Band, for their participation in literally breaking the ground! It was an exciting occasion, and one important step in the completion of this important building addition. In addition to more permanent classroom facilities for the D’Evelyn 6th grade students, we will add new classroom space for Art, PE, and Instrumental Music. These are important upgrades and improvements to support both our current and future students.
Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal Class of 2021 Graduation Congratulations to the D’Evelyn Class of 2021! It was a pleasure to recognize these brand new D’Evelyn graduates in our ceremony at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday, May 22nd. I am so proud of these young adults, as they formally exit our school community and move onto the next phases in their lives. The Class of 2021 has been acutely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and I have consistently been impressed by their collective resolve to pursue academic and personal success, all while making the best of the challenging circumstances of the past 14 months. I know that they will continue to thrive as citizens and scholars as they move on to the next chapters in their lives. End of 2020-2021 School Year Best wishes to all D’Evelyn students on a successful conclusion of this school year. I am grateful to all of our students for the determination and resolve they have shown during this school year. I appreciate what they have done to ensure that we stay focused on learning and development. We look forward to a great last week with regular classes on Monday 5/24 and Tuesday 5/25, and Final Exams on Wednesday 5/26 and Thursday 5/27. Final Exam Schedule: *Lunches will not be served during finals.
*There will be afternoon bus transportation on Wednesday 5/26, but NOT on Thursday 5/27 Honors Coursework Update In the May 17th Steering Committee meeting, with the approval of Jeffco Schools leadership, the D’Evelyn S/C approved the Honors Coursework proposal I presented on May 3rd. If you would like to review the approved proposal, you can do that here. The Honors Coursework plan is the result of the two-year process resulting from the passage of CU-06 and CU-06R by the Steering Committee in May 2019. Below, please find several key points of the adopted plan: · Based upon a thorough course review process completed by D’Evelyn faculty members, 11 D’Evelyn High School courses have been approved to be renamed as “Honors” courses. · These recommendations are based upon the manner in which courses are currently taught - there will be no changes associated with the honors designation next year to the 11 courses · The renaming of courses will occur in the 2021-2022 school year, and as such will be reflected in students schedules for the new school year, and on student transcripts beginning with the 2021-2022 school year · Honors courses will be weighted on a 4.5-point scale · The Honors coursework implementation offers D’Evelyn students a significant increase in access to advanced coursework. · CU-06 and CU-06R have been modified to reflect the upcoming implementation of Honors coursework. · The D’Evelyn Steering Committee will monitor the effectiveness and impact of the implementation of CU-06 and CU-06R going forward The adoption of this updated policy and its implementation represents the conclusion of a lengthy, challenging 2-year period in our school. As principal, I am focused on the successful implementation of this policy, and look forward to putting the tumultuous process towards increasing Honors coursework in our school behind us. As a community, we need students, teachers, staff, and families working together to the best interests of all D’Evelyn students, and I am confident that going forward, we will be able to do that more effectively with this plan in place. Thank you for your continued and ongoing support of D’Evelyn, particularly during this 2020-2021 school year. I wish you and your family the very best in concluding the year. Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal
On Thursday, we bid farewell to the D’Evelyn Class of 2021, as the members concluded their respective D’Evelyn tenures with the last day of in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Please join me in congratulating these outstanding young adults as they quickly approach graduation and move into their postsecondary lives. In addition to their remarkable academic, athletic, and extracurricular achievements over the past six years, the D’Evelyn Class of 2021 is comprised of extraordinary young men and women who have persevered through a challenging past 15 months. This year, we have talked a lot about what has been lost- in-person learning, social opportunities, important rites of passage, athletic and extracurricular opportunities - the list goes on. I am proud of the determination, perseverance, and grit demonstrated by all of our students this year, but particularly our seniors, who sadly had to conclude their high school careers in uncertain and uniquely challenging conditions. These students have worked hard and overcome obstacles rarely encountered by their predecessors. I am both hopeful and optimistic that the trials and tribulations of the Covid-19 pandemic will ultimately have a positive formative impact on our graduates. While the terms and conditions of this recent experience have been difficult, I have admired the skills and temerity developed by our students. I am impressed by our students’ shared sense of resolve, flexibility, and commitment to supporting others during this difficult year. While we have all made sacrifices to account for the Covid-19 pandemic, it is my sincere belief that we will rise stronger both as individuals and as a community. Congratulations to the D’Evelyn Class of 2021. You are an awesome group of young people, a dedicated group of scholars, and great young citizens. I know that, wherever your future may take you, you will be well-prepared to lead happy, fully, and successful lives. I look forward to the many great experiences and successes that lay ahead of each of you. As a community, we look forward to celebrating these outstanding graduates in the D’Evelyn Class of 2021 Graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 22nd. Written by: Josh Griffin, Principal
As we wrap up the fifth week in our 100% in-person learning model, and approach the conclusion of the school year, I am grateful to our students, teachers, staff, and families for continuing to sustain their energy and commitment to learning during this school year. I wish all of our students the very best in the final few weeks of school as we wrap up the 2020-2021 school year. The end of this school year will be very busy and exciting in our community. Please review the following updates, reminders, and announcements as we prepare for the end of the year. Virtual Award Ceremony - May 2021 Congratulations to the D’Evelyn students recognized in our virtual junior high and senior high awards ceremonies this week. This has been a challenging school year in so many ways, and I am proud of our students' hard work, dedication, and perseverance. For those students recognized for excellence in the 2021 virtual awards ceremony, you have exemplified the ideals of scholarship and outstanding citizenship throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Congratulations to these outstanding students! East Parking Lot I expect that by next week, Himmelman Construction will have an ongoing presence in the D’Evelyn East Parking Lot to support their work on additions and renovations at D’Evelyn. These projects will begin this summer. Once the construction crews set up in the parking lot, we know that there will be a notable reduction in parking spaces on the east side of campus, and traffic/congestion for pick-up will be higher. With this in mind, I encourage families to consider using the curb/sidewalk along Nassau Avenue (southside of the school) for both drop-off and pick-up of your students throughout the duration of the school year. We ask that families NOT use the circle drive outside the Main Entrance. Additionally, for extracurricular activities on campus after school hours, I encourage guests to park along Nassau Ave. or in the west parking lot for these events. End of year for the Class of 2021 As shared in School Messenger on the afternoon on Friday, May 7th, we have made the decision to end in-person learning for D’Evelyn seniors on Thursday, May 13th. This decision will increase the odds that members of the Class of 2021 will be able to attend their graduation ceremony on May 22nd. For more information about this change in plans for the end of year for seniors, please review this letter. Please note - there are no changes to the end of year plans for D’Evelyn students in grades 6-11. Health & Safety Reminders Since our return to 100% in-person learning, we have observed an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases within our community, and as a result, a significant increase in the number of individuals placed into quarantine. I understand that placement into quarantine, especially during this very busy and exciting time in our school year, can be disappointing, upsetting, and disruptive for our students and families. With that said, please know that we are obligated to honor guidelines for quarantining as established by Jefferson County Public Health. When we are notified of a positive case, our staff is responsible for identifying exposed individuals that meet the criteria for quarantine and notify those students/families. We have worked as an administrative and health team to provide this information in a timely, straightforward manner, and will continue to reflect upon and revise our approach as needed. It is my expectation that when we are working through the quarantine process, students, teachers, staff, and families are working together to not only honor the guidelines of the quarantine process, but to do so in a respectful, productive manner. I expect our staff to be courteous and respectful in their correspondence, and I expect the same from our students and families. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted us in many ways, and continues to be disruptive. I know that we can all agree that we are ready to put the Covid-19 pandemic behind us. As we proceed through the pandemic, however, please maintain respectful communication between all parties as we work to keep all D’Evelyn students, staff, and families healthy and safe. Vaccine update - for your consideration in planning for the remainder of the year and the 2021 summer, please note that under current guidelines, fully vaccinated students that are exposed to Covid-19 positive individuals at school are exempt from quarantine. As you consider the vaccine as an option for your student, I hope that this information is helpful in your planning and decision-making. I hope that you all enjoyed a nice weekend. Best wishes on a successful last week of in-person learning for our Class of 2021. We are proud of you and know that a bright future awaits! |
Archives
May 2022
Categories |