By: Josh Griffin, Principal Next week, we will celebrate D’Evelyn Wish Week 2022 - thank you to the D’Evelyn Student Council for organizing such a great week of spirit events and fundraisers to support our 2022 Wish Kid - Anna! Anna is four years old and has been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. 100% of fundraising efforts during this Wish Week will go to support her wish of going to Disney World. I have great confidence that our amazing D’Evelyn community will come together to support Anna and her dream! D’Evelyn students, faculty, staff, and families can donate to support Anna’s wish by visiting this online donation site.
Additionally, the Student Council has organized multiple events to raise funds for the 2022 Wish Week. Students will have 7th hour activities throughout the week of January 31st, and we have several off campus events scheduled to raise funds: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - enjoy dinner at Chick-Fil-A at 5260 S. Wadsworth Blvd. between 4-7 pm, let them know you are with D’Evelyn, and a portion of the proceeds will support the D’Evelyn 2022 Wish Week. Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - enjoy a refreshing beverage at Boba Zone at 5005 S. Kipling Pkwy Unit A8 any time during their hours of 11 AM - 7 PM, and a percentage of proceeds will support our Wish Week. Thursday, February 3, 2022 - enjoy a meal at Panda Express at 7850 W. Quincy Ave., any time during the day and a percentage of proceeds will support our Wish Week. We are grateful to the basketball program for supporting Wish Week fundraising efforts during their games this week. Thank you for your support of Anna and other kids supported by the Make-A-Wish program. This is an incredible opportunity to support kids and their families under very difficult circumstances. As always, I admire the great kindness and generosity we have among the members of the D’Evelyn community. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
As a school community, we are quickly approaching the window for course selection for D’Evelyn students currently in grades 6 - 11. This is an important time for our students, staff, and families for multiple reasons. For our students, the course selection window is their opportunity to request courses for next school year. As a relatively small school offering seven grade levels and a six-class period school day, we have some natural limitations in our scheduling process which can limit the availability of some advanced elective courses for our students. During the course request process, students are conveying their wishes and intentions for the 2022-2023 school year, which directly informs the construction of our school master schedule. It is crucial for our students and families to make informed, thoughtful choices in the course request process, including in alternate elective courses. Additionally, within the framework of our rigorous academic program, it is important that students and families seek balance in the course request process. We now offer nearly 20 AP courses per school year, and particularly juniors and seniors have a multitude of opportunities to engage in advanced coursework. Nonetheless, it is important for students to be judicious in their requests for next year - I encourage all D’Evelyn students to seek a healthy balance between requesting advanced coursework and to especially consider the volume of homework that they may face in our advanced courses prior to making formal requests. By seeking a balanced approach to scheduling, students have the opportunity to shape their academic, extracurricular, and personal experiences in the next school year, an opportunity that I encourage them to engage with thoughtfully. For students and families wishing to learn more about available courses for the 2022-2023 school year, please review our updated Course Planning Guide. This is an incredibly valuable document, as it outlines junior and senior high school courses requirements, high school graduation requirements, and course lists, course descriptions, and course prerequisites. This document provides outstanding foundational information to support students in their thoughtful decision making in the course request process. Students have the opportunity to learn more about available AP courses by attending course information sessions as scheduled during 7th hour during the next few weeks. Additionally, the D’Evelyn AP contract can be found in the linked document. During the week of February 7th, D’Evelyn counselors will be visiting with students in their English classes to provide an important presentation regarding the course request process. During this presentation, counselors will provide an overview of coursework options for each grade, and more details on the formal logistics of the course request process. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about class offerings at D’Evelyn, and to ask questions of counselors to support the planning process for next year. Finally, please note the logistical importance of thoughtful requests by all students. Because we build our master schedule upon these requests, we make course selection changes in very rare and specific circumstances after the submission of course request forms. I appreciate your partnership in supporting your student with the course selection process. After the course selection presentations in the week of February 7th, should you or your child(ren) have questions regarding the process, I encourage you to work directly with your child’s counselor to seek additional information and support. I hope that this update finds you and your family healthy and doing well and staying healthy in the face of the (hopefully slowing) spread of the omicron variant. I appreciate your continued support of your child(ren) and our greater school community. Upcoming Events: January 24, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting February 7, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting February 8, 2022 5:30 p.m. Accountability Meeting February 15, 2022 6 p.m. DEF Meeting February 18, 2022 End of 1st Six Weeks D'Evelyn Calendar of Events D'Evelyn Sports/Activities Calendar By: Josh Griffin, Principal
I am proud of the strong start to the second semester we have enjoyed at D’Evelyn. Please accept my gratitude and appreciation for the commitment of our students, faculty, staff, and families to supporting a strong return to school. Particularly given the recent surge in Covid cases in our community, I am grateful for our smooth start after Winter Break. On Monday, I tested positive for Covid, and since then have been isolated and working remotely to the greatest extent possible. Fortunately my symptoms are mild, and the symptoms of our two older daughters (who also tested positive in the last two weeks) were also mild. Thus far, we have successfully managed to avoid our youngest daughter Madison from contracting Covid, which given her youth and pre-existing medical conditions has been a paramount concern in our family. I have a deep appreciation for the commitment of our faculty, staff, and administration to lead a successful start to the semester in my absence. In our community, we have had a greater number of positive Covid cases among students, staff, and families than we have experienced in months. I am relieved that overall our students and staff are bouncing back well from illness, and I appreciate the resolve of those that have missed school due to Covid upon returning to school. To start this semester, we have made a few slight adjustments as we continue to manage the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. In particular, our administrative team has been organizing outreach to students and families to offer guidance and support when a student is home with a Covid diagnosis or exposure. We hope that this adjustment to more proactive communication will better support students and provide more clarity on how they can, if able, keep up with school work during an absence. Teamwork and partnership will be important factors in supporting our students through the end of this pandemic, and I hope that up-front communication will best support open communication going forward. Additionally, we continue to maintain health and safety standards in accordance with policies established by JCPH and Jeffco Public Schools. The primary mitigation strategy in school is required mask wearing. I understand growing fatigue and concern about mask wearing throughout our community and nation, but share my appreciation for your continued support for encouraging your child(ren) to uphold mask-wearing expectations during their time in the school each day. If we continue to work together, I am confident we can move forward past and through this ongoing pandemic. Enrollment 2022-2023 The 1st round choice enrollment process in Jeffco Schools formally began on January 10, 2022. The window for 1st round choice will end on January 28, 2022. To access the Jeffco Schools enrollment platform (EnrollJeffco), please visit this website: https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/schools/enrollment/enrolljeffco For new students to D’Evelyn next year, and current D’Evelyn students that may seek opportunities in another school for next year, the Enroll Jeffco 1st round choice enrollment window is the best opportunity a student has to earn admission to another Jeffco School for 2022-2023. At D’Evelyn, we intend to address two audiences for three purposes with enrollment information. Prospective D’Evelyn students for 2022-2023: We thank the 100s of prospective families that have attended our Open House and Information Night events so far. For interested families looking for one more opportunity to attend a Prospective Student Information Night, please join us on Wednesday, January 26th, at 7:00 PM for one final informational presentation. Additionally, all families seeking enrollment for their child(ren) in 2022-2023 at D’Evelyn should complete the 1st round choice enrollment process in EnrollJeffco no later than January 28, 2022. Current D’Evelyn students We ask families of current D’Evelyn students that plan to return in 2022-2023 to designate that in EnrollJeffco. It is helpful to our school administration as we plan for enrollment and budget in the new school year. Thank you for taking the time to complete this task. While we hope that all D’Evelyn students will return in 2022-2023, I understand that for some students and families, it is important and appropriate that they consider other schools for next year. The 1st round choice enrollment window is the best time to search and select schools for future enrollment, and I would encourage families considering a transfer to complete that process in this window in order to have the best opportunity to find their school of choice next year. Best wishes to all prospective and current families in your planning for the 2022-2023 school year. Please feel free to contact members of the D’Evelyn counseling, administrative, or office staff teams with questions regarding the enrollment process. Upcoming Events: January 17, 2022 No School - MLK Day January 18, 2022 6 p.m. DEF Meeting January 24, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting January 26, 2022 7:00 pm Prospective Student Information Night February 7, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting February 8, 2022 5:30 p.m. Accountability Meeting February 15, 2022 6 p.m. DEF Meeting February 18, 2022 End of 1st Six Weeks D'Evelyn Calendar of Events D'Evelyn Sports/Activities Calendar By: Josh Griffin, Principal
It was a pleasure to welcome back our students, faculty, and staff for the start of 1st semester on Wednesday! I hope that you and your families enjoyed a happy holiday season and a great new year. I am looking forward to a great 2nd semester at D’Evelyn. The Winter Break included several tragic events in the greater Denver metro area, as well as a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in our community. The victims of the senseless violence in Lakewood and Denver and the Boulder County wildfires in the past two weeks are in my thoughts as we reconvene for this semester. It is my most sincere hope that all members of the D’Evelyn community were not impacted by these tragic events. As the new semester begins, we continue to navigate the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. I am thrilled that we are able to resume this semester in full in-person learning, in spite of the big spike in cases over the holidays. I am planning that we will be able to stay in the 100% in-person learning model for the duration of the year. In order to support our efforts to keep our community as healthy as possible, please ensure that your child(ren) stay home when they are sick, particularly when they are exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19. As teachers have outlined in the classrooms to start the semester, students can access classroom materials through Google Classroom or teacher websites (in the specific case of Science teachers). By utilizing available online resources from their teachers, we encourage students that are home and well enough to do so to keep up with their schoolwork to the greatest extent possible. I offer my best wishes for the health and wellbeing of all members of our community throughout this semester. Finally, I encourage our students to focus on a strong start to the semester, building solid routines and commitment to their academic class work from this first week of the new year. By establishing a strong start early in the semester, students will have a solid foundation for successful learning throughout the rest of the semester. Additionally, it is far easier to maintain grades throughout the semester than it is to raise them substantially over the course of the semester. I hope that all students will take the opportunity to start this semester off successfully. I wish all of our students an outstanding semester of rich learning, great growth, and fulfilling social and extracurricular opportunities at D’Evelyn. Thank you for your continued support of your child(ren) and our school! Upcoming Events: January 10, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting January 11, 2022 5:30 p.m Accountability Meeting January 13, 2022 7 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting January 17, 2022 No School - MLK Day D'Evelyn Calendar of Events D'Evelyn Sports/Activities Calendar By: Josh Griffin, Principal
Best wishes to our students and teachers on the successful completion of 1st semester Final Exams. Finals are an important measurement of student learning reflective of the content taught over the course of the semester. I hope that all D’Evelyn students meet their goals and find great success on the 1st semester finals. As I reflect upon this semester, I am pleased with the progress made within our school. Back in August, we were planning to return to school after the substantial disruption and varied instructional models of the 2021-2022 school year. We know that the periods of remote and hybrid learning negatively impacted student learning and wellness in many ways. I am thrilled that we have been able to complete this first semester without interruption to consistent, in-person learning on a set schedule. As a community, we have made a lot of progress in our return to normalcy in our school operations, but I know we can continue to grow and improve as a school in the upcoming months. I am grateful to our students for their hard work and dedication to returning to our traditional learning model. With the benefit of hindsight, I can now better see what a seismic adjustment in practice our students undertook to return to in-person learning. I appreciate the commitment and dedication shown by our students throughout the course of this past semester. I am confident that their hard work has been rewarded with great learning and growth, and I wish all students the very best as they wrap up the semester on December 21st. I appreciate the commitment and resolve our teachers and staff have demonstrated over the course of this semester. Just as is the case for our students, we have asked teachers and staff to adjust their methodologies and approach multiple times over the course of the past three school years. I am grateful to the faculty and staff for their commitment to student learning and growth, a commitment that transcends the day-to-day and month-to-month challenges that we have experienced in education since March 2020. Thank you to the parents and family members that provide our students & community such great support. The past 21 months have brought vast changes and frequent adjustments to our common educational and operational procedures. As a school community, we could not have found success in continuing to educate our students without the steady, thoughtful support of our parents and families. Thank you for your steadfast support of your child(ren) and our school. D’Evelyn is a rigorous academic program, and we expect a lot from our students, teachers, staff, and families. I hope that the upcoming Winter Break and holiday season will be a great chance for all of our community members to rest, relax, and recharge as we prepare for a great second semester. On behalf of our school faculty & staff as well as the Griffin family, please accept my heartfelt best wishes on a very happy holiday season for you and your family! Upcoming Events: December 20, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 1 - 3 December 21, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 4 - 6 December 22, 2021 - January 4, 2022 WINTER BREAK January 4, 2022 Finals Make-Up Day January 5, 2022 Students Report For 2nd Semester January 6, 2022 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting January 10, 2022 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting January 11, 2022 5:30 p.m. Accountability Meeting January 13, 2022 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting January 17, 2022 No School - MLK Day D'Evelyn Calendar of Events D'Evelyn Sports/Activities Calendar By: Josh Griffin, Principal
Enrollment 2022-2023 The Jeffco Schools 1st Round Choice Enrollment window will open on Monday, December 13th. This is an important time in our school system, as the families of prospective students need to register for the schools they are interested in attending in 2022-2023. It is also important for current D’Evelyn students and their families as this is the window to declare intentions to return to D’Evelyn in 2022-2023. School choice is an important opportunity for students and their families. In the open enrollment model, we encourage all families to research school programs to ensure they are finding the best possible fit for their child(ren). The first round enrollment window is critical for students and families, as this presents the best opportunity for families to have a chance to enroll in the school(s) of their choice. Enroll Jeffco All enrollment for Jeffco Schools is managed through the Enroll Jeffco system, which you can access here. Enroll Jeffco includes a “School Finder” system, which allows families to research schools throughout the district. Beginning December 13th, families will be able to apply for admission for the schools in which they are interested in attending in 2022-2023. Prospective Students All prospective students must be entered into the D’Evelyn lottery in Enroll Jeffco if they wish to seek enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. This includes the younger siblings of current D’Evelyn students, children of D’Evelyn staff, and students currently attending Dennison Elementary School. For the 2022-2023 school year, we are enrolling new students in grades 6, 7, 8, and 9, and accepting enrollment applications in Enroll Jeffco for students both Jeffco and non-Jeffco residents. Information Nights For prospective families interested in learning more about the D’Evelyn program with plans for entering the lottery, please plan to attend one of our upcoming D’Evelyn Prospective Student Information Nights. Attendance at one of our Information Nights is required for all students to attend D’Evelyn. We will host these events on December 14, 2021, December 16, 2021, January 6, 2022, and January 13, 2022. All Prospective Student Information Nights begin at 7:00 pm in the D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School Auditorium. Current Students For current students that intend to stay enrolled at D’Evelyn in 2022-2023, we ask that families enter the Enroll Jeffco system and declare those intentions. It is our sincere hope that all of our current students intend to return for next year. For current students interested in seeking enrollment in another Jeffco school for 2022-2023, I recommend that families utilize the Enroll Jeffco system during this 1st round choice enrollment window to seek options other than D’Evelyn. Jeffco Schools has ended its use of Jeffco Connect and is transitioning to a new system for maintaining student/family contact information. If you are having trouble setting up or accessing your account, please visit this website: https://pam.jeffco.k12.co.us/ If you have questions about the enrollment process, please reach out to our registrar Jennifer Lillibridge at 303-982-0873, the D’Evelyn Main Office at 303-982-2600, or your student’s counselor or assigned administrator. Thank you for your interest in and support of D’Evelyn Junior/Senior HIgh School and best wishes with the enrollment process for next year! Upcoming Events & Important Dates December 14, 2021 5:30 p.m. Accountability Meeting 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting December 16, 2021 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting December 20, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 1 - 3 December 21, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 4 - 6 December 22, 2021 - January 4, 2022 WINTER BREAK January 4, 2022 Finals Make-Up Day January 5, 2022 Students Report For 2nd Semester D'Evelyn Calendar of Events D'Evelyn Sports/Activities Calendar By: Josh Griffin, Principal I hope that you and your family enjoyed a restful, relaxing Thanksgiving Break and a very happy Thanksgiving. I also hope that your student(s) enjoyed the return to school this week and that it went well. Thank you to the families that organized, planned, and attended the 2021 D’Evelyn Education Foundation Dinner & Auction this past Friday night. It was a great social event for our community, and a crucial fundraiser to support the amazing work of DEF. I am so grateful for the dedicated support of our DEF board members and volunteers, who work throughout the year to fundraise to support students and teachers in the classroom, athletics, music, performing arts, and scholarship programs! Early December is an exciting and challenging time in our school year. We are looking forward to a great season of winter sports - D’Evelyn girls & boys basketball, and girls swimming & diving kicked off their competitive seasons this week, and we enjoyed two outstanding vocal and instrumental music performances this past week. Additionally, I know that the last few weeks of the first semester can be busy and challenging times in the classroom for our students. Our fall semester final exams will occur on Monday, December 20th and Tuesday, December 21st. In addition, many final essays and work products will be due in the next few weeks for students. Please join me in encouraging students to set up for a successful conclusion to the semester, which will likely require preparation for exams and major assignments prior to the due date/night before the big test. I encourage students to organize notes and materials, and prepare incrementally for their major upcoming exams, and to work with teachers and/or peers to review material that is challenging for them during 7th hour, before school, or after school. It is important that we support students in the development of productive and healthy learning habits. I understand that final exams can be a stressful time for students, but with preparation in advance of finals week, I have great confidence in the opportunities our students have to succeed in demonstrating their learning on their final exams. Please accept my best wishes for a successful conclusion to this first semester. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our students and teachers, as both groups have worked diligently to successfully return from the extended periods of remote and hybrid learning of the previous two school years. I am confident that this hard work will pay off for our students in their final exams. I also appreciate the continuing support and engagement of D’Evelyn families, as you have done so much to encourage your child(ren) to succeed in this fall semester. The final exam schedule is unique from our typical bell schedule. Please note the following schedule in your planning for December 20th and 21st. Upcoming School Events:
December 6, 2021 4:30 p.m. Steering Committee Meeting December 14, 2021 5:30 p.m. Accountability Meeting 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting December 16, 2021 7:00 p.m. Prospective Student Information Meeting December 20, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 1 - 3 December 21, 2021 7:30 a.m. Finals for Periods 4 - 6 December 22, 2021 - January 4, 2022 WINTER BREAK D’Evelyn Athletics Schedule: https://www.jeffcok12events.org/public/genie/581/school/7/date/2021-12-01/view/week/ Thank you for your continued support of your students and our school. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
As we approach the Thanksgiving Break and holiday, I am particularly thankful for the faithful dedication of D’Evelyn students, teachers, staff, and families, as we seek to ensure our students continue to have strong learning experiences in the 2021-2022 school year. In spite of the challenges associated with returning to a far more typical school year, I continue to derive great enthusiasm and inspiration to lead this school from the spirit, vigilance, and engagement shown throughout the D’Evelyn community during this year. Our students and teachers have worked hard to make this a successful year of in-person learning, sports, activities, and social events, and I appreciate the strong support we receive from D’Evelyn parents and families. Thank you students - I appreciate the dedication and energy you bring to school each day. The energy and engagement I observe in classes throughout the school is a great tribute to the commitment of our students to success. In the long run, your well-honed perseverance and sincere commitment to your own education and growth will serve you very well. Thank you for your continued commitment to your education. Thank you teachers & staff - I appreciate the courage and determination you have shown to continue to educate, mentor, and support D’Evelyn students as we have returned to in-person learning. This year has challenged educators and support staff in unique ways as we have rebuilt from the disruptive school closures and remote learning periods of the last school year. You all have shown thoughtfulness and earnest commitment to deliver high quality learning experiences for your students and to support them as we return to “normal”. Thank you for your steadfast dedication to the education of your students. Thank you D’Evelyn families - I appreciate the support, engagement, and encouragement provided by D’Evelyn families. The impact of previous remote/hybrid learning models and the continued Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted home and family life to a great extent. As a school community, we are fortunate to have the dedication shared by D’Evelyn families to supporting a quality education for our students. We would be unable to provide the rich, rigorous D’Evelyn liberal arts education without your great support. In challenging times like these, it is important that we all keep our focus on what is important in our lives. The education of our students is a high priority, and I am proud that by way of great efforts throughout our community, D’Evelyn continues to provide a strong liberal arts education to our students. With that said, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and associated break should be a great opportunity for our students, teachers, staff, and families to rest, relax, and spend time with loved ones. It is important that we take time to recharge and restore our energy and dedication to success in school. It is my most sincere hope that all members of the D’Evelyn community have a restful, relaxing week-long break from school and a very Happy Thanksgiving. I look forward to a strong finish to the first semester in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your ongoing and steadfast support of D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
As we quickly approach the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and break (only five more days!), I know that I have a lot to be thankful for in both my personal and professional life. It has been a great pleasure to wrap up week 2 of my return to work at D’Evelyn. Each day, I am impressed by the quality of student engagement and learning, the thoughtful dedication of our teachers and staff, and the orderliness of the academic environment in our school. I offer my sincere gratitude to the parents and families of D’Evelyn students - without your support, care, and consideration, our school would not be the same! I hope that the upcoming holiday will be a great time for all D’Evelyn students, staff, and families to enjoy some rest, relaxation, and quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. This has been a remarkable fall at D’Evelyn. I am incredibly proud of the thoughtfulness, hard work, and dedication shown by all of our community members to help us with our “return to normalcy”. We know that we will continue to face challenges as we reacclimate to our typical in-person learning, athletic, extracurricular, and social operations in the school. However, I have observed outstanding progress to this point of the year throughout our school, and I am proud of all those involved in helping us make this school year such a success. Please know that we remain committed to supporting students that may still be struggling with the return from the disruptive environment of the past two school years. We encourage students and families to continue productive conversations with teachers, staff, counselors, and administrators as needed as we proceed through the year. Outside of the classroom, D’Evelyn students have shined in many different arenas. As we have now concluded the fall athletic season, and look ahead to the winter sports season, I would like to recognize and honor the great achievements of our students and staff throughout the course of this year. Our fall sports teams collectively had an amazing season - there are many athletes, coaches, and teams to recognize for their hard work and success, and I highlight the following today: Congratulations to the boys & girls cross country programs, who had a very successful fall season. The girls were 3rd in Jeffco 4A League, 3rd in their CHSAA Class 3A regional, and 15th at state. Junior Jaden Miller earned honorable mention all-conference honors. The boys program placed 6th at league, 3rd at regionals, and 18th at state. Senior Adrian Lopez earned 2nd team all conference. Congratulations to the boys football team on a strong fall season. The Jaguars ended with a 3-6 record, but showed improvement throughout the course of the year, and offered valuable opportunities to many younger student-athletes in the program. We look forward to the final results of their all-conference recognitions this year. Congratulations to the boys golf team on a successful season, culminating in a 6th place team finish in the Jeffco 4A league, and all-conference honors for D’Evelyn sophomore Taj Kumar. Taj also qualified as an individual for the state tournament. Congratulations to the boys tennis team, who finished 4th in the Jeffco 4A state championships and were the runner-up in league. D’Evelyn sophomore Aswaanth Karuppasamy earned the Jeffco 4A MVP and 1st team all-state recognition. Congratulations to the D’Evelyn girls volleyball team, who won the Jeffco 4A league championship with an undefeated conference season. The girls qualified for the regional tournament where they were defeated by Frederick High School. Congratulations to the D’Evelyn girls softball team, who for the 2nd consecutive year qualified for the CHSAA 4A state final four. This year, the girls made it all the way to the state championship game, where they lost to Holy Family. What a great season! Multiple athletes were recognized as all-conference, and sophomore Peyton Marvel earned the CHSAA 1st team all-state designation. Congratulations to the boys soccer team on a great season that concluded last week. The boys had an outstanding run through their conference schedule, earning 2nd place in the league standings and making it to the Round of 16 in the state tournament. Our students involved in performing arts had a great fall season as well. Congratulations to the D’Evelyn Marching Band, winners of their 9th state championship in the past 10 years. The Marching Band is an incredible group of over 100 students between grades 8 and 12. Thank you to the coaches and parents for their hard work and support of the students in the Marching Band program. Congratulations to the D’Evelyn Cheer Team who has had an outstanding season thus far. The team qualified for the National High School Cheerleading Competition in February. Additionally, just this past week, they placed 2nd at the Jeffco League competition and they will compete at state in Colorado Springs on December 9th. The D’Evelyn High School fall theatre production of The Frogs was excellent. We had great participation from students in the production and an awesome turnout of community members. Thank you to our hard-working students and coaches for their efforts to produce this great production. We are looking forward to Newsies in the winter. D’Evelyn junior and senior high vocal and instrumental musicians are gearing up for their winter concerts, which occur right after the Thanksgiving Break. We look forward to these great concerts, and annual tradition that is a wonderful way to get our students, staff, and community members into the holiday spirit. Thank you to the National Honor Society for organizing an outstanding Trick or Treat Street community event for local youth to celebrate Halloween. Many student clubs contributed to decoration and candy distribution during this wonderful annual holiday event. Thank you to the Spanish Honor Society for leading a successful canned food drive to support the Jeffco Action Center during this holiday season. The drive runs through November 17th, and we encourage D’Evelyn students, staff, and families to contribute to this effort as they are able. As you can clearly see, we have a lot to celebrate. I take a great deal of pride in, and hold sincere admiration for, the remarkable achievements of our students and staff each year. While this is an extensive list, I know that there are countless other students shining in school and programs, clubs, and organizations achieving great things in their competitions and community service. I am honored to serve as the leader of this great school, and appreciate all the hard work and dedication that goes into student development and growth throughout the D’Evelyn experience. I hope that you and your family have enjoyed a wonderful weekend. I know that we are all looking forward to the upcoming break - best wishes to our students, staff, and families on a strong final week before Thanksgiving! By: Josh Griffin, Principal After 5-½ weeks on leave with my family, it was a great pleasure to return to D’Evelyn this week. Since Madison was born, we have been overwhelmed by the support, care and consideration of D’Evelyn faculty, staff, administration, students, and families – thank you for your kind words, support, thoughtful gifts, and encouragement! I am fortunate to lead such an outstanding school community. Madison just turned six weeks old, and she has been remarkably healthy since she was born. She continues to be a great blessing in our lives. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of the D’Evelyn faculty, staff, and administration during my absence. I am particularly grateful to Mr. Schmeckpeper and our administration for their efforts to maintain strong school operations in my absence. Further, D’Evelyn students and families continued consistent engagement and support of the school. Photo Credit: LiLo Photography
I returned to D’Evelyn in the midst of a busy and exciting time in our school year. In the next six-plus weeks, our students have many opportunities to shine in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and community service. Thank you for taking the time to review the important, timely updates for our school community: Enrollment for the 2022-2023 School Year It is hard to believe that we are already quickly approaching our period of open enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. At D’Evelyn, along with all other Jeffco Schools, we rely upon the Enroll Jeffco platform to manage our enrollment process. I encourage all families in Jeffco to review and consider the information available at Enroll Jeffco. The open enrollment period is crucial to D’Evelyn as an option school in Jefferson County. 100% of D’Evelyn students are admitted to the school via the lottery system in Enroll Jeffco. Each year, we enroll students in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. We always appreciate current D’Evelyn families sharing information regarding our enrollment processes and timelines with friends, family, and fellow community members. School choice is a crucial decision for students and families. As a liberal arts school with a unique curriculum and educational philosophy, D’Evelyn is not the best fit for all students. However, I have great confidence in the strength of our program and the great impact it has in the lives of our students. Please join me in encouraging interested families to participate in our upcoming Open House and Prospective Student Information Nights. The Open House for interested students and families will occur on Tuesday, November 30th from 5 - 8 PM. The last tour will begin at 7 PM. This will be a great opportunity for interested students and families to meet D’Evelyn students, teachers, staff, coaches, and club sponsors, and in the process, learn more about our great school. Additionally, we offer four Prospective Student Information Nights. All new families are required to attend one Information Night prior to enrolling their student at D’Evelyn. This year, we will host Information Nights on the following dates (all sessions start at 7:00 PM in the D’Evelyn Auditorium): · December 14 · December 16 · January 6 · January 13 Thank you for sharing information about our school with interested families. Please note that younger siblings of current D’Evelyn students must still apply for admission to D’Evelyn via EnrollJeffco. The Annual D’Evelyn Dinner Auction The D’Evelyn Education Foundation is thrilled to host the 2021 D’Evelyn Dinner Auction, “A Starry Night”, on Friday, December 3rd at Baldoria on the Water. The Dinner Auction is one of the biggest fundraising events for DEF each year, and we look forward to an outstanding turnout of D’Evelyn parents, families, and community members at this year’s event. Please consider attending this event, and bring your friends! It is a great community event that has historically raised substantial funds for DEF. To purchase tickets today, please visit the DEF Dinner Auction website here: https://events.handbid.com/auctions/a-starry-night/tickets DEF provides over $100,000 per year in funding to support D’Evelyn students and teachers in the classroom, athletics, performing arts, and activities. Further, DEF is responsible for nearly $40,000 per year in scholarships and awards for D’Evelyn students and teachers. As a school community, we are so fortunate to have the robust and sincere commitment of DEF behind us - please consider supporting the Auction by attending, donating auction items, or pledging a sponsorship to this great event. Best wishes to your student and family in these last two weeks as we head into the 2021 Thanksgiving Break! Thank you for your steady, continued support of D’Evelyn! By: Josh Griffin, Principal On behalf of our family, I am thrilled to share the news that we welcomed our daughter Madison James Griffin on Thursday, September 23rd. Madison was born at 3:05 PM at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver, weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces. Both my wife Fran and Madison are doing great, and our older two daughters are so excited to have a baby sister. Dad is just happy! Madison has been diagnosed with Trisomy 21, commonly referred to as Down syndrome. My wife and I learned of Madison’s condition at the end of the first trimester of Fran’s pregnancy. Since we learned of her diagnosis, we have been abundantly blessed to receive care, support, and consideration from our family, friends, community members, and medical professionals. Fran and I consider ourselves blessed to have the opportunity to be Madison’s parents, and we truly believe that we were chosen as her parents for a reason. In just a few days, Madison has already been a light in our lives, and I know that she is the perfect child to complete our Griffin family of 5. I am hopeful that in the upcoming months, I will be able to bring Madison, along with her two sisters Josie and Avery, to D’Evelyn athletic, extracurricular, and social events. As a family, we feel fortunate to be involved in this outstanding D’Evelyn community, and the support we have already received from so many revalidates that appreciation. I will be on a leave of absence through Friday, October 29th. In the event that Fran or Madison need unexpected additional medical care or support, I may need to extend my leave, but I currently intend to return on November 1st. I am grateful to our faculty, staff, and administration for continuing the important work of educating our students in my absence. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Tim Schmeckpeper back to D’Evelyn, as he will return to serve as interim principal in my absence. I have known “Schmeck” for over 25 years, and I am honored that he has agreed to serve in this role during my leave. I wish your child(ren) and family the best as we move into the fall this school year. Thank you for your sincere and ongoing commitment to the success of your student(s) and our great school. I appreciate your understanding and support as I take the upcoming weeks to spend additional time with my family. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
Last week, I was thrilled to share the news of the great success of D’Evelyn students on the SAT and PSAT 9 & 10 from the April 2021 statewide administration. Those results are a great tribute to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, and staff, and the outstanding support of our families. We have received additional great news. Each year, the Colorado Department of Higher Education completes a study of the postsecondary success of Colorado High School graduates. One statistic generated in this study is called “remediation rates”. Remediation rates measure the percentage of graduates that require remedial coursework in public Colorado colleges and universities for English and Math. In its most recent study, the Colorado Department of Higher Education found that the D’Evelyn Class of 2019 earned a 0% remediation rate. This means that among all graduates of the D’Evelyn Class of 2019, no one needed remedial coursework in English or Math. In the 11 years for which remediation rate data is available, we are proud to say that we have never had a class of graduates with a remediation rate about 4%. This remediation rate data is a remarkable tribute to the quality of the D’Evelyn liberal arts program and the commitment of our students, staff, and families. Each year, the remediation data is a great point of pride - it highlights the level of knowledge and skills our graduates bring with them as they pursue postsecondary study. On a personal note, I want to share with our full D’Evelyn community about some temporary change in our leadership team over the next few weeks. My wife and I are expecting our third daughter. She will likely arrive during the week of September 20th. In order to support my wife and all three of our daughters, I plan to take a leave of absence beginning Wednesday, September 22nd that I plan to conclude on Monday, November 1st. I am thrilled to share that in my absence, veteran educational leader and recently retired D’Evelyn AP Tim Schmeckpeper has agreed to serve as the interim principal. “Schmeck” is a great man and has played an important role in my life dating back to my freshman year of high school. I am honored that he has agreed to fill the role of interim principal in my absence. Mr. Schmeckpeper will begin his interim appointment on Monday, September 27th. Additionally, D’Evelyn AP and Athletic Director, Jerry McWhorter will also be taking a leave of absence for at least the next few weeks. We are fortunate to have Mr. Kevin Land join us to serve as interim AP in Jerry’s absence. Mr. Land will work to support high school students with last names starting with A-L. Mr. Land will begin his interim appointment on Monday, September 20th. I have great confidence in our administrative team, our faculty, staff, and counselors - they will do an outstanding job of continuing their important work in my absence. I encourage students and families to continue to utilize direct communication, and work directly with the teachers, counselors, staff, and administrators. If you need assistance connecting with a member of the D’Evelyn faculty or staff, please contact our Main Office at 303-982-2600 during office hours (7 AM - 3 PM, Monday-Friday). I wish you all the best during the next few weeks. I will miss my daily interactions with D’Evelyn students, faculty, staff, and families, but at this time, it will be important for me to dedicate time to my family. I appreciate your support and understanding as we welcome our new daughter in the upcoming days! By: Josh Griffin, Principal
At D’Evelyn, we are fortunate to have our school philosophy clearly established by the D’Evelyn Program Document, commonly referred to as the “Founding Document”. The quality of our school program is greatly supported by the shared belief in the Founding Document throughout our community. Among the key elements of the Founding Document, D’Evelyn is designed to offer a strong liberal arts education, with high academic and behavioral expectations for all students. The purpose of our school is to support the development of the minds and character of our students, so that they may be effective community members and well prepared for their future endeavors. Over the 27-year history of our school, we have seen great success among our students, both during their time at D’Evelyn, as well as in their postsecondary pursuits. As noted in the Founding Document, and quoted from the work of Jacques Barzun, the purpose of education is to ensure that our students are not “wide-eyed strangers in a world of wonders”. By way of a well-designed liberal arts curriculum, and quality instruction throughout the D’Evelyn program, our school’s mission and vision have served students well for many years. While the school philosophy guides us, we are proud of the work and achievements of our students each year. Particularly against the landscape of the tumultuous educational setting we have experienced since March 2020, I am especially proud of the great achievements of our students in the spring 2021 administration of the SAT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 9. I am thrilled to share that the upcoming D’Evelyn graduating class (current seniors, Class of 2022) earned the highest average SAT scores among all public, non-charter high schools in Colorado during the April 2021 administration. This marks the 20th consecutive year of rankings by the Colorado Department of Education in which D’Evelyn juniors earned the highest average ACT or SAT scores among non-charter high schools in the state. With an average score of 1269, these students did a remarkable job on the test. We are very proud of you, seniors! Additionally, the D’Evelyn Class of 2023 and Class of 2024 also earned the highest average scores on their respective PSAT tests among Colorado public, non-charter high schools in the April 2021 administration. The Class of 2023 earned an average PSAT 10 score of 1158, and the Class of 2024 earned an average score of 1108. Congratulations to our current sophomores and juniors - you did an outstanding job on your respective tests last spring. These great results are the result of the hard work and dedication of D’Evelyn students, teachers, and staff, as well as the commitment and support of D’Evelyn parents and families. Our students meet our high institutional expectations with perseverance, grit, and determination, all skills and ultimately character traits that will serve our students well. I am incredibly proud of not only the performance of these students last April, but also the preparation that brought them to this level of success. The education of our students now begins in 6th grade, and I am grateful to our junior high teachers for their important work in establishing a strong foundation for success among our high school students. As a school, we are uniquely positioned to provide our students a transformative learning experience during their junior and senior high school years. The timeless nature of the liberal arts philosophy allows us to support the growth and development of both the mind and character of our students. Congratulations to our students on these remarkable achievements - we are proud of you! By: Josh Griffin, Principal
I hope that you and your family have enjoyed the Labor Day weekend. It is important for our students, teachers, staff, and families to enjoy some down time during the school year, and it is my hope that the three-day weekend was a great way for all parties to rest, relax, and have fun. I continue to be impressed with how well the school year has started. Thank you to our students, teachers, staff, and families for your commitment to a successful start to the school year, as we all focus on a great year of learning and growth for our students in the D’Evelyn liberal arts program. In my classroom visits and school supervision throughout the first three weeks, I have seen firsthand the great benefit of our return to 100% in-person learning, daily class meetings of 50 minutes in length, the restoration of our traditional 7th hour program, and the opportunity for students to socialize at before school, after school, during passing periods, and at lunch. As we continue through the school year, I expect that our students will experience greater complexity and challenge in their classes. Additionally, we are already in the midst of the beginning of our first round of unit assessments in our classes. Thank you for joining our faculty and staff in encouraging your students to keep up the great momentum with which we started the year. If your student is struggling, whether in a class or personally, please partner with our teachers, counselors, and/or administrators to develop a plan to better support your student. In the upcoming weeks, we have several important opportunities for families to continue and/or increase your engagement in the school. Please consider these upcoming opportunities as pathways to deepening understanding of the D’Evelyn program, and ultimately a good way to best support your student during this year and their remaining D’Evelyn tenures. D’Evelyn Accountability Committee The first D’Evelyn Accountability Committee meeting of the year is Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, at 5:30 PM in the D’Evelyn library. Accountability meetings generally last approximately 1 hour. The purpose of the Accountability Committee is to serve in an advisory capacity to the D’Evelyn Steering Committee as well as the principal. During our typical meetings, we discuss and gather input on important matters in the school, share important updates on school philosophy and operations, and present opportunities for families to become more involved in the school. In particular, the September 14th meeting is an important one, our Steering Committee will provide training in the Founding Document, as well as training on the curricular development/review and textbook selection processes. For families interested in learning more about our school’s liberal arts philosophy, and ultimately seeking opportunities to serve on curricular and textbook committees, we hope that you will be able to join us in our first A/C meeting of the year on the 14th. D’Evelyn Steering Committee The D’Evelyn Steering Committee serves as the governing board of the school, with specific responsibilities in regards to D’Evelyn’s curriculum, textbooks, and hiring practices, establishing policies for the school, and supervising the principal. The D’Evelyn Steering Committee meets 1-2 times per month, and has already been hard at work to ensure a successful year and strong future for our great school. The next Steering Committee meeting is September 20th at 4:30 pm in the D’Evelyn Main Office Conference Room. We encourage D’Evelyn families interested in learning more about the school’s governance to attend and observe S/C meetings as they are able. Parent Teacher Conferences - September 29th, 5:00 - 7:30 PM & September 30th, 3 - 5:30 PM Mark your calendars! Our fall parent teachers conferences are just a few weeks away. We are still gathering feedback to determine the best methodology for hosting these conferences, but will announce our plans soon. We encourage D’Evelyn families and students to attend conferences as an opportunity to touch base with teachers and learn firsthand about the progress of your child in their classes. Thank you for your support and engagement in a strong start to the 2021-2022 school year. I look forward to many more great days and achievements ahead for our students. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
Thank you to all community members for a great second week of school. I am particularly grateful to our families for the great turnout at the 2021 Back to School Night this past Thursday, and the 2021 D’Evelyn DASH on Saturday morning. Huge thanks to all of the volunteers that worked so hard to plan an awesome D’Evelyn DASH. It was a great way to start the school year, and that is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of many parent volunteers and staff members. Good communication is an essential element of a successful school. In the educational setting, effective communication should be geared towards supporting the success of our students. Even when circumstances are challenging and hardship may occur, it is important we all work together to have honest, respectful communication in the interest of supporting the best possible outcomes for our students. Additionally, we encourage a model of strong direct communication, where individuals address their questions and concerns to the most appropriate member of the school faculty and staff. As you navigate the start of this school year, we encourage you to encourage your child(ren) to sustain a strong start to the school year, with active engagement in each of their classes and extracurricular activities. Ideally, students will begin to build positive relationships with their teachers, counselors, and support staff, where they are comfortable asking for help and additional support. Self-advocacy is an important skill for our students to develop during their secondary academic years. Thank you for encouraging your child(ren) to work productively with our staff throughout the year. There are times when additional involvement by parents and/or guardians is warranted. Occasionally, a student may struggle significantly with a subject matter or assignment, or have a hard time approaching an adult in the building on their own. Please support your student in these situations by reaching out proactively to partner with the most relevant teacher or staff member as needed. As a school administration, faculty, and staff, we aspire to provide comprehensive communication with families and students about important updates, events, and information originating at D’Evelyn. Timely, efficient communication is an important element to the establishment and maintenance of positive student, teacher, parent/family partnerships. Those partnerships are critical to supporting student success in the D’Evelyn program. Within our school communication system, we use the following tools: Jag Tracks - offered in a weekly web-based format, this is an opportunity for faculty, staff, administration, and community members to share important updates with families regarding upcoming events and important issues in the school. We encourage all families to review the Jag Tracks every week. Jaguar Tracks website: https://develynjaguartracks.weebly.com/ School Messenger - email updates for all families, or families organized by grade-level, depending upon the nature of the message. In order to receive School Messenger updates, your contact information needs to be accurate in Jeffco Connect. School Website - a steady source of information, including teacher websites and school and extracurricular calendars. Please visit and familiarize yourself with our school website and the individual websites of our teachers. · School Website: https://develyn.jeffcopublicschools.org/ · Navigation Page - Teacher Websites: https://develyn.jeffcopublicschools.org/d_h_s_staff Parent Portal (Gradebook) - allows access to student gradebooks for each of their classes. This is an important component of our communication plan, and we encourage parents/families to stay up-to-date on student performance in their classes via the gradebook. Numerous school community events like Back to School Night, Parent Teacher Conferences, Prospective Student Information Nights, Welcome Events - all of these events are designed to offer opportunities to gain more information on expectations for students and families at D’Evelyn in a face-to-face forum. We encourage all D’Evelyn families to participate in these important school community events. D’Evelyn App - you may download the D’Evelyn app from the App Store or Google Play store. This is a great resource that aggregates a number of important student/parent resources. Email & Phone Communication - Please use this method to communicate with faculty/staff when a specific question or concern arises. Our faculty directory is on the D’Evelyn website. Additionally, in an effort to highlight the many great things happening at D’Evelyn among our students, faculty, and staff, we have recently added D’Evelyn official social media outlets with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Facebook - /develynjrsr Instagram - @develynjuniorsenior Twitter - @develynjrsr We encourage D’Evelyn community members, past, present, and future, to follow our various social media platforms to receive updates highlighting the many great achievements of D’Evelyn students, alums, faculty, and staff throughout the course of the school year. While we aspire to have thorough, comprehensive communication, I recognize that maintaining this level of communication with thousands of current community members is not perfect. Families and students are encouraged to contact the appropriate school official directly if they have questions that cannot be answered within the aforementioned existing communication systems. Please feel free to call or visit the D’Evelyn Main Office - 303-982-2600 - should you need clarification on who the best contact is in the event that you have a question or discussion point with a member of the D’Evelyn faculty and staff. Student, teacher, and parent/family partnerships are essential to the success of D’Evelyn students. I ask that all community members remain committed to positive, productive conversations throughout the course of the year to support our students. |
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