|
By: Dave Belmonte & Melinda Bochner, Steering Committee Co-Chairs
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! Thank you to our outgoing Steering Committee chair, Brock Gustafson. We are grateful for the years of service and countless hours of investment that he gave to our school community. Thank you, also, to Emily McCaslin-Hahn, an extraordinary math teacher, die-hard Jag, and dedicated member of the Steering Committee, whose service ended this past school year. We will miss you both! Our school community is celebrating D'Evelyn's 30th Anniversary! We are fortunate that Founders Kathi Pitzer and Carolyn DeRaad are still involved in our school, helping us to stay true to our principles that all students, not just an elite group, should be held to rigorous academic and behavioral standards, and that all students can achieve in a challenging program. Thank you for your guidance, wisdom, and three decades of commitment. The purpose of a D'Evelyn education is to convey an essential body of cultural knowledge to our students through a solid liberal arts education, producing citizens who are effective participants in their communities. The D’Evelyn curriculum focuses on the core academic subjects, building a foundation of knowledge important to the pursuit of all subsequent learning. D’Evelyn students develop the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to be engaged citizens through teacher-led, whole-group instruction. The primary role of the Steering Committee, composed of five parents, two teachers, and the principal, is to ensure that the school stays true to the school's Founding Document. The Steering Committee coordinates parents, teachers, and administrators to work together following a participatory model, making critical decisions about curriculum, textbooks, staffing, district initiatives, and budgets. It is a unique model established by our Founding Document, which is also our contract with the Jefferson County School District. The District is our partner, and we look forward to continuing to work together. The Steering Committee also runs standing sub-committees to help fulfill our responsibilities. The standing sub-committees include The D'Evelyn Education Foundation (DEF), Accountability, School Calendar, and Discipline. We are seeking volunteers for these subcommittees. We need engaged parents to help maintain our tradition of excellence, so please share your time and talent with our school community! While D’Evelyn students are encouraged as individuals, our program is not modified for individual needs and preferences. The same rigorous standards apply to all students and provide the basis for assessment and evaluation. We encourage you to thoroughly read the behavioral, academic, and AP contracts that your families will sign. We look forward to a great school year and getting to know our new families and their students. If you have any questions or wish to communicate with the Steering Committee, you may email us at [email protected]. By: Founders Carolyn De Raad and Kathi Pitzer
In 1991, groups throughout Colorado were working to develop schools they felt would better educate their children. But school boards always said “no.” Charter legislation, introduced in 1992, was an attempt to free parents and teachers from the power of a local school board to reject ideas other than their own and allowing an appeal to the State Board of Education. The bill was killed. But, great ideas don’t die. And people who truly believe in ideas don’t allow them to die. Dave D’Evelyn, the father of charter schools in Colorado, continued to work at drafting legislation that could be passed. He and the Colorado Children’s Campaign organized a Charter conference in December of 1992 for an expected 70 attendees. 140 attended. Governor Romer endorsed the concept of Charter Schools in his 1993 State of the State address, followed immediately with unanimous endorsement from the State Board of Education. We spent hours at the legislature testifying and observing. It was big, with 18 hours of hearings in the Senate Education Committee alone. Finally, in May 1993, the legislature passed the bipartisan Charter School Bill. Governor Romer signed the bill into law. Sadly, that May, we lost Dave D’Evelyn in a small-plane crash while returning from Durango where he helped charter proposers understand the law. All who worked with Dave knew him to be principled, visionary, and compassionate, He taught well, wrote well, and lived well. His depth of insight, willingness to confront the hard questions in education, defense of individual liberty, and clear adherence to academic excellence were outstanding. He trusted individual parents to make the best choices for their own children. Parents at Dennison K-8 had long wondered why there was no high school to continue the educational philosophy delivered by Dennison. They were always told, “for your grandchildren perhaps.” With Charter possible, a small group of us met in August 1993, to draft the Philosophy Statement for a high school. Philosophy Statement in hand, we began having public meetings to confirm that the school we envisioned had a clientele - demonstrated by letters of intent. Simultaneously, we researched financial, building, curriculum, transportation, contract, and other necessary issues. We also met with the Jeffco District officials and the media. In December we submitted the final Options proposal to the District, and in January the final Charter version. When the Jeffco Board heard the proposal we had 900 letters of intent and hundreds of parents attending Board meetings. In March the school was approved as an option and denied as a Charter. We were promised the Manning building and required to write an initial (April) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We then reviewed the Document with a Jeffco administrator while considering appealing the Charter denial. The June 1993, MOU clarified our relationship with the district, guaranteeing significant operational autonomy. We also named the option school for Dave D’Evelyn. In May we began enrolling students, hiring teachers, choosing and ordering books, and doing all the necessary things to open D’Evelyn. In August 1994 we opened with our first 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade students. It was no small victory. It is now our collective mission to keep the program worthy of the name it bears. By: Emily McCaslin-Hahn
As a D’Evelyn graduate, I have a unique perspective. I experienced the Founding Document before I read it. Reading the document after graduating from D’Evelyn in 2012 was a powerful experience. It was not merely an outline for how a school should be structured, but rather a six year period of my life described in one succinct, thoughtful, and thorough document. It outlined from beginning to end the opportunities I was provided throughout my time as a student at D’Evelyn. In reflecting on the overarching themes that I took away from my education at D’Evelyn, I ended up with these 9 statements. During my time at D’Evelyn, I developed the following skills and abilities:
In reading the document, it came to life for me that every bullet point that I was able to pull from experience had been clearly anticipated and outlined by our founders. They deliberately laid out a path that every D’Evelyn graduate would take; they took the time, not to simply start a common school, but to start an uncommon school that would lay a solid foundation for all of its students. They knew that their program would impact a student’s entire life. In returning to D’Evelyn I have the privilege of passing this foundation on to my students, your children. My colleagues and I deliver the core body of knowledge to your students day by day and year after year to prepare them for the world beyond our walls. You have given your children an incredible gift by enrolling them at D’Evelyn, a gift that I am excited to give my daughter, too. While there will be challenges and hard work, your student will graduate with the knowledge and ability to be successful in any future pursuit. I would encourage you to take the time to carefully read through our Founding Document, even if you have read it before. If you are a parent of a current D’Evelyn student, I would ask you to take the time to discuss it with your student. Tell them that D’Evelyn is preparing them to be a productive and engaged member of society with the power and potential to make a difference in the world. Help them see how in each of their classes, both current and past, that they are now one step closer to reaching that final goal: not simply building knowledge but also building strong character. If you are a parent of a D’Evelyn graduate, ask your child to reflect on the overarching takeaways learned throughout their time at D’Evelyn; compare them to the Founding Document. And as a parent, be proud of your student for taking on this challenging curriculum and engaging with a variety of subjects. Encourage them when they face challenges, and celebrate each learning opportunity. You have provided your student with a one-of-a-kind education. It is the gift that will keep giving! I am so excited to continue to partner with you as we begin the 2022-2023 school year. Taking the time to reflect on why we all chose D’Evelyn and what D’Evelyn promises our students will steer us in the right direction for an excellent school year! By: Lynne Hobbs, Steering Committee Member and English Teacher
The D’Evelyn Founders state in the school's original philosophy statement that they “believe[d] the purpose of education is to convey an essential body of cultural knowledge to the next generation” (Program Document 1). The same document states that “Our English program stresses the foundational aspects of language and its application as represented in recognized great literature for the ages” (5). In 1997, founding English department member Jack Moninger set out with the early department to establish a prescribed list of literature to ensure both year to year continuity and that each student would encounter the same list of classics, creating horizontal and vertical alignment unparalleled in Jefferson County. Instead of yearly debates over what to teach and when to teach it, a list of required readings, studied at the same time each year, would provide all students with the same exposure to the same great works of literature. Over the past 25 years, the English department has tweaked a few pieces of our curriculum, rearranging when a few books are studied and dropping a few (four?) because of: a text going out of print (The Yearling, which was a replacement when Death Comes for the Archbishop was dropped and To Kill a Mockingbird was changed from a summer read to a school year study), repetition of works from a given period (Far From the Madding Crowd provided two Victorian summer reading books going into British Literature), repetition of an author studied in depth in a later year (Death Comes for the Archbishop), or challenging content beyond students’ life experiences (Dandelion Wine), but the list otherwise remains largely the same. Written justifications not only explain why we chose the additional works not found in our selected textbooks, but also present connections, both up and down the scope and sequence. When we have made changes (adding The Yearling, The Outsiders, 1984 and all the novels studied in 6th grade), the process has included writing justifications, just as we did at the school’s inception, in order to maintain our alignment. Our novels and plays were not chosen lightly, and they were not chosen at random. They were chosen for thematic and stylistic connections; they were chosen to augment the literature studied in our carefully selected textbooks; and they were chosen to complement other pieces of the D’Evelyn puzzle, in both earlier grades and later grades as well as in other academic subjects. We are proud of our rich curriculum, and we are confident that it continues to provide D’Evelyn students with the cultural knowledge of great literature as promised in the Program Document. We welcome you to learn more about the reasoning behind each of our carefully selected novels and plays; please visit the school website, under the academic section: Book Justifications By: Dana Miller, D’Evelyn Steering Committee parent member
The holidays are right around the corner and it’s always a good time to reflect on what we are thankful for. Attending D’Evelyn sure isn’t a cake walk but my children (one graduate, a junior and 8th grader) are all learning (or have learned) valuable skill sets and they have the foundation of a liberal arts education that they will take with them for the rest of their lives. D’Evelyn was founded by a group of parents who had a vision to provide a textbook-based, teacher-directed, and whole group instruction of a liberal arts education to our students. Put aside all of the high test scores, awards and top rankings that D’Evelyn has achieved year after year and what you get is a “back to the basics,” solid foundational liberal arts education where any child can achieve if they are willing to do the work and put in the time. Why am I thankful? Because my children had the choice to attend this school which I do believe will better prepare them for life and the future. I’m thankful for the curriculum they are learning, the literature they have the opportunity to read, and the rigor which holds them accountable and teaches them discipline, structure and responsibility. I am also thankful for the faculty and staff. I would be lying if I said there weren’t times when I wish the staff would lighten up and be more flexible but I know that they care. I know that the reason they have their structure and toughness is because they believe in their curriculum and their students and they are pushing them to be their best. I am also thankful for the community of D’Evelyn parents who are invested in their childrens’ education; parents who volunteer time and energy to give back to this school that we are so fortunate to have our kids attend. Next school year (2022-2023) there will be one parent and one teacher position open on the Steering Committee. Terms for the Steering Committee are three years and it is a great way to be involved in your school and also to give back to a school that has given our kids so much. I encourage you to consider stepping up and volunteering in any way possible. If you are interested in serving on the Steering Committee, please plan to attend the Candidate Training on November 9th at 6:30 pm (immediately following the Accountability Committee meeting) in the library. In addition, please review the application as it contains valuable information about requirements and eligibility for serving. If the Steering Committee isn’t for you, there are monthly Accountability Committee meetings, the D’Evelyn Education Foundation which is the non-profit fundraising arm for D’Evelyn, and other opportunities such as signing up to sell D’Evelyn merchandise in the school store or helping out with social events. Whatever you do, get involved in some way. You will be thankful you did.  By: Lynne Hobbs, Teacher Member of the Steering Committee
I have been asked this question numerous times over my 25 years as a teacher at D'Evelyn. For many years, the question came from other teachers at other schools, wondering why I would choose to work here over all the other possibilities in the Denver area. Most recently, I was asked this question on an application to become a member of the Steering Committee. But most often over the past eleven years, I have been asked that question as a parent. As some of you know, but I assume many of you do not, I am not just a D’Evelyn teacher, I am a D’Evelyn parent. My older son graduated with the class of 2017 (and then from college this past spring), and my younger son is currently a senior (class of 2022!). The decision to place my children here was actually an easy one to make. I firmly believe in the D’Evelyn curriculum. The path has not always been easy. We have had our share of late nights with tests to study for, essays and research papers to write, and English novels to read. I have resurrected my long forgotten Spanish to help study the imperfect and the preterite, I tracked due dates for long-term assignments, and I even helped build a plant cell out of a cantaloupe by making labels for the mitochondria and cell wall. I do not know if all they have studied will be applied in their daily lives, but I know the skills and the experience gained from D’Evelyn will pay dividends. I had heard before from graduates how much the rigors of D’Evelyn helped them in college, but I have now seen it first hand from my own child. From content, to study skills, to time management, my older son has repeatedly told me of the ways that D’Evelyn prepared him for college. And as I prepare to send my younger son off as well, the one thing of which I am absolutely certain, is that he has the foundation to succeed in college. Finally, my kids have had great teachers who taught and inspired them. When my older son needed to write a paper for his literature class freshman year in college, he went to Mr. Haller’s website to check out his exemplars before beginning to write. He chose his degree because Mr. Ryckman and Ms. Weber made math interesting and appealing. A semester in Mr. Baker’s economics class provided the foundation that allowed him to be the point person for his friends and teammates when school went remote his junior year and everyone struggled with the economics class they were trying to take online. My younger one thinks he might want to be a social studies teacher, inspired by Ms. Holland, Mr. Carson, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Beams. Thanks to Sra. Bender, Sra. Schott and Sr. Beams (again), he has discovered a love and talent for Spanish that I hope to see him pursue in the future as well. I could go on ad nauseum about what D’Evelyn has done for my kids, but I will settle for telling you that if I had the decision to make over, I would do it all again. By: Dr. Jeff London (Professor and Parent of a D’Evelyn Student)
Ever since my daughter began attending D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High, I have tried to better understand the school, faculty, staff, students, and parents. To understand the people and the institution itself, I have read and reread the D’Evelyn Founding Document, as well as interacted with the very curriculum that my child is experiencing every day of the school year. Over time, I have also tried to better understand how the outside world views D’Evelyn and the students who attend this institution. I often hear D’Evelyn described as an “option school” and I like that status. For me the word “option” implies choice. If I am forced to live without individual choices, I am forced to live without individual freedom. Living without individual freedom sounds absolutely unamerican. The very notion that parents have the “power of choice” implies that they have the authority to make their own decisions about what is best for their own children. In summation, parents have the choice to send their children to D’Evelyn or not to send their children to D’Evelyn. From the beginning of the “school choice” process, parents recognize that adult individuals (i.e., parents) can make their own well-informed decisions. If a parent chooses to not become well informed before making an important choice, the parent can always change their mind and make a different choice. Adults are empowered by information. Regrettably, adults who do not become well informed sometimes become strangers to their own agency. A lack of information may result in adults failing to exercise their own freedom responsibly. Adults exercising their freedoms (without first doing their homework and reading the D’Evelyn Founding Document) may make regrettable choices. Adults who make uninformed choices sometimes suffer the consequences of their own uninformed designs. By making responsible and well-informed choices, adults can leverage institutional support and technical know-how to assure that their children receive a rigorous and traditional liberal arts education. D’Evelyn is an extremely challenging environment for students and a high GPA is hard-earned. Today, the stakes are as high as they ever were, as parents seek to support their students. Students, understandably, desire to attend more prestigious colleges and universities. Parents and students often believe that the college or university that the student attends has far-reaching and profound implications for their future career trajectories. Because the stakes are so high, it is important that parents make well informed decisions about what school their child will attend. Understanding the rigorous and demanding curriculum of D’Evelyn and reading the D’Evelyn Founding Document must be the primary undertaking of any parent considering sending their child here. To attend or not attend D’Evelyn is a choice. Before deciding, parents should be encouraged to read the D’Evelyn Founding Document. Consequently, all members of our rigorous educational community will understand who they are: social actors exercising their freedom of choice, responsibly or not. Written by: Jodi Haller, Art Teacher
A new semester has started at D'Evelyn and the (virtual!) drama, music, and art rooms are bustling with more than 800 students engaged in some fantastically important work within the D'Evelyn educational program. Those students are not simply fulfilling a graduation requirement, but they are working toward satisfying one of the overarching components of the D'Evelyn educational philosophy: enriching and broadening our students' education through challenging electives that augment the required basic subjects (CU 05). This enrichment happens through making connections between the fine arts and other subjects, by questioning and exploring ideas from other disciplines through the lens of the visual and performing arts, and, perhaps most importantly, through the direct act of creating studio work and performing musical and dramatic pieces. A few years ago, D'Evelyn Founder Carolyn DeRaad wrote a Steering Committee article for Jaguar Tracks (August 2017) reminding us how one of the great strengths and benefits of a liberal arts education is the interconnectedness of all academic subjects. "Our teachers weave the courses together by showing how the disciplines interconnect. The study of the liberal arts--taught through the core disciplines--helps students understand that all knowledge is part of a whole." I believe the fine arts electives we offer relate beautifully to this in many ways, making further connections with our academic classes and expanding our sense of the "whole." In ceramics class students make all sorts of connections with their science classes as they learn about the chemical and physical transformations of the clay and glazes in the kiln. Or, maybe it's how anthropologists and historians know so many things about ancient civilizations because of the ceramic pieces created by those cultures. In drawing class we learn about the evolution of pictorial representation as civilization progressed from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. We look at those ideas in terms of the mechanics of linear perspective and the subtleties of portraiture. In the jewelry classes, students may be experiencing a culture not through the lens of history but through the evolution of beautiful metal work left behind. One of my favorite "connecting" moments happens each semester I teach soldering to my beginning jewelry class when a student stands at the soldering bench with me, mesmerized by the green flame dancing off the metal they are soldering and asks, "Why is the flame green, Mrs. Haller?" My response is, "Well, the green flame from the torch indicates the metal you are soldering is copper! Do you remember when you conducted flame tests of metal ions in chemistry to see what color of flame different metals produce? Here it is in your art class!" Cool, cool, and super cool! The fine arts at D'Evelyn are also a valuable part of a liberal arts education because they show students other ways of looking at ideas that they have been exposed to in academic classes. By exploring the work of artists, musicians, and playwrights, they learn there are different ways of representation, of interpreting social and political ideas, of expressing the experiences humans have in the world. We ask our students to analyze, investigate, challenge and interpret all sorts of events, ideas and concepts through written work, but creating art, or performing musical or dramatic works about these same (or different!) topics broadens them in unexpected and singular ways. It can expand their world and create deeper cognizance of art and human experience. "Through serious study of the Arts, each student will develop judgment and appreciation for the Arts, one of the highest creations of human effort. Armed with this background, the entire rich world of art is available for appreciation and understanding." (D'Evelyn Founding Document, Program Narrative, p. 16) But, truth be told, most students don't sign up for art, theatre, or music classes to make connections with other subjects or learn to appreciate the Arts. Students take a fine arts class because they love the act of creating, performing, or want to learn something new. They come to forget about English for a while--sorry, Mr. Haller! They need a break from their other classes. In our fine arts classes, students get that break. They get to make, perform, express. As they immerse themselves in the joy of an art discipline, they also unwittingly hone all sorts of skills including creative idea generation, discipline in mastering technical skills, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, interpretation, and other "executive functioning skills." They get to practically experience the intense work of the creative process. Innovation and creativity are invaluable skills students need to move onward in their lives beyond D'Evelyn. They are developing such skills, right here in our theatre, art, and music rooms. Anyone who has spent extended time studying, loving, and mastering any sort of performing or visual art knows the intrinsic value of the Arts in both education and in life. In the context of D'Evelyn's program, there are many valuable reasons why fine arts courses are a vital component of a liberal arts education, a few shared here. If we value depth and breadth in our students learning, making connections across disciplines, and nurturing creativity within the character of our students, all should be encouraged to take multiple courses in the fine arts during their time here. The fine arts are an invaluable part of our liberal arts program. Written by Lynne Hobbs, Steering Committee Faculty Member
Many parents are wondering where things stand with CU-06, the policy passed in May of 2019 regarding honors labeling and weighting of core classes for grades 9-12. During the 2019-20 school year, Steering Committee was in the process of working out details for completing the district mandated honors review process when Covid-19 hit, and our attention shifted to on-line schooling. This year, we have restarted discussions. Following the recommendation of the honors task force assembled last year, Mr. Griffin will be working with our community superintendent Tom McMillen to request a waiver from the district, allowing D’Evelyn to weight honors courses at 4.5 instead of the district standard of 5 points. Among other things, this grading scale will differentiate between the weighting of AP courses and honors courses where Advanced Placement can be taken to replace regular track classes like Chemistry, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Economics, and Senior English. If this waiver is approved, we will begin the review process required by the district. Virtual Steering Committee Meetings How to join/listen in and where to find the agenda? Due to COVID 19, the Steering Committee meetings will be virtual until further notice. Please visit the Steering Committee calendar for a list of all meetings and to find all meeting agendas and log in information. The link to connect will be available on the meeting agendas, available at least one day prior to the meeting. PLEASE NOTE: if you do not have a Jeffco email account, you will only be able to join by phone. The calendar is also where you will find all minutes once they have been approved (usually at the subsequent meeting). Public commentary: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and remote Steering Committee meetings, public commentary will be delivered differently than when we host live meetings. Please email your public commentary to the entire Steering Committee no later than 3:00 pm the day before the meeting. We will read up to the first 5 minutes of your comment out loud during the scheduled time. As always, public commentary may be limited to a total of 20 minutes, which could further limit the length of the reading of your comment, though SC members will read them on their own in their entirety. Shorter, more concise comments will have the advantage of a full read out loud during the meeting. Why D’Evelyn? Engaging Students in a Liberal Arts Education and Involving Parents in the Process8/11/2020
Written by: Dana Miller, Steering Committee Chair
Welcome back D’Evelyn community! It’s been an interesting six months to say the least. I hope you all have managed to stay healthy and enjoy this beautiful state we live in by engaging in outdoor activities with your families. I am excited for the 2020-2021 school year and hope that you and your students are as well. The events of the past six months have forced us to adapt and change how we live and they have opened our minds to new ways of doing things. One thing that has not changed is that D’Evelyn is committed to providing our students with a liberal arts education that helps them be engaged and thoughtful members of society while preparing them for their life after high school. D’Evelyn was founded by parents and “parental involvement will be strongly encouraged” remains a part of our Founding Document. I want to invite parents to be involved with the school by attending accountability meetings (usually the 2nd Tuesday of every month in the evening) and/or Steering Committee meetings (first meeting August 10th at 9 am). It is at these meetings where subcommittees are formed and parental involvement is needed and highly valued. Many volunteer opportunities exist, including hiring committees, curriculum review committees and textbook committees, in addition to other subcommittees that are often formed to tackle issues and make improvements within the school. This is your chance to get involved and give back to this great school of ours. In order to serve on a curriculum, textbook, or hiring committee, you must receive training. The curriculum and textbook review training sessions will take place at the first Accountability meeting on September 15th at 5:30 pm. Please plan to attend, get involved and give back to this great school. Virtual Steering Committee Meetings How to join/listen in and where to find the agenda? Due to COVID 19, the Steering Committee meetings will be virtual until further notice. Please visit the Steering Committee calendar for a list of all meetings and to find all meeting agendas and log in information. The link to connect will be available on the meeting agendas, available at least one day prior to the meeting. PLEASE NOTE: if you do not have a Jeffco email account, you will only be able to join by phone. The calendar is also where you will find all minutes once they have been approved (usually at the subsequent meeting). Public Commentary Please email all public commentary to [email protected] no later than 3 pm on the day of the meeting. We will read up to the first five minutes of your comment out loud during the public commentary time. As always, public commentary may be limited to a total of 20 minutes, which could further limit the length of the reading of your comment, though SC members will read them on their own in their entirety. Shorter, more concise comments will have the advantage of a full read out loud during the meeting. Thank you for your patience during this ever-changing time. We wish you good health! Written by Donna Li, Steering Committee Vice Chair
 Dear D’Evelyn Community Members,
The Steering Committee invites families and staff members to become acquainted with our election process. There are three Steering Committee positions that will be open for three-year terms beginning July 1, 2020. Two of the positions are for parents and one for a teacher. There is one teacher candidate for the one teacher position; however, there currently are three parent candidates for only two parent positions. Therefore, the Steering Committee will hold an election this year. Our procedure for the election described below ensures that voting guidelines from the Steering Committee Bylaws and D’Evelyn SC-06 policy and regulations are met. We will be using SurveyMonkey to electronically facilitate our election. One adult per family will receive one email with a link to vote. This ensures one vote per family as required. The adult in the family who receives the email with the link to vote will be the one who is listed as “Household Priority 1” in Jeffco Connect. If you would like to check and/or change the email you have on file please refer to this Quick Reference Guide for parents/guardians with an existing account. Teachers will receive their link to vote via our distribution list (minus staff members who also have students enrolled). Each family may cast one vote for up to two parents and one teacher candidate. Please see the important dates below. If you have technical difficulties, please contact Donna Li. [email protected] Any updates for links or further information will be posted to this document. To assist voters in making an informed decision, a biography and essay regarding goals for the Steering Committee are included in Jaguar Tracks. Additionally, the community is invited to the Candidate Forum via video conference during which the candidates will respond to questions from Steering Committee members and the community. Please use the link below to join. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and subsequent vote for the people you would like to see serve in this important role crucial for the governance of our school! Sincerely, The D’Evelyn Steering Committee Important Upcoming Dates April 8 April 8 Email from Lisa Porter to verify “Household Priority 1” family email address as noted in Campus. Subject: Steering Committee Election Test Email April 14 6:45 p.m. Steering Committee Candidate Forum Streaming link: https://stream.meet.google.com/stream/33e2d716-d9a9-4730-b400-ce5bd055cbf2 April 17 Email with link for voting will be sent in the morning and voting will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on April 18  By Donna Li
Almost three years ago, the Steering Committee began discussions about converting our policies back to their original policy/regulation format. That process is now almost complete. Our reformatted policies, along with other important documents and tools, are now accessible via the Steering Committee website. To navigate to this site, begin at the D’Evelyn school site: Our school → Our Organization → Steering Committee. We designed this website to ensure that our policies are readily accessible to all community members, thus making them easier to use and follow as well as increasing the transparency of the work of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee calendar, which can also be found on our website, allows community members to add Steering Committee events to their personal Gmail account calendar and to subscribe to electronic notifications. To view our calendar, agendas, and minutes, as well as to subscribe to notifications, please visit our calendar page. The previous system used for electronic notifications is no longer in service. As the Steering Committee website is new, there may be a few technical issues to iron out. Please contact [email protected] if you experience any technical problems or have feedback about the website. We appreciate your input. Check it out! All Steering Committee meetings continue to be open to the public, and we cordially invite all community members to attend. The meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm, either in the main office conference room or in the library.  February 10, 2020, at 4:30 pm, in the D'Evelyn Library, the District is scheduled to come into the Steering Committee meeting and discuss CU-06, the policy that was passed to label and weight our core courses as honor's level on our students' transcripts, but had its implementation delayed. The District will be presenting the process they would like D'Evelyn to go through in order to implement the labeling change. More information on where we are on the implementation of CU-06 can be found here. The District was originally scheduled to come in on January 27 but had to reschedule. We are sorry for any inconvenience this schedule change has caused and welcome our community to the meeting.
You are invited!
Who: The D’Evelyn Community What: The Steering Committee Candidate Process The Steering Committee is D’Evelyn’s governing body made up of our principal, two staff members, and five parents when all positions are filled. Parents and staff members serve three-year terms. There will be open positions for both parents and staff beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. The Steering Committee invites all community members to learn more about the candidate process and the work of the Steering Committee. However, we especially encourage those who intend to apply for a Steering Committee position to attend the Steering Committee Candidate Training Part 2. This will take place on Tuesday, Feb 11th at 6:30 pm in the library following the Accountability meeting. (Part 1 took place in November.) Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020. Please note that they must be emailed to [email protected] by this time. If candidates cannot email the application, an email must be sent to the address above by 3:00 pm on February 18th, 2020, notifying the Chair that the paper application is in the Steering Committee mailbox located in the main office. The public Candidate Forum allows the community an opportunity to meet the candidates and hear their responses to predetermined questions. This will be held on Tuesday, April 14th at 6:45 pm, immediately after the Accountability meeting. We encourage the entire community to attend. If you do intend to apply, kindly contact Donna Li, Vice-Chair, so that we may answer any questions and better plan for the process of filling Steering Committee positions. Application information may be found on our website: Policy SC-06, Regulation SC-06-R (Readings), SC-06-F2 Application, Bylaws. Your consideration of serving is greatly appreciated. All Steering Committee meetings are open to the public, and we cordially invite all community members to attend. The meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm either in the main office conference room or in the library, and the meeting agendas are available on the Steering Committee website. |
