The Weekly DPS Snapshots Show with Natalie B. - District Updates for May 9

1. TAW Winners

All week, DPS has been celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week with educator-exclusive discounts, student quotes and classroom grant giveaways! In partnership with the DPS Foundation and the DPS Communications Department, nine lucky teachers were randomly selected to receive grants that can be used toward their classrooms for next school year.

$500 Grant Winners: 

Aomi Diaz - George Washington High

Emily Bevington - North High

Emilie Kelley - McGlone Academy

Josephine Tierney - Oakland Elementary

Deborah Grunewald - Florida Pitt Waller

Ashton Gutierrez - Inspire

Nhu Mai Pham - Grant Ranch

Daniel Hopkins - DC 21

$1,000 Grant Winner

Cody Clark - Hamilton Middle School

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

2. Social Media Trend Involving Chromebooks 

There is a social media trend that encourages the destruction and burning of school-issued Chromebooks. Please do not promote this trend and do not encourage your students to engage in this behavior. This behavior poses significant safety risks to students and staff. Chromebooks are powered by lithium batteries and attempting to set fire to one can lead to explosions, severe burns or even cause building fires. Participating in this behavior will result in disciplinary consequences and could potentially lead to legal repercussions for students.

DPS encourages parents and guardians to have conversations with their students about the risks of participating in harmful online trends, and to help reinforce the importance of responsible and safe use of school-issued technology.

If your student becomes aware of any behavior related to this trend, please encourage them to contact a trusted adult at school.

3. DPS Seal of Biliteracy 

Students from across the district gathered with their families, friends and educators for the annual DPS Seal of Biliteracy Celebration. The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who show their proficiency in two or more languages. This year, over 1,500 students received their seal! This is a record number for DPS! Congratulations to the students for all their hard work throughout their time in high school to reach this milestone.

4.  DPS Teacher Feature - Miss Denver

During the school day, her students at Swansea Elementary call her Miss Kat. But after the bell rings, this passionate and dedicated special education teacher has another name– Miss Denver.

Katya Lopez, former Miss San Antonio and current Miss Denver, brings her love for learning to everything she does. As a Teach For America Corps member, Katya moved to Colorado to support students with disabilities. Katya loves using her performance background to connect with students by reading, singing and sharing the power of art to help young minds express themselves and grow. 

Full story  https://youtu.be/QQxu28tTo6s 

5.  Valdez Elementary Reducing Food Waste 

This year, in an effort to reduce food waste, Valdez started a compost coordinators program where each second grade class selected two coordinators. Kolby, Soledad, William and Zia now oversee the disposal of waste during their lunch period, instructing their peers to separate compostable materials from trash with a watchful eye on the compost bin to  ensure their guidance is followed.

Valdez has started incorporating a share table, thanks to a collaboration with local organization, We Don’t Waste. Students contribute uneaten food in its original packaging or purchased from the school to the share table throughout the lunch day. The food is then stored for use during after school programming.

The full story.