What Does The Fox Say?
October 13, 2021
Para leer este boletín en español, haga clic en el botón "traducir" en el cuadro negro en la esquina superior derecha.
Dear Inspire Parent/Guardian,
October is Dyslexia Awareness/Acceptance Month. While we may have different perceptions or language use for and of disability or ability, I hope we can continue to open our minds and hearts to stories that are different from our own. In my last principal's letter, I asked for community members to share their stories. Below, is an anonymous submission. It is a thoughtful and powerful reminder of challenges, acceptance and the strength we face as parents/guardians and educators.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. We are sharing our story to help others...
We knew within the first year that our 2nd daughter was different. She was an intensely happy-go-lucky kid from the moment she was born. Nothing fazed her. "Who is this kid?!", we would wonder.
When she began speaking, we quickly learned that in addition to being 'cool as a cucumber', she had A LOT to say. We began to notice some difficulties with letter sounds. We thought nothing of it; believed it was something she would outgrow.
Preschool rolled around, and with it came the frustrating task of learning the ABC Song, the letter names and their sounds. There were just SO many! Again, we thought, "All in good time".
Kindergarten started to hone in on fundamental reading and spelling skills..."cat", "bat", etc. Try as she might, it ...just ...didn't... click. Still thinking she would catch up and grow into her learning, we proceeded to First Grade. This is where it got tough. Really tough.
There was now a sizable gap between her and other students. We raised our concerns repeatedly, but were told that she was fine and would catch up, she was just a late bloomer. Her self-esteem plummeted, and she started to refer to herself as stupid and not good at things.
Then we did something drastic. Something I thought I would never do in a million years. We pulled her from public school, so that we could homeschool. Our goal was to regroup and rebuild her once formidable self-esteem.
Two years and a Dyslexic diagnosis later, she is in a much different place. She is secure in her abilities, understands how and why her learning is different, and most importantly, embraces the strengths, which come with Dyslexia and she advocates for herself.
When asked what she would want others to know about dyslexia, she said the following:
Don't judge someone by their reading or writing ability. Just because they may struggle to read or write, it does not mean that they are not smart, do not understand, or are not full of great ideas. They are capable, it's just harder to read and write!
Dyslexia is actually a strength. With it comes great imagination, problem solving, seeing the big picture, and resilience. Research "Famous Dyslexics", and you'll be surprise who you find!
She wanted others to know what to look for; behaviors which may indicate dyslexia. She hopes they too will get the help and understanding they need. It is in this vein that I have attached the following resources (see below).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for sharing this story so we can all grow.
November is Native American Heritage Month and Transgender Awareness Week (Nov. 13-19). If a family would like to share a story, please send me an email!
Together, we are Inspire.
Sincerely,
Linda August
Principal
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Important Dates
10/15/21: PD Day, NO SCHOOL
10/18/21: PD Day, NO SCHOOL
10/19/21: Family Conference, NO SCHOOL
10/20/21: PAC/MLE Meeting, 5:30pm-6:30pm
10/20/21: PTO Meeting, 6:30pm-7:30pm
11/3/21: Community Connection: Beginning of Year Student Data, 4:00pm-4:30pm
11/10/21: CSC Meeting, 4:00pm-5:50pm
Disability Awareness/Acceptance Month Resources
- The Mighty
- The Very Well Family
- The Enabling Devices
- A Day in our Shoes
- DPS Cultural Moments
- US Census National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Family Conferences, 10/19/21
All homeroom teachers should have sent out a Bloomz invite to schedule Family Conferences. Below, find links or information for Specials teachers and Special Service Providers.
- Kerrie Hall, Physical Education
- Deanna Lowman, Librarian
- Caroline Weidner, Art
- Darby Teander, Music
- Amanda Haberkorn, Social Worker
- Michelle Hauck, Counselor
- Dorian Bennett, Dean of Culture
- Lacey Robertus, SpEd will schedule appts separately
- Sarah Schuler, MLE/Intervention
PAC/MLE Virtual Meeting, 10/20/21
The Parent Advisory Committee increases communication between MLE parents, the school and DPS. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians to:
- Review implementation of the MLE program with parents
Listen to parent concerns and address issues
Generate topics of interest for MLE DAC meetings
Maintain, post and translate agendas, invitations and sign–in sheets
Provide essential information to parents in languages and modes they understand
Click here for meeting link and more info
Picture Day Update
We apologize to students who were missed during 10/12's Picture Make-Up Day. Front Office will work towards cross referencing student photos and missing photos ahead of scheduling our Retake Day.
- Photos taken on 10/12 can be viewed/purchased via the Bloom Photography school dashboard within the next week. Be on the lookout for an email from Bloom letting you know photos are ready.
- Here is a parent guide with more information.
- If you are requesting a make-up or retake please fill out this form.
- The date/time will be determined after Bloom processes the photos from 10/12 make-up date.
iReady Student Reports
Beginning of the year reports from our math diagnostic, iReady, will be coming home this Thursday. If you have any questions about the report, please contact Anthony Bryant, Assistant Principal at anthony_bryant@dpsk12.net.
iStation Student Reports
Monthly iStation, literacy student reports will be coming home the Friday following the 15th of each month. Please check your student’s Friday folders. If we are out of school that Friday, reports will be sent home on Thursday.
Family Needs Survey & Food Pantry Sign-up
At Inspire we aim to support all of our families and as we continue to build on and improve our outreach we wanted to let you know that we are reaching out to check in with our Inspire family.
If your family would benefit from additional food during the school year, we invite you to sign up for the Inspire Elementary Food Pantry. While the pantry will be operated by the Inspire Elementary PTO, all student and family information will be kept confidential. Each week a bag of food items will be sent home with your child (alternate arrangements may be made if this does not work for your family). The only requirements are that you have a child attending school at Inspire Elementary and indicate your interest by filling out our form. There is no cost to join.
Additionally, we will do our best to connect you with DPS departments and community agencies that can offer assistance in other areas.
Please reach out to Michelle Hauck, Inspire School Counselor at (720) 424-4884 or Michelle_Hauck@dpsk12.net to sign up. Here is more information.
Not Enough Lunch?
We have heard some feedback that students may still be hungry after eating school lunch. We cannot change the portions that are served, However, if students want a second serving/meal at lunch, they may purchase it. In order to do so, students must have funds in their MSB account. Please have a conversation with your child if this applies to them and encourage them to go up to the lunch line again. We need healthy kids to learn and be at their best!
Lost and Found Donation Day, 10/15/21
The lost and found is located in the main vestibule (in front of the main office). Please label items likely to be lost (lunch boxes, backpacks, coats, etc.) with your child’s first and last name, and we will try to return them to your child’s classroom. Items not retrieved from the lost and found will be donated each month on the professional development days. Please take time today through Thursday to look for any lost and found items that may belong to your child(ren).
Message from DPS Nursing Team
School leaders have been getting a lot of questions from families around notifications when there is a positive case at a school. We made a video to address some of those questions preemptively. We hope that this short video will be helpful!
Positive COVID Case School Snapshot
The numbers below include both adults and students and only include active cases. Active cases refers to staff/students who are currently quarantined due to a positive test result.
ECE: 0, Kinder: 0, 1st: 0, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 0, 4th: 0, 5th: 0
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
- Join us for our next PTO meeting on Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30 PM.
- Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/7429950191
- We're still looking for Cafeteria Door Monitor Volunteers to help fill 3 time slots every school day.
- Get all the details in our latest PTO newsletter.
Collaborative School Committee (CSC) Meeting
Next meeting is 11/10/21 at 4:00 PM.
Join Zoom Meeting, Meeting ID: 880 0816 7999, Passcode: i6mka2
CSC Meeting Summary, 10/13/21
Projected enrollment 518, Eligible 481 (excludes ECE). The Inspire budget was not impacted by the difference between our student count and the DPS projection due to advance planning by the school.
Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) Review included Prior Year MIS (Major Improvement Strategies) and Current Year Action Plan, which includes focus on three areas 1) Student assessment & Internalization Protocols, 2) Equity and 3) Social Emotional Learning. These align with the district priorities and Inspire’s Innovation Plan.
Approval of process for parent/guardian participation on Hiring Committee.
Considerations for next month’s agenda item of specials recommendation for ‘22-’23.
Meeting agenda and notes are accessible on the school’s CSC webpage.
Community Resource
Denver Health’s School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are open and offer no-cost pediatric care. Services are available to any Denver Public Schools (DPS) student or child that attends a DPS affiliated Early Childhood Education (ECE) center within Denver County. SBHCs offer convenient care that limits the amount of time students are out of class and parent/guardians have to be off work. Students are able to get same day or next day appointments. During COVID, we’re offering in-person or telephone / video appointments. We are taking every step to keep our clinics clean and patients safe.
Spotlight on Reading Buddies: Lambert (Kinder) & Lamb (2nd)
Spotlight on Ms. Hauck, Counselor's Class Lesson on Respect
Spotlight on Playground Fun!
Inspire Elementary
Email: linda_august@dpsk12.net
Website: Inspire.DPSK12.ORG
Location: 5677 North Galena Street, Denver, CO, USA
Phone: (720) 424-4850
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspireElementary