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What Does The Fox Say?
December 31, 2023 - Special Edition: Mid-Year Updates
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Dear Inspire Parent/Guardian,
I hope your family is enjoying winter break! As we approach the midpoint of the academic year, I am reaching out to provide you with important updates on safety measures and other key school procedures at Inspire Elementary.
School Safety
Ensuring the safety of our students and staff remains a priority. Our safety protocols remain robust and have undergone careful review for continuous improvement. Regular safety drills have been conducted, reinforcing our commitment to maintaining a secure learning environment. Additionally, our school safety team has undergone training to stay current with the latest safety practices and procedures. Below, find additional updates:
- CPR/First Aid Certification
While the district does not have a CPR/First Aid Certification requirement for staff beyond the ECE (pre-k) classroom, we require that our full time staff are certified. To this end, we commit funds from our school budget and time is allocated during professional development day. Currently, 95% staff are CPR/First Aid certified. - NEW Friday Celebration Entry Procedure
Starting Friday, January 5th parents will enter directly through the external gym door (door # 18) instead of the door opposite the main entrance (door #24). Staff will be present to assist parents with entry at this door. This will decrease the foot traffic in the building while maintaining a warm and welcoming environment.
Procedural Enhancements
In addition to safety updates, we have made procedural enhancements to various aspects of school operations. Our administrative and academic procedures have been reviewed and refined to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. These improvements are in response to valuable feedback from staff and they align with our commitment to providing a positive and supportive learning environment.
- No Late Breakfast
Breakfast will continue to be served from 7:15am-7:35am. However, when students return on Wednesday, January 3rd, we will no longer serve late bag breakfast. Late students eating in the classroom is disruptive to learning and is an unnecessary lift for Nutrition Services staff. If your child would like to have breakfast, please drop them off on time at 7:15am at the cafeteria door.
Parental Involvement
We continue to encourage and value parental involvement in our school community. Staff and parental feedback has played a crucial role in shaping some of the procedural updates, and we are committed to maintaining open lines of communication. The below information is specific to our Black Excellence plan and in anticipation of the upcoming La Raza report, which holds schools accountable for supporting Black and Hispanic families - groups that have traditionally been marginalized in DPS:
- Celebration of Learning
During our first trimester 87% of families attended Celebration of Learning. This is in comparison to 63% of Black families and 81% of Hispanic families. We understand there are barriers for some families with attending in-person events during work hours. We will be engaging our Instructional Leadership Team to discuss how families can engage with their child's learning if they cannot attend in person. - Family Conferences
During Fall Family Conferences 89% of families attended virtual meetings with teachers. This is in comparison to 71% of Black families and 79% of Hispanic families. Our teachers have discussed alternatives to the schedule to increase family engagement, with a focus on our marginalized students. Ahead of our Spring Family Conferences, families can expect that instead of an appointment schedule across 1.5 days, the same number of appointments will be available across 1.5 weeks. Teachers will have appointment offerings from February 7th - February 19th. In addition, teachers will facilitate additional outreach to capture more families in the engagement opportunity.
Future Updates
We are looking forward to upcoming opportunities to update the community that will further enhance the overall understanding of staff and children's experience at Inspire Elementary. These will be stand alone updates (separate from our weekly WDTFS) that will include mid-year data, school culture and staffing design. We are confident they will contribute positively to the growth and development of our students.
Your support and understanding have been instrumental in the success of these updates. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out. We appreciate your ongoing partnership and commitment to the success of our school community.
Sincerely,
Linda August
Principal
Inspire Elementary
Email: linda_august@dpsk12.net
Website: https://inspire.dpsk12.org/
Location: 5650 N. Elmira Ct., Denver, CO, 80238
Phone: (720) 424-4850