Friday News 2/2

Posted February 2, 2024

Dear Angels Community,

Happy Black History Month! Check out our Instagram pages for daily acknowledgment of Black leadership and excellence within our community and throughout the diaspora. Our school community is gearing up for a busy week ahead, look at our calendar below to see how you can support our Angels.

As always, thank you for your support of our East Community and follow our active student body on Instagram @eastangels_madamprincipal and @denvereasths or visit our website for additional information https://east.dpsk12.org/

Note: Editions of Friday News tend to be long and may get clipped by Gmail. Please make sure to click “view entire message” at the bottom of the chain to read the full edition. 

As always, thank you for your support of our East Community and follow our active student body on Instagram @eastangels_madamprincipal and @denvereasths.

Important Upcoming Dates

Feb. 5-9 Winter Spirit Week

Feb 07 National Signing Day

Feb 07 National Women in Sports Day

Feb 07 NAHS Fashion Show (6:00-8:00)

Feb 08 Level 2 Performance 7:00-8:00pm

Feb 09 Winter Pep Rally

Feb 10 Lunar New Year**

Feb 10 MORP Dance (8:00-10:30)

Feb 12 Special Olympics (All Day)

Feb 13 Special Olympics (All Day)

Feb 13 Early Release Day

Feb 13 Grade Email #1

Feb 14 Ash Wednesday

Feb 14 Val-O-Grams

Feb 16 PD for Teachers/No School Students

Feb 19 No School

Student Spotlight

Last weekend East Engineering students made history in their rookie year at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition. Team Dynamite placed 3rd in qualifying and moved on to semi-finals as an alliance captain, taking two more East teams with them – Scrapyard Robotics and WURM (worm). The BEAN Team not only won the Design Award for their innovative build, but were chosen by the #1 seeded team and went on to win the entire competition! They are qualified to compete in the Colorado State Championship on February 17th. Congratulations to all students involved in the robotics challenge for your hard work, innovation, and dedication to this semester long project! 

Saturday Detention Policy

Two or more lunch tardies will result in assignment of Saturday school. Saturday school is ran weekly on Saturdays from 9-11. If you have any questions please reach out to Candice Malone. 

Student and Visitor ID Policy

Students:

East High School students must present their school IDs every time they enter the school and must have their school IDs with them at all times within the school.

Students from other schools are not allowed on campus. 

Visitors:

All visitors to campus must check-in at the front foyer desk via the Raptor system.

All adults in the school should have one of the following visible 

a) an East High School ID

b) a DPS ID (these come in two colors, blue for DPS employees and orange for outside contractors)

c) an East High School volunteer badge

d) a Raptor system generated visitor badge

The following started Tuesday, January 17th:

All visitors East High School should make an appointment prior to coming. Visitors who have not made an appointment will need to contact the staff they are attempting to visit to secure entry.

Testing

  • From April 15th – 18th East High School students will participate in SAT, PSAT, and CMAS Science tests as required by the state of Colorado. 
  • This is a chance for students and their families to get feedback on student progress and college readiness. 
  • All 11th grade students taking the SAT free of charge have the opportunity to send their scores to colleges to be considered for admissions decisions.
  • The optional SAT Essay is offered as part of the 11th grade test. The deadline to opt into the essay portion of the SAT is February 14th. Please use this google form to opt into the essay section of the SAT. Talk to your student’s counselor if you have any questions.
  • Parents or guardians who would like to decline their student’s College Board approved testing accommodations for the April administration of the SAT or PSAT should email our Site Assessment Leader Jessica Perkins at jperkin@dpsk12.net by March 15. Any requests made after that date may not be guaranteed because accommodations are built into the digital testing format.
  • These test scores affect East High School’s ratings on the state of Colorado’s School Performance Framework.

The guardian of a Denver Public Schools student, can request to excuse their child from participating in the state assessments. It is a disadvantage for you and your child to lose access to the feedback that testing provides, however if you wish to opt your child out, follow the directions at this link in English or this link in Spanish. The deadline for opting out is February 29.

❄️ Weather Update ❄️

With the shift in weather, temperatures are dropping, and we want to ensure the comfort and well-being of our students. For those seeking refuge from the chill, you now have the option to enter the building through the Detroit Street entrance; however, please be advised that students are required to stay in the Commons until the building officially opens.

Lunch Update 

Lunch is FREE for ALL students regardless of students free or reduced price meal benefit status; however, it is still very important that families continue to complete the Household Application for Student Meal Benefits to determine lunch eligibility status.

https://foodservices.dpsk12.org/2022-23-school-year-meal-benefits/

Counseling News

Community Resources:

We wanted to share resources for our students and families who may experience a crisis event or may need assistance in accessing mental health support. Please see these links for a list of community resources available to you in English and Spanish.

Hey Seniors, Ms. Ambria checking in to make sure you are on track for your Spring semester action items! As you are getting accepted into your colleges, please make sure you are going to MaiaLearning to update your admission decisions. If you have been awarded scholarships and grants, also add that amount to the Financial Plan tab– local scholarship amount tab.

If you have not been checking Schoology, there are new scholarships posted that you can be working on throughout March. Here is the link to the scholarship folder.

Seniors, if you have a GPA over 3.75, you can potentially qualify for the East Family & Friends Alumni: Cleworth LEAP Scholarship that is worth $25,000 each year for 4 years! You can start and submit your application here

Career Center Update: 

Parents, please note upcoming opportunities for career exploration and readiness: 

  • TRADES/HANDS-ON, APPLY DEADLINE FEB 5: Applications to attend CEC Early College part-time to study a technical industry open on FEB 5. Students should visit their counselor ASAP if they’re interested in nursing, construction, forensics, tech, or automotive! View a video and all programs | Application flyer | Application link will refresh on Feb 5 at 8:30 AM
  • MEDICAL, 9th and 10TH GRADE ONLY, APPLY DEADLINE MARCH 1: “MC2” or the Denver Health’s Medical Career Collaborative Program is a paid internship/career exploration program in the medical field. Interested students should attend an info session in room 114 at lunch on Wednesday, Jan 31. Website | Application | FAQ | Program roadmap
  • MEDICAL, 9TH-12TH, APPLY NOW: The Colorado Health Careers Collaborative was created to provide medical career exploration for students. $500 scholarship, networking, and mentoring. Website | Sign up for an info session | Application 
  • TEACHING, AGES 17-24, APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH 1: Gen Teach is a 12-week intensive summer program in which high school and college students teach Math and Reading to DPS middle schoolers. Pay is a $4,775 stipend. Website | Application

Family & Community Engagement Update

Support East’s Amazon Wishlist: 

Can’t participate in the PTSA? No problem, you can grant our wishes anyway! Click HERE to send materials to benefit our student body and staff. 

Family Constituency Services (FCS) also known as the DPS Helpline! Students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members can call the helpline for school-based or districtwide questions and support. Our FCS addresses concerns, conducts mediations, and supports community meetings. Here’s more information about what else they can support with.

Helpline: (720) 423-3054

DPS Job Fairs at Community Hubs!

January 31st @ Far Northeast Community Hub from 10am-12pm

February 2nd @ Southwest Community Hub from 10am-12pm

10am-12pm

Join the Community Hubs and Talent Acquisition Teams to learn about the different career opportunities

available in Denver Public Schools! 

Schedule Breakdown for both events:

10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

Information Session hosted by the Talent Acquisition team regarding different career

opportunities, along with qualifications, pathways programs, and benefits information.

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Open hours to meet with recruiters and workforce coordinators regarding your path

and what support you need getting started.

Black Family Engagement

Please continue to invite Black families to sign up for our first Black Family Engagement Newsletter!  

Here is a PDF version for families who might not have access to an email. Here’s a blurb you could send out to families on Tuesday:

“Are you a Black/African American identifying family? Did you receive a January Newsletter from Iyana Hunter? If not, please sign up to stay informed on all the happenings!”

Refugees, migrants and access to services

Colorado has recently welcomed many newcomers arriving from the Southwest border. New arrivals are often in need of many of the programs and services offered by county Human Service offices. Though these migrants may be fleeing similar circumstances as refugees, there are some crucial terminology and immigration status differences to understand, as human service departments assess individuals’ eligibility for benefits and services.

Check out this document created by the Colorado Office of Economic Security that lists out different resources for our Migrant and Refugee families.

Volunteers 

Please remember, all volunteers need to complete a background check prior to volunteering within the school and classroom. The purple Volunteer Background Check Portal tab is hyperlinked to the Sterling Volunteers DPS prepaid account landing page. When using this link, payment is not required.  The DPS Online Volunteer Background Check is located at the following link – https://equity.dpsk12.org/get-involved/volunteer-services/ 

One location for 2024 DHS and Food Bank Rockies mobile food pantries

In 2024, there will only be one Denver Human Services and Food Bank of the Rockies mobile food pantry per month. These will take place at Empower Field at Mile High, Parking Lot E. Most pantry events will take place on the third Friday of the month (dates subject to change due to Empower Field event conflict or weather). Distribution time will remain from 9-11:30 a.m. or until food runs out.

For those that would still like to attend a food distribution in East Denver, check out these pantries close to the 80205 zip code area or go to Food Bank Rockies to find food.

Department of Housing Stability: Temporary Rental & Utility Assistance

The Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) Program assists eligible households with:

  • Rental Assistance – Up to 6 months of rental assistance may be provided to an eligible household within a 12-month period (calendar year). This may include rental arrears, the current month’s rent, and one future month’s rent.
  • Utility Assistance – This program provides utility assistance to Denver Water and/or Xcel Energy (electric, gas) for renters and homeowners. Utility assistance may be provided to eligible households one time per utility within a 12-month period (calendar year).
  • Relocation Assistance – This may include security deposit, first month’s rent, and application fees. Deposit and first month’s rent will count as one month each toward the 6-month maximum.

Learn more about the Department of Housing Stability and apply for the TRUA Program and share this flyer with your families today!

Athletics Update:

Highlights & upcoming events:

Athletics: 

National Letter of Intent Day February 7th

Time sensitive! If your senior is planning on signing or has committed to play a sport in college please have them come and see Tee in room 100. In addition she would like them to fill out this link which will be helpful in getting your students information for the program. https://forms.gle/dXGE5PsqoGWb8Zrr8 The deadline is January 30th.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day

​​Wednesday the 7th is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. As such, we do a women’s panel every year where we get to connect our female athletes with some women professionals throughout different industries. Please help provide this information to any female athletes at East so we can attend this great opportunity. 

Wednesday, February 7th

11:45am – during lunch (food will be provided)

Game 

Updates: 

  • Ice Hockey is at Ft. Collins, Friday 2/2 at 4:00pm and also Saturday at home against Castleview, 5:30pm at Big Bear Ice Arena
  • Girls Basketball will play at 10:00am Saturday, 2/3 Vs. Far Northeast at the Thunderdome
  • Boys Basketball will play at Noon Saturday, 2/3 Vs. Far Northeast at the Thunderdome. 
  • Wrestling will be at Kennedy HS on Saturday.

Links: 

Athletics Website

Upcoming Competition Schedule

Ticket sales for home games

Activities Update

MORP – East’s winter dance dance is February 10th from 8-10:30pm. The theme is Glow in the Dark. Tickets are $15 and will go on sale for all students February 1st and there will be a special early sale for seniors January 29th-30th 

Senior Information: 

The senior hub is now up on the website. The senior fee ($25) can now be paid through the hub.

If your senior is planning on playing a sport in college and they have not yet talked to me about participating in signing day on February 7th their last opportunity to let us know that they wish to participate is Tuesday, January 30th.

Legacy Stole order forms will be available on January 5th in room 100. Students whose parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles graduated from East are eligible to apply for a Legacy Stole. Unfortunately siblings do not count. The deadline for turning in the legacy stole form is March 8th

Cap & Gown If your senior has not yet ordered their cap and gown please have them come to room 100 and see Tee. 

Class T-shirts: 10th & 11th grade class t-shirts are available in room 100 only $10

East High Nike Hats: There are two versions of these hats; the senior hat which is white with the original East logo & a red version of the hat without the senior part under the logo. These are also available in room 100.

Winter Pep Rally Schedule

Friday, February 9th

Pep Rally  8:20-9:05

Period 1 9:15-9:55

Period 2 10:00-10:40

Period 3 10:45-11:25

Period 4 11:30-12:10

Lunch 12:15-1:00

Period 5 1:05-1:45

Period 6 1:50-2:30

Period 7 2:35-3:15

Club List 23-24: Here you can access all of the amazing club opportunities we have this school year. Feel free to reach out to club sponsors or Tee MacDonald theresa_macdonald@dpsk12.net for more information. 

Yearbook Information

Yearbook sales purchase link:   https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1008646/East-High-School/2024-Yearbook/20230711041857043152/CATALOG_SHOP/ 

Spirit Store

East High School’s Spirit Store is located on the second floor just south of the Main Office.

Operating hours are:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – during lunch  

Friday – during seventh period 

The Spirit Store is run by volunteers and will be closed if a volunteer is not available. If you would like to confirm store hours, volunteer, or ask questions, please contact spiritstore@eastangelfriends.org.  

All Spirit Store proceeds support the East Angel Friends & Alumni Foundation. For more on EAFAF, visit eastangelfriends.org. Go Angels!