Weekly Roundup April 25

ASSESSMENT – SAT, PSAT 9 and PSAT 10 MAKEUPS
Next week, all freshmen, sophomores and juniors who did not attend their primary P/SAT testing date will participate in makeup accountability testing. These assessments are critical to understanding student growth and school-level trends. The Colorado Department of Education requires at least 95% of our students take these assessments. Please be sure your student is in school and on time for the following assessments:

• Tuesday, April 25 – All juniors who need to make up the SAT
• Wednesday, April 26 – All freshmen who need to make up the PSAT 9
• Thursday, April 27 – All sophomores who need to make up the PSAT 10

Important attendance requirement: Juniors attending Prom must participate in (1) CMAS Science on April 5, and (2) SAT School Day on April 12. Sophomores who are invited by an upperclassman to attend Prom must participate in PSAT 10 on April 14. Starting February 1, all juniors, seniors and invited sophomores attending Prom must have no more than four (4) unexcused absences this semester, which includes participation in our assessment days. Please note, as set forth in our Student and Family Handbook (also linked on our website under the “Students & Families” tab), absences must be excused within two (2) days of a student’s return to school.

If you have questions about exempting your student from these assessments, please email Dr. Davis. Include your student’s name and grade level in your email. Students who have been exempted from these assessments must have no more than three (3) unexcused absences this semester to attend Prom.

ASSESSMENT – SPRING 2023 FINAL EXAMS SCHEDULE
Final exams will run Wednesday, May 24 through Friday, May 26. Course competency (by teacher invitation only) will run Tuesday, May 30 through Wednesday, May 31. Please find our Spring 2023 Final Exams Schedule HERE.

SAFETY – BUILDING ENTRANCE POINTS
In the interest of safety, and in light of recent events, we want to remind all staff, students, and visitors that, during the school day, students should only enter and exit the building through designated entry points determined by the administration. There is technology in place designed to ensure that only individuals authorized to be in the building are able to enter. This technology includes electronically controlled doors, security cameras, and audio and video intercom systems at these locations. The placement of these entry points also allows staff to monitor them.
Please click HERE for a complete list of which doors are available for student entry (note: Door 1 is the Main Entrance [to Pike’s Peak Lobby and the Main Office], Doors 3 and 8 are the entrances off the South Courtyard, and Door 25 is the North Lobby entrance).

CONSENT DECREE SITE VISIT
During the week of April 24, we will be hosting a one-day site visit related to DPS’s compliance with its Consent Decree related to services for Multilingual Learners.  This site visit will include representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Congress of Hispanic Educators (CHE), as well as an independent monitor who reports to the court.

It is possible that in conjunction with this site visit, we will be disclosing your child’s educational records, which are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  FERPA has a special exception for the DOJ to receive educational records, but it also requires school districts to notify families before disclosing educational records to other parties to comply with a court order.

If you do not want the District to release your child’s educational records to CHE or the court monitor, you should contact the court as soon as possible. The case is Congress of Hispanic Educators v. Denver Public Schools, Case Number 95-cv-02313-RBJ, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the presiding judge is the Honorable R. Brooke Jackson. If you have any questions, you can email denverpublicschools_legaldepartment@dpsk12.net.

• Monday, April 24: Throwback Day! Pick your favorite decade and dress up like you’re living in it.
• Tuesday, April 25: Disney v. Nickelodeon! Become your favorite Disney or Nickelodeon character.
• Wednesday, April 26: Pink Out! On Wednesdays, we wear pink (as much as possible!).
• Thursday, April 27: Tropical Day! Break out your sunglasses, flip flops and Hawaiian shirts (no swimsuits, though).
• Friday, April 28: Crazy Green and White Day! Go all out in your green and white.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE (FNL)
Come support your friends in Friday Night Live! FNL is a play on SNL and features sketch comedy that is completely student written, directed and acted. Come enjoy a short evening of music and sketch comedy. The performance is free and open to the public and will be Friday, April 28 at 6:30pm in the GWHS Auditorium. Click HERE for more information. 

SPRING DANCE CONCERT – “BORN TO DANCE”
The GWHS Dance Department, under the direction of Ms. J., presents their Spring Dance Concert “Born To Dance” on Friday, May 5 at 7:00pm and Saturday, May 6 at 1:00pm in the GWHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6-18. Tickets may be purchased from dance students or at the door. Cash only please. Click HERE for more information.

PROCTOR AN AP OR IB EXAM
GWHS has over 500 students taking AP and IB exams from Friday, April 28 through Friday, May 19, and we need your help with proctoring! Sign up HERE to proctor an AP or IB exam. You may select any exam your student is NOT taking. Proctor training is easy, and your support is deeply appreciated!

AFTER PROM PARTY FUNDRAISING AND VOLUNTEERING
The After Prom Committee is planning a fun, free and safe After Prom party for our prom-going students and their guests. This party is entirely managed by parent volunteers and funded completely by donations.  Volunteer opportunities are here (this will be a great time for families of freshmen and sophomores to get involved in the fun)! Volunteering? Click HERE. Donating? Click HERE.

IB FOUNDATION SPRING FUNDRAISER
The Friends of International Baccalaureate (IB) Foundation (Friends of IB) supports student participation and success in the GWHS International Baccalaureate program. Our mission is to meet an educational funding need by paying for IB exam and book fees, classroom equipment and materials, and the additional faculty effort required by the GWIB program. Over the last four years, Friends of IB has contributed over $45,000 to help subsidize student costs and recognize the efforts of the GWHS teaching staff. Please consider a gift to the Friends of IB Foundation to insure the legacy of this extraordinary program for current and future GWHS students. To donate, click HERE. Donation options include one-time gifts and recurring payments. Friends of IB is a 401(c) charitable organization and all contributions are tax exempt.

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
Teacher Appreciation Week is Monday, May 8 through Friday, May 12. Now more than ever, we need to show our faculty just how important they are in our children’s lives. The Teacher Appreciation Committee will handle showering our very deserving GWHS staff with lots of love (breakfast, lunch, pampering, and other fun treats) this year! Simply donate to the Teacher Appreciation fund no later than April 28. Please Venmo Casey Lehrer (@casey_lehrer last 4: 5637) with your contribution and write “teacher appreciation” in the comments. There are 120 faculty members at GWHS, so please help us reach our goal of raising $3,000 (or $25 per staff member). If you’re interested in joining the Teacher Appreciation Committee, or if you have any suggestions or connections (we love working with local businesses), please email Shawna Olsen.

HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT
Madame Reaves is looking for Denver host families for students from France and Spain this summer. Sign up to host for as little as two weeks, or as long as four weeks. Email Ms. Reaves for more information!

GWHS FOOD PANTRY
GWHS is proud to announce its Food Pantry is now open for the 2022-2023 school year! All students and staff are eligible to participate. Each Wednesday, food will be distributed at the Food Pantry (located in room 3 in the sub-basement) from 2:45 to 3:30pm. Family-sized bags for weekend meals are available by signing up in advance, and special distributions will be make for holidays, winter break, etc. Interested in participating, or in volunteering or making a donation? Click HERE for more information.

GWHS LANDSCAPING COMMITTEE UPDATES

• Last Community Service Day: Work outside while beautifying our campus! Join us Saturday, April 29 from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Meet in the GWHS Community Garden. 
• Landscaping Committee Meeting: Help us finalize plans for Go Green Day 2023! Join us Tuesday, May 2 at 5:00pm at Tessa Delicatessen.
• Go Green Day 2023: Our biggest event! Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 6 from 8:00am to 1:00pm for this fun-filled annual event, where you’ll plant trees, landscape and enjoy a free lunch! 
• Questions? Email Lisa Emerson.