Happy Holidays from DSST!
12/15/22, 8:15 AM
DSST Families and Friends,
Thank you for your generous support during this year’s Colorado Gives Day campaign. We’re excited to announce that our Colorado Gives Day campaign raised over $47,000. Your support will help expand concurrent enrollment coursework, strengthen STEM pipelines, close the post-pandemic academic gap and more at each of our 16 middle and high schools across Denver and Aurora.
In this month’s newsletter, we are going to take a look back at some highlights and top stories from the year. You will also find some important dates and other helpful info for the beginning of 2023.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and spend some much-needed time with loved ones. Thank you all for your continued trust in DSST. We cannot wait to see what the new year will bring!
With gratitude,
Bill Kurtz, DSST CEO
Spotlight stories of 2022
- DSST Center Program students, mentors celebrate holidays at winter carnival
- Students and their peer mentors from across our DSST network gathered for music, games, crafts and more before winter break. Check out some of the highlights here.
- 11 DSST students earn full-ride scholarships through Questbridge match
- Recently, 11 DSST seniors across the network were named QuestBridge Match Scholars. This is the most matches ever received in DSST history. These students were matched with their college choice and will attend on a full four-year scholarship. Read more.
- Q&A: DSST literacy interventionist talks about reading rates, testing and more
- DSST has brought in three Literacy Interventionists to help address the decline in reading assessment proficiency that educators are seeing at DSST and across Colorado. Read more.
- College doesn't have to mean debt: What to know about DSST's partnership with AdvanceEDU
- One of DSST’s driving factors is ensuring all students have an equal opportunity for post-secondary education. AdvanceEDU is a great post-secondary option for students who want to work while in college and need a flexible college option. Read more.
- Off to the races! Here are some highlights from DSST's first week of school
- What a fantastic start to the 2022-23 school year! We loved seeing your children back at our 16 schools in Denver and Aurora after a much-needed summer. It was great to feel the excitement and anticipation of a new school year in students and staff. Read more.
- Reporting on 2021-22 Results and Looking to the Future
- As we started the 2022-23 school year, we were thrilled to share some highlights about the hard work done across our network last year and outline our plans to address areas of needed growth. Read more.
Community Connection
Meet Keceya Campbell Jackson
I have over 30 years of professional experience that has been rooted in serving families and students. I currently serve in the role of Community Engagement Manager at DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle and High School. I earned a B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and later received a Master’s in Education in School Counseling from Bowie State University, Bowie, MD. I will continue to be a champion and advocate for underserved families. I also believe in supporting efforts that provide equal access to quality education to all students. You can reach out with any questions at Keceya.Campbell@scienceandtech.org.
Read more about our Community Engagement Managers and their work here. You can also find community resources and other useful information.
Resources & Reminders
Calendars for the 2022-23 school year can be downloaded here.
Important Dates
- December 19 - January 3: Student Winter Break
Donate to DSST
Why give to DSST Public Schools? Since 2004, we have been dedicated to changing perceptions of what is possible for Colorado public school students. DSST Public Schools transforms urban public education by eliminating educational inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century. DSST is committed to ensuring that the outcomes of DSST students are high-achieving and do not correlate with any predictable social or cultural factors. This is achieved through interrupting inequitable practices, examining biases and other root causes of inequities, and actively valuing diversity and inclusion. It is with the support of our dedicated partners, DSST is able to continue providing a world-class education focused on building powerful learning communities centered on Core Values within an integrated STEM school model. Click here to donate.
Attachment: 16711158586239_DSST_dispatch_banner_template_2.png