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DSST: Aurora Science & Tech Middle School

Partnering with our Families & Important Update

10/06/21, 4:45 PM

Dear DSST families,

I am grateful for your partnership over the first two months of school and for giving us the opportunity to come alongside you to educate your child(ren). It is a sacred responsibility that we take very seriously.

I want to begin by acknowledging that the 2021-22 school year has started differently than many of us hoped it might. We are grateful to be learning together in person, but we continue to face challenges amid the ongoing pandemic and as we seek to identify a “new normal” in the midst of labor shortages, mental health challenges, and adjusting back to full time school. I am pleased to report that 92.7% of our students on the last student survey reported being happy to be back in school.

I would like to address a number of concerns we have seen since the start of school. We are grateful for your partnership as we work to address these challenges as a whole community. Please take time to review all the important information in this email, but note that we are taking significant steps to support our staff, and one of these steps is a wellness day on Monday, November 1. There will be no school on this day. You can read more about this below.

Working Together: Our Request of You

There is a lot of information in this email. We believe it is all critical and hope that you’ll take time to review carefully. We believe the most effective way to address the concerns below is through strong partnerships between families and schools. Our shared top priority is the wellbeing and success of our students.

Our request to each of you is to sit down and talk with your children. Understand what they are experiencing at school and encourage them to engage positively. Talk through national social media trends and what is appropriate and what is not. Please connect with your child’s school if you feel your child is struggling with mental health. DSST is here as a partner and support system.

Student behavior and re-entry update

Many districts locally and across the country, including DSST Public Schools, are experiencing an increased number of disruptive behavior issues. As students returned to in-person learning, we anticipated a period of readjustment for behavior in school. However, there have been some unique challenges related to social media motivated trends and learned behaviors developed over the last 18 months that have been particularly challenging. Students are testing boundaries and we are doing our best to re-establish healthy routines. Please spend time with your children discussing these issues and supporting them to make good choices with their peers.

Reporting a Concern

We continuously remind students and staff, “If you see something, say something.” This practice is one of our best defenses, as awareness and willingness to report concerns enables us to respond and investigate situations quickly. We encourage families to talk with their students about behavior expectations in school. Together we can ensure our schools remain safe, secure, and productive learning environments for all students. Please continue to remind your student(s) to report any potential safety issues to the school or through Safe2Tell, no matter how insignificant they believe it might be. Students and staff may call the Safe2Tell program to report safety concerns anonymously at 877-542-7233, or report online at safe2tell.org.

Social Media Safety

Increasingly, safety issues involve social media. We have seen social media being used by students in ways that are unsafe, inappropriate, and disrupt the learning environment. The most recent example of this was the “devious licks” TikTok challenge. It is believed that similar challenges are planned for the future, and it is our hope that we can work together to prevent serious incidents on our campuses.

We would like to share with you some resources and ask that you take an active role with your student(s) and their activity on social media. You may find these helpful to guide conversations:

Cyberbullying - parents' guide, tips for teens, internet safety resources
Social media resources for parents from Common Sense Media
Impacts of Screen Time Webinar

Mental Health Resources

We know that the pandemic has impacted the mental health of many of our students and family members. DSST’s mental health support teams are prepared to serve staff, students, and families. This year DSST and our partners are holding monthly wellness events for families and partnering with organizations like ASSET Education and Judi’s House to provide additional mental health support for students and families.

If you are concerned about the mental health of your student, you can reach out to a trusted adult at your school. That contact will put you in contact with your school’s mental health team to offer more support. These community resources are also available to all families:

Family SOS resource drive
DPS Suicide Prevention Resources
Colorado Crisis Services call this toll-free number to speak to a trained crisis counselor: 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or Text TALK to 38255
Safe2Tell 1-877-542-7233

DSST Staff Wellness - NO SCHOOL NOVEMBER 1

DSST teaching staff and school leaders remain tirelessly dedicated to our students and continue to provide high-quality learning for all students, even amid these ongoing challenges. As you may know, there are very few substitute teachers available. Given COVID related absences for our staff, our teachers have had to sub for peers and teach their regular classes most of the fall. We want to acknowledge the difficulty of the past 18 months on our staff and this huge increased burden. DSST prioritizes the wellness of our staff, and we believe our students are best served when staff are at their best. To this end, we will hold a network-wide wellness day on Monday, November 1. There will be no school for students or staff at any DSST schools on this day. We hope this day of rest provides time for both staff and students to reset and prepare for the final two months of the calendar year.

Opportunities for Parent Support in Schools

There are lots of opportunities to support in schools! We have opportunities to substitute (paid $110/day for short-term coverage and $120/day for long-term coverage), volunteer for lunch duty, support in classrooms and more. If you are interested in supporting your school staff, please reach out to the front office team or fill out this Google Form for interest in substitute teaching.

Again, thank you for your partnership in this important work. DSST remains committed to providing the best possible education for our students in a safe and welcoming environment. If you have questions or concerns about anything addressed in this email, you can contact me or your school’s leadership team.

All my best,

Bill Kurtz

CEO, DSST Public Schools