Posted on Saturday / January 14
Welcome to this week’s edition of the DPAC Family Update! We begin with a meaningful message from Democracy Prep CEO Natasha Trivers about Martin Luther King Jr. and then continue with updates about the Quarter closeout, Parent University FAFSA Night, free grocery giveaway, and more!
“This Monday, we honor the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a quintessential figure of the American civil rights movement. Dr. King entered public life in his twenties and devoted his life to advocacy until he was assassinated at the age of 39. Dr. King was the face of a movement that reshaped the very fabric of our society and changed the world for the better.
MLK Jr. was someone whose heart was touched with fire and whose actions ignited that very same fire within others. His commitment to social justice is a powerful example for our scholars and each of us about the importance of fighting for what’s right, even in the face of adversity. We follow in his footsteps as his teachings illuminate the path forward. He reminds us that one cannot make calls for peace without recognizing injustices everywhere; one cannot call for peace without fighting each day for justice for all.
We believe in the transformative power of a great education, and we believe in our power to change the world. While the world is not perfect and much pain continues to exist, I know that every day we educate scholars at Democracy Prep is a declaration that we will not abide by the status-quo. It’s a great day to do great things. In celebration of Dr. King, I know you will choose to be the light that leads others.”
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Parent University – FAFSA Night February 2, 5:30pm
We are excited to share that there are some small, but important, shifts coming to how scholars in 11th and 12th grade are graded. These changes include granting a passing D letter grade for course grades of 60%-69%. More details will be shared directly with High School families in the coming days. We encourage all families to join in our Parent University on Thursday, February 2 at 5:30pm for an opportunity to ask questions. Agenda items for Parent University also include FAFSA-how to help pay for college, and community committees available to families organized by the DPAC Board of Directors. We hope to see you on February 2!
DPAC Calendar & Events
Dismissal Schedule and No-School Days
For a copy of the full year calendar outlining all half-days and no-school days please follow THIS LINK:
- Monday, January 16 No School – MLK Day (regular dismissal remainder of week)
- Wednesday, January 25 – Half Day 12:30 dismissal for Family Teacher Conferences (regular dismissal remainder of week)
Grocery Giveaway Tuesday, January 17
The DPAC Scholar Support Team has partnered with Good Deed, a local non-profit, to provide groceries for 30 families at DPAC! The Social Work Team (SST) will be present at the South Gate upon dismissal on Tuesday, January 17 to provide 30 bags of groceries. There is a limit of one bag per household, and groceries are provided on a first come, first serve basis. Please park safely in the South Parking lot and walk to the South Gate. Thank you to the DPAC staff and SST in particular for making this possible. Thank you to Good Deed for helping support the DPAC community!
DPAC Board of Directors Meeting January 24
All are invited to the DPAC Board of Directors meeting schedule for Tuesday, January 24th at 5:30pm. This will occur in person on the DPAC campus as well as online via Zoom; the link is shared below. The official meeting notice and agenda will be available on the DPAC website, online, and posted at the DPAC campus by Thursday, January 19.
https://democracyprep.zoom.us/j/9873149005
Meeting ID: 987 314 9005
Passcode: 7jnmRC
Sweatshirt Sale – Wednesday, Jan 18
DPAC Sweatshirts will be available for purchase on Wednesday, January 18th after dismissal at the South Gate. Sweatshirts are $20 each and can be purchased with cash only. Thank you!
Nevada Reading Week
The Nevada Department of Education helps organize the Nevada Reading Week each year. We are excited to participate this year Feb 27 – Mar 3. The NDE website explains “Nevada Reading Week serves to promote a life-long love of reading. From students in Pre-Kindergarten listening attentively on a circle rug to their teacher’s riveting read-aloud to high school seniors engaging in rigorous discussions about a novel, the joy of reading is evident.” More information will be presented in the coming weeks. We hope you will join us in celebrating and promoting this lifelong joy of reading.
Scholar ID’s
On Friday, January 20th Scholar ID’s will be distributed to 6th – 12th Grade Scholars. These are important because they confirm to public agencies that your scholars are students, but they are also scannable ID’s that will be utilized during lunches, can be scanned for access to athletic events, and will be linked to scholar assigned tech. Please help us by reminding your scholars to bring their ID every day to school.
End of Quarter 2
Family Teacher Conferences – Wed., Jan. 25
Friday, Jan. 13 marks the end of Quarter 2. All families are invited to participate in Family Teacher Conferences (FTC’s) on Wednesday, January 25th. This is an important time for families to partner with teachers and receive an accurate snapshot of where your scholar is academically as well as behaviorally. FTC’s provide families with an opportunity to celebrate growths and successes, to learn strategies to improve struggling grades, and partner with teachers to ensure your scholar reaches their goals! Please be on the look out for communications directly from your scholar’s classroom teachers for instructions to sign up for your FTC’s.
Report Cards
Report cards for the second quarter will first be available at Family Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, January 25. On Thursday, January 26 any report card packets that were not picked up will be sent home with scholars. In the Family Update that goes out on Friday, January 27 there will be a digital report card request form where families can also request an electronic version of their report card.
Weekly Progress Reports
Weekly Progress Reports will resume on Friday, January 27. We do not provide progress reports in the final week of a quarter as we look towards final report cards. We also do not provide progress reports in the first 2 weeks of a new quarter because there is not enough graded material to provide meaningful information to families. If you ever have questions about your scholar’s academic or behavioral progress you are always invited to reach out to your teachers via phone, text, or email.
Winter Map Testing Practice Tests and Videos
Practice Tests and Videos for Winter Map Testing
Students can try Practice Tests and watch videos to become familiar with MAP Growth tests. The link appears on the student log-in page (test.mapnwea.org) on their Chromebooks, or scholars can access the tests and videos by following this link: studentresources.nwea.org
You can also open the practice tests directly from this website: practice.mapnwea.org
- Username = grow
- Password = grow
To practice with the calculator:
MAP Growth uses the Desmos calculator. To learn more, visit www.desmos.com and these practice sites:
Masks and Covid Update
We have noticed an increase in positive Covid cases for both scholars and staff since the return from Winter Break. DPAC highly encourages all scholars, staff, and visitors on campus to wear a mask at all times. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and keep scholars in the classroom learning! During this time of increased illnesses, we especially encourage your family to wash hands regularly, wear a mask in public, and limit large group settings. We are not changing our official mask policy at this time; masks will remain optional but highly encouraged. If positive cases continue to increase we will provide a family survey for you to share your input before making any masking mandate changes.
Enrollment Open for NEW Scholar 23/24
We are excited to share that enrollment for the 2023/2024 school year is open, new families interested in attending can fill out THIS FORM! We already have over 100 families hoping to join DPAC for the upcoming school year. Priority goes to returning students. The first opportunity to reserve your spot as a returning family is through the Intent to Return form that will be available in the January 20 Family Update. We ask that you share this link: https://bit.ly/3kh6Aot with any family or friends you know who might be interested in joining the DPAC community, please remember, seats are limited!
Community Committees to Support DPAC
The DPAC Board of Directors has created three unique community committees to help support the direction and effectiveness of the overall DPAC community. The three committees are on DPAC Academics, Finance & Fundraising, and Board Governance & Community Partnerships. If one of these community committees interests you, please fill out this brief INTEREST FORM . A DPAC Board member will follow up with you after the January 24th Board Meeting to learn more about your level of interest and share more about the committees.