May 15, 2012
Dear Lake International School Community,
I’d like to take this opportunity to share exciting news about our efforts to increase achievement for all of our students by maximizing time. Over the past year, members of our Administrative team engaged in a series of sessions led by the National Center on Time and Learning http://www.timeandlearning.org/). This team worked together closely to look at the current use of time in our school and how we can spend more time connecting with our students on a daily basis. Our school team has been studying how other high performing schools organize their schedule, build collaboration, secure funding, and ultimately ensure that students are getting the most value they can out of the instructional day. This information, coupled with a close look at our students and how our school day is being utilized, helped us to identify ways in which we can better support the needs of our students and community.
As a result, we are proposing changes to our school day schedule to maximize instructional time to support our students. More instructional time will allow us to provide all students with enrichment opportunities and intervention and acceleration time.
Starting this August, the school day will run from 7:20 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Buses will be dropping off at 7:10 a.m and picking up at 3:05 p.m. Additionally, for the first time ever, we will have an After School Activity Bus available for all students. This bus will pick up students at 5:00 p.m. and follow a route to drop off students at neighboring elementary schools: Colfax, Cowell, Fairview, Eagleton, and Newlon. As a part of our Extended Learning Plan, some students may be required to stay after school to receive academic or behavioral support beyond 3:00 p.m.. It is our intention to support families by providing the After School Activity Bus to alleviate transportation issues. Students will have the option of participating in City Year, Mi Casa, or sports activities after fulfilling academic or behavioral support requirements. ALL students may access the After School Activity bus as long as they are participating in any after school program.
Again, thank you for your on-going support and partnership as our school community adopts new practices and structures to better serve our students.
In addition, Superintendent Tom Boasberg, in partnership with Padres and Jovenes Unidos, will be co-hosting a special session to share more about expanded learning with parents and community members on Monday, May 21st from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Johnson Elementary located at 1850 S. Irving St., Denver, Colorado 80219.
Please RSVP to Therese Nellessen at 720-423-3051 or Mary_Nellessen@dpsk12.org.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school for further information.
Sincerely,
Amy Highsmith
Principal
