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DCSD News

DCSD News
DCSD News

January 2024 January 2024

Happy New Year from Douglas County School District! Happy New Year from Douglas County School District!

How do I... How do I...

  • Learn about weather delays and closures
  • Anonymously report a safety concern
  • Learn about DCSD Emergency Communications
  • View previously recorded Parent University webinars

DCSD Spotlights DCSD Spotlights

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Douglas County graduates 90% of students, one of the highest rates on the Front Range

Douglas County School District saw a 90.8% graduation rate in the 2022-23 school year, one of the highest rates in the Front Range. Data from the Colorado Department of Education shows the district is also doing significantly better than the state average of 83.1%. The district’s class of 2023 received almost $118 million in scholarships and saved an estimated $4.5 million in higher education costs through concurrent enrollment, according to the district. Read more. >>

TSA: So Much More than Technology

TSA is about so much more than technology! Fashion design, architecture, debate, graphic design, and more - the Technology Student Association (TSA) annual competition helps prepare DCSD students for future careers in technology and innovation. They design, solve problems, and build a variety of inventions with the hope of taking first place at the state competition next month. Here's a quick peek at some of this year's creations and the inventors behind them.

DCSD TSA District Competition
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Sage Canyon's "Roots & Shoots" Connects Students to the Natural World

Lessons in gardening are taking root at Sage Canyon Elementary. The school’s newest offering, Roots & Shoots, has students digging in the dirt, planting seeds, and experimenting with different methods of growing plants. It’s environmental science in a fun, hands-on way.


Based on Jane Goodall's program of the same name, the focus is on learning about and loving the natural world and becoming compassionate leaders within the school and outside the community.

Roots & Shoots is a specials class, like art, gym, and music for Sage Canyon students in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. So far the children have conducted studies of monarch butterflies and created beautiful works of art and stories. Read more.>>

Important Updates and News from Around DCSD Important Updates and News from Around DCSD

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Kindergarten Registration is Now Open

Douglas County School District Kindergarten offers:

  • Structured, Rigorous, Play-Based Curriculum
  • Small Class Sizes
  • Authentic Learning Experiences
  • No Tuition (Full-Day Kindergarten is Free!)
  • Balanced Beginnings: a staggered transition to build stronger teacher/student relationships and ease the transition into school


Learn more about the enrollment process »


DCSD Preschool Students enrolled before January 1, 2024 will automatically be registered for Kindergarten at their neighborhood elementary school.

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Foundation for Douglas County Schools Collecting School Supplies for Mid-year Lend a Hand Drive

The mid-year Lend a Hand School Supply Drive will run through Friday, January 26, and supplies can again be dropped off at DC Libraries and Douglas County Office Depots.


Most needed items include:

  • Regular and Fine Tip Dry Erase Markers
  • Regular and Fine Tip Markers and Red Pens
  • Kleenex, Hand Sanitizer and Clorox Wipes
  • Card Stock and Index Cards
  • Scissors (Elementary & Secondary)
  • Colored Pencils
  • Head Phones
  • Glue Sticks and Sticky Notes
  • Pocket Folders (with & without brads)
  • Graphing Paper and Calculators


We appreciate your support - we know our teachers will be abundantly grateful for this mid-year school supply boost!

2024 Douglas County Outstanding Youth Award Nominations

The Outstanding Youth Award recognizes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. The Youth Awards focus on teenagers who have triumphed over great odds and serve as inspirations and role models. If you know young people who would be good candidates for the Youth Awards, please help identify them by completing the nomination form.


Award winners receive a cash gift! Nomination forms are due by: Friday, March 29.

Read the DCSD Advanced Academics & Gifted Ed Newsletter

Events Events

The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana: Johnny Stack’s Life and Death Story

With Laura Stack, Founder and CEO of Johnny's Ambassadors

Wednesday, January 24 | 6:15 p.m.

Chaparral High School - Mary Gill Theater

Click here for more information.

Parent University: The Role of Today's School Counselor

Wednesday, January 31 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.


National School Counselor Week is the week of February 5-9! Join Dr. Kelli Smith, Director of Health, Wellness and Prevention and DCSD Lead Counselors Renee Cawley and Kambi Crabb, to discuss how students can best leverage their school counselor. Specifically, data will be shared on our DCSD counseling programs' impact on students' achievement and engagement in our schools. Register today!

Good News Good News

  • Twice as nice: Teen actor raises another $12,000 for local nonprofit

  • Mountain Vista's Austyn Modrzewski Named Gatorade Colorado Football Player of the Year
  • The Many Faces of CHSAA Leadership- Diane Shuck-Gray

  • Benji Anderson named All-American at Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships

Board of Education Board of Education

Board of Education Special Meeting

Tuesday, January 23 at 3:45 p.m.

Watch live on YouTube or on Comcast Channel 54


Board of Education Regular Meeting

Tuesday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.

Watch live on YouTube or on Comcast Channel 54


See past Board Meeting summaries here.

Douglas County School District
www.dcsdk12.org
In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, complianceofficer@dcsdk12.org, 303-387-0127.
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