Communication
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Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Messaging System: e-mails and phone calls
Website- http://mcauliffe.dpsk12.org
Edmodo
Parent Portal in Infinite Campus
Call us at 720-424-4793 or e-mail
kurt_dennis@dpsk12.org
Parents as Partners
To whom do I direct my administrative
questions?
• Questions or concerns regarding school
policies, administration, finances, personnel,
safety, and other general school issues should
be sent directly to the principal.
Parents as Partners
To whom do I direct my instructional questions?
• Questions or concerns regarding curriculum,
instruction, or your child’s classroom
experience should be sent directly to the
teacher.
• If you feel that your questions or concerns
have not been adequately addressed, the
Director of Achievement, Kristen Atwood, is
the next point of contact.
Parents as Partners
Parent concerns that cannot be resolved at the
school level should be directed to the DPS
Parent Constituency Office at 720-423-3054.
Updates and Info
Walking/Biking to School
• Funding is secured for 2 crossing guards (one
at MLK/Syracuse and one at 35th/Central
Park).
• If you know anyone that would be interested
in being a crossing guard, please call or e-mail
the school.
• Additional bike racks have been ordered for
the SMIS campus.
Early Fall Sports
• The DPS Prep League Early Fall Schedule is available at
http://athletics.dpsk12.org/ms_sports/MSFall2012.htm
• Athletic Fee: $25 due by September 7th
• Students that leave early for school sponsored athletics and
activities will have an excused absence.
• They will need to make arrangements with the teacher to get any
make up work and notes that they missed. They will have one day
to finish the make-up work and return it to the teacher.
• The teachers and students are using Edmodo so that all missing
work and info is available online. Students will not receive ZAPP
unless they fail to turn in their make-up work by the due date.
Early Fall Sports
Soccer
Coach Malik 303-588-8797
Cross County
Coach Pablo 720-939-9531
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Sept. 5th at Washington Park – TBD
Sept. 14th at Harvard Gulch – 3:10pm
Sept. 20th at Bear Valley Park – TBD
Sept. 28th at Bear Valley Park – TBD
Oct. 3rd at Cheesman Park – TBD
Oct. 9th at Bear Valley Park – TBD
Sept. 17th PittWaller at McAuliffe - 4:15pm
Sept. 19th McAuliffe at Noel – 4:15pm
Sept. 26th MLK at McAuliffe – 4:15pm
Sept. 27th Howell at McAuliffe – 4:15pm
Oct. 2nd McAuliffe at Greenwood – 4:15pm
Oct. 4th McAuliffe at Smiley – 4:15pm
Oct. 5th McAuliffe at Vista – 4:15pm
Oct. 10th DMIS at McAuliffe – 4:15pm
Buses will be provided by DPS to and from all
athletic competitions. Home games in RED
Fundraiser
• The Reach For The Stars Direct Giving Party is
on Saturday, October 20th from 6:30pm to
9pm at Hangar 61 in Stapleton.
• The goal of the fundraiser is to raise enough
money to pay for the Enrichment Program at
McAuliffe and to send every student to the
Keystone Science Camp in the spring.
Bond/Mill Levy
• The DPS bond proposal on the November
ballot includes a new 6 – 12 campus north of
I-70 for 900 students. The projected cost of
the facility is $38.5 million.
• The cost of the bond and mill levy per
$100,000 of home value is $5 a month or $62
a year.
Humanities
Reading and
Writing
Workshops
SpringBoard
Language Arts
Curriculum
Geography
Alive!
Curriculum
Humanities
at
McAuliffe
Humanities
Changes in
Me
map skills
Changes in
My World
Changes in
SelfPerception
the geography of the
US and Canada
the geography of
Latin America,
Europe, and Russia
freshwater
ecosystems
land use conflict
Measuring
Changes in
Me
Changing
Times and
Places
the geography of
Africa and Asia
the geography of
Oceania and
Antarctica
global warming
narrative writing
migration
populations dilemmas
the significance water
and land features
research
short stories
expository writing
TV news production
voice/letter-writing
literary analysis
revsising, reflecting,
and publishing
oral presentation
Humanities
How do I find out about my student’s progress?
• Parent Portal will house all assignments and grades.
https://campus.dpsk12.org/campus/portal/icprod.jsp
What is the purpose of EDMODO?
• EDMODO (dpsk12.edmodo.com) will provide students a way to submit a writing assignment and
allow teachers to respond to their work. EDMODO will be our writer’s workshop online tool. It’s
essentially FACEBOOK for educators.
How will I communicate with my child’s teacher?
• The best way to communicate with your Humanities teachers is through email or phone. I am
happy to answer any questions or concerns first hand.
What should I ask my child at the dinner table?
• What are you reading now? What is the book about? Did you find a wonder word in your book?
What was your Essential Question today? Did you write anything you would like to share with me
today?
What should be coming home with my child daily?
• Student Planner, Choice Novel, and Writer’s Notebook.
Math
What is my student learning in math this year?
Year-at-a-Glance:
• We will post weekly updates in our libraries on Edmodo to inform you of weekly learning
targets and the Common Core Standards.
Course 1 (August –January)
• Positive Numbers, Negative Numbers, Multiplying and Dividing Fractions, Ratios, Rates,
Percents, Algebraic Expressions.
Course 2 (January – June)
• Equations and Inequalities, Coordinate Plane, Area, Surface Area, Volume, Introduction to
Statistics, Measures of Central Tendency.
What are the expectations for my students in math?
• Students are expected to bring their math binder, pencil and homework to class every day.
• Homework will vary for day to day and teacher.
Math
What are the expectations of me as a parent?
• Check Infinite Campus for the most current grades
• Check Edmodo for periodic updates and “dinner table questions”
you should be asking your child.
How will I be informed of my student’s performance/progress?
• Infinite Campus Parent Portal will provide the most current
information.
• Periodically check the section in your student’s binder called
“tracking/goals” .
Science
What is my student learning in science this year?
The sixth grade science curriculum is Earth Science:
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rocks and landforms
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plate tectonics and structure of the Earth
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astronomy
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water and the hydrosphere
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atmosphere, climate, and weather
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the nature of science and the scientific method.
What are the expectations for my student in science?
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to come to class prepared each day with the proper materials and completed assignments
to be willing to work with others and try new things
to work in groups to solve problems, develop questions, conduct investigations, and practice
inquiry
to be safe in the science classroom
to complete small assignments (10 minutes or less) at home. These assignments are tied directly to
our learning activities in class.
Science
What are the expectations of me as a parent?
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support your child in his/her study of science
encourage him or her when it gets challenging
find ways to reinforce what students are learning in class
use Edmodo to be aware of what your student is doing in science
How will I be informed of my student’s performance/progress?
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At the beginning of each unit, students will be given a paper to put in their binders with an overview
of the unit objectives. On this sheet, students will track their understanding. Talk with your student
regarding their understanding of the scientific concepts we are studying.
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Student progress on the standards will be reported through Infinite Campus. Updates to IC will be made
weekly. I encourage you to check in with your child about their progress on IC.
What should I be asking my student about science?
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ask what the highlight was from science class that day
use Edmodo to help guide the conversation
Physical Education
What is my student learning in P.E. this year?
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SPARK P.E. with an emphasis on fitness & nutrition
What are the expectations for my student in P.E.?
• 100% effort. Students do not have to be the best at the skill, but they do have to try. It will get
easier with practice.
What are the expectations of me as a parent?
• Please support your student in living a healthy lifestyle (exercise, rest, healthy meals).
How will I be informed of my student’s performance/progress?
• Students perform regular fitness assessments and are graded on a rubric for each unit
What should I be asking my student about P.E.?
• What were your highs and lows in P.E. today? What were the exercises you did today for warm up?
Can you show me how to do it? Did you do any new stretches for cool down today? What unit are
you working on?
World Languages
What is my student learning in Beginner Spanish or French this year?
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The French/Spanish alphabet and sound system
Basic greetings and courtesies
Numbers and colors
How to tell time
Asking about and describing people
How to talk about the weather
How to express likes and dislikes
Ask about interests
Offering and accepting food
Asking for and giving opinions
And most importantly…How to have fun learning a second language!
While learning French/Spanish we will be learning several GRAMMAR topics:
• Regular and Irregular Verbs
• Present Tense
• Future Tense using
• Introduction to using the Past Tense will be learning about its culture, art, literature and music
World Languages
What are the expectations for my student in Spanish/French?
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Students are expected to bring their French/Spanish notebook, binder and a pen or pencil to class each
day.
It is their responsibility to turn in all assignments on time.
Students will have a small vocabulary or conversation assignment to practice French/Spanish at home at
least once a week.
What are the expectations of me as a parent?
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give your student time to practice at home using online resources
ask students how to access classzone.com and Rosetta Stone at home
find extra resources listed under the class “Library” on Edmodo
Support world languages and cultures at home:
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download language applications and games! There are tons of Apple Apps for French and Spanish fun.
take time once a week to look over your student’s notes and quiz them on it (give them numbers in English
and they should be expected to say the numbers in Spanish, etc.)
World Languages
How will I be informed of my student’s performance/progress?
• Students will have an up to date status of their grade every Monday
on Infinite Campus.
• Stay tuned to Edmodo, you will find useful links, websites, and
teacher information that will be useful for your student.
What should I be asking my student about World Languages?
Ask them….
• If they have practiced on Classzone.com or Rosetta Stone lately
• How are they are doing (in the target language)
• To recite their numbers / days of the week / etc.
• If they need you to be their partner as they say a French/Spanish
skit out loud.
Thank you!
At this time, you will be able to walk through
your student’s schedule, meet teachers and turn
in your questions for the FAQs page on the
McAuliffe website.
Thank you so much for coming to Back to School
Night!