March 2, 2025

Dear Team DPS,

Nationwide, schools and districts are celebrating National School Social Workers Appreciation Week. Let us take a moment to honor, celebrate and express gratitude to school social workers for their remarkable contributions to students, families, colleagues and the wider Denver community.

DPS has over 200 licensed school social workers, and each is fundamental in furthering our vision of Every Learner Thrives. These skilled professionals support fostering positive behaviors and frequently collaborate with teachers, parents and administrators. Additionally, they direct both individual and group counseling sessions and interventions, guiding the next generation of providers by supervising graduate students and mentoring new staff members.

School social workers help create learning environments, pathways and opportunities for students. They help broaden learning experiences, empowering students to pursue their passions and providing them with the necessary support to flourish as young people. They embody the words of U.S. author, historian and clergyman Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Please join me in celebrating and thanking our school social workers! Their hard work, expertise and dedication do not go unnoticed. We are fortunate to have such skilled and committed professionals serving our students each day.

Thank you for all that you do.

Respectfully,

Dr. Tony Smith
Deputy Superintendent