In this issue:

Communicate with our School via Rooms

2025-2026 Student Absences Policy and Procedures

Mandatory April Testing Schedule, Attendance Requirement for Prom, and Prizes!

AP and IB Exam Schedule

P/SAT Practice Sessions at GWHS

After School P/SAT Prep Sessions with City Year

Check for AP and IB Exam Conflicts

Summer Concurrent Enrollment Courses

Seniors: DSF Scholarship Application Now Open

Yearbooks

Doughnuts with Dr. Davis

Parents/Guardians: Complete the BESS Universal Mental Health Screening

Support Girls Soccer at Illegal Pete's

Pi Day is Coming

Donations Needed for P/SAT Testing

Proctor an AP or IB Exam

After Prom Amazon Wishlist

After Prom Decoration Supplies Collection

GWHS Food Pantry Usage

Spirit Wear

Weekly Athletics Update

Click Here for This Week's Athletics Events

Click Here for GWHS's Bell Schedule

March 23 - 27

Wish Week

March 30 - April 3

Spring Break 

Communicate with our School via Rooms

Denver Public Schools has transitioned to a communications platform called Thrillshare for all its communications, which works with the NEW, free DPS app! This means teachers, staff and coaches are now able to message (SMS or email) families directly, or through the DPS app! To facilitate the smoothest communication possible with our school and your student's teachers, be sure to follow these easy steps:

• Download the FREE Denver Public Schools (DPS) app (available from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store).

• Click "Rooms" at the center bottom of your screen.

• Enter your email or phone number that you provided when you registered your student for school in Parent Portal, and choose to sign in with a one-time access code.

• You will receive a one-time access code to the email or phone number you just entered.

You should now be connected with all Rooms to which your student has been added!

2025-2026 Student Absences Policy and Procedures

New for the 2025-2026 school year, all student absences will be reported using the online attendance tool in your Parent Portal. Instructions for how to enter a student absence notification through Parent Portal can be found here in ENGLISH, SPANISH and ARABIC. Please review the entire GWHS Attendance Policy HERE. The GWHS Attendance Policy contains important information regarding attendance requirements, interventions for chronic absenteeism, and more. Please note, any request for an early student dismissal after 3:00pm but before the end of the school day cannot be processed.

ASSESSMENT – Mandatory April Testing Schedule, Attendance Requirement for Prom, and Prizes! 

All students in grades 9 through 11 are required by Colorado Department of Education to complete annual assessments for state and federal accountability. Our testing schedule is as follows:

** On Wednesday, April 8, all grade 11 students are required to take CMAS Science. There will be a regular Wednesday odd-block day schedule for students in grades 9, 10 and 12.

** On Monday, April 13, all grade 11 students are required to take the SAT. There will be no school for grades 9, 10 or 12.

** On Tuesday, April 14, all grade 9 students are required to take PSAT 9, and all grade 10 students are required to take PSAT 10. There will be no school for grades 11 or 12.

Starting Tuesday, March 3, please note the following attendance and assessment participation requirements to attend Prom:

** All grade 10 students who are invited by a grade 11 or 12 student to attend Prom must have at least 90% attendance, and must attend the PSAT 10 primary test day.

** All grade 11 students must have at least 90% attendance, and must attend CMAS Science and the SAT primary test days.

** All grade 12 student must have no more than four (4) unexcused classes.

If you do not want your student to participate in these assessments, you must complete an opt-out through Parent Portal. Instructions are here in ENGLISH, SPANISH and ARABIC.

Because we are proud of the hard work our students put in to these assessments, we want to celebrate them with giveaways and food! On April 13 and 14, students who are testing should arrive early to enjoy a special breakfast. Each testing room will have prizes to give away (gift cards, small toys and more!), and there will be prizes raffled off each day – attending your mandatory testing day is your automatic entry! Grand prizes include a Nintendo Switch 2+: Mario Kart World Bundle, a 4K Drone with Camera, a $250 GOAT gift certificate, and AirPods Pro (two pairs per grade level)! Mark your calendars now, and be sure not to miss your testing day!

AP and IB Exam Schedule

Check the AP and IB exam schedule HERE for any conflicts between AP and IB exams. Keep in mind IB will not move exams except for medical emergency. Questions about IB exams? Contact IB Coordinator Mr. Hildner at thad_hildner@dpsk12.net. Questions about AP exams? Contact Dr. Bolz at joseph_bolz@dpsk12.net or AJ Romero at amanda_romero@dpsk12.net. 

P/SAT Practice Sessions at GWHS

Level Up Your P/SAT Prep! GWHS will be offering P/SAT practice sessions during lunch in room 137. March sessions will be every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Bonus sessions: Wednesday, April 8 and Thursday, April 9 to prepare right before test day! Bring your lunch, bring a friend, and pop in for small-group or one-on-one PSAT test prep support. All skill and grade levels welcome — we’d love to see you there! Questions? Contact Ms. McFarland at Najah_McFarland@dpsk12.net or Mr. Arellano at Mario_Arellano@dpsk12.net.

After School P/SAT Prep Sessions with City Year

Every Tuesday until P/SAT testing on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14, City Year will be hosting P/SAT prep sessions in room 317 after school. The tips and tricks you learn in these sessions can help you improve your scores, and remain applicable to assessments beyond your high school career. For more information, visit room 317 after school or during lunch. City Year is excited to see you afterschool on Tuesdays!

Check for AP and IB Exam Conflicts

The deadline to adjust your registration for AP exams is quickly approaching. If you have a conflict with your AP exam because of other testing (other AP or IB exams), you need to let Dr. Bolz know as soon as possible so you can be registered for the late AP exam (there are no late IB exams offered). Please contact Dr. Bolz at joseph_bolz@dpsk12.net if you need a late AP exam!

Summer Concurrent Enrollment Courses

Concurrent Enrollment summer school options are officially available! You will earn high school and college credit through either Community College of Denver, or Community College of Aurora. Please connect with your counselor to enroll, so they can make sure you complete the full process! For more information, click HERE. 

**CCD Courses: Most will be held at Morey Middle School, with some remote options available.

**CCA Course: This will be offered remotely, with both asynchronous and synchronous components. 

Seniors - DSF Scholarship Application Now Open

The DSF scholarship application is now open for graduating seniors! Don't wait - click HERE to create an account and submit your application. 

Annual award amounts based on full-time enrollment:

** 4-year college or university: $3,600 per year
** Community college: $1,700 per year
** Technical college: $1,700 per year

Eligibility requirements: 

DPS: Students must have attended a DPS high school for all four consecutive years unless they transferred from out of state or out of the country while still in high school.

GPA: Final cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted, whichever is higher) requirements: 
** 4-year college or university -- 2.75 GPA
** Community college -- 2.5 GPA
** Technical college -- 2.0 GPA

ENROLL: Full-time enrollment at one of our 30 college partners in Colorado 

FINANCIAL NEED: Students must have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $16,640 or less on the FAFSA or CASFA. Please note that $16,640 is 2.5x higher than the SAI cutoff to qualify for a federal Pell Grant! So be sure to check your SAI as the DSF scholarship does NOT require Pell eligibility 

COMPLETE: Submit a completed application no later than Friday, May 1 and complete all financial aid requirements at your college of choice before July 15.

RESIDENCY: Students must also meet their college's Colorado residency requirements for in-state tuition and state aid

Please note that the DSF scholarship does NOT require an essay! However, students must demonstrate that they have submitted at least two other scholarship applications. On the Future Center Schoology course, we maintain a very thorough scholarship database that is updated weekly (open the folder called "Scholarships" and then search through the "Weekly Scholarship Highlight" folder organized by week. 

Don't wait! Apply today! Click HERE for more information.

Yearbooks

Yearbooks are now available through Friday, March 20. Please click HERE for ordering information.

Doughnuts with Dr. Davis

Join our Principal, Dr. Davis, for casual conversation and school updates during Doughnuts with Dr. Davis on Friday, March 6 from 8:00 to 8:30am in the GWHS Community Room. Dr. Davis would love to answer your questions and hear your thoughts about our GWHS community. Dr. Davis will host a Doughnuts with Dr. Davis event the last Friday morning of every month, so be sure to watch the Weekly Roundup for reminders (note this event has been moved one week later due to the Professional Development Day on Friday, February 27).

Parents/Guardians: Complete the BESS Universal Mental Health Screening

Parents, guardians and caregivers, be sure to complete the BESS Universal Mental Health Screening by Friday, April 3! DPS invites and encourages every parent/guardian to complete a short form that provides valuable input on your student's mental health and social/emotional well-being. You can provide feedback in less than 5 minutes! Click HERE to complete the BESS Screener for your student.

Support Girls Soccer at Illegal Pete's

Looking for an easy (and delicious) way to support our athletes? Mark your calendars for Monday, March 9! We are partnering with Illegal Pete’s Park Hill for a fundraiser where 50% of the proceeds from your meal will go directly to the GWHS Girls Soccer team. Whether you are craving a burrito, tacos, or just some chips and queso, every order helps the team. 

How to participate:

-In-Restaurant: Head to the Park Hill location on Monday, March 9 during their normal business hours. Just be sure to tell the cashier you are there to support GWHS Girls Soccer before you pay! 

-Order Online: If you're on the go, you can place a digital order for the Park Hill location. Use the coupon code Fundraiser26 at checkout to ensure the team gets credit. 

The donation applies to your entire order, including both food and drinks - alcohol and sodas included!

Pi Day is Coming

Pi Day is coming! Because Pi Day is on a Saturday this year, we will be celebrating on Friday, March 13. We need donations of circular treats! If you can donate::

** Donations: donations made through MySchoolBucks by clicking HERE.
** Treats: your favorite circular treats dropped off at school! While we accept both homemade and store bought donations, we appreciate ingredients (especially allergens) listed on homemade goodies! If you plan on sending in goodies, pleae email Dr. Bolz at joseph_bolz@dpsk12.net.
** Time: we need some volunteers to help organize and serve our treats on Friday, March 13. If you can donate some time (even if it's just an hour), email Dr. Bolz at joseph_bolz@dpsk12.net

Help us make this a Pi Day to remember!

Donations Needed for P/SAT Testing

One tradition we hold here at GWHS is to support our students with their state-required P/SATs by providing a breakfast before the exam, snacks during testing, and prizes for each room to distribute to students who are working hard! Here's where we need your help - we would love donations! Those can include:

** Breakfast items donated for our morning "grab and go" each day
** Snacks for testing classrooms (please consider packs of around 30 as most testing rooms are around 30 students)
** Small prizes we can give to students (e.g., candy, fidget toys, rubber ducks, and whatever your student thinks would be a great small prize!)
** Donations made through MySchoolBucks by clicking HERE.  

For any donations you want to send in to the school, we ask that you get those in before Wednesday, April 8. Please address them to Dr. Bolz in room 321.

Proctor an AP or IB Exam

GWHS has over 600 students taking AP and IB exams from Tuesday, April 28 through Friday, May 22, and we need your help with proctoring! Sign up HERE to proctor an AP or IB exam. You may select any exam your student is NOT taking. Proctor training is easy, and your support is deeply appreciated! 

After Prom Amazon Wishlist

We are officially hard at work at prepping for this year’s After Prom celebration! Our goal is to create a safe, fun, and unforgettable night for our students, and we would love your help to get us there. We have curated an After Prom Wishlist through Amazon, with specific items needed to bring our vision to life. If you are able, please consider purchasing an item to be sent directly to our planning committee. Every contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference! And stay tuned - we will be sharing more ways to get involved and volunteer opportunities very soon. Thank you for supporting our students!

After Prom Decoration Supplies Collection

We are officially collecting materials to help transform GWHS for this year’s "Midnight Rodeo" After Prom. We are looking for the following items to be used for crafting western-themed decor:

** Used denim 
** Flannels 
** Empty paper towel rolls

Quality and size do not matter...if it’s destined for the bin, give it a second life as a rodeo decoration instead! Please drop your donations in the designated collection box located in the Pikes Peak lobby. Thank you for helping us make this a night to remember for our students!

GWHS Food Pantry Usage

The GWHS Food Pantry provides FREE food and hygiene items for students, faculty, and staff.

• When: Every Wednesday, 3:30pm

• Where: GWHS Sub Basement Room 003

• Bring: Your own reusable bags, if you have them

You will not be required to pay, put in volunteer hours, attend service, or participate in any type of program to receive food. The GWHS Food Pantry does not to engage in discrimination, in the provision of service against a person because of race, color, citizenship, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a protected veteran. All clients will be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. Questions? Contact gwhs.food.pantry@gmail.com.

Spirit Wear

Don't forget to purchase your Patriots spirit wear for the spring sports season! Click HERE to see all the amazing clothing and gear on offer. Show off your school pride!

Weekly Athletics Update

Patriots excel in the classroom and on the field! Click HERE to read our Weekly Athletics Update.