May 9, 2025
DPS Teacher Feature: Miss Denver
By day, she’s known to her Swansea Elementary students as Miss Kat, a passionate and dedicated special education teacher. But what her students might not know is that after the bell rings, she is also known as Miss Denver.
Katya Lopez, former Miss San Antonio and current Miss Denver, brings her love for learning to everything she does. As a Teach For America corps member, Katya moved to Colorado to support students with disabilities. Katya loves using her performance background to connect with students by reading, singing and sharing the power of art to help young minds express themselves and grow.
Watch Katya’s full story and help celebrate educators like her during National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Senior Spotlight: Meet Adelaide
This week’s Senior Spotlight shines on Adelaide, a senior from Thomas Jefferson High School, who made the most of every opportunity that came her way. From playing volleyball to serving in the sustainability club, she balanced academics with impact and left her mark on DPS in a big way.
As part of a district graphic design contest, Adelaide designed the new look for DPS Food Truck, Front Range Flavor. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she will be studying computer science, marketing and graphic design. Adelaide encourages younger students to embrace new opportunities as a way to discover their passions and shape their future.
Congratulations, Adelaide! Watch her full story here.
DPS Honors Record Number of Seal of Biliteracy Recipients
Each year, the Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to graduating students who have proficiency in two or more languages. The graduating class of 2025 has a record setting 1,500 students receiving the seal! This past week, students from across the district gathered with their families, friends and educators for the annual DPS Seal of Biliteracy Celebration. Watch the recap video.
DPS Asian Education Advisory Council Awards
Over the weekend, the Asian Education Advisory Council (AEAC) hosted their 39th Annual Awards event to honor students, parents, educators and community volunteers for outstanding achievements and contributions to Asian/Pacific Islander communities. The AEAC was established, under court order, in 1985 by the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. The AEAC seeks to improve educational opportunities and to provide quality education for all students, particularly students of Asian/Pacific Island (AA/PI) heritage. Check out the event photo gallery to see all those who were awarded!
Composting and Conservation: How Valdez Elementary Is Reducing Food Waste
Valdez Elementary is showing how sustainability is done, and it starts with second graders.
This year, in an effort to reduce food waste, Valdez started a compost coordinators program where each second grade class selected two coordinators. Kolby, Soledad, William and Zia now oversee the disposal of waste during their lunch period, instructing their peers to separate compostable materials from trash with a watchful eye on the compost bin to ensure their guidance is followed.
One of the coordinators, Zia, explained why composting matters: “If we put food and trash together, it will go to the landfill and the food doesn’t compost very easily in the trash because of the plastic. That’s trash land,” she explained. “If that happens, it will make stinky gases that go up in the air and make the planet feel bad.”
Read the full story on the DPS website.
#MyPlanDPS Student Achievement Award Recipient
Razia has demonstrated perseverance and adaptability by successfully overcoming a language barrier. She speaks of a pivotal moment with her fifth-grade teacher, whose unwavering support in her language learning made her valued and seen. She emphasizes the importance of respecting freedom and diversity by allowing individuals to have choices. Razia was accepted into the prestigious Young Ambassadors Program, an esteemed exchange program that will take her to Italy. She is taking concurrent enrollment courses while in high school. She is actively involved in ICAP and college prep classes. Her advice to freshmen is, "Be different. Focus on yourself and be the best version of yourself...you won't regret it.”
Participate in a Family Focus Group to Help Us Learn More About Youth Vaping Behaviors
Denver Public Schools is interested in hearing from families to better understand youth vaping behaviors. We’re inviting family members of current middle and high school students to participate in virtual focus groups happening in late May. These small group conversations will help inform future efforts to address vaping in our schools and across our community.
Focus groups will be held virtually and in both English and Spanish. Participants will receive a $75 gift card as a thank you for their time.
If you're interested in participating, please fill out this short form.
Southwest DPS Family Fiesta: Saturday, May 17
Join us on Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for a fun-filled celebration as we wrap up the school year and kick off summer at Abraham Lincoln High School (2285 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219). In partnership with Community Resources INC, this free community event is open to DPS students and families—come enjoy a few hours of excitement, entertainment and connections.
What to Expect:
Fun activities for all ages.
Live performances.
Community resources for families.
Food trucks and refreshments available for purchase.
If you would like to be a sponsor or to sign up as a vendor at this event, email Sue Edwards.
Denver Public Schools | 1860 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203
