Links: 25-26 Calendar (Calendario 25-26)

8th graders who are NOT currently in Spanish class, might be eligible for the Seal of Biliteracy Pathways Award which they will receive at Continuation.  (Note: Students currently enrolled in Spanish will receive the award if they show growth of at least one proficiency level throughout the school year.)

Students are eligible if they:

-use a language other than English at home

-went to a dual language school for 3+ years

-have learned another language outside of school (ie living abroad) to be proficient in daily life.

If this describes your student, please have them email mary_overton@dpsk12.net to schedule a time to demonstrate their ability in the other language.

We are in search of volunteer judges who will help review student projects against the National History Day evaluation criteria to determine the top contenders in each category. The judges' evaluation helps students improve their skills and provides positive feedback and constructive criticism for the hard work students have put into producing their projects. There is no experience or background necessary to participate in the judging process, however, we request you plan to be at Skinner Middle School on Friday, February 6, 2026 from 8am - 3pm. Please come prepared to apply the full rubric objectively with attention to detail and a critical eye for evidence, sourcing, and logical reasoning. Punctuality and a commitment to engage in an early morning judges' training session is also required. Please sign up here Skinner NHD: Request for Judges 25-26. Follow up communication with further details will be emailed to you directly. Thank you in advance for your support!

National History Day Showcase Event Important Details

All students at Skinner Middle School are currently working diligently on their National History Day projects in preparation for the Skinner Middle School NHD showcase event on Friday, February 6, 2026. We’re excited to see students’ creativity and strive to ensure every project is judged fairly and used as a meaningful learning experience. To do that, all projects are evaluated against a published National History Day rubric so every entry is scored objectively on the same specific criteria — historical argument (thesis/claim), connection to the annual theme, breadth of research and use of primary sources, historical context, multiple perspectives, historical accuracy, and significance in history (these together comprise 80% of the score), plus clarity of presentation components and student voice (20% of the score). The day of our in-house competition is a closed event. This means the only people participating are those who volunteer to participate in the judging process (engage in training) and school staff. Student interviews do take place during the second round for most categories, but they are for clarification and learning and are closed to the public to ensure student safety and focus. This format replicates the format of outside competitions.

You can support your child by reviewing the rubric with them, encouraging independence (ask guiding questions rather than doing the work), and helping with planning and materials while letting the student make key choices to explain their thinking. Clear criteria help students trust the process, focus on growth instead of comparison, and allow families to provide support that preserves student ownership. Please note that a project may receive less-than-exemplary scores even when a student clearly worked hard. This is the first, entry-level round of the National History Day competition and we use this showcase event to nominate projects willing and ready to continue their work in preparation for the higher rounds. The projects we nominate in each category are invited to register for the Denver Public Schools NHD regional competition on March 21, 2026. 

We encourage you to review the rubric with your child, discuss common pitfalls - insufficient or weak primary-source support for the central argument, a thesis that is unclear or not consistently developed, weak connection to the annual theme, factual inaccuracies or important omissions, limited consideration of multiple perspectives, overreliance on secondary sources - and to support independence in their work. 

Here is the Colorado National History Day (Website) along with the National National History Day (Website) for an overview of the NHD curriculum, the evaluation criteria used to judge the projects in each category, examples of projects submitted in previous years’ contests, and important dates.

Early Spring prep league sign-ups are now open. Sign-ups will close Friday, January 30th at 5pm (no exceptions). Below, you will find the information you need to sign-up. This season, we will be offering girls and boys basketball.  For this season, we will have one team for 7th/8th girls and one team for 7th/8th boys.  

Please note:  We will have a separate 6th grade boys and girls ONLY season in late April!  Please look for more information regarding how to register your 6th grader for this season in the upcoming weeks.

To tryout, parents/guardians will need to: 

Arbiter Registration Link:  Skinner Middle School  You will complete everything within Arbiter - upload your athletes physical, and complete payment. 

You must submit your completed registration with your student's valid physical and payment for your student to be on the tryout list. They can't participate until these have been uploaded and registration has been completed. You will receive a confirmation email from Arbiter once you submit the registration. 

New to Arbiter? See this Arbiter step by step guide for parents. 

Tryout Dates: TBD (will be announced to student in Learning Family afternoon announcement slides)

7/8 Girls Basketball Coach - Jessica Frahm

7/8 Boys Basketball Coach - Julia Robinson

The deadline to register for Early Spring Prep Sports is Friday, January 30th at 5pm. There are no exceptions to the deadline as registration will close in Arbiter. We will not reopen registration once it is closed.

Tryouts for girls and boys basketball are competitive. Coaches will be selecting players based on their skill level. Cuts will be made at the discretion of the coaching staff. Your player must attend each day of their scheduled day of tryouts to be considered for the team. The exception to this is if your player got approval from the coach in advance of the tryouts. A no show on the scheduled tryout day is an automatic cut.  

If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Principal, Shawn Ward:  shawnette_ward@dpsk12.net

Wednesday, Jan. 21 all students will take the Semester 2 i-Ready Diagnostic in reading.  i-Ready is an online program that helps us see where each student is doing well and where they may need a little extra support.  The results also help us personalize lessons so students get exactly what they need to keep growing.

You can help support your student’s reading growth by encouraging them to complete their iReady My Path lessons for at least 30 minutes each week. These personalized lessons are one of the key interventions we use to help students strengthen their reading skills.

Skinner Middle School has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) this year. NAEP, often called “The Nation’s Report Card,” is a national assessment that helps measure what students across the country know and can do in various subject areas.

While we understand the importance of the data collected through NAEP in helping shape educational policy and practice, nationwide, we also want to ensure that families feel informed and comfortable with their student’s participation.

Only a random sample of 100 our 8th grade students will be selected to participate.  However, families do have the option to opt their student out of this assessment, similar to CMAS. If you would like to opt your student out, please complete the form below or log into your Parent Portal to indicate your preference.

Parent Portal Opt-Out Directions:

Assessment Opt-Out (English)

Assessment Opt-Out (Spanish)

Assessment Opt-Out (Arabic)

OR print and turn in the following Opt-Out Form to the Main Office

Testing Opt-Out Form (English)

Testing Opt-Out Form (Spanish)

Hello Families, This is a quick reminder about Healthy Choices, Bright Futures, a free workshop for DPS families focused on preventing substance use and learning how to talk with kids about fentanyl safety.

 Jan. 26, Noon – On Zoom. Click to register: Virtual Registration Link  

Families of students struggling with perfectionism are invited to register for a 6-week focus group facilitated by WellPower. The focus group will take place from mid February to the end of March and is targeted at students whose struggles negatively impact their learning experience on a daily basis. There is no cost for the support group though WellPower is targeting families with Medicaid ((the organization is reimbursed for services rendered). Families should ensure their student is committed to participating before contacting the group facilitator. Please sign up by reaching out to Cassandra Garcia, WellPower Group Facilitator, by email at cassandra.garcia@wellpower.org or by phone at (303) 300-6293. First come, first serve.

Supporting Skinner is easy—and it adds up fast! By scanning your grocery receipts with the Box Tops for Education app (or connecting your Walmart account to the app), you can help our school earn money for classroom supplies, student activities, and school-wide programs. There’s no clipping required—just buy participating products, scan your receipt, and Skinner earns cash. Every box top counts, so thank you for turning everyday shopping into extra support for our students and teachers! Learn more at BTFE.COM

DPS SchoolChoice Round 1 for the 2026-27 school year is now open until 4 p.m. on Jan. 20! This annual open enrollment process is for any student who wants or needs to attend a new school next year, particularly incoming ECE-3, kindergarten, sixth- and ninth-grade students.* 

To apply: 

Visit schoolchoice.dpsk12.org/apply.
2. Create an account or log in with your Parent Portal username and password.
3. Rank up to 12 schools in order of preference and submit by 4 p.m. on Jan. 20.

You’ll be notified of your results in late February. In the meantime, find much more information on the SchoolChoice website. If you have any questions, review our FAQs, call 720-423-3493 or email schoolchoice@dpsk12.org.

*Families applying for ECE-3 with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from the DPS Department of Special Education should submit the Universal Preschool Colorado (UPK) application to apply for funding. Families who are applying for ECE-4 must submit the UPK application. Read below for more information.

✨ Discover Your Future at North High! ✨

North is where tradition meets opportunity - and where students thrive. Join our vibrant Viking community to see firsthand what makes North a powerful choice for your student.

✅1,600 students in grades 9–12 in a dynamic, growing high school community

✅ College-ready academics: 13 AP courses and 25 Concurrent Enrollment on-campus options to earn college credit in high school

✅ One school. One community: Advanced and college-level classes at North reflect our full, diverse student body - every program is accessible to every student

✅ Outstanding staff: Award-winning staff with a 95% retention rate from 2024/25 > 2025/26 - one of the highest in DPS!

✅ Small class experience: Core classes average 23 students with a 24:1 student-to-teacher ratio

✅ Whole Child student support: Wrap around student support, SPED and social-emotional and health services

✅ State-of-the-art campus: Over $40 million in upgrades in the past decade

✅ Championship athletics: 24 varsity sports (5A & 4A) with multiple team levels

✅ Proven outcomes: The Class of 2025 earned $14+ million in scholarships, attending colleges across Colorado, the U.S., and abroad

DPS SchoolChoice Deadline is Jan. 20 - Don’t end up on the waitlist! Go to schoolchoice.dpsk12.org and apply TODAY!

Learn About Your Path to Bilingual Excellence at North High!

Join us for the North High Virtual Information Session to learn about our Dual Language and Spanish Language program options and how students can build strong bilingual skills while earning advanced academic credentials. Whether your student is expanding bilingual skills or strengthening their Spanish academic pathway, North High offers rigorous, enriching opportunities for success. Join us and learn more!

📅 Thursday, January 15, 2026

🕠 5:30–6:15 PM

💻 Virtual Session (Google Meet)

🔗 https://meet.google.com/hmj-cvcv-qpd

📞 413-889-2140 | PIN: 717 210 616#

What You’ll Learn:

✅Three pathways to earn the Seal of Biliteracy

✅World Language Options, Native Spanish Instruction Course Options,

✅Dual Language Options, offering Math, Science, and Social Studies taught in Spanish

✅Opportunities to take up to two ELA-S content courses each year alongside Spanish Language Arts

✅AP and Concurrent Enrollment Spanish Language Arts courses for qualifying students

✅The path to pursue a Spanish minor from MSU

✨ Coming in 2027–28: Dual Language Two-Way Program

Skinner PTO
The Skinner PTO is a community of parents, guardians, and staff working together to support our school and create memorable experiences for our students. You don’t have to commit to attending every monthly meeting — you can jump in on projects that excite you or bring you joy! Whether you love planning, decorating, organizing, or just lending a hand when needed, there’s a place for you. Contact PTO President Frank Coyne at fcoyne7@gmail.com to get involved!

Parent Engagement Opportunities:

CSC: Collaborative School Committee - first Wednesday of every month 4:00-5:30 at Skinner Library

• Meet with parents, admin, staff to discuss issues, impacts, and solutions for the school

• All meetings are open to the public

• Check website for more info 

PTO: Parent/Teacher Organization - first Wednesday of every month 5:30-6:30 at Skinner Library 

• Fundraising, teacher appreciation, parent volunteers

• Check out Skinner Website PTO for more information

• If you’d like to join virtually, use this link

Want to see a prior issue of Skinner Family News? Links are posted on the Skinner website, click here to access.