April 8, 2025
Dear Swigert Families,
We are in full swing here at Swigert with some awesome IB learning; including some very hands on mealworm life cycle observations in kindergarten and our annual Young Amertowne field trip coming up for our fifth graders on Thursday. I love this time of year!
I feel fortunate to work at an International Baccalaureate School (IB) for so many reasons. The IB program really supports our students as the center and sense makers of their learning and provides autonomy for our teachers to create authentic, integrated and timely units of student. The learning here goes beyond our school walls and into the community. It also supports international mindedness, celebrating our cultural differences and backgrounds. Being an IB school does take additional funding and your financial support is essential. We are so appreciative. Your support funds our IB Coordinator, IB Professional learning, the Spanish program and additional paraprofessionals to support our students. I wanted to take a moment to invite you to our auction this year on May 2nd. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and a great way to connect with other families and staff members. There are a limited number of tickets left, please find additional information here- Auction Information. The theme this year is camp theme and will be at the Colorado History Museum - what a wonderful venue. We will kick if off with a fun spirit week for the all students the week of April 28th. Look for more details to come as we get closer.
It is National Assistant Principal Week so I wanted to take a moment to shout out our Assistant Principal, Amber Holthus-Pera. She has been at Swigert for the past two years and serves as a wonderful thought partner and leader for our school. She always demonstrates a student-first approach and seeks to find creative solutions to issues that arise on a daily basis. She never bats an eye at rolling up her sleeves and doing whatever needs to be done at the school to make it a vibrant, joyful and purposeful place to work. I am grateful for her partnership and leadership. I know she would appreciate a note or email - Amber_Holthus-Pera@dpsk12.net.
As always, please reach out with any questions. We know this is a very busy time of year for all our families!
In partnership,
Shelby Dennis (shelby_dennis@dpsk12.net)
April 14th: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Parent Group Meeting, 5om
April 16th: SAC Meeting
April 18th: Pippa Day - dress like a Superhero or Princess
April 28-May 1st: PTA Spirit Week
May 1st: Swigert Service Day
May 2nd: NO SCHOOL
May 3rd: Swigert Auction
May 5-9th: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6th: Kindergarten Welcome
May 8th: International Night, 6-8pm
May 13th: ECE Meet and Greet
May 14th: PTA Meeting
May 15th: 1st-5th Grade New Family Info Session
May 16th: Field Day
May 19-21st BOGO Book Fair
May 26th: NO SCHOOL
May 28th: Swigert Alumni Clap-Out
June 2nd - 5th grade last day, clap-out, exhibition, and continuation ceremony
June 3rd - Last day for ECE-4th grade, noon dismissal
June 22nd - EPI school supply orders due
Swigert uses Google Calendar. Do you? If so, you can stay up to date on all school activities.
Just add the Swigert Calendar to your personal calendar. Learn how to do that at the bottom of this page: here.
BESS Screener
Swigert is participating in Denver Public School’s initiative to have parents/guardians complete a survey to provide input on your child’s social, emotional and mental health strengths and needs.
This survey, called the BESS, is open for a spring screening window until April 18th. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete. You will need to input your student’s ID number (“lunch number”), which can be found in the DPS parent portal, and your child’s date of birth.
This is a great FAQ flier for any questions you may have.
Here is the link to the survey. Or you can type tinyurl.com/bessparent2324 into any search engine.
Please reach out to our school psychologist, Kim Irk with any specific questions: kimberly_irk@dpsk12.net.
Thank you for your participation!
CMAS Information
For details on the dates of CMAS testing starting this week, please see THIS LETTER or head to the website: https://swigert.dpsk12.org/2025/01/07/cmas-information/.
Photos Needed
We are starting to work on the video that will be played at the ceremony. We would love to get from every family a baby/toddler/younger picture of your child and then a more current 5th grade one to be used in the video.
You can upload them to this google drive: 5th Grade Continuation Photos. You can also feel free to email them to me if that's easier at emily_pool@dpsk12.net.
Click the link - 5th Grade Continuation Photos.
Click on your teacher's name
Click +New (in the upper left hand corner on desktop. On your phone, it's a colorful + on the bottom right)
Select the two pictures you want.
Click File Upload
Name them with your child's first and last name (how you want it on the screen)
Thanks!
April Artist of the Month
April’s artist of the month is Xander Bliss from Ms. Appleman’s 5th grade class. Xander did a wonderful job being knowledgeable and Open Minded in art class and made an incredible mosaic collage. Way to go, Xander!
Community Event: Parenting Childhood Anxiety
Monday, April 21 · 5:30 - 7pm
Come join us in the Swigert Library for a FREE workshop on Parenting Childhood Anxiety. This event is designed to give parents valuable information about childhood anxiety and help parents navigate the challenges of raising children who may be struggling with anxiety. Learn practical tips and strategies from Stacy Babbitt, LCSW. Stacy is a mom to two Swigert Eagles and a therapist with over 15 years treating anxiety disorders and OCD. Connect with other parents facing similar situations and share your experiences. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and support. See you there! (There are limited spots and registration is required).
Read Around the World Book Club
The fifth Read Around the World book club text will take us to the continent of Asia. We will be reading Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 23rd from 3:30-4:30 in the Swigert library. Any student is welcome to join us, just please sign up so we can best prepare for snacks and activities.
Here is the link to register for our fifth book club meeting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNqXUPTAA2YgjujXBG3AvJAX9DUMhVPYq9uFnb0O_x7tsd0w/viewform
Questions? Reach out to Ms. Mosley at l_holcomb-mosley@dpsk12.net.
International Night
When: Thursday, May 8th, 6-8pm
Who: All Swigert students and families
What: A celebration of our school diversity. A way to honor, celebrate, and learn about the diverse cultures represented at our school as well as share the harvest from our school garden
What to bring: Your family and a dish/dessert to share
During the school day:
Students will share in morning meeting about their cultural backgrounds
Students will walk the hallways to see table displays
Interested students and staff will dress up in traditional cultural clothing
Students will harvest lettuce from our school garden
See HERE for more details about the schedule of the night!
Rising 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Summer Math Tutoring
Does your child need extra practice with 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade math concepts? Would it benefit to start working on some new math standards for the upcoming school year? Then join me for math tutoring. Each group will focus on a different set of standards.
When: Tuesday OR Thursday
Where: Swigert
Cost: $50 for a 60 minute session
Please contact me at: emily_mueller@dpsk12.net to set up dates and times for your child! I will be doing 3 one hour slots between the hours of 9:00 and 12:00.
Thank you!
Emily Mueller
Swigert Math Interventionist
Dates:
Week 1: June 10th or 12th
Week 2: June 24th or 26th
Week 3: July 1st
Week 4: July 8th or 10th
Week 5: July 15th or 17th
Week 6: July 22nd
Week 7: July 29th or 31st
Week 8: August 5th or 7th
Camp Eagle T-Shirts
Get ready for Camp Eagle! Show your school spirit and support our students by purchasing a Camp Eagle t-shirt for the upcoming school auction! Not only will you get a super cute shirt, but all proceeds go toward helping our school thrive. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and get ready for an amazing event! Available in youth and adult sizes preorder ends April 14!!
Auction: Grade Items
What are Grade Items?
Every year families contribute a few dollars or a few items to a grade-level basket. These items are then bid on at the silent auction. All profits go to help pay for IB programming.
What should I do?
Look for an email from your Room Parent. You will have a link to contribute to a group gift (large items sell well), or to a list of items for purchase. When you purchase the item, it goes to the Basket Counselor’s house to be photographed for the auction website.
Do I have to give? How Much?
No! Any help you can offer is appreciated! Even $5-10 from each family will give us great items to auction off.
Auction Tickets on Sale!
Auction tickets are on sale now! Get more information and buy your tickets here: siscampeagle.givesmart.com!
What do I wear?
AUCTION ATTIRE:
The auction committee knows a few people (ok most) are asking, “what the heck is ‘camp chic’ attire”? Understandable because we made it up having no idea what to call these outfits. The auction is summer camp themed and we want the night to be a fun, relaxed, “campy” atmosphere! Jeans, shorts, flannels, bandanas, hiking boots, Patagonia, North Face, sundresses and hats are all welcome! And bonus points if you get really “campy” and go full-scale Troop Beverly Hills, Wes Anderson Moonrise Kingdom, or Band Camp Living in Colorado, we’re guessing you have something in your closet right now that fits the bill perfectly.
Healthy Cell Phone Adoption Town Hall
RSVP to Healthy Cell Phone Adoption Town Hall Tuesday, April 15th, 5:30-6:30.
Northfield HS Cafeteria
Our school has been collaborating with several other elementary and middle schools in the area, and we are excited for a joint community town hall on the subject of healthy cell phone adoption. Whether families simply wait to get a smartphone for their student until much later in middle school or explore 'teen-safe smartphones' that only have texting and basic apps, there are real options available to families that don't want to hand our children devices that are intended to be addictive and end up taking kids away from a life grounded in real-world experiences. The event will have parents and community members from schools across Park Hill and Central Park. We expect medical experts, educators and parents to speak. It should be a great event for families that already gave their kid a phone, the undecided and the staunchest 'wait until high school families'. Tuesday, April 15th. 5:30-6:30pm at the Northfield HS cafeteria. RSVP here.
We strive to have great communication about all things Swigert. Please visit our website at www.swigert.dpsk12.org learn more about Swigert and events that are coming up.
You can also join our Friends of Swigert International School, a private Facebook page. We post pictures of events at school, interact as a school family, and you can see friendly reminders of upcoming events.
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