January 20, 2026

Dear Swigert Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed the three day weekend. As I reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr, I am inspired by his unrelenting work to make the world a more just and peaceful place. He believed strongly that young people are an important part of social change and can make a difference in our world. This is a value we place high priority on at Swigert I wanted to share a lesser known speech he made for middle school students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967. In the speech, he asked the students about their blueprint, “What is your Life’s Blueprint?” He shared three things he wanted kids to include in their own life blueprint- first, a deep belief in your own dignity, worth and your own “somebodiness, second, the determination to achieve excellence in their various field of endeavors and finally, a commitment to the eternal principles- beauty, love and justice.

We are so humbled to host our third Official Naturalization Ceremony for 20 new citizens from 9 different countries this Friday at Swigert. It is a culminating experience for our third graders as they finish their unit on immigration- understanding different reasons individuals and families immigrate to different countries - both historically and in the present day. The Honorable Judge Olympia Fay, past Swigert parent, will preside over the ceremony and Andy Lembrect will represent the Denver field office. Our third grader students will bring in the flags representing the different countries, speak during the ceremony, and sing I am on my way to the Freedom Land.

I know many have asked about the Swigert Calendar for 2026-2027. As an innovation school we have flexibility on our calendar so we often place green days in different places for planning purposes or look at creating a longer fall break. We will always have the same major breaks as Denver Public Schools - meaning we align with the first and last day of school, spring break, winter break, etc. Please reference the DPS calendar for 2026- 2027 dates - DPS Calendars. Our calendar committee will have a final Swigert calendar by mid March. 

Just a reminder that the choice window closes today for Denver Public Schools today. If you have an incoming kindergarten student or outgoing 5th grade student you need to complete the choice application. This is a month earlier this year than in previous years. For more information please see the choice website here - DPS School Choice.

Sincerely,

Shelby Dennis

January 22nd - 3rd-5th Grade Family Social

February 3rd - Spring Enrichment Sign up opens

February 5th - 1st and 3rd Grade Music Concert

February 13-16th - No School (Green Day and President's Day)

February 19th - Family Literacy Night

March 3rd - Community BINGO Night!

March 6th - Community Coffee: Childhood Perfectionism and Anxiety

March 12th - 2nd & 4th Grade Music Concert

March 19th - class pictures

March 30th - April 6th - Spring Break (and Green Day)

To our current ECE4 and 5th grade families:

Reminder: Submit Your SchoolChoice Application for Kindergarten and 6th grade.

SchoolChoice Round 1 closes today at 4 p.m.

To apply, visit schoolchoice.dpsk12.org/apply, rank up to 12 schools in order of preference and submit by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20. You’ll be notified of your results in late February. 

Learn more on the SchoolChoice website. If you have any questions, review our FAQs, call 720-423-3493 or email schoolchoice@dpsk12.org.

Feel free to reach out to Emily Pool with questions too!

Enrichment programs are a fantastic way for students to explore their interests and develop new skills through focused, single-subject activities. Offered by trusted DPS Community Partners, these programs provide exciting elective options at over 32 schools across the District. Enrichment activities run during the first hour after school, seamlessly complementing Discovery Link programming. Students can participate in both Enrichment and Discovery Link on the same day by registering for both programs!

View program offerings HERE

Registration opens on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and will close on Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Link to Arux Community Portal

Questions? Email enrichment_extendedlearning@dpsk12.org

FlyteCo Tower Jan 22nd

5pm-7pm

Join us for a Swigert community event for 3rd-5th grade families at FlyteCo Tower. Come socialize with other families in the upper grades. Get dinner for your family, play games and make some connections.  

RSVPS APPRECIATED TO STACY BABBITT AT STACYBABBITT4@GMAIL.COM 

Thursday, February 19th.

Get excited for our Family Literacy Night! Some of the fun things this event will have:

- Fun night for the whole family

- 2 live author visits with books available for purchase (cash, Venmo, Paypal, Zelle)

- Book Exchange: Leave a book, take a book

- Student Poetry Slam

- Parent Session with babysitting on site

- Literacy Games

- Create a Bookmark Craft

- Informational Tables: DenCoKid, Denver Public Library, DPS Library Services

If you need translation services for the parent session, please let Ms. Tate know! mdonald@dpsk12.net

Our journey in February takes us to the arctic. I searched and searched for affordable and exciting books for Antarctica but kept coming up short, so the arctic will have to do. Plus, it will give us ways to talk about the differences between the arctic and Antarctica. 

Our next book is The Last Bear by Hannah Gold and it's a great story! We will meet to discuss it on Thursday, February 19th from 3:15-4:15 in Room 212 (Mosley's classroom). 

Please sign up here so I'll know how many kids to expect. 

Hook and Harmony Showcase: Guided by critically acclaimed musicians Paul Hoffman and Travis McNamara students in grades 5–12 will explore songwriting, lyric writing, melody, and performance. The program will culminate in a live concert on Wednesday, January 28, at 6 PM at the Denver School of the Arts Concert Hall. You can learn more about the program here. Swigert has four 5th grade students participating; Olivia W, Cooper, Brock, and Mattie. We hope to continue the program and we are on the lookout for students who love to sing, write songs and play music to apply to be a part of the program in future years. We would like to invite the Swigert Community to attend the final showcase! It should be very entertaining and we hope to fill the DSA Concert Hall. The tickets are donation based and all proceeds go to the Hook and Harmony Programming. Get Your Tickets! (You must do a separate purchase PER ticket).

The 1st and 3rd grade concerts are coming soon! 

The 1st graders will present “Storytelling” and the 3rd graders will present “Immigration” on Thursday, February 5.

At 5:45 PM, 1st grade students will meet in their classrooms. Their concert begins at 6:00 in the gym.

At 6:25 PM, 3rd grade students will meet in their classrooms. Their concert begins at 6:40 in the gym.

Dress for this concert is nice clothes.

If you cannot make it to the evening concert, you may attend the dress rehearsals, Wednesday February 4 and Thursday February 5 during the school day: 10:30 (3rd grade) and 2:15 (1st grade).

See you there!

January’s Artist of the Month is Bodey Griffeth in Ms. Nguyen’s 4th grade class. Bodey did a wonderful job with his bubble gum machine, using blending techniques and heavy pressure. He is very knowledgeable and open minded in art class. Way to go, Bodey!

Grab your goggles and your glam - the 2026 Swigert Auction is heading to the mountains (without ever leaving Denver)!

Join us on Saturday, April 18, 2026, for a night that's sure to be snow much fun as we raise funds to keep our IB and
Community programs gliding smoothly at Swigert.

We're busy stocking the Auction Lodge and Après-Ski Bar, and we need your help! Do you have vacation homes, event tickets, sporting experiences, or unique adventures that others would love to bid on?

All donations are tax deductible and go directly toward supporting our amazing school community. Please scan the QR or reach out to  fundraiser@swigertpta.com with any donations - we can't make this night happen without you!

Stay tuned for details on Lift Tickets (event registration), Lodge Seating (tables), and more to come. Let's make this year's snow spectacular!

The Swigert PTA is looking for a full slate of leaders to serve on the 2026-2027 Board.  Open positions sought: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. 

The Swigert PTA is not your average PTA. Leaders on our Executive Board are responsible for the administration and oversight of nearly $300,000 in community funds. This funding is absolutely vital for the maintenance of Swigert’s International Baccalaureate designation. If we fail to seat a Board for the upcoming school year, the PTA faces dissolution and the funding that makes this school all that it is will disappear. 

Please do not be overwhelmed at the idea of these leadership roles or operate under the assumption that one must be unemployed to have the time to be successful.  Most of our volunteers hold full-time jobs in addition to their volunteer hours. Additionally, as an executive officer you will set your own hours. 

All officers are officially seated on July 1st and will be given entire notebooks with checklists for each responsibility and the timelines associated therewith.  You will also be able spend the rest of this school year under the mentorship of each current board member who will ensure an easy and successful transition. You will be well-supported. The Swigert PTA is truly a team effort and you already have a full slate of volunteers ready to assist you at each of the underlying committee positions. 

If you are interested in any of these offices, or would like to nominate someone you think would be a great fit, please email current Vice President Francine Mugge at fmugge@gmail.com.  Interest does not automatically commit you to the position so please don’t be afraid to reach out with any curiosity. THE PTA MUST VOTE ON THE INCOMING BOARD AT ITS MARCH 11th MEETING SO PLEASE EMAIL YOUR INTEREST BY FEBRUARY 5th SO WE HAVE TIME TO MEET WITH YOU AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

You can find more information about all we do at www.swigertpta.com. Let’s all work together to keep Swigert the incredible school at which we are so lucky to send our kids!

Happy New Year from Camp Galileo! Summer may feel far away, but it’s the perfect time to start planning an unforgettable season of creativity, collaboration, and fun. Camp Galileo offers K–8th graders exciting hands-on STEAM projects, team design challenges, and classic camp adventures—running 9am to 3pm with optional extended care. When you enroll, don’t forget to use your school’s fundraising code 26CSWIGERT50 to save $50 and help your school earn a $50 donation per family. Let’s make this summer one to remember! galileo-camps.com/our-camps/locations/denver-park-hill-central-park/ 

Mini Nighthawk Winter Cheer Clinic

Important Dates: 

📆Practice: January 29th  

Time: 6:30-8:30pm

Location: Northfield High School 

Game: January 30th, 2026

Location: Northfield High School 

Arrival time: Pre-K - 3rd: 5:30

Arrival time: 4th- 8th: 7:00pm

* Athletes will be dismissed after halftime performance 

Cost: $55 for new mini cheerleaders 

$35 for returning mini cheerleaders

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwKu5o389Y8YGb-Rw4rqhjRLQUEqlGuMDqheI2ot5AaHq8Rw/viewform

We strive to have great communication about all things Swigert. Please visit our website at www.swigert.dpsk12.org to learn more about events that are coming up.

If you need translation services for ANY Swigert event, please reach out to Megan Tate at Megan_Tate@dpsk12.net

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.