March 18, 2025

Dear Swigert Families,

We wanted to share the following information with you as soon as possible. Swigert will be closed on Thursday, March 20th, due to the majority of our staff taking the day off to join the CEA day of action rally at the state capitol. This decision was not taken lightly, and was made with the safety of our students in mind. As of Monday afternoon, more than 80% of the staff had planned to be out, and we aren’t able to run the school in a safe manner. This is a school specific closure. This closure will include all school programming, so there will be no Discovery Link, enrichments, etc. (very much like a snow day).

As many of you know, the Colorado Education Association is organizing a rally to protest cuts to educational funding statewide. (CEA rally information) We completely support this rally and the efforts of our staff members, families, and community members wanting to attend. We also see this as an opportunity to model to our students the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

We know it’s close to spring break and not an ideal time frame for a school closure. We also know it will impact families. Denver teachers did not choose the date of this rally, but believe it’s important to support this cause and stand with educators from across the state. We will have normal school programming and hours on Friday, March 21st.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Swigert Leadership Team

Email me at – Shelby_Dennis@dpsk12.net 

Please be careful and cautious when you are dropping off your children in the morning on Syracuse Ave. We are seeing an increase in speeding cars and U-turns creating a chaotic environment. Please take care dropping off. 

For details on the dates of CMAS testing coming in April, please see THIS LETTER or head to the website: https://swigert.dpsk12.org/2025/01/07/cmas-information/.

Attention all 5th graders! If you are interested in participating in DPS' Citywide Art Show I would love to have up to 10 5th graders represent Swigert! Here's the info and let me know if you have any questions or are interested!

• Elementary School Citywide Art Show 24-25

• Theme: “Bring Your Story”

• Location: Denver Art Museum, reception will be May 6th from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Art pieces need to be turned in to Ms. Carlson by April 11.

If you’re interested in having some of your artwork shown at the Denver Art Museum, please email me at lisa_carlson@dpsk12.net

As many of you know, our 5th graders received the Riding the Waves curriculum as part of a district initiative to promote student safety. The Riding the Waves program provides students with essential skills for managing emotions and navigating challenging situations. The lessons cover identifying feelings, understanding what to do if you or someone you know is feeling depressed, coping strategies for stress and emotional discomfort, and interpersonal problem-solving techniques. While the program does not specifically focus on suicide prevention, it emphasizes building emotional resilience and providing students with the tools they need to make healthy decisions and manage their well-being. We have attached the slides to this newsletter if you would like to review them and help reinforce these strategies at home as well.

RIDING THE WAVES SLIDESHOW

Yearbooks that have been ordered will be available in May, around Field Day!

If you forgot to order one through Walsworth, we did order some extras. Those extra yearbooks can be purchased through MySchoolBucks (through the school store) by selecting Yearbook and choosing either Hardcover ($40 each) or Softcover ($35 each). These are strictly first-come, first serve and will be available until they are sold out. Once sold out, there is a possibility that Walsworth will send us "overflow" copies, so we will have a waiting list available.

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). 

Register Here

Calling all Singers!

Swigert Singers, the school’s extracurricular choir, begins rehearsals soon. The choir is open to any 1st-5th grade student who wants another chance to sing and perform. Swigert Singers will rehearse each Thursday after school from 3:15-4:00 in the music room. The choir will sing at International Night on May 8.

Rehearsals begin Thursday, March 20. See you there!

Sign Up Here

Mrs. Baker - bridget_baker@dpsk12.net

Kinder, 1st grade, and 2nd grade Families...

What: Casual meet up to get to know other Swigert families

When: Friday - April 4th, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Where: FlyteCo Tower, 3120 Uinta Street

Board games and table activities will be provided so the kiddos can play while the grownups get to know each other.

Denver Public Schools provides free vision, hearing, and dental screenings for all students in identified grades (Early Childhood Education, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). The screenings are NOT an assessment or an evaluation and do NOT replace professional exams. Mass screening is considered best practice to identify students who may be at risk for health concerns affecting the student’s ability to learn, and who may need extra support to reach academic benchmarks.

Your student will receive screenings in the following areas: Vision, Hearing, and Dental. Resources are available for DPS enrolled students.

You must notify your school nurse directly should you wish to REFUSE/OPT OUT of any of the free screenings for your student.

The health screening components of vision and hearing will be completed at your child’s school on:

Dates: 04/21/2025 - 04/23/2025

Please contact your school nurse for any questions or concerns about the health screenings. Parents/guardians of students who were absent or who did not have optimal hearing, vision or dental screening results will be notified in writing regarding the results. Thank you for your assistance as we work together to educate and support your students!

Sincerely,

School Nurse: Hoang Tran

School Nurse Direct phone number: 720-424-4803

School Nurse Email: hoang_tran@dpsk12.net

This year, the auction committee is representing all Swigert students with a school wide art installation at the auction. The installation will consist of a compilation of silhouette images of our Swigert students.

In order to create this project we are asking for donations of caregiver time to help photograph students. Students' photographs will be taken during specials on March 13th, 18th, 19th, and 20th.

Below is a list organized by grade level and classroom that includes sign ups for volunteers:

ECE

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

We look forward to sharing the finished art project with the community in the next months!

Auction tickets are on sale now! Get more information and buy your tickets here: siscampeagle.givesmart.com!

Do you love pastries,cookies, brownies,or coffee? Why pick one when you can have them all!

Mrs. Ross (4th Grade Teacher) and Ms. Bea (Kindergarten Para) are raising money for their annual Mission trip. We are selling butter braid pastries to help fundraise. Our youth group will make a 40% profit on each item we sell. If you love pastries or would like to contribute to their youth group please make an order online using the following link.  Online Link https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/9043eb34-fbd7-4312-b596-5d6ad5755487

Steps to make an online order 

1. Click the link:https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/9043eb34-fbd7-4312-b596-5d6ad5755487

2  Scroll down to click on Mrs. Ross name  (Sandra R.) or Ms. Bea name ( Beatrice D)

3. Select what you would like to purchase and pay online.

4. In the note section please write your child's name, teacher's name, and classroom number so we can deliver the items to your student at school when your items arrive (This is very important to ensure that you get the items that you purchased.)

Please complete your order by April 9th to have an expected delivery after April 16th. 

Thank you for your support!

Mrs. Ross and Ms. Bea 

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. 

Cell Phone Adoption Collaboration Video: We are excited to have collaborated with several other schools in the area on a joint-campaign between educators and parents about creating a healthy cell phone adoption plan. This video helps to share the perspective that in order to reground adolescence in the real-world, and create the best environment for our children's development we have to work together and we need to be mindful about how and when we give our children smartphones.  We encourage our families to watch this and share it broadly. It is a subject we know our community and school are really passionate about and it was great to see educators at other schools share our community's passion. 

Check out more details here - https://girlsrugby.org/colorado/

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.

We love our Swigert Sponsors! Check out and support their businesses!