September 16, 2025

Dear Swigert Families,

We completed our safety drills today and the students and staff did an excellent job. They were calm and all procedures were followed during the Lock Down and Secure Perimeter Drills. Denver Public Schools Safety and Security team attended the walk throughs and gave us feedback after the drill. I know these are challenging times and I wish we didn’t have to do these drills, but they are our current reality. Let me know if your student needs an extra SEL check in after talking to them at home or if you have any questions. 

One of the questions I have received lately is around teacher support and new teacher support - what does that look like at Swigert? We are fortunate to have robust support for all of our teachers and I wanted to share about our model. 

• Coaching: We have 3 Senior Team Leads that were hired based on their experience and expertise to support our teacher teams. They serve as thought partners, planning leads, coaches and evaluators for their grade level teams. They meet with teams weekly to plan and look at student data. They also provide coaching and feedback on instructional practices and provide guidance for each individual teacher. Bri Cornell serves as our team lead for Kindergarten and First Grade Teams. Tabitha Jones serves as our team lead for Second and Third Grade and Catherine Kline is our team lead for Fourth and Fifth Grade. These Senior Team Leads are also teachers or interventionists part time and have release time to coach and plan with teams. It allows them to continue their own practice working with kids as well as being in a leadership role. 

• Collaborative Team Support: All of our grade level teachers meet twice a week during their plan time. Once a week they worked with their Senior Team Lead/Coach to look at student data and plan lessons for the week ahead. On the other day they work with our IB Coordinator, Caroline Dane, to plan their IB units. During these planning meetings the teams work together so there is alignment across the classrooms. The majority of our teams also meet daily during this time to plan together, discuss how the lessons went and adjust for the following day. 

• Dedicated Mentorship: Each new teacher to Swigert is part of a cohort that works with our Swigert New Teacher Ambassador. This time is spent supporting teachers to navigate all things Swigert as well as questions about who to go for facilities requests, color copying needs etc. 

• Ongoing Professional Development: Teachers participate in regular professional learning sessions focused on our school’s curriculum, instructional best practices, and innovative teaching methods. This occurs on our green days. Because we are an innovation school we are able to flex this time to meet our school needs.

• Administrative Guidance: Our leadership team actively supports all teachers, with regular check-ins and an open-door policy. We often pop into classrooms for check ins, instructional guidance or student support. 

I am so proud to work with Swigert’s team of educators. We work hard to promote a collaborative and supportive environment. I hope this helps to paint a picture of how we support our teachers at Swigert. If you have specific questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you all for your partnership and support. 

Sincerely,

Shelby Dennis

We strive to have great communication about all things Swigert. Please visit our website at www.swigert.dpsk12.org to learn more about Swigert and 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.