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Post-Covid, DSST teachers chart long journey back to reading proficiency

Every day of our lives almost all of us will spend time reading. It could be a work of fact or fiction, a magazine or newspaper, or something online.

Through the written word we gain new knowledge. We combine these 26 symbols based upon the sounds they represent, or where they appear in a sequence and instantaneously recognize a word. As a species, it’s one of our most amazing skills.

Through reading, we quietly entertain or inform ourselves; are magically transported to other times—past, present and future; meet both real and imagined characters who exist in their own universe and are memorialized on the pages of books. Indeed, reading is the fuel that propels wonder.

What can be gained through reading is what literacy interventionists like Kelly Francisco and Samantha Hakes work on daily to impart to dozens of young minds at DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School and Aurora Science and Tech Middle School, respectively.

What to know about the updates coming to your medical benefits

Effective March 1, 2023, all DSST team members who are enrolled in medical will move to the Aetna Open Access network (the larger, expanded, network of care providers) as we are moving away from the Aetna APCN Network. 

DSST celebrates Black History Month 2023

Throughout the month of February, our campuses held various events celebrating Black History Month with the help of Black student leaders and special community guests.

DSST: Montview HS's award-winning journalism program is making huge strides for young journalists

Written by the DSST: Montview High School journalism team:

Journalism is the activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines or news websites or preparing news to be broadcast, but by MTVnews’ definition, it is being creative and using that as a stepping stool for an intellectual, scholarly community. The journalism class at DSST: Montview High School has informed the community of school events and national holidays and acted as a beacon of positivity in today’s world.

DSST: College View student finds perfect-fit internship at Bluff Lake Nature Center

On any given Wednesday afternoon, you can find Tara Peña, junior at DSST: College View High School, muddying up her Converse shoes walking the Bluff Lake property completing her internship assignments. And she loves every second of it. 

Changes and updates you should know for the 23-24 calendar

The 2023-24 calendar is now live! The calendar includes several adjustments, which are a direct response to your feedback.

Introducing a new leadership position: President of DSST

As you may have seen from Monday's email from Bill Kurtz, DSST will be introducing a new leadership role.

See why this parent said DSST was the best choice for her student

We asked Lori Barr, a parent from DSST: Byers, to share why she chose DSST for her son and why she thinks others should too. Here is what she said.

Denver Teachers Look to Improve Student Reading Skills Post COVID

For a young mind, there is no greater gift than that of literacy. It is a gift that allows one to explore places, things, or ideas anywhere without even leaving your chair. It allows travel to another continent or to a distant spot in a boundless universe.

Literacy is a ticket whose expiration date is a lifetime and one that can be passed on endlessly. But COVID-19, a microscopic bug that created a new normal in every time zone, also affixed a form of intellectual handcuffs on many young minds.

In Colorado and every state, the pandemic created chaos. The virus closed schools and forced educators to scramble and create whole new approaches to teaching. Now, nearly three years since the first cases of coronavirus, we are seeing the intellectual impact it had on learning.

Meet the CIA Team: Management Support for Schools

The Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment team are the people who help schools on a day-to-day basis with support for things like ANET and iReady assessments, literacy intervention and much more. 

This team of ladies -- or the Ladies of the CIA if you will -- have a variety of responsibilities. Take a look below to see specific role descriptions and instructions to who does what on the CIA team.