HELIX FEED

Honoring our Immigrant Community -- A Conversation with DSST's Senior Manager of Multilingual Education, Margarita Colindres

This Latine* Heritage Month, Salvador Ramirez, DSST Senior Manager Of Equity, Inclusion, Strategy And Implementation, had the opportunity to sit down with one of our network leaders, Margarita Colindres, to ask her questions about her Latine identity and the work she is doing that primarily services our Latine communities across the DSST network as the Senior Manager of Multilingual Education. Learning more about her identity as an immigrant to the United States from Guatemala helps us understand the current challenges and opportunities that DSST faces as we work to serve our newly arrived students from across Latin American and Caribbean countries. 

Unlocking Literacy: How DSST's Interventionists empower students to succeed

About 35% of students at DSST Public Schools are Multilingual Learners (MLL), and many have additional needs when it comes to proficiency in literacy. DSST believes that every student deserves equitable and excellent education. That is why we have dedicated Literacy Interventionists who work to close the gap for MLL students, as well as students who need additional support in literacy work.

DSST: Cedar High School named 2024 National Blue Ribbon School

We are thrilled to announce that the U.S. Department of Education has named DSST: Cedar High School a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. This recognition places Cedar High School among the top schools in the country, celebrating its outstanding academic performance and commitment to closing achievement gaps.

Community events, celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month

We are excited to be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as a DSST community. Our CEO, Nella García Urban, sent an email where she shared what this month means for her as a Latina and how she celebrates.

DSST Schools shine in latest Colorado School Performance Framework Results

We are thrilled to share some exciting news from the DSST community! The preliminary results for Colorado's School Performance Framework (SPF) are in, and we’re proud to announce that DSST schools are continuing to lead the way in excellence.

DSST launches 2024-25 with focus on Big 5 Success Outcomes

DSST has gotten off to a great start for the 2024-25 school year. We are excited to keep this positive momentum by focusing on our Big 5 goals.

Learn how you can get your bachelor's degree for free

We know one of the main barriers to becoming a teacher or leader for many of our staff is the bachelor's degree requirement. 

DSST students get head start on Engineering career through Campos Scholars program

This summer, 22 DSST 10th graders got the opportunity of becoming Campos Scholars. They participated in a four-week summer program through the Campos Foundation, where they were able to take a deep dive into the realms of chemistry, physics and calculus.

Guided by DSST and CU Boulder faculty, these scholars didn't just attend classes—they tackled rigorous lab projects, engaged in stimulating discussions and solved complex problems. As part of the program, each student also received a free Chromebooks and a $500 stipend. Students who complete the program after three summers will be automatically admitted to CU Boulder and will be eligible for a full-ride, last-dollar scholarship.

Graduation recap: Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

We were so excited to celebrate our graduating classes from DSST: Cedar, DSST: Green Valley Ranch, DSST: Montview, DSST: Conservatory Green, DSST: College View, and DSST: Cole in the month of May.

At the DSST: Green Valley Ranch graduation, Caroline Gaudiani (School Director at DSST: Green Valley Ranch MS) addressed the 2024 graduates with these beautiful words: 

You will fight forward in science and medicine, revolutionizing how we cure illness while preserving patients’ rights.

You will fight forward through our legal and political systems - changing laws to make us better while inviting true discourse back into our world. 

You will fight forward in business - starting companies that celebrate innovation and offer new opportunities to your staffs and customers alike. 

You will fight forward in engineering and technology - ensuring the brilliant discoveries happening are coupled with an anchored moral compass.

You will fight forward in the fine arts - writing music and creating art that captures people’s hearts and shapes their minds.

You will fight forward for your families - partnering and parenting with influence that leaves more incredible people like you in our world for generations to come. 

May our DSST Class of 2024 fight forward as they embark on new journeys and become the leaders of our tomorrow.

Check out highlights and photos from all six of our graduating classes below. 

Empathy in Origami: AST students bring history to life through paper cranes

The Middle School Commons at Aurora Science & Tech (AST) is alive with a vibrant display of thousands of paper cranes, each carrying a story of empathy, resilience and hope. For the past four years, 7th-grade students in Allie Crites' Social Studies class have folded paper cranes as a kinesthetic project intertwined with their history lessons, creating a powerful tradition that resonates throughout the school.

The project began during the challenging 2020-21 school year when hybrid learning left both students and teachers weary of screens.

“I was SO tired of being online and in front of a computer screen. So were the students,” Crites recalls. Inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki and the legend of the thousand paper cranes, Crites introduced this hands-on activity to her class. “History is just a bunch of stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things that the time calls for,” she said.

Crites’ personal connection to the story of Sadako, which she read in middle school and later revisited during a poignant trip to Hiroshima, helped her see the potential impact on her students.

“I cried and fell to the ground seeing all the paper cranes from all over the world sent in memory of all the innocent children who have perished in wars,” she shared. This emotional experience fueled her desire to make history relatable and meaningful to her students. 

Each year, the project has taken on new significance, reflecting contemporary global issues. The first year’s cranes were dedicated to the victims of COVID-19. The following years honored children in Ukraine, oppressed black and brown children in the community, and most recently, children who have died in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.