Celebrating the First Day of School

Dear Team -

I had the chance to “attend” several classes today and watch many morning meetings welcoming our students back.  It was great to see our students and to watch so many great DSST educators building community, connecting with students, and setting the expectations for a great year.  

Yes - I said great year.  Despite the crazy circumstances we are facing and will face all year, I believe we will have a great year with our students.  Why?  Three reasons:

1. We have an amazing team of educators at DSST.  Your careful preparation over the last month, deep commitment to excellence and your love for our students is second to none.  I loved watching many of you reach out, include, connect and embrace our students online today.  
2. We rise at DSST.  We met the challenge last year to provide our students a high quality E-School and will do it again.  Our students will get one year’s worth of learning because all of us are deeply committed to that goal and we will do what it takes.
3. We all will become better versions of ourselves this year - individually, collectively as schools and teams, and as organization, Our commitment to the human condition runs deep which leads to us learning, growing, including, and supporting each other together. 

I want to shout out our 100% access team (members from each school and Home Office). Out of our 6,950 students, we are down to 107 registered students who we have not fully confirmed internet and technology access.  (Hopefully many of those have it, and we just haven’t got confirmation).  We will get that number to 0 by the end of the week - critical for our success. Great job 100% access team! 

It is clear that our students need excellence from us more than ever.  They need us to love them, help them learn and grow more than ever.  While children are less likely to be deeply impacted by COVID in terms of their health in the moment, they will be THE MOST IMPACTED FOR DECADES to come.  

Congratulations on a fantastic first day.  I am grateful for each one of you and the risks, juggling acts, hard work, and commitments you are making to provide our students this year.  

We've compiled just a few of the joyful moments from the first day, where energy was high, new friendships began, and our communities grew stronger! 

Team, we got this.  Let’s make it happen for our students in Aurora and Denver. 

Bill