From the Desk of Schuba...
Dear Isabella Bird Community and Friends,
Happy glorious Fall! Thanks to all faculty, staff and parents who attended our critical Council Meeting last week, where participants provided initial input to the upcoming revision of Isabella Bird's Innovation Plan. District-approved plans are good for three years and allow schools to operate with increased flexibility to meet the needs of students through educational programming, personnel, scheduling, school calendars and more. The new plan will chart our school’s future and is intended for implementation in the fall of 2020. Below is a timeline for next steps.
Now-Nov. 1: Drafting new plan - (Staff Innovation Committee, Staff and Parents)
Nov. 15-22: Revision period - (Administration)
Dec. 9-20: Consent - (Administration, Council Board and Teachers)
Feb. 20: Approval vote - (DPS Board)
I hope to see you all this afternoon at the Harvest Festival, 2-5 p.m. Tickets are still available by visiting the Harvest web page.
For questions or conversation, reach out to Schuba via email lisa_schuba@dpsk12.org or phone 720-423-9900. For more information about Innovation Schools, visit the Colorado Department of Education web page.
Take Action....
Make Plans to Attend: DPS' Department of Safety Presentation at IBCS
Denver Public School's Department of Safety invites the IBCS Community (and greater DPS Community) to a meeting specifically for parents and caregivers to discuss school lock downs, lockouts, shelter-in-place, Safe2Tell, access control policies, situational awareness, traffic safety, and much more. The meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m., at Isabella Bird. Attendees are asked to complete a Signup Genius submission, so event organizers can plan accordingly; you can also submit your questions electrically via the RSVP form.
Employers Who Give
Do you or someone you know work for one of the companies listed below? If so, you might be interested to know these organizations outrank many competitors within their space as employers that give back to non-profits, such as Isabella Bird's Council, via employee match and grant programs. To help us successfully submit grant applications to these businesses, please email IBCS Parent and Grant Writer Volunteer, Martina Will, with your full name, contact information and title/role within the business.
QWEST
Lockheed Martin
Verizon
COMCAST
Leprino Foods
White Wave Foods
Noble Energy
Google
EPC Campos
Credit Union of Colorado
First Bank
Home Depot
First National Bank of Omaha
Bank of the West
Anadarko
Conoco Phillips
State Farm
AMG National Trust
SM Energy
Encana
Wells Fargo
Aegon Transamerica
Smuckers
IBCS Community Food Drive
We've recently cleaned up the IBCS food pantry and are in desperate need of canned fruits, vegetables, canned/dried beans, sun butter, and soups. Of course we will take all canned goods. Please make sure all donated goods have not expired. The Stapleton Community Food Drive has already begun, lets see how full we can get our school pantry! Thank you to everyone who is able to donate something, it is much appreciated. For questions, contact Izzi B. Parent and Volunteer, Susan Lorimor.
School Volunteer Background Check
IBCS loves our volunteers! If you're volunteering in the classroom, attending a field trip, or participating in another child-facing activity, you'll need to have a DPS-issued and -approved background check on file with IBCS' Front Office. Complete a background check by visiting DPS' Family and Community Engagement web page and following the prompts. Background checks are good for 3-years. For questions, contact DPS' Volunteer Services at 720-423-3002 or via email: Volunteer_Services@dpsk12.org.
What's Going on With...
IBCS Web Pages, Volunteer Calendar
Did you know Isabella Bird Community School has two websites? There's the District -issued and -maintained site, where you'll find our bell schedule, a faculty/staff directory, and much more. And then there's the IBCS Council web page. Its here you'll have access to committee information, financials, innovation plan details, the all new classroom/Front Office/lunchroom duty/recess-coverage volunteer calendar (coming soon!), and more. Bookmark both sites! For questions about the volunteer calendar, contact Liaison Co-Chairs, Jennie Castles and Tarah Buckner.
Arctic Adventure Book Fair This Week
Scholastic Book Fair is on everyone's minds! All students walk through TOMORROW and do a preview with their classes; they'll also bring home a wish list from this preview.
The Scholastic Book fair is the only fundraiser that directly helps our growing library! About 50 percent of proceeds from the books sold are given to us in Scholastic book credit and Andrea Rothstein, IBCS library para, is able to order new book titles, additional copies of books the kids are scrambling for, as well as replacements for damaged books. Please plan to visit this Tuesday, Oct. 8, and/or Thursday, Oct. 10, 3-7 p.m.
Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
This year student/parent/teacher conferences are held after school on three different dates: Tuesday, Oct. 8; Thursday, Oct. 10 and Wednesday, Oct. 16. Please be sure to sign up for a time with your classroom teacher. School is in session during these conference days unlike past school years. If you have questions, please let your classroom teacher know.
Save the Date...
Dine & Donate: Esters
Join your IBCS friends, teachers and staff, Monday, Oct. 14, 5- 9 p.m., for a night out at Esters in Oneida Park. The restaurant will donate 20 percent of the evening's profits to Izzi B. Esters is located at 2201 Oneida St. For questions, contact Fundraising Co-Chair and Izzi B. Parent, Tricia Houston.
Well Managed Schools Information Night at IBCS
Are you interested in learning more about our Well Managed Schools program? IBCS invites you and your child(ren) to join us Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m., for an opportunity to practice these life skills together. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate and build connections with other families. Snacks and drinks provided.
IBCS Spirit Week
Show your Izzi B. SPIRIT the week of Monday, Oct. 27. Below are daily themes for students to show their IBCS love.
Monday, Oct. 27: Favorite Sports Team Day – Wear something that represents your favorite sports team.
Tuesday, Oct. 28: Tacky Tuesday – Wear a mismatched assortment of clothing, accessories and hair styles.
Wednesday, Oct. 29: Decade Day – Show spirit for your favorite decade! Some ideas: Poodle skirts for the 50’s, Hippie for the 60’s, Disco for the 70’s, Neon for the 80’s etc.
Thursday, Oct. 30: Costume Day **(Starting at 1:30 p.m.)** Please do not send your student to school wearing their costume. All students have the opportunity to change into their costumes beginning at 1:30 p.m. for the parade.
Friday, Oct. 31: Pajama Day! Wear your favorite pair of jammies! Be sure to wear rubber soled shoes, too!
IBCS Annual Costume Parade
Izzi B. will host our annual Costume Parade on Thursday, Oct. 31, beginning at 2 p.m. All visitors should line up on the playground along the parade route. The parade is led by our ECE students and works it’s way up to our 5th graders! Look for more information as the event gets closer.
Community Cares
IBCS' Family Community Resource Center, Call for Costume Donations
Because IBCS recognizes and values the integral relationship existing between family-success and student-success, we work to provide direct supports and/or connections to resources available in the larger community via the school’s Family Community Resource Center (FCRC). The FCRC is located in the Front Office and is home to our donations-based food pantry and child-sized clothing supply. Occasionally, the FCRC seeks donations of non-perishable food items and clothing; these requests are communicated in a variety of ways, including Notes from the Dragon Cave.
Current FRCR Needs: The FCRC is in need of new or gently used costumes, sizes 6-14. Donations can be dropped off with Joannie in the Front Office now through Wednesday, Oct. 30. For questions, please contact Izzi B. Parent and Volunteer, Susan Lorimor.
Dinner @ Golden Sky Mango House
Mango House is a shared space for refugee services, houses international food stalls, and was recently featured in Denver's 5280 Magazine. The Golden Sky food stall is owned by one of our Newcomer families new to our school this year. On Thursday, Nov. 7, 5-8 p.m., let's enjoy a delicious Asian dinner there to show this family of four a warm welcome by supporting their food stall and building friendships. While you're there, show some love to the other food stall families from Nepal, Somalia, Syria, and Burma. The tasty food and sweet hospitality will not disappoint! Mango House is located at 10180 E. Colfax, Aurora. Please RSVP if you can attend via https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f044ba8af22a6ff2-dinner). For questions, please contact IBCS Parent and Volunteer, Tina Lin.
Mark Your Calendars...
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 3:30-7:30 p.m.: Teacher/Student/Parent Conferences
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 3-7 p.m.: Arctic Adventure Book Fair
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Arctic Adventure Book Fair GRAND Event
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m.: Department of Safety Presentation at IBCS
Thursday, Oct. 10, 3:30-7:30 p.m.: Teacher/Student/Parent Conferences
Thursday, Oct. 10, 3-7 p.m.: Arctic Adventure Book Fair
Friday, Oct, 11, 3:15-4:30 p.m.: Sports in the Park (at Hidden Brook)
Monday, Oct. 14, 5-9 p.m.: Dine & Donate at Esters (Oneida Park location)
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 3:30-7:30 p.m.: Teacher/Student/Parent Conferences
Thursday, Oct. 17 - Tuesday, Oct. 22, All Day: No School
Friday, Oct. 25, 8:15-9:15 a.m.: Coffee & Conversation
Friday, Oct. 25, 3:15-4:30 p.m.: Sports in the Park (at Hidden Brook)
Monday, Oct. 27 - Friday, Nov. 1: Spirit Week
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2-2:45 p.m.: Izzi B. Annual Costume Parade
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