Family Bulletin
Week Of December 18, 2023
DPA FAMILIES, “The end of the year is not an end but a beginning of a new journey. Let’s make it count.” We have just 3 Days until Winter Break! In order to finish the year strong and put our community in the best position to start the New Year off on the right foot we need your scholar in school! Please make sure your scholar is on time and in uniform this week! Please see below for updates! New Updates
Action Items
Recurring Updates
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Calendar Notifications |
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Week of December 18th 2023 Monday – 12/18 – Full Day Tuesday – 12/19 – Full Day Wednesday – 12/20 – Half Day (1pm Dismissal) Thursday – 11/30 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Friday – 12/1 -WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Week of December 25th 2023 Monday – 12/25 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Tuesday – 12/26 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Wednesday – 12/27 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Thursday – 12/28 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Friday – 12/29 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Week of January 1st 2023 Monday – 1/1 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Tuesday – 1/2 – WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL Wednesday – 1/3 – FIRST DAY BACK Half Day (1pm Dismissal) Thursday – 1/4 – Full Day Friday – 1/5 – Full Day Key Dates Winter Break December 21- January 2, 202 December 3, 2024- Scholars Return to School Quarter 2 Q2: November 6 – January 25 Q3: January 29 – April 4 Q4: April 8 – June 12 Spring Break April 15- 19 Last Day June 14th- Last Day of School & 8th Grade Promotion |
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7th & 11th Grade Immunizations |
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Per OSSE’s instruction,On Monday December 4th all 7th and 11th grade scholars who are not fully up to date on their vaccinations, OR HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED to get their vaccinations, will not be allowed to attend school. This is not DPA’s policy but a policy that the District has mandated all schools must adhere to. DPA has sent letters and made calls to all families who are not in compliance with the Districts Immunization Policy. On Thursday November 29th DPA will send home a letter with all 7th & 11th Grade scholars who are at risk of being excluded – the letter will include all of the shots that your scholar must get prior to December 4th. The district has set up mobile clinics around the city – HERE you will find all of the available clinics that you can take your scholar to, to get their vaccinations! HERE is a list of all of the dates and locations of vaccination clinics for the Month of November & December. Please reach out to the following individuals if you have any questions or concerns. High School (11th Grade) – Alfred.mason@ Middle School (7th Grade) – Sarah.hanson@ |
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Athletics |
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Mental Health Parent Cafe Dinner |
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DPA’s Mental Health Team is excited to present our 4th Parent Café! This is a space to connect with other DPA families, receive helpful resources, and meet with community partners such as Best Kids and The T.R.I.G.G.E.R Project. The topics for this month are “Resilience and Healthy Communication” Who: All Middle and High School DPA Families, Staff Members, and Community Partners What: An opportunity to network, fellowship, and receive SEL (social-emotional learning) resources When: Tuesday, January 30th from 5-6:30 PM Where: High School Campus- 709 12th St SE Why: In order to strengthen our DPA community & continue building KLR *Since we will be providing dinner at this event, we ask that you please RSVP here in order for us to have an accurate count. All parents and guardians are welcome, and we encourage you to bring the entire family! Please reach out to our MS Social Worker, Ms. Mills, at kaitlin.mills@ |
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ACTION ITEMS |
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No action items this week! |
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Recurring Updates |
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Welcome Packets |
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In order to provide families with all of the information you need for the upcoming school year, we have created the below Welcome Packets! These packets include information on our attendance policy, school hours, athletic, transportation, uniforms, and much much more! |
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Middle School Python Time |
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We are thrilled to share with you the latest news about our scholars’ progress and development this school year. We are pleased to inform you that starting October 10th, 2023, DPA will be offering an After-School Program for DPA scholars, called Python Time. Our After-school program is designed to provide a secure, productive, and free environment for scholars to participate in a range of enriching activities that promote academic and social-emotional growth. The program will run from 4:15 p.m. until 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please note that scholars must have a signed permission slip and *dedicated transportation from the Middle School campus (908 Wahler Place SE) to participate. It’s also essential to remember that scholars must be picked up no later than 5:45 p.m. * Due to limited capacity, we will fill slots on a first come basis* If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to our Python Time Program Coordinator – Rodney Brownell, rodney.brownell@ * In order to ensure all scholars have safe passage home, scholars will be required to be picked up from the campus grounds in order to be eligible for afterschool programming. |
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School Hours |
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Uniforms |
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ALL DPA scholars are required to wear the DPA uniform while at school. Uniforms can be purchased at the main office of each campus. Middle School (Grades 6 – 8) Green Polos – $15 Grey Joggers – $15 Crew Neck Sweatshirts – $15 Skirts – $15 White Button Down – $15 High School (Grades 9 – 11) Grey Polos – $15 Grey Joggers – $15 V Neck Sweater – $15 Crew Neck Sweaters – $15 Skirts – $15 |
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Key Contact Information |
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General Enrollment – enroll@digitalpioneersacademy. Middle School Enrollment (6th | 7th | 8th Grade) – vonique.jones@ High School Enrollment (9th | 10th | 11th Grade) – slancaster@ Special Populations, including Special Education:
Athletics – rob.harris@ |
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504 Plans |
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Does your scholar have a 504 Plan from their previous school? If so, please email the necessary documentation at your earliest convenience to Ms. Baron, DPA’s School Social Worker & 504 Coordinator, at jbaron@digitalpioneersacademy. |
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School Lunch Menu |
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CAASS One Cards |
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Digital Pioneers Academy utilizes CAASS OneCard, an ID Card identification system that requires scholars to use their student ID card to sign into school, sign out for early dismissal, and sign into each of their classes. You can get real time notifications that will alert you when your child has arrived at school AND scanned into school and class! You can follow the below instructions to create an account!
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Mental Health Resources |
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As part of our commitment to provide our scholars and their families with increased mental health support resources – we have created THIS PAGE where families can find a network of mental health resources that are available to them and their scholars. |
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Open Seat Counseling |
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DPA has partnered with Open Seat to provide virtual wellness coaching sessions for our scholars during and/or after school. Please see here for more information. If you are interested, please complete the attached opt-in form. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Baron at jbaron@digitalpioneersacademy. |
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Best Kids |
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Are you seeking a transformative experience that empowers your child to dream big, excel in school, and build a brighter future? Look no further! BEST Kids Mentoring Program is here to provide the stability and support your child needs to thrive. Our program, serving youth in grades 6-12 in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8, is all about fostering personal growth, academic success, and career readiness. Through one-on-one mentoring, college preparedness workshops, STEM education, technology training, and more, we empower youth to defy statistics and embrace their unique skills and abilities. Join our community of dedicated mentors and enthusiastic youth, and let’s embark on a journey of self-discovery, growth, and success together. Your child’s potential is limitless; at BEST Kids, we’re here to help them realize it! Discover the BEST in your child. Learn more about our program and how to get involved by visiting our website or contacting us today. You can also apply HERE! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity for your child’s future! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to Carl C. Scott at carl@bestkids.org. |