Director’s Note
Director's Message – April 5, 2013
Dear DSST Stapleton Parents/Guardians:
Welcome Back!
I hope you had a great Spring Break!
Spring Break is usually a time for rest and relaxation and a time to rejuvenate from a long winter. For 50 of our community members, Spring Break was a time to do service and build community in Ensenada, MX. While in Mexico, the group blitz built two homes and volunteered at an orphanage. They might not have changed the overall picture of poverty in the Baja, they did provide relief to at least a few thankful families.
Our teachers took a diverse group of students away from their homes, their families and their environment and challenged them in ways that many of them would never have dreamed. Many of our students don’t travel outside of urban Denver, much less travel to a developing country where rural residents are unlikely to have running water or a roof over their heads.
We asked them to clean up trash, hammer in nails, and tear down walls. We asked them to reach out to students outside their normal peer group and learn from each other. We asked them to open their minds to new concepts and ideas, which might broaden their understanding of the world. We asked them to open their hearts to the poor and the hungry and the impoverished such that they might find compassion around every corner of the world.
They accepted these challenges and went far beyond. Our students did indeed change. They learned that standard of living does not necessarily mean quality of life. They learned the importance of teamwork and friendship. They learned essential lessons of sharing and cooperation and sustainability. They learned that they have the opportunity to change the world.
This month is filled with a lot of exciting events. Friday, April 12thStapleton High School will be hosting our Annual DSST Public School Celebration Slice of PI. I would like to invite you to join us for this fundraiser as we honor Governor John Hickenlooper.
Wednesday, April 17thwe will be welcoming our new students for the 2013-2014 School Year. We will be having an Orientation from 2:30-6:00 pm. The staff and I are very excited to meet our new 9thand 10thgrade students and their families. Due to our new student Orientation, the dismissal for Wednesday, April 17thhas been changed to a B Week (1:50 pm dismissal).
I am pleased to report that this week our entire Stapleton Campus community will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2013. This group of seniors is the sixth graduating class to obtain 100% acceptance to four-year colleges and universities. Although we are awaiting a few final decisions, our students have been accepted to a wide range of institutions this year including Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, UCLA , USC, and University of Virginia, just to name a few. Additionally, several students have received generous financial awards and recognition ranging from full-ride scholarships to laptop computers. Thank you for your engagement as parents and guardians. Their achievements are the result of your tireless support of their educational endeavors.
Sincerely,
Mark Heffron Sincerely,
DSST HS Director