ScoopToo » valdez

Superintendent Boasberg Mentions ScoopToo in Letter to DPS Community

KB — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:55:04 +0000

Letter from Superintendent Tom Boasberg:

Breaking Ground…and Setting the Foundation for a Great Education

Dear DPS Community:

One of our critical priorities in the Denver Public Schools is increasing our kids’ access to high quality preschool and full-day kindergarten. Research is clear that preschool and full-day kindergarten are critical for a child’s academic and social development and the long-term benefit of high quality education in these years pays long-term dividends.

In the last three years, thanks in large part to the creation of the Denver Preschool Program—a voter-approved initiative to support preschool in Denver – we have increased the number of our 4-year-olds in full-day preschool by over five times, from 500 to over 2,500. We have also focused our resources on expanding full-day kindergarten, and we have increased in the last three years the percentage of our 5-year-olds in full day kindergarten from just over 70% to over 95%. These programs are vital for all families and of special importance for our families in poverty and our English language learners, many of whom do not have access to private preschool.

That is why I am thrilled to announce that on Tuesday, we’ll be building on that success by breaking ground on the construction of a new Montbello Early Education Center to serve Far Northeast Denver. Beginning in August of next year, the center will serve approximately 300 3- and 4-year-olds in a $5.5 million, state-of-the-art facility at 5300 Crown Blvd.

Funds for the construction are coming from the $454 million bond program that voters approved in 2008. Because of efficient management and favorable market conditions, we’re currently $70 million under budget and a year ahead of schedule in completing all of the bond projects. Those savings have allowed us to start building a third elementary school in Stapleton, upgrade technology across the district, and now add to our early childhood education facilities and offerings.

Our mission is to make sure every neighborhood in Denver has great schools, from preschool to high school. And we want to do a better job of making it easy for parents to get information about the schools that are the right fit for their child. That’s why, in partnership with the ScoopToo education blog, we’re hosting a series of “Early Education Scoop” events across the city. The first was held Nov. 8 and drew about 150 parents to the Center for Early Education at the Knight facility in Central Denver, which serves over 200 preschool and kindergarten students. The final two “Scoops” will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 8 at Palmer Elementary in Northeast Denver, 995 Grape St., and Jan. 6 at Valdez Elementary in Northwest Denver, 2525 W. 29th Ave. Click here for more information.

We need to keep strengthening and growing our preschool and kindergarten programs. That’s a very tough challenge, however, given that Colorado lags far behind other states in funding these early-years programs. As a state, we only fund a half-day of kindergarten instruction and make only a minimal investment in preschool education. While I fully understand the current funding challenges the state faces in the wake of the nation’s economic crisis, I firmly believe that we need to come together and agree as a community to significantly increase our investment in preschool and kindergarten.

There’s nothing more critical to the strength and future of our nation than the education of our children. On a global scale, however, we’ve gone from an education Goliath to the middle of the pack over the course of one generation. We need to reverse that. And we need to start early.

Best,

Tom

First “Early Education Scoop” Draws Big Crowd

JM — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:30:30 +0000

Thursday night’s DPS Early Education Scoop pulled in about 150 parents who wanted answers to the mystifying process of applying to ECE programs and elementary schools in Denver. Several representatives from DPS were on hand to answer the most pressing questions. A common thread was the confusing choice process and priority of getting in to a non-neighborhood school. Unfortunately, several questions could not be answered because decisions have not yet been made as to which schools would house what programs (ECE-3, ECE-4, Advanced K, HGT, Center for Early Education schools, etc.). Decisions have to be made on a year-by-year basis which can be frustrating for parents that are new to the process. And, theoretically, every year brings a new set of parents who need answers.

After the audience Q&A session, participants visited the various tables which included representatives from Kaleidoscope Corner, Valdez Elementary, HGT and Advanced K programs, and Montessori programs. We had a big crowd stop by the ScoopToo.com table and it seems like most questions asked could be answered. It validated the reason why we started this blog in the first place. Parents want to make the right decisions for their children and the myriad of options in Denver can be confusing.

We hope that ScoopToo.com can provide some hand-holding during this process and can be used as a supplemental resource for everyone out there who needs some additional clarity and a non-data-driven viewpoint.

If you or anyone you know missed the event last night, please be sure to register for one of the next two events.

Register
Early Education
School List

2010 DPS EARLY ED. SCOOP EVENTS!

For new parents, enrolling in preschool and kindergarten in Denver Public Schools can be confusing. At the Early Education Scoop, Enrollment Experts – including the moms behind ScoopToo – will be on hand to answer your questions! The event starts with a helpful overview from DPS Director of Early Education. Parents can then visit with Enrollment Experts who are well-versed in hot topics like tuition, transportation, the School of Choice process, special-needs programming, Advanced Kindergarten, English Language Acquisition and dual-language programming, Montessori programs and before- and after-school care.

Remaining Early Education Scoop Event Dates

December 8, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Palmer Elementary
995 Grape St.

January 6, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Valdez Elementary
2525 W. 29th Ave.

DPS and ScoopToo to Cohost Early Education Event!

JM — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:23:40 +0000

Spread the word! DPS and ScoopToo are co-hosting two Early Education Scoop events on December 10th and January 7th. The events are designed to help parents navigate the ECE process through DPS. These educational sessions will cover topics such as tuition, Choice Process, transportation, special needs programming, Advanced Kindergarten, English Language Acquisition, dual-language programming, Montessori programs and before and after school care. Enrollment experts will be on hand to answer specific questions during the Q&A session following the presentation.

If you or anyone you know is seeking to learn more about this process, please attend this informative event. Tell your friends, neighbors and playgroup-mates!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marissa Ferrari, Communications Office, Denver Public Schools, (720) 423-3681 or marissa_ferrari@dpsk12.org

Denver, CO – For the first time, Denver Public Schools and scooptoo.com, a Denver school-focused blog, will host two information sessions designed to make the process of enrolling in preschool and kindergarten easier for parents. The events, billed as the “Early Education Scoop,” are set for Thursday, December 10 at the new Center for Early Education and Thursday, January 7 at Valdez ECE-7 School. Both events will take place from 6:30 – 8:30pm.

The Center for Early Education is located at 3245 E. Exposition Ave., at the corner of Exposition and Steele. Valdez is located at 2525 W. 29^th Ave., directly behind North High School. Attendance and parking at both locations is free.

The Early Education Scoop events will feature Enrollment Experts who can answer parents’ specific questions related to preschool and kindergarten topics of interest, including tuition, transportation, the School of Choice process, special-needs programming, Advanced Kindergarten, English Language Acquisition and dual-language programming, Montessori programs, and before- and after-school care. After a brief overview by the DPS Director of Early Education, each family in attendance will have an opportunity to present their specific questions to an Enrollment Expert as well as tour the host school.

The event agenda is as follows:

6:30 – 6:45pm: Welcome and Registration

6:45 – 7:15pm: Enrollment Overview

7:15 – 8:30pm: Individual Q&A Sessions with Enrollment Experts and School Tours

The Early Education Scoop events are co-hosted by Denver Public Schools and ScoopToo. Attendance and parking are free. All handouts will be provided in English and Spanish, and Spanish-language interpreters will be present. Learn more at scooptoo.com or by calling (720) 423-3560.