Find us at 5280’s first-ever school fair from 9—11 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 23 at the Calvary Temple Auditorium at 200 S. University Blvd.

DMIS is seeking accreditation with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to offer the Middle Years Programme to students in grades 6 through 8.

Starting in the fall of 2011, DMIS plans to offer 6th grade instruction within its larger French and Spanish language programs. There will be two tracks for middle-schoolers. The first is for students who have received a full-immersion education. The second is for students who have not received instruction in a non-native language.

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about DMIS’ middle school:

Why a middle school at DMIS?

Expanding our school through 8th grade will allow DMIS students to receive a more consistent, comprehensive and rigorous education rooted in academic excellence, multilingualism and global awareness. A DMIS graduate will be prepared for advanced study in high school and beyond.

What if my child has never had exposure to a non-native language?

The Rocky Mountain region’s oldest and most respected international school believes that it is never too late to learn a language. For more than three decades, our expert educators have worked to develop curricula and teaching approaches that promote not only language fluency with native-like pronunciation, but also an awareness and sensitivity of other cultures. Though we believe it is ideal for children to begin acquiring second and third languages as young as possible, we are very specially trained and equipped to work with students who are learning languages later in life. DMIS guarantees that its lead teaching faculty are native speakers.

There is no better place than DMIS to send a middle-school child who wants to speak more than one language.

Why International Baccalaureate?

International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are recognized around the world, giving graduates educational and workplace opportunities their peers without IB diplomas typically don’t have. Because of the IB curriculum’s globally recognized status, IB high school graduates potentially can place out of their first year at a college or university.

The curriculum and pedagogy of IB programs focus on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while still requiring students to fully explore their native history, culture and language. IB World Schools must complete an exhaustive and regular authorization process before they are allowed to offer IB programs. Accredited IB teachers must participate in a wide array of professional development courses — which helps guarantee the highest quality of education.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) rigorously instructs students in English, a second language, the humanities, science, technology, mathematics, the arts and physical education.

If you are interested in learning more, please attend the Middle School Open House 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Sat., Sept. 25 on the DMIS campus, 206 Red Cross Way, in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood.

DMIS was the only school in Denver this group visited.  We welcomed them with open arms into our unique educational community!

List of Participants:

Jamaica, Mr. David Allen Prendergast
Acting Head, Trade Agreements Implementation/CSME Unit

Laos, Mr. Soutsady Khamphanthong
Deputy Director of America Division, Europe-America Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Latvia, Ms. Duce Rutka
Head, The Americas and Caribbean Countries Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Taiwan, Mr. Yung-Yao Su
Deputy Convener, Political News Center, Liberty Times

Turkey, Ms. Dondu Sariisik
Correspondent, Hurriyet Daily News

Zimbabwe, Mr. Phebion Takura Zhangazha
National Director, Media Institute of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe Chapter

Competing against students from across the state, the participants were divided into five groups:  Early Childhood, Elementary and Middle School, High School,  Adult Learners and Heritage Students (individuals who grew up in households where Chinese was spoken). Each participant was required to deliver a 2-3 minute speech in Mandarin Chinese.

DMIS is proud to announce the following winners:

Early Childhood Division

Megan Ho (preKindergarten)–1st Place

Carter Ware (preKindergarten)–3rd Place

Elementary School Division

Ethan Davis (1st Grade)–1st Place

Grant Ho (3rd Grade)–3rd Place

Middle School Division

Owen Honeycutt (DIS alum)–1st Place

Congratulations to all of the DMIS students who participated, and to the amazing Mandarin faculty who prepared them for this contest.  We are so proud of you!

Child Care Providers volunteer to have trained quality rating specialists spend several hours in their programs collecting information and evaluating their program. The various components that early learning programs are rated on include the overall learning environment, family partnerships, training and education of staff, adult-to-child ratios and group size, and accreditation.

DMIS was evaluated for the first time in November 2009 and received a debut rating of 2 out of 4 stars. Torri Parker, Director of Early Childhood Education, worked tirelessly with all of the early childhood teachers to ensure a high rating on our first evaluation. Bravo to the entire early childhood team!