5280 Magazine Ranks DMIS a Top School

As the Rocky Mountain region’s oldest international school, DMIS was recently ranked as one of the Top Private Elementary Schools in Denver by 5280 magazine. We are honored to be named in this prestigious publication. Look for the rankings and our profile in the Private School Handbook in the September issue.

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 plans to open a middle school!

Denver Montclair International School is pleased to announce its intention to open a middle school in the fall of 2011.

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 Welcomes International Visitors!

DMIS was honored to have several high ranking officials from the press and foreign ministries from Jamaica, Laos, Latvia, Taiwan, Turkey and Zimbabwe visit the school on Monday, May 24th from 12:30–2:00 p.m. These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Their program was arranged by the Academy for Educational Development.

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

Science Week at DMIS

The English Program’s Science Week will be held from May 17-21. The week includes an assembly with Captain Vic the Science Wizard and the annual Science Fair on Wednesday, May 19th from 1-3:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. Next week, the fourth graders from all language programs will be traveling to the mountains to attend Keystone Science School!

The elementary students were thrilled with Captain Vic the Science Wizard!

DMIS Mandarin Students Win First Place in State Competition

Four DMIS students and one graduate placed high in the 3rd Annual Colorado Chinese Speech Contest, sponsored by the Confucius Institute at the Community College of Denver.

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!

DMIS Makes the Grade!

The Better Business Bureau recently awarded Denver Montclair International School an A+ for excellent business practices. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) works to establish an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other, and evaluates local businesses based on their integrity and performance. DMIS has been an accredited BBB member since 2006.

Our Early Childhood Program is a Rising Star!

DMIS is now a Qualistar-rated early child care program. Qualistar Early Learning is a statewide non-profit organization working with child care providers, parents and communities to improve the quality of early childhood education in Colorado. The Qualistar Rating measures quality in licensed early learning programs, both home and center based that serve children birth to kindergarten.

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!

Now Enrolling for 2010-2011 Academic Year!

DMIS is now enrolling for the 2010-2011 academic year. While classes are filling up, we still have a few openings in our 3 year old, pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes in French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish programs. We will continue to accept applications as long as space remains. Contact Admissions Coordinator Mieke Bushhouse at (303) 340-DMIS (3647) or mieke@dmischool.com with any questions regarding the application process, or to schedule a school tour.

PTA Volunteers of the Month

Thank you to Shannon Daly, our most recent volunteer of the month. Shannon is the co-chair of the PTA Fundraising Committee, and has always been an enthusiastic supporter of DMIS. Shannon has two children in the Spanish program (3rd grade and preKindergarten).

Shannon organized the Cookie Dough Sale in December and stood outside in the frigid weather to pass out the order forms, and most recently organized the Usborne Book Fair which was a huge success!

The coveted Volunteer parking spot belongs to the Daly family until March 5, 2010. Thank you, Shannon!

Pajama Day at DMIS

DMIS students, faculty and staff rolled out of bed and into school in their pajamas on Thurs., Jan. 28 to raise awareness about homelessness in Denver. Students donated $1, and adults gave $5 to wear their jammies to class.

All proceeds went to Denver’s Road Home, the nonprofit organization implementing Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s initiative to end homelessness in our city. The Rocky Mountain region’s oldest international school raised nearly $500 for this important cause.

Dr. Jamie Van Leeuwen, executive director of Denver’s Road Home, visited DMIS on Pajama Day. He read to students in our Mandarin Chinese kindergarten and French pre-kindergarten classes a story about different types of homes all over the world, and he discussed the importance of having a supportive community and the critical role education plays in eradicating homelessness. Dr. Van Leeuwen also fielded plenty of questions about his silk pajamas.

Joining Dr. Van Leeuwen was Lisa Betchey from the Mile High United Way.

We were pleased to have “Dr. Jamie” and “Miss Lisa” with us last week.  They helped our students learn about a very serious issue in a most memorable — and yes, fun — way.

The preKindergarten Spanish students were very excited to wear their pajamas all day!
Dr. Jamie Van Leeuwen poses with the Mandarin Chinese Kindergarten class.	Dr. Van Leeuwen from Denver's Road Home asks the Mandarin Chinese Kindergarten class "How many of you have a home?"