Beautiful fall weather welcomed visitors from across the country to KDS DAR School's 94th Dedication Day celebration on October 11th and 12th. More than 130 DAR members were on campus to dedicate gifts given to the school during the past year and to visit with faculty, staff, and especially the students of KDS.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KDS DAR School appointed a group of Executive Committee members in March of 2017 to engage with the strategic planning process. Every effort was made to gather information from school leadership, teachers, KDS Administrative personnel, parents, KDS Board of Trustees members, students, alumni, and community members.
KDS Executive Director Heather Green said, "Strategic planning is a process that requires the involvement of many stakeholders and is extremely beneficial for the continued growth of our school."
A careful evaluation of the collected data revealed strengths and areas for improvement of school facilities, academic programs, student support programs, and areas pertaining to the Marshall County Board of Education, the DAR, and community involvement.
Historic Timeline Tells the Story of KDS
and the Community
The Pennsylvania Log Cabin was built over two days in 1935 in one of Alabama's last old fashioned "house raisings". Over the years, it has served as the school library and Administrative Office, and is one of the region's most significant architectural landmarks.
This historic treasure is now home to the KDS DAR School Heritage Hall Museum. The museum houses artifacts and memorabilia integral to the founding of the school and the history of the community.
KDS DAR School Homecoming is always a special time, and this year's Big Blue Tailgate put the school's alumni front and center.
The Tailgate took place before the Homecoming football game on Friday, October 5th just outside Patriot Stadium. More than 50 KDS alumni, from the classes of 1952-2018, enjoyed a pre-game meal and fellowship. All KDS graduates in attendance were recognized over the public address system throughout the game.
Five-year-old Cooper Haislip completed KDS Pre-K last year and was on his way to Kindergarten when he was diagnosed with Leukemia in June. He began treatments at Saint Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and will have maintenance treatments at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children for several more months.
Cooper is now considered to be in remission and is doing very well and responding almost perfectly to treatment. He has two and a half years of treatment left to make sure his body doesn't produce any more cancer cells, and as long as he keeps responding positively to treatment, he should be able to attend first grade at KDS DAR Elementary School next year.
Because September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Blood Cancer Awareness Month, KDS school nurses decided to use Cooper's battle with cancer to teach students about the disease and also about helping others.
