The latest news for you

March 8, 2019

Fred Blankenship Gives a Thumbs Up to Kingston!

Student Portrays Popular Atlanta News Anchor in Wax Museum

WSB-TV anchor Fred Blankenship is now a big fan of a 2nd grader at Beulah Elementary! Kingston Bonardy, who aspires to be a news anchor, dressed up as Mr. Blankenship for the Black History Wax Museum at the school last week. Take a peek at the story on WSB-TV!

Kingston as Fred Blankenship

Students Experience a Day with the Lawmakers

Several students from Douglas County enjoyed a look at the inside workings of the legislature by serving as a page at the Georgia State Capitol for the Senate or the House of Representatives this winter. With the page program, students spend a day delivering important messages to senators or representatives in the chamber during the legislative session. The educational experience is an excused absence from school.

Students age 12 and older may apply to be a page. See the links below if you have a child who would enjoy this experience next year!

Senate Page Program

House Page Program

Susie Rager and Jackson Backus from Fairplay Middle School paged this month for Senator Mike Dugan. They are pictured with Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and Senator Dugan.

Reading Takes Center Stage at DCSS Schools

Schools across Douglas County have celebrated Read Across America for the last two weeks!

Burnett Elementary hosted its annual Real Men Read day on February 22 and invited several "celebrity" readers to visit, including Superintendent North, pictured above.

Kenya Elder, professional learning director for the school system, shared her love of reading with students at Arbor Station Elementary last week!

We Appreciate Our School Social Workers!

The week of March 4-8 is School Social Worker Week. The theme this year is "Lucky Enough to Be a School Social Worker," and it truly expresses the way social workers feel about their job and the care and compassion they show students and families in our school system.

School social workers are certified professionals who provide a variety of services to students, families, schools, and the community. They collaborate with school staff to identify, intervene, and eliminate barriers to students' academic achievement. They promote the healthy development of the whole child, including social, emotional, and mental health.

Pictured are social workers who support the students at the schools in Douglas County. They recently toured Youth Villages, a residential treatment facility in Douglas County that provides help for children with emotional, mental, and behavioral problems. The social workers learned about therapy programs available at the facility, including the highly regarded therapeutic drumming program.

Tuskegee Alumni Book Donation Inspires Students

The South Metro Atlanta Tuskegee Alumni Club members donated books about the historically black college and university to inspire Douglas County students during Black History Month. "Hey Tuskegee!" by alumnus Robert Constant is now part of the reading collection in nine Douglas County elementary school media centers.

"It delights the South Metro Atlanta Tuskegee Alumni Club to put this exciting book in the hands of young readers," said President Nicholas White. "By delving into the rich stories and traditions woven throughout the book, we hope to get students excited about exploring the legacies of our country's historically black colleges and universities."

Pictured are Mr. White, Principal Susan Calderara, and Media Specialist Julie Clarke in front of the media center at Beulah Elementary.

Did You Know?

Results of the Inclement Weather Survey

According to the survey that was filled out by teachers and parents after the inclement weather online learning day in January, 75% of parents indicated that they preferred for their students to complete assignments at home rather than attend a make up day. 13% preferred to make up the day during a scheduled break, and 12% indicated they would prefer to make up the day after the last scheduled day of school.

For teachers, 94% preferred to prepare assignments and be available to assist students online during an inclement weather day rather than make up the day later.

We appreciate the 1,747 parents and 649 teachers who responded to the survey!

How long has it been since you were in a classroom? Would you like to take a peek in a classroom and see what teachers and students are experiencing today? If so, sign up to be a Teacher 4 a Day. The Douglas County School System and the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce invite members of our community to be teachers for a day and see for themselves some of the exciting things and challenging lessons taking place in classrooms across the county. Applications are being accepted now through March 12. Click here for an application .