January 18, 2019
Schools Offer Online Learning for Inclement Weather Days
Thanks to technology and advance planning, snow days will now be “at home” learning days!

Teachers and students will make the most of unexpected days off by continuing with assignments and lessons. Teachers will post assignments online by 9:00 am and will be available for questions between 9:00 and 2:00 via email or other electronic means. Students will have the opportunity to work on assignments at home.

Methods of sharing assignments vary by school and teacher. When and if an inclement weather day occurs, please check the news section on the home page of your school’s website to learn how your school will participate in online learning.

Student assignments will be due three days after school reopens. Students with no access to a computer or the internet will be given paper and pencil assignments upon returning to school.

We are excited that students and teachers can stay safely at home in their pajamas and still have the means to work and learn from home!
Congratulations to Our Posse Foundation Scholarship Winners!
On January 10 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, four high school seniors from Douglas County were celebrated for winning the prestigious Posse Foundation scholarship. These amazing students will receive a four year, full tuition scholarship to college.

In addition to providing a free education, the Posse Foundation gives students support during college and connections to highly coveted professional opportunities. Recipients are selected based on leadership in their high schools and communities, commitment to education, demonstrated academic potential, interest in teamwork and diversity, motivation, talent, and ambition.

Pictured left to right are Shermar Frazier and Willie Blevins from New Manchester High School; Zaria White from Chapel Hill High School; and Joshua Moses from Douglas County High School. Shermar was awarded the Posse scholarship from Boston University. The other three recipients will attend Texas A& M University.
Holly Springs Earns State Award for Outstanding Academic Performance
Holly Springs Elementary was one of 28 schools in Georgia to earn the Greatest Gains Award at the Gold level. The award was announced by former Governor Nathan Deal through the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement on December 5, 2018. The award was based on the school’s outstanding performance on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) over the last three years.

“We are thrilled to be among a few select schools to earn this prestigious award,” said Holly Springs Principal Minda Trexler. “The credit goes to our teachers who work diligently to ensure our students are mastering the content. Credit also goes to our parents. Their involvement and concern with their children’s academic achievement make our school successful.”

Greatest Gains schools must earn a three-year average CCRPI Progress Score that ranks in at least the 93 rd percentile. The award has four tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

The latest CCRPI score for Holly Springs was 94.6 in 2018. Scores for the prior years were 94.3 in 2017 and 92.1 in 2016.

The school awards, developed by GOSA and approved by the State Board of Education, are part of Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) and are given to schools with high academic performance and/or high academic growth.

All public schools in Georgia are assessed with the CCRPI, a comprehensive measure of school improvement and accountability.

Pictured: Fifth grade students at Holly Springs enjoyed a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Cobb Energy Center last month.
Students Show Off Science and Engineering Skills
The Murray Educational Center was abuzz last Tuesday afternoon as middle and high school students at the Douglas County Science and Engineering Fair explained their projects to the judges. Sixty-nine projects were on display for the public Thursday afternoon, and the awards ceremony took place Thursday evening. Check back here next Friday to find out who will advance to the next round of competition! Students from Douglas County are typically strong contenders in the regional and state science fair competitions.
Did You Know?
You must "opt in" to receive text messages from your school.
If you are not receiving text messages from your school or from the district, please text 67587 and type Yes to begin receiving messages.

We hope all of our parents will opt to receive text messages! According to the recent survey regarding communications, text messaging was the preferred method of communication during an emergency.

Calendar Update!

The last two days of the school year will now be half days. On May 23 and May 24, elementary students will be dismissed at 11:30. Middle and high school students will be dismissed at 12:30.
Technology News: Single Sign On for Students
We are very excited to announce that on Tuesday, January 22, the Douglas County School System will launch the DCSS Portal. This feature will allow all staff and students to sign on once to the Portal, using their DCSS network login, and then access most of our web-based applications without signing in again. Students will only need to remember one login and password. Many of our teachers and students are already using the Single Sign On portion to access their Google accounts. 

The DCSS Portal will also allow access to home directories (H Drives) and shared drives from anywhere with an internet connection. As part of the launch, all student Office365 accounts will be shortened to an @s.dcssga.org account name. For example, a student named John Smith will now log in as  john.smith@s.dcssga.org  instead of  john.smith@student.douglas.k12.ga.us .

We look forward to making access to technology easier for everyone in the Douglas County School System! If you have any questions, you may reach out to the media specialist at your child's school.
Spotlight on:
Zaria White, Chapel Hill High School!
Upcoming Events
January 21: Holiday for All; System Closed
January 24: 6th Grade Orientation
January 31: District Spelling Bee
February 6: Progress Reports
February 18-20: Student/Staff Holidays (Except 240 Day Employees)
Mark your calendar:

We invite our parents and the community to attend an important and timely presentation on the dangers of human trafficking. An informed community is a safer community for our children.
Check out the opportunities that are listed on our Community Bulletin Board.
Douglas County School System |770-651-2000 | response@dcssga.org | dcssga.org