November 20, 2020
From the Superintendent
I would like to thank our students and their families for their cooperation with our COVID-19 protocol. The guidelines we have in place are working. As expected, we have had COVID-19 in our schools, but contact tracing shows that people are contracting the virus away from school in almost every case. There has been very little transmission from one student or staff member to another in our schools.

While COVID-19 is increasing in our community, Dr. Janet Memark, district health director for Cobb & Douglas Public Health, pointed out in an interview with DCTV last Friday: "We are not having a lot of transmission within classrooms because they're all wearing masks. What we're seeing though is they're bringing it in from outside the classroom. So whatever's happening in the community -- parties and gatherings and socializing -- they're getting it outside and they're bringing it in."

I want to wish all our staff and families a wonderful and restful break over Thanksgiving, and I implore everyone to follow CDC guidelines and stay as safe as possible. We must remain vigilant.

Please see the letter from Dr. Memark with advice on stopping the spread. Let's all do our part to minimize the cases of COVID-19.

Letter from Dr. Memark (English) (Spanish)
"Real Men Read" at Elementary Schools
Annette Winn Elementary

Students at Annette Winn Elementary spent their Friday virtual learning time listening to men read and discuss the importance of reading in their lives.

On November 13, fraternity members from Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi along with a few dads, administrators, community members and DCSS central office personnel took time from their day to entertain students and stress the importance of reading for their future success. Several current and former members of the Annette Winn family also lent their voice and enthusiasm to the event.

"We are proud that we have hosted Real Men Read for 14 years," said Principal Dr. Sherritta Abell. "The entire Annette Winn community supports this event, and it's valuable for our students to see successful male role models share their love of reading."

The 28 readers also talked about the college they attended and their careers, tying the goals of the school's AVID program into the event. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID, now a part of all elementary schools, aims to create a college bound culture and provide tools for students to achieve at the college level. At Annette Winn, all teachers and staff display pennants from their college and engage in conversations about next steps after high school.

Students at Annette Winn look forward to their next digital reading event in the spring: Literature Loving Ladies!
Eastside Elementary

At Eastside Elementary, 15 men, including DCSS administrators, SRO officers and a host of fathers of ESES students, participated virtually in the school's 4th annual Real Men Read event. "In the past, our volunteers came to the school and went from classroom to classroom to read to our students," said Eastside Principal Timothy Jenkins. "This year, because of COVID-19 restrictions, our readers connected to our school virtually, and the students had a wonderful time!"

Principal Jenkins said that reading is a huge focus at Eastside, and through the Real Men Read event, students hear appropriate reading strategies. Students also work on their listening comprehension skills as the volunteer is reading, and they answer questions posed by the reader. "It's a fun day for the students, but there is also an academic component tied to the event," said Jenkins. "We look forward to hosting even more readers next year."
Students Learn Valuable Building and Design Skills While Raising Funds for Club
Raffle Tickets for Playhouse Available Now
Connie Highnote's architectural and engineering drawing students took a break from their CAD software to get hands-on building experience over the last year.

Through a partnership with the Home Builders Association of Douglas County, the students spent many Saturdays building a playhouse that will be raffled off on December 11. Proceeds will support student activities for SkillsUSA, an organization of students, teachers and industry that work together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

Through the project, students learned the design process, how to take field measurements, how to frame a building and more.

Ms. Highnote, who has a master's degree in instructional technology, worked in the construction and design industry for 10 years. She is in her 20th year at Chapel Hill High School teaching courses in the Architectural Drafting and Engineering Design pathways. Both pathways are industry certified.

"The best way for students to learn is through hands-on projects," said Ms. Highnote. "They love seeing the results of their work and I enjoy watching them learn."

Several of Ms. Highnote's students have taken the skills they learned in her class to the next level. One example is Michael Awalt, who completed the Architectural Drawing pathway at CHHS. He majored in architecture at Rice University in Texas and now works for Selldorf Architects in New York City.

To purchase a chance to win the playhouse, go to the link below. You will need to sign in or create an account. On the donations payment page, please include the $20 ticket amount, your first and last name and a contact number. The playhouse is sure to make the perfect Christmas gift for some lucky child!

Bricker Blazes a Trail in Rodeo Competition
Alexander High School (AHS) freshman Marisa Bricker is blazing a trail in West Georgia Junior Rodeo! Marisa has always loved horses and participated in several summer riding campus at Exodus Ranch when she was in elementary school. Many little girls love horses, but leave them behind as they grow up and add on the activities that come with being a teenager in high school. Not Marisa. Marisa added on all those extra activities that come with being a teenager – and continues to follow her passion for horses by riding, competing in rodeos and helping out at the ranch.

Marisa began competing in rodeos in middle school and now has hopes of winning a rodeo scholarship, possibly to a university in Kentucky, a state known for its love of horses.

Marisa participates in barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying. In barrel racing, she and her beloved horse, Luna, run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels for time. In pole bending, Marisa and Luna run a weaving pattern around poles for time, experiencing penalties for bumped or missed poles. When goat tying, Marisa rides her horse to a tethered goat, dismounts, catches, throws and ties together any three of the goat’s legs, again racing against the clock! She recently placed 9th overall in goat tying for West Georgia Junior Rodeo.

Rodeoing isn’t for the weak. This past summer while Marisa and Luna were riding, Luna was spooked and fell backwards, then rolled over Marisa. Marisa received a number of bruises and spent the remainder of the summer recovering from a knee injury. She says falls and bruises come with the sport, but they don’t hold her back.

“I love horses and competing in rodeo. I hope to keep competing through college.” Right now, she’s considering a career in marine biology or veterinary medicine. 
A Virtual Concert from Fairplay Middle


After being thrown a curveball with the pandemic, music teachers in the Douglas County School System have found innovative ways to keep their students learning, performing and engaged.

Fairplay Middle School Band Director Jonathan Broome used the music production company Trekorda to produce a virtual concert. Students used their Chromebooks and smart phones to make videos at home, and percussion students with large instruments recorded their videos at school. Trekorda worked its magic to pull all the instruments together for a beautiful effect!
Enjoy this virtual concert from Mr. Broome's 7th and 8th grade band students at Fairplay Middle School. The concert was livestreamed on YouTube and also posted to the Fairplay website and Facebook page for family and friends to enjoy.
Essential Testing Information for Parents of Students in School-Based Digital Learning
Students are gearing up to take the second administration of the Star Reading and Math Assessments. We administer these universal screeners three times a school year to monitor students’ progress to ensure students meet the benchmarks for reading and math along their grade level learning progressions.

Students who are Face-to-Face in their classrooms will take the assessments under typical conditions. However, School-Based Digital Learners will take the assessments at home with you, the parent or guardian. You play an important role in serving as a monitor for your student’s test administration. The role of a monitor is a very important role. You serve to make certain the test is administered with the same integrity as the test at school. The best help you can give your student is to let him or her demonstrate what they know. This way the teacher will be able to plan instructional activities to meet the specific learning needs of your child. Please do not give any hints, help or redirection. The best help you can give your student is to provide a specific place for them to take the assessment that is relatively free from distractions.

Before testing, be sure you have the following information from your school:
•Renaissance link
•Student username and password
•Monitor password (if needed)
•Name of test(s) your student should take.

Watch this short video about Star assessments with your student. You and your student will learn about the test and hear tips for having a positive experience with the assessment.


The assessment window opens on November 30 and closes on December 15. You will be contacted by your child’s teacher with further information as to the specific dates for administration. The reading and math test takes an average of 20 minutes each depending on the grade level and student's pace. The questions time out after a minute for reading and three minutes for math. If a student cannot answer a question or gets it wrong, the computer adapts the questions to meet the student’s needs. No grades are given for this assessment.

For additional information, please read this guide for families about Star Assessments.

Raiders Demonstrate Skills in Building Rope Bridge
Congratulations to the Alexander High School JROTC Raiders Male Team on finishing the season in third place for the West Side Area on November 7. Their rope bridge won second place in region...only one second behind the winning team.

The Raiders is a competition team composed of JROTC students who participate in demanding practices every day after school. Competition events include cross country rescue, team relay, rope bridge and tire flipping. The AHS Raiders won the state competition for the past two years. Competition will not take place at the state level this year due to COVID-19.
CHMS Takes Middle School Football Championship
The Chapel Hill Middle Wildcats finished the 2020-2021 season undefeated with a record of 7-0. First year Head Coach Aren Ivester and Assistant Coaches TJ Watson and David Kilgore are extremely proud of the boys. "The Covid protocols were a huge adjustment for everyone and a special thanks goes out to the administration, staff and parents for helping to make this dream season happen," said Coach Ivester. "Everyone was on board, which made this season as smooth as possible."

The final score of the middle school championship game on November 9 was 22-6 over the previously undefeated Mason Creek Wolves. It was a hard-fought game with a 6-6 tie at halftime. The game was not decided until Chapel Hill had a long touchdown pass in the third quarter to go up 14-6. Later in the 4th quarter, CHMS went up by two scores, and the defense recovered a fumble in the end zone to seal the victory.

Three CHMS players were voted to the All Conference Team: Michael Hastie, Jackson Thompson, and Delancy Alexander. Delancy Alexander was also named the County Offensive MVP.
It's Time for Hoops!
Spotlight on Chapel Hill High School
Good luck to all of our basketball teams as they embark on the 2020-2021 season! For a schedule for basketball and all winter sports for middle and high schools, please go to the link below.

CHHS Girls

Pictured below with Head Coach Amber Lee are Savannah Howard and Jade Rawlins. Coach Lee said that these two ladies will lead the Lady Panthers in the 20-21 season. "We are excited about fresh faces within our program and the opportunity to compete in 5A and against new region opponents," said Lee.
CHHS Boys

The Chapel Hill Panthers look to continue their success from last season as Rodney Latham enters his second year as head coach of the program. Last year, the Panthers finished with a 20-win season, region runner ups and a berth in the state playoffs.

The Panthers enter this year as a top 10 preseason ranked team and will be led by all-state player K.J. Doucet and a strong roster of young talent that includes class of 2023 Kelvin Hunter. "The panthers have worked hard and are prepared to battle in their new 5A classification and respective region," said Coach Lathem.

Pictured left to right are five outstanding seniors: Justin Hall, Mikai Valentine, Jamisen Winters and K.J. Doucot.
New Dates for Magnet Information Sessions
ATTENTION 8th GRADERS AND PARENTS:

Some schools have changed or added dates for their magnet information sessions. Please click the link below for the most updated timeline with revised dates:


This year, 8th grade students may apply for any of the magnet programs at the five traditional high schools through one link:


Podcasts about each program are available on the dcssga.org website. Look for the magnet news article on the home page. The deadline to apply is December 14.
Josue Mendoza-Rios is polite and respectful and is excelling in both his high school studies as well as cyber security, a dual enrollment course that is offered at West Georgia Technical College. He always does his best and faces difficulties with maturity. His work is top-notch, and he is always eager to participate in class discussions. When the school system began virtual learning in March, Josue was on all calls and submitted his work in a timely manner. Mr. Morris, CCI Director/Principal, said that he spoke to Josue on a rainy day a few weeks ago and said, "Yeah, it's a dreary, rainy day out there!" Josue's response was, "Yeah, but there is always a rainbow, and I sure like rainbows!” What a positive attitude for a student to have! The CCI is proud to spotlight Josue because he is an all-around outstanding young man!  
Upcoming Events
November 23-24: Holidays (Except 240 Employees)
November 25-27: Holidays for All
December 7: BOE Work Session and Meeting
December 16-17: Half Days for High School
December 18: Semester Ends
December 21: Holidays (Except 240 Employees)
December 22-31: Holidays for All
January 1: Holiday for All
January 4-5: Teacher Work Days
January 6: Students Return
January 6: Report Cards, All Levels
January 11: BOE Work Session (tentative)
January 12: Science Fair Judging for 6th - 12th
January 14: Science Fair Awards for 6th - 12th
January 15: District Spelling Bee (Virtual)
January 18: Holiday for All
January 19: BOE Board Meeting (Tentative)
February 1: BOE Work Session (Tentative)
February 8: BOE Meeting (Tentative)
February 10: Progress Reports for Elementary and Middle
February 15-19: Holidays (Except 240)
Check out opportunities that are available in our area by clicking the Community Bulletin Board below!
Douglas County School System |770-651-2000 | response@dcssga.org | dcssga.org