March 13, 2020
From the Superintendent: Upcoming School Closure
Dear Parents and Guardians,

After consulting with health agencies and leaders in the Douglas County School System, I have made the decision to close all schools and school system offices beginning Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27. All students and employees will return on Monday, March 30.

Most extracurricular activities, field trips and athletic events are also canceled during this time. If you have questions about a particular activity, please check your school’s website or email the principal.

During the closure, employees will work from home and students should follow the digital learning plan. Parents and students should check their school’s website to access assignments. Teachers will be available by email and other electronic platforms to assist students and parents.

While no cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been identified in Douglas County, we will take advantage of the closure to deep clean all schools and buses.

We realize that closing schools will place a hardship on many families, but we feel we must make a decision based on the health and wellbeing of our students, their families, our school system employees and our community. We are hopeful that the closure of schools will contain the spread of coronavirus.

If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact your teacher or principal by email. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Trent North, Superintendent
Math Wizards Compete
It was all about math at the recent Math Competition in Douglas County. Elementary and middle school students cheered each other on and raced against the clock at the school system’s annual Math Competition on February 26, 2020, for middle school and March 7, 2020, for elementary school. The two competitions took place at Chestnut Log Middle School and New Manchester High School.

Students in grades three through eight participated in the event which consisted of two components: the group competition and the individual computation competition.  During group competition, students competed against teams from other schools in the same grade level. Each team worked together to complete as many  constructed response type problems as possible within an hour.  Their work was judged by volunteers, including local college students as well as teachers and high school students within the district. The team with the most points won.

The computation competition consisted of individual students from each school and each grade level. The students completed math problems with a time limit. The student with the most number of correct problems won.

Dr. Tenia Boone, Instructional Lead Teacher for Sweetwater Elementary, was one of the organizers of the event. "The Math Competition is designed to intentionally nurture the mathematical talent of our scholars," said Dr. Boone. "This contest helps strengthen the skills of our students who love mathematics, while helping others embark on their hidden mathematical ability. Students are actively engaged in solving academically challenging problems that are similar to the questions that they are exposed to in their classrooms."

Elementary parent Steve Reynolds complimented those who worked to make the event a success. "Great job to all involved to make this competition successful and great. Our daughter was in it, and this was our first year. It was an absolutely unbelievable job by the kids and staff."

The overall school award winner at the elementary level was Arbor Station Elementary. Second place was Holly Springs Elementary, and third place went to South Douglas. Chapel Hill Middle School won the overall school award at the middle school level.  Second place was Mason Creek Middle School, and third place was Stewart Middle School. Individual and team winners in the various categories also won awards.

Pictured below are the first place teams from the elementary and middle school competitions.
Mason Creek Middle School Student Wins State Braille Challenge, Advances to National Competition


Congratulations to Christopher Morgan, 6th grade student at Mason Creek Middle School. He recently won the State Braille Challenge for his age group AND had the highest score overall.

Christopher will travel to the National Braille Challenge in California.

He is pictured with his Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), Ms. Sadisha Clarke, and his paraprofessional, Ms. Kristen Exum. Good luck in California, Christopher!
ESPLOST Update: Debt Elimination
Forty-five percent of current ESPLOST V collections have been used to pay off debt. Up to $84 million of funds from the proposed ESPLOST VI will go toward debt elimination.

The Douglas County School System will be DEBT FREE by the end of ESPLOST VI on December 31, 2026.

Learn more about plans for ESPLOST VI from Superintendent Trent North.
InToneNation Qualifies for National Competition
New Manchester High School not only hosted the semifinal competition for the International Championship of High School A Cappella, but its award-winning a cappella group, InToneNation, also won the competition and now qualifies to defend its national championship title. InToneNation also won the award for outstanding arrangement for "Gravity."

The semifinal competition featured a cappella groups from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the Carolinas.
Transportation Committee Holds Third Meeting
The transportation committee met for the third time on March 5, 2020, 6:00 p.m. at the Board of Education Central Office. Because of low attendance at the second due to flooding rain, the information presented at this meeting was a repeat of information from the second meeting.

Facilitator Garry Puetz, who has 23 years of experience in student transportation in Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Forsyth Counties, presented information outlining transportation goals, challenges, current performance data and the performance of the Douglas County School System (DCSS) compared to surrounding counties. He then went through each of the ideas that was generated by the committee groups at the first meeting and discussed how effective each would be at solving the problems faced by DCSS.

Two ideas that were discussed at length were to:

  • Consolidate and designate bus stops to improve the level of service and provide consistency and safety
  • Move to a fully tiered system, with elementary, middle and high school levels starting and ending their day at staggered times with a greater interval between start times than we currently have. Mr. Puetz acknowledged that we should expect complaints from parents if starting and ending times for schools are changed.

Participants asked detailed questions about the tiered system, including how bus drivers would feel about working additional hours. Mr. Puetz responded that some drivers would continue to drive only two routes (four hours), while others would work more hours. In most systems, senior drivers are allowed to choose how many routes they drive.

Another question was whether DCSS would be able to keep students on separate buses by level for special education students. Mr. Puetz said that we would have plenty of buses for special education.

For Mr. Puetz’s presentation, please click  here .

At the fourth and final meeting, the transportation committee will make a recommendation to the superintendent about changes to improve the efficiency of bus transportation for the students in Douglas County. Upon Superintendent North's approval, the recommendation will be submitted to the Board of Education for implementation for the 2020-2021 school year.
DCSS Observes Board Appreciation Week
The Douglas County School System joins in a statewide celebration this week saluting the efforts of local school board members. The week of March 16-20, 2020, has been proclaimed School Board Appreciation Week in Georgia. The weeklong observance sponsored by Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) calls attention to the contributions of local boards of education. 

Superintendent Trent North celebrates the contributions the board members have made and acknowledges their role supporting student achievement.  “I am proud of the role our board members play in our community. Citizens elect board members to represent the community’s voice on education matters and to set the vision for the school district,” says North.
 
The men and women serving the Douglas County School System school are District One Board Member Devetrion Caldwell; District Two Board Member D.T. Jackson; District Three Chair Tracy Rookard; District Four Vice Chair Michelle Simmons; and District Five Board Member Rita Fasina-Thomas.
Isabella Italiano is a standout student at Mason Creek Middle School. She’s a Wolf Pack leader in academics and athletics. Isabella was a part of the district softball championship team this school year. 
In basketball, she was named the 7th grade team MVP. As a 6th grade student, she led the team in scoring and assists. Isabella has just begun her third sport of the year – soccer. Her teachers report 
she's hardworking, dedicated, enthusiastic and always positive. Great job, Isabella!
Upcoming Events
March 16-27: SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL SYSTEM OFFICES CLOSED
March 24: Election Day
April 6-10: Holidays for All; System Closed
April 15-May 1: GMAS End of Grade Testing for Elementary and Middle Schools
April 20: BOE Work Session
April 25: DC Education Foundation Fun Run
April 27-May 12: GMAS End of Course Testing for High Schools
April 27: Progress Reports, Elementary and Middle Schools
April 27: BOE Meeting
Please note that some or all of the following events may be canceled. Please consult your school for information.
The New Manchester High School award-winning Fine Arts Magnet Education (FAME) program is proud to present its spring musical Cinderella . This timeless classic will run from March 12 - March 14 at the NMHS Fine Arts Theater located at 4925 Highway 92/166, Douglasville, GA 30135. Tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/FAMEEVENTS or at the door. Tickets are $10 for students and $15/for adults.
Tickets to Les Miserables are available by visiting the Alexander Performing Arts Booster website .
Click here for a PDF of the registration form for the Holly Springs Elementary Hawks Fun Run.
Are you looking for a Spring Break Camp for your child? 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