Dear Parents,
Over the past week, we have received many calls from parents asking what the school system will do in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) issue. With the announcement this week that two people in Georgia have confirmed cases of the virus, I certainly understand the concern of our parents.
Please know that we are following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Georgia Department of Public Health and Cobb/Douglas Public Health.
I appreciate the leadership of our Douglas County School System nurses, who always guide our response when there is a potential for the spread of communicable diseases. Department heads in various areas of the school system and the nurses are providing protocols for our school administrators, students, health monitors, custodians, school nutrition workers, transportation personnel and others. With guidance from the CDC, the school system has put several practices in place which will mitigate the spread of any disease. Some of the practices include:
- Taking extra steps to clean our high touch surfaces every day
- Demonstrating and encouraging proper handwashing techniques with students
- Enforcing the rule that a student with a fever should not return to school until being fever-free without medication for 24 hours
- Monitoring student absences daily
At this time, the CDC and local health departments do not recommend closing schools. Should that guidance change, please rest assured that we will take all recommended precautions. In the unlikely event that one or all of our schools must be closed, we will keep students learning and engaged at home through our digital learning plan.
Online, you will find an abundance of resources about the coronavirus. My suggestion is that you consult the CDC’s website,
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus,
for the latest information.
Thank you for allowing us the privilege of teaching your children. We appreciate the support of our families and community.
Sincerely,
Trent North, Superintendent
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Honor Chorus to Present Original Composition
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Mason Creek Elementary student Takira Pierre-Chrispin can now list songwriter on her resume.
Through a competition among fifth grade students in the honor chorus at all elementary schools, the talented poet’s words were selected to be set to music by Katahj Copley from the University of West Georgia. The song is titled “Music Makes Me Happy” and will be performed for the first time at the Elementary Honor Chorus concert, featuring top singers in fifth grade from each school in Douglas County.
“The annual Honor Chorus concert is always special,” said Tiffany Griffin, music teacher at South Douglas Elementary and coordinator of the concert. “The fact that we will perform original music with lyrics by one of our students makes it even more special this year.”
The Honor Chorus will perform five additional songs at the concert, which will take place on Saturday, March 14, 5:30 pm at Central Baptist Church, 5811 Central Church Road, Douglasville. The free concert is open to the public and will feature 125 singers. Dawn Harmon McCord, professor of music education at the University of West Georgia, will serve as the clinician for the event. The performance is dedicated to the 150
th anniversary of the Douglas County School System.
Pictured is Takira Perre-Chrispin with "Music Makes Me Happy," a song featuring lyrics she wrote. Also pictured are singers from the 2019 Honor Chorus.
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Youth Art Month: Recognizing Our Talented Artists
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The Douglas County School System is proud to celebrate Youth Art Month in March. “Youth Art Month is a national celebration of the visual arts in education,” explains Tammy Morris, school system elementary art content specialist. “We appreciate everyone who supports the visual arts programs in Douglas County, and we are certain that you will agree that few things are more wondrous and beautiful than the creative efforts of a child.”
Three visual art exhibits are open to the public this month. Stop by the school system's Central Office, Douglas County Courthouse and the Cultural Arts Center during regular business hours to see inspiring and amazing works of art from elementary, middle and high school students.
Kelsey Arnold, kindergarten student at North Douglas Elementary, is pictured above with her creation titled "Hot Chocolate Store." Kelsey used markers to create the art.
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"Memory of a Goldfish," watercolor, by Roxy Bridges, 11th grade, New Manchester High School
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Jimmy Gross, 6th grade, Fairplay Middle School, pictured with "John Wayne," pencil
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DCSS Celebrates Winners of Annual Science and Engineering Fair
On February 27, friends, family and teachers gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of our youngest scientists at the annual Elementary Science and Engineering Fair.
The award for best in show in the engineering category went to Levi Vargas from Dorsett Shoals Elementary for his project "Wind up the Power." He is pictured with his supervising teacher, Michelle Bankston, and DSES Principal Shelly Hester.
Winner of best in show in the science category was Quentin Brillhart from New Manchester Elementary School for his project "Tricks for Treats." Quentin is pictured with his supervising teacher, Kelli Rowsey.
For grades K-2, students worked together in their classes to present a class project for the fair. The best in show class winner for K-2 was Mandi Slatton's first grade class from Mason Creek Elementary School for the project "Standing Tall." Ms. Slatton is pictured below with two of her students, Arsal Farhan and Molli Talamantes.
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Black History Comes Alive
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Schools across Douglas County celebrated Black History Month in February with guest speakers, performances, artwork and more. Following are ways three of our elementary schools celebrated!
Sweetwater Elementary
Aretha Franklin, Michael Jordan, Charles Drew, Michelle Obama, Misty Copeland, Dorothy Dandridge, Simone Biles and many other famous African Americans were "present" at Sweetwater Elementary on February 24 for the Wax Museum celebrating Black History Month. Twenty students from various grade levels and ethnicities stayed after school for three weeks to work with teachers to perfect their selected historical figures. At the event, upon the press of a button, the wax figures came to life and spoke to students and parents about their important contributions to the world.
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Chapel Hill Elementary
Students at Chapel Hill Elementary enjoyed learning about important inventions by African Americans during an exhibit at their school.
Among the inventors featured were Garrett Morgan, inventor of the stop light, and Thomas Martin, inventor of the fire extinguisher.
Ms. Daniel's kindergarten student were intrigued with the inventions. Pictured are Jaida Webb, David Moore and Ka'Lik Robinson. Ms. Daniel said that David did his Black History Month project on inventor Garrett Morgan, so the exhibit was extra fascinating for him.
Mason Creek Elementary School
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Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds shared his personal history with students at Mason Creek Elementary School as part of the school's Black History Month celebration. Sheriff Pounds reflected on his childhood years in the Winston neighborhoods surrounding Mason Creek. He told students that he first envisioned himself as sheriff when he was in elementary school. "Stay focused on learning and getting good grades," said Sheriff Pounds. "I expect to see one of you in this role one day." Sheriff Pounds is pictured third from left.
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ESPLOST Update: School Safety
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The safety of students and staff is a priority for the Douglas County School System. One safety enhancement for our high schools was the installation of a card access entry system at all high schools. Now, doors are locked during the day. Visitors must be buzzed in from the front office. Students and staff may gain entry to the building with their ID badges.
For more information about this safety feature that was funded through ESPLOST V, view the video from New Manchester High School.
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Come Support InToneNation and Hear Talented Students Compete from Across the South!
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New Manchester High School is thrilled to host the International Championship of High School A Cappella semifinal competition on March 7 at 7:00 pm. This competition will feature the best high school a cappella groups from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and the Carolinas.
The public is welcome to come out and support these students. If New Manchester's InToneNation wins this round, they will return to New York and compete for the national title again. We would love to have an audience full of InToneNation fans in black and pink! Tickets are available at
www.varsityvocals.com
.
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Social Workers Provide Support for Students and Families
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Today is the last day of National School Social Worker Week! We are grateful for all the support our school social workers give to our students and families. School social workers promote student achievement by helping students and their families gain access to support services that enhance their academic, social, emotional and behavioral well being. Thank the social worker at your school today!
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Katelyn Nation is kind, hardworking, dedicated, determined and excels in reading, writing and math. She sets high expectations for herself and works diligently to ensure she succeeds in all she does. Katelyn is a member of Junior Beta Club, Math Team and STREAM Club. She won the school Spelling Bee and her writing was chosen for the Georgia Young Authors competition. Her teachers say she is an enthusiastic learner who is responsible and humble and always maintains a positive attitude. We are proud of Katelyn!
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Science Opportunity for Middle School Students
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Our wonderful partners at Google are again offering a free coding workshop, Coding for Kids, at the Atlanta Science Festival on March 21, and have reached out specifically to Douglas County School System middle school students. The annual family-focused
Atlanta Science Festival
(ASF) celebrates local science and technology with hands-on activities, tours, tastings and performances.
Each coding workshop lasts 45 minutes, leaving plenty of time for additional festival activities designed to be fun for all ages.
- Location: Google’s Digital Village at the ASF Expo in Piedmont Park
- Time: Festival is from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; coding workshops will be 45 minutes long and take place at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- Note: Spots are limited, so registrants must arrive 10 minutes before their session; parents and guardians must accompany children during the workshop, though seating will be reserved for students.
- Description: Coding for Kids. Learn the basics of coding with classes taught by local Google engineers; to participate in a free coding class, parents/guardians must pre-register their middle-school-aged children prior to the event; at the Google Digital Village, students can also check out Google’s gravity-powered race car and share all the fun with friends at home in the custom Google photo zone!
- Register: http://bit.ly/GoogleASFCoding
- Questions?: Contact Carolina Hazard at csfirstworkshop@gmail.com
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March 7: Elementary Math Competition
March 8: Daylight Savings Begins
March 10: Grading Period Ends
March 12: Teacher Recruitment Fair
March 14: Elementary Honor Chorus Concert
March 16: BOE Meeting
March 17: Progress Reports, High Schools
March 17: Report Cards, Elementary and Middle Schools
March 19: High School Freshman Expo
March 24: Election Day
March 24: TOME Society Competition
March 25: Teacher 4 A Day
March 26: Special Olympics at NMHS
April 6-10: Holiday 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
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Click
here for a PDF of the registration form for the Holly Springs Elementary Hawks Fun Run.
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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.
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Tickets to Les Miserables are available by visiting the Alexander Performing Arts Booster
website
.
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Check out opportunities that are available in our area by clicking the Community Bulletin Board below!
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