Congratulations to our 2021 Retirees!

May 21, 2021

Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff Members,

This has been a year like no other. As we close the door on the 2020-2021 school year, I want to thank everyone for their patience and support. We all had to stay flexible and adapt to ever-changing rules. I'm proud of the work we have accomplished in spite of challenging circumstances.

We know there has been some loss of learning this year, and we have plans to fill in the gaps. We are confident that any setbacks in learning are temporary. Our students have a bright future.

I know that parents are eager to learn of our plans for the upcoming school year. We will hold classes in person five days a week. The first day of class for students is August 4.

As positive COVID-19 cases continue to trend down and as vaccinations continue to trend up, we hope that masks will be optional for the 2021-2022 school year. In July, we will review local data and CDC guidance and announce a decision on masks and other COVID-19 protocols. Regardless of the decision of the district, any student or staff member who would prefer to continue wearing a mask while attending school or school events should feel free to do so.

I must point out that our community is still in a high-spread status. We encourage unvaccinated students, staff and family members to continue to follow the three Ws -- Watch your distance, Wash your hands, Wear your mask.

I wish all of our families and employees a restful and fun-filled summer break. You deserve it.

Sincerely,

Trent North, Superintendent

The $12 Million Dollar Men

Two Douglas County High School Seniors offered millions in scholarships by colleges and universities

Douglas County High School seniors and good friends Jonathan Jefferson and Joshua Robinson have received a combined total of $11,884,434 in scholarship offers! Anyone who has selected a college recently knows how difficult it can be to make the final decision of where to attend. Imagine being Jonathan and choosing from 47 different colleges offering scholarships ranging from a high of $320,724 to a low of $87,848. Joshua chose from 34 colleges that offered him anywhere from $320,724 to $90,020.

Jonathan’s 47 scholarship offers totaling $6.6 million come from leading universities including Duke, Notre Dame, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Georgia. Despite all the schools courting him to join their ranks, he chose to stay near his roots by attending University of Georgia (UGA). “UGA has always had a place in my heart,” says Jonathan. “It’s close to home, and it was my first offer during my freshman year. It just felt right.” Jonathan will play on the defensive line for the Bulldogs while working on an accounting degree.

He says Douglas County High School (DCHS) Coaches Johnny White and Faamoemoe Soli helped prepare him for where he is now. “Coach White and Coach Soli were always pushing me,” said Jonathan. “The hard work they put me through and the coaching helped prepare me for college football. I appreciate everything they did for me.”

Jonathan’s inspiration is his mother. “She’s a single parent and put in a lot of work to put a roof over my head and food on the table,” he says of his mom. “I want to make it for her!”

Jonathan’s long-term goals are to play for the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons.

Joshua also received scholarship offers from leading institutions, ultimately deciding on Georgia Tech. Joshua’s first of 34 scholarship offers came during his sophomore year at DCHS. He chose Georgia Tech because, “I like the coaches; the location is good; and the academics are amazing.” He will play defensive end for the Yellow Jackets while pursuing a business degree.

Joshua says his time as a student and athlete at DCHS “got me physically and mentally ready in every aspect for college and college football.”

He receives inspiration from his mother, saying, “she inspires me to work hard and accomplish goals.” Those goals include playing in the NFL one day. Like his friend Jonathan, Joshua would like to play for the Atlanta Falcons.

“The thing that makes me proud about both of these young men is that they are STUDENTS FIRST,” says Head Football Coach Johnny White. “Jonathan and Joshua will both graduate with great grades. Jonathan has a 3.2, and Joshua has a 3.8. Their leadership was never vocal, but they let their ACTIONS speak louder than their WORDS. Their work and team-first mentality has left a legacy at Douglas County that every student athlete now has the blueprint to follow.”

Jonathan and Joshua will graduate from DCHS on May 27, but they are already attending classes at UGA and GT respectively.

Young Authors Shine at State Level

Five DCSS students placed at the state level in the annual Young Georgia Authors competition, which is sponsored by the Georgia Council of Teachers of English and the Georgia Department of Education.

Each school submits the best writing from each grade level. These entries are judged, and a district winner is announced. The writing then advances to the region and state level.

Soraya Wilson, 11th Grade

Chapel Hill High School

Madison Gibson, 5th Grade

Mirror Lake Elementary

Mackenzie Daniel, 3rd Grade

South Douglas Elementary

Elysa Desamours, 7th Grade

Chestnut Log Middle School

Layla Gibson, 9th Grade

Chapel Hill High School

DSES Welcomes Eight Chicks to the Panther Family!

May 10 was an extremely exciting day for everyone at Dorsett Shoals Elementary School, especially the 2nd graders. Ms. Chambers, Ms. Rivera, and Mrs. Sapogov hatched chicken eggs as a culminating activity for their Life Cycle unit. With the help of an incubator borrowed from the West Georgia Youth Science & Technology Center and a donation of 12 eggs from a 2nd grade family, they were successful in hatching eight of the eggs.

For 21 days students routinely monitored the temperature and humidity and turned the eggs to ensure the environment was just right. For two days, you could continually hear giggles and "chirps" of excitement throughout the building as the entire Dorsett family anxiously watched a livestream of the chicks emerging from their shells.

Ms. Rivera is pictured with her excited 2nd graders!

Congratulations to Our 2021 Retirees!

We bid a fond farewell to the DCSS family members who retired this school year and those who will retire this summer. The impact you have made on children in our community is immeasurable, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Superintendent North honored retirees with a drop-by reception on May 10 at the Central Office. Pictured below are three veteran DCSS employees with their plaques and gifts presented by Mr. North.

Please enjoy the video featuring messages from a few of our retirees. We will miss you!

Willie Pounds, transportation department, has driven children to and from school for11 years.

Sheila Squire, media specialist at Mt. Carmel Elementary, is retiring after 38 years in education.

Carmen Long, office manager at the College & Career Institute, is retiring after 29 years.

Vote for Your Favorite Local Businesses, Organizations and People!

It's time to vote in the Douglas County Sentinel's Readers' Choice Awards for 2021! Click the link to vote for your favorites in all the categories.

You will have the opportunity to vote for the Douglas County School System as "Best Employer" by clicking "Local People, Places and Things" and scrolling to the "Employer" category. You can also vote for your favorite elementary, middle and high school teacher!

Readers' Choice Awards Link

Watch the 2021

Graduations Live!

Our five high school graduations are quickly approaching, and we are thrilled to provide a livestream for our friends and family who are unable to attend in person.

For the link to each school's ceremony, please click here.

Taryn Lang has had an amazing start in high school. She maintains a 4.0 GPA while taking classes in the AP magnet program. She is involved in several extracurricular activities including cheerleading, track and field and SGA. Taryn served as president of the freshman class and was re-elected by her peers to serve as president of the sophomore class. She excels academically, is a positive role model, and is a true leader among her peers. We are very proud of Taryn's accomplishments!