DCSS Honors Outstanding Educators at Teacher of the Year Banquet | |
CHMS' Hatcher Named District Teacher of the Year | |
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At Alexander High School’s performing arts center, surrounded by school leaders and 34 school-level Teachers of the Year, Shemeria Hatcher was named the Douglas County School System (DCSS) Teacher of the Year (TOTY) for 2023-24.
“Being named DCSS’ TOTY is truly an esteemed honor,” said Hatcher. “Alongside so many other great leaders of education in our district, I must admit that I am in complete awe to have been afforded this grand opportunity.”
Hatcher, an English teacher at Chapel Hill Middle School, has served as a beacon of inspiration and excellence for 10 years at DCSS. She has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to fostering a dynamic learning environment to help students reach their full potential.
During the TOTY judging process, evaluators were captivated by her fierce passion for students and education. One judge mentioned that Hatcher’s engaging and creative approach to teaching separated her from other candidates. And another said that her fervor for helping students grow and become the best versions of themselves was evident by how she conducts her daily classes.
“I didn’t get here by myself. I always say it takes a village, and I am a product of mine,” Hatcher said. “From my family and community to school administrators and students, they have all played a part in getting me to where I am today.”
Superintendent Trent North praised Hatcher’s work for showing dedication, passion, and a pursuit of excellence.
“We are pleased to recognize excellence in education by celebrating our Teacher of the Year,” Superintendent North says. “This year’s winner is committed to student success and is strongly dedicated to the teaching profession. Her investment in Douglas County Scholars will shape the future for years to come.”
As the 2023-24 DCSS TOTY, Hatcher will represent Douglas County for the next year at various speaking engagements and will compete for the title of Georgia’s 2025 Teacher of the Year nomination. With this platform, she says she plans to continue advocating for DCSS students and the school community.
“As an advocate for my DCSS community, I plan to utilize this platform to continue dissolving classroom walls,” Hatcher said. “There is an old euphemism that, ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.’ The significance of this notion is that everyone plays a key role in the educational outcomes of our youth and the overall success of our future. Therefore, all stakeholders must be invested. I plan to fill in the gaps and bridge connections to ensure that our students remain globally competitive and intellectually sound in all environments.”
At the banquet, several other outstanding educators were also honored. Julie Buff, Winston Elementary School third grade teacher, was named Elementary School TOTY, and Teresa Wellmaker, chemistry teacher at Douglas County High School, was named High School TOTY.
Throughout her career, Buff says that she most enjoys getting to be quick on her feet in her classroom in order to execute her lessons best each day. She firmly believes that each child in her classroom can learn, and she works daily to create an inclusive and nurturing learning environment to help each child reach their potential.
Wellmaker, a DCSS graduate, has been an educator for 18 years. She says that DCSS has profoundly impacted her life, so she aspires to have the same loving impact on her students that others shared with her as a student.
Other semifinalists, in addition to Hatcher, Buff, and Wellmaker, were Jennifer Waits (South Douglas Elementary), Chelsea Montford (Stewart Middle School), and Jacqueline Roth (FLEX Academy).
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14 Middle School Students to Embark on Transformative Journey to Brazil and Argentina | |
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The Douglas County School System is delighted to announce that 14 outstanding middle school students have earned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the vibrant cultures and rich histories of Brazil and Argentina during winter break in February.
”The Board of Education and I are excited to celebrate the outstanding students who have the opportunity to travel internationally,” Superintendent Trent North says. “We strongly believe that traveling abroad expands horizons and creates a community of lifelong learners. We are excited to send these students on this new adventure so they may continue to enrich their minds.”
For eight days during winter break in February, students will travel to Brazil and Argentina to experience the culture and natural beauty of these countries. On the trip students will explore cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, experience authentic local cuisine, participate in cultural activities like Samba dancing, and take in the natural beauty of the tropical rainforest that borders the two countries.
“This meets our vision of making our students global citizens,” said Mitch Springer, Executive Director of K-5 and Health Curriculum. “It exposes them to travel, and it hopefully sparks their interest in travel so that they want to continue learning in this way.”
To earn this opportunity, students submitted essays on the importance of student travel and all that can be gained from journeying abroad. All middle school students with a good attendance record, a low number of discipline referrals, and passing grades were eligible to apply. This year, 237 students submitted essays, which was nearly 100 more than last year. Each essay was read by a group of retired educators who selected the top 14 candidates to earn this opportunity.
The winners of this contest were revealed through surprise visits from Superintendent North, who visited their respective schools in late September and early October.
This transformative experience for middle school students was made possible by the DCSS Board of Education, Education First Educational Tours, and donations from the Douglas County Water and Sewage Authority (DCWSA). Both DCSS and DCWSA hope that the trip will provide students with the opportunity to connect their learning across various academic subjects in real-world contexts to continue fostering the joy of exploring new areas beyond the confines of their classroom.
“We’ll spend two days in the rainforest that’s between Brazil and Argentina, and I’m so excited for these students to experience that,” said Springer. “And Brazil is so culturally diverse, but Argentina is a little more homogenous. Getting to see the major differences in two countries that are so close together will be a great learning experience.”
To prepare for this experience, students, their parents, and chaperones participate in monthly meetings to help familiarize the young travelers with each country’s foods, languages, laws, and other customs to help them navigate a world unfamiliar to their own. This, Springer says, is another important benefit of student travel, as students gain openness to other cultures and people while understanding the interconnectedness between countries.
“Experiences like these open students’ eyes to different cultures and different things,” said Springer. “It lets them know that we are all citizens of one earth, and we all have things in common, no matter what your cultural background is or where you live.”
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Eastside Elementary Kicks Off First Annual Million Fathers March | |
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Research indicates fathers play a critical role in the development and well-being of children. Eastside Elementary School recently celebrated the power of a father’s presence in education as they kicked off their inaugural Million Fathers March.
MFM is a movement aimed at actively encouraging fathers, father figures, and male role models to support children’s academic success and life goals. Since 2022, Principal of Eastside Elementary School, Timothy Jenkins, Sr. has led a cohort of fathers in the community with parental and personal development workshops. "Fathers engage with children which creates a bigger impact in their children’s lives,” said Jenkins. “Seeing guys in orange vests made a difference today. We wanted the fathers to stand out,” he said. The campaign strives for fathers to be present for their children physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.
Eastside hosted the event on September 15 in partnership with Fathers Matter ATL, www.fathersmatteratl.com and All Pro Dads www.allprodad.com/about. The All Pro Dads workshops are held monthly, and the first meeting for the 2023-24 academic year was hosted September 22. For more information, please contact Jenkins at timothy.jenkins@dcssga.org.
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Local High Schools Hosting Band Competitions | |
DCHS Preparing for Local Band Competition | |
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Douglas County High School is making preparations to welcome 17 bands to Tiger Stadium on Saturday, October 7 for the third annual Gathering Marching Band Competition. High school bands from across the Southeastern United States including Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are eager to perform for family, friends, and fans as they compete to be named the third Gathering Grand Champion.
Director of Bands at Douglas County High School Torre Goodson is thrilled about the unity it brings among the community. "I understand the power and beauty of this event and recognize that the marching arts present us with the opportunity to bring people together from various walks of life. It creates something that is greater than the sum of its parts, and this is a tremendous opportunity to display to our community that the arts are alive and thriving not only at DCHS, but in Douglas County as a whole,” Goodson stated.
To close out the competition, the crowd will experience exhibition performances by the incomparable Marching Tiger Band of Douglas County High School and the Mighty Marching Panthers of Clark-Atlanta University. While spectators enjoy the band’s captivating performances, they can also indulge in the family-friend atmosphere where several vendors and food options will be available.
The Douglas County High School Tiger Bands provides an artistic outlet for high school students participating in marching, concert, and jazz bands, wind ensemble, and the Blue Steel Drumline. In addition, they support and mentor local middle school music programs in the county.
Gates for the event open at 12 p.m. and the first competing band begins at 1 p.m. Admission is $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased here! The Douglasville community will not want to miss this spectacular event!
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NMHS Hosting 4th Annual Jaguar Classic | |
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Several high school bands across the south will captivate fans as they take center stage in New Manchester High School’s 4th Annual Jaguar Classic on Saturday, October 14. The exciting event will begin at 10 a.m. on the NMHS campus.
The crowd will enjoy special exhibition performances from Talladega College Great Tornado Band, Sounds of Success Community Band, and The Mighty Marching Jaguars of NMHS. “We are very excited to have the Talladega College Great Tornado Band perform at this year’s classic,” said NMHS Band Director, Marcus Chester. “The Jaguar Classic is a competition that was started to allow both traditional and corps style band programs to an arena to compete. We started the JC in 2019 with 9 participating bands. We now have grown to incorporate a waiting list as we exceed the number of bands we can host every year. On average we see about upwards of 2,000 plus to include around 12 high school bands,” said Chester.
Food trucks and vendors will have refreshments available for spectators to purchase. General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids 5 to 12 years old. Kids 4 and under are free. The clear bag policy is also in effect for the fun-filled event.
For additional information and purchase options regarding the Jaguar Classic, please email nmhsclassic@gmail.com.
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Building a community of lifelong learners every day | |
Pastries with the Principal Encourages Parent Engagement at ESES | |
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Eastside Elementary graciously welcomed parents and students to Pastries with the Principal in an effort to encourage open dialogue about continuing excellence within their school community. “The overall concept of the event is to show our parents appreciation,” said Principal of Eastside Elementary, Timothy Jenkins, Sr. “We ask a lot and it’s a way for us to give back and welcome them into our building,” he added.
The networking event is a time for parents to hear about instructional programs, gain instructional data knowledge, learn strategies to assist their children, ask questions and/or share concerns that will positively impact student achievement. In the past, Eastside has hosted Pastries with the Principal once a year but this year’s grand turnout inspired them to add a February date to the calendar.
Jenkins was overwhelmed with the amount of support for the idea. “I was amazed at the turnout and seeing parents have a great time. I loved that kids weren’t worried about academics. Parents and students mixed and mingled in a relaxing environment while bonding. We are a family at ESES and we want to share this culture with the community,” said Jenkins.
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MLES, NDES Kindergarteners Participate in Alphabet Bootcamp | |
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Last week, several young learners at North Douglas and Mirror Lake elementary schools completed Alphabet Bootcamp at their respective schools to help them master the fundamentals of the alphabet.
At the end of the bootcamp, the young scholars wore vests that represented a letter of the alphabet. While marching around the school in their vests, the rest of the school wore camouflage and cheered on the students.
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Exceptional, diligent, hard working, dependable, and a joy to teach are just a few words used to best describe Chapel Hill Elementary fifth grader, Charlie Tolbert. Tolbert’s teachers and peers are proud to call her an exceptional CHES Cheetah.
The pleasant scholar is a leader in the classroom who is always up for a challenge. As a member of the TOME club, she keeps a book in hand and a sweet smile ready to make a new friend. Tolbert’s dynamic personality led her to help deliver the morning announcements on the Cheetah News Network. The avid reader also sings in the CHES chorus.
Outside of school, Tolbert enjoys playing soccer, reading, playing board games and cards. She also enjoys family time fishing with her dad and playing video games with her siblings.
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Weekly Athletics Schedule | |
- October 6: Grading Period Ends
- October 9-13: Fall Break
- October 21: DCEF Fun Run
- October 18: Progress Reports (high school)
- October 18: Report Cards (elementary & middle schools)
- November 7: Teacher Work Day
- November 15: Progress Reports (elementary & middle schools)
- November 20-24: Thanksgiving Holidays
- December 15: End of First Semester
- December 18-January 1: Holiday Break
- January 2: Teacher Work Day
- January 3: Students Return for 2nd Semester
- January 3: Report Cards (all levels)
- January 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- February 7: Progress Reports (elementary & middle schools)
- February 19-23: Winter Break
- March 11: Teacher Work Day
- March 20: Report Cards (elementary & middle schools)
- March 20: Progress Reports (high school)
- April 1-5: Spring Break
- April 24: Progress Reports (elementary & middle schools)
- May 22: Report Cars (elementary schools)
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Get Your Pink On Race
Join the Winston Elementary School family for a day of fun and fellowship for the annual Get Your Pink On Race on October 22 at the school. The festivities begin at 1:00 p.m., and race day registration is available. See the links for English and Spanish flyers about the event.
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DCSS Community Bulletin Board
Looking for a great weekend event, after-school care, or a new activity? Check out DCSS' Community Bulletin Board at the link above to learn all about events and activities occurring in Douglas County.
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Douglas SEES
DCSS offers several resources for student health, wellness and support through the Douglas SEES website. Visit the link above to learn more about the resources available to students and families.
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