January 22, 2021

GWHS Alum Makes Donation!

Carmen Chatten, a 1998 graudate of GWHS and its health sciences program, donated $400 to the DPS Education Foundation. The donation will be given annually and will provide uniforms for our nursing students!

Ms. Chatten is a family nurse practitioner in Durham, North Carolina and credits the GWHS program for her success. She said it was important to "pay it forward" and help students succeed, just as many people helped her along the way. #DPSStrong

Strategic Planning Process and Community Engagement Sessions Underway!

The first step in the process is to conduct surveys and gather feedback from students, staff, teachers, stakeholders, and community members. “Gathering input on the division’s strengths, opportunities, challenges, and areas of improvement is a priority,” said Superintendent Angela Hairston. “The information gleaned will provide a baseline and a roadmap to align the division’s goals, accomplish set objectives, and improve performance.”

The community survey, both in English and Spanish, is posted to the division’s website and social media sites. The deadline to participate in the survey is January 29, 2021. The community is encouraged to participate.

The division hosted virtual community engagement sessions with community members on January 14th and January 19th. If you would like to participate in the strategic planning process, there will be two more opportunities to attend.

If you would like to attend the January 26th meeting from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM, please fill out this google form. A meeting link will be sent prior to the meeting.

If you would like to attend the January 26th meeting from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM, please fill out this google form. A meeting link will be sent prior to the meeting.

The Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) will assist DPS with the implementation of a new strategic plan.

WSET Article

Congratulations Falcons!

Galileo received the Continuous Improvement Award from the Virginia Board of Education for the 2019-2020 School Year! Congratulations to the students, teachers, and staff who made this achievement possible!

Westrock Paper Mill Company Makes Donation!

Westrock Paper Mill Company, located in Lynchburg, VA, donated over 200 pairs of new safety glasses to the CTE department at GWHS. Pictured is Robert Waller, the Precision Machining Instructor, showing off the new inventory. #PartnershipsMatter

BLAST Registration is Open!

BLAST is a FREE educational program of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, designed to ignite a passion in students who already show an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our hope is that the BLAST 3-day residential, on-campus experience, which is packed with demonstrations and collaborative activities led by college faculty, will inspire students to envision a career in a STEM field and motivate them to expand the number of STEM-related classes they take in higher grade levels.

Jones Graduates from the Teen GED Program!

Congratulations to Maihjlik Jones. Maihjlik graduated Saturday, January 16, 2021 from the Teen GED Program. He plans to focus on finding a job and most likely work with technology. He would like to thank the teachers and staff for getting him to this point. Congratulations to Maihjlik!

19 Teachers Awarded the Noblis Teacher Support Grant!

Noblis, a science, technology, and strategy organization located in the River District, recently donated $5,000 to the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation. The funds will provide assistance to teachers who have incurred unplanned, out-of-pocket expenses due to the change in the delivery of instruction caused by COVID-19.

Noblis realized that with the shift to remote learning, teachers may have incurred additional costs, that neither they nor the school division had foreseen. “This donation is to help teachers continue to do what they do best in any situation, but especially in the challenging times of COVID-19, which is provide opportunities for their students,” said William Franklin, Site Lead for Noblis. “Ensuring that a teacher has the materials or supplies needed for their classroom is extremely important. Noblis is honored to be able to partner with the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation to continue our support of Danville Public Schools.”

Through a competitive grant application process that ended on January 15, 2021, the Noblis Teacher Support Grant was awarded to nineteen (19) Danville Public Schools’ teachers:

· Hope Abernathy – Westwood Middle

· Cindy Blair – Schoolfield Elementary

· Zee Clark – E.A. Gibson Elementary

· Leigh Laughorne – E.A. Gibson Elementary

· Stefanie Price – Woodrow Wilson Intermediate

· Michelle Bloomer – George Washington High School

· Michelle Carlson – George Washington High School

· Megan Evans – Forest Hills Elementary

· Lauriel Fitzgerald – George Washington High School

· Jenny Funk – George Washington High School

· Laura Graser – Bonner Middle

· Jo Hawke – Schoolfield Elementary

· Jasmine Holdness – Forest Hills Elementary

· Hayley Hughes – Schoolfield Elementary

· Robin Jackson – Forest Hills Elementary

· Katelyn Burnette – Schoolfield Elementary

· Brianna Masssingale – George Washington High School

· Frances Viden – George Washington High School

· Tamara Breedlove – Bonner Middle

“Noblis has been a steadfast partner in providing resources to our students,” stated Anne Moore-Sparks, Director of the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation. “Over the years, they have donated financial resources to our Passport Program in our middle schools and gifted surplus computer equipment to the George Washington High School CyberPatriot Team. We are grateful to Noblis for its continued support of our programs and initiatives.”

About Noblis

Noblis is a dynamic science, technology, and strategy organization dedicated to creating forward-thinking technical and advisory solutions in the public interest. They bring the best of scientific thought, management, and engineering expertise together in an environment of independence and objectivity to deliver enduring impact on federal missions. Noblis works with a wide range of government clients in the defense, homeland security, intelligence and federal civil sectors. Together with their wholly owned subsidiary, Noblis ESI, they tackle the nation’s toughest problems and apply advanced solutions to their clients’ most critical missions.

Someone in the Division Just Turned 30!

Have a great weekend!

If you have stories for the Friday Feature, please email Anne Sparks at asparks@mail.dps.k12.va.us