May 17, 2019

Lions Club Presents $5,000 Check!

On behalf of the Danville Host Lion’s Club, Lion Mike Mondul presented a $5,000 donation to help support instructional needs for Danville Public Schools students identified as blind or visually impaired. Pictured with Lion Mondul is Julie Parker, DPS Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Julie is also a member of the Danville Host Club.

#partnershipsmatter

New Additions to Northside!

Ms. Yeatts and her Northside students welcomed baby chicks to their class! Click here for this cute video.

Westwood Chorus Earns First Place x 2!

The Westwood Chorus traveled to Busch Gardens last Saturday, May 11, where they competed against other Middle School Choirs and earned First Place in their Division and First Place Overall. Congratulations!!!

Preschool Registration Remains Open!

We still have slots available for preschool and we are still registering kids. Register now!

ACEC Announces Two New GED Graduates!

ACEC is proud to introduce this weeks two new GED Graduates: Leilanie Nichols and Fatma Farag. As we are always proud of our student accomplishments, these two students overcame some additional barriers in obtaining their diploma. English is a second language for both Leilanie and Fatma. Leilanie is from the Philippines, and her next step will be to attend two years at DCC and then transfer to Averett University's Nursing Program. Fatma is from Egypt and will attend DCC and then transfer to a university to obtain her bachelors degree in Business Administration.

These two ladies will be part of ACEC's Graduation Ceremony on June 1st in the GW Auditorium at 11:00 am. Please join us for this celebration.

If you, or someone you know, is in need of a jump start in their education/career, call Mary Dumont at 434.791.6471.

DPS Education Foundation Awards Scholarships!

At the Galileo Magnet High School Awards Program held on May 14th, the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation awarded 3 scholarships of $2,000 each.

Congratulations to Oscar Kemp, the winner of the Bryan Wells Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations to Rebecca Shadrick and Tabatha Watkins, the winners of The Booker Award!

Pictured are Terri Hall, DPS School Board Chair and DPSEF Board member, with Kemp, Shadrick, and Watkins!

Congratulations to all of last night's winners!

DPS Announces Graduation Details!

Danville Public Schools (DPS) announces today the graduation schedules for Galileo Magnet High School, George Washington High School (GWHS), and the GED program. Galileo’s graduation ceremony will take place on Friday, May 24, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the GWHS Auditorium. The graduation ceremony for GWHS will take place on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the E. Stuart Grant Center at Averett University’s North Campus, located at 707 Mt. Cross Road. The GED graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the GWHS Auditorium.

Attendees at both ceremonies must have a ticket for admission. Galileo graduates will receive 13 tickets each and GWHS graduates will receive 6 tickets each. All persons, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter the venue.

On May 31, 2019, all GWHS graduates must be at Averett for practice at 10:00 a.m. and then return to the GWHS gym by 4:00 p.m. to line up for the class picture and then load the buses to Averett. Students will not be allowed to drive directly to the venue. Guests attending the GWHS graduation ceremony should arrive one hour prior to the event as the doors open for seating at 6:00 p.m.

Entry into the GWHS ceremony will only be allowed via the main entrance of the E. Stuart Grant Center. Due to the graduation processional, the lobby will be closed starting at 6:50 p.m. and will reopen once the graduates are seated. Additionally, anyone who leaves the building for any reason will not be allowed to re-enter. Signs are not allowed inside the venue as they obstruct the view for other attendees. Per the Fire Marshall, no balloons or strollers are permitted.

For those who cannot attend, both ceremonies will stream live on YouTube. To access the graduation ceremony on your smartphone, device, or computer, log into www.youtube.com/user/dpslive. Also, both ceremonies will air on River City TV (Comcast Channel 10 and Gamewood Channel 122) throughout the month of June.

Filling our Final Days with STEAM!

At O.T. Bonner, the sixth grade teachers have found a way to make the last few days enjoyable and filled with a challenge for our students. We are conducting S.T.E.A.M. challenges each day for the remainder of the year. We started with the "12 Card Challenge" where students competed to build the tallest tower using 12 index cards and 1 foot of masking tape. The tallest tower was 21 inches! They had a blast and worked really hard. They learned that mistakes were okay and starting over with a new plan sometimes helps.

We plan to make foil boats to float pennies, jelly bean towers, and foil towers that hold "buckets" of pennies as well.

Collaborative Book Cover Paintings at Bonner!

Students in Mrs. Emerson’s 8^th Grade Art Foundations 1 classes worked together to create large paintings of popular books from the school library. The purpose of the project was for students to work on their observational skills while painting, collaborate with a partner, and learn about how art can be persuasive. Also, the project gave students a chance to promote reading in our school and allowed them to make their mark before moving on to high school next year. The paintings will remain in the library for many years to come.

Mrs. Holmes, the school librarian, had students create voice recordings to go along with their paintings. Students recorded a summary of the book they chose and gave verbal credit to the original cover artists. The voice recordings were uploaded onto a website by Mrs. Holmes, and a QR code was created and attached to each painting so that student voices will leave a lasting impression on the O. T. Bonner Middle School library.

Adult Education ESL Class Celebrates Three Birthdays!

The Adult Education ESL Class celebrated three birthdays on Wednesday. Those students with May birthdays were Dennis Abarca, Ada Zhong, and Kyoko Hirayama. The culinary treats represented the nine countries of Mexico, Honduras, Togo/Africa, Japan, Vietnam, USA, China, Indonesia, and Costa Rica.

If you would like to improve on your conversational English and make some great new friendships, please come to the Adult Education Center. Also, if you need a GED Diploma, job skill training, or help in preparing for college placement testing, please call Mary Dumont at 434.799.6571.

Three Local Organizations Recognized for Their Support!

At the school board meeting held on May 16, 2019, the Danville School Board recognized the J.T.- Minnie Maude Charitable Trust, Noblis, and Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania, for their strong support of the division’s schools. The organizations were honored as part of the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Business Honor Roll program. The program, in its third year, gives school divisions a way to say “thank you” to local businesses and recognize them for their valuable contributions to the schools.

The J.T. – Minnie Maude Charitable Trust was recognized because of a $160,000 grant awarded to Danville Public Schools (DPS) to assist with the up-fit costs for the state-of-the-art Precision Machining Technology Lab located at George Washington High School. The Precision Machining program was developed in collaboration with Danville Community College and allows students to receive hands-on, real-world experiences in the classroom setting that prepares them for the transition to the local community college and entry into the job market. The industry credentials and certifications earned by students are added to the option of entering the job market in an entry-level position.

The School Board also recognized Noblis as a partner in the development of Academic and Career Plans for our students in middle schools. Through their generous financial donations Chromebooks were provided to all students in the Career Investigation courses in our middle schools. In addition to monetary support, Noblis provided staff to assist with the development and implementation of a core curriculum that exposes students to 16 career clusters through college visits, classroom presentations, and hands-on learning experiences.

The third organization recognized was Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania. For the 2018 -2019 school year, Smart Beginnings Success School Pilot at G.L.H. Johnson provided Success Specialists (four days a week) in each reading block K-3, teacher retention bonuses, books for students, and 63 hours of additional professional development. Professional development specific to Johnson included, but was not limited to: Balanced Literacy, Trauma Responsive Teaching, Team Building, Morning Meeting, and Data Driven Instructional Planning. In partnership with PATHS, Averett University, and the Church-Based Tutorial, Smart Beginnings also provided on-site, part-time behavioral health counseling, after-school tutorials, and pre-service teacher placements at Johnson.

“The school division and its students, board members, administrators, and staff would like to express sincere appreciation for all that these organizations do for the children of our community,” according to Terri Hall, School Board Chair. “These three partners have donated their time, talent, and financial resources to support DPS programs and initiatives designed to prepare our students for a 21^st century economy.”

The Virginia School Boards Association, a voluntary, nonpartisan organization of Virginia school boards, promotes excellence in public education through leadership, advocacy and services.

Pictured below (L to R): Terri Hall, School Board Chair, presenting certificates to: Kathy Emerson, CFO of the J.T. - Minnie Maude Charitable Trust, Anna Crawley of Noblis, and Jessie Barksdale, Chair of Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania.

#partnershipsmatter

Retirees Recognized at School Board Meeting!

30 DPS retirees, with a combined 633 years of service, were honored at a reception and at the School Board meeting held on May 16, 2019. DPS appreciates you for your years of service and dedication to the Division and its greatest assets - our students! Congratulations:

• Sandra Andrews - Chief Academic Officer
• Ralph Burchett - School Bus Driver
• Dassie Burton - Reading Interventionist
• John David Cochran - Principal
• Ettie Collins - Teacher
• Cynthia Davis - Secretary
• Floyd Davis - Custodian
• Penelope Dawson - School Nurse
• Leigh Duncan - Teacher
• Danny Ellis - Custodian
• Eliza Glymph - Head Custodian
• Bonnie Hayes - Secretary
• Margaret Hill - School Nurse
• Kurt Kramke - Teacher
• Lynn Lawrence - Bookkeeper
• Kathy McDaniel - Executive Administrative Assistant
• Sandra Mitchell - Principal
• Shirley Motley - Custodian
• Kenneth Noble - Custodian
• Carlease Price - Teacher
• Janis Puryear - Cafeteria Manager
• Melinda Robinett - Director of Services for Exceptional Children
• Sheila Scearce - Secretary Bookkeeper
• Grace Sigmon - Cafeteria Worker
• Freddie Stokes - Custodian
• Larry Taylor - Head Custodian
• Pearl Taylor - Custodian
• Van Widdifield - Lead Painter
• Alfreda Wilson - Custodian
• Howard Wilson - General Maintenance

Congratulations to Gentry, Batts, and Ferrell!

Congratulations to the 2019 Start on Success Interns. Students completed a semester of coursework with vocational and life skills, followed by a semester internship at Leggett Town & Country.

From left to right: Jasmine Gentry, Joshua Batts, and Zion Ferrell