November 20, 2020

A November to Remember!

As a reminder, November 16-20, 2020, is American Education Week, when we celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every student receives a quality education, even in these challenging times. This year, instead of celebrating DPS employees for just one week, we will start our celebration early and continue for the rest of the month in your honor! To this end, the Department of Human Resources is excited to kick off...

"A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER!"

This exciting celebration started on Monday, November 9, 2020 and will continue throughout the month of November. We will have daily contests to engage, inspire, motivate, and celebrate DPS employees. Each day, employees will have the opportunity to participate in a contest to win great prizes, including DPS umbrellas, mugs, tote bags, T-shirts, snack boxes, restaurant gift cards, and more!

Email your entries to benefits@mail.dps.k12.va.us between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily. Early or late entries will not be accepted. You must include your name, position, and work location on each entry. Fifteen (15) winners will be drawn each day from all entries. Enter daily to increase your chances of winning. Only one prize per employee will be awarded during the month. Please be sure all entries are appropriate and tasteful, as they are subject to being posted on DPS's social media accounts.

Gifting Gratitude Campaign to Begin December 1st!

Beginning December 1st, you will be receiving an email from Let's Talk introducing our new "Gifting Gratitude" campaign. Danville Public Schools is focusing on “Gifting Gratitude” for employees to recognize how the positive things in our work lives are often due to people and forces outside of ourselves. No matter the position you hold, we know that our school district is only as good as our employees, and often we depend on each other to do this challenging, yet rewarding work of educating children and caring for their well-being.

A digital form has been created to facilitate an outpouring of appreciation for what you do to help one another. Whether large or small, each day is filled with acts of kindness, connection, and support that contribute to our individual successes and well-being.

If you would like to show your heartfelt gratitude to another DPS staff member, all you have to do is click on the link that will be provided on December 1st and submit your message of appreciation. Your message will be delivered with care during the month of December, and the recipient will receive a small token from the Department of Human Resources.

Hospitality and Customer Service Certifications Available!

Stop by the ACEC and speak with Nadara Kingery about obtaining your GED or industry certifications. Certifications include: CDL permits, OSHA training, ServSafe/Food Service, and Hospitality/Customer Service. Get your Hospitality/Customer Service certification so you can be ready for job opportunities with Caesar's! Click here for an informative video.

W.W. Moore Seeking Holiday Donations!

Noblis Donates $5,000 to the DPS Education Foundation!

Bill Franklin (right), site lead for Noblis in Danville and a DPSEF Board member, presents a $5,000 check to Jonathan Hackworth (left), Chair of the DPSEF Development Committee, and Anne Moore-Sparks, Director of the DPSEF.

Noblis realized that with the shift to remote learning, teachers have incurred additional costs, that they nor the school division had foreseen. The donation will be used to provide grants to teachers who have incurred unplanned, out-of-pocket expenses to support remote learning. We will keep you updated on an application process coming soon.

I hope you can tell that we are all wearing big smiles behind the masks! Can you see it in our eyes?

Transition Stop Located at Langston!

In the summer of 2019, Danville Public Schools (DPS) saw the need to expand services to students who are absent from school because they lack basic life essentials. Removing barriers to learning, such as: clothing, underwear, shoes, coats, mattresses and bed linen, non-perishable food items, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, feminine care products, washers and dryers, showers, school supplies, etc. would give ALL students equal access to education.

Simultaneously, the United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County (UWDPC) had begun collecting donations of unwanted teacher supplies for their Teacher Supply Swap and was searching for a place to house the initiative. The idea is to reduce the financial burden for teachers by providing access to educational materials that other teachers may no longer want.

Conversations between the two groups resulted in the development of The Transition Stop, where supplies could be provided for at-risk DPS students and families, free of charge.

The Transition Stop is located at the Langston Campus. Two previous classrooms and two additional spaces have been converted for the project. The Danville Regional Foundation approved a grant request for $25,000 for start-up costs. Through a generous donation of $5,000 from Tiffany Harrison, a 1993 George Washington High School alum and a CFO for Boeing, a commercial washer and dryer have been installed. It is important to note that Boeing matched Mrs. Harrison’s donation of $5,000 for a total of $10,000!

If you know of a student in need, please reach out to your school's Guidance Counselor who will make contact with the family and make an appointment for the Transition Stop. Or you can call Student Support Services directly at 434.773.8226 if you have any questions.

We had originally planned to have a tour/reception so that you could see the space but COVID made us rethink this plan. Stay tuned for a video of the space. If you would like to donate items, please contact Student Support Services directly. Items needed - winter clothing, hygiene items, socks, underwear!

Griffin Submits Winning Design!

The Virginia Chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation for Blind and Vision Impaired (AERBVI) sponsored a contest asking students with visual impairments across the state to submit graphic designs to highlight the theme “2020 Vision to Touch the Future.” The winning design was created by Danville Public Schools’ student Zamarian Griffin, a freshman at George Washington High School.

In Zamarian’s words, “One eye symbolizes a normal eye, and the other eye symbolizes the eye of a fully blind person who can’t see, which is why there isn’t a pupil drawn on that eye. The logo of the man holding the cane symbolizes a blind man walking, and as you may notice, his cane is part of the letter ‘V’ symbolizing the word vision. The word in braille is the word future, and the hand beside it is reaching for it. Therefore, it means reaching for the future.”

Zamarian was recognized and interviewed November 12, 2020 in a state-wide virtual AER meeting. The winning design will be used on t-shirts and printed materials used at Virginia AER events. Congratulations, Zamarian! Pictured below is Zamarian and his winning design!