September 18, 2020

Superintendent Search Update

At last night's board meeting (September 17th), the School Board provided an update on the search for the new Superintendent. The Danville School Board will be conducting interviews for the position from September 18th through October 2nd. Additional updates to follow.

Return to the Classroom for Students Who Selected Face-to-Face Learning

WSET - At the September 17th Danville School Board meeting, the Board voted to move in the direction of bringing kids back into the building as long as certain health and safety criteria are met.

The Danville School Board gave the interim superintendent, Dr. Catherine Magouyrk, the ability to investigate what it would mean to bring those kids who chose face-to-face learning back into buildings. It also allows her to come up with a game plan for what would be required to do that. The main contributing factor to this is if COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the city. The full WSET story can be seen here.

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We will keep you posted as soon as a plan has been APPROVED. As of now, this is investigational only and does not mean that the current virtual learning plan has changed.

The Return to the Classroom presentation from last night's (Sept. 17th) school board meeting can be viewed on YouTube - the Return to School presentation begins at 1:03:28.

Park Avenue Celebrated Dot Day!

Park Avenue recently celebrated International Dot Day this past week by reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and decorating colorful dots to making our own mark on the world.

City of Danville Offers Revised Equal Payment Plan for Those Facing Utility Disconnections!

Danville Utilities reminds customers that an equal payment plan is available to assist them if their service has been disconnected for non-payment or if facing disconnection.

Carol Henley, service and billing customer account manager for the Division of Customer Accounts, said several hundred customers have opted for the plan since disconnections for delinquent residential and commercial accounts resumed on Monday.

“The equal payment plan is more lenient than in the past,” Henley said Thursday. “The change has allowed us to help many more customers. So far, it has worked out well.”

To qualify for the equal payment plan, customers no longer have to pay the full delinquent amount upfront.

Instead, the delinquent amount is factored into the equal pay calculation, which is determined by the customer’s bill history.

To make arrangements for the payment plan, Henley said customers can come to the Charles H. Harris Financial Service Center or send an email to the customer accounts office at customerservice@danvilleva.gov. In the email, customers should include their account number, address and last four digits of their Social Security number.

Here is the link to the full news release. Also, please pass along this information if you know of a student or family in need of this support.

DPS Celebrates National Attendance Awareness Month!

During the month of September, our school district is celebrating National Attendance Awareness Month. Our theme is Showing Up Matters! Our goal this school year is to reduce absences, excused or unexcused, across our district. Every day a child misses school, he/she is missing valuable instruction time that impacts their learning. We love to see our students’ smiling faces every day and miss our students when they are absent. However, we need everyone’s help in making sure that our students are present, on time, and ready to learn each day. Help us make “Showing Up” to school a habit because we are eager to help our students become academically successful now and in the future.

Danville Public Schools will be handing out incentives for students and families during the week of September 21-25 at select meal distribution sites during lunchtime.

National Attendance Awareness Month could not have been completed without the assistance and cooperation of our community partners from Department of Social Services, Court Services, and Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services. We would like to give each of you a HUGE Thank you for participating in the Attendance Awareness Video posted earlier and for helping package the incentive items for students and families. We greatly appreciate the time, effort, and dedication that you put forth during this month. Last, but not least, thank you to our students, parents and community members who participated in the video. There will be more videos forthcoming.

Pictured: Volunteers from our Danville Public Schools staff and Community Agencies around our city came together on September 16, 2020 to package the Attendance Awareness Incentives that will be distributed to students and families during the week of September 21-25.

Eight DPS Teachers Nominated in the WSLS "Top Ten Teachers in the Region" Contest!

Eight DPS teachers have been nominated by their faculty and staff in the WSLS Channel 10 Top Ten Teachers in the region contest. This is an online voting contest and every vote counts. Please consider casting an online vote for one of our teachers. You may vote once every hour and voting ends 9/29.

Nominees:

Kevin Bowman - Westwood Middle School

Sarah Rowland - Westwood Middle School

Antoine Fullerwinder - Bonner Middle School

Dana Smith - Grove Park Preschool

Katelyn Burnette - Schoolfield Elementary School

Kelsie Aherron - Schoolfield Elementary School

Kristin Mills - Gibson Elementary School

Lola King - Gibson Elementary School

For more information, including instructions on how to vote, click here.

Available Grant Funding from the City of Danville!

The information below highlights several grant opportunities, administered by the city via Danville Social Services, that are available to qualified applicants in need of assistance with utilities, rent, mortgage, or housing. Please call the Department of Social Services should you have any questions - 434.799.6543 and pass along to any students and families in need of support.

AVAILABLE GRANT FUNDING

CITY OF DANVILLE CARES UTILITY ASSISTANCE: This fund will pay fifty (50) percent of delinquent utility bills for individuals affected by COVID-19 (Affected includes: loss of job, work hours decreased, had to stay home to take care of child due to daycare or schools being closed or unable to work or apply for work due to positive COVID-19 test). Please refer them to Katina Davis @ ext. 3656, Imani Reeves @ ext. 3665 or Evalyn Faulkner @ ext. 3670. Deborah Fitzgerald is managing this program with Tess Moss as the backup.

CARES RENT/MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE: This fund will assist with delinquent mortgage and/or rent for individuals affected by COVID-19. (Affected includes: loss of job, work hours decreased, had to stay home to take care of child due to daycare or schools being closed or unable to work or apply for work due to positive COVID-19 test) The mortgage/rent must be delinquent from March 25 to current day. Please direct them to contact Chasta White and Community Development at 799-5260, ext. 2506.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS: This fund continues to assist families with children twelve (12) or under, disabled individuals individuals aged sixty (60) or older. This fund can only assist one (1) time. Please direct them to Shannett Lipscomb @ ext. 2522, Imani Reeves @ ext. 3665 or Evalyn Faulkner @ ext. 3670.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HOUSING GRANT- This fund is used to assist individuals/families that are homeless or in imminent danger of becoming homeless. Funds are used to assist with delinquent rent, delinquent utilities, utility deposits, rent deposits and occasional motel stays. Please direct them to Katina @ 3656, Imani @ ext. 3665 or Evalyn @ ext. 3670. Tess Moss is managing this program with Deborah Fitzgerald as the back-up.

Have a wonderful weekend!