September 25, 2020

DPS Education Foundation Receives $5,000 PMT Grant!

The Danville Public Schools Education Foundation thanks the Gene Haas Foundation for its continued support of our DPS students who are enrolled in the Precision Machining Technology (PMT) Program! Your $5,000 grant will be used to provide scholarships to those students who go on to study Precision Machining at Danville Community College! #DPSSTRONG

Attendance Video, Part 2

In honor of Attendance Awareness Month, we continue to hear from people throughout or district and community about the importance of showing up! Check out Part 2 of our attendance video, highlighting teachers, parents, and students.

Danville Public Schools Schedules Parent Meetings to Discuss Return to Classroom!

DPS will host meetings with parents/guardians and students to discuss the potential return to the classroom date for those students who selected face-to-face instruction.

The meetings, led by Dr. Catherine Magouyrk, Interim Superintendent, are intended to offer parents, guardians, and students, an opportunity to engage in open and honest conversations about their experiences in navigating virtual learning environments and their concerns/comments about returning to the classroom.

“We have heard from our teachers and staff and now it is critical that parents’ voices are heard,” stated Dr. Magouyrk. “Health and safety are our top priorities but we believe that instructional goals are best achieved by maximizing in-person learning. We must reopen schools at some point and the information we gather in these meetings will assist me in making a decision that is best for our DPS community.”

Dr. Magouyrk will present her plan at the October 15, 2020 regularly scheduled school board meeting.

All meetings will take place in the George Washington High School Auditorium, located at 701 Broad St., except for the Danville Alternative Program which will meet in the Langston Auditorium. The meeting dates and times are based on where your child attends school.

· George Washington High School - Friday, September 25 (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

· Gibson Elementary School - Monday, September 28 (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

· Forest Hills Elementary - Tuesday, September 29 (3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

· G.L.H. Johnson Elementary - Tuesday, September 29 (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

· Woodberry Hills Elementary - Wednesday, September 30 (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)

· Galileo High School - Friday, October 2 (8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

· Woodrow Wilson Intermediate - Monday, October 5 (3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

· O.T. Bonner Middle - Monday, October 5 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

· Schoolfield Elementary - Tuesday, October 6 (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

· Danville Alternative Program - Wednesday, October 7 (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

· Park Avenue Elementary - Wednesday, October 7 (12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

· Westwood Middle School – Thursday, October 8 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

Masks are required, temperatures will be taken, and social distancing guidelines will be strictly enforced. Only one parent/guardian and one child may attend. Parents and guardians should contact their child’s school directly to confirm attendance.

Mission Impossible: Acts of Kindness

The comic duo of Green and Haynsworth are at it again. Wonder where those skittles came from? 2nd graders at Forest Hills are working on being good citizens. Mrs. Mary Green and Mrs. Stephanie Haynsworth wanted to inspire students to spread some kindness this week through this video.

Park Avenue Does the Cupid Shuffle!

Park Avenue students have not only met, but exceeded the September PBIS goal. For being RESPONSIBLE this month, the Park Avenue staff would like to thank you by showing their moves!

Financial Assistance Available for Virtual Learning Centers!

By now, I hope you have heard about the partnership between Danville Public Schools and the City of Danville regarding childcare opportunities. Both DPS and the City recognize that DPS parents and staff are concerned about the availability of childcare and the financial burden it would place on families when children are in a virtual learning environment. Over the last several weeks, DPS has been working diligently to help identify area childcare providers AND financial resources to help you offset some of the costs for childcare for you and your family!

DPS approached the City and asked for their financial assistance in this effort. The City felt so strongly about helping that they earmarked up to $300,000 in the City CARES Act funds to provide financial assistance to those families in need.

Here is what this partnership looks like for you:

1. DPS is providing you with a list of area childcare providers and programs, including their availability, and contact information. Please click on this link for the information: http://bit.ly/DanvilleChildcare . Please know that the number of spaces available at a particular daycare provider changes daily.

Please reach out to the provider directly in order to get your child(ren) registered. When reaching out, you must let the provider know that you are either a parent of a DPS student or you are a DPS staff member who would like to register your child(ren) for childcare and potential CARES Act funding. CARES Act funding uses a sliding scale and is based on your household income.

2. DPS will assist childcare providers with operational needs such as chairs, desks, and T-Mobile hotspots if needed.

3. DPS is prepared to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all children at the childcare sites.

Don't forget that Grove Park and Northside Preschools have spaces available as well. There is no cost to attend. Your child(ren) must be 4 years old by Sept. 30, 2020, in order to attend. Please call the schools directly to register. The number for Grove Park is 434.799.6437. The number for Northside is 434.773.8301.

It is important to note, that neither Danville Public Schools nor the City of Danville is responsible for placing your child in a childcare program, nor are they liable for any incidents that arise out of your child's participation in the childcare program. You must call the provider directly to determine which program best suits your needs. We encourage parents/guardians to utilize the following resources when selecting childcare:

https://www.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/cc2.cgi

https://www.childcareaware.org/state/virginia/

https://www.virginiaquality.com/

Grove Park Preschoolers Go Camping!

The students in room 8 at Grove Park Preschool have gone camping. The pretend center was changed into a kid-friendly campsite. The campsite includes a tent, fishing boat, fishing pool, campfire, maps, lanterns, and so much more to let their imaginations run wild.

Forest Hills Explores Sound Experiments!

This week, students at Forest Hills got to explore how force creates sounds through vibration. They conducted sound experiments and even incorporated art/music. Students loved creating their own instruments. One video teaches students how to make a paper plate tambourine using 3 household items and the other video shows how to conduct a sound experiment using a glass of water and tuning forks.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!