Vol. 5, 2022 One Dawson! Excellence Together.
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, pj.huggins@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Transportation Dr. Todd Langley, todd.langley@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Exceptional Children Denise Reynolds, dreynolds@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Federal Programs, Assessment, and Accountability Scott Richardson, scott.richardson@dawson.k12.ga.us Direction of School Nutrition Everett Burt, eburt@dawson.k12.ga.us, Maintenance Coordinator Jenna Carpenter, jenna.carpenter@dawson.k12.ga.us, Human Resources Coordinator Tiffany Davis, tiffanydavis@dawson.k12.ga.us, Public Relations Coordinator Brian DeRose, bderose@dawson.k12.ga.us, Instructional Technology Coordinator Stay connected: Mail: 28 Main Street, Dawsonville, Ga 30534 Telephone: (706) 265-3246 Website: www.dawsoncountyschools.org @DawsonCountySchoolSystemBoardofEducation @DawsonSchools Connect1Dawson 282618121046714151627 4644434039383635343230Meet the Superintendent Letter from the Editor Board of Education Partners in Education On the Cover: Graduation Spotlight: Arts in School School DawsonPrincipalsNutrition Program School There’sSafeTeachingHighlightsandLearningSchoolsanAppforThat The Power of a Penny Where Are They Now? Teachers of the Year On the 2022-2023HealthOnlineStudentESSERAthleticsExceptionalMoveChildren&ClubsFundsSupportServicesLearningPlanServicesSchoolCalendar dawsoncountyschools.org 3 Excellence Together.
Table of Contents The 2022 OneDawson magazine is produced by Dawson County News with the help of Dawson County Schools. For information, contact (706) 265-3246. About Dawson County Schools DCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability or gender in employment decisions or educational programs and activities, including athletic programs. The accuracy of the content within this publication is subject to change prior to dissemination. Creative Services Provided by Metro Market Media, parent company of Dawson County News. Dawson County Schools’ Central Office Nicole LeCave, nlecave@dawson.k12.ga.us Superintendent Dr. Janice Darnell, jdarnell@dawson.k12.ga.us Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Hershel Bennett, hbennett@dawson.k12.ga.us Assistant Superintendent of Operations Roman Gaddis, rgaddis@dawson.k12.ga.us Chief Technology & Information Officer Beth Covington, bcovington@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Finance Page Arnette, parnette@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Instructional Services for Elementary Vikki Brannon, vbrannon@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Youth Health Services Dr. Nathan Hand, nathan.hand@dawson.k12.ga.us Director of Curriculum & Instructional Support, Secondary Schools
By Erica ejones@dawsonnews.comJones
She added that, while each school in the district has a great deal of safety protocols in place, the goal is for the schools to be welcoming while also being safe and secure.
“My child goes to school here, so as a parent I want the same thing for all of our kids that I want for my very own child, and the first thing on that list is do they feel safe and secure, supported and valued — so that will definitely be at the top of our list,” LeCave said.
“I thrive on feedback, I ask for a lot of it and some people see that as a fault, but I feel like it’s really important to be a great listener especially in a role where you impact so many teachers’ and students’ lives, so I will continue that as well,’ LeCave said.
GOALS AS THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT
This year, LeCave also plans to expand parent and teacher forums in order to continue encouraging feedback, and to create a student advisory council to get valuable feedback from the students. All of this, she said, is aimed toward upholding the school system’s transparency and allowing students, parents and teachers alike to have a voice.
SCHOOL SAFETY
LeCave holds an undergraduate degree in middle grades education, a master’s degree in curriculum and instructional supervision and an educational leadership certification from the University of North Georgia, which she earned by completing the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) Rising Stars Future Leaders PerformanceBased Program. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational law from Liberty University.
“We also want to make sure that we’re fostering an environment for our staff and teachers that is welcoming, that they feel safe but they also feel free to make mistakes — we’re a school, we don’t want to be like a prison — so there’s kind of a fine line that we’re trying to walk as well to make sure that we do what our community and parents value,” LeCave said. “They love the family-friendly, small schools, I value that too, so it is a balancing act, but the safety of our staff and students will always be top priority for us.”
In her new role as the superintendent, LeCave said that her first goal is to keep working toward the goals that were set forth by the district’s strategic plan, which was written in 2020.
“I’ve worked my whole career here; people ask me all the time ‘why don’t you want to go anywhere else’ and honestly I can’t imagine working anywhere else,” LeCave said. “I’ve built a lot of relationships here, we have a great staff, and I think the best thing about Dawson County is just the community and the parent support that we get; that’s not true other places.”
“We wrote our strategic plan back in 2020 and we partnered with the community and our parents, our business partners and postsecondary partners, and when we did that process we rewrote our district motto so it’s “1Dawson, Excellence Together’,’ LeCave said. “I’ve spent the spring pretty much meeting with our stakeholder groups, our governance councils, our parent cabinet, and really trying to just share with them my focus of staying true to our strategic plan; we did get a lot of feedback and input so I want to make sure as a district that we are reaching toward the goals in that plan.”
Dawson County Schools’ new superintendent, Nicole LeCave, officially stepped into her new role following previous superintendent Damon Gibbs’ retirement in May of 2022. Since then, she has been hard at work working with her team and staff to prepare the school system to go back to school this fall. The Dawson County News sat down with LeCave to discuss her goals and several important focuses for her first year as superintendent.
LeCave has been married to her husband Sean, a 27-year veteran of the United States Marines, for 20 years. Together they have four adult sons and a daughter who will graduate from Dawson County Schools in 2024.
LeCave said that she loves working in the Dawson County School System, and that she couldn’t picture working in another district.
LeCave has been employed by Dawson County Schools since 1998, and 14 of those 24 years have been in administrative leadership positions. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal of curriculum and discipline, district-level coordinator, director for teaching and learning, and assistant superintendent, and her most recent role was serving as the Deputy Superintendent beginning in 2020.
“I was a part of that work, I believe in that work, I also feel like coming off of the last two years with Covid we have asked a lot of our staff and our teachers so I feel like providing them with some consistency and really staying the course of the work that we’re doing,” LeCave said. “The goals are still relevant and we feel like we’re working on the right work, so I don’t feel the need as an incoming superintendent to overhaul that. My immediate goals would be to make sure that we’re staying aligned to that strategic plan.”
In her previous role as Deputy Superintendent, LeCave was instrumental in the work that has been done so far to reach those goals set forward in the strategic plan. Now as the superintendent, she said that she believes in those goals just as strongly as she did before.
With current events in the news, safety in the schools is another issue that is very prevalent in social media and community forums. As the superintendent, LeCave said that safety is her top priority and the most important step in cultivating the best possible learning environment for the students.“You can’t do anything if our students and staff don’t feel safe and secure,” LeCave said. “We’re not doing school safety in response to something tragic that happens; every single day that we come to work here our principals and our teachers keep our kids safe, so part of our continuous improvement process is training, tabletops, drills — all of those things are things that the school district does on a regular basis.”
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
LeCave added that, as a parent herself, she understands and shares the concerns that other parents have.
GROWTH Meet the new superintendent: Q AND A WITH NICOLE LECAVE 4 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
YEAR AS SUPERINTENDENT
5 Excellence
In her first year as superintendent, LeCave said that she and her staff are doing everything they can to exemplify the school’s motto: “1Dawson, Excellence Together”. “I want to foster that 1Dawson culture, I think we’ve done a good job of that,” LeCave said. “The other part of our motto is ‘Excellence Together’ — so we’ve got the “1Dawson” and I feel like we’ve really established that culture, but my theme this year and our focus is going to be defining what it means to be excellent together, so we’re really working with our leadership team this year and really focusing on what does it mean to lead with excellence or serve with excellence.”Moving into the upcoming school year, LeCave said that she is encouraging district leadership to focus on three “E’s”: embracing goals and growth, expanding opportunities and expecting excellence.
THEME HER FIRST
BOTTOM CENTER: LeCave stands with previous superintendent Damon Gibbs. (photo courtesy of Dawson County School System) dawsoncountyschools.org Together.
LeCave said that in everything she does she aims to follow her leadership philosophy:
“From our perspective, we’re going to serve the kids that come, whether that’s 10 or whether that’s 1000,” LeCave said. “We’re going to serve all students because that’s what you do in public education, so what I feel like is important for me to do for my staff and teachers and students is communicate the message that we’re ready for this growth, and that even though there are challenges, with growth comes opportunities and we focus on the opportunities.”
Photos by Erica Jones
LeCave said that the district is well prepared to handle the challenges that added growth will bring. “My message about the growth would be that growth brings challenges that this district has planned well for and I would be happy to talk with anyone about how our board and how our previous leaders have done that,” LeCave said. “Yes we are going to grow — our facilities are in great shape to take in students, so yes there are challenges but with growth also comes a lot of opportunities.”Morestudents means more staff, she added, and many other opportunities that come with a larger student body. Most importantly, she said that the school system should never try to dictate how many children are in the district, but that its goal should be to serve every child that walks through the school doors.
TOP & BOTTOM LEFT: Dawson County Schools Superintendent Nicole LeCave interacts with students during Camp Invention at Dawson County Junior High School.
“For my first year I want to model that for my staff, teachers and students, but I also am one person and I have challenged our leadership team to really define for themselves what does it mean to lead with excellence — what are you going to do this year that at the end of the year when we can get done you can say ‘wow that was great and that impacted our kids in a positive way’,” LeCave said. “I think we have to be in a constant state of how can we be better because our kids deserve it.”
“This position is certainly not about me and I don’t want it to be that way; I’ve built a lot of really strong relationships here and I value those, and I have been well received and welcomed into this position and I do consider it a really big blessing,” LeCave said. “At the end of the day we’re here to serve our kids, and we have to always be focused on their learning and their growth. I am excited to be a part of this team, I could not have handcrafted a team that I feel more confident in so I’m excited to be a part of that and to see what we accomplish together.”
AND MOTTO FOR
With the ongoing growth in Dawson County, one of the questions that keeps arising in community meetings and community forums is whether or not the school system is equipped to handle that growth.
LeCave said that she’s incredibly humbled and honored to have been named the new superintendent, and that she never wants that role to be about her but rather about the students the system serves.
adding value to what she’s doing and serving others.“Ifeel like if you are lucky enough to work in a leadership role like this one or like our principals, that’s not work you have to do, it’s work you get to do; so that should always be considered an honor,” LeCave said. “I hope that I can model my core values of really serving people; I feel like that’s the most important thing I can do as a leader is just remove barriers and make sure that our staff has the resources and support that they need to do the things we’re asking them to do, and as a result our kids will learn and grow and be ready for college or a career after they graduate.”
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 6 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Allen Cerinetti – Owner Here at the Dawson County News, we are beyond grateful for the chance to partner once again with the Dawson County School System and to produce this year’s “1Dawson” magazine.
Cooking truly has been a passion of mine from those first days in the kitchen with my mom. Throughout the years, I got more creative and have explored many different cuisines. I am thrilled that the Dawson community has become our new family and we can share our love of food with each one of you.
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As a journalist who has worked closely with Dawson County Schools and covered education news in the county for more than two years now, I have gotten the honor of learning first-hand about the many amazing things that the school system does day in and day out for its students. From expanding CTAE and work-based learning programs to adding new extracurricular activities and learning opportunities for Dawson County students, staff and administrators in the school system pour themselves into giving the children in the county the very best education that they can offer. This year and every year, Dawson County students are encouraged by their school system to set goals for themselves and to do their very best to achieve those goals. This level of rigor is clearly demonstrated through students and alumni of the school system, who consistently accomplish amazing things, from representing Dawson County and winning accolades in academic and extracurricular activities to graduating from Dawson County Schools and becoming successful, integral parts of the community here. In this magazine you’ll get the chance to learn more about the Dawson County School System, from its transportation and nutrition departments to its exceptional children and workbased learning programs. As you read about everything the school system has to offer to the next generation, I hope that you’ll be proud of the goals that the school system has accomplished and is working towards to provide the very best education to your children.
Thanks for reading, Erica Editor,JonesDawson County News
six years. of the public are invited to attend all meetings and to address the board in accordance with the board’s procedures for public participation. For the 2022 meeting schedule, go to www.dawsoncountyschools.org/adc/board_members.https:// Want that fresh, dewyagain?look DO YOU ORALLERGIES,EXPERIENCESINUSEARINFECTIONS? TRY RELAXING - HALOTHERAPY- SALT THERAPYHelps with: Asthma • Allergies • COPD • Cough • Snoring Depression • Acne • Stress • Fatigue Sinus Infections • Ear Infections • much more 78 Dawson Village Way N, Ste 150 Dawsonville, GA 30534 678-835-SALT (7258) www.saltmedspa.com/Dawsonville Long recognized in Europe, Halotherapy is a natural therapy using salt particles for improving breathing ailments, skin conditions, and promoting relaxation. MAKE APPOINTMENTYOURTODAY Treatment1stFREE! Try HydraFacial MD The signature HydraFacial is a 4 step process that detoxifies, rehydrates and protects skin. You will love how you look and feel! Value)($20 Mention code 1Dawson to receive Special Pricing dawsoncountyschools.org 7 Excellence Together.
DISTRICT REPRESENTATION
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Dawson County is divided into five districts for representation on the Board of Education. Members must live in the represent are elected by at Members serve four-year staggered terms with members elected during one election during the served by each district as
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Doris Cook District 1, 18 years Dawson County Schools is proud to announce achievement status of Association’s Board Recognition. Dawson County has received this recognition for
Board of Education:
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(GSBA) 2021 Exemplary School
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PARTNERS
Learning program relies heavily on these partnerships to provide career opportunities for students in Dawson County. This past year, 137 students participated in internships with business partners in the community. Over 100 employers mentored students. These students worked over 38,000 hours and earned approximately $296,000. These opportunities are invaluable to developing a stronger workforce for DawsonThroughoutCounty.the school year, community partners helped to provide many career-related opportunities for students. Some of these include mock interviews, career exploration days, industry tours, and Tiger Adulting Day for seniors. These business partners volunteered countless hours and resources to make these opportunities possible for the students.
In January of 2022, Worksource Georgia provided the funds that allowed students to participate in the Be Pro Be Proud Georgia mobile workshop. This interactive mobile workshop featured 15 of Georgia’s most indemand careers along with training programs and a database of companies hiring. About 200 students were able to experience the workshop.Preparing students for success after high school is an inherent component of the Dawson County School System. Whether students plan to enter the workforce or attend college after high school, these partnerships are an imperative piece of student’s education.
IN EDUCATION 10 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
significant partnerships that support the College and Career Academy are the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Development Committee, and an Advisory Board. These partnerships bring together a variety of community leaders, both from the business and education sectors, bridging the gap between students and professionals in the community. This group supports career exploration and provides real-life opportunities forThestudents.Work-Based
The Dawson County College and Career Academy shares strong community partnerships that foster and build a future workforce for Dawson County. These partnerships are critical to the Dawson County Schools’ strategic plan. Community partnerships allow for success in the numerous programs offered at the College and CareerSomeAcademy.ofthemost
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“I am grateful for the opportunity to be here tonight and wish you nothing but the very best in the future,” Gibbs said. “We leave here tonight stronger than ever. No matter where you go, never forget where you came from. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. I pray that God will bless you in your next chapter of life. I love you Dawson County — thank you for a great eight years.”
On Friday May 20, hundreds of people gathered at the Dawson County High School football stadium to celebrate the graduates in the DCHS Class of 2022.
She added that the lessons and memories that she and the rest of the graduates will take away from DCHS will be a cornerstone of their futures, whatever those may look like.
“From this point forward, none of us will have the same future,” Wright said. “We have shared many moments in our schooling so far, but as we split into countless different pathways remember your time at Dawson County High School and learn from it. Learn to be grateful, learn to utilize your skills and learn to leave the world a better place than you found it.”
“I will forever cherish my friends and the time we’ve spent together, and I will always remember the teachers who laughed with me, shared their own memories with me and taught me invaluable life lessons,” Wright said. “Do not forget your time in high school, but do not forget to grow as a person and make new memories. Reflect on the lessons you have learned here and use them to improve yourself and your community.”
In his address, Gibbs advised the graduates to be the best people they can be, turn to the Bible for answers, be aware that there are good and bad people in the world, be financially responsible, find employment and get a firm understanding of personal responsibility. As he wrapped up his address, Gibbs encouraged the graduates to always remember where they came from and thanked the school system for its support throughout his eight years as superintendent.
The commencement ceremony included the presentation of colors by the DCHS JROTC Color Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem performed by the DCHS Chamber Singers, and speeches by senior class officers, DCHS Principal Michael Negley, Salutatorian Jacob Hamil, Valedictorian Megan Wright and Superintendent Damon Gibbs.Inher address to the Class of 2022, Negley commended the graduates on their accomplishments and accolades that they have earned over the past year. She encouraged them to move forward into the next stage of their lives with the skills and knowledge they have learned from high school, but to never forget the community that they came from.
“Whatever you do and wherever you settle, remember one thing: once a Tiger, always a Tiger,” Negley said. “It’s about time to spread your wings, Class of 2022, but never forget your roots. You will always be in my heart and on my mind, and I will continue to pray daily for each and every one of you. I am so so proud of you. Congratulations.”
In his speech to his fellow graduates, Hamil reminisced on his high school experience and the challenges he has overcome, encouraging them to remember all that they have learned over their time in the Dawson County School System.
ABOUT THE COVER: Once
12 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
“As we leave this time together one last time as a senior class, may we remember all that brought us together, all that we accomplished, the memories we created, the difficulties, the happy times and may we look forward to a bright and prosperous future,” Hamil said.
By Erica ejones@dawsonnews.comJones
Wright also recounted several memories from her time at Dawson County High School, thanking her fellow students and teachers for their support and friendship during her high school career.
The speeches were followed by the presentation of diplomas and the transfer of the tassels on the graduates’ caps from right to left to symbolize their official graduation. The commencement ceremony ended with a performance of the Dawson County Alma Mater, and graduates threw their caps in the air while fireworks went off on the end of the football field. a Tiger, Always a Tiger
In his final commencement address as superintendent before his retirement, Gibbs expressed his gratitude to the Board of Education, teachers and faculty, students and parents in the Dawson County School System.
dawsoncountyschools.org 13 Excellence Together.
Having such a range of ages from four different schools all acting together in one play is very beneficial to the young actors because it allows them to interact and form friendships with students they wouldn’t usually spend time around otherwise, Little Tiger Theatre Co. Co-Director Becca Johnsen
The Dawson County High School Symphonic Band received overall superior ratings following their GMEA District 9 Large Group Performance Evaluation concert in March.
Photos and story by Rio riowhite@dawsonnews.comWhite
“I thought the group’s performance was phenomenal,” Gattis said. “Everyone is truly a valuable member.”
“Whensaid.our fifth graders go into the middle school, they already know some kids going into it and that helps that transition,” Johnsen said. Co-director Jordan LeFevre added that giving the students the opportunity to participate in theater shows at such a young age is also beneficial to them being able to grow as actors as they advance to high school.“Our goal is to really increase arts awareness in Dawson County Schools, give kids an opportunity to do theater before high school and really just to improve all of our programs from band to chorus,” LeFevre said. “A lot of these kids do other activities like that because they’ve done this with us which is awesome.”
LITTLE THEATRETIGERCO.:
The final performance of the day by the band was “Psalm 46”, a piece based on the chorale melody from Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is our God”.For those three performances, the band received a superior rating from judges — the highest rating given to bands at LGPE. After that, the band performed the sight-reading portion of LGPE adjudication, where they had just minutes to learn a composition and show their abilities. They received a score of excellent in that section, showing cohesion and trust in one another.With the three pieces each scored as superior and the sight-reading section scored as excellent, the band was given an overall score of superior.
DCHS SYMPHONIC BAND SCORES SUPERIOR AT LGPE 14 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Under the direction of Nicholas Gattis, the band performed three pieces that are considered level 5 — the second-most difficult level of music available to high school ensembles at LGPE.The band opened the night with the march “Queen City”, which presented an opportunity for the band to display its discipline with tone and balance.
Prior to the high school symphonic band playing on Wednesday, the Dawson County Junior High School Concert Band and the Dawson County Middle School 7th Grade Band performed.Bothbands received ratings of excellent — the second-highest rating given to Overall,bands.Gattis was proud of his band’s performance and how each individual player performed.
The next piece performed by the band was “Russian Sailor’s Dance”, an emphatic composition that allowed the band to explore wide variations of tempo and emotion constructed around one central melodic idea.
Dawson County Schools enroll more than 3,500 students across seven sites, consisting of four elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high school, one high school, with a non-traditional academy campus and our central office.
Teresa Conowal, Principal 1063 Kilough Church Road (706) 216-8595
Black’s Mill Elementary School
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS:
Riverview Elementary School
15 Excellence Together.
Dawson County Middle School
Kilough Elementary School
Dawson County High School
Dawson County Junior High School Brody Hughes, Principal 109 Allen Street (706) 216-5801
Cindy Kinney, Principal 1860 Dawson Forest Road E (706) 216-3300 dawsoncountyschools.org
Linda Bearden, Principal 1150 Perimeter Road (706) 265-6544
Adam Maroney, Principal 370 Dawson Forest Road E (706) 216-5812
Paige Galt, Principal 5126 Hwy. 9 S (706) 216-4849
Michael Negley, Principal 1665 Perimeter Road (706) 265-6555
With over 500 employees, DCS is the county’s largest employer.
Robinson Elementary School
This has been a very busy year for the Dawson County School Nutrition program. This year Dawson County School Nutrition welcomed Mr. Scott Richardson as the new coordinator. Mr. Richardson brought many new ideas to the program to include expanding the student worker and CBI programs. The School Nutrition program was blessed to have so many students willing to help and learn in the school kitchens. Mr. Terry Haymond, Culinary Arts teacher at Dawson County Career Academy was instrumental in scheduling and mentoring his Culinary Arts students in assisting in various kitchens in the district. The school nutrition program was also grateful to Mrs. Charnley and her staff for mentoring CBI students to assist and learn valuable job skills in the kitchens. Both of these groups were very beneficial to students and staff and were a joy to have in the program.Inschool year 2021-2022, the school nutrition program continued to provide meals at no cost to all students in Dawson County. Funding from USDA allowed for the school system’s nutrition program to waive costs for student meals. However, at the beginning of this coming 2022-2023 school year, the USDA will no longer provide funds to school districts across the country for the purposes of providing meals at no cost. July 1, 2022, the USDA funding will end and Dawson County Schools, along with all other schools in the country, will revert back to normal operations to include normal pricing for all school meals. With the change back to normal school pricing, the School Nutrition Program in Dawson County will offer families the opportunity to apply for free or reduced meal pricing based on income eligibility. This year, the school meals application is made available through the district website and is even easier to complete. Parents wishing to complete the application online need to visit www.dawsoncountyschools.org and click on the School Meals Application button on the main page of the Dawson County Schools website. The school meals application and eligibility guidelines can also be found by going to the My School Apps website at www.myschoolapps.com, putting in the zip code of the school your student attends (30534), and choosing “Dawson County” when prompted.
Dawson County School NUTRITION PROGRAM
Dawson County School Nutrition is here for its students and parents. All kitchens are inspected twice a year by the Department of Public Health and received perfect scores on their kitchen inspections. All kitchen managers and assistant managers are Servsafe certified and undergo yearly training to ensure Dawson County students only consume the very best food. If you have a question or concern, please call the Nutrition office.
16 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Dawson County School Nutrition knows its customers’ tastes and regularly tries out new menu items through taste tests and customer surveys. DCS employees work hard to maintain freshness and provide only the best ingredients in our recipes. This year, Dawson County Middle, Dawson County Jr. High, and Dawson County High School will all provide customers with a full-service salad bar. The salad bars are stocked with market fresh produce to even include some of our school-raised produce. Every month, menus are posted on the website. Parents are able to view our menus of fresh selections and then go to www.myschoolbucks.com and pre-pay for student meals. The process is fast, easy, and allows for students not to have a need to bring money to school for meals. If a student has a special dietary concern or food allergy, parents can contact the school nutrition office or the school nurse to request an individualized meal plan.
706-344-1431 • 647 Hwy 136 East, Dawsonville, GA Hours: M-F 8am-6pm • Sat. 8am-3pm • Closed Sunday Puppy Shots • Yearly dog vaccines • Cat & Dog De-wormer • Pine straw • Wheat straw • Mulches • Grass seed • Fertilizers • Lime • Variety of Hay • Wire • Gates • Wild Bird Feed • Feeders WE OFFER DISCOUNT TO ALL FFA MEMBERS. Must Show Membership ID For Discount Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6 C&W DawsonvilleHardwareTrueValue® 16 Moonshiners Way • Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-525-5140 Mon. – Fri.: 7 – 7; Sat.: 7 – 6; Sun.: 10 – 5 facebook.com/cwhardware No purchase necessary. See store for details. Gas Pressure Washer • 22-In. MowerSelf-Propelled ALL WEEKEND MAY 4 — MAY 6 • FREE CookedFoodon Big Green Egg • Giveaways • Door Prizes BUY 1 GALLON, GET 1 FREEGALLON Other exclusions may apply. See store for details. Buy 1 gallon, get the second gallon free. Price of the second gallon must be of equal or lesser value than the first gallon. Limit 5 gallons per coupon. One coupon per household. Not redeemable for cash. Not valid with any other offer or gift cards. Not refundable. Not transferable. Do not duplicate. Void where prohibited. Consumer responsible for all taxes and fees. VISIT US DURING OUR GRAND OPENING EVENT C&W Hardware Dawsonville OPENING GRAND COME VISIT HOMETOWNYOUR 16 Moonshiners Way • Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-525-5140 Mon. - Fri.: 7 am - 7 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. facebook.com/cwhardware Ready to make learning how to help out around the house or garden fun for any age? We’re here to answer all questions.your C&W DawsonvilleHardwareTrueValue® dawsoncountyschools.org 17
BMES READING CLUB RIVERVIEW IS A NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL 18 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
The 2021-22 school year was a special year for Riverview Elementary. The United States Department of Education named Riverview a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or for closing the achievement gap among subgroups. The Department of Education selected Riverview for its exemplary overall academic performance. This prestigious award confirms the hard work of students, teachers, staff members, parents, and the community. Four hundred and twenty schools were nominated, and 325 were chosen for the honor. Riverview was one of only eight public and one private school in the state to receive the recognition.InJanuary 2021, Principal Maroney received an email from the Georgia Department of Education informing him that Riverview they would like to nominate Riverview and asked if the school would accept the nomination. The nomination was accepted and the administrative team spent the next couple of months compiling data and writing a lengthy application. In September, the school was told they won the award and held a surprise assembly to tell students and staff members. Assisting kids in the carpool line was so fun as students told their parents they went to one of the best schools in the nation, which is, in fact, true. Riverview held a formal announcement and celebration in November before Mr. Maroney and former Superintendent, Dr. Gibbs traveled to Washington DC to officially receive the honor.
The purpose of the BMES Reading Club is to offer a place of belonging to students who enjoy reading and discussing interesting books, with the ultimate goal being to create a knowledgeable team of students to represent the school in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Competition.
The BMES Reading Club allows students to be a part of a team, while strengthening their literacy skills, and setting a positive reading example for their peers.
The Reading Club is led collaboratively by BMES Media Specialist Allison Lundy and teachers Jessie Venem and Lisa Allen. It is open to all 4th and 5th grade students who apply. The club meets once weekly after school in the BMES Media Center. During meetings, members read the 10 Georgia Book Award Nominee books and complete activities to help better understand the content of these stories. Members view engaging book trailers, create Google Slides mapping out story elements, answer story comprehension questions game show-style by utilizing buzzin.live and ipads, and simply enjoy discussions amongst the group regarding the books they are reading.
The Reading Club members who regularly attend club meetings, read multiple books from the nominee list, and are able to effectively answer story comprehension questions, move on to participate in the district, and possibly regional, Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Competitions. During the 2020/2021 school year, the BMES Reading Club achieved 2nd place in the regional competition, while during the 2021/2022 school year, the team placed 3rd in the district competition. For their participation, all club members receive a “BMES Reading Club” t-shirt and a token to visit the school book vending machine for a free book. The efforts of the team are recognized by their peers on the morning school news broadcast. They are also recognized by the community through social mediaTheposts.BMES Reading Club instills a love of reading in students, while exposing them to great literary works. Readers of all levels are able to feel they belong, grow in their self-confidence, deepen their critical thinking and comprehension skills, and show a sense of pride in representing their school. BMES believes that Reading Club is an important part of the school and makes a positive impact on the school community.
STEAM- STEAM education is the intentional integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Teachers created a student-centered learning environment in which students investigated and engineered solutions to problems, and constructed evidence-based explanations of real-world phenomena with a focus on a student’s social, emotional, physical, and academic needs.
THE MARK OF THE TIGER AT ELEMENTARYROBINSON
Kilough is very excited to see students learn to develop food crops and have an understanding of both agricultural and nutrition science.
Kilough Elementary School is excited to partner with the Dawson County School Nutrition Program and the agriculture department at Dawson County High School for the farm initiative. The focus will be on developing an appreciation of agriculture through nutrition education. The greenhouse will bring a few new features for all students to include a sensory garden, hydroponic lettuce garden, and several new learning stations where students can learn “garden math.” The partnership will also include the discussion of different types of soil, parts of a plant, and the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. This new partnership will provide students with handson experience planting, nurturing, and harvesting plants so they can learn their importance in life. All food grown in the greenhouse will go into the school kitchen at Kilough used in student lunches.
During the 21-22 school year, students at the middle school were given time to “Ignite” their creativity, thinking, and passion for learning. Each morning, students attended one of the three “Ignite Time” activities and continuously rotated through all three, every three weeks, all year long. This allowed each student the opportunity to attend each Ignite class four times throughout the school year. The three areas of “Ignite Time” are STEAM-STEAM, Genius Hour, and Novel Time.
DCMS IGNITES CREATIVITY, THINKING, AND PASSIONS
Passions come alive during Genius Hour. This is a time for students to dive deep into a topic that they are interested in and develop a driving question for themselves to answer. This provides students with a choice and a time to learn. The teacher provides guidance, but ultimately this time encourages students to challenge themselves to work independently on their passion project. Passion projects were presented schoolwide as well as to parents in the Spring. Some of the examples of student projects include:
Pathology: What does it take to be a pathologist? Who was Henrietta Lacks and why is she so important to the study of diseases? How can I become a better fisherman? Using that knowledge to create a new type of fishing lure. Why is woodworking so relaxing? Could I use this information to create a student-led club to teach Whatwoodworking?typesof food help do you heal from injuries? How can I create powder drinks, using these foods, to help people heal from injuries? How was the galaxy created? Novel Study- A novel study is an opportunity to build a love of reading. When done as a whole group, it can create a shared experience that builds communities and creates connections. Novel studies can also serve to give students exposure to different perspectives or experiences.
Overall, students report that Ignite Time is one of their favorite times of the day. With it being an ungraded period they felt more free to try things they normally would not and to “ take risks” in their learning. DCMS plans to keep doing what works, and based on student engagement and feedback, Ignite Time will definitely continue!
Seeing Possibilities is having genuine confidence in themselves and their students so that they see big possibilities for what the students can learn and become. Setting Goals allows RES to create success plans for students by using data to set reasonable goals. RES consistently analyzes student data to ensure students are making adequate progress toward reaching their goals. Next, Cultivate Growth, focuses on being intentional about academic, social, and personal growth. Throught, Celebrating Achievements, RES believes it is important to take time to celebrate achievements and that what is celebrated tells others what is valued. Once the school celebrates, they are inspired to see new possibilities. The Mark of the Tiger is the vision instilled in students at RES. They also want their students to stand out and be identified as RES students by these traits that have been reinforced with them. RES relates everything they do on a daily basis to these traits which ultimately lead to student success. The Mark of the Tiger is a lifestyle, and willingness to live this way promotes individual, as well as collective growth.
KILOUGH FARMING INITIATIVE
dawsoncountyschools.org 19 Excellence Together.
The Mark of the Tiger is a compelling vision that embodies the identifiable traits for everyone at Robinson Elementary School community. The school wants students, staff, parents, and community members to have these strong identifiable traits: Seeing Possibilities, Setting Goals, Cultivating Growth, and Celebrating Achievement.
DCJH: AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM 20 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Two years ago, Dawson County Junior High began offering American Sign Language and opened up a world of opportunity for Dawson County students. Gallaudet University, the world’s only college designed specifically for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, states that close to 500,000 Americans use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary mode of communication. This means that there are people within our communities and neighborhoods who use ASL to communicate. The ASL program of Dawson County Schools prepares students to engage with the D/HH community in a variety of settings. Maintaining a high standard of rigorous study, the ASL program of Dawson County Schools also uses the same curriculum that is used at local universities such as UGA. Students who study ASL not only enjoy the program design but are also being prepared to be better citizens and neighbors.
Lance Hacker commented on his experience with ASL by saying, “My experience with the Dawson County Junior High ASL program has been perfect. The class has helped open my eyes to a whole community involving ASL. I started knowing nothing about ASL except the numbers 1 and 2, as of now, I could confidently say my vocabulary is nearing 1,000 if not 2,000 words.”
DCHS COMPETITION CHEER TEAM
Mayrin Chavez also commented on her experience by saying, “ASL has made me more confident and outgoing. I used to be scared of speaking in front of people and it got worse when I went online, but this class got me out of my comfort zone and I am honestly thankful for that.”
The junior high is thrilled by the opportunities this program offers the students in Dawson County. The school is excited to see how these students use their knowledge of American Sign Language to better the community and make a difference in the world.
In November, the DCHS Competition Cheer team brought home the AAA state championship trophy! The girls, led by Coach Kim Fleming, had a tremendous season. Fresh off a region title win, they headed to Macon with high expectations, and those expectations were exceeded. The team hit an amazing performance, and they secured the first state title for the competition cheer team at Dawson County. This is the first state title for any team at DCHS in twenty years. The team was led back into Dawsonville with a police escort, and they were recognized over the next few weeks with a billboard, a Tiger Walk, and an appearance in the Christmas parade. In March, the team was presented with their state championship rings. The rings were designed by Coach Fleming and produced by Jostens. Thanks to the generosity of the community sponsors, the girls were gifted the rings with no individual cost. Although several seniors graduated this year, the future is bright for this team. They are ready to get back to work to try to win back-toback state titles!
Our Dawsonville office has options and guidance that grow with you. Here in Dawsonville, David is just one of many Schwab Branch Leaders ready to offer guidance and a wide range of investment options for your changing needs. David works to put you first. Even if you’re not sure what comes next Get started at schwab.com/dawsonville. © 2022 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) Member SIPC. All rights reserved. (1120-0JP6) SCH6700-6 (06/22) Your idea of investing today may be different tomorrow. We get that. David Robertson Financial Consultant 12 Dawson Market Way, Suite 240 Dawsonville, GA 30534 | 706-525-7204 HOURS Monday-Friday 8AM–5PM Saturday & Sunday Closed • BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP • BEST TIRE STORE • BEST SMALL ENGINE REPAIR • AND CHRIS McBRAYERBEST AUTO MECHANIC WE ARE HERE TO SERVE ALL YOUR FAMILIES AUTOMOTVE NEEDS 770-887-7625 6546 Dawsonville,GA-9 GA 30534 Locally Owned & Operated 419 Tribble Gap Road, Cumming, GA 30040 www.cummingdanceacademy.com770-781-4922 Convenient Locations in CUMMING and DAWSONVILLEFREEMONTHOFCLASSES When using code Expires“stateofschools”5/31/23 We have won BEST OF DAWSON and FORSYTH every year since it began. dawsoncountyschools.org 21
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We are proud and honored to serve the Dawson County community. It is the mission of the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office to protect the lives and property of our people through professional, progressive, and proactive service. We shall serve with compassion and respect while seeking solutions to improve quality of life, liberty, and safety for all. We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to serve you! Sheriff Jeff Johnson Visit us on Facebook @ Dawson County Sheriff’s Office Dawsonville, Non-Emergencywww.dawsoncountysheriff.orgGa706-344-3636TipLine-706-265-4744 770-561-3593 or Office www.karmenpharris.phprealtor.comkarmenpharris3@gmail.com404-876-4901KarmenPharris, Associate Broker ABR, MRP, SRS Dawsonville Realtor Have A Great 22-23 School Year! RC Aviation Exhibit Annual Quilt Exhibit
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@@DCS_TEACHDawsonCounty School System Board of Education.
IN DAWSON COUNTY SCHOOLS
Mrs. Page Arnette Director of Instructional Services, Mrs.ElementaryDenise Reynolds Director of Federal Programs, Assessment & Accountability
Dawson County Schools offers a wide range of learning opportunities including special assistance in remediation and enrichment of basic skills, classes for gifted and talented, advanced placement courses for college credit, dual enrollment opportunities, and professional technical courses for career pathways. Assessments and data help teachers determine how to fulfill the individual needs of every child. Tutorials, interventions, and other district-wide programs allow staff to provide better quality, personalized instruction that meets the unique needs of every child. In addition to classroom instruction, extracurricular programs at all levels offer enrichment in academics, the arts, athletics, and areas of special interest to students. Media services and technology are provided at each school to support student learning.
The school district is dedicated to helping all children learn and believes that every child can be successful in school and beyond.
Dawson County School District’s Teaching and Learning Department is committed to providing highly engaging learning experiences that are rigorous and relevant. We believe that purposeful planning, quality teaching, balanced assessment, and collaboration with colleagues and students is the key to improving student achievement. We aim to provide exemplary support to our teachers and staff members, equipping them with the tools, skills, and resources to pursue excellence for every student!
Social M Fo o us o Facebook S h D C y S h Sy B d Ed F T S h @D S h Social Media F F b k S h D C t S h Sy B d f Ed Fo ow us on Tw te Sea ch @DawsonSchoo s 26 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Dr. Janice Darnell Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & nathan.hand@dawson.k12.ga.usSecondaryDirectorDr.jdarnell@dawson.k12.ga.usLearningNathanHandofInstructionalServices,
dawsoncountyschools.org 26 &TeachingLearning
Want to see the great things happening in our classrooms? Follow the teaching and learning department on
The Dawson County School District believes students deserve a well-rounded education that includes academic and non-academic skills. The district strives to graduate college and career ready students who excel in both. The district takes great care to provide a secure, supportive learning environment, highquality, engaging learning experiences that are rigorous and relevant, and current and emerging technologies to support 21st-century learning. All curriculum and instruction in Dawson County are based on the foundation of the Georgia Standards of Excellence. For more information, visit the Georgia Department of Education website.
One of the Dawson County School System’s biggest goals is to achieve “Excellence Together” and to be an exemplary school district preparing students for success. One big piece of achieving this success is to provide a learning environment where students, teachers and staff can feel safe and be protected at all times.
The school also utilizes Gaggle, a software that monitors the students’ emails through the school devices to alert the district if any threats of harm or self-harm are made by a student.
“What we tell parents is that we do as much as we can on the preventative side as well as the reactive side; we’re not just focused on one side but we’re trying to make sure we’re preventative and prepared if something does happen,” Wooten said.
SAFE SCHOOLS dawsoncountyschools.org
“We don’t want to just focus on one thing, we want to make sure our kids are safe on every aspect,” Wooten said. “I know that active shooter situations are kind of the main topic right now, but there’s other hazards that we’re prepared for too that are just as likely.”
“We have Gaggle that monitors the students’ emails through our devices so if they say anything that’s a threat or selfharm then it alerts us so we can follow up on that immediately,” Wooten said.
For visitors to even set foot inside one of the district’s schools, there are several steps they must go through first. All of the schools are secured with locked doors, and anyone entering the school must be buzzed in by the front desk. Once a visitor enters the front office, he or she must be checked in before being allowed into the school hallways, and the system notifies front desk personnel if a visitor is a sex offender.
27 Excellence Together.
The schools in the district also take part in severe weather, fire, active shooter and lockdown drills, and Wooten added that the schools and the district have all held tabletop discussions allowing personnel to work through every step of what they should do in case of an emergency.Intheend, Wooten said, the most important thing is making sure that measures are in place to not only react in case of an emergency, but also for each school to be well prepared for any emergency ahead of time.
The P.A. systems in the schools are also part of the package with the emergency buttons and wearable microphones, Wooten said, allowing a school the ability to go into lockdown at the touch of a button if needed.
The high school has a welcome center in the parking lot, allowing a staff member to ask drivers coming in why they’re visiting the campus. Each school has tinted windows on the outside of the building, so the front desk personnel don’t feel pressured to buzz in anyone that they shouldn’t be letting into the school. School staff wear ID badges, and all seven of the schools in the district have their own Student Resource Officer (SRO).
The school buses are also equipped with radios, he added, allowing the district to communicate with every bus driver. The district also monitors field trips, so even when the students are out of the county the system can watch out for weather and other threats in the area where the students are.
Tony Wooten, Safe Schools coordinator for the school system, said that the system’s approach to school safety is a multi-layered, multi-hazard approach that is aimed at preparing the schools in the district for any type of emergency, from natural disasters to fires to active shooter scenarios.
According to Wooten, the school system has made several upgrades to its safety equipment in the past few years and plans to add even more in the near future. This has included a recent upgrade to the camera system, and a new measure this school year will be the installation of emergency buttons in each“We’reclassroom.having emergency buttons inside every classroom and the teachers will have the ability to wear a wireless microphone that also has a safety button on it that alerts,” Wooten said. “Those alerts go to principals, to the resource officers and to the school safety coordinator, so anytime that they feel there’s something that they need to let us know about they can just hit their emergency call button and they have the wearable mic.”
By Erica ejones@dawsonnews.comJones
“If a teacher sends something like that and we’re able to validate that it’s threatening we can go ahead and hit a button at the kiosk that would send our school into a lockdown and the P.A. would step-by-step tell you what to do in a lockdown,” Wooten said. “The faster we can lock down, the safer our students and staff are in the event of an emergency.”“Wehave a channel on that where all of our principals, SROs and some of the district personnel all have the ability to go to that channel and talk about anything safety-related,” Wooten said. “And we’ll have a base radio in every front office of every school so if we see something, say a tornado on the ground in our county or a neighboring county, we can talk to every school at once.”
SCHOOLOGY Schoology brings together the best K-12 learning management system with assessment management to improve student performance, support collaboration, and personalize learning. Through the power of Schoology, you will get a holistic view of your students, including grades, assignments, and assessments, to help you create personalized learning paths that fit each individual student’s own needs.
CLASSLINK LAUNCHPAD
ClassLink LaunchPad gives you personalized, single sign-on access to all your school resources. With one click, you can have instant access to any of thousands of learning, productivity, and educational apps. With LaunchPad you spend more time learning, and less time logging in.
28 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
MySchoolBucks makes school meal payments easy for busy parents on-thego! Quickly and securely add money to your student’s school meal account using your credit card, debit card or electronic check. You can also view recent cafeteria purchases and check current meal account balances for each student.
POWERSCHOOL As the leading provider of cloud-based software in K-12 education, PowerSchool connects students, teachers, administrators, and parents with the shared goal of improving student outcomes.
There’s an for that!
BRIGHTCHAT BrightChat is a two way instant messaging app that is secure and automatically configured. The app can be easily used by teachers, coaches, and administrators to send messages to parents, students, and staff. BrightChat provides a fast, easy, and flexible way to send messages, allowing the recipient to quickly respond to the group or privately to the sender. It allows you to type, record audio, attach documents, and even share photos and videos seamlessly.
MYSCHOOLBUCKS
App
383 Hwy. 53 Dawsonville,WestGA706-344-1GAS Amicalola Propane would like to wish all of the Dawson County students a funsuccessful,safe,andschoolyear! If you suspect suspicious activity within a school, or are concerned about the safety or well-being of a student, please visit the Dawson County Schools website at siteorg.www.dawsoncountyschools.Scrolltothebottomoftheandclickthe“SeeSomething,SaySomething”buttontosubmitsecure,anonymoussafetyconcerns.Ifthereisalifethreateningemergency,call9-1-1. dawsoncountyschools.org 29 Excellence Together.
“They have poured the second floor, the ceiling of the first floor and the floor of the second floor, so that’s good to go,” Bennett said. “It’s moving really really quick it seems like; it’s very efficient. We’ve had weather that’s cooperated and we’re making tremendous progress on that facility.”
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Hershel Bennett said that the system’s two major projects, the multipurpose athletic building and the Roger D. Slaton agriscience center, are well underway, and construction crews have been making a great deal of progress this summer.
ROGER D. SLATON AGRISCIENCE CENTER
“The good thing is we are on top of things — even though across the United States and the world are sometimes lagging behind, we are getting everything we need on time in order to be proactive and move on to the next step of the project,” Bennett said.
The multipurpose athletic building will house a basketball court, locker rooms, restrooms and a state-of-the-art weight room for students to use during the day for weight training classes and fitness classes and for student athletes to use after school. The building is located between the high school, the performing arts center, the gym and the press box, making it a unique challenge to complete, Bennett said.“I’m sure many people saw the crane that had to lift all the steel structure and all the parts over the gym to put them in place,” Bennett said. “Many schools systems, had they built this, would have put it out in a parking lot somewhere or set it away from the school, but for our students this was the best place for it to get the maximum amount of use and so that’s where we put it even though it was a little bit more inconvenient in the build.”
The project is currently on track to be completed sometime in the first three months of 2023.
Once completed, the multipurpose athletic building will provide a plethora of opportunities to the students that the school wasn’t able to provide before.
MULTIPURPOSE ATHLETIC BUILDING
“The two major projects we have going on are the multipurpose athletic building and the agriscience center,” Bennett said. “Carroll Daniel Construction Company has done a great job on this; we’re making progress as expected. Once it gets out of the ground and they get the frame up, it goes really really fast and it’s amazing how much change will occur if I’m over there one morning and I go back that afternoon.”
“The AgScience center will open up a lot more opportunities for classes, we’ll be able to host show events, house more animals and have a greater teaching environment for our agriculture classes,” Bennett said. “With the State of Georgia approving agriculture science to be taught through elementary school now, we expect this program to continue to grow.”
Both projects being on track, Bennett said, is owed in part to the proactivity of the school system and the builders to get materials and supplies in ahead of time.
By Erica ejones@dawsonnews.comJones
In addition to the two major building projects, the system is also working on a third project: school building maintenance in preparation for the students to return to school this fall.
NEW
STANDARD BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS
Like the multipurpose athletic building, the agriscience center is also currently on track to be completed sometime between January and March of 2023.
The Power of a Penny: FUNDS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
30 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
The Roger D. Slaton Agriscience Center, named in honor of late Dawson County Board of Education member Roger Slaton, is also well underway, Bennett said. “It will start moving a little bit faster even though it started a little later because it’s being brought in in pieces and put together,” BennettCurrently,said. the asphalt and paving is completed and the metal framing is up, and crews are working on the concrete block walls, he said. Electrical and plumbing work is about 25 percent completed.
Currently, Bennett said that the steel framing is nearing completion, the walls are underway and electrical and plumbing installation is about 15 and 40 percent complete.
With students out of the Dawson County school buildings for the summer, school system administration and staff have been hard at work on several building improvements and construction projects to help the schools in the district serve students even better than they already do.
Once it is finished, the agriscience center will greatly expand the opportunities for the agricultural classes taught at the high school. It will house classrooms and a show barn, and the center will also include a pasture area to provide a dedicated area for the animals to spend time outside.
“It gives our teams opportunities not to practice so late at night, to have additional meeting spaces or practice locations if you’re an outdoor sport — so if baseball needs to throw and it’s windy and rainy and everything else they have a place they can go in and throw,” Bennett said. “It also gives some sports like cheerleading and wrestling a place to have practices rather than sharing one gym at the same time. And the weight room will help all our athletes and our students who aren’t necessarily athletes but are taking a weight training class as well.”
ESPLOST
31 Excellence Together.
“We have our standard school building maintenance, so working on floors, new paint, getting classrooms ready, new technology being installed in classrooms, new radios being installed, lots of things like that — and we’re doing well with that,” Bennett said. New floors moving away from the old floors that needed to be waxed, are being installed in classrooms, and painting is underway as well. During the “dead period” for athletics around the Fourth of July week, the wooden basketball floors were refinished and sealed so they can cure and dry for basketball and volleyball workouts and practices.
Hannah Ward, Payroll & Leave;
Award of Distinction for Excellent Financial Reporting
The Dawson County Schools Finance Department has been awarded the Award of Distinction for Excellent Financial Reporting from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts for 9 out of 9 years that the award has been presented. The award of distinction is presented to organizations that submit quality financial statements and supporting documentation in a timely manner, whose annual financial report is given an unmodified audit opinion and is free of any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses and comply with all Transparency In Governmental Accounting requirements.
“A lot of the standard stuff is going well and I would like to give a lot of credit to Everett Burt and all the guys that work for him; he has a crew of seven guys and he’s handling the facilities,” Bennett said. “And Vickie Pafford is our administrative assistant at this department; they’ve done a great job making sure everything is scheduled and on time and getting done.”
Karen Chester, Benefits; Beth Covington, Finance Director; Sherri Autry, Accountant dawsoncountyschools.org
NOW
OUR DCHS ALUMNI! WE WANTED
After graduating from DCHS in 2016, Peytan Porter moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Lipscomb University and pursue a career in country music. There, she got her undergraduate degree in Strategic Communications while also writing songs full time as a songwriting intern with Sea Gayle Music. After walking away from a publishing deal offer that “didn’t feel right” at the top of 2020, the global pandemic forced her to move back to Dawsonville for the final semester of her senior year. Over Zoom, she continued writing songs and taking meetings with creatives in Nashville and all over the world. In December of the same year, she signed her first publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Music, giving her the long-awaited job title of “songwriter”. Since then, she’s been living out her dreams of writing, recording and performing her own music. In November Peytan released her debut single “Therapy” which now has well over 2 million streams, and earlier this year got her nominated for iHeart Radio’s TikTok Songwriter of The Year. She’s since been hitting the road, opening for acts like Darius Rucker, Jon Pardi and the legendary Willie Nelson. Porter released her debut project at the end of June which included 7 original songs and is available everywhere music is streamed.
LIFE...
DAWSON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNIWhere Are They Now?Where Are They Now?
ROLES IN
DAWSON COUNTY SCHOOLS IS PROUD OF TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW ALUMNI THAT ARE IN EXTRAORDINARY THEIR PROFESSIONAL
PEYTAN PORTER 32 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
TIM AND MASON
dawsoncountyschools.org 33 Excellence Together.
Father son duo Tim and Mason Bennett are the faces behind Bennett Landscape Incorporated. Both graduates of Dawson County High School, Tim (class of 1989) and Mason (class of 2014) both work side by side in the homegrown landscape company in Dawsonville, Ga. Tim started lawn care in the early 2000s with a trailer and a few pieces of equipment. What started out as a small business grew into a commercial landscaping company some years later. BLI was established in 2005 and Mason has worked there for most of his life. It was no surprise when he graduated from the University of Georgia in 2018 with a degree in Agriculture Business that he would return home to work for the family company.
GREER After graduation from DCHS In 1983, Wesley attended University of West Georgia where he ran Track and CrossCountry. His Sophomore year, he transferred to University of Georgia and competed with the UGA Cross Country team. After graduation from UGA in 1988 with a degree in Journalism & Business, Wesley worked in sales before answering a call to fulltime ministry. He served in youth ministry for the next 7 years and as the Youth minister of New Covenant Community Church in Chamblee, Ga. Since then, for the past 20 years, Wesley has been in various professional sales roles and is currently at Lockstep Technology Group where he sells technology resources to education institutions throughout the Southeast. Wesley has been married to Elizabeth for nearly 25 years and they have 4 children: Jacob, currently working in Atlanta, Matthew & Anna, who are students at UGA, and Catherine, who will be attending University of West Georgia this fall to run competitively. Wesley continues to be an active runner, and enjoys competing in trail races throughout North Georgia. Wesley & Elizabeth live in Roswell, Ga where they are active in their local community and attend and serve at Fellowship Bible church.
Over twenty years later through the leadership of Tim, both continue to work in the fast paced landscape industry that continues to grow with each year. Bennett Landscape has evolved into a full service landscape company that offers more than just maintenance, but also design, installation, and management. BLI prides itself in its mission to prioritize customer service as well as serving their hometown and now surrounding counties as well. When the two are not working at BLI they both pastor at CrossBridge Community Church. Tim being senior pastor and Mason serving as youth minister. Both are thankful for the opportunities that Dawson County has given them and are honored to give back by serving their community through ministry and local business.
BENNETTWESLEY
2022-23 Teachers of the Year Dawson County Middle SchoolKristin Smith Dawson County Junior High SchoolAmy Burns Dawson County High SchoolAshley 2021-2022CarayTeachers of the Year Banquet Thanks to the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Black’s Mill Elementary SchoolJessica Pardue KiloughTracySchoolElementary-Martin ElementaryRiverviewSchoolBrianna Baker ElementaryRobinsonSchoolShelby Ventura 34 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
If you have questions, you can visit the Transportation table at Open House, or you can contact the Bus Shop at 706216-5568. Drivers will be present at Open House to answer questions about students’ bus route information.
DAWSON COUNTY SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION “Safely Transporting Dawson County’s Future” • Appealing Work Schedule • Benefits • CDL Training • $500 Incentive Apply online at: dawsoncountyschools.org or call 706.216.5568 And We’re We’re Looking for Bus Drivers! Drivers! dawsoncountyschools.org 35 Excellence Together.
The Dawson County Schools Transportation Department is excited to welcome back students for the 2022-2023 school year. Every school day, 48 buses transport over 2400 students around the county, to and from their school. These buses run 49 daily routes, accounting for almost 5,000 miles per day. Bus routes were evaluated this summer, so that safety is ensured at every stop. “Our drivers and mechanics are very passionate about the students and families they serve. Safety is a top priority,” stated Mrs. PJ Huggins, Transportation Director. There are 50 staff members on the 1Dawson Transportation team, including drivers, subs, bus monitors, mechanics, and officeMrs.staff.Huggins replaces Mr. Jim Rich after his recent retirement after serving Dawson County Schools for over 25 years. Mrs. Huggins comes to Dawson County after being with Hall County Schools for the last six years. Mrs. Huggins leads the Pioneer RESA Job-A-Like for transportation directors across northeast Georgia and serves on the board for Georgia Association of Pupil Transportation. She looks forward to working with the staff and serving the students of Dawson County. Bus drivers have been enjoying their summer. They have completed summer training and are ready to return for our school year. Over the summer all school buses were inspected and are road ready for the school bus routes. Last year our school buses drove over 686,104 miles. Fleet mechanics attended classes over the summer to continue training for certification in maintenance of the school buses.
On the Move
The DCS Transportation Department will be launching new technology in the 2022-2023 school year. The Traversa app will be implemented to allow parents to track their child’s drop and pick up locations and receive important notifications. Traversa also helps the department plan the quickest and safest possible routes for our students.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are a staff favorite at Riverview because of our CBI coffee cart. We have been running our coffee cart since 2008. Kyra’s Sunshine Express at RvES was dedicated in memory of one of our precious students. The coffee cart provides the students with opportunities to learn social skills as well as responsibility. They are given jobs while on the coffee cart such as setting up the cart and using communication skills to ask if teachers want coffee. They also help assist with the sorting and counting of the money collected for the deposits.
we would not be
now, “ your And finally I
like to thank our coworkers,
Black’s Mill Elementary Kelley Reeves, Teacher Kilough Elementary Sandra Tankersley, Teacher Angela Howard, Nutrition Manager Riverview Elementary Debbie Tauber, Teacher Robinson Elementary Lance Stiffler, Counselor Kim Anderson, Nutrition Staff Dawson County Middle Tammi Edwards, Teacher Josh Carpenter, Teacher Renee Rogers, Teacher Kim Fleming, Teacher Dawson County Junior High Kevan Richardson, Teacher Lidia Simonds, Nutrition Staff Dawson County High Stefanie Gibbs, Graduation Coach Cherie Ferguson, Counselor Glenda Brandt, Administrative Assistant which has been who have supported who are would with kitchen staff,
Students were able to continue with bi-monthly Music Therapy through Perfect Harmony Health. This allowed our students to participate in music-based interventions such as playing instruments, movement-to-music, and/or singing songs. They learned songs that were designed to improve skills such as motor control, speech skills, communication, and cognitive skills. We are thankful for the amazing opportunities our students are given and for the support that OneDawson and the community have for our students and program. We can’t wait to see what the 2022-2023 school year holds for us!
Congrats to the 2022 DCS Retirees THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES THANK¡Gracias! Hello, BEST MEXICAN We would like to start by expressing the award
The CBI (Community Based Instruction) classes at Riverview Elementary School are learning many different skills. Not only are they learning crucial academics catered to their individual needs, but they are also given opportunities to learn skills necessary to succeed in the community and throughout their lives.
we
chefs, food runners, Thanks to everyone for their hard work ONCE AGAIN 36 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
achieved thanks I want to start by thanking God for health, thank all our customers
Exceptional Children
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm Main Office: 1162 Highway 53 East (P.O. Box 769) Dawsonville, GA 30534 Telephone: 706-216-8474 Fax: 706-216-6170 Emergency Only (After Hours): 706-265-3395 W ELCom E B AC k A ND W ISHING A LL oF Yo U A G REAT Y EAR . THANKYOU! ¡Gracias! MEXICAN RESTAURANT & MARGARITAS www.SenorFiesta.com 770-534-1122 1943 Jesse Jewell Pkwy. SE Ste. Gainesville,900,GA 30501 706-216-5000 12 Dawson Market Way Ste. Dawsonville,300,GA 30534 Come see us in Gainesville or Dawsonville expressing the great emotion and satisfaction we feel for receiving this achieved thanks to all of you. God for health, strength and leading us on the right path. I also want to have supported us for these 2 years of service, without your support or vote, now, “ your fav thank our coworkers, thanks to the great team we have achieved starting runners, chip takers, busboys , hostesses, bartenders and managers. hard work and dedication. ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR CHOOSING US. www.SenorFiesta.com Thank You North Georgia for your continued support and for making us your Favorite Mexican Restaurant 4 Years in a Row. 300 Dawson Commons Circle Ste.320 | Dawsonville, GA 30534 Nutritional Support provided by a Registered Dietician Mental and CounselingBehavioral Sport and Camp Physicals Vaccinations • Wellness Check-ups • Asthma Management ADD/ADHD Management • Lactation Support www.dawsonpediatrics.com 1200 Bald Ridge Marina Rd Ste. 100 | Cumming, GA 30041 706-216-2771 Your Child’s Home for HEALTH and WELLNESS dawsoncountyschools.org 37
Several extracurricular options are available at each school. Visit your school’s website or see your child’s school or teacher for more information. ATHLETICS & CLUBS Golden Pass Available at DCHS If you are a Dawson resident who will be 65+ during the 20222023 school year, or if you are a Dawson County Schools (DCS) retiree, you are eligible to receive an annual 1D Golden Pass. THE 1D GOLDEN PASS ENTITLES YOU TO THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL PRIVILEGE: • Admission to DCS home high school athletic events. (Free admission does not extend to away games, play-off games, graduation or PTO/A sponsored events.) • Golden Passes are issued at Dawson County High School front office, 1665 Perimeter Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534, Monday - Friday of regular school days, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please present a valid Driver’s License or I.D. • $20 card processing fee 38 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Posted to district website Revised as needed based on COVID 19 community spread data 3 Ongoing Revision of Plan Stakeholder Input Survey posted to website Governance Team Feedback Stakeholder Meetings Comprehensive Needs Assessment End of Year Survey Results Student Achievement Data Extended summer school (Summer Soar, DCMS, 8 12 Programs) Academic supplemental resources (digital and print) Instructional coaches, SEL supports, Retention pay for staff and teachers, Additional support staff (high school transition specialists, school social worker) Dawson County School System plans to utilize ESSER III American Rescue Plan (ARP) federal funds to address all students' academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic The initial Use of Funds Plan includes: ESSER Funds Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief ESSER funds are intended to address the impact that the COVID 19 Pandemic has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools. I RELIEF Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act DCS was allocated 418,695 Relief & Continuity of Services Obligation Timeline 9/2022 II REOPEN Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) ACT REOPENING DCS was allocated 1 6m Same as ESSER I plus reopening Obligation Timeline 9/2023 III RECOVERY American Rescue Plan (ARP) ACT RECOVERY DCS was allocated $3 7m Same as ESSER I and II plus recovery, learning loss, enrichment, and mental health Obligation Timeline 9/2024 DCS USE OF ESSER III ESSER III REQUIREMENTS: 1 LEA Use of Funds Plan Posted to district website Use of Funds Initial Plan approved 20% for learning loss Plan is fluid and will change based on feedback and need 2 2021 2022 Return to School Plan Academic Supports Social Emotional Supports Health & Safety/ Reopening Continuity of Services ESSER III STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK: OVERVIEW OF ESSER FUNDS: The district will continue to monitor, evaluate, and update our plan based on stakeholder feedback and the district's comprehensive needs assessment throughout the funding period of the ARP ESSER grant at least every six months Please visit the district website and complete the feedback survey Your input will help the district understand stakeholder priorities for using ESSER III funds as we move through the recovery phase of the COVID 19 pandemic. More information to come in January about how you can help us collect stakeholder feedback Visit the DCS website: www dawsoncountyschools org dawsoncountyschools.org 39 Excellence Together.
The Remedial Education Program (REP) is an instructional program designed for students in grades 6-12 who have identified deficiencies in reading, writing, or math. This program provides basic skills instruction as mandated by Georgia Law in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.
TITLE I Title I, Part A provides federal funds through the Georgia Department of Education to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public schools with high percentages of economically disadvantaged children to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. Black’s Mill Elementary, Kilough Elementary, Riverview Elementary, and Robinson Elementary all receive funding as a Title I Schoolwide School.
REACH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
In 2022, Dawson County will announce its 8th cohort of REACH Georgia Scholars. REACH stands for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH). REACH is a needs-based scholarship designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The program requires students to sign contracts to maintain a certain grade point average, good behavior 40 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Title III is a federally funded program that provides supplemental funds to support ESOL services that are already in place. Dawson County Schools provides language support services to EL students in multiple formats.
Children start school at a designated chronological age, but differ greatly in their individual development and experience base. The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is designed to serve students who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level. The purpose of the Early Intervention Program is to provide additional instructional resources to help students who are performing below grade level obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time.
Each Title I school works to actively engage parents as partners in the educational program. The schools have parent compact agreements that outline the ways the school, parents, and students will commit to working together for a great school year. The schools also create plans to involve parents in all aspects of their student’s educational experience. Parents have the opportunity to learn about ways to support their child’s learning by attending special events throughout the year. Each Title I school also has a parent resource room filled with games, resources, activities, and computer access to assist parents with helping their child to be successful.
TITLE III/ESOL (ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER ESOLLANGUAGES)isastate-funded instructional program for eligible English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12. The program emphasizes academic and social language development and its coursework is based on the WIDA Consortium English Language Development (ELD) standards. Classroom teachers integrate the ELD standards with the Georgia content standards to enable ELs to communicate in English and demonstrate their academic, social, and cultural proficiency.
REMEDIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
Second Step: At the elementary level, schools utilize the 2nd Step curriculum. Through the use of weekly lessons, students are taught techniques to gain confidence, set goals, make better decisions, collaborate with others in work and play, and navigate the world more effectively. The lessons include ageappropriate lessons in skills for learning, empathy, emotion management, and problem solving.
Crisis Text Line* | Text “HOME” to 741741 *All
PREVENTION If you
& attendance, and remain crime & drug free. The scholars also commit to meet with a volunteer mentor and academic coach until they graduate from high school. Additionally, the student’s parents or guardians sign contracts to support their student through their education. When these scholars graduate from high school, they will receive up to a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500 each year for up to four years) to be used at a HOPE eligible Georgia two or four-year college. Many colleges will match this scholarship and some will double match the scholarship, providing scholars additional resources for their college education.
COUNSELORS & SUPPORT
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING School counselors work with the teachers as advisors to implement character education and social-emotional learning programs.
dawsoncountyschools.org 41 Excellence Together.
7 Mindsets: At the middle and junior high levels, schools utilize the 7 Mindsets curriculum. The 7 Mindsets are designed to promote self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, positive relationship skills, and responsible decision making. These skills are not only important as a young adult, but throughout life as well.
Each school counselor works to support the district-wide initiative to partner with families and the community in addressing issues and concerns related to suicide, substance abuse, and mental health. Schools will implement the following programs: Riding the Waves: 5th graders will learn about healthy emotional development, depression, and anxiety. Through a series of 12 lessons throughout the year, the students will learn ways to make healthy decisions, strategies for coping with difficult situations, and how/ who/when to ask for help.
are confidential and answered 24/7. Mental
Each school in the district has a full-time counselor who works to provide students with academic guidance and social-emotional support. The counselors work with teachers and administrators in monitoring and assessing student academic progress. Counselors provide career cluster and guidance lessons to students as they work toward becoming college and career ready.
Renaissance, The Harbor: At the high school level, the school utilizes The Harbor curriculum. This video series facilitates the teaching of character development by showcasing tangible life lessons such as having a positive attitude, how to get unstuck, time management, self-reflection, self-worth, and communication. The lessons are facilitated weekly by the student’s TAA (teacher as advisor).
in crisis, please call toll-free National Suicide
GIFTED EDUCATION
The vision of the Dawson County Gifted Program is to be an exemplary program as we advocate for and meet the needs of each gifted child. Dawson County Schools provide services to those students who meet the local and state criteria for gifted eligibility utilizing one or more of the following models of service: cluster grouping within a traditional classroom, advanced & accelerated content courses, enrichment & resource support courses, and internships. Gifted students must meet and maintain high performance in both gifted and non-gifted courses to continue services in the program.
Lifeline* 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Georgia Crisis & Access Line* |
CRISIS or your child are Prevention 1-800-715-4225 calls Health Emergency Line: 9-8-8
Signs of Suicide: 6th - 12th graders will be provided with age-appropriate lessons that raise awareness about suicide and depression. Students are taught how to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if they encounter a situation that requires help from a trusted adult.
All Dawson County Schools utilize the PBIS as a framework to prevention and intervention to support academic, social, emotional, and behavioral learning for all students. Through this framework, each school develops positive, predictable, and safe environments that foster the creation of strong interpersonal relationships through teaching, modeling, and providing encouragement. Students are taught social skills and appropriate social behavior expectations. Through this teaching, combined with acknowledgement and feedback, there is an increase in positive behaviors, which promotes a greater climate of productivity, safety, and learning.
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS & MCKINNEY-VENTO LIAISON
POSITIVE INTERVENTIONSBEHAVIORALANDSUPPORTS (PBIS)
The district social workers and McKinney-Vento liaison continually work with the local law enforcement, judicial system, and health care professionals to address the needs of students and their families. They work to address problems students and families face when enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. The district will continue its partnership with AVITA to provide professional mental health counseling services at the middle, junior, and senior high schools.
Here Is Hoping That All Our Dawson County Students Have A Fabulous Year! 42 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
In an ongoing effort to utilize state-of-the-art technology in the classroom, Dawson County is implementing ClearTouch interactive panels at Dawson County Middle School, Dawson County Junior High and Dawson County High. Next summer, the elementary schools will see these panels. The Cleartouch interactive panels will replace the outdated projectors in all 6-12 classrooms. This will allow teachers to take advantage of newer technology best-utilizing the student and instructor 1:1 devices.
*Refer to individual school and/or website for details.
Dawson County Schools will recover instructional time lost due to school closures by utilizing online learning using Schoology, the district’s online learning management system.
• Student attendance is not connected to the completion of work. COMMUNICATION
Prior to school closings, teachers will communicate with parents and students how students can find assignments in Schoology and the mode of communication to use to contact teachers. Additionally, teachers will have digital office hours on the days that school is closed. PROJECTORS
Online Learning Plan for School Closures
INTERACTIVE PANELS REPLACE OUTDATED
• Students should begin working on their lessons on the day missed when possible. Student work is due five school days after returning to school.
• Assignments will be limited to no more than 20 min/ subject. This includes any assigned reading, multimedia and/or videos.
DCS instructional Technology initiatives strive to promote the 4 C’s (Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, and Critical Thinking) through the use of industry-standard hardware and software.
Dawson County School System understands and realizes that during a weather emergency that there could be sporadic power outages, internet unavailability, etc. That is why our student lesson plans have some activities available online and some that your child can complete at home without the use of technology.
FOR 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR • Teachers will post all assignments by 9 a.m. in Schoology on the first O-Learning day.
dawsoncountyschools.org 43 Excellence Together.
Upon return to school, students will be given five days to complete any work assigned that may have not been completed.
TEACHER
Duran, RN, BSN Robinson Elementary hduran@dawson.k12.ga.us 7 years of experience Angela Howell, RN, ASN Black’s Mill Elementary ahowell@dawson.k12.ga.us 27 years of experience Emergency Department Urgent Care Oncology Immunology Medical Surgical Unit Hospice Care Home Health Peri Operative Surgical Care Maternal/Child Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Pediatrics Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Research Interventional Pain Management Taylor Dampier, CMA, CST Riverview Elementary / DCMS taylor.dampier@dawson.k12.ga.us 5 years experience Hannah Brunner, RN, BSN Riverview Elementary hannah brunner@dawson k12 ga us 9 years experience Teri Turner RN Kilough Elementary teriturner@dawson.k12.ga.us 40 years of experience Stephanie Fulwider, RN, BSN Dawson County Middle stephanie.fulwider@dawson.k12.ga.us 8 years of experience Amanda Kubat, RN, BSN Dawson County Junior High akubat@dawson.k12.ga.us 18 years of experience Savannah Bley, RN, BSN Dawson County High savannah bley@dawson k12 ga us 12 years of experience Health Services Experience: Vikki Brannon RN, BSN, MSN, NBCSN Director of Youth Health Services vbrannon@dawson k12 ga us 17 years of experience "Dawson County Schools is devoted to providing top quality nursing care to every student, teacher, and staff It is our mission to improve the health and wellness of our com munity and enhance overall population health We have highly skilled, educated, and trained staff that is committed to serving our district and striving for excellence " 44 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
Meet the Nurses The Health Services Department at Dawson County Schools offers top quality care with a highly skilled and experienced nursing staff.
Hannah
Health Services
IN DAWSON COUNTY SCHOOLS
NEW PATIENT Take Home Whitening Kit & Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. IMPLANT CONSULTATION with purchase of Full Mouth Set of X-rays ($125) NEW PATIENTNEW PATIENT FREE Take Home Whitening Kit & Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. NEW PATIENT FREE Take Home Whitening Kit & Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. FREE IMPLANT CONSULTATION with purchase of Full Mouth Set of X-rays ($125) 15% OFF VENEERS ServingDawsonCountyandNorthGeorgiaforover35Years! • 754 HWY.706-265-2505 Serving Dawson HwyHorse53MillRd RdCreekShoal With this coupon. Not valid with NEW Take Home Smile Consultation With this coupon. Not valid with IMPLANT with Full Mouth 15% OFF for established With this coupon. Not valid withWith this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. NEW PATIENT FREE Take Home Whitening Kit & Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. FREE IMPLANT CONSULTATION with purchase of Full Mouth Set of X-rays ($125) • B. Manzur, D.M.D. • 754 HWY. 53 WEST, DAWSONVILLE, GA 706-265-2505HwyHorse53MillRd RdCreekShoal With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. NEW PATIENT FREE Take Home Whitening Kit & Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. FREE IMPLANT CONSULTATION with purchase of Full Mouth Set of X-rays ($125) 15% OFF VENEERS for established patients only With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 6/30/22. With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 6/30/22. With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 6/30/22. • B. Manzur, D.M.D. • 754 HWY. 53 WEST, DAWSONVILLE, GA 706-265-2505 Serving Dawson County for over 35 Years HwyHorse53MillRd RdCreekShoal With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. FREE Smile Consultation by iTero ($250 value) With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. FREE IMPLANT CONSULTATION Full Mouth Set of X-rays ($125) 15% OFF VENEERS for established patients only With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer expires 2/28/22. Dental services for all your family needs. dawsoncountyschools.org 45 Excellence Together.
• Advocating for a school-wide approach to addressing chronic absenteeism among students with a chronic health condition.
• Coordinating with students and their families to access needed medical or mental health providers and other individual needs.
School nurses can help improve academic achievement and decrease absenteeism. Daily school attendance is strongly associated with higher standardized test scores and graduation rates, and lower dropout rates. Students with chronic health conditions may struggle with chronic absenteeism (missing about 10% or a month’s worth of school in a school year) or have other needs that can affect academic achievement. Access to school nurses and health services can help reduce chronic absenteeism among students with chronic health conditions through care coordination and health education activities including:
• Partnering with school staff to help students feel safe at school.
• Assessing students’ health status, identifying barriers to educational progress, and developing a healthcare plan to help avoid school absences.
• Conducting parent/caregiver and student classes on health topics; and addressing chronic tardiness, early dismissals, class absence, and chronic absenteeism.
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2022 2023 STUDENT CALENDAR July 29 Flex Planning August 1 4 Pre Planning 5 First Day of School JULY 2022 S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 AUGUST 2022 19 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 September 5 Labor Day (No School) 28 30 Fall Break October 19 20 Early Release / Parent Conf (K 8) 21 Prof. Dev. Day (Student Holiday) SEPTEMBER 2022 18 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 OCTOBER 2022 20 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23/30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 November 11 Early Release / Veteran’s Day 21 25 Thanksgiving Holiday December 20 Early Release / Last Day 1st Sem 21 Flex Planning 21 30 Holiday Break NOVEMBER 2022 17 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 DECEMBER 2022 14 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 January 2 Flex Planning; Student Holiday 3 Prof Development 4 First Day 2nd Sem 16 MLK Day (No School) February 17 Early Release 20 21 Student/Staff Holiday JANUARY 2023 19 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 FEBRUARY 2023 18 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 March 9 Early Release / Parent Conf (K 8) 10 Prof Dev Day (Student Holiday) April 3 7 Spring Break MARCH 2023 22 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 APRIL 2023 15 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23/30 24 25 26 27 28 29 May 24 Early Release / Last Day 2nd Sem 25 26 Post Planning June MAY 2023 18 Days S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 JUNE 2023 S M T W TH F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 School Hours Begin End Early Release Elementary 8:10 a.m. 3:05 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Middle 7:45 a m 2:45 p m 12:15 p m Junior High 7:40 a m 2:30 p m 12:00 p m High 7:40 a m 2:30 p m 12:00 p m *Flex Planning Options for Staff (School Administration will pick one day): 7/29, 12/21, or 1/2 Approved 12/7/2021 46 OneDawson 2022-2023 Excellence Together.
FREECHOCOLATECHIP COOKIE Receive one free cookie per person. show this email at register to redeem. 405 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 120, Cumming, GA 30041 Only valid at Crumbl Cumming, GA FREECHOCOLATECHIP COOKIE FREECHOCOLATECHIP COOKIE Receive one free cookie per person. show this email at register to redeem. 405 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 120, Cumming, GA 30041 Only valid at Crumbl Cumming, GA Receive one free cookie per coupon, per person. Show this offer at the register to redeem. Offer expires 9.3.22. Valid at CRUMBL CUMMING, ALPHARETTA and DAWSONVILLE 4190 Old Milton Parkway, Suite 2L Alpharetta, GA 30005
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