November 2, 2017
Every day, the schools of the DeKalb County School District are bursting with activities that supports college and career readiness. Twice a month, we’ll share that news in TRUST in the Schoolhouse. Below are some examples of that work. Got an idea? Please share it here.
Arabia Mountain High School
Under the leadership of Monica Fogg, Arabia Mountain’s Marching Band was recognized as the Grand Champion at the Southern Regional National High Stepping Band Competition. The band placed first in general effort, drum major, percussion, auxiliary, and Division 2 Bands. Also, it was awarded second place for Marching Performance.
Dresden Elementary School
During the week of Sept. 25, Dresden ES celebrated Heritage Week. Events throughout the week included a door decorating contest, classroom show-and-tell, and the “Taste of Dresden” where families cooked and shared food. The school also celebrated Hispanic Heritage Day, where students wore clothes from different Hispanic countries. There were two school-wide assemblies that featured Hispanic community leaders from the Chamblee Police Department and Plaza Fiesta, as well as a special performance by one of the Dresden families.
Henderson Middle School
Congratulations to Chorus teacher Dale Duncan for being named one of the Grammy’s Top 25 Music Educators. Music teachers from 25 cities across 17 states have been announced as semifinalists for the Music Educator Award, presented by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum. Duncan was the only recipient this year from the state of Georgia and the only middle school teacher on the list.
Margaret Harris
Congratulations to Doretta Fleet-Thomas and Andrea Mukoko, registered nurses at Margaret Harris, on being selected as 2017 Georgia Nurse of the Year Award finalists. Over 3,000 candidates are recommended for the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award each year. The candidates are referred by colleagues, parents, schools, hospitals, clinics and other medical agencies.
Oakcliff Elementary School
Oakcliff counselors and student support specialists are working diligently to assist and support many of the school’s families with the basics such as clothing and food. They have partnered with nearby food pantries, and Oakcliff teachers to donate non-perishable items to create “Weekend Backpacks” of food. The backpacks of food will be given to specific families on Fridays to ensure that children are still eating when they are away from school on the weekends. Hats off to Denise Quintana, Jonathan Johnson, and Ernest Nicholson, who are commended for their commitment to the students and their families.
Vanderlyn Elementary School
On Oct. 13, Vanderlyn Elementary hosted its Fifth Annual Vocabulary Parade. A host of costumed “words” marched across the campus. By engaging students in metacognition, they are able to retain the knowledge gained from this invaluable experience as they become life-long learners and consumers of rigorous vocabulary. The school was fortunate to have so many parents attend and support the school’s efforts. This was a fun and exciting way to celebrate learning, while at the same time supporting the ongoing efforts to promote literacy and increase robust vocabulary and word recognition among the students.