The Board of Education amended the 2017-18 school calendar at their monthly meeting Thursday night to extend Thanksgiving break.
Schools will get a full week of vacation for Thanksgiving, while fall break, which has been two weeks, will last a week next year. Thanksgiving break will be Nov. 20-24, while fall break will take place Oct. 16-20.
Two extra days of break will have to be made up at the end of the school year. The last day of school in 2018, previously set for May 22, will now be May 24.
The board also adopted the school calendar for the year 2018-19 as well. Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III said that if the revised 2017-18 calendar works out, the 2018-19 calendar may be changed as well.
DeKalb Middle School Assistant Principal Amanda Dakas told the board that the DMS Chili Supper would be replaced by a PTO Chili Luncheon.
“It will be on Saturday, January 28 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.,” Dakas said. “It will be in the DeKalb Middle School Cafeteria. The cost will be $7, which will include chili, a hot dog, a desert and drink. We will have a cake walk, which begins at 11:30 a.m., and a live auction at 12:30 p.m.” Tickets will be sold at the door.
Meanwhile, Beth Pafford of Northside Elementary School told the board that students progressed in winter benchmark testing, and that a bike was given away as an attendance incentive.
“We had our winter benchmark testing just before the break and had a lot to celebrate with student progress and continue to modify and adjust instruction so we can best meet our student’s needs and help them move in an upward direction,” Pafford shared. “We had the pleasure of giving away our first bike as part of our attendance incentive. We want to thank Barry Mabe and Little Debbie for sponsoring that. Fifth grade student Peyton Anderson was the winner of the bicycle. Students get a ticket for every week they are in school every day, not late, and don’t leave early. That increases the chance to win. We will give away another bike in May at the end of the school year.”
DCHS Principal Kathy Bryant told board members that ACT scores increased by a full point over last year’s tally.
“With the report card coming out recently, we increased our composite score for the ACT an entire point. We went from 17.8 to 18.8, and even though that is one point, in ACT that is huge. We increased in every content area with reading having the largest increase. Also we will be recognizing all students who have scored a 21 or above on the ACT during the halftime of the boys Feb. 7 basketball game.
Bryant said two new clubs have been formed at DCHS as well.
“We have started two new clubs at the high school, including the 21+ club, and the other is the 30+ club. We’re going to take those kids on some field trips and reward them for their hard work. I am very proud of our students and our teachers. We provided a lot of strategies and did a lot of new things last year, and we’ve added even more new things this year. We’re hoping to keep increasing that,” she told the board members.
“The Softball Boosters will host a Dodge ball Tournament for adults on Saturday, January 28 at 2 p.m. at Northside Elementary School. The DCHS Band will be hosting a spaghetti supper on Saturday, February 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the high school. Our DCHS Basketball Senior Night will be on Thursday, February 9,” Bryant concluded.
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps also read his monthly report on personnel.
Employed last month were:
Cody Burton, teacher at DCHS
Robert Todd Davis, custodian at DeKalb West School
Amanda Lance, special education teacher, county-wide
Karen Jacobs, a teacher at Northside Elementary, was granted a leave of absence as requested.
Resignations included:
Mary Mathis, custodian at DeKalb West School
Alicia McCallister, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
