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 Have a great summer!
As we come to the close of the 2009/2010 school year, I would like to thank you for your commitment to your students' education and to Duval County Public Schools. I would also like to thank the teachers, faculty and staff who make Duval County Public Schools a success.
As you know, over the past few years we have faced many challenges with the
budget shortfall. We have already had to cut more than $150 million from our budget over the past four years, and there will be additional cuts next year with the loss of federal stimulus money. I assure you that we will continue to be prudent in spending in order to ensure our students continue to receive a high quality education.
Despite our budget being significantly cut each year, we continue to make academic gains, including seeing our graduation rate increase more than 7 percentage points in the last 10 years. Last year, 45 of our schools increased their school grades by at least one letter grade over the previous year. The progress over the last 10 years is even more encouraging, as the number of “A” and “B” schools has increased more than 500%, with 102 of our 166 schools receiving an "A" or "B" last year.
While we still await the final decision on school grades from the State Department of Education, it appears that the hard work of our teachers, principals, support staff and the community has paid off, with a significant number of our schools potentially improving their letter grades.
Our
Strategic Plan has been in place for nearly two years now, and we will be reviewing and updating our goals this upcoming year in order to ensure we meet our vision of providing students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in post-secondary education and/or the workforce. We are committed to success, and it is our intent to make clear and measurable progress every year toward our long-term objectives.
We are continuing to work with the community to match
business partners,
volunteers and
mentors with our schools and students. By joining this effort and helping a school, businesses and community members make a real difference in the quality of education provided to our students.
I hope that you have a great summer! Thanks again for all that you do, and for your continued support of Duval County Public Schools.
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
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 Duval County Public Schools will participate in the 2010 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during the months of June, July and August.
The SFSP was created to ensure that children in lower-income areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations, when they do not have access to school lunch or breakfast.
The SFSP provides free nutritionally balanced meals to all children 18 and younger regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. There is no discrimination in the course of the meal service.
See the
attached document for a list of participating sites, as well as the dates and times meals will be provided.
For more information, visit our Web site.
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Recovery Programs
From June 21 - July 30, 2010, Duval County Public Schools will host several FREE summer school opportunities for our elementary, middle and high school students in need of promotion or credit/course recovery.
Learn more.
Superintendent's Bridging to Success Academies
In addition to the traditional summer school options offered to DCPS'
students in grades K-12, we will also offer several FREE Superintendent's
Reading & Mathematics Academies for elementary, middle and high school students who attend Turnaround schools. Learn more.
Enrichment Programs
We are implementing a Summer Technology Program for “current” elementary students using our district subscription to Destination Reading and Math. This program offers a fun and engaging way for standards based student learning and parental involvement to continue over the summer. Learn more.
Suggested Summer Reading Lists
We have a suggested reading list for students in grades K-12. The Florida Department of Education also has a Summer Reading Adventure. Learn more.
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Summer break is nearly here, but the break from school doesn’t mean that learning should stop.
The summer provides students with great opportunities for engaging learning experiences that can be both fun and academically rewarding.
 Duval County Public Schools, as well as many community organizations, such as the library, zoo and museums, provide activities to keep your child busy and engaged over the summer.
DCPS' Community Education Summer Camp Program
As an extension of the Extended Day Enrichment Program, summer camps are offered at a number of select elementary, middle and high school sites throughout the school district. Summer camps are designed to assist working parents by providing participants a wide variety of enrichment activities at an affordable fee. Enrichment activities may include recreational sports, arts and crafts, special events, field trips and computer literacy.
Summer camps range in length from six to eight weeks and most provide extended hours in the morning and afternoon. For a complete list of camps, please visit
our
Web site or call the Community Education office at 904-858-6080.
Jacksonville Public Library
The library is always a great place for students to visit over the summer, offering summer reading programs and age-appropriate story times, as well as some other learning opportunities like photography exhibits, art clubs and events, computer classes, teen book and movie clubs, and more. Visit
http://jpl.coj.net for a calendar of events and locations.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Day Camps
Students can spend an entire week at the zoo this summer exploring the animal kingdom, conservation, zoo careers and the great outdoors. All programs include instruction, behind the scene tours, animal encounters, a train ride, hands-on activities, crafts, visits to Play Park and the new penguin exhibit. For more information about the session schedule, activities and cost, visit
www.jacksonvillezoo.org.
Museum Visits
The Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens Art Connections exhibit provides students with the opportunity to walk through a painting, create patterns through dance, make a collage, listen to a sculpture, or paint with a virtual paintbrush. Visit
www.cummer.org for the museum’s hours of operation.
MOCA Jacksonville offers artcamp@MOCA, nine, week-long sessions of creative art making for ages 4-5, 6-11 and 12-15. Museum educators and certified local art educators provide quality instruction in a wide variety of subjects and media. Summer artcamp@MOCA includes a variety of art-making activities, exploration of art history, tours of the museum’s collection, literacy and creative movement.
www.mocajacksonville.org
JaxParks Summer Activities
Sensational summers start at JaxParks with several different types of summer camps, including art/creative, aquatics, junior lifeguard, nature/history and more. Visit
www.jaxparks.com for more information.
Summer Learning at Home
 If summer camp or programs are not possible this year, set up learning activities at home that your child can participate in, such as science experiments; backyard explorations; a summer-long book club; history projects; and/or supervised cooking responsibilities, which provide students with excellent practice in mathematical measurements and following directions.
For more information about things your child can do to stay engaged during the summer and prepare for the next school year, visit our
Web site.
*Remember: The first day of school is Monday, August 23, 2010. For more important dates, view the
2010/2011 District Calendar.
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Duval County Public Schools has a Facebook page. To follow us, visit Facebook and select 'Become a Fan' at the top of the page.
DCPS is also now on Twitter. To follow us, visit www.twitter.com/DuvalSchools and click on 'Follow.'
Both pages are updated regularly with news, emergency messages and information about current events.
 Looking for photos from school events? Visit our
flickr photostream.
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June
11 |
Last day of school for students |
14-15 |
Last days of post-planning |
28 |
District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
July
5 |
Independence Day (observed) - schools and district offices closed |
6 |
School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
26 |
District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
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At its monthly meeting on June 2, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recognized students, Florida A&M University and Open Arms Christian Fellowship for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the district.
For a list of everyone recognized, please review the news release.
The next School Board meeting is Tuesday, July 6, at 6 p.m. All are welcome.
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DCPS has access to many newsletters containing important information for parents, guardians and students.
Please download any of the following newsletters that interest you.
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Duval County Public Schools
1701 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207
www.duvalschools.org
Superintendent
Ed Pratt-Dannals
School Board Members
Frequently Called Numbers
Main Line
904-390-2000
Transportation
904-858-6200
Human Resources
904-390-2840
School Board Office
904-390-2293
Community & Family
Engagement
904-390-2960
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News Update
Looking for the latest school and district news? Read our most recent news releases, visit our
Spotlight on Education section or tune in to dcpsTV for a detailed look into what's going on at DCPS.
Speakers Bureau Available
DCPS would love to speak to your group to discuss our financial resources, teacher effectiveness, and the academic programs and learning opportunities we provide.
Contact Myra Simmons at 904-390-2993 to request a knowledgeable speaker to address your organization or association. You may also download a Speaker's Request Form.
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