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 2010-2011 School Year Off to a Great Start
I want to thank all of you for a wonderful opening to the school year. As I traveled to many of our schools during the first week, I was encouraged by the wonderful things I witnessed. I could tell on the first day, which can sometimes be a little hectic as we all get adjusted, many of our students came well prepared and eager to learn.
I would like to extend a deep appreciation for all the hard work done by our principals, teachers, school staff and district-support staff, as well as to our parent and community volunteers.
Please visit the
district's website for important information, such as school hours, lunch menus and supply lists. If you have not yet had a chance to visit your child's school, please review the
open house schedule and make plans to attend.
Your involvement in your child's education is essential. Parents who are involved help to ensure the academic success of their child. Please consider signing up to be a school volunteer, join the school PTA and
"Be There" for your child!
With your help, we will continue to increase the academic achievement for all students, employ the best teachers and principals, and establish safe, secure and respectful schools. I am confident that working together, we will provide more students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy and culturally diverse world.
Thanks for all you do for Duval County Public Schools. Have a great 2010-2011 school year!
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
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 Congratulations to Gola "KK" Cherney, the media specialist at
Chets Creek Elementary, for being selected as one of five finalists in the nation for the Scholastic Alferd Williams Literacy Award. The award recognizes teachers, volunteers, students, tutors, librarians and even grandparents for doing their part to help inspire a love of reading in children.
Mrs. Cherney needs our support to be selected as the winner! Visit
www.scholastic.com/literacyaward and choose the winner of the 2010 Alferd Williams Literacy Award! Online voting is from now until September 30, 2010.
“Alferd Williams is an inspirational story. I am so honored and touched to be considered for this award that represents literacy. Just to be nominated is such an honor. Thank you for considering to vote for me,” said Cherney.
For her nomination, read what Liz Duncan, the school's Behavioral Interventionist, had to say about Mrs. Cherney
here.
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 The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that Florida is a winner of the federal Race to the Top Phase 2 competition. This funding will be dedicated to carrying out a broad range of strategies designed to improve the state’s lowest performing schools and increase the academic achievement of Florida’s students.
Duval County Public Schools is not yet sure how much money it will receive, but with the end of the 2010-11 school year bringing the end of stimulus funds from the federal government, our district will again face a budget shortfall.
"We are excited about the opportunity that this funding creates for Duval County Public Schools, and appreciate the help of the Duval County School Board and Duval Teachers United for collaborating with us for the grant application. This funding will allow the district to continue some of the trend-setting key elements already in place at DCPS that are part of the grant, including end-of-course exams, an evaluation and compensation system based on student learning gains derived from a variety of assessments and the reconstitution of lower performing schools based on performance of teachers," said Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. "With a potential shortfall of nearly $125 million for next year, this funding will assist us with our efforts to ensure that we have as minimal an impact on the classroom as possible."
Congratulations to Florida's teachers and students for this next step in education reform.
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Timothy Kenney, a math teacher at
Mandarin Oaks Elementary, has been selected as a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching. Kenney was also a finalist for the award in 2008.
 The PAEMST, which is administered by the National Science Foundation, was enacted by Congress in 1983. The program authorizes the president to bestow up to 108 awards each year on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
"To be a finalist once for this prestigious award is an honor, but to be recognized as a finalist twice within such a short period of time is phenomenal. Mr. Kenney is a model for his colleagues, an inspiration to his students and our community, and a leader in the improvement of mathematics education," said Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. "Excellent teachers in the fields of math and science are a vital resource for our students' academic success, and we applaud Mr. Kenney’s dedication to preparing Duval County students to be globally competitive."
Find out more by reading the
entire release.
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Through the use of e-mail and social media, schools now have the ability to communicate with parents/guardians on a continuous basis like never before.
 Recent studies have shown that as many as 60% of the homes in the United States have access to the Internet, and many school districts have taken advantage of that number through the use of webpages, blogs, social media sites and other Internet technologies. Through the use of telephone tools, our district aims to meet the needs of the remaining 40% who do not have access to the Internet.
What are some ways Duval County Public Schools is communicating with parents/guardians?
Parent Portal is a website tool for parents/guardians to see individual student information, including grades, attendance, a school calendar and more. The online Gradebook section allows parents and students instant access to their grades, and saves teachers, faculty and staff time from manually processing grades. This also enables teachers and administrators to collaborate and effectively communicate with parents on their student's performance.
To access this tool, parents will need to register for a login and password at their child's school. Parents can access the portal from any computer, and some schools have added kiosks for parents who don’t have easy access to computers.
  Facebook & Twitter are becoming increasingly popular with school districts to communicate to their parents and community. Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter by searching for Duval County Public Schools or DuvalSchools. Both pages are updated regularly with school and district news, emergency messages and information about current events.
DCPS eNews
is the district's monthly electronic newsletter containing important school and
district news.
Sign up and get connected to the latest school news and information.
ParentLink is a web and telephone based notification service that is capable of delivering messages via telephone to our students, parents and staff.
 Flickr hosts our district’s photo galleries. By visiting our website and clicking on the
flickr icon, you will have access to online photo albums from our school events.
As always, the
district's website remains a wonderful source for district and school-wide news, events and other important information.
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Did you know that Duval County Public Schools' students have access to free homework help? To find out more, visit our website.
 Live Homework Help from the Jacksonville Public Library
Live Homework Help is also provided at no cost to Jacksonville Public Library card holders.
Live Homework Help is offered by Tutor.com, an online tutoring service that library card holders can access from 4 to 9 p.m., Sunday-Thursday. Tutor.com offers homework help for K-12 and
an introduction to college in math, science, English and social studies subjects,
as well as a Writing Center. Tutor.com can be used by students or parents to help students succeed in school. For more info on accessing Live Homework Help through the Jacksonville Public Library, follow this link.
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September
8 |
Student Early Release Day |
22 |
Student Early Release Day |
27 |
District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
October
5 |
School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
6 |
Student Early Release Day |
20 |
Student Early Release Day |
25 |
Teacher Planning Day (No school for students) |
25 |
District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
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Did you know
DCPS TV brings school and district news to you first-hand through the eye of the video camera lens?
DCPS TV features student achievements and activities, and promotes events. We are in contact with schools everyday to find the stories worth telling, and make sure you – our parents and community members - can see them any time.
Visit our website today and find streaming video of recent events taking place throughout the district.
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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. Call 904-390-2126 to request a knowledgeable speaker to address your organization or association.
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