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 Welcome Back!
We have just a few more weeks until school begins for the 2011-12 year, and I am looking forward to starting another great year with all of you.
During the summer break, principals, teachers, school and district staff members have spent many hours planning and preparing for this upcoming year to make it the best experience for our new and returning students.
This school year begins with a much anticipated event – the opening of a new elementary school, Waterleaf Elementary. Waterleaf is located off of Kernan Boulevard and will serve 500 students.
There will be some changes this school year as a result of the $91 million budget shortfall. However, even with these limitations, we are 100 percent committed to offering our students a superior education. Our goal is that every student will graduate prepared to enter post-secondary education or the workforce, and we are going to fulfill our promise.
This past fall we updated our strategic plan, and we worked relentlessly to ensure that we are meeting and exceeding the goals outlined in the plan. In its third year, we are seeing tremendous progress in reaching our long-term objectives and supplying our students with tools to perform exceptionally in the classroom and in other areas of assessment.
Over the years, our community and local business partners have graciously provided our schools with numerous essentials both in and out of the classroom, and I ask them to continue supporting our students by devoting time and resources to our future leaders. There is no contribution too small. Any help provided to our schools makes a significant difference. We encourage everyone to become a volunteer or mentor, as there is no better reward than witnessing a student understanding something for the first time.
We are excited to see the progress of our newly launched Read It Forward Jax campaign in enhancing the literacy skills of our students and increasing their love of reading. Through this campaign, we anticipate notable gains in our students’ reading comprehension. Remember, if you would like to contribute to the campaign by purchasing TVtextbooks or a classroom library for students, go to our website for more information.
Please review the open house schedule at your child’s school or on the district’s website at
www.duvalschools.org and make plans to attend. It is essential for you to be involved in your child’s education by showing support and encouragement.
Thank you for your continued support of Duval County Public Schools. It is my privilege to serve such dedicated teachers, talented students and supportive parents. Have a fantastic school year!
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
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 Duval County School Board members, administrators, students, parents and community members gathered to celebrate the grand opening of
Waterleaf Elementary School, #160, located at 450 Kernan Boulevard. This school will provide relief to Sabal Palm, Abess Park and Kernan Trail elementary schools.
Constructed by Mills-Gilbane, Inc. and designed by Bhide & Hall architectural firm, Waterleaf is a 98,000 square-foot facility on 16.5 acres that will accommodate more than 500 students. The design of this school was based on green building concepts to save energy and lower maintenance costs.
This new facility will provide students with state-of-the-art technology in an environment that supports learning. Waterleaf will provide ESE facilities, kindergarten play yards, covered play fields, and an 1/8 mile track. Also part of the new school campus is a library/media center, multipurpose room, high-tech stage and food-service seating for 350 students. The school layout includes room for future portables or another wing to be added if desired, and there is fully deployed information technology throughout the school.
 “Waterleaf is a great addition to the area and will offer enormous benefits to the neighboring schools and incoming students,” said Superintendent Pratt-Dannals. “This school will provide our students with access to advanced learning resources that will allow them to excel in the classroom.”
For convenience and safety of the students, a walkway was built into the adjoining neighborhood so students can walk to school on a safe and secure path. The school district also partnered with the City of Jacksonville to expedite the widening of Kernan Boulevard in front of the school and to realign the signalized intersection at Matthew Ungar Road to ensure school safety.
Waterleaf opens with students in grades kindergarten through fifth, and will be led by Principal Marianne Simon. The school’s mascot is the wolf and its colors are blue and yellow. School Board member Martha Barrett will be the representative for Waterleaf Elementary
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 The 2011/2012 school year is just around the corner and our teachers and staff have been working continuously during the summer months to prepare for a flawless opening.
This time of year can be extremely busy for students and parents. To provide help and guidance, we keep our website up to date with current news and events going on throughout the district. Many of you may be asking questions like these:
- When is my school’s open house?
- When are schools closed for holidays?
- How can I keep up with my child’s grades?
- What are the immunization requirements?
- Does my child need a sports physical?
All of these questions and more will be answered
simply by visiting our website and click on student information to learn more.
What are some ways Duval County Public Schools is communicating with parents/guardians?
Duvalschools.org contains all of the information you need to know about the district. Log on to duvalschools.org to find back-to-school information, calendars, homework resources, school spotlights and so much more.
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 for free at www.duvalschools.org, 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 and district events.
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 Our menu's are developed with ingredients that promote health and wellness. Nutritious meals impact the health and success of our students and are essential for strong academic performance. Our goal is to enhance student performance by providing nutritious meals and promoting the importance of healthy eating. Our nutrition standards are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. Student meals contain adequate calories and provide a variety of choices. We offer free and reduced lunch to qualified applicants. To achieve our goals:
We use:
- Lean Beef
 - Reduced Fat Cheese
- Turkey Franks
- Turkey-Based Lunch Meat
- Turkey-Based Sausage Products
- Zero Trans Fat (ZTF) margarine and oil
- Oven (Not Fried) Meat and Potato Products
- Reduced Fat Pork Products
We also:
- Offer 1% and ½% low fat milk
 - Offer whole grain bread and buns
- Offer whole grain, low sugar cereals
- Offer vitamin enriched sauces and meats
- Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Offer lower fat dessert choices
- Decreased the amount of sodium in our recipes
- Avoid many pre-made items that are high in sodium and high in trans and saturated fats
- Utilize a state-of- the art food production facility to offer nutrient enriched scratch cooking
- Develop and test recipes on site by an Executive Chef
- Have on staff a Registered, Licensed Dietitian to develop menus and to ensure the daily nutritional needs of the students are met
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 Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary to Begin Blessings in a Backpack
Students at Hogan Spring Glen Elementary will participate in the Blessings in a Backpack program this upcoming school year as a result of a $6,000 donation from UPS.
Blessings in a Backpack feeds elementary school children whose families qualify for the federal free and reduced meal program, and may not have any or enough food on the weekends.
Lee High Graduate Develops Tool for Space Shuttle
Chelsea Partridge, recent graduate from Robert E. Lee High, is getting to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this summer at her internship with NASA. Chelsea was ecstatic when she found out she had been selected to participate in the internship program. This opportunity gives her a chance to have hands-on experience in working with space travel and exploration equipment.
 Terry Parker Student Receives Wells Fargo Scholarship
Kali Milner, graduating senior at Terry Parker High, was recently presented with a check for $20,000 during the Senior Class Awards night, held at the end of the school year at Terry Parker.
Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, became a PASS business partner with Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School more than nine years ago.
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Duval County
Public Schools announces an innovative addition to our expanding website capabilities. Using our brand new School Locator software,
you can log on and find your neighborhood’s assigned elementary, middle or high school.
This will be the first time the district has streamlined its school feeder pattern program to make it accessible to anyone with a computer.
This new addition to
www.duvalschools.org will provide a quick response for our community. It has the latest search tools, including changes in boundaries and point and click distance calculations.
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August
2 |
School Board
Meeting-DCPS' Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
15 |
First Day of Pre-Planning |
22 |
First Day of School for Students |
September
5 |
Labor Day (Schools and District Offices closed) |
6 |
School Board
Meeting-DCPS' Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
7 |
Student Early Release Day |
21 |
Student Early Release Day |
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Click
here to view a list of third-party companies that are offering magnet transportation to students for the 2011-12 school year.
The list contains contact names and numbers for you to call to get more information on the services they are offering to different areas throughout the county.
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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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Duval County Public Schools has a Facebook page. To follow us, visit
Facebook and select 'Become a Fan' at the top of the page.
You can also follow DCPS on Twitter by visiting
www.twitter.com/DuvalSchools and clicking 'Follow.'
Both pages are
updated regularly with news, important messages and information about current
events.
 Looking
for photos from school events? Visit our
flickr photostream.
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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.
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