|
 Welcome Back!
I hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer, and are looking forward to the start of the 2009-2010 school year, beginning Monday, August 24. Our administrators and staff have been working diligently over the break to prepare for a successful year.
During the upcoming year, we will remain focused on improving the academic achievement for all our students. Our graduation rate has risen more than seven percentage points in the last 10 years. Additionally, our most recent FCAT scores showed that more than two-thirds of our schools earned good or excellent grades. These gains in achievement can be attributed to the hard work of our students, teachers, principals, district support staff and community members, and I expect that we will see even greater improvements this year.
While there are many wonderful activities and achievements for us to celebrate and look forward to as we begin the new school year, there are also challenges. Our biggest challenge is our budget, which faced a shortfall of $44 million this year, coupled with a $70 million dollar shortfall in 2008.
Budget reduction strategies already implemented include an 11% reduction in district staff, the closing of a school, and changes in transportation and the secondary schedule. It is our priority to ensure that we have as minimal an impact on the classroom as possible, and will continue to work with our School Board to ensure that our students have the ability to graduate from high school ready for post-secondary education or the world of work.
With our district operating on a minimized budget, your continued support will be more important than ever. Education is a joint venture. We must work together to enable our students to thrive and achieve at their highest levels.
Thank you for your continued support of Duval County Public Schools. Have a wonderful school year!
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
|
|
 The DCPS Transportation Department has been very busy this summer adjusting bus routes for the 2009/2010 school year.
Students who live more than 2 miles from their assigned school are eligible for transportation.
The distance to a bus stop may be up to 1.5 miles.
What parents need to know:
- We have a call center that will provide parents and students with bus stop information. The number is 381-RIDE (7433), and the call center will be open beginning Monday, August 11 from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Route information will be available online by Aug. 11 and will also be sent to schools.
- Parents of kindergarten and first-grade students should tag their child with his/her name, school attending, bus number(s) and bus stop.
- Remember: It is a new school year with new bus routes. Bus drivers have practiced their routes, but it takes a few days to get the timing of the route set. In the beginning, buses will unavoidably run late. On the first day of school, if a bus is more than 20 minutes late, calls can be made to 381-RIDE (7433). Parents may opt to take their student to school the first morning if the bus is more than 20 minutes late because the student may have missed it. The student can check with the bus driver that afternoon to confirm the time they need to be at the stop the next morning.
Please note: Parents have always been asked to fill out a dismissal form, but
new this year is the "no transport" rule without the form. This added rule should increase student safety and rule out any miscommunication.
For more information about bus routes, and for a list of bus safety tips for students and motorists, please visit our
Web site.
|
|
 It's that time of year again! The 2009/2010 school year begins on Monday, August 24, 2009.
We know that right now is an extremely busy time for students and parents as they prepare for the return of school. To make life a little easier, we have created a quick stop shop where students and parents can easily find the back to school information they are looking for.
Visit our Back to School page for important information about this upcoming school year, including enrollment procedures, required immunizations, bus routes and dress code requirements.
For more important dates, take a look at the DCPS District Calendar.
|
|
 More than 100 incoming sixth-grade students at Arlington Middle School recently attended a special school orientation camp with their parents.
The purpose of the three-day camp, which was funded by a grant from the United Way, was to provide both students and their parents with an inside look into the middle school experience.
"Incoming sixth graders are often nervous about the transition to middle school, and our orientation camp is an opportunity for them, along with their parents, to better understand what their first year will be like at Arlington Middle," said Assistant Principal Tracy Carter. "We want to comfort these students and take away some of the angst about the first day of school."
Sixth-grade math teacher Tracey Montgomery applied for the grant, the United Way Achievers For Life Parent Engagement Project, last March after she learned that Arlington Middle School needed more involvement from parents and community members.
 Citing the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child," Montgomery felt receiving the grant for the orientation camp would be an opportunity to get more people involved at the school.
"At Arlington Middle School, it is our goal to make our students more successful,” she said. “To do this, we need the full support of our parents and community members."
Montgomery, along with 10 other teachers, led the three-day camp, which provided parents with a thorough overview of the school, as well as the opportunity to sign up with the PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association), Achievers for Life and Team-Up organizations. Students spent time in language arts, social studies, math and science classes so they would know what to expect when school begins.
"For many students, the transition to middle school is especially difficult because they begin changing classes, and they spend a whole period in social studies and science classes, which they did not do in elementary school," said teacher Labrina Halsey.
For the math session, students took a scavenger hunt around the school, which not only strengthened their math skills, but also helped them learn their way around the campus.
In their science lab, students made slime. If they didn’t make the slime correctly, they got slimed.
"It is our hope during the orientation camp that our new students realize that middle school will be a fun learning experience, and that their parents will understand that their involvement is very important to their student's success," said Montgomery.
Staff members at Arlington Middle hope to expand the orientation program to 400 sixth graders next summer.
|
|
Did You Know ... 
DCPS operates five Alternative to Out-of-School Suspension (ATOSS) centers?
Funded by a grant from The Jacksonville Journey, the ATOSS program is voluntary for middle and high school students who have been suspended from school as a consequence of inappropriate behavior. The program provides behavioral and academic help to enable students to continue the learning process (both academic and behavioral) in a safe, structured and supervised environment.
Parents/caregivers may enroll their child in the ATOSS program at one of the following locations of their choice and will be responsible for transportation to and from the center:
- Bridge of Northeast Florida, Inc., 1824 Pearl St., 32206
- Beaches Boys & Girls Club, 820 Seagate Ave., 32250
- Peterson Academies of Technology, 7450 Wilson Blvd., 32210
- Southside Middle School, 2948 Knights Lane E., 32216
- St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Jacksonville, 3738 Winton Drive, 32208
The centers, which can each serve 30 students or 150 students in the county total, are staffed by one certified teacher, one social worker and one school resource officer. In addition, the sites share the services of one Exceptional Student Education (E.S.E.) teacher and one English speaker of other languages teacher. Students are closely monitored and required to keep their schoolwork current.
For more information about the district's ATOSS centers, visit www.duvalschools.org or call 904-390-2477.
|
|
 Back to School Community Events and Giveaways
Looking for back to school events for free giveaways and school supplies? Visit our Web site to find the community event closest to you.
Free Sports Physicals for Secondary Students
Free sports physicals will be offered to secondary student athletes on Aug. 8 and Aug. 15. Visit www.duvalschools.org for the guidelines, along with the middle school and high school screening schedule.
|
|
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.
|
For the upcoming school year, class schedules will be adjusted to shorten the school day by 45 minutes.
*Please note:
There are exceptions to this adjustment.
Please visit our Web site for a complete list of school schedules.
|
 August
24 |
First Day of School for Students |
31 |
District Advisory Council
(DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
September
1 |
School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
7 |
Labor Day (Schools and District Offices Closed) |
9 |
Student Early Release Day |
23 |
Student Early Release Day |
28 |
District Advisory Council
(DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
|
Electronic Gradebook
DCPS will soon launch a new Web site tool for parents to see individual student information, including grades, attendance, a school calendar and more.
The online Gradebook allows parents and students instant access to their grades, and will save teachers, faculty and staff time that is currently utilized manually processing grades. Gradebook calculates grades and automates the progress report and report card processes. This 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.
|
At its monthly meeting on Aug. 4, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recognized
staff for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Duval County Public Schools:
For a list of everyone recognized, please review the news release.
The next School Board meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m. All are welcome.
|
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
|
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 is going on at Duval County Public Schools.
|
|
