DCHS Tiger Paw Prints
October 7, 2022
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL


CLEAR BAG POLICY AT ALL ATHLETIC EVENTS
DCSS has a clear bag policy at all sporting events. The policy will be similar to policies in place at college and professional stadiums and coliseums.
"The clear bag policy will help us keep dangerous or illegal items, including weapons, out of our venues," said Superintendent Trent North. "Just this month, someone entered a football game in a neighboring county with a semi-automatic firearm. By allowing only clear bags, we can monitor what's coming into our stadiums and gyms and keep everyone safer with only a minor inconvenience to those in attendance."
The following types of bags will be permitted inside DCSS sporting events:
- Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12"x6"x12"
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags
- Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5"x6.5"

TIGER NATION HAS SPIRIT!!

HOMECOMING WEEK AT A GLANCE...
70's rock!


TEACHERS HAVE SPIRIT TOO!!
MOVIE MONDAY

CTAE Dept: Amica Walker, Yvonne Flemister & Georgia Thomasson
TIE DYE TUESDAY

Tie-Dye Teachers
Above, ELA Dept.: Shannon Jones, Leslie Bailey, Drenay Everett & McKeith Cordell show school spirit on Tie-Dye Tuesday!!
COUNTRY vs. COUNTRY CLUB
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT ON...
MARIA MOSES

In August 2022, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) conducted a search for highly qualified K-12 ESOL and academic content educators to participate in several upcoming Working Committee Meetings to validate associations that GaDOE content specialists have made between the WIDA ELDS Framework, 2020 Edition and the current GSE. Several teachers were nominated across the state of Georgia. Last month, the selected teachers were announced and one of them is our very own ESOL teacher, Maria Moses. Mrs. Moses, along with other Georgia educators, will participate in the Working Committee from October to November. Congratulations Mrs. Moses. What an honor! Your Tiger Nation Family is so very proud of you!
WORLD TEACHER'S DAY
Every year on October 5th, World Teacher's Day is celebrated to thank and honor teachers for their contributions to their students. DCHS teachers may not wear a cape or a mask, but they are SUPERHEROES who teach with compassion, energy and verve! We love our DCHS teachers. Their dedication does not go unnoticed. In observance of World Teacher's Day, teachers were treated to caffeine & chocolate as a THANK YOU for the hard work and sacrifices they make daily.
#TEACHERLOVE365 #TEACHERAPPRECIATION365
Throwback Thursday and Caffeine & Chocolate

NEWS YOU CAN USE
STUDENT OF THE MONTH - JAYLA STRONG

Jayla, 11th grader, is a member of the DCHS softball team. She has demonstrated the qualities of a leader on and off the field. She has been instrumental helping her team get to a 5th place ranking in the region as the teams top pitcher and hitter. Off the field, Jayla is an A/B student and supports her school community in many ways. Jayla is dependable, outgoing and at any given moment, she is willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Congratulations Jayla on your well-deserved award!
TEACHER RECOGNITION
Rebecca Balcomb Top Cat Teacher of the Month Ms. Balcomb is a great asset to DCHS. She takes pride in everything that she does. She is always going above and beyond to help others throughout the school. Ms. Balcomb creates lesson plans for Foundations of Algebra PLC, covers classes when needed, provides support at football games and runs the clock at basketball games. Hardly will you ever catch Ms. Balcomb without a smile on her face as she walks the halls of DCHS! | Jada Greene Rookie Teacher of the Month Former DCHS Resource Officer, turned teacher, Mrs. Greene has engaged her students in the few short weeks that she has been teaching by scheduling presenters from the law enforcement field to visit her class to better indulge her students during lessons in criminal justice and law. She gives them in depth classroom discussions on current topics and allows them to debate the issues so each side is heard. She has displayed great classroom management skills, and she communicates effectively with parents when the need arises. She is doing a phenomenal job as a new teacher and we are excited about her police-to-educator transition! | Nadine Young Staff Member of the Month Ms. Nadine has been such a wonderful addition to DCHS! Her attitude and work ethic exceed the standard. The Media Center has never been this clean! Nadine is an awesome custodian! She is a hard worker and keeps a smile on her face. She is very thorough with her cleaning. Her generous nature can best be displayed through the surprise gifts of healthy fruit she hides in our offices! She is ALWAYS working. She's super sweet and always smiling. Ms. Nadine is proud of her position and makes it a personal goal to improve our working environment. |
Rebecca Balcomb
Ms. Balcomb is a great asset to DCHS. She takes pride in everything that she does. She is always going above and beyond to help others throughout the school. Ms. Balcomb creates lesson plans for Foundations of Algebra PLC, covers classes when needed, provides support at football games and runs the clock at basketball games. Hardly will you ever catch Ms. Balcomb without a smile on her face as she walks the halls of DCHS!
Jada Greene
Former DCHS Resource Officer, turned teacher, Mrs. Greene has engaged her students in the few short weeks that she has been teaching by scheduling presenters from the law enforcement field to visit her class to better indulge her students during lessons in criminal justice and law. She gives them in depth classroom discussions on current topics and allows them to debate the issues so each side is heard. She has displayed great classroom management skills, and she communicates effectively with parents when the need arises. She is doing a phenomenal job as a new teacher and we are excited about her police-to-educator transition!
Nadine Young
Ms. Nadine has been such a wonderful addition to DCHS! Her attitude and work ethic exceed the standard. The Media Center has never been this clean! Nadine is an awesome custodian! She is a hard worker and keeps a smile on her face. She is very thorough with her cleaning. Her generous nature can best be displayed through the surprise gifts of healthy fruit she hides in our offices! She is ALWAYS working. She's super sweet and always smiling. Ms. Nadine is proud of her position and makes it a personal goal to improve our working environment.
YOU ARE APPRECIATED!!


Hey Y'all It's Custodian Appreciation Week
Above, Custodian, Kimberlyn Williams, has school S.P.I.R.I.T.!! She showed up and showed out for Throwback Thursday! Ms. Williams and her team do an amazing job of beautifying our campus and we cannot thank them enough. Not only do they keep our campus clean, but they also participate in school activities, provide us with fresh fruit and much humor each day. Ms. Kimberlyn Williams, Ms. Nadine Young, Mr. Conan Burnett, Mr. Kevin Kelley, Mr. David Perry, Ms. Shemeka Price, Mr. David Shipp, Ms. Loretta Thomas, Ms. Sentora Wyatt, and Mr. Artis Stanson, we greatly appreciate you for all that you do here at DCHS for students and staff! Happy National Custodian Appreciation Week!!
Safety and Security...A Message from Principal Kenja Parks
To maintain the safety of our school community, the Douglas County School System Police Department implemented the use of trained canines from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in September. These skilled dogs, accompanied by DCSS administrators, sniffed items in and around our campus. Administrators took every effort to minimize disruption to the learning process during the search. Thankfully, the police department found no evidence of any violations during this search.
The Douglas County School System initiated the random unannounced search in response to our commitment to protect our school community’s health, safety, and welfare. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will continue to partner with us in our proactive efforts to maintain a safe environment for our school community. We sincerely desire that nothing illegal or against district policy be recovered during these searches. However, we must remain vigilant to maintain a positive and secure learning environment for Douglas County students. Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to keep our campus safe.
2023 IT Summer Internship Opportunities
Internship Dates:
- College: May 22, 2023 - August 4, 2023
- High School: June 5, 2023 - August 4, 2023
Intern Stipend
Competitive Pay
See the attached flyer below for the application and additional details. Become a State Farm IT Intern!
Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There!

Douglas County Youth Commission
Meet Miss Chloe Blacknall! Chloe is a junior IB student at DCHS and the president of the Student Government Association (SGA) at DCHS as well as the president of the Douglas County Youth Commission. She has served on the Superintendent's Student Forum and is currently a member of the Varsity Track Team. Chloe is a perfect example of a well-rounded and focused driven student leader. Her leadership skills have been enhanced by her involvement with the Douglas County Youth Commission.
Douglas County’s office of External Affairs is now accepting applications from high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors for Youth Commission. The program is dedicated to educating young citizens about the government process and the developments, and opportunities in their local county. This program is in partnership with the Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students (GCAPS) of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and the Douglas County Citizen's Academy Alumni Association.
The program will run from October through April with 10 sessions total at the Douglas County Courthouse and volunteer opportunities throughout. Applications are due today, October 7th. Click here for the application and to learn more about the program.
CHLOE BLACKNALL

Upcoming Dates
October 3-7: National Custodian Appreciation Week
October 7: Homecoming Pep Rally (9th/10th during 2nd / 11th/12th during 4th)
October 7: Homecoming Game 7:30pm
October 10 & 11: Fall Break - No School
October 13: Senior Panoramic Photo 10:00-10:30
October 14: Nine Weeks Progress Reports Available Online
October 14: Movie Night and Halloween Dress-up contest (A Senior Class only event)
October 15: IB Picnic 12 - 3
October 17-21: Bus Safety/Bus Driver Appreciation Week
October 21: Parent Advisory Council Meeting 10:00 Media Center
October 25: YouScience/Junior College Fair/SCOIR and CommonApp
October 25: PSAT Day
October 27: SAT School Day
October 31: Boo-at-the-Zoo (A Senior Class only event...SOLD OUT)
November 1: Seniors Apply to College Day 9:00-3:00 Rm 9315
November 2: Superintendent Awards Night 6:30
November 8: Teacher Workday - No School
November 10: ASVAB Test
December 9: Senior FAFSA Meeting 12:30-3:00 Multipurpose Room
Parent Portal Login
To access your students progress reports, report cards, attendance, and grades, click the "Infinite Campus Parent Portal Set Up" link above for directions on registering for a Parent Portal account.
Nine weeks progress reports will be available online via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on October 14, 2022, for all students. Progress reports will not be printed, so please create an IC Parent Portal account to keep track of your child's progress.
If you need help with Parent Portal, contact the Douglas County Help Desk at parent@dcssga.org or (770) 651-2330.
Click the link below for Instrucciones del portal para padres de Infinite Campus (Espanol)
Counselor's Corner
Do you know your counselor? Your counselor is based upon your last name. The alphabet breakdown is as follows:
Last Names A-D: Shay Barnby; shay.barnby1@dcssga.org
Last Name E-K: Jari Christmas; jari.christmas@dcssga.org
Last Name L-R: Christopher Mason; christopher.mason@dcssga.org
Last Name S-Z: Genobia Babalola; genobia.babalola@dcssga.org
International Baccalaureate Academic Advisor: Suzanne Helms; suzanne.helms@dcssga.org
If you need to meet with your counselor, please schedule an appointment with him/her directly. Signs are posted throughout the school building with the QR code you can scan in order to make an appointment.
Google Class Codes:
Class of 2023 (Seniors): 24efsuw
Class of 2024 (Juniors): xsjkje7
Class of 2025 (Sophomores): 3gfsjgk
Class of 2026 (Freshman): pijk6rs
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parents, if you would like to meet with your child's teacher, a parent-teacher conference may be scheduled through your child's counselor. Appointment times will be before or after school and may be virtual or in-person.


STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

YouScience
Exciting news! All 9th grade students will be taking the YouScience assessment on October 25th. We believe YouScience is a great way for students to learn more about themselves, explore high-demand careers that are a good fit for them, and gain a better understanding of how their unique talents are needed in the economy. Click the link below to learn more about YouScience and what it means for your student.
ASVAB Test
The ASVAB test will be administered at DCHS on November 10, 2022 from 8:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. for Juniors and Seniors only. This is an excellent aptitude and interest test that will help students identify possible career areas even if they have no plans of entering the military. If interested, students MUST SIGN UP ahead of time in order to take the ASVAB. Sign-up will be announced in late October on Google Classroom, morning announcements and with JROTC instructors. They will not want to miss this opportunity!
Pictured below from left to right: DCHS Counselor Genobia Babalola, SGG Norris & SFC Lehnhardt of the United States Army. The Army recruiters were on hand Wednesday to help all interested students understand all aspects of the Army in hopes of helping them make informed decisions regarding a career in the Army.

Attendance
When students are present daily, their grades and reading skills often improve—even among those students who are struggling in school. Students who frequently attend school feel more connected to their community and develop strong social skills and friendships, which are important life skills.
High School hours are 8:20-3:25.
Daily attendance is strongly encouraged.
Transportation
Late Bus Information: https://www.dcssga.org/departments/transportation/late_bus_information
HERE COMES THE BUS!
Available to parents of the Douglas County School System students
• View the real-time location of your child’s bus
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet or computer
• Receive push notifications or email alerts
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time
How to Get Started
1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Click the sign-up button
3. Enter school code 79003 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Student” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name & student ID#
6. Once you confirm your information, you are ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!
Email questions, concerns or comments to: herecomesthebus@dcssga.org
NEED A PARKING PASS?
See Mrs. Flanagan in the main office.
Students can complete the Student Parking Application prior to visiting Mrs. Flanagan
Bring your driver's license and a copy of your insurance and registration
Cost is $50 and it is payable by cash, check or money order
Parents, if your child drives to school, then they must have a parking pass.
Click here for the Student Parking Application and Vehicle Registration Form.
About us
Satchel Pulse for Social Emotional Learning
August 25, 2022
The Douglas County School District is pleased to announce the introduction of Satchel Pulse SEL, a tool to help us monitor and improve the social-emotional learning of all our students. What is Social-Emotional Learning? Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs help youth and adults learn and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enrich their personal and academic lives. Studies have shown that social-emotional learning programs increase academic performance, attendance, behavior, and post-secondary success.
SEL skills include developing healthy identities, managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, collaborating with others, and making responsible and caring decisions.
How does Satchel Pulse work? Satchel Pulse is an easy-to-use survey with 25 simple questions. Students use the survey to rate their self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship, and responsible decision-making skills. Student answers help us learn how to best support our students’ ongoing development in these five critical skills.
When will it start? For the 2022-2023 school year, the Satchel Pulse SEL survey will be given to students in grades 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 at school between August 29 and September 15.
Where can I find out more information about SEL? Support Services Satchel Pulse Who can I contact to learn more about the survey or the social-emotional learning program? School counselors will be your point of contact.
What if I don’t want my child to participate in the Satchel Pulse SEL screener? If you would prefer that your child not participate in the Satchel Pulse SEL survey, please contact your child’s school to opt-out. For your convenience, the opt out form may be accessed by clicking the link above this article.
Thank you for partnering with us to support your student. @satchelpulse • pulse@teamsatchel.com • 516-568-0858