Who: We are the Family Services Team for Dawson County Schools:

• Ms. Barbie Woods, LCSW, SSW
• School Social Worker (Students with last name A-L)
• Mrs. Joey Schneider, MS, MSW, LPC
• School Social Worker (Students with last name M-Z)
• Ms. Niki Mincey, BS
• McKinney-Vento (MKV) Liaison and Family Services Center Coordinator

What & Why: Our office supports family assistance programs, resource connection, MKV, and foster care with the goal of helping families so that students can remain in school and successful in all areas of their lives!

Every year, thanks to the generous donations of our community partners, we are able to ensure that our students have what they need to go back to school. On July 27th, we supplied 450 backpacks filled with school supplies to our Kindergarten-12th graders for just $1. The drive-through backpack event was even more successful this year with the addition of multiple community service agencies to connect parents to different health and wellness resources.

We want to thank Browns Bridge Church and Dawson Family Connection for hosting collection drives, and Wellroot Family Services, Cornerstone Christian Church, V2,The Place, Amerigroup, and Georgia Highlands Medical Services for providing resource information to our families.

School counselor, Kyle Ramsey, has been supporting the students of BMES for 4 years. He works with the students to develop social-emotional skills, have healthy peer relationships, learn ways to stay safe, and succeed academically. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in school counseling. He has also won the "Best School Counselor" award from Best of Dawson in 2021, 2022, and 2023! A fun fact about Mr. Ramsey is that he loves to hike and kayak. If you have any concerns about your Black's Mill student, Mr. Ramsey is always available to listen.

What would you say is the most difficult job to do? Being a

doctor? What about a waitress? Have you considered being a

parent the most difficult job? I mean really, think about it.

As a parent, you have a lot of responsibilities like…

- keeping your child safe … not just physically but also from

the harm that is disguised in social media

- keeping your child fed … not just with good food but also

positive words

- keeping your child healthy … not only physically healthy

but also mentally and spiritually healthy

-keeping your child in school … not only to learn but also to

motivate them for what is ahead

- keeping your child hopeful about the future ... not just encouraged when faced with

disappointment

______________________________

These responsibilities take patience, love, money and time …

just to name four! If you persist and stay consistent, do you

know what your paycheck looks like? A healthy, valuable,

member of society… an addition to our community that will

make life better for not just your family but for all of

those around you.

When your job gets difficult, don’t be afraid to ask for help or

guidance. Dawson County Schools -- teachers, counselors,

school social workers-- are here for you too! These are free

services available to you without judgment so please let us

know how we can better serve and help you!

PowerSchool is an important tool to keep up with your child's attendance. Communication is key to keep the school in the loop on your child's schedule and safety. Attending school on time and regularly is essential for the success of your student. When students miss class, they miss more than just academics - time with friends, social skills, and important announcements.

Parent Notes for Absences:

Did you know that you can send in a parent excuse note directly through PowerSchool? Medical notes must still be emailed to the data clerk or brought into the school.

To send a parent note:

1. Login to the Powerschool App

2. Select the STUDENT PROFILE for the absent student

3. Select MORE (3 dots on the bottom)

4. Select FORMS

5. Select STUDENT ABSENCE FORM

6. Complete the form with the date and reason for the absence

REMEMBER - Only 10 parent excuse notes are allowed for the school year

September:

• 9/25 - Suicide Prevention Seminar at the PDC (if you missed this, please see the last flyer below)

October:

• 10/25 & 10/26 - Early Release

• 10/27 - Student Holiday (No School)

November:

• 11/13- Help a Child Smile - RES, DCJH, DCHS

• 11/16 - Help a Child Smile - KES, BMES

• 11/17 - Help a Child Smile - RvES, DCMS

• 11/20-11/24 - Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving and Holiday Help: NOW is the time to reach out to our office if you or someone you know is in need of food or gifts for Thanksgiving, and/or December holidays! Please do not hesitate to reach out. Our contact information is linked below!

Medicaid Redetermination: Image Attached at the bottom of this text!

Dawson County School District’s Health Services Department provides top-quality nursing care to every student, teacher, and staff. We aim to improve our community's health and wellness and enhance overall population health. We have highly skilled, educated, and trained healthcare professionals committed to serving our district and striving for excellence daily. The information in the monthly newsletters will serves as an avenue to provide specific health-related resources and information, and to create a meaningful dialogue about school health services. If you have any questions about any of our services, please feel free to reach out to your school nurse or myself!

Sincerely,

Dr. Vikki Brannon DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, NCSN

Director of Youth Health Services

vbrannon@dawson.k12.ga.us

706) 265-3246 ext. 1125

+Attached Below are some links to our School-Based Dental Program and other helpful facts about the Flu