April/May Parent Newsletter

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This is the home stretch of the school year. We will end the year with many fun activities and celebrations. Two big events that will happen during the school day are the Powder Puff Football game and the final Big Board celebration. In April we kicked off our senior activities with a beautiful Prom at the Atlanta Zoo. May will bring Senior Breakfast, Senior Dinner, Senior Spirit Week, Senior Picnic, and Senior Awards Night ending with graduation on May 27th.

As we enter May, please check your child’s grades and attendance regularly using ParentVUE, StudentVUE, or eCLASS. The final opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the course content can have a big impact on a student’s grades.

We are looking forward to ending this year with a healthy combination of academics and social activities. Thank you for continuing to partner with us to finish the school year strong.

Proud to be a Falcon!

Jeannie Hidalgo

The Computer Science, Web Development, Girls Who Code and JROTC students participated in an ACCESS pilot of Cyberstart America. It is a video game designed to teach students about Cybersecurity. We hosted a lunch and learn with pizza to expose the students to Cyberstart. Our students also competed with other high schools in the state of Georgia and had four students qualify for prizes and scholarships. These students are Patience Naagbi, Chetas Betra, Seth Gutlay and Jon Matros. They will be honored at ceremony at University of North Georgia on May 13th. They will also have an opportunity to network, attend workshops and tour the college after enjoying a luncheon in their honor.

Access and UNG partnered with InspireEDU and received donations of refurbished laptops donated by companies as they upgraded their systems. The laptops were offered to the students that participated in the Cyberstart competition. Laptops are also available to students that may need one at home. Please contact the school and speak with Ms. Gray if you would like more information.

Through our partnership, Microsoft is teaching students how to program in PHP and work on projects that would give them experience to add to their portfolio and resume. This would also give them an advantage on graduates who have no experience and allow them to potentially work in the field. Way to go FALCONS!

Please find the attached photos of the Cyberstart winners and one of the students that received a laptop.

3/9-3/11 Dalton Qualifier Event. Qualified 25th, picked by #1 team alliance for finals. We won this event along with our other 2 alliance partners.

3/7-3/19 Gwinnett Qualifier Event. Qualified 4th overall, and were the Alliance #3 Team Captains. We chose Peachtree Ridge and Storm Robotics as our Alliance.

3/26 - all Peachtree District Qualification matches complete, and we ranked 33rd out of about 100 teams in GA and SC. The top 49 teams qualified for District Championship, so we received our invitation.

4/6 - 4/8 Peachtree District Championship in Emerson, GA. Including our performance during the Championship we ended up with a District Ranking of 44th out of the 100 teams.

Throughout the Championship we received compliments about having a very good robot for a second year team!

• The University System of Georgia (USG) votes to extend test optional admission for 2024-2025.
• Class of 2024! Junior Letter time😊 The counselors will be mailing your student’s Junior Letter home. The packet will include:
• Junior Letter
• Student graduation requirement profile
• 23-24 schedule
• Junior checklist – click here to see the checklist

Summer School 2023! If your student needs to take a summer class, please visit the GCPS website for more information. Dacula High School will also be offering its own version of summer school. Details coming soon on the DHS summer program!

College and Career End-of-the-Year Advice

Seniors – 3 things:

1. There is still time to apply for colleges if you plan to go to college. If you need help applying or sending in documents for applications, let Mr. Cash know.
2. Financial Aid is a huge piece for college, so make sure you complete your FAFSA ASAP. The FAFSA is usually the first step for aid at most colleges. If you need help with it, college Financial Aid offices will often assist you or you can ask Mr. Cash for help. You can apply for other scholarships, as well (check out the list on the DHS Website’s College and Career page’s Scholarship Opportunities and Newsletters tab).
3. If you’re looking for other opportunities after graduation aside from the traditional college route, that’s great! If you need help finding opportunities for work, apprenticeships, or education in those fields, let Mr. Cash know.

Juniors – 3 things:

1. If you know college is in your future, go ahead and start working on your application essays now! Common App has released their prompts for this upcoming year, so you can start preparing for them now.
2. Apply for scholarships now! The FAFSA won’t open until December, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to apply for other great scholarships. Look over the Scholarship Newsletter to find scholarship search sites, upcoming scholarships, and more info on how to pay for college.
3. Start visiting some colleges if you haven’t already. Most colleges are open in the summer, so you can take advantage of your time to start knocking out some visits. The only bad visit is the one you don’t take.

Sophomores, Freshmen, and Rising Freshmen – same thing as numbers 2 and 3 for Juniors. It’s never too early to start applying for scholarships, and you can get matched up with some great ones through the scholarship sites on the Scholarship Newsletter. You can also start visiting some colleges if you’re interested.

Saturday, May 13, there will be Wellbeing Health Fair at Rockbridge Elementary School from 9am to 11am hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter. There will be workshops, meditation, vendors, giveaways, and presenters. To register, click here. For more information, contact program@upsilonalphaomega.com.

Rising 6th-9th grade GCPS students are invited to spend a week at Grayson Tech May 30 - June 2. Programs offered are culinary arts, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, IT networking, music tech, and video production. Visit this website for more information!

• May 1- Biology ECO, AP US Gov Exam, AP Chem Exam
• May 2- US History EOC, AP Env. Sci. Exam, AP Psych Exam
• May 3- US History EOC, AP Lit Exam
• May 4- Algebra I EOC, AP Human Geo Exam, AP Macro Exam, AP Stat Exam
• May 5- AP US History Exam, AP Art Portfolios Due

• May 8- AP Calc AB & BC Exam, AP Comp. Sci. Principals Exam
• May 9- AP Lang Exam, AP Physics C: Mech & AP Physics C: E & M Exams
• May 10- AP Spanish Exam, AP Bio Exam
• May 11- AP World History Exam, AP Physics I Exam

This is the chance for you, your friends and your family to write your senior notes of reflection, congratulations and encouragement.

PARENTS - you may have people mail letters to your home to compile yourself and drop them off with us all at once, or you can have them sent directly to us at the school. Each letter should be in its OWN individual envelope with the student's FULL NAME in the lower left-hand corner. Please start soliciting letters as soon as possible. We cannot accept any letters after they have been filed.

Letters can be mailed directly to us at

Dacula High School

c/o Senior Letter Project

123 Broad Street

Dacula, GA 30019

Please remember to put the student's name in the lower left hand corner.

All envelopes must be of a size that you could stick one stamp on it and mail it just fine. All letters must fit in gift bags, so we cannot accept oversized manila envelopes, courier envelopes or letters without envelopes. They will be returned to your student. We collect letters for about 550 students and are very, very strict with this policy. Please do not email letters to be printed off and no letters will be accepted after the due date of MAY 1.

Powder Puff Football is back! Can the Sophomore class beat the Seniors for a second year? Which class will show up and show out? The games will be May 5th at the end of the day. Students will be able to buy bands to go watch the game for $3 cash during lunches the week of the game.

Themed days for Senior Spirit Weeks are TBD!

Templates were made available after Spring Break!

Admission is free! Come see our wonderful band perform!

Seniors will receive their yearbooks at Senior Dinner. All senior dues must be paid for students to participate in senior activities. Dues are payable at www.scholasticimages.com.

Admission is free! Come see our wonderful chorus perform!

All senior dues must be paid for students to participate in senior activities. Dues are payable at www.scholasticimages.com.

9th - 11th graders and any seniors who haven't already picked up their yearbooks will be able to get their yearbook during their lunch period on May 12! If you haven't ordered a yearbook and would like to, please see the information below!

• May 1 - May 6 - order here using the code 25024 for $90.
• May 7 - order on My Payments Plus for $95.

Admission is free! Come see our amazing theatre students perform in addition to an awards presentation, thespian induction, senior recognition, and 23-24 season announcement!

All senior dues must be paid for students to participate in senior activities. Dues are payable at www.scholasticimages.com.

Admission is free! Come see our wonderful orchestra perform! Orchestra's end of year awards will be given out at the concert and there will be a reception following.

Senior Awards Night will take place from 6pm-9pm in the Dacula High School Main Gym.

Students will take their 1st period final during an extended block at the beginning of the day, attend shortened 2nd-6th periods, and then take their 7th period final during an extended 7th period. The following bell schedule will be used to ensure students have enough time to test:

1st period FINAL: 7:15 - 9:15

2nd period: 9:22 - 9:49

3rd period: 9:56 - 10:23

4th period: 10:30 - 10:57

5th period: 11:04 - 11:30

6th period: 11:37 - 12:03

7th period FINAL: 12:10 - 2:10

Students will report to their 2nd period at the beginning of the day and take their 2nd period final exam. They will transition to their 4th period and take that final exam. The following bell schedule will be used:

2nd period: 7:15am - 9:15am

4th period: 9:25am - 11:30am

Students will report to their 3rd period at the beginning of the day and take their 3rd period final exam. They will transition to their 5th period and take that final exam. The following bell schedule will be used:

3rd period: 7:15am - 9:15am

5th period: 9:25am - 11:30am

Students will report to their 6th period at the beginning of the day and take their 6th period final exam. If students have 6th period lunch, they do not need to come to campus since they do not have a final exam. Our teachers will communicate and make arrangements with their students who will need to attend the Dacula Interventions Block, ahead of time. This time is set aside for teachers to work with students on specific content as determined by the teacher prior to the end of the semester.

The following bell schedule will be used:

6th period: 7:15am - 9:15am

Dacula Interventions Block: 9:25am - 11:30am

Graduation tickets will be distributed at Graduation Practice. Please make sure any unpaid fines or uncollected school materials (GCPS Chromebook, charger, library materials, etc.) are taken care of before or during graduation practice!

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!!!!

Seniors, do you want your name pronouced correctly at graduation? Please complete the flip grid link below.

• Grimes (A-Da) https://flip.com/f5b34742
• Rieken (Db-K) https://flip.com/29dc0bb4
• King (L-Q) https://flip.com/fcc7d063
• Oglesby (R-Z) https://flip.com/120c6e89

Seniors will need to turn in their Chromebook after they complete their last final exam. Chromebooks will be collected in the Media Center starting May 19th through May 26th. Seniors should not turn in their Chromebook before completion of all their final exams as it will be needed for finals. There will also be a table set up at Graduation Practice to collect Chromebooks. However, we strongly recommend your senior takes care of turning in their Chromebook before Graduation Practice as this is a short period of time that is packed with important information surrounding Graduation.

Seniors will need to bring their Chromebook and charger when turning in their Chromebooks. Students need to make sure their Chromebook is fully charged for inspection. If a student does not have either of these items, they will be issued a fine that will show up in My Payments Plus. Graduation tickets will not be released for your student until their Chromebook is collected/fines are paid.

If you plan to attend any Postsecondary Institution, a final transcript must be sent. Below are two methods to obtain a final transcript.

1. IF YOUR COLLEGE IS IN GEORGIA (no fee required)

You can send your transcript electronically at www.gafutures.org. Final transcripts should be available online after Friday June 2, 2023. Please check your college deadline. (**Your SSN must be on file with Dacula HS for you to use this option)

2. IF YOUR COLLEGE IS NOT IN GEORGIA ($5.00 fee required)

Please pay the $5.00 transcript fee online at www.MyPaymentsPlus.com and submit the drop-down form (under school fees). Please mark the appropriate method of transcript delivery on the form. Also, please check the box for “Final Transcript” so that our office does not send your transcript from December 2022.

If you check the box for Dacula HS to mail your transcript, please include the COMPLETE address of the Admissions Office of the college that the transcript is being sent to.

If you check the box to pick your transcript up, the sealed final transcript will be available in the front office beginning on Monday June 5, 2023.

Student athletes must send a final transcript to the NCAA, or NAIA as well as the college. Please email tammi.boswell@gcpsk12.org to have your transcript uploaded electronically to the NCAA or NAIA.

(Your FINAL transcript will also need to be sent to the Postsecondary Institution - see transcript instructions).

Please keep in mind that dues (cap and gown fees) must be paid in order to participate in senior activities, including the graduation ceremony. If you have not yet paid dues, they are now $180 and can be payable at www.scholasticimages.com.

• Senior Letter Deadline - May 1
  
• Senior Wall Decoration Hanging Night - May 8 (4:30-6:30 PM) - templates will be available after spring break
• Senior Dinner - May 10 (5:30-7:30 PM DHS Commons)
• Senior Breakfast - May 12 (6:30 AM DHS Commons)
• Senior Picnic - May 16 (6th and 7th Periods)
• Graduation Practice - May 26 (7:30 AM DHS Commons)

The DHS Art Department is hosting a visual art Senior Art Show on May 4 from 6-8pm on the Fine Arts hall. Students and parents are invited!

SENIOR PARENTS -

We will only be able to sell 75 graduation yard signs and 50 banners. Please get your order in early as these will sell out fast. Orders can be made on My Payments Plus. Please complete the order form and return to Chris Autrey when you place your order.

Dacula High School is offering GRADUATION SIGNS and BANNERS for ANY (Does not have to be DHS graduate) graduating senior. We have Vinyl 18” x 24” Coroplast Yard Signs with Metal Stands and 36”x50” Heavy Duty Banners with metal grommets for hanging. The sign includes the student’s name, school logo or student picture, school name, and class year in your school colors, A sample sign can be seen in the School Store or on the school website. If you would like to have the students picture in place of the school logo please send a high quality JPEG image of the student via e-mail. You must own an electronic copy of the picture, I cannot scan a yearbook/graduation picture from a photographer unless you own the rights to that picture. Optional also is the student’s college choice.

1. Complete the attached order form below.
2. Pay for your sign/banner on My Payments Plus and ATTACH A COPY OF RECEIPT to the order form.
3. Bring the order form to Room 1.307A (make checks payable to Dacula High School), or you can mail the form

Questions? Contact Chris Autrey @ chris.autrey@gcpsk12.org

A message from Herff Jones-

CONGRATULATIONS Dacula CLASS OF 2023! We cannot believe how quickly the year has gone by and before you know it, you will be walking across the stage at graduation! Make sure everyone knows how hard you have worked to achieve one of the best moments of your life and announce your graduation with class. Check out the attached digital flyer to see your Dacula packages! You can use the QR code to get to the ordering site or below is the direct link to order your Official Dacula Graduation Announcements, so don’t wait.

Graduation Products by Herff Jones

Not only will your announcements have your official school crest, but they will also be personalized with your name in the text just like collegiate announcements. We also created packages to make ordering even easier, but you can always add more to them, so no one is left out. Orders will begin to ship directly to your house, and you will receive tracking information once the order ships out.

We are so proud of you and honored to celebrate this milestone with you!

Parents can begin paying for senior dues at https://www.scholasticimages.com/. Senior dues will be $160 and go up on March 1. Dues are required to participate in all senior activities, including the graduation ceremony.

The 2023 AP Exams will begin on Monday May 1st - Thursday May 11th. If your student is scheduled for AP testing, we have included information to prepare for a successful AP testing season. Please review both documents thoroughly with your students.

2023 DHS AP Exam Schedule

2022-23 Advanced Placement Testing Information

Additionally, please complete the Attendance and Transportation Form only once by April 30th .

We are looking forward to a successful AP testing session, please encourage your student to let their AP teachers know if they have any questions.

What should my student bring on test day?

• Black/Blue Pens and Pencils. Students are not allowed to share materials or supplies. Each student should bring several pens and pencils. Mechanical pencils are NOT allowed.

  
  

• Calculators. Students taking tests that require calculators (Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics) must bring their own calculators. You are not allowed to share items and the school will not provide calculators.

  
  

• A water bottle. Students will have access to water during the day but should bring their own water bottle.

  
  

• A snack for between tests. If your student is taking two tests on the same day. there is a short break, and we encourage students to bring something to eat between tests.

  
  

• Transportation. All afternoon testing will end after our regular school day (2:10 pm) and therefore students must arrange for transportation. The school bus will not be available to transport your student after testing.

As a reminder, electronic devices including smart watches are not allowed on your person during testing. Students will be provided with a zip bag for their devices.

Our very own Cooper Brambley has been named Gwinnett County's Peer Leader of the Year! We are so grateful for his leadership at Dacula High School and beyond! Cooper will receive a $1,000 scholarship for this accomplishment. Congratulations, Cooper!!

Oluwamunumidun "Mi Mi" Oshigbo was selected to attend the Governor's Honors Program at GA Southern this summer! She will focus on communicative arts while there.

Payal Patel was selected as an alternate for math. If selected, she will join Mi Mi at Georgia Southern for a 4 week program in the summer. Both of these ladies have worked so hard to be able to attend GHP!

Our DHS Varsity Baseball team has made program history! For the first time in school history, our varsity baseball team has moved onto the Elite 8 of the state playoffs! Come support these guys next week at Parkview!

If your student will not be attending DHS next year, please read the following:

The enrolling parent must complete a withdrawal form, available from the Registrar's office. The withdrawal form can be completed any time before the last day of school. Your student won't be withdrawn until after the end of second semester. The borrowed Chromebook, charger, and any books must be returned by your student's last day of attendance.

Effective July 1, 2021, children 16 years of age and older, who are entering the 11th grade, must receive a dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) administered on or after their 16th birthday. Please visit your student's physician, or the local health department to have this accomplished. Your student's updated Georgia Form 3231 (certificate of immunization) should be turned into the Registrar's office to avoid exclusion from school. Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial illness that affects the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis can cause shock, coma and death within hours of the first symptoms.

The schedule opens for class of 2024 to schedule their senior photos on May 1st at: www.cady.com/schedule

Cady Studios is the official photographer for our yearbook. Seniors must take their photo by December 1st, 2024 to guarantee their pictures in the yearbook.

Medication in the clinic needs to be picked up no later than noon on May 24! All medication needs to be picked up by an adult; students are not allowed to transport medication.

Our DHS Sports Medicine program is accepting applications! See Sarah or Andrew in the Athletic Training Room after school in the Football Fieldhouse or email Sarah directly at sarah.gregory@sourceatlanta.com.

The Dacula High School cheerleaders will be hosting a mini-cheer camp for children Kindergarten-7th grade on Friday, May 5 from 4:30-7:30pm. The cost for participation is $25. You can sign up at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhDl7P_ccqZkf69ZFxfiku8tdpbcKqvF8tKqInr2-E0oZ_Uw/viewform

This year GHSA has allowed Ladies Flag Football a spring practice period. For the first time, Dacula High School Flag Football will begin practice this May. At the conclusion of the Spring Practice Period Dacula High School Ladies Flag Football will participate in a jamboree to include Winder Barrow High School and Monroe Area. The jamboree will take place on May 18th.

There will be a player informational meeting on 4/12 after school in Coach Crabb's room. A parent informational meeting will take place in the transformational room on 4/19.

Practice dates for the Spring practice period will be 5/2, 5/4, 5/9, 5/11 and 5/16. Please see Coach Crabb for any questions.

Check out this helpful flyer from the Dacula High School Clinic for guidance on when to send your student to school and when to keep them home!

The Falcon Food Nest is open for requests! Our school food pantry is currently filling weekly requests from students. Requests are filled to send a weekend's worth of food home to help our Dacula families. The link to the anonymous request form is located on the eClass landing page.

Our pantry offers a variety of non-perishable foods: breakfast items, pasta meals, soups, vegetables, fruits and snacks. We also have personal care items. Please read all of the information carefully in the first sections as they help us best serve you. If you do not want items from a particular section, don't answer that section. Orders will be filled by availability and family size. You will get at least one item per section you request. This form must be submitted by Wednesday afternoon for pick-up from the counseling office on Friday. Specific information about the pick up process is included on the request form.

We always gratefully accept donations. The Student Council student leaders who lead the school pantry are Jocelyn May and Avery Weaver. If you have any questions about the pantry, you can ask these students or reach out to our Student Council Sponsors Kelly Cooper and Katie Elder.

Yearbooks are here and selling fast!

• May 1 - May 6 - order here using the code 25024 for $90.
• May 7 - order on My Payments Plus for $95.

Your School Pictures are now available to view and order through CADY!

If you bought a picture package before or on picture day, your package will be mailed directly to your home. If you did not purchase a package on or prior to underclass picture day, you can log in at http://cady.com/orderphotos to view and order your 2022-2023 school pictures today!

Throughout the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allowed school systems across the country to provide breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to families. However, the USDA waivers expired during the summer, and students are required to pay for meals based on their individual eligibility.

In order to receive free or reduced-price meal benefits, families must complete the Free and Reduced-price Meal Application and meet eligibility requirements. Click here to learn more: https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/29759

Apply today! Applications must be submitted every year (even if you filled one out in the spring, you need to fill out a new one for this school year). Applications can be submitted throughout the year if your family status changes. Note that those eligible for free and reduced priced meals may be able to access other types of assistance including College Board fees waived for AP Exams and PSAT.

1. Online application (Private, Fast, & Available 24/7) http://gwinnett.schoollunchapp.com
2. Application Check Status http://gwinnett.schoollunchstatus.com
3. For questions, the help line is 678-301-6307

Check out the attached photo for all of the programs that the Dacula Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library is offering in May!