April Newsletter- 2019
D.W. Daniel High School
A Message from Our Principal
How is it already April? Each month of the year has seemed to pass faster than it did last year. This will only increase as we make our way through the last two months of the 2018-2019 school year. The last two months of school will be full of exciting events: prom, awards day, Senior Fest, AP/EOC/WIN testing, and graduation.
If your child came home with a “seat time” announcement attached to his or her Quarter 3 report card, or you saw an FA (failure due to absences) under the grade column, then your child is in danger of failing a class because they haven’t met attendance requirements for the class. For every class your child takes in high school, he or she has the opportunity to earn a Carnegie credit for completion of this course. Earning the credit is based on two qualifiers- earning a passing grade and meeting the attendance requirements for the course. If your child owes “seat time” or has an FA, they did not meet the attendance requirement to earn the Carnegie credit for that course. Students must make up the missing class time by serving seat time at school and making up missed work. In addition, in order to participate in the fun events coming up (prom, Senior Fest, graduation), your child must be in good standing with the school in regards to attendance. Have your child meet with a guidance counselor or an administrator to work out a plan to fulfill the attendance requirements as soon as possible.
If the last two months are anything like our first seven months of school, then they will pass by quickly! It is our hope that every Daniel student has a great last quarter at school. We hope all students end the year in good standing and are able to participate in all of our Spring events!
WIN Testing
Virtual School Exams
Virtual School Exams for Spring will be administered on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 from 8:10AM-3:30PM in room #335. Please bring your Chromebook and charger to take the exam. Please see Mrs. Carter in the guidance office with any questions or concerns.
SDPC Virtual School Exams for Spring will be on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 from 8:10AM-12:00PM in the guidance office. Please bring your Chromebook and charger to take the exam. Please see Mrs. Carter in the guidance office with any questions or concerns.
Guidance News
- Tri-County Technical College Dual Credit Meeting- DWD Auditorium- April 3 @ 6PM
- Southern Wesleyan University Dual Credit Meeting- DWD Auditorium- April 11 @ 6PM
- Men of Color Summit- April 25-26
Senior Information
- There will be a mandatory class meeting on Friday, April 5 during HUB.
- Please check the DHS website for graduation information, specifically the dress code and the Littlejohn Coliseum policies.
- If you are interested in attending college next year and have not yet applied, please stop by the guidance office to speak with someone about what is required.
Student Council Update
March opened with Buff Puff 2019 during the Buff Puff & Other Fun Stuff big lunch hosted by ALIVE & Trinity Wesleyan. Boys in each grade signed up to play & the volleyball girls coached them. The Juniors handily won first place.
Election week will run April 1-5. Students will vote in hubs on Friday.
We are also excited to announce that we were able to send a check to the Pickens County Dream Center for $2,500! Miss Summit and Talent Show proceeds all helped support the construction of a playground in the tiny home village.
Our fundraising this year also allowed us to donate $350 to Daniel’s Relay for Life team.
We also were able to use the proceeds to support school activities. We were able to award $500 worth of teacher grants. These grants helped build a classroom library, provide chrome book chargers and earbuds, and equip a classroom with interactive whiteboards.
We are gearing up for a few “low key” lunches and LipDub 2019!
Beta Club Update
In the past month, members of the DHS Beta Club completed their annual grade level service projects. Sophomores worked with Clemson Community Care, a local organization that aids low-income families in times of financial crisis. They collected over 400 pounds of canned food and toiletries. Juniors helped the Clemson Downs retirement community by donating everyday items such as soap and pencils, and some students also spent time with the residents. Seniors collected supplies for Clemson Child Development Center, a daycare center primarily for low-income families. they donated art, cleaning supplies, and disposable items for the children and staff. The DHS Beta Club thanks each of these organizations for allowing us to work with them! See pictures below.
Band News
Every year our ensembles attend the South Carolina Concert Performance Assessment. It’s an important event because it’s not only a way to receive feedback to improve our program, but to really get an objective assessment of the state of our band program individually and statewide.
Our Wind Ensemble, made up of our most hard working musicians, performed for the first time ever in Grade VI – Masterclass. This is the highest classification of music. Not just the highest classification for high school music – it’s the highest classification for all music. It’s also important to know it was the first time DHS has ever performed in the Masterworks class and only three other bands in SC performed in that class with us.
Our Wind Ensemble earned straight superior ratings from each judge – with a nearly perfect score in every caption on every sheet. The students performed at an extremely high level. The judges were floored by their professional performances and behavior. Several remarked how proud our school and community should be of these remarkable musicians.
Our Symphonic Band, made up mostly of freshmen, also performed a fantastic concert. They received an excellent rating with much of the same feedback directed their way as well.
We are very proud of our students. Thank you for your support of these musicians as they set higher goals for themselves and work to achieve them!
Chess Team
Congratulations to the chess team on taking second place at the South Carolina scholastic chess tournament. The team members are:
Fannie Xuan
Alexis Williams
Thames Stokes
Manuel Unda
John Li
Cooper Hays
Suvan Pattanaik
Isha Pattanaik
Conner Liu
Frank Yang
Frank Yang placed in the top ten. Connor Liu took seventh place. Fanny Xuan will be going to Orlando to compete in the National Girls Tournament of Champions.
Varsity Academic Team
The Varsity Academic Team finished 5th in the Pop Culture tournament on Saturday, March 9 at Carolina High! Pictured from left to right are Ian Baracksay, Jessica Mason, Brooke Schaeffer, Margaret Wang, Daniel Hiott, Lindsay Liu, Leighton Larsen, and Ned Mayo.
JV Academic Team
The JV Academic Team captured 3rd place in the Brain Teaser Event at the SC State Science Bowl on Saturday, March 2 in Aiken, SC! Pictured from left to right are Jessica Mason, John Li, Vivian Dong, Ian Baracskay, and Sophie Cox. They were awarded a $50 prize for their finish.
In addition to this event, they tied for 2nd in their division (tie for top 8 overall). This group of 9th and 10th graders competed against teams mainly comprised of 12th graders going to prestigious universities such as MIT and Georgia Tech. Way to go team!
Career Center State Competition Results
Skills USA
Masonry
2nd Place – Will Carver (DHS)
Law Enforcement & Firefighting
3rd Place – Firefighting – James Barrett (DHS)
HOSA
2nd Place:
Max Cannon (DHS) - Biomedical Lab Science
Barbara James Service Award (Recognized for their service hours and qualify for HOSA ILC)
Emilyann Bates (DHS)
Delaney Land (DHS)
5th Place (May qualify for ILC)
Kim Kirk (DHS) - Original Medical Innovation
DECA
4th Place - Dylan Hall (DHS) - Hotel & Lodging Management - Individual Event
D.W. Daniel Foundation Update
As Spring Break approaches, the D.W. Daniel Foundation would like to thank you all for your support! We continue to strive for great things in our efforts and we couldn’t do what we do without your memberships, contributions, and time spent volunteering, which benefits our school immensely!
In the last few months, the D. W. Daniel Foundation has stayed busy with activities benefitting our students and faculty. On Feb. 20, we were honored to provide funds for snacks for all Junior and Sophomore students who took the ACT and Pre-ACT, respectively. In March, we also funded Environmental Science for their annual class trip to Table Rock to release the trout they raised in the classroom. For our faculty, the foundation has provided monthly meals, and we have even started to make special plans for Faculty Appreciation in May. Our next scheduled faculty breakfast is April 9. If you would like to help or become involved with this committee, please contact our chairperson, Melissa Turnipseed. Our DandeLION shop has continued its mission to serve students by confidentially assisting with needs of clothing, shoes, hygiene products, snacks, and school supplies. If you would like to support the DandeLION shop, please contact Maggie Bandy or Maggie Lane- monetary donations are always accepted! Finally, we would like to encourage anyone interested in becoming a mentor to sign up for the YMCA Mentoring Program available through the school district. There is a great need in our schools, and what a great way to make a difference in the life of a student!
Thank you all for supporting the D.W. Daniel Foundation! #OneDaniel #GoLions
Contact Us
Website: http://dhs.pickens.k12.sc.us/
Location: 140 Blue and Gold Boulevard, Central, SC, USA
Phone: 864-397-2900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DWDanielHighSchool/
Twitter: @DWDanielHigh