D-B EXCEL
Excellence in a Creative Environment for Learning
Teacher Feature: Meet Mr. Pickering
Mr. Mark Pickering joined the DBE Tribe this year, teaching Geometry and Algebra 2; however, he is well versed in the language of Mathematics having previously taught public schools on three different continents and in five different states. Mr. Pickering graduated from Lake Forest High School. He then went on to attend Wheaton College, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and the University of Louisville.
When he is not traveling the world teaching Mathematics, Mark enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time with his wife and two children. Mr. Pickering has been married for over eighteen years. He and his wife have two children, a 3 year-old son and an 8 year-old daughter. Mark and his family have a passion for traveling, experiencing new cultures, and learning new languages. This comes in rather helpful seeing as he has lived on three different continents and traveled to over 100 countries.
The one thing that Mr. Pickering enjoys most about DBE is the opportunity to teach in an environment where students choose to be here. This makes him a great asset to our Mathematics department and the DBE Tribe.
D-B EXCEL Progress Reports
Many of you may be aware that this week, Kingsport City Schools distributed Progress Reports. Due to our diverse, yet flexible schedule model, technical issues have been discovered involving our scheduling and gradebook program, PowerSchool. After several attempts of trial and error, we have discovered that this platform is not applicable for DBE parents to view grades at this time. Therefore, we wanted to communicate an alternate method to view your student’s progress and grades.
Teachers at DBE have integrated their curriculum into an online platform called Canvas. Grades in Canvas are updated in real time, and you are able to view these from home or on a mobile device at any time you wish. If you have not done so, we highly encourage you to download the parent version of this application. Directions for downloading the app are below.
Once you have downloaded the app, your username will be the first 4 letters of your student’s first name, his/her middle initial, and his/her last name. For example, if your student’s name is Johnathan Phillip Smith; you would enter johnpsmith.
The password is the first 3 letters of their last name and their 5 digit PowerSchool student ID number. For instance, smi55555.
If you have any questions about this process, please email Mrs. Hensley. If you have any questions about your students grades, you may email your student’s teachers directly.
Parent Teacher Conferences
- There will be no school on Friday, September 15th due to Parent Teacher Conferences.
- Mrs. Kerkhoff will be contacting parents/guardians to schedule conferences based on teacher requests.
- If you would like to request a conference with your student's teachers, please contact Mrs. Kerkhoff at rkerkhoff@k12k.com or 423-378-2186.
Attendance Awareness Month 2017
Improving attendance and reducing chronic absence is not rocket science, but it does take commitment, collaboration, and tailored approaches to the particular challenges and strengths of each school community. Schools, communities, and advocates across the nation have successfully taken steps to ensure children are attending school more regularly.
Trout in the Classroom
Some of our trout eggs are starting to hatch! Be sure to check out the trout tank when you are at DBE!
About Trout in the Classroom:
Trout in the Classroom is a conservation-oriented environmental education program for elementary, middle, and high school students. Through the school year, students raise trout from eggs to fry and then release them into approved cold water streams and lakes. This act of raising, monitoring, and caring for young trout fosters a conservation ethic within participating students and promotes an understanding of their shared water resources.
ASVAB Opportunity
If you are considering entering the military, you are required to take the ASVAB (military entrance exam).
This will be offered at DB main campus on November 9th @ 7:45am in the Little Theater
Please let Mrs. Kerkhoff know if you are interested no later than Oct. 1st.
- This is a valid career assessment and not a commitment to enter the military if you take the assessment
Homecoming T-Shirts
D-B Student Council is selling Homecoming shirts. Any D-B EXCEL student that would like to order one needs to do the following:
Email Mr. French
Include your full name and shirt size
Give your money to Mrs. Pierce at the front desk by September 20th.
Cost is $10.
D-B EXCEL Parent Advisory Committee
Some goals of the PAC are:
- Increase parent involvement
- Increase communication
- Plan family activities for the year
- Stay up to date on the operations of DBE
- Share ideas and suggestions
- Help organize and facilitate Parent Academies throughout the year
- Have a parent representative for each class
If you are interested in participating in the PAC this school year, please click the button below to fill out the form. If you have any questions regarding the PAC, please contact Ms. Darnell at ldarnell@k12k.com.
Calculators
All students who are enrolled in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, or Geometry are required to have a calculator. The following calculators are acceptable:
TI-83 Plus
TI-84
TI-84 Plus
*Students are required to bring their calculator everyday.
Fragrance Free School
We share the air, please keep it healthy and fragrance free!
The chemicals used in scented products can make some people sick, especially those with fragrance sensitivities, asthma, allergies, and other respiratory ailments.
- Please do NOT spray perfume, body spray, etc. in the school building.
Tennessee Promise Scholarship
Picture Retake Days
Retake Dates:
9th, 10th, & 11th graders - September 21st at DBE
D-B EXCEL Student Norms
Students will report to school on time and prepared for the school day.
Students will bring fully charged laptops and a laptop charger every day.
Students will follow their schedule and report to the appropriate area.
Students will respect the DBE faculty, staff, visitors and other students at all times.
DBE Student Drivers
We have our own parking lot and the entrance and exit is on Roller St.
Students will need to sign up for a parking permit that will need to hang from their rearview mirror at all times (tinyurl.com/DBEparking)
Cars that do not have a car tag will be asked to be moved or will be towed.
If the DBE parking lot is full, there is an overflow public parking lot across the street from the Food City loading dock (On Roller St.)
DBE students/parents can only park in the parking spots marked D-BE/KCS in the DBE parking lot. DBE students/parents cannot park in the Chamber or medical parking lots or they will be towed.
Replacement car tags will be $10.
Car Riders & Bus Riders
Students may be dropped of at DBE beginning at 7:15am. Students arriving after 7:45am will be counted tardy.
Please follow the traffic pattern.
- Car riders will be dismissed after the bus leaves (Approximately 2:35pm)
Bus riders will board their normal bus in the morning and then board the DBE bus at DB.
The DBE bus will arrive at DBE about 7:30am.
Bus riders will be dismissed at the 2:30pm bell.
- The bus will take students to the D-B main campus where they will then board their bus to take them home.
D-B EXCEL Parking Map
Canvas Parent App
Canvas Parent enhances the potential for parents to engage in their children's education. Parents can review upcoming or past assignments, check on grades, and receive course announcements.
Canvas Parent can be used by anyone who creates an account, has been added to Canvas with an observer role, or has signed up as a parent using the web browser.
Parents can access their child's courses in Canvas through the Parent App.
Click here for information on downloading the Parent App for iPhone.
Click here for information on downloading the Parent App for Android.
The Parent App will allow:
- ​Access to their child's courses
- View past and upcoming assignments.
- Check on grades
- Receive course announcements and notifications.
Learn more by clicking here!
Contact Us!
Email: shensley@k12k.com
Website: http://dbexcel.k12k.com/
Location: 400 Clinchfield Street, Kingsport, TN 37660, United States
Phone: 423.378.2185
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbexcelkcs/
Twitter: @KCS_DBEXCEL