January Newsletter 2018
D.W. Daniel High School
Our Vision
Students at DWD will graduate with a wide array of skills and strong knowledge base in a culture of high expectations, generosity, encouragement, and civility.
A Message from Our Principal: Josh Young
As we turn the page to 2018, I want to take a moment to celebrate some of the many successes that DWD achieved this past year.
- The DHS graduating class of 2017 achieved the highest graduation rate ever in the School District of Pickens County (91.5%).
- In 2017, Daniel’s ACT composite score of 20.5 was in the top 10 in the state among traditional public high schools. DHS juniors and seniors who took the SAT in 2016-17 scored a mean composite of 1148, which ranked in the top 5 among traditional public high schools in our state.
- Last spring our students took 706 AP tests (with 339 different students taking at least one) with a passing rate of 71.6%.
- The DHS fine arts program was strong again this fall, highlighted by the D.W. Daniel High School Marching Band winning the AAA Upper State Championship and finishing 3rd in the state competition.
- A/B Honor Roll for the first quarter: Almost 50% of our students (537) made all As or all As and Bs.
- In athletics, our fall sports teams were very successful. Our varsity football team and volleyball team qualified for the state playoffs. Our girls’ cross country team won region, Upper State and claimed a State Championship, while the boys' team won region and finished in 7th place at state. Our girls’ golf team won region, Upper State, and came in second at State. Our girls’ tennis team advanced to the Upper State finals for the 3rd straight year. Both our boys and girls swim teams finished in the top 12 in the state this year. Our competitive cheer team scored 1st or 2nd place throughout the regular season and finished in the top 8 at State.
Congrats to all of these high-achieving parts that make One Daniel so special!
Inclement Weather
With winter weather approaching, please be aware of district procedures dealing with school closings and delayed openings. If snow and/or ice are evident or expected on any morning, district officials will attempt to make a decision by 6:00 a.m. As soon as a decision is made, information will be made available to district employees, students, and parents in several ways: phone calls, district and school websites, and local radio and television stations.
The same communication methods will be used if schools need to be dismissed early due to adverse weather conditions. Note that all extracurricular activities will be cancelled if school is closed or dismissed early because of weather.
Our district serves all of Pickens County. The weather may seem fine in one area while other areas are becoming hazardous. The number one priority in making a decision to close schools will always be student safety.
Managing Student Information
Since our school uses contact information from our PowerSchool student database, parents should always make sure that the school has correct contact information. Changes can now be made online: https://express.pickens.k12.sc.us/
Use your student’s ID number as the login and your student’s birthday in this format: mm/dd/yyyy as the password.
A Message from the D. W. Daniel Foundation
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the DWD Foundation!
Welcome to 2018! We hope everyone had a fun-filled and restful holiday break and is ready to tackle the second half of the school year! If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to become more involved with D.W. Daniel, then now’s the time! Check out our webpage or contact a board member to see where and how you can serve. You can also still join the foundation or donate for a particular area of funding (such as faculty appreciation, technology grants, or student activities). Remember, every Daniel student benefits from your contributions and support of the DWD Foundation, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see the great things happening at Daniel!
Thanks again to everyone for helping the DWD Foundation to make a difference in 2017. We look forward to a great 2018!
Yearbook
Don’t forget to purchase your copy of the 2018 Summit yearbook! Purchase yours online at MySchoolBucks or with Mrs. Turner in the main office. Yearbooks are $75.00 and checks may be made to D.W. Daniel High School.
Tutoring
Science National Honor Society
Written by Chloe Hylkema, Senior SNHS Officer
Dr. Robert Baldwin was the guest speaker at the December Science National Honors Society meeting. Dr. Baldwin is a conservation biologist from Clemson University who has completed research regarding landscape ecology, habitat selection, and human-caused land use change. He has worked throughout North America and currently focuses on biodiversity in the Southeast. Dr. Baldwin gave our students a wonderful talk about what it means to be a scientist, that is more than labs and math, it is work in the real world and the diffusion of ideas from one side of the globe to the other. Dr. Baldwin talked about his conservation efforts regarding turtles and tigers and got the group thinking of ways they could help with these efforts, whether through fundraising or advocacy. Dr. Baldwin talked about his expertise in zoos, his journey through school and discovering exactly what he wanted to do and be, and what being a scientist means to him. He also reminded the group how vastly important it is to ensure our planet lasts for generations after us, by encouraging support for endangered species and ensuring the human footprint on earth does not betray the creatures that cohabitate it.
The next SNHS meeting will be on January 10th at 5:30pm in Room 339. See Mrs. Tidwell for more information.
AFJROTC
Although December was on the warm side, the Christmas spirit in the South simply can't be beat! Our local communities headed to the main streets with family, friends, and visitors for fantastic Christmas parades. With an array of lights, night parades, and fun local traditions, Six Mile, Central, and Clemson gave the opportunity to experience the Christmas season with fun and unique activities full of Southern charm. Full of floats, bands, animals, and more, these parades marched through the towns in honor of the holiday season. The D. W. Daniel AFJROTC is about developing citizens of character dedicated to serving our nation and communities. The Flying Lions take a lot of pride in giving back to the community by marching tall and proud in our three local parades. On top of giving back to the community, the Daniel AFJROTC was able to impress the crowd and parade judges and received a first place marching trophy in all three parades.
Food Drive
Daniel High School AFJROTC supports the local community by having an annual canned food drive. The cadets collected/donated over 1,015 lbs. of food during the month of December. They were trying to beat their donation record from 2016 of 2,311 lbs. This food went to the local Clemson food bank to help less fortunate families in need of food. It’s estimated that 48.8 million Americans, including 13 million children, live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, these Americans struggle with hunger at some time during the year. The AFJROTC students were able to directly impact their community by helping these families in need.
Chemistry
This picture is of Mrs. Tidwell’s 4B Honors Chemistry class looking at the atomic emission spectrum of various elements through diffraction glasses. Atomic emission spectra are unique spectra of light emitted by an element when electricity is run through it or when it is viewed through a prism. Because they are unique, they can act as an element’s fingerprint.
Interact Club
The Interact Club had a busy December. Students served hot chocolate and helped kids decorate cookies at the Clemson Christmas parade.
Students shopped at Walmart for eight local children from our four feeder schools: Six Mile, Clemson, Central Elementary and Edwards Middle. Club dues covered the cost of the presents. Students wrapped the Christmas presents the next day in the science lab while listening to Swing Christmas tunes.
The Interact Club continues to live by the rule “service above self.” Thank you to all the Interact members and student leaders for making 2017 a great year!
D.W. Daniel Band
Congratulations to all the students who auditioned for a spot in the 2017 Pickens County Honor Band! We're happy to announce the members from DHS that were selected. We're excited about the program they will perform with Dr. Mark Spede on January 26th!
Fannie Xuan
Kylie Rudolph
Isha Pattanaik
Ella Baldwin
Olivia Kittle
Jessica Schaeler
Joshua Drake
Annaka Osborne
Roger Hu
Noah Burkett
Nicholas Park
Jason Williams
Elliot Swain
Charlie Brooks-Knepfle
Andrew Wang
Charlie Smith
Garrett Arwood
Noah Factor
Griffin Howland
Edward Ratliff
Sam Housand
Richard McDonald
Matthew Howland
Margaret Wang
Nathaniel Holt
Adrik Marcano
Blake Davidson
Matthew Schilf
Thomas Hardin
Tavarie Taylor
Cade Thomas
Sam Wyant
Basketball Season
Click https://goo.gl/LUeaNJ to see the schedules for the entire season.
Winter Semi-formal
Tickets will not be sold at the door, and this dance is only open to Daniel students. Students will need to present their IDs and tickets at the dance for entry. There will be no re-entry. Tickets bought the day of the dance may only be paid for online and will cost $25.
Finally, semi-formal means that boys will need to wear a shirt, tie and non-denim pants. Girls may wear dresses or dressy pants. Dresses should fall to finger-tip length.
Mark Your Calendars
January 10 -End of Second Grading Period/1st Semester
January 10 -Clemson University Student Teacher Orientation (Auditorium)
January 15 -Martin Luther King, Jr. Day –School Holiday
January 16 -Daniel Foundation Meeting (8:15-9:30 a.m.)
January 18 -Report Cards Go Home
January 20 - Winter Semi-formal
January 26 -Cheerleader Banquet
January 27- Miss Summit (DWD Auditorium) at 7:00PM; Tickets are $5
Save the Date- This year's prom will be held on Saturday, April 21.
Contact Us
Website: http://dhs.pickens.k12.sc.us/
Location: 140 Blue and Gold Boulevard, Central, SC, United States
Phone: (864)397-2900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DWDanielHighSchool/
Twitter: @DWDanielHigh