D. W. Daniel High School
November Newsletter
Message from the Principal
It was recently announced that D. W. Daniel High School was awarded the Palmetto Gold Award for the 2018-2019 school year. This award focuses on the following four indicators: Academic Achievement, Preparing for Success, Graduation Rate, and College/Career Readiness. In order to receive a Gold Award, a high school must score an Excellent rating on 3 of the 4 indicators and at least a Good rating on the fourth. I am proud of our students and faculty; this is quite an accomplishment! Only 18 high schools in the state won the distinction of being named a Palmetto Gold Award Winning School! Great job, Lions!
Our students continue to excel outside of the classroom. In October we cheered on our Girls Golf team as they won their second State Championship, and we were thrilled to see our Marching Band bring home their first State Championship! Our new debate team competed for the first time, and our Theatre Troupe prepared for their first competition. Our sports teams advanced to region play, some still competing and some bringing home region champions. Our students amaze me with their accomplishments.
In October, as in every month, we focused on safety. We held our nationwide earthquake drill in the middle of the month. We have also updated our sign-out procedures. We did this to ensure that all students are accounted for while in our care. We appreciate your understanding and help in this situation.
We are looking forward to a great Fall at DWD!
Updated Sign-out Procedure
Guidance
Need help completing your FAFSA? We will host a FAFSA Help Night on November 6 from 6-8 p.m. in room 333. FAFSA experts will be on hand to answer questions and guide you through the process. Please bring all 2018 tax records and your social security numbers.
Do you want to learn more about college opportunities? Mrs. Potter will be taking a group of students on a field trip to tour Claflin University on Wednesday, November 6. (This is an A day.) Come by the Guidance office to sign up for this trip and to get more details. Hurry, space is limited!
Virtual Exams
Daniel Foundation
Making a Difference at Daniel!
Every Daniel High School student benefits from Foundation efforts! Thank you to all our members and corporate members for your continued support! In keeping with our mission to support academic excellence and student success, we were able to fund these needed faculty requests since the beginning of the year:
- Foundations & Algebra- BreakoutEDU kits
- Chemistry- Chemistry hot plates
- AP Biology- DNA transformation kits
- Ag Science- Hand tools
- Science Dept- Basic lab equipment: tongs, stirring rods, beakers, rulers, meter sticks, scientific calculators
- DHS Academic Team- Competition fee for tournaments in SC and GA
- Non-diploma- STEEP - volunteer trips
- English- Host actor from The Crucible
- English- Class set of Jake Reinvented - The Great Gatsby
- English- Production of Dragons Love Tacos for 3 elementary school performances
- English- Books for classroom library
- English- Online conference: Keep The Wonder
- Broadcasting- 6 site licenses for FinalCutProX for movie editing
- Chess Club- State chess competition
- Debate Team- Membership to National Speech & Debate Association
- Health Room- Rolling cart, file organizer, ergonomic office chair
- Lunch Room- Microwave, turntable, rolling cart
These are all possible because of your support for the Daniel Foundation and Daniel High School!
Here is what one of our wonderful teachers had to say about the Foundation’s help:
The Daniel Foundation helps elevate classroom instruction beyond what we could accomplish without their support. They have long supported co-curricular and curricular endeavors for our students and faculty. Last year they helped make it possible for the entire freshman class to see the award-winning Mill Town Players production of Romeo and Juliet. While this allowed them to see a specific performance, it also helped our students break into the study of Shakespeare that will support their learning in English 2 and 4.
Broadcast Journalism has also benefited over the years from the generosity of the Foundation. From computers to cameras & most recently to software licenses, the Foundation has helped provide students with an outlet for their creative enterprises while helping them learn industry standards for film editing.
Improving as a reader and a writer requires that students spend time immersed in novels that they select for themselves. Once students find their niche as readers, it's important to be able to whet their reading appetites. Research shows that a robust classroom library, especially one stocked with student-selected texts, helps students take ownership of their learning. This year the Daniel Foundation has helped to stock my classroom library with student book requests. This endeavor will support this year's current freshmen as well as my future students. -Dana Howard, English and Broadcasting
Check out other teacher testimonials on our Instagram page!
If you haven’t yet, please consider joining, donating, and/or volunteering!
- Visit the DHS website and find our tab.
- Follow us on our Facebook page: DW Daniel Foundation.
- Follow us on Instagram: @dwdanielfoundation.
- Follow us on Twitter: @DWDFoundation.
- Sign up on AmazonSmile and choose to support the DW Daniel Foundation.
- Buy a piece of the Lion’s Mane.
- Provide food for our faculty meals.
- Serve on a committee (Membership, Fundraising, Faculty Appreciation, Communication).
- Help with our DandeLION shop.
- Contact our President, Tina Maloney (tmmaloney@gmail.com) for more information!
Thank you for supporting Daniel High School! Go Lions!
Article in The Journal
Everyday Support
By Greg Oliver
The Journal
(reprinted with permission from The Journal)
CENTRAL — A not-for-profit fundraising organization is seeking to improve the lives of Daniel High School students and staff academically, athletically or through day-to-day living.
For more than 15 years, the Daniel Foundation and its more than 150 members have raised more than $70,000 in donations. Originally called Friends of Daniel, its original purpose was to enhance areas of the school not affected by the Daniel High Booster Club. It later became the Daniel Academic Foundation, providing assistance to math and science classes prior to the most recent name change.
“The Daniel Foundation supports student, classroom and facility needs,” president Tina Maloney said. “Importantly, every student benefits from Daniel Foundation funding. Every year, we fund things like science lab equipment, books, calculators, field trips and even picnic tables. This year, we’ve funded microwaves for the lunchroom.”
In 2013, members of the foundation commissioned a special piece of Lion artwork that is now prominently displayed in the school lobby. The foundation raised money by allowing pieces of the lion’s mane to be purchased to honor a person, family, school group, team or organization or corporate sponsor. Each mane piece was inscribed by the donor and affixed to the lion’s mane for permanent display, with proceeds from the sale used for items including classroom technology, artwork around the school and benches and tables for the courtyard near the cafeteria.
This year, Maloney said one of the big items funded was the purchase of six licenses for the broadcast department’s Apple standard movie editing.
“It’s expensive for us, so to be able to fund that for broadcasting was important,” Maloney said.
Principal Shannon Sharkey said the foundation is also assisting students in algebra.
“Students come in- and between algebra I and algebra II- they struggle,” Sharkey said. “So we were able to bring in The Tutoring Center and partner with them to provide eight scholarships for students to go through an eight-week algebra camp. They come up here and, on average, went up 25-30 percent. So they not only maintained what they knew in algebra but also grew and are better prepared for algebra this year.”
Sharkey added a new two-year advanced placement program called AP Capstone also provides preparation for students on college-level research and how to do it effectively.
“It’s an early-bird class at 7 a.m. and, in order to have it, you have to pay a supplement for a teacher,” she said.
Teacher Lori Brown said the special education STEEP/Non Diploma program has volunteered at Clemson Community Care every Wednesday for the past four years.
“The Daniel Foundation has made this Wednesday activity possible because they have funded the use of the mini-bus fuel cost,” Brown said. “This morning of service has taught my students many job and social skills, and they are responsible and relied upon for weekly tasks at the facility. The adults who volunteer alongside my students appreciate strong backs and teenage energy. Without the Daniel Foundation money, it would be impossible for me to pay the gas money needed each week to make the 10-mile round trip.”
The foundation has funded more than 20 projects benefiting every Daniel High School student in some capacity. Since every Daniel High ninth-grader is required to take physical science, the group funded equipment for that subject.
It also provides faculty breakfast, as well as lunch, throughout the school year.
“That is huge for morale,” Sharkey said. “It’s a time everyone looks forward to, and not only get to feel appreciated, but sit together and talk to colleagues. It’s just wonderful and a nice event each month to look forward to.”
Another area funded by the foundation is called the Dandelion Closet, modeled after Grace’s Closet that was started at Walhalla High School and is now in use in schools throughout Oconee County.
“We have around 30 students who are homeless and have many needs,” Maloney said. “That closet provides an opportunity for them to anonymously come in and get school supplies, clothing and toiletries. The program is in its third year, and the Clemson Community Foundation and other organizations help provide that for our students.”
For more information on the Daniel Foundation, contact Maloney at (864) 423-7732 or tmmaloney@gmail.com, or Robert Halfacre at (864) 888-7127 or Roberthalfacre10@gmail.com.
goliver@upstatetoday.com | (864) 973-6687
Follow on Twitter @ JournalGO
From left, Daniel Foundation member Robert Halfacre, Daniel High principal Shannon Sharkey and Daniel Foundation president Tina Maloney are pictured next to the Lion’s Mane, a special piece of artwork commissioned by the foundation in 2013.
Relay for Life
Our Pink Out Game was a success! Thank you to all who donated. We received $326.57.
Academic Team
The Daniel Academic Team finished in 5th Place at the Tigertown Throwdown on Saturday, October 5 at Clemson University. Mrs. Sharkey stopped in to see some of the action. Pictured from left to right are Jake Chrysostom, Sullivan Kelley, Vivian Dong, Lillie Eldridge & Connor Liu.
Orchestra
Congratulations to Lindsay Liu (violin), Sam Bruce (violin), Bryant Garrison (cello), Hanna Manning (viola) and William Hubbard (bass) for earning their positions in the 2019 Western Region High School Orchestras. These students competed against string orchestra students from Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties to earn their spots in the orchestras. The Western Region Orchestras will perform a concert at Anderson University on Saturday, November 16.
Marching Band
LION’S PRIDE WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
The 2019 D.W. Daniel High School Lion’s Pride Marching Band made history on Saturday when it won the first marching band State Championship in school history. The band won every caption (High Music, High Visual, and High Overall Effect) and outscored 2nd place Pickens by 4 points, 88.65 – 84.65.
The Lion’s Pride’s competition show was entitled rEVOLution and featured the music of Shostakovich, Vienna Teng, John Adams, and Pink Floyd. The show was received with critical acclaim all season as the Lion’s Pride took 1st Place in Class and 2nd Overall at the Philip C. McIntyre Tournament of Bands at Byrnes High School and the Foothills Tournament of Champions at Easley High School. The Lion’s Pride went undefeated through the last three competitions of the season by taking the Grand Champion title at the Pride of Pendleton Marching Classic, winning the Upper State Championship, and winning the State Championship.
Congratulations to the Lion’s Pride Marching Band on an outstanding, historic season!
Girls Golf
Julius Caesar
Science National Honor Society
On Wednesday, October 2, the Science National Honor Society hosted guest speaker Paul Dawson, a professor of undergraduate and graduate courses covering Food Chemistry, Food Rheology, and Food Safety while acting as graduate coordinator for the department's graduate programs at Clemson University. Dr. Dawson explained the science behind food safety. Specifically, he elaborated on how the foods that come into our homes and onto our plates from grocery stores are sealed, transported, and delivered, all while ensured to be uncontaminated by bacteria. Dr. Dawson also displayed the staggering statistics of food poisoning in the US and which bacterias are most responsible and common. For example, Campylobacter is a type of bacteria found in uncooked poultry and infects an estimated 1.3 million people a year. But what made his presentation particularly interesting was his humorous memories of being a horse breeder and park manager. He explained that experiences in these jobs made him recognize that ultimately a career in the study of science was right for him. He encouraged students to figure out their career paths by trying new things to realize their likes and dislikes.
The next SNHS meeting will be on Wednesday, November 13 at 5:30 PM in room 339. Paul Kearns, Sustainable Development Manager for the Plastics Additives business at Milliken Chemical will be our guest speaker. Please see Ms. Tidwell for more information.
(submitted by Mismeh Balawi, Senior SNHS Officer)
Environmental Club
The Environmental Club held its first meeting of the year on October 22. This group of motivated students developed a long list of potential initiatives to tackle and then narrowed their immediate focus to education on water usage/conservation and environmental improvements in the cafeteria. The group is looking forward to working with others in the school (Environmental Science teachers Dan Burk and Chuck Conrad and their classes, ROTC and the Recycling Program, faculty, and students) to help make Daniel High School a good steward of the environment. Our next meeting will be right after school on Tuesday, November 19 in room 339. Anyone interested in making an impact on the world in which we live is encouraged to participate whenever and however you can. Small acts can lead to great consequences. Please see Ms. Tidwell for more information.
Breathe Better (B2) Anti-idling Clean Air Campaign
Breathe Better (B2) is an anti-idling/clean air campaign sponsored by SC DHEC. The focus is on protecting public health on school campuses and local businesses in South Carolina. An idling vehicle wastes gas and produces harmful emissions that negatively affects air quality. Mobile sources such as personal vehicles, school buses, and delivery trucks are major contributors to air pollution. Vehicle exhaust contains many pollutants that are linked to asthma and other lung diseases, allergies, heart disease, and other health problems. For schools, large numbers of vehicles idle on campuses during daily arrival and dismissal. Implementing emission reduction strategies helps to reduce air pollution and ensures a healthy learning and work environment for everyone.
Environmental Club members Annika DeVol and Alexis Williams collected vehicle idling data in the car rider line on October 29. At the time measured, the temperature was around 70°F, and 76% (52 of 68) of the waiting vehicles had their engines shut off. Thank you for your cooperation to reduce idling and improve air quality on our campus!
Winter Guard
Auditions for the Daniel High School Varsity Winter Guard will be held on Monday, November 11; Tuesday, November 12; and Thursday, November 14 from 3:45-6:45 in the DHS Band Room. All students interested are welcome. No experience necessary.
Girls Basketball
Girls Basketball try-outs will be held on November 4, 5, & 6 after school. Please make sure to have a physical and all paperwork submitted on Planet High School. If you have any question please feel free to ask Coach Griffin.
AFJROTC Visits Nursing Home
AFJROTC Competes
SC-941 recently competed in the Dorman High School annual Raiders meet taking 2nd place in the mixed division. Raider Competitions are athletic competitions held at JROTC programs around the world. Events take place outdoors and usually consist of strength tests (push-ups, tire-drag, obstacle course, distance team running events, and some form of rope bridge construction/crossing). Individual events may vary.