January/February Parent Newsletter
Band
We had six band students participate in an honor band festival at UGA called Janfest! The students represented Dacula High School amongst a thousand other high school students. Congratulations to Bryce Booker, Dayelle Chun, Zachary Homer, Christopher Mason, Abigail Reese, and Nicholas Welch for representing DHS well.
Dacula Way Reset
In early January, Dacula Way met to have a check-in from first semester. There were lessons led by DHS Peer Leaders that used the "Big Rock, Little Rock" to help students understand time management and prioritizing "big rocks" that are important such as school, family, a sport, and a job first before the "little rocks" like hanging with friends, watching Netflix, etc.
The next day, the Peer Leaders helped the students set SMART goals for 2nd semester to help them start the semester off on the right foot.
Student Council
Student Council started their January meeting off with a "Human Knot" activity where they worked together to untangle their arms without letting go.
Band
Many of our band students participated in the first-ever "Gwinnett County Mass Band" for the MLK Celebration hosted by Central Gwinnett High School.
JROTC
On January 31, HQ JROTC visited DHS to perform a Unit Assessment on our JROTC Program. This is a cadet lead inspection. The day beganwith a Mass Unit Uniform inspection (All JROTC Cadets) followed by 30 Step Drill Sequence, a Color Guard demonstration, and an awards presentation. Our cadets did a wonderful job!
Junie B. Jones
Ms. Rawlins' 4th period Musical Theater class performed Junie B. Jones for our cluster elementary schools this month. They had so much fun performing for Alcova, Mulberry, and Dacula Elementary's 1st grade students and the kids enjoyed the show!
Engineering
Mr. Pucciano's 2nd period Engineering Applications class designed and built a water rocket out of 2-liter bottles. They came up with a fin prototype using poster board and then cut them out of foamboard or cardboard. The rockets were required to reach a minimum of 12 feet but expected to go much higher. They had a great time creating and launching their rockets!
February 1 - HBCU College Fair
The 7th Annual Greater Atlanta HBCU College Fair will be at South Gwinnett High School on Saturday, February 1 from 9AM - 2PM. At this fair, you can talk with representatives from some of the top HBCUs, audition for bands, and compete in an essay contest for a scholarship!
Register to attend the fair here: fair.hbcucf.org/2025
February 5 - Rising 9th Grade Parent Night Meeting @ 6 PM
Dacula High School is looking forward to welcoming our newest freshmen class for the 25-26 school year. Mark your calendars and plan to join us on Wednesday February 5th for our annual Rising 9th Gade Parent Night Meeting from 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm. This session is packed with information geared toward a successful transition for each and every student. We are looking forward to seeing you and your student(s) on February 5th. Please review our agenda below:
Dacula High School - Rising 9th Grade Parent Night Meeting
Wednesday February 5th
6:00 PM - Gifted/Accel Math Meeting in Transformational Room
6:00 PM – ESOL Parent Meeting in the Media Center
6:00 PM - Special Education Parent Meeting in the Chorus Room
6:30 PM – Main Meeting in Theater
7:00- 7:45 PM – Academic and Activity Fair in Commons Area
February 6 - FAFSA Night
SENIORS: Do you need help with your FAFSA? On Thursday, February 6 from 5:15PM - 7:15PM, Mr. Cash and a representative from the Georgia Student Finance Commission will be at Dacula High School in the 2nd Floor Computer Lab (5.213) to assist seniors and their parents/guardians with completing the FAFSA.
Register here: bit.ly/42bkdK7
Summer Health & PE
Does your student need to “free up” his or her schedule to allow for band, athletics, orchestra, theater, chorus, a language, AP class, etc? If you answered yes, you should consider enrolling your student to take Summer Health & Introduction to Lifetime Fitness (PE) through Dacula Community School. Click here to read more.
Register today on our website for our on-line 2025 Summer Health & Introduction to Lifetime Fitness (PE) through the Dacula Community School!
PROM!
Prom is Saturday March 29th at Peachtree Point Amphitheatre at Lake Lanier Islands, from 8-11PM.
- Tickets sales start on GoFan on February 1st and end March 21st.
- The price is $80 through 2/28 and will increase to $90 on March 1st.
- Students will use their Student ID as their access code to purchase a prom ticket.
- To purchase a date ticket for a student who is not a junior or senior at Dacula, they will first need to fill out the Google rules form with their date's information, and see Ms. Capps for a unique date ticket access code. Every Junior or Senior may bring 1 date with them to prom.
- For any questions check out the Prom FAQ document, or see Ms. Capps or Ms. Watson!
We can't wait to see you at Prom!
Important Info from the Registrar's Office
Moving After Semester 1, or Moved?
Please contact the Registrar's office to make arrangements to update your student's address on record and to receive an updated bus pass for your student. This will also be the address used to forward any important mailings and grade reports. If you're moving out of the Dacula school cluster, your student should be withdrawn from Dacula High School and must enroll into their zoned school.
Applying to College?
Official transcripts to accompany the application can be ordered through your MyPaymentsPlus account ($5 ea). (A Final transcript will also need to be requested for the college at the end of the school year). Transcripts ordered through MyPaymentsPlus can be mailed to the college of your choice or you can opt to pick it up from the Dacula HS main office. Transcripts will be available within 48 school hours.
Many Georgia colleges will accept an official transcript through your student's GA Futures account. Your student's social security number must be on file with Dacula HS to use this option. Transcripts ordered electronically through GA Futures will be sent after the current semester's grades are completed. Semester One transcripts will be available by January 13, 2025.
Student Athletes that plan to play a sport in college should contact Ms. Boswell to upload your transcript to your NAIA or NCAA account. Tammi.boswell@gcpsk12.org
Residency Affidavit?
It is a requirement that Residency Affidavits are renewed each school year when the student resides in the same household. Be on the lookout after Spring Break for upcoming Notary Event date! During this event, affidavit notary services will be available to homeowners and parents/guardians between 3pm-6pm to make the process more convenient.
GCPS Student Device Fees 2024-2025
In the event your Chromebook is lost, please contact your local school. Please note that the number of incidents does not reset each school year. In the event your Chromebook is damaged, please contact your local school. Please note that the number of incidents does not reset each school year. Lost and/or damage fine amounts are listed below. These fees are effective July 1, 2024.
Chromebook Loss: $200
Chromebook Damage: $25
Charger Loss and/or Damage: $25
Scholastic Images
Scholastic Images will visit Dacula High School on February 25, April 15 (for cap and gown delivery), and May 13 to answer questions, collect orders and payment, and provide information about cap and gown purchases, senior dues, letter jackets, class rings, and much more!
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LETTER JACKETS: Letter Jacket Orders for any student who has earned a letter!
-Bring proof that you earned your letter (actual award letter or certificate) and a $150 deposit to get the order started!
-We’ll custom size you and walk you through the rest!
CLASS RINGS: Class Ring Orders for any junior or senior!
-Bring payment in full for the Mascot Ring Special ($333.85)!
-Bring $100 deposit for Ultrium metal or $200 deposit for all other metals!
-We’ll custom size you and walk you through the rest!
SENIORS: Seniors, pay your Dacula Senior Dues (which includes your Cap/Gown/Tassel) and check it off your list!
-Payment required in full at time of order. (Cash, Check, or Card with $4.95 processing fee)
VISIT SCHOLASTICIMAGES.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION!
DHS Cheerleading
Interested in competition or sideline cheerleading at DHS next year? The tryout informational meeting will be on March 5 at 6:30pm in the DHS Commons area and tryouts will take place March 31-April 4! Email Coach Poore (brandi.poore@gcpsk12.org) with any questions.
FAFSA Night
SENIORS: Do you need help with your FAFSA? On Thursday, February 6 from 5:15PM - 7:15PM, Mr. Cash and a representative from the Georgia Student Finance Commission will be at Dacula High School in the 2nd Floor Computer Lab (5.213) to assist seniors and their parents/guardians with completing the FAFSA.
Register here: bit.ly/42bkdK7
Senior Fees
Please keep in mind the following:
- Senior fees must be paid in order to participate in any senior activity, including the graduation ceremony.
- There is no itemizing fees based on activity.
- Be sure to pay early- there will be a cut-off date for participation in activities.
- Students must check their school email regularly
Senior Post-Grad Plans
Seniors, please complete this form that covers your post-grad plans for Mr. Cash. Some plans may still be up in the air, and that's completely okay. We will have our National Decision Day event in March, and you must complete this form if you want to be recognized during the event that day. If you've already completed the form, thank you! Complete the form here: bit.ly/3PyqxUg
EOC (End of Course) Exams- April 28 - May 2
The following End of Course Exams will be administered on these dates:
- American Literature EOC Section 1- April 28
- American Literature EOC Section 2 & 3- April 29
- Algebra EOC Sections 1 & 2- April 30
- US History EOC Sections 1 & 2- May 1
- Biology EOC Sections 1 & 2- May 2
ALL EXAMS WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 7:30 AM.
AP Exams
AP Exams will be administered May 5 through May 26.
- May 5- AP Biology, AP Latin, AP European History, and AP Microeconomics
- May 6- AP Chemistry, AP Human Geography, and AP US Government and Politics
- May 7- AP Lit, AP Comparative Government and Politics, and AP Computer Science A
- May 8- AP African American Studies, AP Statistics, AP Japanese Language and Culture, and AP World History: Modern
- May 9- AP Italian Language and Culture, AP US History, AP Chinese Language and Culture, and AP Macroeconomics
- May 12- AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Music Theory, and PA Seminar
- May 13- AP French Language and Culture, AP Precalculus, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
- May 14- AP English Language and Composition, AP German Language and Composition, and AP Physics C: Mechanics
- May 15- AP Art History, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- May 16- AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, and AP Psychology
STAR Student & STAR Teacher
Every year, the district recognizes the student in each high school with the highest SAT score as the STAR Student. That student then picks the teacher who has had the biggest impact on them to be the STAR Teacher. This year, that student is Mark Ndoumna and his teacher of choice is Mr. Cummings! Join us in congratulating both of them!
GSLT Induction
Sophomores Hudson Mayhue, Ace Van Nus, and Brendyn Crabb were inducted to the prestigious Gwinnett Student Leadership Team. This ceremony started their 3-year leadership training course sponsored by the county and local businesses. As part of their training, they now present leadership lessons to the Dacula Leadership Team and serve the school community. We are looking forward to seeing the difference they make.
Swim and Dive- County Championships
Almost everyone and every relay team performed personal bests and several qualified for the state championships at the county finals! Dacula had several top-10 finishes! Please congratulate our county team qualifiers for a job well done s well as our State Qualifiers that will be headed to Georgia Tech next week to compete in the state championships!
Boys County Team
Noah Hettrick
Bryant Dibling
Sebastian Soza
Daniel Castro
James Airdion
Brendyn Crabb
Ralph Rousseau
Girls County Team
Genesis Miranda - Moran
Shirel Levy
Adelynn Ortel
Abigail Dibling
Sasha Carerra
Giselle Rosa
Kylie Morgan
Kaily Solorzano - Juarez
Kinley Schantz
Marlowe DiBella
FBLA 2025 Regional Conference
Dacula High School's FBLA is on the move! We are excited to start a new chapter this year with Ms. Gray as the adviser. The officers have been installed and have hit the road running. They have received presentations from local business professionals, partnered with our local community for a donation drive and assisted with organizing at a local coop food pantry. FBLA members also attended a local rally and participated in the Fall and Region competitions. We did so in excellence.
The following students placed in top five in the Region and received rewards for their placement at the FBLA 2025 Regional Conference:
Intro to Social Media-Heidi Lockhart, Hudson Mayhue and Fiyinfoluwa Akindairo
Graphic Design - Demarius Smith and M Kenzie Wallace -
Sales Presentation - Paige Brooks-Hysten and E maree Howard -
Business Management Systems -
Client Services – E’maree Howard -
Business Communications -Patience Naagbi
We have two students E’maree Howard and Patience Naagbi that will advance to the FBLA State Competition in March 2025.
