Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to share some wonderful news that reflects the hard work, dedication, and excellence of our entire school community. Our district has been officially recognized as one of the Ten Exemplary Districts in the state of Tennessee!

This recognition is a testament to the exceptional efforts of our students, teachers, and staff who consistently strive for excellence in everything they do. It is because of their passion, commitment, and resilience that we have reached this milestone together.

Our motto, "Together, We Dream, Believe, Lead, and Achieve," perfectly captures the spirit of this achievement. Every success we celebrate is the result of the collaboration and support we find within our school community. It’s through the shared dreams of our students, the belief in their potential, the leadership of our educators, and the achievement of all that we strive for that we continue to grow and thrive.

We are incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we know this is just the beginning. Together, we will continue to dream big, believe in each other, lead with purpose, and achieve greatness.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and for being such an integral part of our district's success.

With pride and gratitude,
Director Newsom

From the Commissioner of Education:

“I am thrilled to highlight the 2023-24 Reward Schools and Exemplary Districts for their dedication to fostering student learning and growth in their classrooms across the state,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “This annual recognition is the result of our teachers, along with school and district leaders, who are committed to student success every day, and I commend each of you for your valiant efforts in supporting achievement for our Tennessee students.”

Districts are recognized as an Exemplary District when they receive an overall district performance score of 3.1 or higher on a 4.0-point scale across all performance indicators as referenced above. The following are the 10 designated Exemplary Districts:

• Alcoa City Schools
• Arlington Community Schools
• Bells City Schools
• Clinton City Schools
• Collierville Schools
• Dayton City School
• Jackson County Schools
• Lebanon Special School District
• Milan Special School District
• Van Buren County Schools

Dear DCS Family,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support and partnership. This is a special time to reflect, relax, and recharge.

Please enjoy the entire week off from school, November 25–29, with your family and loved ones. We look forward to welcoming our students back refreshed and ready to finish the year strong.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,
Director Newsom

Our pep rally, held on Tuesday, November 19, was a celebration of DCS’s Sweet Success, recognizing the incredible achievement of our Level 5 academic success—scoring a perfect 5 out of 5! This outstanding accomplishment was truly a HOLE new level of awesome. To mark the occasion, all teachers received a donut, while every student enjoyed a donut hole as a sweet treat. After the pep rally, boxes of donuts were distributed to each grade level. In addition, we recognized the top cookie dough sellers, and four lucky students had the chance to pie members of the administration team in the face! The event also included a celebration of our basketball teams for their hard work and dedication. We were honored to have two board members, Chairman Hurley Marsh and Billy Graham, in attendance to join in the festivities. It was a fun-filled and memorable event!

Fourth Grade students are checking in on their Science Experiment. Fourth graders are learning what environmental factors affect plant growth.

Third graders learned about area using Cheez-its to understand what a square unit is and how it relates to finding how much space a shape covers. We worked hard and then snacked!

Ms. Kristie's class wrapped up their study of FALL by exploring pumpkins. They were excited to build knowledge through this hands-on, language-rich experience!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your incredible support in our recent cookie dough fundraiser. Thanks to your dedication and generosity, we raised an amazing $10,500! Your participation in selling, promoting, and purchasing cookie dough made this success possible, and we couldn't have done it without each and every one of you. We are excited to pair these funds with our upcoming Spring Fitness Fundraiser to purchase shade for two of our playgrounds, ensuring a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all the children. Your contributions will have a lasting impact, and we truly appreciate all the time and effort you put in. Once again, thank you for making this fundraiser such a huge success!

If you were unable to pick your cookie dough up today before 4:00, you will need to pick it up after Thanksgiving Break as soon as you are able. The cookie dough is shelf stable for 20 days. Once we return we will be about 11 days in. The school will be closed the entire week around Thanksiving, November 25-29.

In accordance with Tennessee law, we invite you to review the summary of our school safety plan provided below. Your feedback is important to us. If you have any comments, please fill out the Google Form linked here.

Additionally, we will hold a public hearing at 5:30 PM on December 2, prior to the school board meeting. We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your involvement in keeping our school safe.

As we head into Thanksgiving break, it's the perfect time to clean out your closets and make room for the season ahead! We encourage you to gather any gently used clothing and bring them to our Clothing Bin. Not only will you be decluttering your home, but your donations will directly support our STEAM program. Your generosity helps provide valuable resources for our students to engage in science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities. Thank you for considering this opportunity to give back while making a positive impact on our community!

Great things happen to those who don't stop

believing, trying, learning, and being grateful!

What are you thankful for?

November 25 - 29 - Thanksgiving Break

December 3 - PTO Winterfest