October/November Parent Newsletter
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A Message from the Principal
Falcon Family,
We have already faced many obstacles this school year ranging from a tragedy close to home to a hurricane and even a chlorine cloud. As always, we faced them together. That is a testament to the strength of our community and makes me proud to be a Dacula Falcon.
As we move into November, please check your student’s grades and attendance using ParentVUE through the app or Parent Portal. This is the time to focus on any classes with a grade lower than expected. Please do not wait. The end of the semester is closer than it seems.
We are very grateful for our students and community and look forward to this month of giving thanks. To begin, we are thankful to all of our parents for partnering with us for student success.
Have a wonderful November.
Gratefully,
Jeannie Hidalgo
Proud Principal of Dacula High
AP Psychology
Hispanic Heritage Month
Prior to Fall Break, Ms. Grajales’ Falcon 30 students hosted Hispanic Heritage Month dance lessons for other Falcon 30 classes to attend! How fun!
Teacher Appreciation
We treated our faculty & staff to some delicious warm fall treats!
Big Board- Cookies
At the beginning of October, we celebrated all of our students who had less than 3 DOTs and zero AWOLs so far this school year by giving them cookies!
Big Board- Ice Cream
Forensic Science
Forensic Science classes went on a field trip to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office and Gwinnett CSI! Having just finished a unit on crime scenes, they learned from Gwinnett CSI how crime scenes are processed. They were about to begin a unit on autopsies, so learning about autopsies and anthropology at the Medical Examiner's Office was a great introduction! What an informative experience!
Peer Leaders
National Teen Driver Safety Week
Our SROs made sure students were safe and buckled up as they passed out "BUCKLE UP" stickers and Lifesavers to our student drivers! Additionally, our Community School hosted Cinema Drive Night, where students engaged in interactive 3D experiences focusing on the perils of driving, texting and driving, and speeding.
School Store
Our new-and-improved school store had its grand opening this month! We have some awesome spirit wear and gear available for purchase!
Pep Rally
We hosted an all-school Fall Sports Pep Rally and had a great time celebrating our fall sports successes, our homecoming court, and showing lots of school spirit!
Softball Teacher Appreciation
Softball athletes celebrated their favorite teachers on their Teacher Appreciation Night!
Media Center
The Media Center hosted Health students and 12th grade Multicultural Literature students this month to teach research skills!
On a Roll
This month we celebrated over 50 freshmen who were nominated by their teachers for being "On a Roll"!
11th Pre-Ap
11th Pre-AP and Honors Language Arts classes participated in a Book Tasting in the Media Center as they geared up for their Book Club unit!
Halloween
On Halloween, some of our classes went Trick-or-Treating around the school to practice their social and communication skills!
Homecoming Festivities
Banner Parade- 1st place TIED!
DHS' Key club tied for 1st place in the Homecoming Banner Parade! Congratulations!
Banner Parade- 1st place TIED!
Dacula Falcon Theatre tied for 1st place in the Homecoming Banner Parade! Congratulations!
Banner Parade- 2nd place!
DHS' Sci Fi club received 2nd place in the Homecoming Banner Parade! Congratulations!
Banner Parade- 3rd place!
DHS' Mediquest club received 3rd place in the Homecoming Banner Parade! Congratulations!
Homecoming Princesses & Queen
Homecoming Banner & Band Tunnel
SO much has been going on in our Fine Arts Department, that we wanted to give them their own section of the newsletter to acknowledge all of the great things that have been happening!
Band
The has loved being a part of the pre-game festivities this football season. Leading the team from the locker room, spelling out DHS, as well as making a tunnel for the team, the band has really added to the hype of Friday night lights!
Band
The band, color guard, drumline, and drum major earned superior and excellent ratings. At the Lake Hartwell Competition, the band earned 2nd place in our class AA. At the Peach State Invitational, Carmen Morse, our drum major, earned 3rd place in our class AA
Band
The Dacula Band and Ms. Bong hosted a very successful GCPS Marching Band Exhibition at DHS. It was well-organized and a great opportunity for 9 local bands to perform their shows.
Theatre
Check out the cast and crew of "Witches?! In Salem?!" a comedic parody of "The Crucible"!
Theatre
Joshua Mateo and Khaila Carter took home All-Star Cast awards for their work in the One Act performance!
Theatre
Dacula Falcon Theatre placed THIRD in a very competitive regional One Act competition! Ms. Rawlins and her students worked very hard to compete this show and their hard work paid off! We are so proud of them!
Chorus
Our singers had an amazing time at GMEA's District 13 Honors Chorus. They performed well and enjoyed singing alongside many talented singers from other parts of Georgia!
Chorus
Women's Gold Chorus traveled to Georgia Southern to compete (for the first time) in the Georgia Southern Invitational. They brought home a FIRST PLACE win in the non-mixed (treble) division. This group of ladies, along with Mr. Williams and Ms. Maugans, worked incredibly hard for this moment and we are so proud of them!
Chorus
Here's a great shot of Women's Gold Chorus performing at the Georgia Southern Invitational!
Orchestra
Orchestra
Students performed their Fall Concert in costume, playing seasonal and sometimes spooky string music.
All-State Orchestra
Congratulations to Angelique Mejia Pedroza for passing her first round of All State Auditions!
Orchestra- KSU Invitational
Chamber Orchestra performed as part of the KSU Orchestra Invitational on October 18th. They had a phenomenal performance for a panel of prestigious judges!
Art
AP Art students have been participating in their midpoint critiques!
Art
National Art Honor Society members had a great time making bleach art shirts in the spirit of Halloween!
Art
Check out this spider pumpkin sculpture from one of our fantastic art students!
Check out this important information from our Counseling Department!
Counseling Updates
Counselors met with all of our seniors during the month of October to complete Application For Graduation and provided a post-secondary planning presentation. Parents will receive a copy of their student's Application For Graduation in the mail.
We had a successful credit recovery session during October, registration and information regarding upcoming sessions will be emailed to all parents soon.
We partnered with all 9th grade Personal Fitness classes for Teen Lures Prevention Lessons. We will partner with Health classes in November for Lifelines (suicide awareness).
Food Pantry Information: Atlanta Food Bank comes every month to Paul Duke HS, it is open to all, you do not have to attend Norcross cluster schools. See the attachment below for information!
Governer's Honors Program Update
The following students have advanced to interviews and are awaiting to hear if they are semifinalists!
- Shirley Diaz - Art
- Iyana Martin - French
- Claude-Henry Pierre - French
- Eliyab Bisrat - Social Studies
- Rafael Romero - Social Studies
- Nicholas Wood - Social Studies
- Hailey Palmore - Music (Already selected as a semifinalist)
College & Career Info
SENIORS - November is Georgia's Apply to College Month. Many of the public colleges in Georgia will have FREE applications and application waivers for students who apply this month. A full list of participating colleges is on the GAfutures website.
November 11-15 is our College and Career week. We will have a different college and career event each day:
- Monday, November 11 - Financial Aid Day - Students can sign up to create their account for FAFSA, work on their GAfutures app for HOPE, or work on scholarship applications
- Tuesday, November 12 - Apply-to-College event in Language Arts Classes - Seniors can apply to college during their LA classes
- Wednesday, November 13 - Mini-College Fair and Apply-to-College event in Language Arts Classes - college fair during lunch for all students, seniors can apply to colleges during their LA classes
- Thursday, November 14 - Military Fair - military fair during lunch for all students
- Friday, November 15 - Career Fair - career fair during lunch for all students
Registered for ParentVue?
If you have not already done so, please register for ParentVue to check grades and attendance along with registering for Parent Square to communicate with teachers. If you want to know more about ParentVue and Parent Square, you can visit the following website.
Below you will find the Counseling Breakdown, which will help you know which counselor serves your student.
- 1st time 9th graders- Ms. Wise
- A - Ec- Ms. Grimes
- Ed - Le- Ms. Rieken
- Lf - Rn- Ms. Watson
- Ro - Z- Ms. Oglesby
Here's what's coming in the month of November...
November 5- Digital Learning Day
Students should check eClass for communication from their teachers regarding the work they should complete digitally on this date. Students will return to the school building on Wednesday, November 6.
November 10- AP Exam Registration Closes
Nov 11-15- College & Career Week
- Monday, November 11 - Financial Aid Day - Students can sign up to create their account for FAFSA, work on their GAfutures app for HOPE, or work on scholarship applications
- Tuesday, November 12 - Apply-to-College event in Language Arts Classes - Seniors can apply to college during their LA classes
- Wednesday, November 13 - Mini-College Fair and Apply-to-College event in Language Arts Classes - college fair during lunch for all students, seniors can apply to colleges during their LA classes
- Thursday, November 14 - Military Fair - military fair during lunch for all students
- Friday, November 15 - Career Fair - career fair during lunch for all students
November 14- PSAT Scores Available
PSAT/NMSQT scores are scheduled to be released to students on November 14 via the College Board Student Score Report Portal.
As a reminder, schools will not receive paper score reports.
Detailed information concerning PSAT/NMSQT scores can be found on the College Board website by clicking this link
November 19- LA and ESOL Performance Finals
If your student is enrolled in Language Arts or ESOL and hasn't already taken a Performance Final, they are scheduled to take one on this date.
November 21- Social Studies Performance Finals
If your student is enrolled in Social Studies and hasn't already taken a Performance Final, they are scheduled to take one on this date.
November 22 - Last Day to Register for December SAT
If your student would like to take the SAT at DHS on December 7, the last day to register will be November 22.
November 25 - 29 - GCPS Thanksgiving Break
Important Info from the Registrar's Office
Juniors:
ALL Juniors that are over 16 need to present proof of receiving a meningitis booster after they turn 16 years of age.
You must provide an updated Georgia 3231 Immunization Form to Dacula High School. It is also a required document if your student plans to continue their education after high school. Meningitis is a serious bacterial illness that affects the brain and spinal cord. Georgia law requires students to be vaccinated against this disease unless they have a documented exemption. Please forward your student's updated GA3231 Immunization form to the Registrar's office, or via e-mail to tammi.boswell@gcpsk12.org.
Applying to College?
Official transcripts to accompany the application can be ordered through your MyPaymentsPlus account. You'll also need to order a final transcript at the end of the school year after Semester 2 is complete.
Moving, 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. This will also be the address used to forward any important mailings and grade reports.
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 November 12, December 17, January 21, 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!
Soccer Updates!
Soccer Conditioning for boys and girls interested in playing soccer starts Friday, November 8th from 2:30-3:30. The tryout registration form must be filled out (find it on our bio on Instagram @daculafalconssoccer) and your physical must be on RankOne.
Dates for Conditioning:
- Friday, November 8th
- Tuesday, November 12th
- Friday, November 15th
- Tuesday, November 19th
- Friday, November 22nd
- Thanksgiving Break is TBD
If anyone missed parent night, please go to our Instagram page @daculafalconssoccer. There is a post with a QR code that allows you to view the PowerPoint. If you need sponsorship forms, see Coach Dawson in room 5.439
We're going to Europe this summer & you're invited!
Interested in visiting Europe? The deadline to register is approaching & you don't want to miss out!
2024-2025 Yearbooks
Visit YearbookOrderCenter.com and enter the school code 25024 to purchase yearbooks! The deadline to purchase a yearbook is January 31.
Book Mobile 5K- November 2
GCPS Library Media Services is hosting their annual Book Mobile 5K in the fall this year (it's normally the first weekend in May). This year, you can participate in the 5K benefiting the GCPS Book Mobile program on November 2 at 8 AM! Click here to register!
Senior Sponsors
The class of 2025 Senior Sponsor is Ms. Kesler. She can be reached at alex.kesler@gcpsk12.org.
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
From your College & Career Specialist, Mr. Cash
Continue working on your college applications and be mindful of Early Action and Early Decision deadlines. Stay up-to-date on the major scholarships with upcoming deadlines on the DHS Scholarship Newsletter. Several colleges, including Emory and Brown, are visiting Dacula throughout the fall. Register for these visit on the College Visits and Fairs page.
PSAT/NMSQT SCORES!
PSAT/NMSQT Scores
PSAT/NMSQT scores are scheduled to be released to students on November 14 via the College Board Student Score Report Portal.
As a reminder, schools will not receive paper score reports.
Detailed information concerning PSAT/NMSQT scores can be found on the College Board website by clicking this link
SAT Dates
In addition to the SAT School Day administration of the SAT on March 18, Dacula High School will be a testing location for the SAT on the following dates:Saturday, October 5, 2024
- Saturday, November 2, 2024
- Saturday, December 7, 2024
- Saturday, March 8, 2025
- Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Saturday, June 7, 2025
AP Exam Registration Information
Hello Parents and Guardians of Dacula High School AP Students,
Registration for AP Exams will begin on Friday, September 27th. A few years ago, the College Board implemented changes based on research that showed students' early commitment resulted in greater student performance and success on their AP Exams. All AP exam registrations will take place in the Fall, except for second-semester classes in AP Macroeconomics and AP American Government. The registration window will open in MyPaymentsPlus on Friday, September 27th, and closes on Sunday, November 10th at 11:59 pm for yearlong courses and first semester courses. All late registrations will incur a College Board fee of $40.00 per exam. Students enrolled in AP American Government and AP Macroeconomics for 2nd semester will have a different registration window (without a late fee) to order between Monday, January 6th, 2025, and Sunday, March 9th, 2025, for those two courses only.
Please review the 2024-25 AP Exam Registration information and post the deadline reminder at work or on your refrigerator. Be sure to register your students for their AP Exams during the registration window. Please be on the lookout for future emails and feel free to reach out to Dr. Renales at bev.renales@gcpsk12.org should you have any questions.
FINAL EXAM DATES!
Final exams will be here sooner than you think! If your student is enrolled in a course where a District Assessment is required, they will take it during their Final Exam block. Save these dates to be sure your student is prepared for their final exams when they arrive!
December 18: 1st period & 2nd period final exams
December 19: 4th period & 5th period final exams
December 20: 6th period & 7th period final exams
The bell schedule will be as follows for these dates:
First Exam: 7:15-9:30 am
Second Exam: 9:40-11:45 am
National Custodial Workers Recognition Day
October 2 was National Custodial Workers Recognition Day and we treated our phenomenal custodians to a taco bar. We appreciate the contributions our custodians make every day to keep our buildings clean and safe places to work.
Bus Driver Appreciation
This month, we celebrated our Dacula Cluster School Bus Drivers for National School Bus Safety Week and School Bus Driver and Appreciation Day💙💛 They enjoyed treats while listening to our peer leaders share how bus drivers have impacted their lives personally and on a bigger scale. They were also visited by Freddie! We LOVE our bus drivers and are SO thankful for the work they do to get our students to and from school safely!
Nominated for Dacula Cluster High School Counselor of the Year
Join us in congratulating Ms. Tamika Grimes for being nominated for high school counselor of the year for the Dacula Cluster!