COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
August is here and we are planning the first days of school! Our summer has been amazing at DC West! The schools have been full of activity with summer school, summer workouts, and construction. We can't wait for you to see all of the changes that have taken place on our campus. So much progress has been made in improving or building new facilities to enhance our students' experiences and opportunities. I am eager for the new school year to begin and always proud to be a DC West Falcon!

Let's make it our best year yet~

Dr. Melissa Poloncic
Superintendent
(402) 359 2583
Back to School Information
  • School hours (K-12):
  • Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-3:24 p.m.
  • Friday 8:00 a.m.- 2:04 p.m.
  • Traffic Flow: The parking/drop-off map pictured designates areas for dropping off and picking up your student(s). This will allow us to best accommodate the coming and going of 970+ students on our campus each day. Specific directions for drop-off may be sent by schools.
  • New student registration is August 12-16.
  • Open houses are Tuesday, August 20:
  • Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Students and Families at DC West Elementary 5:15 p.m.
  • PK/Elementary 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  • iPad Orientation and Distribution Meeting for 8th Grade, Freshman and incoming High School students 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Middle/High School Library)
  • Middle School 6:00-7:30 p.m.
  • High School 6:30-8:00 p.m.
  • First Day of Classes: Wednesday, August 21, 8:00 a.m.- 11:45 a.m.
  • Keep up to date with us through our website, www.dcwest.org; Twitter @DCWestFalcons; and Facebook “Douglas County West Community Schools” @dcwestschools
Summer Projects
@ DCWest High School
A team effort allowed us to make many improvements to our high school classrooms, commons areas, band room, and wood shop.

A light remodel of the spaces included carpet or flooring replacement, painting, ceiling tile replacement, locker removal and replacement, casework replacement, and the creation of collaborative learning areas.

Pictured are some highlights of the improvements in progress.
Middle/High School Library
Band Room
Collaborative Learning Areas
New Lockers
Classroom
Wood Shop
DC West Elementary Opens August 20th
4th/5th Grade Classroom
Commons Area Stage
Library
Gymnasium
K/1 Collaboration Pod
Kitchen
We open a new, stand-alone, elementary building suited for four classrooms per grade level preschool through fifth grade.  The building also features a state of the art kitchen, multipurpose area, performance stage, gymnasium that seats 500, specialist classrooms for art, music, special education, interventionists, and high ability learning. The classroom pod design allows for two grade levels in each pod with a large collaboration learning area in the middle of the classrooms. 
Safety features include a FEMA rated storm shelter, ability to lock down the entire building with the push of a button, and locked camera secured entry on the main entrance of the building. 
The funds for this project were available through a financial partnership to lease purchase the newly constructed school with revenue restored from the Learning Community common levy financial structure change in 2018. This legislative change allowed the school district to contribute to the special building fund in order to pay the lease purchase.   
DC West Rocks
We will be celebrating a theme of DC West Rocks! this school year. Our student councils will be working with our administration to incorporate the theme through activities for our DC West students preschool to 12 th grade. The theme emphasizes the pride we have for our schools as well as the amazing individual strengths we all have that contribute to our rockstar learning culture.
Dr. Dawn Marten, Director of Learning
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Dawn Marten as a new district administrator. Dr. Marten will assume the position of Director of Learning on August 1st. The Director of Learning position grows from a need in the district for general administration including the development and improvement of the curriculum, the improvement of instruction, professional development programs, accreditation, state and federal assessment and reporting, and other duties as assigned by the Superintendent. Dr. Marten joins DC West after serving Millard Public Schools eighteen years as a principal, district staff development facilitator, and teacher.
DC West Fourplex Fields
Devastating floods hit our communities on March 15th. Our fourplex fields were impacted the most on our school campus. Partnerships among our school insurance coverage, the DC West Youth Sports Organization, generous donations from the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Stormchasers, and College World Series along with general funds from the district contributed to all four fields being rebuilt as well as irrigated.
Stay Current on
DC West Happenings

Follow us to keep up with real time news and stories on Twitter or Facebook and at our school website dcwest.org for a calendar or important announcements.
Thank you for being great supporters of DC West Community Schools! Stay informed with Community Connections each month.
DC West Community Schools
401 Pine St, PO Box 378, Valley, NE 68064
PH: 402-359-2583
Fax: 402-359-4371
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