Weekly SPARK: 10 DPS magnet schools earn honors, NYT reports on DPS success after pandemic, and more

Feb. 6, 2024

10 DPS Magnet Schools Earn Honors

A total of 10 Durham Public Schools magnet schools have been notified that their programs have earned merit awards for meeting the high standards set forth by Magnet Schools of America, the national organization for magnet programming.

Schools of Excellence honors were bestowed upon:

Burton IB Elementary School
Durham School of the Arts
George Watts Montessori Elementary School
Southern School of Energy and Sustainability
The School for Creative Studies

Schools of Distinction honors were bestowed upon:

City of Medicine Academy
Lakewood Montessori Middle School
Lowe’s Grove Middle School
Middle College High School at Durham Tech
Neal Middle School

Read more about these awards by clicking the button below.

Study Shows DPS Students Fully Recovered after Pandemic Losses

A recent New York Times article reported that "Pandemic school closures upended U.S. education. Many students lost significant ground, and the federal government invested billions to help them recover. Now, new data offers the clearest portrait yet of how much students have gained back -- and how far they still have to go."

Looking at data from an analysis of standard test scores by Harvard and Stanford universities, the article reports that "In Durham Public Schools, both poorer and richer students made strong recoveries on average, as did the district's large black and Hispanic populations."

Read more about the report and the specific strategies DPS educators used to help students by clicking the button below.

Friday is the Deadline for Lottery for DPS Application Programs and CTE Pathways

Friday is the deadline for the lottery for school application programs, including Montessori, Dual-Language Immersion, International Baccalaureate, and year-round schools, as well as the Ignite! online academy.

Don’t forget: New school boundaries also go into effect next school year. All current K-2 students in application programs (Year-Round, Montessori, and IB), as well as Montessori PreK students, must re-enter the lottery to continue their program.

Remember that all fourth and fifth graders will be able to stay at their current elementary school. They do not need to enter the lottery.

To apply for the lottery, parents or legal guardians will need to sign up for a SchoolMint account with a valid email address or phone number.

Be prepared to use the student's Powerschool ID on the application.

Applications will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9. Results will be emailed, texted, and posted on the SchoolMint dashboard on March 1. Click the button below for more information and a link to the application portal.

New Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools Named, New Interim Principal

Dr. Kecia Rogers will become DPS's Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools beginning March 1. Dr. Rogers currently serves as the principal of Rogers-Herr Middle School. Under her leadership, Rogers-Herr has consistently met or exceeded growth and was ranked in the top 10 percent of schools in the state for growth. A graduate of DPS, Dr. Rogers has spent her entire educational career in the district. She was a teacher at Southwest Elementary for 10 years before transitioning to school administration. She has also served as principal of W.G. Pearson Elementary and C.C. Spaulding Elementary. She holds masters degrees in elementary education and school administration, leadership and supervision, both from N.C. Central University. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from High Point University.

Dr. Tawauna Stewart has been named Interim Principal of Rogers-Herr Middle School, effective March 1. She has been an integral leader within the Rogers-Herr community since 2017 and currently is an assistant principal at the school. She has served DPS for nearly 20 years, beginning her tenure as a teacher at Pearsontown Elementary. Dr. Stewart earned her Master of School Administration from N.C. Central University and her doctorate in educational leadership from High Point University.

Two DPS Band Directors Win Regional Awards

Two Durham Public School band directors received regional recognition in January for their outstanding work not only in their individual school programs but also as leaders in the state.

Matt DiDonna from Githens Middle School was selected as this year's N.C. Central Region Jazz Educator of the Year. The region includes Alamance, Anson, Caswell, Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Johnson, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Scotland, Vance, Wake, and Warren counties. DiDonna was selected for his continued excellence as a jazz educator and for his countless hours serving on the board for the N.C. Central Region Jazz of the N.C. Music Educators Association.

Allen Amos from Durham School of the Arts was selected as this year's N.C. Central Region Band Director of the Year. Directors are selected to receive this award on their proven accomplishments of their school's band program over the past year and their service to the CDBA board, which is part of the N.C. Music Educators Association. Amos was selected as the sole recipient this year from the 13-county band director membership.

Congratulations to these two excellent band directors!

Students of the Month | January

Nancy Uvalle is a girl boss in the making. Armed with a memorable laugh, the Holton student is contemplating entrepreneurship, the military, or an elementary teaching career while she finishes her high school studies. In other words, she’s claimed her success. Click here to learn more about Nancy.

Senior Chasity Adams plans to attend Appalachian State University’s “amazing nursing program” to pursue her dreams of becoming a nurse. She believes the campus’ natural environment and scenery would suit her well, and even more so, she enjoys taking courses on the topics of anatomy. Click here to learn more about Chasity.

Tickets Now on Sale for Evening to Shine at DPAC

Join us for a celebration of the arts in Durham Public Schools! Evening to Shine gives students the unique opportunity to perform at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and work with esteemed vocal clinicians and choreographers to produce a musical gala that is a must-see event. This year, we will display the vocal, dance and visual arts talents of over 350 DPS students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Performances begin at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20. Evening to Shine is also the annual scholarship fundraiser of the Durham Public Schools Foundation.

Buy Tickets

DPS Game of the Week: DSA vs. South Granville

Come watch the DSA Bulldogs take on the South Granville Vikings in several basketball games at the Durham School of the Arts, 400 N. Duke St., on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The boys' Junior Varsity team will play at 4:30 p.m., while the girls' Varsity team will play at 6 p.m., followed by the boys' Varsity team at 7:30 p.m.

The game will also be available for live streaming on the NFHS network.

School Spotlight: Neal Middle School

Neal Middle School rolled out the red carpet for rising sixth graders from several Durham Public Schools last week to share information about the transition to middle school. Thank you to all our school social workers and school counselors supporting this important transition!