September was a great month for DCS employees and students. The Demopolis City Schools Foundation made their rounds and also brightened the day for teachers and faculty at all four schools. Nine teachers and three librarians were presented with certificates and candy treats by DCSF board members, community leaders, and school leaders, letting them know they had been selected to receive funds for their projects. There were squeals of joy and heartfelt thanks as DCSF director Margaret Anne Gilchrist entered the rooms.
At Westside (Andrea Johnson) and USJ (Emily Windham), both librarians received $2,500 for new books. DMS librarian Ginger Godwin received $800 for stationary bikes to be placed in the focus station located in the library. Westside's first-grade teacher, Emily Black, received $4,777.40 to purchase hands-on literacy materials to help build a strong foundation for successful readers. Second-grade teacher Kristi Stokes received $13,096 for virtual reality technology, providing a multitude of educational experiences. Kindergarten teacher Ashley Stephens was awarded $2,150 for the grant "Classroom Transformation," aimed at providing materials to transform kindergarten classrooms into extraordinary learning habitats. Reading coach Brittany Donald was presented with $1,000 for a "Bookworm Vending Machine" that will purchase books and tokens students can earn as rewards for reaching goals.
U.S. Jones was granted two awards: one to Julie Harrison, a reading coach, for $1,000, to "Bridging the Gap," offering phonemic awareness intervention lessons, and the other to Jennifer Sager, a 5th-grade teacher, for $3,500, to purchase books and create a Tiger Tales Book Club.
DMS Coach Jesse Bell received a grant for "Lacrosse Crossing Our Way to Fitness" worth $3,593.50 for equipment to teach the fast-growing sport of lacrosse in physical education.
Demopolis High School math teacher Andrew Patterson received a $4,199.70 grant to purchase color graphing calculators for the math classroom, while Brandi Dannelly, a career coach, received $7,177.19 to jumpstart the DHS student-led store. Her grant, "Let’s Retail It at DHS," will initiate a school store run by Co-op students and dual enrollment, providing merchandise created using a laser printer and t-shirt press.
With over $1.5 million invested in classroom grants since 1993, the Demopolis City Schools Foundation has been supporting excellence in our public school system for an entire generation. Their mission is to encourage excellence, continued investment, and responsible resource stewardship in support of students and all those who benefit from a successful Demopolis City School System. DCS appreciates the dedication and commitment of this foundation to continue the tradition of excellence within our schools.