Several schools celebrated Veterans Day this year with assemblies, activities, guest speakers and more. At Blue Ridge School, students lined the hallways for a parade of local veterans! Monday - December 9, 2019 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM City Hall Council Chambers SCHOOL NEWS Dalton Middle School Signs Fourth Class of REACH Scholars Five Dalton Middle School eighth grade students committed to be a Georgia REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Scholar at a ceremony on October 29. Jesus Guerrero, Emily Nunez, David Guzman, Esmeralda Alegria Chavez and Ana Perez make up the fourth class of DMS REACH Georgia Scholars. Read more here! DMS Teacher Yanira Alfonso Surprises 47 Students with Gift Baskets Yanira Alfonso teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Dalton Middle School. Yesterday, she completed a monumental project several months in the making: Visiting the home of every single one of her students. Westwood School Hosts Career Day On October 31st, Westwood School hosted its annual Career Day in which students were encouraged to dress up in costumes that represent what they want to be when they grow up. The students had the chance to listen to local professionals speak about their respective careers and how they can pursue certain opportunities when they finish school. Learn more here Alumni Spotlight: Leydi Ballesteros Despite graduating in May 2019, Leydi Ballesteros, Morris Innovative High School alumna, continues to spend her Fridays giving back as a volunteer with the school's Translation Academy. Read more about Leydi on our website. Documentary Filmmaker Visits Dalton High School Documentary filmmaker, Jeremy Monroe, visited Dalton High School on Thursday, November 7 for a special showing of his film, Hidden Rivers. Filmed in the southeastern United States, Hidden Rivers profiles various wildlife that inhabit the many rivers in the region, including nearby rivers such as the Tennessee and Conasauga rivers. Click here for more.
Read about the amazing Dalton Difference makers we've highlighted in the past few weeks. You can read the story about this new initiative on our website. "It is a pleasure and honor for me to pass this coin to Mrs. Michelle Huch. Mrs. Huch is the leader of the ESOL program in Westwood. I have the privilege of working with her and witnessing the great work she does as a teacher and co-worker. She is a good example of collaboration with other teachers. When you are in a classroom with her, you cannot tell who the homeroom teacher is because she makes a very good connection with the regular teachers. She knows her students very well and designs her classes for them. Mrs. Michelle Huch is not only a teacher, but she also gives extra time throughout the year to help organize the different events we have at school, such as Veterans Day, Christmas program, and Friends Around the World that celebrates the different cultures in our school. Not to mention her valuable dance classes for teachers, with the sole purpose of providing experiences to our students. She makes a big impact on the lives of students and teachers. She is the Dalton Difference!"
- Idalia Paniagua "I gave my Dalton Difference coin to Maria Jimenez. Maria is always diligently taking care of us at City Park. She quietly goes about, making sure that nothing needed is left undone. Her caring and gracious heart is evident in all she does. She is always willing to lend a hand whenever she sees a need. Not only does she make families feel welcome when they come into our school, but she also shows concern for students when she notices a difference in their usual behavior. She is always kind and has a determined and motivated disposition and that is evident in all that she does at City Park. Maria is a perfect example of what it looks like to be the Dalton Difference."
- Alecia Halman "It gives me great pleasure and honor to pass along my Dalton Difference coin to Mrs. Karla Smedley. I have had the privilege to work with her while serving her students in ISS. Mrs. Smedley is very passionate about her students and always strives to help each and every one of them. I have seen her be their voice in situations, love them and offer assistance. She connects personally with each student, and her concern for students doesn't stop at DMS. She has high expectations for each of her students and pushes them to a level that brings out all their best abilities, even when they feel they can't do it. She is always positive and sees the good in each student. This combined with a kind and gentle heart makes her the perfect advocate for her students. Having built these meaningful relationships with students, Mrs. Smedley will have an impact on their lives forever."
- Krista Wingfield "It is an honor to pass along the Dalton Difference coin to Mrs. Anne Fetzer. Mrs. Fetzer is an ESS teacher at Roan Elementary School. At school, Mrs. Fetzer is an example of positivity, compassion, and kindness. I have always admired her patience and love for the students. She always greets them with smiles and hugs. Her students adore her and are always happy to see her. Mrs. Fetzer loves and deeply cares for our community. I had the opportunity to teach literacy classes with her and I personally witnessed her passion to teach parents different ways to be involved in their children's education. She always treated the attendees with respect and kindness, even when language was a barrier. Mrs. Fetzer also volunteers her summers to teach Little Cats and the summer program at Roan School. Mrs. Fetzer goes above and beyond to help her students and is always happy to lend a helping hand. Mrs. Fetzer, thank you for being the Dalton Difference."
- Ana Goodlett "Amanda Weeks is a Reading Recovery, EIP and ESOL teacher at Blue Ridge School that exemplifies the Dalton Difference. She constantly seeks out new learning through professional articles, colleagues and DPS experts within the field of literacy and language in order to have a deeper knowledge and understanding that will promote her students' learning. Amanda is one of those people who can easily understand and analyze data that has been collected by the school/district, the Reading Recovery program and herself. After analyzing the data, she helps others to have a better understanding of what it all means, often creating spreadsheets to make it easy to understand. It is not uncommon to hear about some research, article or data analysis
that she has been exploring at home. She excitedly shares her learning and experience with others. Amanda works closely with classroom teachers and other support teachers to ensure that they are working cohesively to improve students' learning. She holds high expectations for her students and prepares her lessons for learning opportunities that require students to problem solve within their ability. Her students greet her with hugs and smiles because they know she cares and she helps them to be successful. That is the most important gift that one can give to children who are striving to learn a new language while acquiring grade level content."
- Sherry Brannen |