A fresh new voice!

Dear Students and Parents:

Whether you are a newcomer or a returning student, parent or friend of the DeSoto County School District, we welcome you to the 2010-11 school year.

DeSoto County Schools (DCS) is the largest and fastest-growing school district in Mississippi. Our 3,600 teachers, counselors, administrators and employees work hard to meet tough academic goals, train educators on the best practices and provide special programs for students who need them.

This year we are opening two new primary schools—Lewisburg and DeSoto Central, one located in Olive Branch and the other located in Southaven. Construction on DeSoto Central Primary is running behind schedule and will open this fall.

We are also opening Lake Cormorant High School on the west side of the county, bringing our total to 40 schools. Extensive repairs and renovations have been completed on our existing schools to meet our growing enrollment and increase security measures at all schools.

No school system has more beautiful, state-of-the-art facilities than we have.  And while we are very excited about the new schools, our greatest source of pride is our students and the teachers who teach them.  As we look forward to greeting more than 32,000 students this school year, we anticipate this as being a banner year in DeSoto County School history. 

We are focusing on making the best in resources and training available to our staff to assist them in their teaching, and we are committed to knowing the needs of our students so we can take them from where they are in their learning and assist in moving them to where they need to be to graduate and become successful life-long learners and citizens.

Students learn when they feel safe.  I often remind our teachers and staff that safety is our number one priority.  We have a Crisis Management Plan to deal with pressing problems and preventative measures; academics is our second priority; and extra-curricular activities is third.

Keeping up with technology is a daunting task, but a key element of a 21st century classroom.  In the past four years, a concerted effort has been made by the district to add interactive white boards to creatively connect with students. 

Through grants, PTO efforts, and fund-raising efforts, DeSoto County Schools has 1,000 interactive white boards in use in the district.  We believe that creativity is the key to unlocking every child’s genius, and that media-rich learning is the key to greater creativity.

Additionally, we have gotten a grant to provide TeachUp Interns to increase the use of learning technology in classrooms.  These interns will work with teachers to provide technology-rich lessons for students.

All of our eight high schools are on block scheduling.  This decision was research-based.  The eight semester sequence allows more advanced students the opportunity to complete higher level courses and to earn college credits through dual enrollment and to offer remediation to students who are experiencing difficulties.

We want the best educational opportunities and the best facilities possible for the students of DeSoto County School District.  With our standards-based curriculum, common assessments to ensure consistency across our school district and intense professional development opportunities, I feel our teachers and students are poised and ready to face the challenges ahead.

One of the biggest factors in the overall success of our students and our district will always be our ability to work in partnership with our parents and the community.  We hope you feel welcome in our schools and that you will take advantage of opportunities to become involved, to learn more about your school district and to be a part of the many things that are taking place.

To learn more about the successes of last year that we hope to build on this year, the new schools that are opening this fall or to find key information about your school and your district, please visit our website at www.desotocountyschools.org.

Again, welcome and welcome back!

Sincerely,

Milton Kuykendall, Superintendent