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| Cartoon Clip courtesy of "The Social Poets" www.thesocialpoets.blogspot.com funny-back-to-school-quotes |
School supplies are lining the shelves of stores, teachers are preparing their rooms, vacation is almost over, and the new school year is about to begin.
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| Wanda Tharpe |
I was interested in finding out more about Mrs. Tharpe, who she is as a person and not just hearsay from others in our community. I met with Mrs. Tharpe and instantly I knew I liked her. She has a very friendly demeanor about her, and as I talked with her I was very intrigued by the answers she gave to my questions.
I stated that Dacusville is a very faith based community and I asked her what are her beliefs? Mrs. Tharpe is a christian, she got saved during Vacation Bible School in elementary school. She strongly believes in Vacation Bible School because she knows that children come to know Christ through this venue. Mrs. Tharpe attends Brushy Creek Baptist Church and has been a member there for 18 years. She teaches Sunday School for first and fifth graders, and is a nursery worker.
I asked Mrs. Tharpe how did she feel about working with the people from Dacusville? She said she is very excited, she has heard nothing but positive things. She knows Dacusville to be a close knit, caring community, and that the people of Dacusville take pride in their community. Just recently we have experienced some difficult things and she saw the outpouring of love and concern our community had for one another. Mrs. Tharpe has had some connections to our community through family and church members. She said she feels fortunate to become a member of our community. She also said that it's nice to drive to work everyday because Dacusville is such a beautiful area, that it revives her spirit; I agree.
I asked Mrs. Tharpe what type of leadership style does she use, and she said she likes to lead by example, she believes in role models. She wants to present a positive way to the students and teachers at DMS. She values input from the students, teachers, and parents, she knows that 2 minds are better than one. She knows that all decisions are not going to always be popular, however all decisions will be made based on the safety and what is best for the students. When stresses come Mrs. Tharpe said a "good sense of humor" helps because laughing is better than crying.
Mrs. Tharpe has 10 years before retirement and she hopes to finish out at Dacusville. I asked her what do you want people to say about you after your time at Dacusville is over? She wants them to say that she was a caring leader, she always put students first, she took time to listen, and that she gave back to the community.
Dacusville Welcomes You Mrs. Tharpe!
Eleven years ago, Dacusville Elementary School was in need of someone to fill the position of principal. Dr. Michael W. Fleming was hired for the position.
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| Dr. Michael W. Fleming |
What people have said about Dr. Fleming....
"There is no way that I can tell you what you mean to me and my family. You are one of a kind! The kids of the school are your heart, it shows..." -Cindy Moody
"I just want to say thank you! We started DES at the same time 9 years ago. And over those nine years, I have learned one thing and the most important is that you care about your kids. It's not about the numbers with you, and me being a parent of two can't tell you enough how much that means. I have seen how you are with kids and how much they love you. I will never forget walking into your office one day and you had a kid in there whom if it was up to me would have got a spanking. But no, you sat there talking to them with the patience of Job. Last night while I was talking to others at the Back to School Bash we all agreed your main concern is for our kids, which you call yours. So Thank You for all you do each and everyday!!!"- Deitra Page
"Every time I ride by "your" new school I miss you all so much! DES is absolutely the most wonderful place and it provides the best learning environment a child could experience, and yes, the buck does stop with you! You make it all happen by always positively uplifting your staff, your children, and their families! I was blessed to work with you for the best and last years of my 35. Good luck with this year's start. I am sure it will be the best one ever!" -Mary Martha Claiborne
"Dr. Fleming is a wonderful principal and he was great to work for during my years at DES." -Melanie Davis
Dr. Fleming is a graduate of Hart County High in Hartwell Georgia. He has an Associates of Fine Arts from Anderson University in music education, a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Wesleyan University in music education, a Masters of Education from Clemson University in Elementary Education, and a Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University in Educational Leadership.
Dr. Fleming taught for sixteen years before becoming Assistant Principal at Crosswell for four years. In addition to serving as principal of DES, Dr. Fleming currently serves as pianist/organist at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Sandy Springs, SC. He also teaches a graduate level course for Southern Wesleyan University and online for the University of Phoenix. Dr. Fleming is a trainer for the district for mentor teachers and for teacher evaluators.
This past year has been a very difficult one for our community, just recently we lost two children in a house fire and the two Simpson children by the hand of their mother.
Dr. Fleming posted this on his facebook page....
"Please pray for our Dacusville community tonight as we have lost another student and his brother. One was a first grader at DES last year and always had a way of making us laugh. He will be truly missed. The little brother was to begin K4 this fall. Pray also for the boys' mom and two year old sibling who survived and were taken to the burn center in Augusta. As He did back in May and does every day, God will sustain us and bring us through. Ours is not to question why but to fully trust in His plan. Though our hearts are broken and our spirits shaken, we are strong in our faith in God and knows that we are in His hands."
Dacusville Community, please don't take for granted the leadership that God has placed over our children. We are a "very blessed" community to have such godly, caring people in leadership. Show them how much you appreciate them, pray for them and the staff.
A Note From Dr. Fleming.....
We are very excited about the upcoming year at Dacusville Elementary. Our theme for the year is "Making a Splash at DES!" We will continue to embrace the Lifelong Guidelines and Life Skills at DES along with the other nine body-brain compatible elements of learning as we encourage students to do their personal best each day to "make a splash"!
There are a lot of new faces at DES and they are excitedly awaiting the opportunity to meet the greatest kids (and parents) in the world! Parents should be receiving letters in the mail soon about the opening of school (if they haven't already). Meet the Teacher will be from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15th. See the district web page for specific registration information.
The first day of school for K 5-Grade 5 students is August 20th. The annual Back to School Bash will be held on Friday, August 23rd from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
This year the PTO will be reinvented and will be called the Dolphin Support Organization (DSO). I encourage all parents and stakeholders to join the DSO and become an active member. We are looking forward to another great year as we provide quality educational experiences that will help our students achieve success.
Please do not hesitate to call the office at 864-397-2800 with any questions or concerns.
On a more personal note, we are deeply grateful for the prayers and support of our community through the difficult times we have had, we appreciate your continued prayers and support in the coming year.
Enjoy these last few days of summer!
Blessings!
M. Fleming
It sounds like the children will have a great Leader this year. Great day, I miss Dacusville.
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