Welcome back DMS Falcons! As your new principal I am excited, honored, and eager to meet you. A new year presents opportunities for various beginnings- new classes, new faces, new courses, and often new materials. Summer and vacation can be great healers; and as we approach the opening day of a new school year, the end of the year pressures that plagued us in May seem quite remote and inconsequential. 

Newness alone, however, cannot produce transformation. We ourselves must be willing to be caught up in the rebirth that is possible with each new school year. Starting a new year gives us the opportunity to make new plans, design new strategies, and implement new ideas. There is a special kind of joy and satisfaction in planning lessons and activities for a new class; for although the subject or grade level is the same, the students are new, and they appreciate the planning that is done for them. Whether one's responsibility is administrating, supervising, teaching, preparing lunches, maintaining a building, or managing an office, there is always room for improvement and for new ways to do a good job even better. 

We can be proud of what we achieve in Darlington County School District- in our classrooms, in our offices, and our playing fields and stages- but our achievements are not due to complacency and satisfaction with the status quo. Our program is what it is because a staff of dedicated, aspiring men and women have a common goal. 

As we draw close to the end of the summer break, I am extremely excited and look forward to seeing each of you on Monday, July 24th, 2023. However, if you are eager and ready to get your rooms done, the school will be open on July 17th, 2023. Enjoy the rest of your summer and return ready to meet the challenges of setting and implementing clear and high standards for all our children. I attached the 2023-24 room assignments and the DMS Professional Development Agenda for the week of July 24th, 2023. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

As for this school year, our pillars for the district will remain CUTW (Community/Understanding Students/Technology/Weather the Storm). Our DMS goals for this school year will be: 

Goals for the Year: 

• Create a culture where learning is the top priority.
• Create a culture of teamwork and learning 
• Create learning opportunities for all students.
• Build a safe haven for our students and staff. 
• Build school-initiated family and community partnerships
• Build a culture of preparedness and forward thinking 

In conclusion, our theme for this year is "Striving for GREATNESS, with the RIGHT attitude!" Building a culture where students have a mind-set of excellence that leads to greatness. This is predicated on all stakeholders believing in excellence, speaking excellence, and performing excellence that leads to greatness throughout the building and beyond. Our tasks and goals are established, so let's make this 2023-2024 school year one of the best years ever!

Victoria Williams-Cooper

Principal