Douglas Elementary

Brace Yourself….. Maycember is among us!

No matter how much you prepare, plan ahead, or spread it out, the last few weeks of school are an exciting whirlwind of activity! To make May a little easier for everyone, your PTA has rearranged a few events, with the most notable being our joyful celebration of Teacher Appreciation in February. This way, we can embrace May with renewed spirits and plenty of energy! Together, we’ve achieved so much—we’ve successfully completed our two fundraisers, and it has been a joy to watch our kids spell, dance, and sing their hearts out throughout another wonderful school year! Just last week, the Spring Musical concluded, and if you weren’t able to attend, let me tell you, the atmosphere was filled with warmth and emotions. We’ve accomplished remarkable things, and with only two events left, there’s so much more to look forward to! We’ve got this!

FIELD DAY

How Coach Hager prepares for class

We grew up with these and they were epic!!! A full day outside playing games and eating popsicles under the warm sun. From tug-of-war to three-legged races, every game was an adventure that brought laughter and camaraderie. If this doesn’t epitomize the excitement of elementary school and the sweet memories that come with it, I don’t know what does! The thrill of waiting in line for our favorite flavors of popsicles, the feel of grass beneath our feet, and the sound of cheers ringing in the air made each moment unforgettable. In August, Coach Hager was planning and getting the ball in motion for this highly anticipated day! Coach Hager worked closely with the Field Day Committee chairs, Will and Amy Yarborough, who poured their hearts into every detail. Together, they have meticulously crafted a field day unlike any Douglas has ever experienced, promising new games, thrilling competitions, and bonding opportunities that would create memories to last a lifetime! There are a few slots left to fill, lets show them our support by signing up for a slot! All help is welcomed and very much appreciated. Click HERE to volunteer today!

Douglas Family Dance and Block Party

We are excited to take the party outdoors! The Douglas Dance and Block Party promises to be a fantastic family event. Pack a picnic dinner or join our Jersey Mike’s spirit night, and get ready for an evening brimming with music, crafts, and joyful moments! Enjoy our photo booth, grab a refreshing Sunset Slush to purchase, and look forward to delightful surprises throughout the night! We would love to have your helping hands as we make our final school-wide event an unforgettable success! Sign up HERE to volunteer today!

Campus Clean-Up, Keeping our campus so fresh and so clean!

Many hands make light work, and boy isn’t that the truth this year! I know a lot of you have noticed that the Grounds and Garden committee chairs: Erin Taylor and Casey Young, have worked tirelessly year-round to ensure our campus is in the finest form. We are incredibly appreciative of them as they have done an outstanding job! They have reached out only two other times this year asking for more helping hands and they are hoping for one last push during the school year to beautify our grounds for the block party and the Fifth Grade Celebration. Let’s show them our appreciation by signing up for a slot to aid them in their ongoing quest! Please know, if you are on or near the campus during the weekend or after school, picking up trash is always appreciated. Pulling a weed or two is also encouraged. Please consider signing up HERE

Gifting Made Easy- Gift Crowd

You asked and we delivered! We are bringing back GiftCrowd for convenient and easy gift giving. This ensures your beloved staff member gets exactly what they want and need! There are over 450 top brands to choose from as well as select charities. Click HERE to start the Gift Giving Process today!

It’s a Wrap 2023-2024

As we’ve now wrapped up the 2023-24 school year, the Douglas PTA Board would like to thank you for the generous support of your time, energy, and funding during the past year. With your support, the PTA was able to provide for Douglas students and teachers in a variety of ways, including:

Supporting our teachers and staff throughout the year with catered meals on Douglas family nights, Teacher Appreciation Week, holidays, as well as a monthly snack cart
Upgrading the school’s communication system with 18 new digital Walkie Talkies to be better fitted for emergency situations, in addition to being utilized during carpool
Hosting the first School-wide dance post pandemic
Purchasing nine 100% non-toxic, child-accessible, and extremely durable modular beds for the new Douglas community garden
Ordering over $14,000 of Scholastic books for the media center through your support of the Book Fair
Purchasing 24 new scooters and Omnikin balls for the Physical Education Specialist
Funding $5,000 for four Cultural Arts performances including artist Michael Beadle, artist and workshop with Virginia Maier, performances of The Magic of African Rhythm and Didgeridoo Down Under
Planning Spirit Nights throughout the year at local restaurants and businesses
Supporting Fall Family Night and Arts & Science Night
Providing a hot dog dinner to all families that attended Arts & Science Night
Providing $4,000 in teacher reimbursements throughout the year for needed classroom supplies and materials
Covering the cost for another year where our students can participate in Odyssey of the Mind
Purchasing 24 durable steel outdoor portable combo desks for an outdoor learning classroom in our existing pavilion
Purchasing 2 new wheelchair accessible picnic tables with steel construction to protect against the elements
Ordering and installing a new portable bike rack that can hold up to 18 bikes
Purchasing 3 new 6 ft. park benches
Funding the annual Spring Musical “Imagine a Dragon”
Supporting Field Day with supplies, materials, and refreshments
Creating the Dragon Box, a needs based support system of gift cards utilized by school counselors and social workers for food, gas, clothing, etc.
Stocking the Teachers’ Lounges with coffees, teas, and creamers
Planning and funding the 5th Grade Reception, including pizza and t-shirts for all 5th grade students
Hosting three major fundraisers: DragonFire, RaiseCraze, and the Silent Auction
Ordering replacement drum caps for the outdoor musical playground
Purchasing new chalkboards for the Kindergarten playground
Planning and hosting the beloved Variety Show
And much more!

We are so thankful for everyone in our Douglas community and all that goes into supporting each and every student. We hope that you will join the PTA this year (no volunteering is necessary to be a member). If you’d like to volunteer with the PTA next year, complete this google form to get involved for the 2024-25 school year. Not sure which committee or events to pick? Check out our Committee Descriptions. With your continued support, the Douglas PTA stands ready to support teachers and staff as we are already planning for next year!

We Are Douglas: Get to Know Mrs. Sherrill

young man and woman standing together with a football field in the background — Amelia Sherrill (who you might know as Ms. Sheaffer, before she got married in October) is a kindergarten teacher at Douglas.

How long have you been at Douglas Elementary?

This is my sixth year, seventh if you count my student teaching! This is my fourth year in Kindergarten, and I’ve taught three years in 1st Grade.

What’s a typical day like?

I like to start our morning off by greeting the students at the door. We start our day with greeting each other on the carpet and sharing, and from there it is a busy, fun, packed day. I like to end our day with discussing what our favorite part of the day was.

What do you like best about your job?

I love seeing how much growth my kindergarteners have made in one year! It’s amazing how much they learn and change. I also work with some pretty amazing people and they make my job fun as much as the students do.

What’s most challenging?

Every day has its own different challenges, but having students, coworkers and a community that care helps overcome those challenges.

What is one fun fact about you that people might not know?

I’ve lived in four states! Florida, South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina (in that order).

If you’re a member of the Douglas Elementary School staff and would like to share your story as part of our “We Are Douglas” series, please email us!

Help Out at the Book Fair!

It’s almost Book Fair time!! We need a lot of volunteers to help make this event run smoothly. There are a wide variety of time slots and jobs — from helping students choose their books to running the cash register —and we promise it’ll be a lot of fun too!

Please sign up here if you’re able to lend a hand.

Thank you!!

Campus Clean-Up

Many hands make light work — and our awesome campus needs some work!

Please join your Douglas community on Nov. 1 and/or Nov. 2 for some TLC and a little bit of fun along the way.

This event is for students, parents, Douglas graduates, neighbors — all are welcome. The school will be unlocked, so we’ll have access to bathrooms and water fountains.

Thank you!

Help Stock Halloween Treat Bags for Douglas Staff

Happy (almost) Halloween!

To celebrate our staff — and thank them in advance for showing up on the most sugary of all holidays — please consider sending in some treat bag supplies for the Douglas Hospitality Committee to use.

Please send donations to the front office by Friday, Oct. 25.

Thank you!