DURHAM

💰 Scholars securing the dollars! 💰 Big congrats to Sa’adatu Suleiman of JD Clement Early College High School — awarded the Presidential Scholars Award from Eastern Connecticut State University, totaling $40,000! Your hard work is paying off — literally. 🎓💸 #WeAreDPS #DPSProud

💥 8 Years Strong! 💥 Burton Elementary has once again been named a Capturing Kids’ Hearts® National Showcase School — for the eighth consecutive year! 🏆✨ This incredible streak recognizes Burton’s unwavering commitment to building a school culture where students feel safe, connected, and supported — every single day. By consistently using Capturing Kids’ Hearts® strategies, our educators have created a space where relationships come first and students thrive both emotionally and academically. From warm greetings at the door to fostering mutual respect through social contracts, it’s all about making sure every student feels seen, heard, and valued. 👏 Congratulations to our Burton teachers, staff, families, and students. You continue to lead the way in building strong connections and brighter futures. #BurtonPride #8YearsStrong #CapturingKidsHearts

🎉 Big News from Eastway Elementary! 🎉 We're proud to announce that Eastway Elementary has been named a 2024-2025 Capturing Kids’ Hearts® National Showcase School! 🌟 This prestigious honor celebrates schools that go above and beyond to create a safe, connected, and supportive environment where students thrive — emotionally and academically. Principal Dr. Jackaline Teel said it best: "This honor reflects the unwavering commitment of our teachers, staff, students, and families to creating a school culture where every child feels seen, valued, and supported." 👏 Congratulations to our incredible Eastway community! #CapturingKidsHearts #EastwayExcellence #WeAreDPS #DPSProud

🚨 Big News from Lakewood Elementary! 🚨 Lakewood has officially been named a 2024-2025 Capturing Kids’ Hearts® National Showcase School! 🎉🏆 This honor puts Lakewood among a select group of schools nationwide recognized for building a campus culture where students feel safe, connected, and truly cared for. Principal Jeri Jackson shared: "Before students can succeed academically, they must first feel emotionally safe and supported. Being named a Showcase School validates our belief that strong relationships are the foundation of effective teaching and learning." With strategies like greeting students at the door, creating social contracts, and nurturing trust and respect, Lakewood is showing what it means to lead in social-emotional learning and student engagement. 💙 Huge thanks to our teachers, staff, families, and students who make this community so special. We're proud to be part of a movement that proves: when you capture a child’s heart, you capture their mind. #LakewoodLeads #CapturingKidsHearts #DPSProud

🚀 Riverside High Named a Project Lead The Way Distinguished High School — Again! 🔧💻 For the 8th year in a row, Riverside High School has earned the Project Lead The Way Distinguished High School title — one of just 8 schools in North Carolina to receive it this year. Even more impressive: ✅ Only school in the state offering both Engineering and Computer Science through PLTW ✅ One of just three schools in NC to win eight years straight Huge shoutout to the powerhouse team behind it all: Adam Tokonitz, Jackie Brown, Mike Dibble, Ryan Patridge, Seth Stallings, and William Oakley — your commitment to delivering top-tier STEM education in a large public high school is what makes this recognition possible. PLTW programs build real-world skills, spark innovation, and prepare students for whatever comes next. Riverside is proof of what’s possible when educators lead with purpose. #STEMeducation #PLTW #RiversideHigh #DPSProud #WeAreDPS

🎉 Big News: Atticus Kenney Named Levine Scholar! 🎓 Riverside High School senior Atticus Kenney has been selected as one of just 20 students nationwide for the prestigious Levine Scholars Program at UNC Charlotte! This elite honor—UNC Charlotte’s most competitive scholarship—recognizes academic excellence, leadership, and community impact. Atticus stood out among nearly 3,000 nominees from across the country to earn a spot in the Class of 2029. The scholarship, worth up to $187,000, covers full tuition, housing, meals, summer experiences, and more—plus funding for civic and professional development. 👏 Join us in congratulating Atticus on this incredible achievement and future as a Levine Scholar! #LevineScholars #UNCCharlotte #AtticusKenney #RiversideHigh #ScholarshipSuccess #FutureLeader #ClassOf2029

📣 On National Teacher Day, we’re proud to celebrate three incredible educators from Durham Public Schools named to the 2025–26 Kenan Fellows Program cohort! 👏 Congratulations to: 🔹 Alexis Moore – Ignite! Online Academy 🔹 Myriama Smith Traore – C.E. Jordan High School 🔹 Nelly Coba Basile – Sherwood Githens Middle School They are among just 30 teachers statewide selected through a rigorous process for this prestigious, yearlong fellowship—designed to connect educators with industry and strengthen teaching through real-world experience. Through immersive summer externships and capstone projects, Fellows explore career pathways, workplace skills, and industry challenges—all to bring powerful learning back to their students. They also receive leadership training, professional development, and a $5,000 stipend to support their work. This is a major honor and a big win for our schools, our students, and our community. 🌟 Read more: https://kenanfellows.org/2025/05/06/national-teacher-day/ #KenanFellows #NationalTeacherDay #DPSProud #WeAreDPS

🌟 Congratulations to Erica McRae – MTSS Facilitator of the Year! 🌟 We’re proud to celebrate Ms. Erica McRae, MTSS Facilitator at Little River Elementary, for being named MTSS Facilitator of the Year! 🎉 Ms. McRae earned this honor for her outstanding leadership in implementing a strong, responsive Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) that supports students’ academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and attendance needs. She’s also led the charge in integrating MTSS within the school’s Montessori model—a true testament to her skill and dedication. Dr. Cory Hogans, Principal of Little River, says it best: “She’s an effective communicator and leader who keeps our MTSS team focused and responsive.” Way to go, Ms. McRae! 👏 #MTSSFacilitatorOfTheYear #DPSProud #MTSS #WeAreDPS

📣 Big congrats to the Jordan High School FFA Envirothon Team for placing 2nd in the state among FFA teams at the State Envirothon held at Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC! 🌿🌎 Shoutout to these environmental champs: 🌲 Lila Christie – Forestry 🦌 Corinne Paul – Wildlife 💧 Alexandra Viray – Aquatics 🌱 Adriel Hernandez-Rivas – Soils 🌍 McKenzie “Zie” Hatley – Current Environmental Issues Way to represent Jordan High with knowledge and passion! 💪💚 #Envirothon #FFA #DPSProud #WeAreDPS

🚀🌱 Big congrats to Hillside High School students Hajira Syed and Dallas Mejia! 🌟 They’ve earned Honorable Mention in the 2025 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision STEM Project for their innovative work on AstroGel — a smart hydrogel designed to help plants grow in space. As we look to the future of space exploration, their project highlights the importance of sustainable farming beyond Earth. 🛰️🌿 We’re proud of their creativity, passion, and commitment to solving real-world challenges! 📸 Check out the full list of honorees: https://www.exploravision.org/exploravision-2025-honorable-mentions/ #WeAreDPS #DPSProud #STEM #ExploraVision

🎉 Fantastic news from Jordan High! We’re thrilled to share that Devak Coltrane, a senior at Jordan High School, has been awarded the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship—the only recipient from Durham Public Schools this year! This incredible achievement reflects Devak’s hard work, leadership, and dedication. We couldn’t be prouder! 👏💙 🔗 Learn more about the Morehead-Cain Class of 2029: https://www.moreheadcain.org/blog/introducing-the-morehead-cain-class-of-2029/ #DPSProud #JordanHigh #MoreheadCainScholar #WeAreDPS

🎉 It’s Teacher Appreciation Week at Durham Public Schools! 🍎💙 This week, we honor the dedicated educators who shape minds, build confidence, and create a lasting impact in our schools and communities. Throughout the week, we’ll be highlighting our school-level Teachers of the Year—outstanding individuals who go above and beyond for their students every day. Stay tuned right here as we celebrate their passion, commitment, and the powerful role they play in every child's future. #ThankATeacher #DPSProud #TeacherAppreciationWeek #WeAreDPS

A day to remember at Lakewood Elementary! 🏫✨ We were proud to welcome Dr. Karrie G. Dixon, Chancellor of North Carolina Central University, for a powerful “Conversation with Dr. Dixon.” Her inspiring remarks, the Lakewood Choir’s performance, and special appearances by the NCCU Champagne Cheerleaders and Eddie the Eagle made it an unforgettable celebration of community and education. 🦅🎶 To honor her leadership and commitment to students, Dr. Dixon was awarded a key to Lakewood Elementary School — a symbol of our gratitude and partnership. 🔑❤️ Thank you to everyone who made today so special. #NCCU #LakewoodProud #WeAreDPS #CommunityStrong

✨ This morning, community leaders and supporters joined Crayons2Calculators and the DPS Foundation for a special Open House—and the energy was incredible! Guests enjoyed breakfast, connected with fellow partners in education, and toured the C2C Warehouse and Teacher Store. One of the highlights? Getting hands-on by fulfilling real school supply orders—experiencing firsthand how their support directly equips Durham Public Schools educators. When we come together, we make a real impact. Thank you to everyone who showed up and continues to invest in our students and schools. 💛📚 #DPSProud #Crayons2Calculators #DPSFoundation #SupportOurTeachers #CommunityInAction #DurhamSchools

🎭💃 Northern High dance students had an unforgettable experience on April 9 with a masterclass led by Reynel Reynaldo, a performer with the national touring company of Book of Mormon! Reynaldo brought energy, insight, and inspiration—focusing on stage presence, self-confidence, and inner strength. He also shared highlights from his incredible dance career, which includes performances with FloRida, Queen Latifah, Daddy Yankee, and tours of "On Your Feet!", "Mary Poppins", "Shrek", and more. Thank you, Reynel, for pouring into our students and showing them what's possible through passion and perseverance! 👏🔥 #DPSArts #DPSProud #WeAreDPS #ArtsInSchools

Today, Durham Public Schools joined in celebrating "Purple Up Day"—a special recognition of our military-connected students and their families—led by the dedicated team at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. Purple Up Day is part of the nationwide Month of the Military Child, honoring the strength, resilience, and unique experiences of students in military families. The color purple represents all branches of the military, symbolizing unity and support. Thank you to the Southern team for spearheading this important celebration and helping us show appreciation for our military-connected students across DPS. #PurpleUp #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild #WeAreDPS #SouthernStrong

Congratulations to City of Medicine Academy student Lizbeth Luna-Lopez! Lizbeth is one of eight finalists for the 2025 North Carolina International Science Challenge and will present her research at the University of Nagoya in Japan this June. She completed her project, “Adapting Green Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis Procedures Using HBTU as the Coupling Reagent,” through the NC American Chemical Society (ACS) Project SEED program at NC State University. We’re proud to celebrate Lizbeth and all NC ACS Project SEED scholars! #WeAreDPS #STEMExcellence #NCISC2025

📚 April is School Library Month! All month long, we’ll be spotlighting many of our amazing media coordinators across our district who help bring learning to life, spark curiosity, and keep our libraries vibrant and welcoming spaces. Stay tuned as we celebrate their dedication and the vital role they play in our schools! 💙 #WeAreDPS #SchoolLibraryMonth #ThankALibrarian

Today was Bring Your Legislators to School Day, and Easley Elementary was proud to welcome some special guests! 🦅 Senator Sophia Chitlik and Representatives Marcia Morey, Vernetta Alston, and Ray Jeffers spent the morning connecting with students and teachers, listening to their experiences and concerns, and visiting our Kindergarten literacy classes and STEAM Labs. Thank you for your continued support of Durham Public Schools and for taking the time to see learning in action! 💙 #WeAreDPS #PublicSchoolsMatter #EasleyEagles

📸 In Case You Missed It! State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green brought his “Mo Wants to Know” tour to Durham on April 7! He visited our DPS Hub Farm, toured the culinary arts facilities at Northern High, and connected with students, staff, and community members. From meaningful conversations to tasting student-prepared food, it was a day full of learning, listening, and celebration. Thank you, Superintendent Green, for taking the time to engage with our DPS community and the North Central Region! 💙 #WeAreDPS #MoWantsToKnow #NCed