Official newsletter of Durham School of the Arts

Wed Jan 21: Dine out at Alpaca (9th Str.)

Sat Jan 24: Senior Workshop - CANCELLED 

Thurs June 11: Class of 2026 Graduation

Please view the 2025-26 Calendar for future teacher workdays, holidays, and other important dates.

To reach the main office: Please email dist.frontoffice.323-DSA@dpsnc.net Your message will reach most of the front office staff.

Please send ALL attendance matters to: attendance@DSALMC.net

2026 Teach-in-China Program Information Session sponsored by nonprofits Sister Cities of Durham and 1000 Miles

Time: Jan 21, 2026 07:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/95306622404?pwd=vDUe8XDNeNHY4zrbm5JulgK19iMTJM.1

Meeting ID: 953 0662 2404

Passcode: 790868

Agenda

7:00 pm - 8:20 pm

1.    Nancy Cox, President of Sister Cities of Durham, kicks off (3 minutes)

2.    Lusia Li, Sister Cities of Durham, Zhuzhou Committee Co-chair, introduces how the program begins (2 minutes)

3.    Kun Yang, Program Director at Thousand Miles Initiative, introduces the program agenda (35 minutes)

4.    Jake Xu, Michael Xu, Nathan Yuan, participates of 2025 Teach-in-China Program, share their experinces (15 minutes)

5.    Q & A (15 minutes)

Hello DSA Families,

The production of the 2025-2026 DSA Yearbook is in full swing, and we want to offer a few reminders about ordering opportunities and deadlines. 

Yearbooks are on sale for $50 until January 30th.

After that, the cost will go to $60 Families will be able to order until April 15th.

Senior families, if you are still interested in ordering a Senior Ad, you've got until March 27th order your ad.. Attached to the email accompanying this message are the links you'll need to place your orders. For questions, please reach out to Alphonso_Donaldson@dpsnc.net

The yearbook will be out in May. We are so excited to share it with you!

Yearbook Pre-Order Link

Senior Ad Flyer

Senior Ad Ordering Link

Dear Durham School of the Arts Parents,

My name is Rebecca White, and I am the Career Development Coordinator for Durham School of the Arts. I’m reaching out to invite your organization to participate in our fourth annual Arts Career Fair on February 4, 2026. This event brings together professionals from a wide range of creative fields to help students understand how their passions and artistic skills can translate into meaningful careers.

Why we are contacting you:
Our goal is for students to see the real-world opportunities that exist across all sectors. Because of that, we ask that organizations send a representative who works directly in a creative, design, or arts-related role, rather than someone from sales or general outreach.

What participation looks like:
You will host a booth where you can share information about your company, your creative team, and the types of art-related roles your organization employs. Students may also request portfolio feedback or ask questions about skills, pathways, and career preparation. Your presence will help them understand the wide variety of ways their artistic abilities—and the technical skills they are learning now—can support a future career.

We welcome industry professionals, colleges, independent artists, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, as long as they can demonstrate how their work connects to one of our arts pathways.

If you are interested in attending, please complete this brief form
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to help.

Event Details

Event: Arts Career Symposium
Date: February 4, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Set-Up: 8:30–9:00 AM
Take-Down: 12:30–1:00 PM
Location: Durham School of the Arts
400 N. Duke St., Durham, NC 27701

Worried about how you will pay for college, or interested in different ways to gain financial aid for college? Come to Financial Literacy clubs next meeting on Wednesday January 14th, we will discuss the various ways college can be paid for, from scholarships to government grants. We meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:15 in Mrs. Del Dotto's room T204, see you there!

DSA chorus presents the High School Black and White ball, February 14th at 7pm. Tickets are on sale starting on February 2nd through the 12th during A & B lunch. Tickets are $25 for students and $30 for guests from other high schools. Can't wait to see you there!

Learn about upcoming games, tryouts, and more at the official DSA Athletics website https://dsaathleticzone.com/. You can show your team spirit and get your team swag at the New DSA Athletic Store.   https://www.dpsathleticzone.com/durham-school-of-arts/

• Save money by buying your High School All Sports Season Pass today for just $60 on GoFan. This pass gets you unlimited access to all high school athletic regular season home contests for the year. Come out and support your fellow Bulldogs!

Families Asked for Feedback on Student Devices

DPS is inviting our families to participate in a brief survey about student device use and home technology access.

The survey focuses on how students use school Chromebooks, access to technology at home, and their overall experiences with technology. Your feedback will play an important role in guiding the district moving forward.

Please share your perspective at the following link: https://tejoin.com/scroll/189501377

The survey closes on Jan. 30. 

I am thrilled to share that applications are now open for Girls Who Code’s Pathways summer program! 

Pathways is a free, virtual program that empowers high school girls and non-binary students of all experience levels — including rising 9th graders, graduating seniors, and returning participants — to explore AI, Game Design, Cybersecurity, and more, while learning how to build tech for good. The program is entirely flexible in how participants choose to learn and requires no prior coding experience. Students complete courses at their own pace over seven weeks, from June 29 to August 14.

Beyond coding, students gain real-world insights through Partner Events with leading tech organizations, connect with peers through Girls Who Code’s private Discord community, and join optional Student Hours for live support. Participants earn a certificate for each completed course and join Girls Who Code’s lifelong alumni network, gaining access to mentorship, internships, and career opportunities in tech.

Students can apply by February 25th for priority consideration. The application closes on April 10th.

Could you pass along our flyer and share this email with your team so interested students can apply? We would love to meet them this summer! 

Best,
Ashley

Ashley Woodard
Regional Outreach Coordinator
Ashley.Woodard@girlswhocode.com

Sign up for updates on Summer Programs 2025!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

I am happily reaching out on behalf of Sister Cities of Durham and Thousand Miles Initiative to share an exciting opportunity for your students: the 2026 Teach-in-China Program.

Each year, we are amazed by the teens who volunteer with Sister Cities. In fact, a current DSA Senior, Cora Williamson participated in our International Youth Leadership Summit held last June in Washington, DC; Cora continues her involvement with SCD and would be happy to speak to you about the Leadership summit.  The deadline for the Summit is February 1st. (Info attached)

Our young people’s commitment to service, cultural exchange, and global learning is inspiring, and I know your school values these same qualities. Last summer, we had a student team engage in an unforgettable experience teaching English and building friendships at Zhuzhou No. 2 High School in Hunan Province, China. Please take a few minutes to go over their Journeys of Growth: 2025 Teach-in-China Program Overview. We are thrilled to offer this opportunity again.

This year’s program will take place June 15–26, 2026, and we hope to recruit 10–12 outstanding high school students who are eager to learn, lead, and explore.  We are starting our outreach specifically to DSA with the goal of filling half of the open slots from your school.  

Program Overview

Students will travel to Zhuzhou, Durham’s sister city in China, to:

• Teach English to local students

• Share American culture

• Participate in cultural experiences and school life

• Build meaningful cross-cultural friendships

It’s more than a trip — it’s a life-shaping leadership and learning experience.

Training

Participants will attend 3–4 required training sessions before leaving, which include teaching practice, cultural preparation, logistics, and team coordination.

Logistics & Estimated Cost

• Lodging: school dorms

• Estimated total: $3,000, covering flights, passport/visa fees, in-country lodging, meals, transportation, sightseeing, and chaperone costs.  We do plan to fundraise with the students selected.

Timeline

Form Team: Dec. 2025 – Feb. 2026

Training: 3–4 sessions, March – May 2026

We would be grateful if you could help share this opportunity with students who may be interested.

raph block.

Senior Workshop - January 24 - CANCELLED 

Unfortunately, our Senior Workshop scheduled for Saturday, January 24th has been cancelled due to the possibility of extreme weather.  If you need any support or assistance with the college application or financial aid process, please reach out to Ms. Schepp (marykatherine_schep@dpsnc.net). 

If your student has not completed the FAFSA yet, it is VERY important that they do! Not only because it gives access to $$$$$ for school BUT because there may be a fun surprise in store for those who complete it (HINT HINT HINT)! 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important step in knowing your options for paying for college. There’s no obligation to accept any aid offered, and it allows you to be considered for federal, state and college-based funding – including scholarships and grants that don’t need to be repaid.

4 out of 5 college students receive some combination of federal, state, and college-based aid to go to college. The FAFSA is the most important step to accessing these funds.

What is the FAFSA?
The FAFSA is the form students need to fill out in order to be considered for federal financial aid each year to help make paying for college more manageable.

Find more information and help on these websites: 

https://www.cfnc.org/pay-for-college/fafsa-101/

https://sites.google.com/dpsnc.net/dsastudentservices/12th-grade/fafsa?authuser=0

Need help with any and all things college??? Come to our Senior Workshop on January 24th! Topics include Residency Determination Service (RDS), FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), scholarships, college applications, essay writing and more! 

If you plan to attend, RSVP here: https://forms.gle/WNQXcSTM2KhokfSTA

If you have questions or need support in this process, please reach out to Ms. Schepp (marykatherine_schep@dpsnc.net). 

Note in the Pocket is a non-profit based in Durham and Raleigh. They have provided high-quality wardrobes to children and their families in need in the area for over 10 years. Note in the Pocket offers a relaxed, air-conditioned environment year-round for volunteers. There are several ways for students to get involved for those who need service hours or who are looking to give back. Students can come in for a volunteer shift where they will assist in sorting through donations, fold and label wardrobe items, or many other tasks around the facility. Students need to be age 16 and up to volunteer without a chaperone. Students can also run clothing drives to generate donations for Note in the Pocket.

If students are passionate about Note in the Pocket’s mission and want to commit more time to participating, they can apply for Teen Board. In this program, students will work with Note in the Pocket’s leadership on various projects to gain hands-on leadership development experience, guided by mentors that provide insight into the functions and demands of running a nonprofit organization.

Volunteer shifts run from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturdays. Clothing drives can be done on students' own time. Teen Board accepts applications each summer for a year-round program. 

For volunteering, sign up for a shift here, or contact Stephanie Schaben at Stephanie@noteinthepocket.org. For clothing drives, contact Karol Turner at karol@noteinthepocket.org, and for the Teen Board, contact Kristina Isaac at kristina@noteinthepocket.org.

Please take a few minutes to share your feedback about the PTSA. You can take the survey in English at https://forms.gle/jHLwGKoHDsg5UZ8n7 or in Spanish at https://forms.gle/Harviu9nEZpAnFtX8

Learn more at the Durham School of the Arts PTSA website: https://dsaptsa.givebacks.com/

Please join us at an upcoming PTSA general body meeting:

• Jan. 22

• March 19

All are welcome! Stay tuned for zoom links for virtual attendance. The September and March meetings will also be held in person.

Welcome back to school! It's time to join or re-join the PTSA for the 2025-26 school year. Please visit our giveback page for memberships bit.ly/joindsaptsa. We would love your support.

Our 2025-26 board members are:

President: Stephanie Hawver
Vice President 1: Brittney McGraw
Vice President 2: Ashanti Smith-Watson
Treasurer: Maryann Ruiz-Heard
Secretary: Dr. Danielle Sutton

We look forward to continuing to support DSA this year!

Rather than host multiple fundraisers throughout the year, we do one annual campaign. This year, our campaign goal is to raise $20,000. If each family made a gift of $25, we could easily exceed our goal! (You, of course, can give more.)

NO amount is too small, as anything we raise directly benefits the students of DSA. Please consider making a donation to help to ensure that current and future students have a great experience at DSA. There are two ways to make your tax-deductible donation:

• Make a donation online at: https://www.givebacks.com/donate/dsaptsa

• Send a check payable to DSA PTSA and mail it to the school:

400 N. Duke St.
Durham, NC 27701

Any DSA student who is requesting an N.C. Driving Eligibility Certificate must pass 5 of their 7 classes and submit their Drivers Ed certificate to the main office before school, during lunch or after school before 4 p.m. Once the office receives the Drivers Ed certificate, the student will receive the N.C. Eligibility form within 48 hours. Please note that the certificate is only valid for 30 days. Please ensure that you have scheduled your appointment with the DMV.