Official newsletter of Durham School of the Arts
Save the Date
Wed, Oct 22: Benefit Night at Torero’s 4 to 9 p.m
Friday, Oct 24: Bookfair Ends
Saturday, Oct 25: Falls Arts Festival (6pm - 10pm)
Monday, Oct 27: Teacher Workday
Tuesday, Nov 4: Teacher Workday
Reminders
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
Bulldog Buzz
DSA Fall Book Fair
The DSA Fall Book Fair will be open through Friday, Oct. 24 from 8:05 am through 3:30 pm in the Library Media Center. Donated book fair books and gift certificates are a great way to thank your child's teachers and promote literacy. Thank you for supporting our library media center and enjoy our amazing book fair!
Benefit Night
We’re kicking off the festival season with a Benefit Night at Torero’s Mexican Restaurante this Wednesday, October 22nd, from 4 to 9 p.m. After attending the band concert, come enjoy great food, more live music, face painting, and a friendly game of Lotería—all while supporting the arts!
Unity Week
It’s Unity Week! We are coming together to celebrate kindness, acceptance, and inclusion—our whole school community of students, teachers, staff, and parents—so that we can make a school that’s happier and healthier, a school where you can be all that you want to be. Each of us can make our school a better place and we know we’ll see you reaching out to say hello to someone new, including a new friend in your conversations and many other positive actions from now on.
The Romeo and
Juliet Project
DSA Theatre Troupe 89583 proudly presents The Romeo and Juliet Project—an original devised work inspired by Shakespeare's timeless classic. Join us Tuesday, October 28th and Wednesday, October 29th at 7:00 PM in Weaver Auditorium. Tickets are $10.
Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
Community Survey
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/
Meeting Schedule
Please join us at an upcoming PTSA general body meeting:
Nov. 13
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.
Become a Member
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!
Support the PTSA
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
Athletics
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.
The High School Wrestling Team is recruiting boys and girls for the winter season. No experience? No problem! Everyone’s welcome, no matter size or skill level — find a flyer around school and come join the team!
Interested in playing a HS Winter Sport. There's only 1 ticket to play date left; Oct 28th during A & B lunch in the weight room. Be sure to have your online registration completed and the original physical and copy of your concussion form to turn in.
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!
Clubs and Student Groups
Drive for Change
Hey DSA! Drive for Change is gearing up to start our first drive for Toys for Tots but first we need to make our drop-off boxes. If you’re interested in earning some easy volunteer hours while listening to music and crafting, drop by T203 on Thursday Oct 23rd! Drive for Change is open to all grades. We hope to see you there!
DSA Mountain Bike Team
Interested in riding with the DSA Mountain Bike Team? There will be an interest meeting after school on Thursday, October 23, in Mr. Buchacek’s room (pronounced “boo-HA-check”), D301. All middle and high school students are welcome to attend.
Hadestown: Teen Edition
Hey DSA, are you ready to see how the world could be? Then come to DSA theatre troupe 5765’s production of Hadestown: Teen Edition, written by Anaïs Mitchell. Join us November 12th-15th in the Black Box Theatre as we go way down under the ground into the tobacco factories of 1850s Durham. Tickets are $20 a person and go on sale on November 3rd at 9am. Tickets will sell VERY fast, so go to cur8.com to get yours right when the link goes live. Can't wait to see you there!
Portraits In Ink
It’s that time of year! Portraits In Ink submissions are now open! We welcome you to submit your art and writing to the DSA literary magazine by scanning the posters around school. Submissions are open to both middle and high school. The last chance to submit is December 19th!”
Volunteering
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.
Student Support Services
Student Support Services is continuing with our Kindness initiative. If you see a “Be Kind” QR code around the school, please let us know about who you caught being kind! This will be announced on the loudspeaker whenever you have caught someone being kind.
To learn more about Student Support Services and current programming, please visit https://sites.google.com/dpsnc.net/dsastudentservices?pli=1.
Senior Updates
College Application Week is THIS WEEK!
October 20-26 is College Application as a part of CFNC's Countdown to College. During this week, many NC colleges and universities will waive application fees for students who apply through CFNC.org. Here are the schools participating this year: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17mkjv7NgBLJ5GBXWVqgxu7XPs3WvFibl-YO4v9uLvRw/edit?usp=sharing
How are SENIORS going to participate?
All 12th grade students will be rotating in and out of the LMC throughout the week to work on filling out and submitting college applications. This is being organized through Economics and Personal Finance classes. It is important for seniors to have their NC residency determination completed as soon as possible. The residency number is required to submit applications! Find out how here: https://www.ncresidency.org/
How can ALL students/staff participate?
DSA is going to have a series of College Spirit Days during the week of October 20-24. We encourage students to join in and represent throughout the week!
Oct 20 - NC School Day - Wear something representing any school in North Carolina - public, private, or community college
Oct 21 - HBCU Day - Wear something representing an Historically Black College or University
Oct 22 - College Sports Team Day - Wear something representing your favorite college team
Oct 23 - Alumni Day - Wear something that represents where you went to school
Oct 24 - Pajama Day - wear something comfortable and cozy. You’ve worked hard.. now it’s time to relax!
Our next prom committee meeting will be held Wednesday October 29th in room D115 from 3:30 to 4:15. If you are unable to attend please email Ms. Thibodeaux.
Driving Eligibility
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.
