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Congratulations to our arts programs and clubs for some very well-deserved recognition during the 3rd quarter. Thank you to all our students and teachers for your hard work and dedication! Great things are going on at DSA!

Band

MS and HS School Wind Ensembles and Symphonic Band all received Superior Rating at MPA’s

At the Carolina Jazz Festival DSA received the Outstanding Jazz Combo award

DSA had three students accepted to All-State Honor Band and two students to All-State Jazz Band

Battle of the Books

High School Battle of the Books teams won their regional competitions and are headed to the state

Chorus

DSA Chamber Ensemble – Superior Performance Rating at MPA

DSA Cantabile and Bass Ensemble – Excellent Performance rating at MPA

DSA Chamber, Cantabile, and Bass Ensemble – Superior Ratings in Sight Reading at MPA

DSA 8th Grade SA chorus Superior Performance and Sight-Reading rating at District MPA

20 High School students and 29 Middle School students participated in Evening to Shine

Creative Writing

The 2025-2026 edition of DSA's award-winning literary magazine, Portraits in Ink, is complete and has been sent off to the printer. The magazine features writing, art, and multimedia from over fifty students across all grade levels.

The 2024-2024 edition was recently recognized as "First Class," by the National Council of Teachers English, one of only five schools in North Carolina to receive this distinction.

Dance

DSA Middle School dance won 1st place in jazz, contemporary, and best dancer at the NCASA dance festival.

DSA High School dance was awarded 3rd place overall, 1st place in Jazz, 1st place in hip-hop, 3rd place in student choreography, and 4th place in contemporary

Film:

DSA filmmakers had 5 films accepted to the Running Bull Film Festival, sponsored by The Carolina Theater.

Two DSA films won for Best Narrative and Best Documentary. 

Game Art Design

We had a student winning 1st place in the 3D Modeling Animation competition at the Camel City Game Jam this past weekend. 

Guitar

Guitar earned a superior rating in the 1st state-sponsored NCMEA Guitar MPA. 

Hosted Buffalo Nichols for a workshop that 50+ students were able to attend.

Orchestra:

Philharmonic, String, and Chamber – received straight Superior ratings from all judges at both Durham Orchestra Festival and Music Performance Adjudication.

10 Orchestra students were selected for Regional Orchestra.

Piano

 We had a student in win the Elite International Piano Competition for the state of North Carolina and will be performing at Carnegie Hall on May 17th, 2026.

DSA Piano Department hosted Van Cliburn Bronze Medalist, Evren Ozel, in a Masterclass for Students. Students also participated in a Masterclass with Dr. Melinda Masur, Steinway Artist and head of the piano department at Stanford University.

Theater

We had 22 students score SUPERIOR at the State Thespian Conference and are eligible to compete at the International Thespian Festival. 2 of those 22 students were the BEST of their category in the State. 

DSA's One Act score a SUPERIOR at the State Thespian Conference

DSA was 1 of 10 schools Nationally selected to perform in the Opening Ceremony at the International Thespian Festival. We will be performing Livin' It Up on Top from our Production of HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION. 

We hosted our first Mentorship production at the Durham Public Library. DSA theatre students mentored 30 elementary school students and created 4 15-minute productions with their group of students. 

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 $60 and 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

WE’RE OFF TO THE BIG APPLE!

Thanks to our generous community and cherished sponsors, 12 FAF Ambassadors will be embarking on a leadership lab in NYC this Thursday-Sunday!

If you’ve been meaning to give, there is still time to support us in reaching our fundraising goals.

🔗 Donate or share here:
https://gofund.me/f54428203

If your business or your employer is interested in sponsoring a student or group attraction, please click the link below.

2026 Sponsorship Letter

Please click here to learn more about how you can nourish the next generation of leaders.

PROM TICKETS ARE ON SALE!!
Get excited, prom season is officially here, and it’s time to get your ticket for the day! Ticket Prices are

April 4th – May 9th: $95

https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/BG108-369

Prom Committee members will be in the cafeteria every Tuesday and Thursday during A and B lunch selling tickets until the last week of Prom.

All rising 9th-12th grade students have met with their school counselor to discuss classes for the 2026-2027 school year.  Each student was given a paper with the courses listed for their parent to sign and return.  Those forms are due Friday, April 10th! If the form is not returned, then course selections will remain as is on the sheet. 

My name is Kate, and I am the Education Director at Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge in Pittsboro, NC. We are a nonprofit animal sanctuary that is home to around 100 rescued animals, including sheep, cows, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, goats, and guinea fowl.  I am reaching out today to let you know about our new, free summer camp in collaboration with Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet (LEAP), specifically designed for incoming 9th-12th-graders who are interested in becoming leaders in the areas of animal care and climate solutions.  The camp will run at the Refuge July 20-24, from 8 AM-4 PM every day, and it is the first LEAP camp offered in North Carolina! 

LEAP offers community building, leadership training, and hands-on learning that focuses on animal rescue and care, introductory veterinary medicine, ethics, the impacts of the current food system on the environment and human rights, climate solutions, and the future of animal welfare. As part of the LEAP program, participants will have opportunities to learn from professionals in fields such as animal law, food science, veterinary medicine, sanctuary management, and more. 

Through daily interactive lessons and hands-on workshops at the sanctuary, students can get training in sanctuary responsibilities, animal care, cooking, gardening, and more. They will also learn basic entrepreneurial skills and will practice public speaking and leadership by learning to effectively educate their communities. With former teachers among the LEAP founding members and Refuge staff, we understand the importance of giving young people the chance to build community with like-minded peers as well as providing opportunities for interactions with role models in their areas of interest.  

We are looking for your help in getting this information into the hands of interested students and encouraging them to apply. Applications are now open at www.leapforanimals.org and the submission deadline is Friday, May 29.  

I am happy to answer any questions, either via email or phone (812.340.5173). Counselors, parents, and students can also learn more about the program and the Refuge at our website. We are truly grateful for your time and consideration.

All my best,

Kate

Hello,

This is Mica Lloyd from Note in the Pocket Durham. I am reaching out today to share a volunteer opportunity we have available to students, our Teen Board. 

Teen Board is a program where local high school students from the Triangle volunteer their time to support Note in the Pocket’s mission. Our Teen Board leaders complete a variety of projects to gain hands-on leadership development experience. Mentors will provide them with insight into the functions and demands of running a nonprofit organization, help them to develop and hone their leadership skills, and provide guidance and support in their efforts to implement projects that will improve the lives of children throughout our community. Teen Board is an excellent place for students to learn the functions and demands of non profit organizations, hone their leadership skills, and develop community awareness. 

Teen Board members are expected to attend meetings on the third Sunday of each month (September - May), volunteer 10 hours at Note between June and August, and host a summer clothing drive. In addition members will be expected to complete 6 volunteer hours in the fall and 6 in the spring, and will be able to volunteer and participate during on and off site fundraising projects leading up to our Socks and Undie 5k Rundie.

The application window will be March 2nd - April 3rd. Below I have a flyer attached that can be sent to students and parents which contains a QR for Teen Board applications . If you have any further questions please contact Kristina Isaac (kristina@noteinthepocket.org), or Mica Lloyd (mica@noteinthepocket.org).