School Briefs
PSHS students take part in national ‘Renaisssance’ conference
The Philip Simmons High School “Iron Horses” forged a name for themselves on a national stage this month. A 14-member team from PSHS, made up of eight students and six staff members, had the opportunity to attend and present at the Jostens Renaissance 2017 National Conference from July 12 to July 16 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Jostens Renaissance is an educational program that works on the foundation of a school’s culture and climate. It allowed participants the opportunity to focus on building character and developing connections while celebrating grades, attendance and school pride. The PSHS presentation at the conference, “Moments Matter from the Start,” shared not only the process of building and branding the new high school, but how students and staff plan to share “Iron Horse” pride with the entire PSHS community.
DIA pulls together during recent “tarpageddon” experience
Those traveling to and from Daniel Island on the afternoon of July 19 were most certainly impacted by massive traffic delays on I-526 and other connected roadways. The gridlock was caused by storms, accidents and the falling of a large tarp and cables over the Don Holt Bridge onto the highway. The tarp incident, dubbed “tarpageddon” by frustrated drivers, caused officials to shut down both directions of the bridge overnight. Those impacted by the roadway blockage spent hours trying to get to their destinations.
At Daniel Island Academy (DIA), teachers and staff tried to make the best of a difficult situation. According to Alicia Ward, spokesperson for the school, many students had to stay late because parents were stuck in traffic. To help pass the time, DIA chefs made snacks for the kids and teachers stayed late, while front desk personnel worked to assure parents that all students were well taken care of.
“It was so amazing to see our team come together and make the best out of the situation,” said Kerry Nowosielski, DIA director. “Teachers comforted and had fun with the kids while administrators comforted parents via phone.
“We had three teachers stuck in traffic,” added Ward. “And Kerry ordered pizza and told them they were welcome to turn around and come back—and surprised them with dinner!”