Dear Drew Families:
Happy New Year! We hope your family had a peaceful holiday, and your student is rested and rejuvenated for a new semester. We are looking forward to a productive 2019 for Drew’s students and staff.
As we start this new semester, we wanted to remind you of the Drew Student Calendar for the remainder of the 2018 – 2019 School Year. Please note, as the testing schedule for the Atlanta Public School District has changed, May 3rd, which was previously designated as a Parent-Teacher Conference Day, will now be a regular school day. The last Parent-Teacher Conference Day for the school year has been moved to April 26th, meaning April 26th will now be a half-day for students.
Spring Semester Student Calendar Holidays/School Closures are listed below:
January 21: Martin Luther King National Holiday – School Closed
February 1: Parent/Teacher Conferences – All Academies Dismiss by Noon
February 18 – February 22: Winter Break - School Closed
(Note: Designated WINTER BREAK unless makeup for inclement weather is needed.)
April 1 – April 5: Spring Break – School Closed
April 26: Parent/Teacher Conferences – All Academies Dismiss by Noon
May 23: Last Day of School for Students
Best Wishes for 2019!
Don Doran
Head of School
Drew Charter School is pleased to announce the official renaming of East Lake Boulevard to Eva Davis Way. Atlanta City Council recently approved this street name change in celebration of the legacy of Ms. Eva Davis, a staunch East Lake Community advocate and resident, whose tireless work forever changed the face of the East Lake Community. A street dedication ceremony honoring Ms. Eva Davis occurred earlier today at the Villages of East Lake.
We invite you to read more about Ms. Davis and her monumental impact on the East Lake Community by clicking here.
As a result of this street renaming, Drew Charter’s new address will be 301 Eva Davis Way and 300 Eva Davis Way, respectively, for the Elementary and Junior/Senior Academies.
We join the East Lake Community in celebrating the remarkable life of Ms. Davis!
September 24, 2018
Drew Charter School’s Board of Directors announced at today’s board meeting that Drew’s Head of School Mr. Don Doran will be retiring at the end of the 2018 – 2019 School Year. This comes after ten years of service to Drew Charter School and the East Lake Community and a long career in education with Atlanta Public Schools that spans 33 years, serving in several capacities including Teacher, Principal and Executive Director. Under his leadership at Drew Charter School, the school has expanded to two campuses, faculty and student enrollment has doubled and students have excelled, often outperforming their peers in Atlanta Public Schools and the State of Georgia. Drew’s successful innovative model of Project-Based Learning with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) focus has been replicated through Purpose Built Schools in Atlanta and in other communities across the country.
Drew Charter School’s Board worked closely with Mr. Doran over the last year in the development of a Succession Plan for leadership at Drew Charter School to ensure a smooth transition allowing for the continual building on the progress of the school.
The board will engage a search firm, which specializes in education and non-profit leadership, through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, to begin a national search for a new Head of School. Once finalists are identified, parents, teachers and partners will have the opportunity to formally engage with these candidates. Drew plans to announce the new Head of School by May 2019. The Head of School will begin in June 2019. To ensure continuity, Mr. Doran will counsel the new Head of School as he or she transitions into the new role and new school year.
The Drew Board accepts Mr. Doran’s retirement with mixed emotions. While we are sad that he is leaving and will miss his leadership and compassion for students and families, we support him in the next chapter of his life which will allow him to spend more time with his family and stay connected to Drew.
In his retirement, Mr. Doran plans to maintain an active role in the Drew Charter School community and East Lake neighborhood that he has called home for nine years.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) is Drew Charter School’s map to a successful academic experience for its students. Learning is a STEAM environment, coupled with Project-Based Learning (PBL), sets the stage for students to solve real-world problems.
Students are taught with an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on the design thinking process and problem solving leading to application. This allows Drew students to develop skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity, all important abilities needed for success in the 21st century.
To learn more about STEAM at Drew, click Here.