PTA

Our Parent Teacher Association is off to a great start. They supported our Pre-K and Kindergarten Orientation as well as Open House.

PTA meets the first Thursday of every month (unless school is on break). Anyone who wants to help plan activities and fundraisers should consider attending monthly membership meetings, but PTA also needs and appreciates volunteers who can help out with spirit nights and other events.

Many PTA board members are relatively new to Diggs-Latham, and they love to hear from people who know the school's history and remember fun things that our PTA has done in the past. 

PTA is also selling tee-shirts this year.  They sold tee-shirts during Open House and Orientation as well as during arrival and dismissal one morning.  They have ordered more youth sizes, and when they arrive, PTA will organize another tee-shirt sell during car rider arrival and dismissal. 

Please consider joining PTA.  Visit this link to join:  https://dletigerpride.memberhub.com/store

Our current PTA Board members are:

President: Rick Dillwood
Treasurer: Jessica Shore
Secretary: Shelby Nelson

You may contact PTA at: diggslatham@gmail.com

Arts In Education Week

"In 2010, Congress passed House Resolution 275 designating the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to advocate, educate, and celebrate about the impact and transformative power of the arts in education," ~Arts NC https://artsnc.org/arts-education/arts-in-education-week/

Annually, our govern usually makes a proclamation in support of Arts in Education Week as well.

As an A+ Magnet School, we are fortunate to have ongoing advocacy, education, and celebrations of and through the Arts. This week, we have celebrated with social media posts from each Special that we offer and integrated arts and academics. 

Our New Assistant Principal

The Faculty, Staff & Students of Diggs-Latham Elementary Visual & Performing Arts A+ Magnet School would like to welcome our new assistant principal, Ms. Traci Latta, to Tiger Nation.  

Meet Ms. Traci Latta: 

Ms. Latta attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for her undergrad and graduate studies. She is entering her 15th year in education. She comes to us from Reynolds High School, where she served as the MTSS Coordinator. Ms. Latta also completed her administrative internship at Reynolds High School. Previously, Ms. Latta taught English Language Arts in Guilford County. She has also served as the Yearbook and News Advisor during her time at Northern Guilford and Reynolds High Schools.  

Ms. Latta is from Durham, NC. She is very close with her family, especially her mother, sister, and niece, as well as her three cats, Isabel, Freya, and Chai.  

Ms. Latta shared that she challenges herself to make the most of life in her free time, especially if life presents challenges. She explained that she has too many experiences and hobbies to name them all, but just to name a few, Ms. Latta is a certified personal chef and worked for Sony Pictures before. She enjoys swimming and water activities in general; she is even a swim instructor at a local YMCA. Ms. Latta is a singer; if she wasn’t in education full time, she explained that she would probably be on Broadway with her belting style of singing.  Ms. Latta enjoys traveling and has been to many places around the world. She has traveled with students to Europe and to Peru in South America. She even lived in France for 6 months. 

Welcome to Tiger Nation Ms. Latta! We look forward to working with you to continue “Creating Our Masterpiece” while we always show our “Tiger Pride!” 

Tito Puente Jr. was Here!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! To kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month, Tito Puente Jr. and singer, Melina Almodovar, visited our school on Friday, September 8, a day before performing for the city in the annual Fiesta. Third and fifth graders assembled in the gym for a time of singing, dancing, and drumming. Mr. Puente and Ms. Almodovar visited a few classrooms before and walked through the halls taking pictures and signing autographs before leaving.

 

Read more on the WSFCS headlines at https://bit.ly/48bVJAN.

PBIS/PAWS

 As part of our PBIS, (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports,) program, we have a committee that supports PBIS, a PBIS coach, and PBIS expectations across the school. 

Our PBIS system uses our Tiger mascots and Tiger theme to positively set expectations for all areas of the school and reward or celebrate positive behaviors according to our "PAWS" expectations. Students are encouraged to learn and follow.... P-Prepared  A-A+ Attitude  W-Work Responsibly  S-Show Respect.... from the car line to the bus, in the hallways and cafeteria, and throughout classrooms. Throughout the school, PAWS Posters remind students of how to be prepared with an A+ attitude to work responsibly and show respect in all the different places they learn. 

 

As part of our PBIS/PAWS program, students and classes are recognized and awarded class and individual PAWS Bucks for upholding the PAWS Expectations. Throughout the year, students will be able to spend their PAWS Bucks at the "PAWS Store" or to attend special activities and events such as dance parties, extra recess, and more.

To kick off our PBIS/PAWS program for the 2023-2024 school year, grade level gathered in the gym during the first week of school with members of the PBIS/PAWS Team and Specialists to review PAWS Expectation and set the stage for an exciting year at our A+ Magnet School. Of course, in true Arts Integration style, the assembly included singing and dancing with Taz, the Tiger.

 

1st Day of School

 The First Day of School is always an exciting time. Kindergartners enter school for the first time, and returning students meet new teachers and friends. 

Our "Tiger Cubs" were greeted with signs, balloons, and decor as they entered the lobby, displaying "Tiger Pride" and school spirit. Taz, the Tiger, greeted everyone at the front door. 

Faculty, teachers, and staff stationed throughout the halls and by doorways were full of smiles and waves. We were also pleased the welcome Deputy Superintendent, Mr. Fabby Williams, school board member, Ms. Susan Miller, and West Area Superintendent, Dr. Jill Hall-Freeman who all visited our school on the first day.

 

 

 

 

 

Diggs-Latham Elementary Visual & Performing Arts A+ Magnet School is ready for a successful and productive year.

2023-2024 WSFCS Kickoff: "Ready Set 60"

On Friday before school started, faculty and staff from all schools around the district gathered at Bowman Gray Stadium to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Each school wore their school colors and gear and represented school spirit with shouts, cheers, and chants. Of course our TIGER PRIDE could be seen and heard throughout the stadium from the time we got off the bus until the event was over. Even our mascot, Taz, the Tiger, joined us.

Approximately 7000 staff members gathered. The stadium was full of energy. The parade was an added treat, and our very own Core Award Winner, Ms. Tiffani Cash, was representing in the parade. 

"Ooooohhh... It's hot in here. There must be some tigers in the atmosphere." We shouted and chanted our way into the stadium. Pom Poms, flags, and black and orange waved all throughout the morning event.

Did you see us in the Journal, WXLV, the district news, and Fox8?

 

Open House 2023-2024

 Each year, Open House is like a family reunion. Faculty, staff, teachers, and students are reunited after summer break. Families, parents, and guardians visit their children's new classrooms and meet their new teachers. Students greet teachers they had last year as well as the Specialist and Support Staff Teams. Classrooms are decorated, set up for learning, and shining from all the preparations. 

We had a huge crowd as usual this year, and of course, Taz, the Tiger, and his friend, Freddy, the Frog, joined us to greet everyone.