Drayton Mills Elementary -

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! DMES Meet the Teacher is August 8, 2024, from 3 pm to 6 pm. Students return to school on Monday, August 12, 2024. Each day, our doors open at 7:00 am. Students enter classrooms at 7:35 for breakfast, and learning begins by 7:45. Please visit our school website for our student supply list at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills.

District 7 schools and offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day on July 4th. As we celebrate and enjoy time spent with loved ones, we honor the values that unite us as a community and nation. Together, let's continue to strive for a future where knowledge, understanding, and compassion prevail. Wishing everyone a safe and joyous Independence Day!

Dalmatian Nation- We are SO excited to announce, Thurman Evans, II as our new Assistant Principal here at DMES! Mr. Evans joins us from McCracken Middle School where he served as a leader on the District’s Instructional Framework team and taught 7th grade Social Studies. During his 12 years in education, he has served in multiple leadership roles focusing on curriculum and instruction along with mentoring. His enthusiasm for learning and ability to build positive relationships make him the perfect fit for our community. Please join us in celebrating Mr. Evans! To view his bio, please visit our website at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills/page/leadership-team

Dalmatian Nation- We are SO excited to announce, Adena McDaniel as our new Assistant Principal here at DMES! Mrs. McDaniel is an inaugural staff member of Drayton Mills Elementary School, serving as a music teacher and helping to build a student-centered, arts-enriched community. She has been a vital part of our school's success and has served our D7 community for 25 years. Her passion for assisting students with their academic success and growth through the arts is what makes her perfect for our school community. Please join us in celebrating Mrs. McDaniel! To view Mrs. McDaniel’s bio, please visit our website at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills/page/leadership-team

Summer Reading Camp in D7 is a BLAST! Our principals and district administrators had just as much fun being guest readers as our students did hearing them. We grow and learn TOGETHER in D7. This week, Summer Reading Camp students had an extra treat with a visit from our last guest, Alex Saunders, a children’s book author, illustrator, singer, songwriter. The kids LOVED him! Dream big, students…seeing others do what they love is one important way we inspire and equip! #ToInspireAndEquip #TEAM7

District 7 extends a warm invitation to families in Spartanburg to participate in our summer meal program for 2024. We're providing free individual meals served at various community sites and as part of summer school and other structured programs at our school sites. Please note that meals must be enjoyed on-site, per Federal program regulations. While our school sites are exclusively serving enrolled summer school students, some community sites are open to anyone aged 18 and under. This initiative is made possible thanks to the United States Department of Agriculture's Summer Meals Program. We anticipate serving over 6,500 free meals to students this summer, thanks to our wonderful partners. Find out more and check the schedule on our website:[https://www.spartanburg7.org/summermeals.

D7 is holding a series of community forums in June, July, and August to inform residents about our capital plan and the August 20th referendum, and to give everyone the opportunity to ask questions. We hope you attend one or more of these meetings! The schedule is below and also on our “Referendum 2024” webpage, which contains quite a bit of detail on the projects, costs, referendum vote, etc.: http://spartanburg7.org/referendum2024 Referendum 2024 Community Information Forums Monday, June 10 – City Council presentation, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. Monday, July 15 – Drayton Mills Elementary School, 6 p.m. Tuesday July 30 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 13 – Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, noon and 6 p.m. (two sessions) Monday, August 19 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. We will share this information via our D7 social media outlets, local news media, and several other efforts to communicate with the community. Please help spread the word by sharing our posts and any other avenues of communication you have within the community!

Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Today, we are excited to celebrate the amazing men and women who help our children get to school safely every day. We thank you for your tireless dedication and commitment to our students and families, and we have produced a special video to express our appreciation for all that you do. From double-checking safety measures to assisting students with special needs, you make our mornings brighter and our afternoons smoother. We are so grateful for the important contributions you make to our community. Here's to all the school bus drivers out there that keep our students safe and positioned for success! ❤️🚌 Watch here: https://fb.watch/qn8_17PaNb/ #SchoolBusDriverAppreciationDay #ThankYouBusDrivers #GratefulParents #TEAM7

Spartanburg School District Seven Names Carla Cato as Principal of Drayton Mills Elementary School We are pleased to announce the appointment of Carla Cato as principal of Drayton Mills Elementary School effective July 1, 2024. Mrs. Cato will succeed Thomas Webster, who has been principal since 2017 and will retire at the end of this school year after serving District Seven for seven years. A two-time Teacher of the Year for Spartanburg School District 7 and Rock Hill School District 3, Mrs. Cato has been an assistant principal at Drayton Mills Elementary for the last five years. She was instrumental in helping to open Drayton Mills as a new school, developing and maintaining a positive school culture and climate, and fostering community building between two schools as they merged into one. She played a pivotal role in creating a school culture of support for students and families through curriculum initiatives, through focused work from the counseling department, and through collaboration among support staff to assist with student and staff well-being as well as social and emotional learning. Her leadership was also instrumental in helping Drayton Mills make significant academic gains on its SC School Report Card, advancing three levels to “Good” this past year. Mrs. Cato also led District 7’s elementary level summer school program for the last three years, in which she coordinated curriculum planning and teacher training, and monitored academic growth data for all students across the district’s four summer school sites. Prior to becoming an administrator, Mrs. Cato was a school counselor for sixteen years, serving at Chapman Elementary and Whitlock Junior High in District 7 as well as at Sunset Park Elementary in Rock Hill District 3 and Hunter Street Elementary in York School District 1. She began her education career as a fourth grade teacher at Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary in York District 1. She holds National Board Certification in School Counseling/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood and has Gifted and Talented endorsement from Converse College. Active in numerous professional and community organizations, she is particularly proud to be a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and to have served as vice president of the Spartanburg chapter of the SC State University Alumni Association. “Carla Cato is the ideal candidate to lead Drayton Mills Elementary School as its next principal,” said Superintendent Jeff Stevens. “She has been instrumental in guiding our ‘Dalmatian Nation’ to achieve tremendous success over the last five years and is respected, trusted and well-loved by the Drayton Mills community of students, parents, and staff. I am confident Mrs. Cato will carry those relationships forward to provide a seamless transition and build on the momentum she helped establish under the leadership of Principal Thomas Webster.” “It is with excitement and gratitude that I begin this role as principal of Drayton Mills Elementary School,” said Mrs. Cato. “My mission is to set the foundation for effectuating all student’s full potential to become successful, productive, and global citizens. I am unwavering in my commitment to strive for excellence by continuing to provide positive leadership and encourage professional growth while connecting with our families and community. I place great value on communication and collaboration with our school staff and community stakeholders. Most of all, I love being an advocate for children. The profound relationship-building culture within our school has had a powerful impact on our students and families. I look forward to continuing our momentum toward success!” Carla Cato holds an undergraduate degree in education from South Carolina State University, a Master of Education in Counseling and Development from Winthrop University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from South Carolina State University. She is married to Desmond and they have three boys, Justin (25), Jonathan (19), and Joshua (15 - a freshman at Spartanburg High School).

January is National School Board Appreciation Month and we invite our D7 Family to join us in honoring our Trustees! We celebrate the contributions they make to further our district-wide commitment to excellence and to help ensure every student has the resources, opportunities, and support they need to reach their full potential. Thank you to our District 7 Board of Trustees (pictured from left): Clay Mahaffey (Board Vice Chair), James Jones, Jeff Mason, Hallie Hurst, Sharon Porter (Board Chair), Griffin Lynch, Meg Clayton, Rick Gray, and Vernon Beatty (Board Secretary)