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The lazy days of summer will come to a halt for school-aged children Aug. 28, when the 2019-2020 school year begins. It is anticipated that around 6,200 students will fill the hallways of the county’s six elementary and three middle schools, as well as Central Davie Academy and Davie High.

Students at the Early College started Aug. 7.

Elementary schools begin at 8:10 a.m. and end the day at 2:50 p.m. On early release days, school will end at 12:50 p.m.

At the middle schools, the bell will ring at 7:45 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. Early release days end at 1 p.m.

Central Davie middle schoolers’ days begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m., with early release dismissal at 12:30 p.m. High school students at Central Davie should be in their seats at 8:30 a.m., and the afternoon bell will be at 3 p.m., with early release at 1 p.m. Students in OSS (out of school suspension) at Central Davie will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end their days at 2 p.m., with early release days ending at noon.

At Davie High, the morning bell is at 8:15 a.m., with release at 3:25 p.m. Early release days end at 1:25 p.m.

Motorists should be alert to school buses and to children getting on and off the buses. Parents can find route and other information on the school’s website, www.davie.k12.nc.usDepartments>Transportation.

The school system also has a new tool that adds an extra level of detail to the school transportation information of each student. The tool allows parents and guardians to enter an address, select the school and see the bus route and pick-up/drop-off times, along with the bus number and distance to the school. That information may be found at https://web01.edulogweb.com/Davie/webquery/.

No new principals nor assistant principals were hired, although there were some changes within the system. At Cooleemee, the principal is Cindy Stone and assistant principal is Sam Brown. Catherine Moreland is principal at Cornatzer, with Brittany Holland assistant.

Mocksville’s principal is Jennifer Swofford and assistant is Elisabeth Bolick-Spillman. Pinebrook will be headed up by Brooke Preslar as principal and LaShaunda Plain-Mamon assistant, and at Shady Grove, Sarah Maier is principal and Susan Spear is assistant.

Karen Stephens is principal at William R. Davie and Raymonda Shelton is assistant.

North Davie’s principal is Mary Foster and assistant is Carey Smith, and South Davie will  be led by Melissa Lynch, principal, and Chelsea Rutledge, assistant. Cindy Myers is principal at William Ellis and Alanna Kotas is assistant.

Beth Edwards is principal at Central Davie, and Denise Absher is principal at the Early College.

At Davie High, Doyle Nicholson is principal, and assistants are Kathy Courtemanche, Tabatha Hudson, Michael Pruitt and Alvin Rubin.

Students who choose to buy their meals at their schools will pay, for lunch, $2.90 (grades 6-12), $2.65 in kindergarten-fifth, and $2.40 in Pre-K.

Breakfast is also available and free for students in kindergarten-fifth grades and at South Davie. Students at North Davie and Ellis Middle will pay $1.10 for breakfast. For high school students, the cost is $1.35.

New this year is the option for students at some schools to enjoy a grab-n-go breakfast. This option is available at William R. Davie, Mocksville Elementary, and Pinebrook, where students will go through the café to receive their breakfast and then are allowed to take it back to the classroom. At Cornatzer, students will have traditional breakfast with a grab-n-go option. At Cooleemee, PreK-fourth grade students will have breakfast in the classroom and fifth graders will go through the café line and will be allowed to eat in their classrooms. Shady Grove students will have a traditional breakfast.

At North Davie and William Ellis is the second chance breakfast, held after first period, which allows students who are not normally hungry early in the morning a chance to eat just a bit later. It also means they don’t have to arrive early to eat breakfast since that time is built into the school day.

All middle schools and Davie High will have as an option the Smart Mouth Pizza, which is a 6-inch personal pan pizza made in house.

If a student is eligible for free lunch meal benefits, they are also eligible for free breakfast.

This year will mark the first full year with Jeff Wallace as superintendent. He took over leadership of the school system May 15 and said he is excited to welcome back students, staff and parents.

“Davie County Schools is a special place to serve and work, and we have an outstanding staff that is eager to partner with parents to make 2019-2020 an incredible learning experience. We strive to provide a nurturing environment sustained by purposeful relationships that will challenge and engage students to be successful learners. We are always available to hear thoughts, suggestions and concerns,” he said.

Wallace said the school system is entering the second year of a five-year strategic plan developed to engage, equip, and empower all students and help them prepare for the future. A five-year partnership with the Mebane Charitable Foundation, which committed to provide $2.5 million for support literacy development, begins its third year.

The foundation also provides additional financial support for kinder and summer reading camps. Wallace said he is thankful for the relationship and continued support.

A new community initiative called Ignite Davie: A College Promise Program will begin this year. With the support from several county organizations, businesses and individuals, the Davie Foundation’s initiative is designed to improve educational attainment in the community, developed a well-trained workforce, and assist high school graduates earn a degree at Davidson County Community College.

The school system will take an active role in supporting and communicating the initiative in September, Wallace said. “Davie County citizens believe in education and invest in our children and the future. We are thankful to have this support.”

The Christmas holiday break begins Dec. 23 and ends Jan.2. The last day for students is June 10.

The school calendar for all schools and the Early College, as well as other information may be found on the website, www.davie.k12.nc.us.