Welcome Back, Dove Creek Schools!

Welcome back! Our students and teachers are back in both buildings, our classrooms are busy, and learning is underway. It feels great to have our students back!

As we begin another school year, I want to take a moment to recognize just how many people it takes to get our schools ready to open their doors. It truly takes a village, and I am incredibly proud of ours.

Our custodial and maintenance team spends the summer scrubbing our buildings from top to bottom, making repairs, and getting every classroom and common area sparkling and ready for students. Their work doesn't stop at the doors, either. They also spend countless hours caring for our grounds and making sure our entire campus is clean, safe, welcoming, and beautiful. The pride they take in our schools shows both inside and out, and we appreciate them!

Ms. Cassie and our food service team plan and order well in advance to make sure we are prepared to serve breakfast and lunch every school day.

Our administrative assistants spend countless hours making sure teachers have the materials and supplies they need when they return.

Mr. Beanland works to inspect, maintain, and repair our buses, while our bus drivers complete their required training so they are prepared to safely transport our students.

Our coaches attend trainings, organize equipment, order supplies, and prepare long before the first practice begins.

Many of our teachers spend part of their summer researching, planning, organizing, and ordering because they want to be ready to provide the best possible instruction when students walk through their doors.

Our paraprofessionals began training before the school year even started so they could be prepared to support our students from Day 1.

Behind the scenes, our district office staff spend hours processing and finalizing the many purchase orders that come through during the summer. Roxie, our business manager, has the enormous responsibility of making sure our district funds are managed appropriately while helping ensure our schools have what they need.

And Ms. Dealila works throughout part of the summer updating devices, programs, and technology so everything is ready and working when students return.

There are many others who contribute as well. Folks, I am proud of our people. They are hard workers who genuinely care about our students and want the very best for them. So much happens behind the scenes before that first bell ever rings, and I am grateful for every person who helps make it happen.

The Bulldog Way—Everywhere We Go

I also want to share an important focus for this school year. Our Bulldog expectations don't end when students leave the classroom. Being a Bulldog means representing Dove Creek well in the classroom, on the court or field, in our organizations, while traveling, and anywhere else our students represent our schools.

This summer, our administrative team worked to strengthen our Athletics and Activities Handbook and Student Organizations Handbook. Our expectations are straightforward: students have the privilege of representing Dove Creek, and with that privilege comes responsibility. When students make choices that do not represent our school appropriately, they will be held accountable according to our established expectations.

We are asking the same of the adults in the stands.

Please cheer for our students. Support our coaches. Respect the officials. Be enthusiastic and make some noise for our Bulldogs—but remember that how we behave also represents Dove Creek.

Be loud. Be proud. Be respectful. Be Dove Creek.

Spectators who cannot meet those expectations may be asked to leave, and additional consequences may apply under district and CHSAA expectations.

Most importantly, we want our athletic and activity programs to be positive experiences for our kids. They should be places where students learn teamwork, responsibility, perseverance, leadership, sportsmanship, and what it means to represent something bigger than themselves.

We are incredibly excited to be back in session. Our students seem genuinely happy to be back with their friends and teachers, and our staff is certainly happy to have them here.

There is a lot to look forward to this year. Thank you to our staff, families, students, and community for being part of it.

Welcome back, Bulldogs! Here's to a great 2026–2027 school year!

Take care,

Principal Forst