Kate Duncan Smith DAR Elementary School has officially been certified as a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School of Distinction! This prestigious national honor, awarded by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence organization, is the organization's highest level of recognition. It is given only to schools that achieve exceptional scores across nine rigorous performance areas, including academic excellence, school leadership, and active community involvement. An achievement of this magn

In May, KDS DAR Middle School students took their scientific curiosity to the next level during an unforgettable trip to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). The highlight of the event was the presentation of the students' Weather Balloon Projects. This hands-on initiative challenged students to step out of the traditional classroom setting and dive headfirst into the world of atmospheric science and data-driven research. Throughout the project, students took on the

Senior Awards Day At the 2026 Senior Awards Day, approximately $1,245,955 in scholarships was presented to 75 deserving KDS graduates. The scholarship totals with their sources are as follows: $1,038,745 – Scholarships from Colleges, Universities, Tech Schools, Trade Schools, and Military Education bonuses $183,250 – Scholarships sponsored by the DAR $24,000 – Scholarships sponsored by the community/foundations In addition to scholarships, 53 special awards totaling over $18,

In May, students in Ms. Gluck’s Chemistry class stepped out of the textbook and into a hands-on, delightfully messy lab experiment to explore the fascinating world of non-Newtonian fluids. By mixing up custom batches of oobleck (a mixture of cornstarch and water), the class got an up-close look at how some materials stubbornly refuse to follow the standard rules of solids and liquids. The students observed firsthand how the fluid instantly hardens into a solid when pressure

Learning came to life at KDS DAR Middle School as Mr. Hammett’s 7th grade science classes participated in a hands-on frog dissection lab. While textbooks provide the theory, nothing compares to the tactile experience of a lab. Students spent the day identifying internal organs and observing the complex biological systems of amphibians firsthand. The activity is a rite of passage for middle schoolers, designed to bridge the gap between diagrams and reality. The classroom was