Our current facility at Frank Maynard Drive was constructed between 1990 and 1993 with occupancy of the new building in June 1993. DPS is a Pre-K through Grade 2 School. The length of our student school day is 7 hours with the teacher’s day 7.5 hours. We operate on an extended calendar of 180 classroom instructional days. There are one-week intersession periods in the fall and spring with breaks in fall, spring and late December.
 
The DPS facility consists of 4 wings. Each wing is capable of supporting up to 16 regular classrooms that have restrooms, environmental controls (HVAC and lighting), Internet connections, and A/V connections appropriate to support the instruction in each classroom. Each grade level for DPS is housed in its own dedicated wing. Special classes, such as speech, Reading Recovery, pre-K, special education, technology labs, and a variety of activity classes are located in a manner to maximize instruction and ease of use. The facility has a large cafeteria, activity room and playground areas to accommodate our student population. Security cameras are located throughout our building to provide continuous monitoring of activity within DPS. Our custodial and maintenance staff implements an ongoing program of maintaining our facility.
 
Our curriculum offerings include a variety of programs designed to meet the instructional needs of our DPS students. Mandarin Chinese instruction is offered to students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Participants are selected based on high STAR Reading scores. HOSTS Readiness is a mentoring program that utilizes community volunteers to mentor identified at-risk kindergarten students. It is an individualized program that provides reinforcement of reading and writing readiness skills.
 
The Extended School Program (ESP) is a before and after school program that provides supervised care for students from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. A variety of activities are offered in this program that allow students to actively participate within their age level to develop interactive and cognitive skills and simply to have fun in a safe and secure environment.
 
A variety of Special Education Programs are available to students who meet state criteria for eligibility. These programs serve children with learning disabilities, developmental delay, health impairments, speech and language deficiencies, and intellectual giftedness. The focus is to coordinate and integrate federal, state, and local services and programs in such a way that the whole child and family are supported.
 
Dyersburg Primary School currently has six Pre-K classrooms. These classes are designed to provide educational services for at-risk four year olds in our community. DPS has one classroom for three and four-year-old special needs preschoolers. In the spring an open house is held for all students and parents transitioning to a new grade.
 
In April, Dyersburg Primary School hosts Kindergarten Pre-Registration. We encourage each student and his/her family to come and participate in the day’s activities. They are also assessed on their developmental preparedness for Kindergarten. Parents are given information about skills their students will need to be successful in the Kindergarten Program.
 
Parental support and involvement at DPS is found in many forms. It is important to note that parental involvement and parental input regarding programs and activities are an integral part of providing the students of DPS with a comprehensive learning experience. Some examples of parental involvement include helping in the library, on field trips, in PTO, SMART Goal celebrations and materials, and May Day. Parents also participate in orientation, open house, and end of the year activities. In order to assure communication with the parents, Tuesday Folders are sent home weekly with information about academic progress, school calendars, and community news. Other means of communication with parents are the school system website, social media, local newspaper, television channel 4, Remind 101, and the local radio station.   Parents provide feedback and direction for DPS and the Dyersburg City School System by being involved in Principal and Superintendent Advisory groups, the school improvement plan, and surveys. The parents participate in the development and review of the school improvement plan at regular intervals throughout the year. The school improvement plan is available on the website along with copies in the office for review and feedback.
 
Dyersburg Primary School benefits from a strong community involvement in education. As a part of the Community Service Project at First Citizen National Bank, many employees choose to mentor at-risk students through our HOSTS Program. ERMCO and the City of Dyersburg also encourage participation in this mentoring program. Students from both Dyersburg High School and Dyersburg State Community College also volunteer in HOSTS. School-business partnerships are an important component of the school-community relationship. The Partners in Education (PIE) program is the cornerstone of this relationship. Both businesses and community organizations participate. Some partner with specific schools and some serve as “adopters at large”. Security State Bank contributes to the First Day of School Celebration at DPS by providing storybook characters, door prizes, treats, and balloons.The focus of schools and adopters in partnership emphasizes academics, citizenship, and good behavior.
 
Business and community organizations sponsor many awards for grades K-2. First Citizens National Bank recognizes all students who have perfect attendance for each nine weeks of school with a video and popcorn party for grades K-2. They also give the People Respecting Others Award which recognizes students for showing courtesy, kindness, consideration and respect for his/her fellow students and teachers for Kindergarten students. The Achievement Award is also given to first and second graders for outstanding academic progress. Students earning these awards attend an ice cream sundae party. Terrific Kids is an award of recognition of a positive attitude, good character, and responsible citizenship for grades K-2. Firestone gives the Fired Up Award to students who are excited about learning. Students visit the Firestone facility in Dyersburg for a tour and lunch for grades K-2. The Rocket Into Reading Award is given by DSCC to honor Kindergarten students who are exploring new frontiers in learning. Students are recognized for reading or being ready to read. DSCC sponsors the STAR Award given to first and second graders who excel in reading. The Principal's Award is given to recognize the well- rounded student who displays good citizenship, a curious mind, and a love for learning for grades K-2. Students get to go to lunch with Mrs. DeBerry through our partnership with Cracker Barrel. Dyersburg Noon Rotary Club is a sponsor of the Good Citizenship Award for grades one and two. This is given to students who have displayed characteristics of being a good citizen by either helping his or her teacher, encouraging another student or just doing a good deed for their school or community. Rotary tries to instill the motto of “Service Above Self” as it encourages all students to be a Good Citizen and a role model for others everyday. Chick-fil-A of Dyersburg is the proud sponsor of the C.O.W. (Classroom Outstanding Worker) Award for grades K-2. Students who are making great academic gains are awarded a field trip to Chick-fil-A of Dyersburg! Aaron's of Dyersburg also sponsors the Aaron's Lucky D.O.G. (Doer of Good) Award each nine week. Recipients of the award receive a movie party and visit from Lucky Dog! Awards are also presented to K-2nd graders each nine weeks with perfect attendance courtesy of our friends at Java Cafe, Casey's General Store, and Dairy Queen!
 
Dyersburg Primary School is a family of learners working together to build proficient reading, writing and match skills. We strive to have every student proficient at grade level in reading and math skills and ready to be successful at the next grade.
 
We thank you for your interest in Dyersburg Primary School! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our school office at 731-286-3615.