DARLINGTON, S.C. – The Darlington County School District (DCSD) Teacher Forum presented CareSouth Carolina with the 2018 Jimmy Newsom Signature Award Friday afternoon during the annual DCSD Education Forum held at Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology.
Named in honor of former DCSD Superintendent Jimmy Newsom, the award is presented annually to an individual, group or business selected by the Teacher Forum for having made a significant contribution to education in Darlington County.
“CareSouth Carolina embodies our ideal of positively impacting the lives of our children in Darlington County,” said Dr. Tim Newman, DCSD superintendent. “For more than a decade, CareSouth Carolina has provided valuable dental services for students across the district regardless of any students’ ability to pay. Congratulations to CareSouth on being selected for this award. It is well-deserved.”
CareSouth Carolina began visiting DCSD schools in 2006. Many of the students CareSouth saw had never before been to a dentist. Many students had cavities, abscesses and severe dental challenges. Dental pain and problems make it hard to concentrate, to eat, and even to sleep – all of which impact a child’s ability to succeed in school.
Since then, CareSouth Carolina has provided services at 20 schools in the DCSD. The organization’s trailer and fleet of vans roll out to the schools and provide dental exams, x-rays, fillings, extractions, cleaning, and sealing to hundreds of DCSD students each year. This year this organization is expanding its services to provide mobile medical care to our students with wellness check-ups.
Previous Jimmy Newsom Signature Award honorees include North Industrial Machine, Duke Energy, S.C. Speaker of the House Jay Lucas, Darlington Raceway and the Darlington County Library System. CareSouth Carolina marked the 20th recipient of the prestigious award.
The Darlington County Teacher Forum is a teacher leadership organization composed of the 23 school Teachers of the Years, as well as current and former District Teachers of the Year. The Darlington County School District serves more than 10,000 students in 23 schools across the county. For more information, please visit www.darlington.k12.sc.us.