Better Together

As an Athens native and CCSD graduate, Brian Smith sees himself in many of the students he works with and uses his perspective to improve the overall student experience in our district. As a behavior interventionist at Barnett Shoals Elementary School, Mr. Smith is known as a positive, uplifting role model who makes everyone smile and works tirelessly to foster a safe learning environment for all students and staff. He builds strong relationships with students and provides them with the support they need to make good choices and become future leaders in the community. CCSD is proud to present this celebration video of our 2025-26 Support Professional of the Year.

Families: In the booming tech age, it's important to ask and know: what's your child sharing, and who's watching? Parent ProTech is a FREE online resource library available to all CCSD families and students that promotes safe and smart use of technology and the internet by students. Sign up for a free account today and take advantage of help articles and videos across all age groups.

As part of its focus on "Safer Internet" in February, Parent ProTech offers these three tips to help keep your family safe online.

1. Critical Thinking in the Age of AI - Teach kids that not everything they see online is real. Use the "SIFT" Method:

• Stop
• Investigate the source
• Find better coverage
• Trace claims back to the original context.

2. Create Tech-free Zones:

• Set a "device-free" dinner rule to encourage face-to-face connection
• Establish a "no screens in bedrooms" policy at night to protect sleep quality
• Model this behavior yourself because kids do what they see!

3. Protect Your Digital Footprint:

• Ask: Would you be okay with your teacher or future boss seeing this?
• Check privacy settings on social media regularly to minimize data collection and public visibility.

CCSD is pleased to announce Cedar Shoals High School senior Christopher Koch and Clarke Central High School senior Olivia Bergman as our 2025-26 STAR Students!

The STAR program in Georgia recognizes the senior at each high school with the highest SAT score on any single test date who is also in the top 10% of their class based on grade-point average. Every STAR Student also names a STAR Teacher who has influenced them in their academic pursuits. Olivia chose Clarke Central science teacher Scott Swain as her STAR Teacher, while Christopher selected Cedar Shoals English teacher Tara Stuart.

Read more about each of these outstanding students here!

Forty-eight CCSD middle and high school students combined to win 32 awards in the Northeast Georgia regional National History Day competition last weekend at the University of Georgia and have qualified for the state-level contest in April! This strong showing included nine first-place finishes and six top overall awards.

Read more and see a full list of state qualifiers here!

We are excited to announce the 2025-26 Young Georgia Authors contest winners from CCSD! Every spring, our students submit work to their schools, and the winning entries are then judged by a district team. Congratulations to these winners who will now be judged by a panel from Northeast Georgia RESA for the opportunity to advance to the state competition!

• Kindergarten - Bosston Simpson, J.J. Harris Elementary
• 1st grade - Jericho Smothers, Gaines Elementary
• 2nd grade - Adeline Sheridan, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary
• 3rd grade - Baker McKown, Barrow Elementary
• 4th grade - Noel Garcia Gatica, J.J. Harris Elementary
• 5th grade - Maya Luciana Arenales Grajeda, Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary
• 9th grade - Singer Brinson, Clarke Central High
• 10th grade - Lucianna Russo, Cedar Shoals High
• 11th grade - Eudora Dawson, Clarke Central
• 12th grade - Ella Conway, Cedar Shoals

On Thursday, Feb. 19, CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott held a pair of identical public update sessions on the West Broad School Complex revitalization project and the district’s intended future use of the historic property.

During these sessions, the following information was shared:

• Results from the recent community input survey on the future of the complex
• Key findings from the structural analysis report conducted for the Campbell Lane building,
• Information on the formation of a building committee for the project
• Information regarding future building planning session that will be open to the public

Watch the video of the presentation above and find more information about the project at www.clarke.k12.ga.us/westbroadschool.

Want to Serve on the Building Committee?

As part of the next steps for the revitalization project, a special ACCA Building Committee will be established and co-led by ACCA Director Reginald Thomas and CEO Wesley Mellina. The committee will include six ACCA representatives, a representative from the Clarke County Board of Education, four members from the local construction industry, and four members from the community at-large. This committee will work closely with CCSD’s E-SPLOST, Facility Planning, and Construction Department to provide ongoing feedback and input throughout the process. If you are a community member who is interested in serving on the West Broad Building Committee, please complete and submit the committee interest form by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 5.

The Athens Community Career Academy's student-led Yellow Jacket Bistro will host its monthly pop-up lunch Thursday, Feb. 26, beginning at 12:45 p.m. This month's theme will be a celebration of ACCA culinary instructor Chef Amee Williams' 50th birthday and a tribute to a restaurant she owned, HodgePodge's. Lunch is $15 per person. Reserve your seat here!

The Yellow Jacket Bistro is run by ACCA Culinary Arts pathway students under the direction of Williams with front-end hospitality and marketing support from Celissa Beck's Entertainment, Sports, and Event Management pathway students.

Nominations are open for CCSD's Employee of the Month award for March! Anyone in the community may nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of service for the award. The winner will be surprised at their school or building, publicly recognized at the Feb. 12 Clarke County Board of Education meeting, and presented with a gift bag from the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce with contributions from several local businesses.

Submit a nomination at bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward or fill the form out directly below!

CCSD is seeking feedback from families, staff, and students on the proposed 2026-27 Code of Student Conduct and invites you to comment through our Simbli platform. Your input will be used to make any additional recommended changes before the draft code is presented to the Clarke County Board of Education for a first read at its meeting on March 12.

The current code and the proposed code for next school year can be found at www.clarke.k12.ga.us/code. A copy of the proposed 2026-27 code is also attached below (Spanish version begins on page 37). Proposed changes are highlighted in yellow.

The Athens Community Career Academy seeks to prepare CCSD high school students with all of the skills needed to meet Athens-area workforce needs and help them achieve their postsecondary goals. In addition to academic and technical skills, ACCA is dedicated to ensuring that students have the employability and social skills needed to succeed after high school.

With that in mind, ACCA will be hosting its annual "Project Yellowjacket" student mock interview competition on Wednesday, March 4, and is seeking community volunteers to help! Community members are invited to sit down with students and conduct brief (5- to 10-minute) interviews using questions and a scoring rubric provided by ACCA. Awards will be earned by classes and individual students based on their professionalism ratings.

Volunteers can sign up for either or both of the morning (10:15 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1:15-2:15 p.m.) sessions at bit.ly/accamockinterviews or in the form directly embedded below. The event will be held at ACCA, 440-1 Dearing Ext., Athens. Lunch will also be provided on-site to volunteers at the Yellowjacket Bistro from noon to 1 p.m.!

If you are unable to attend but are still interested in supporting the event, ACCA will accept donations for prizes for the competition winners. Email Halo Smart, CCSD Workforce Development Coordinator, at smarth@clarke.k12.ga.us for more information!

The Clarke County Board of Education welcomes community feedback. Here are ways you can share your voice:

• Contact BOE Members: Click here to view a list of the BOE members and their contact information.
• Find Your Board Member: Use Athens-Clarke County's online voter information tool at www.accgov.com/voterinfo to enter your address and find your BOE member and your other elected representatives.
• Attend a Meeting: The board's next scheduled meeting is Thursday, March 12, with the work session beginning at 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. All meetings are held in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the CCSD administrative offices building, located at 595 Prince Ave. in Athens. The public is invited to attend meetings in person. Meetings are also streamed live and are available for on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube channel. Click here for the board meeting schedule.
• Agendas: Click here to access board meeting agendas.
• Board Briefs: Click to read the "Board Briefs" overview from meetings.
  
• Public Comments: Click here for information on how to sign up to speak at a BOE meeting.
• Review Policies for Review: View and comment on district policies pending public review.

Whether you're an aspiring teacher planning to begin your career next school year or a veteran teacher moving to the Athens-Clarke County area, sign up today for our Educator Career Fair, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28!

This event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens, will be the perfect opportunity to speak with many of our current teachers and principals to understand in detail about their school and the positions they are hiring for. At the event, you may be invited to interview with school teams and potentially offered a teaching position on the spot! Representatives from our Human Resources Division will also be there to answer any questions you may have. Space is limited, so register today to secure your spot!

CCSD is now accepting applications for various teaching position "pools" for the 2026-27 school year! These talent pools allow for a more streamlined hiring process where interested candidates can apply in advance and be considered for future position openings as they become available.

To stay connected with future teaching opportunities in the district, go to ccsdjobs.org (clarke.schoolspring.com), search for "Talent Pool" postings, and complete the online application for the talent pool you're interested in joining.

For more information, email careers@clarke.k12.ga.us or go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/careers.

Please note: Current CCSD teachers should not apply for these pools. The internal transfer window for next school year will open Feb. 23.

Run Athens is a University of Georgia student-athlete led program, which offers a fun, FREE experience to expose kids kindergarten through eighth grade to track and field. The group meets on Sundays for one-hour practice sessions that include character building lessons, track and field exercises, and fun games.

Sessions will be held every Sunday, March 1 through April 12, at Clarke Central High School, 350 South Milledge Ave., Athens, from 1-2 p.m. Click here for more information and to sign up. For questions, email athens@runyourcity.org.

Children ages 4-18 are invited to tryout for the Classic City Reign Majorette Dance Team from 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 18-20 at 3701 Atlanta Hwy., Athens. Children should wear black bottoms and a white top for tryouts. Contact 803--989-1593 for additional information and the link to the tryout form. You can also follow Classic City Reign on Instagram (@classiccityreign.majorette).

Athens-based nonprofit Chess and Community invites students, families, and community members to participate in its 13th annual tournament and conference on Saturday, March 28, in downtown Athens at The Classic Center, 300 North Thomas St. Register today at this link.

The University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries, 300 South Hull St., Athens, will host a free family day event from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 28, centered around the new museum exhibition on the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The event will include crafts and storytime activities and a scavenger hunt. Click here for more information.

CCSD students in grades 4-12 and their families are invited to participate in the free "Beyond the Bars" program, hosted by the Athens-Clarke County Corrections Department, 2825 County Farm Rd., Athens, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month.

"Beyond the Bars" is an early-intervention and empowerment program designed to reach at-risk youth before they become involved, or further involved, in the juvenile justice system. The program exposes students to the real-life consequences of crime, violence, and poor decision-making while also providing them with tools, mentorship, and motivation to make positive life choices.

Find more information and sign up here.

The Athens Area Association of Realtors will host a free Family Fun Day event on Saturday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at its board office (1720 Meriweather Dr.) There will be numerous educational, fun, and family-friendly activities for children to take part in. For more information, email leslie@athensarearealtors.com or call 706-353-1126.

As part of a collaboration between CCSD and the Athens Regional Library System, the PLAY Card account provides each CCSD student with free materials (books, magazines, etc.) and online resources from the public library to help your child succeed in school, along with fun resources to support a lifelong love of reading. You and your child can check out materials at the libraries by entering their student ID number.

Click the links to view the Leisure Pursuits newsletter for February, which contains information about upcoming events and programs in Athens-Clarke County:

• English
• Español

Anyone in the community may sign up for email and/or text notifications from the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in a wide variety of categories with more than 100 different options. Visit accgov.com/notifyme and select the list you'd like to sign up for.

211 is United Way of Northeast Georgia’s health and human service helpline – a free and confidential program accessible to anyone. Call 211, text your zip code to 898-211, or visit the online database.