Better Together

Every day at Barnett Shoals Elementary School, third-grade teacher Timothy Pritchett finds his strength in the very students he teaches. In keeping with CCSD’s mission of creating educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential, Mr. Pritchett strives to meet them where they are in their journey and encourage and build them up with determination to reach their dreams. “We have a purpose,” he says, “and our purpose is to teach our kids and give it our all every single day.” CCSD is proud to present this celebration video of our 2025-26 Teacher of the Year. It premiered Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting and awards celebration, where Mr. Pritchett was presented with the chamber's Educator of the Year Award.

The past week has brought an exciting conclusion to another fantastic year of Black History Month celebrations at CCSD with fun-filled events, read-ins, performances, competitions, and other activities. It has been a pleasure welcoming families and communities into our schools to build a stronger, more Connected Culture and see our Thriving Students put their talents on display as well. Enjoy these photos from around the district and many more on our social media channels (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

If you and your family are looking for something fun, entertaining, educational, and aspirational this weekend, head over to the Georgia Square Mall, 3700 Atlanta Hwy., from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, for the Northeast Georgia Black History Month Community Festival!

The event will feature a cultural exhibition center, live performances, arts and crafts, and other educational and family-friendly activities.

Every eighth-grade student in the Clarke County School District will get an immersive glimpse into many possible high-demand career opportunities available to them at the upcoming “Wonders of Work” (WOW) Futures Fair to be held at Athens Technical College on March 6.

A partnership between CCSD, Athens Tech, and the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce’s Athens Achieves initiative, the event is intended to:

• introduce students to career opportunities available to them that spark their interest and curiosity
• provide information about related high school and postsecondary course options they have through CCSD’s and Athens Tech’s aligned career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) pathways
• strengthen the connections between education and industry by providing local employers opportunities to interact directly with students and showcase their work.

Read more here!

Clarke Central High School STAR Student Olivia Bergman and STAR Teacher Scott Swain and Cedar Shoals High School STAR Student Christopher Koch and STAR Teacher Tara Stuart were recognized this week at the local STAR Student luncheon, along with the STAR students and teachers from Athens Christian School and Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School. Olivia and Mr. Swain were also announced as the "system" winning pair for all public and private schools located in Clarke County! The event was presented by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the local STAR program, and hosted by the Classic City Rotary Club. In case you missed it last week, read more about these students here!

Congratulations to Clarke Central High School junior Dan Bray, who won a bronze medal in the "Internet of Things" category at the Skills USA State Leadership Conference in Atlanta! This was Dan's second consecutive year placing in the event. The "Internet of Things" competition tests each competitor’s preparation for employment and recognizes outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of home technology integration. Competitors complete both a written test and hands-on demonstration with set parameters.

Congratulations to the Clarke Central Academic Team of Justin Lee, Andreas Dillies, and Mariel Sanford on winning the Northeast Georgia RESA regional tournament! The Gladiators remained undefeated on the season and will compete in the upcoming state tournament in early March. Good luck, and Go Glads!

The Georgia Department of Education is offering free, live, virtual SAT Prep Classes this spring in partnership with Tutored by Teachers. Students will strengthen foundational math, reading, and writing skills, build confidence with SAT questions, and learn effective test-taking strategies. This accessible virtual series is designed to support students across the state as they prepare for the SAT. The next sessions are scheduled March 2-5. Click here for more information and to register!

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 March 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 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!

Did you know that children seated in a booster seat in the back seat of a car are 45% less likely to be injured in a crash than children using a seat belt alone? And, on average, 359 children ages 4 to 10 years die as occupants in motor vehicle collisions every year, at least half of which are unrestrained.

It is generally recommended that children use booster seats until they are between 8-12 years old. Safe Kids Athens offers these general safety tips for families below. Click here for more car seat safety tips and resources.

Safety Tips

• When your child is seated in the booster seat, make sure the lap and shoulder seat belt fit. The lap belt should fit low across the hips and the shoulder belt across the shoulder.
• Do not place the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back.
• Older kids get weighed and measured less often than babies, so check your child’s growth a few times a year. Generally, kids need to use a booster until they are between 8 – 12 years old.
• Talk with the drivers who transport your big kids so they understand that booster seat use is a must when your child is in their vehicles.
• Use a booster seat with the vehicle lap and shoulder seat belt until your child passes the following Seat Belt Fit Test:
• Your children’s knees should bend at the edge of the vehicle seat when their backs and bottoms are against the vehicle seat back; and
• The vehicle lap belt should fit across the upper thighs; and
• The shoulder belt should fit across the shoulder and chest. Children are usually between 8 – 12 years old when the seat belt fits them properly.

The Table UGA, 1250 South Lumpkin St., and RAWToolsSouth will host a "Guns to Garden" event from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Anyone may anonymously bring unwanted (and unloaded and working) guns to be dismantled and transformed into garden tools and art. Those donating guns will be celebrated with a gift card for local grocery stores or gas after that gun has been disabled as a thank you for your donation. Click here for more information on the event.

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 March, 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.