Better Together

CCSD's Department of Special Education held its annual Transition Fair last week, connecting students and their families with numerous resources to help them plan for postsecondary success. More than 30 local resource providers were on hand to share information about community access programs, job support, financial support, trusts planning, guardianship, social opportunities, and more. See more photos in this gallery and learn more about CCSD SPED transition services here. Meanwhile, also be sure to check the links below for photo galleries of other happenings around the district over the past week!

Next week (May 5-9) is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we want to hear from you to help us celebrate it! CCSD invites students, staff, families, and community members to submit a message of support for one or more teachers to be potentially showcased on our social media platforms (@ClarkeCoSchools) next week!

Is there a current CCSD teacher who has inspired or had a significant impact on you or your student Let us know by completing this form.

Congratulations to Clarke Central High School senior and ODYSSEY Media Group Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, who was named one of six finalists for National Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Education Association! The six finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 230 entries. Alan Tai of California was named the winner, while Wyatt and the four other finalists will each receive $1,200 Journalist of the Year scholarships.

This honor comes on the heels of Wyatt being named state Journalist of the Year (Georgia Champion Journalist) by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association.

Read more about the winner and each finalist here and view Wyatt's portfolio here!

Congratulations to Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School eighth-grader Charlie Crawford, who won first place in the Junior Individual Website category last weekend in the state National History Day competition at LaGrange College! Charlie, who did his project on the Osage Indian murders that took place in Oklahoma in the early 1900s, will now represent CCSD in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in June, marking the second year in a row BHL will be sending a project to nationals!

In addition, Cedar Shoals High School sophomores Savannah Rawls, Sa-ida Arnold, and Caitlin Smith, placed third in the Senior Group Documentary division and will be alternates in the national competition!

Congratulations to and a job well done by all 47 CCSD students from our four middle schools and Cedar Shoals who advanced to the state competition, and special thanks to all the educators who helped students access college level work, practice important life skills, and think critically about the world that they live in. CCSD sent the most projects it has ever sent to the state competition this year, and we are excited to see the program grow!

CCSD had great representation last week in both the state FFA Convention and the state Agriscience Fair, where more than two dozen students placed in their categories.

Cedar Shoals High School's Grayson Oliver placed first in Agriscience Research Proficiency - Plant Systems and Amelia Hembree placed second in Agriscience Research Proficiency Animal Systems, while Omnia Mansour also had a first-place finish in the Animal Systems category. See this Facebook post for a full list of students from Cedar who placed.

In addition, Josie Shuman of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School placed second in her Environmental and Natural Resources division, while Noah Gamiz-Perez of Coile Middle placed fourth in his Animal Systems Division.

Also during the FFA convention, Quinn Pendley of Clarke Central High (pictured below at far left) was elected North Georgia Region Vice President and will become the school's first-ever state FFA officer! Clarke Central also had 13 students earn the Georgia FFA State Degree while Cedar Shoals had three.

Congratulations to all!

Clarke Central Boys' Soccer Team Advances to State Quarterfinals

Congratulations to the Clarke Central boys' soccer team on its 2-1 win over Kennesaw Mountain High this week in the second round of the GHSA Class AAAAA playoffs! The Gladiators will take on Sprayberry High School in Marietta in the Elite Eight on Tuesday, May 6.

Track and Field Athletes Head to State Sectionals

Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals had strong showings in their respective track and field region championship meets last week and will be sending a large haul of athletes to state sectionals this weekend, as the Gladiator boys and girls compete in the Class 5A sectionals at Greenbrier High School and the Jaguar boys and girls compete in the 4A sectionals at North Oconee High School. Athletes who place in the top eight of their events will advance to the state championship meet next week.

The Clarke Central boys finished second overall in the team standings of the Region 8-AAAAA meet. Senior Derrion Richardson won the region title in the 100-meter dash, finished as runner-up in the 200-meter dash, and ran a leg on the winning 4x100-meter relay team with Davion Richardson, Lagracion Little, and Gyasi Miller. Junior James Daniel won first in both the 800-meter run and 1,600-meter run, while junior Noah Kilpatrick won the 3,200-meter run. On the girls' side, senior Ty'Asia Brown won both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash and ran a leg on the winning 4x100-meter relay team with Breyanna Williams, KD McArthur, and Trinity Lewis.

Other Clarke Central athletes who qualified for sectionals included: Jackson Brooks, Waylon Vaughn, Zaylen Sheats, AJ Lonon, Sincere Saner, Trey Browner, Ryan Marshall, Ryker Comstock, Luke Schliekelman, Torin Trotter, Amire Barnes, Jayda Shelton, Xzaria Hanks, Briceyda Sesmas-Mondragon, Sophia Alkhafaji, Caroline Boroski, and Vivian Carebello.

For the Cedar Shoals boys, junior Tybias Lay continued his dominance in hurdles, winning the Region 8-AAAA title in both the 110-meter and 300-meter races. He was also on the 4x200-meter relay team that finished as region runner-up along with Jeremiah Barnett, Ta'marion Martin, and Chase Rucker. Rucker also qualified in the triple jump and 100- and 200-meter dashes. The Cedar Shoals girls were led by Jamari Allen, who finished second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, while Anisa Willis finished second in the triple jump. Allen and Willias teamed up with Sequia Collins and Alanda Huff to finish second in the 4x200-meter relay.

Other Cedar Shoals athletes who qualified for sectionals included Keantae Freeman, Dorian Thrasher, Ella Conway, Ky'Esha Gainer, Atyia Thompson, and Kayliania Jones.

Clarke Central Boys' Tennis Wraps Up Successful Season

The Clarke Central boys' tennis team's season came to an end in a second-round playoff loss to Statesboro this week, but congratulations to the Gladiators on another stellar year that saw them capture their second consecutive region championship!

Cedar Shoals Soccer Player, Coach Selected to All-Star Game

The Cedar Shoals soccer program will be well represented later this month in the DiVarsity Georgia High School All-Star Game at Sprayberry High School as boys' players Damon Davis, Hank Ruder, Ever Barrera, Zeke Hensley-Williams, and Joshua Malave Guaiquirian, girls' player Zulma Valdivieso-Gutierrez, and boys' head coach Conor Naughton were all selected to participate in the games. Congratulations and Go Jags!

From March 17 to April 4, Clarke Central High School hosted the international exhibition, “Anne Frank: A History for Today," in conjunction with the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia Jewish Studies Program. Eighteen Clarke Central students served as docents for the exhibit and underwent extensive training from members of the staff at the USC Anne Frank Center in preparation.

This special video presentation below, given by the student docents, is for community members who were unable to attend the public reception on March 20. Enjoy!

CCSD's 21st Century after-school program will hold free, grant-funded summer enrichment camps open to all middle school students as well as students at Fowler Drive, Gaines, and J.J. Harris elementary schools.

All camps will be held June 2-18, Monday through Thursday each week and ending on Wednesday, June 18. Transportation and meals will be provided free of charge.

• The middle school camps are open to all students entering grades 6-8 and will include STEM activities, culinary classes, and field trips and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. West side students (Clarke Middle and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle) will attend camp at Clarke Middle. East side students (Hilsman Middle and Coile Middle) will attend camp at Hilsman.
• The elementary camps are open to students entering grades 1-5 at either Fowler Drive, Gaines, or J.J. Harris. The camps will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and will also include culinary classes, S.T.E.A.M. activities, and field trips. Students at Fowler Drive and J.J. Harris will attend camp at J.J. Harris, while Gaines students will be at Gaines.

Click here or on the button below to register now!

The Clarke Central High School Athletic Department will offer numerous youth sports camps this summer. The camps are open to students ages 6-14. Scholarship opportunities are available. Click here 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.
• Attend a Meeting: The board's next scheduled meeting is Thursday, May 8, 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.

Registration is open for the "Creative Explorers" Summer Day Camp programs hosted by the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education and the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development. The camp is for students who will be entering grades 3-5 and covers six different topics. The program fee is $350 per week. Needs-based scholarships are available. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/ugakids25 and see the flyer above.

Registration opens Saturday, May 3, for the First Tee Athens summer program. The program is for children ages 7-19 who are looking to develop their skills, build confidence, and have fun through golf. Sessions will be held on Saturdays at the UGA Golf Course Driving Range. For more information and to register, go to firstteeathens.org or scan the QR code in the flyer above.

The Athens Area Association of Realtors invites everyone in the community to a free Family Fun Day event Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1720 Meriweather Dr., Watkinsville. See the flyer above for more information.