Better Together

Next week (May 4-8) is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are excited to bring back the Teacher Appreciation Week Messages of Support form to help celebrate! We want to hear from you (families, students, staff, and community members) about a teacher you appreciate!

Is there a current CCSD teacher who has inspired or had a significant impact on you or your student? Let us know about teachers who are Raising the Bar in CCSD every day in pursuit of excellence! Complete this form, and your message may be showcased on our social media platforms (@ClarkeCoSchools) next week! All messages will be shared with teachers later in May!

We closed out Financial Literacy Month in a big way this week with events and initiatives that generated more excitement, buzz, and community support for the Gifted Savings program in CCSD high schools!

• Seniors from Cedar Shoals, Clarke Central, and Classic City high schools participated in end-of-year assemblies on Wednesday, April 29, where they received encouragement from their peers and Gifted Savings representatives to finish all of their online learning modules by May 9 to successfully complete the program and gain full access of their investment portfolios. The soon-to-be graduates also heard from many successful CCSD alumni from a wide variety of career sectors who offered them their best advice on smart money management as they enter adulthood.
• We also hosted a donor appreciation lunch on Wednesday to thank those who have contributed financial support to keep the program going for future senior classes and were joined by 13 local restaurants throughout the day on Thursday, April 30, for the "Dining for Dividends" initiative, where a percentage of sales went toward funding Gifted Savings in CCSD. Thank you to all those who participated by supporting local businesses and investing in our students at the same time!

Our work of keeping this amazing financial literacy program going for future senior classes is far from done, and we need our community's help! Join the effort in making Athens the first city in America where every student has the opportunity to graduate high school as an investor! Consider donating to the CCSD Gifted Savings Fund through the Athens Area Community Foundation and helping change the trajectory of many of our students' lives. No amount is too big or too small!

Thank you for believing and investing in our students!

As part of our mission to create educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential, CCSD is focused on helping students "find their E" for after graduation – whether that is Enrolling in college, Enlisting in the military, directly entering the world of Employment, or carving their own path as an Entrepreneur. The Work-based learning program in CCSD is a vital component of this work and is available to students in grades 10-12 as they discover career paths where they can gain hands-on learning experience and even immediately step into well-paying jobs in high-demand sectors.

Caterpillar Athens is one of several community partners who support this program, and six of our high school seniors recently completed the company's apprenticeship program and committed to begin working there full time after they graduate later this month. Congratulations to the following students:

• Joshua Luna, Clarke Central and Athens Community Career Academy
• Anthony Castro-Soto, Cedar Shoals and ACCA
• CJ Long, Cedar Shoals
• Brandon Morales-Flores, Cedar Shoals and ACCA
• Travon Tucker, Cedar Shoals
• (not pictured above) Est Martinez-Calderon, Cedar Shoals and ACCA

If you are a CCSD student who will be in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade next school year and are interested in work-based learning opportunities like this, we encourage you to apply to the WBL program at bit.ly/WBLAPP. You can also reach out to your school’s WBL Coordinator for more information:

• Cedar Shoals, Tammy Caudell – tcaudell@clarke.k12.ga.us
• Clarke Central, Brook Thompson – thompsonb2@clarke.k12.ga.us

Dozens of students from Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools represented CCSD in last week's state FFA Convention and brought home a large haul of awards and recognitions. Here are just a few of the highlights!

• Angel Jones and Savannah Rawls of Cedar Shoals finished first in the state Agriscience Fair in their category and division (Animal Systems, Division 6) and will advance to the national competition this fall. Additionally, 13 more Cedar students placed in the top four of their category and division. Click here for a full list of Cedar awards and recognitions!
• For Clarke Central, Kate Hinger was named the state winner in Equine Science Proficiency, which recognizes the top Supervised Agricultural Experience in the state within a specific agricultural area. Kaydon Jones was named the state runner-up in the Agricultural Education Leadership Development Event, where she developed and delivered an original lesson to students and demonstrated her knowledge of agricultural education, and the Gladiators' Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event team finished third in the state. Senior Quinn Pendley also retired as a State FFA Officer, a position in which he represented more than 80,000 students enrolled in agricultural education and FFA across Georgia. At the convention, he delivered his retiring address, “The Difference,” to a crowd of nearly 7,000 members, parents, school administrators, and stakeholders. Listen to his speech here! For a full list of student awards and recognitions from Clarke Central, check out the CCHS Agricultural Education Facebook page!

Twenty-five CCSD students in the Georgia Possible program recently went on a three-day trip to Skidaway Island to visit the University of Georgia Aquarium and a trawling excursion aboard the Sea Dawg research vessel, helping collect and identify marine animals while learning about research methods used to monitor coastal ecosystems. They studied coastal ecology through guided field investigations and discussions, examining habitats such as salt marshes and tidal creeks.

The trip was the first time to the Georgia Coast for 19 of the 25 participants and was the first time at the ocean for several students. As they explored the shoreline, observing wildlife and environmental conditions firsthand, students immersed themselves in new environments and gained a deeper understanding of Georgia’s dynamic coastal systems. Learn more about the trip on this special webpage!

Georgia Possible is a two-year leadership and college readiness program for high school students created through a partnership between UGA and CCSD. The curriculum is designed and facilitated by the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development.

Barrow Elementary third-grade gifted teacher Sara Clarke and second-grade gifted teacher Marie Boyle and their students collaborated with University of Georgia service-learning students this year through the Project FOCUS experiential learning class. This learning enrichment included:

• a hydroponics project where students were able to engage deeply with plant science, sustainability, and food systems. This project served as a pilot for expanding these initiatives to additional schools and classrooms in the coming semesters. Learn more about the project on this special-created website!
• a tree-labeling project to help students identify and recognize different tree species and build more curiosity and knowledge of how those species relate to different habitats, seasons, and ecosystems.

Barrow Elementary teacher Sara Clarke recently received the Water Conservation Leadership Award from the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's Public Utilities Department as part of its 2026 GreenLife Awards. The award recognizes an individual, business, group, or other organization that has demonstrated a commitment to protecting our water resources through water conservation. Ms. Clarke (second from left) is pictured above with Jackie Sherry from the ACCGov Water Department and students Evelyn Vogel and Ace Weatherford.

Congratulations to the several Cedar Shoals High School soccer players who have been selected to participate in the annual DiVarsity Georgia High School Soccer All-Star games on Saturday, May 16, at Mount Bethel Christian Academy in Marietta. Players and coaches were selected from schools all across the state and from all classifications:

Cedar boys' players selected included Zeke Hensley-Williams (12th grade), Hank Ruder (12th grade), Ever Barrera (12th grade), Sammy Teran-Juarez (12th grade), Wyatt Gehner (12th grade), and Joshua Malave Guaiquirian (11th grade). Jaguars head coach Conor Naughton was also selected to be a coach in one of the games. Zulma Valdivieso-Gutierrez (12th grade) was also selected to play in one of the girls' games.

Congratulations to all!

Get ready to be inspired! Fifteen dynamic student speakers from CCSD will take the stage on Saturday, May 9, for TEDxCCSD Youth 2026! In this first-of-its-kind event in Clarke County, student speakers will take the stage to "Raise the Bar" through powerful TED Talks centered around how they THINK, LEAD, and SHOW UP.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 9 at the CCSD District Office, 595 Prince Avenue, Athens, and is free and open to the public. Please register in advance to attend the event at bit.ly/CCSDYouth26. Check-in and any on-site registrations will begin at 10:15 a.m. on the day of the event.

CCSD invites the community to its upcoming public surplus sale of district furniture, equipment, and other items. The sale will expand to the general public on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CCSD’s Early Learning Center East location, 280 Gaines School Road in Athens.

The event is ideal for local businesses, churches, daycare centers, and other organizations, as well as private residents looking to stock their offices, meeting spaces, or homes with furniture and equipment. Items for sale include office and classroom desks, tables, chairs, bookshelves and books, filing cabinets, laptop charging stations, cosmetology chairs, and various other items and materials.

All items will be sold as-is on a first-come, first-served basis, and no items will be held. Purchasers are responsible for the loading and removal of items at the time of purchase. No refunds or exchanges will be granted. Payments can be made with cash or with a credit card through the CCSD online payments portal at bit.ly/ccsdpayments.

Through Jaguar and Gladiator Youth Football, the Athens Youth Development Initiative is excited to offer a positive, exciting tackle football and cheerleading experience for the youth of Clarke County.

There will be teams at the 6U, 7U, 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, and 7th grade (12 and 13) levels coached by skilled and knowledgeable individuals. The teams are members of the North Georgia Youth Football Association and play their home games in Cedar Shoals’ Waters-Wilkins Stadium and Clarke Central’s Billy Henderson Stadium, respectively.

Early registration is now open and is $50 per family for football and $35 per family for cheer. After June 21, registration for both is $100 per athlete. Needs-based scholarships are available. For information, email gladiatoryouthfootball@gmail.com or athensjaguarsfootball@gmail.com.

• Clarke Central High School will be hosting its annual Gladiator Youth Sports Camps for ages 6-14, beginning May 26. Camp opportunities are available for soccer, basketball, volleyball, football, and cheerleading. Learn more here and register here.
• Girls who will be entering grades K-7 for the 2026-27 school year are invited to sign up for the Athens YWCO Summer Girls Club, which will be held June 1 through July 10 at Howard B. Stroud Elementary School. Click here for more information and to register!
• Registration is open for summer camp at all Boys and Girls Clubs of Athens locations. The camps begin June 1. See the attached PDF below with site-specific flyers (available in English and Spanish).
• The Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of American will host Cub Scout Summer Day Camps for boys and girls ages 5-10 at two locations – Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Athens (June 8-12, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and Watkinsville United Methodist Church (June 15-19, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Register here and see the attached form below for additional information.
• Registration is open for students ages 12 and under for the Pinewoods Library Summer Reading Program, which will be held June 1 through July 16, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Register at this link.
• Students entering grades 6-9 are invited to register for Media Camp, hosted by the Athens-Clarke County High School Completion Initiative June 1-23, Monday through Thursday of each week. Click here for more information and to register.
• Students ages 5-10 are invited to register for the Learning Voyage Summer Camp at 895 Oglethorpe Ave. English and Spanish flyer PDFs are included below.
• Athens-Clarke County youth are invited to register for the Faith Walk Summer Camp, which will be held May 27 - July 3, Wednesday through Friday of each week. The camp will include games, sports, group leadership lessons, and field trips. Register at this link. For more information, call Jeremiah Parks (470-270-1482) or email faithwalkyouthdept@gmail.com.
• Students ages 14-17 are invited to register for the University of Georgia's Summer Art Camps, which will be held June 15-19. Available camps include drawing and painting, printmaking and book arts, photography, and fiber and 3D art. Day and residential camp options are available. Click here for more information and to register. For questions, email SummerArtCamp@uga.edu.

Nominations are open for CCSD's Employee of the Month award for May! 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 May 14 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 still has pre-K space available at both of Early Learning Center locations and several elementary schools for the 2026-27 school year! Children must turn 4 years old on or before September 1, 2026, to be eligible to attend pre-K in CCSD.

Space is available for next school year at the following locations:

• Early Learning Center East
• Early Learning Center West
• Bettye H. Holston Elementary
• Fowler Drive Elementary
• Gaines Elementary
• Howard B. Stroud Elementary
• J.J. Harris Elementary
• Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary
• Whit Davis Elementary
• Winterville Elementary.

These locations are open to all Clarke County families, and children do not have to be zoned for a school to attend pre-K there; however, parents or guardians are required to provide transportation for out-of-zone students. The early learning centers are not assigned zones. If a student attends pre-K out-of-zone, they will be reassigned to their zoned school beginning in kindergarten.

Student enrollment in CCSD is an online process and can be done entirely from the comfort of your home. In-person appointments and walk-in assistance are also available at the District Office, located at 595 Prince Avenue in Athens. More information about the registration process and required documents can be found at www.clarke.k12.ga.us/registration.

CCSD's School Choice application period for the 2026-27 school year opened April 1 and runs through May 9, 2026.

CCSD school assignments are based on the boundaries of the district’s attendance zones; however, under state law, School Choice allows parents/guardians of students currently enrolled in CCSD (including those who do not currently attend but have already enrolled for the 2026-27 school year) to apply for a transfer to a school outside of their attendance zone, provided that space is available. Currently, School Choice transfer space is available at all CCSD schools except for Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary, Timothy Road Elementary, and Clarke Central High schools.

Families have until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, to complete the School Choice application. If the number of applications exceeds the spaces available at a particular school, selections will be made by random lottery. Families will be notified by email by June 9 whether their transfer request is approved. If selected for School Choice, the parent/guardian must accept the transfer by July 22. If a student is approved for a transfer out of zone, guardians are responsible for transportation to and from school, as the district does not provide out-of-zone transportation. Regular school attendance and positive behavior are also required to maintain enrollment.

The School Choice application is available at this link in English and Spanish.

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, May 14, 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.

CCSD is currently hiring for special education teacher positions at several schools for the 2026-27 academic year. At CCSD, we create educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential. We offer competitive salaries and benefits and alternative paths to and assistance with obtaining full teaching certification. We have supportive schools and leadership that optimize talent to support thriving students.

SPED positions for next school year are available at:

• Barnett Shoals Elementary
• Bettye H. Holston Elementary
• Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle
• Cedar Shoals High
• Clarke Central High
• Coile Middle
• Gaines Elementary
• Hilsman Middle
• Howard B. Stroud Elementary
• Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary
• Winterville Elementary.

Apply today at ccsdjobs.org. Questions? Email careers@clarke.k12.ga.us. Join our team where we are Better Together!

Due to anticipated inclement weather, the Clarke County Sheriff's Foundation's Vehicle Showcase originally scheduled for this weekend has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Georgia Square Mall. All registrations will remain valid for the new date.

This is a free, family-friendly event designed to bring the community together in a positive and engaging environment. Attendees will enjoy a display of classic and modern cars, emergency vehicles, trucks, and motorcycles, along with food, vendors, and activities for children. It’s a great opportunity for families to spend time together and connect with local organizations and community partners.

Vehicle registration is available for those who would like to participate in the showcase for $20 per vehicle. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes, which provide safe, nurturing homes and support services for children in need across Georgia.

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 May, 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.