Better Together

Do you or does someone you know have a new student to register to attend pre-K or kindergarten in the Clarke County School District next school year? Now is the time to start preparing!

Registration for the 2025-26 CCSD Pre-K Lottery begins Friday, Feb. 7, and runs through Friday, Feb. 21. K-12 registration (new students only) for next school year will also open on Feb. 7. Students must turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 to be eligible to attend pre-K in CCSD next school year and 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to be eligible to attend kindergarten.

Student registration is an online process. The online application will be available starting Feb. 7 and can be found along with a list of documents required to successfully complete registration at www.clarke.k12.ga.us/registration. Please note that students already enrolled in pre-K in CCSD DO NOT have to be re-registered for kindergarten. They will be assigned to a school for kindergarten based on the residential attendance zone of their parent(s)/legal guardian(s).

For more information about the pre-K lottery and general registration, go to our Student Registration home page by clicking on the button below.

In recent weeks and throughout the month of January, CCSD District Office Staff have been visiting elementary schools to read to students as part of our Culture of Literacy campaign. Dr. Anna Morgan, Director of School Psychology (pictured above), and Shurod Swift, Director of Transportation, were just two of the several guest readers this past week.

CCSD's goal with the Culture of Literacy campaign is to promote literacy and love of reading throughout our entire community as the foundation for a successful future. In order to have Thriving Students, we must have Reading Students.

Be sure to follow us on social media (@ClarkeCoSchools) for more photos and information about our commitment to a Culture of Literacy, and don't hesitate to tag us when reading with your child at home by using the hash tags #CCSDReads and #Literacy4Life!

Resources for Reading at Home

Reading is Fundamental, the nation's leading children's literacy non-profit organization, has a monthly Rally to Read read-along series that features children's authors with a common theme each month. January's theme is Wellness. Click here to access and download this month's books and get ready to read!

Congratulations to Cedar Shoals High School senior Sebastian Caillault, who this week was named among the nation's top 300 scholars in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors!

The 300 scholars were selected out of a field of 2,500 entrants from 795 high schools across 48 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 14 other countries and were awarded $2,000 each while their schools also received $2,000 for each scholar.

Scholars were chosen based on their outstanding research, leadership skills, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions, and exceptional promise as STEM leaders demonstrated through the submission of their original, independent research projects, essays, and recommendations.

Seven seniors from Cedar Shoals High School and six from Clarke Central High School have been selected to receive scholarships from the Athens Area Human Relations Council and will be honored at the organization's 46th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Banquet on Jan. 18. Congratulations to the students listed below!

Congratulations to Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School media specialist Davina Swaim, who recently received the "Youth Literacy Hero" Medal from the Comics Appreciation Project, a nonprofit that promotes youth literacy through graphic novels.

Ms. Swaim was recognized for her work in promoting the joy of reading at her school while also running their school’s Tome Student Literacy Society. She presented on the educational value of graphic novels at the 2024 Georgia Children's Book Awards and Conference on Children's Literature and will also present at the upcoming Northeast Georgia RESA Library/Media Collaborative. BHL also received the organization's 2024 Graphic Novel Library Expansion Grant!

The Georgia Department of Education has partnered with Varsity Tutors to offer a series of statewide virtual tutoring sessions. Don’t miss these upcoming sessions!

• College Admissions 101 - 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. Intended for students in grades 8-11, parents, families, and counselors. Learn what colleges look for, how to build strong transcripts and extracurriculars, navigate school research and visits, and track important deadlines.
• Habits of Successful Test Takers - 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. Intended for students, parents, counselors, and educators. This session is designed to help students and parents discover tools to improve test performance and build confidence, including effective study techniques, using answer choices strategically, overcoming mental blocks, managing time, and reducing test anxiety.

Visit this link for additional information and to register for one or both of the sessions.

CCSD will host its annual Science & Engineering Fair for middle and high school students Saturday, Jan. 25, at Clarke Middle School. Following viewing of the projects by judges and student interviews, the public will be invited to view the projects from 11:15 a.m. to noon. An awards presentation is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.

See the full schedule below!

The University of Georgia gymnastics team is encouraging all CCSD elementary school students to stay physically active and fit by joining the "Ten to Win" Challenge. Students who do 10 sit ups, 10 jumping jacks, or have 10 minutes of bike riding, dancing, or playing outside will receive a shirt and two free tickets to the Gym Dogs' home meet against Kentucky on March 2 at 6 p.m.

Submit confirmation of completion at georgiadogs.com/tentowin. The deadline to submit is Feb. 23. For more information, email ella.beadles@uga.edu.

CCSD students in grades PK-12 are invited to participate in the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Waste Reduction Division's annual Green Life Art Contest. Winning entries will be included in the Green Life Art Exhibition in April.

This year, students are invited to explore and express their unique perspectives on sustainability and nature in the Classic City. Create a work of art that shares how you see Athens embracing the balance between urban life and the natural world, highlighting both its challenges and the beauty that lies in its landscapes and environment. Students are encouraged to create a painting, drawing, sculpture, take a photograph, or write a poem to demonstrate Athens through your eyes.

Visit accgov.com/GreenLife for more information.

The Clarke County Board of Education intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for the Clarke County School District and has announced the three required public hearings as part of that process. The hearings have been scheduled for the following dates and times in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the District Office, located at 595 Prince Ave., Athens:

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Click here for additional 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, Jan. 16, 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.

Aspiring teachers are invited to register for and attend the annual CCSD Educator Career Fair on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens! Our Educator Career Fair is 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 Human Resources will also be there to answer any questions you may have.

Space is limited, so register today to secure your spot at bit.ly/ccsdfair25. You can find additional information and answers to frequently asked questions about the fair at this link.

Fill out the short Google form below or here, and a CCSD Human Resources representative will follow up with you.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., Athens, will host its monthly free Family Day event — "Beauty in Form" — from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 11. Explore new additions to the Samuel H. Kress Gallery with interactive art carts and a hands-on art project inspired by the painting techniques of Renaissance artists.

For those who cannot attend in person, Family Day to-go kits will be available for pick-up starting at 1 p.m. Saturday through the end of day Sunday, Jan. 12, while supplies last.

The Museum of Art also has the following ongoing programming available to families:

• Toddler Tuesday programs feature art and story time together in the galleries followed by an art activity for little ones. This free program is designed for families with children ages 18 months to 3 years. Seats are limited; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
• Teen Studio is geared toward ages 13-18 and is a studio-based workshop led by local artist and educator Kristen Bach. Look at art, then create your own objects inspired by what you saw. This program is free and includes a pizza dinner. Seats are limited; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to sign up or register online.

Join the Athens Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the Athens-Clarke County Library from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 25, for a community forum on human trafficking. Learn from experts and discover ways to combat this issue. Scan the QR code in the flyer above or go to this link to register and secure your spot.

The Cedar Shoals High School Alumni Association will hold a community food distribution event Monday, Jan. 20, in partnership with City of Refuge Athens. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Cedar Shoals High, 1300 Cedar Shoals Dr. Everyone must register to receive food. Register at bit.ly/CEDFOOD or by scanning the code in the flyer above.

Athens-based nonprofit Casa de Amistad has several opportunities coming up in early 2025, including English classes for Spanish speakers, Spanish classes for English speakers, and GED classes in both English and Spanish. See the flyers below and visit athensamistad.com for additional information.

CCSD families are invited to participate in two research projects being conducted by the Augusta University-University of Georgia Medical Partnership. The first is to study preferences and barriers with electronic communication and improve communication between pediatricians and patients' parents and guardians. The second is to understand people's dental care experiences locally and how services can be enhanced with families. Survey results will help inform operations at the Clarke Middle Health Center, which is managed by the medical partnership.

Click the buttons below to access the surveys or scan the codes in the flyers above.

Project Safe's annual Jessica Nowell Memorial "Stomp Out Domestic Violence" step show will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, at Clarke Central High School.

Step teams from CCSD schools will be among those participating in the event. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students.