Better Together

Members of the student advisory councils and other student ambassador groups from all 14 CCSD elementary schools came together at the CCSD District Office this week for the "Step Up and Lead" program, facilitated by Georgia 4-H through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The two-day conference — attended one day by students from the seven East Side schools and the next day by students from the seven West Side schools — included interactive work sessions geared toward helping students hone their leadership capacity. Students learned about building communication and presentation skills, understanding different leadership and personality styles, and participated in team-building and group process activities. See more photos from the sessions here!

All across the district over the past week — from Movie Character Day at Cedar Shoals High to Tacky Tuesday at Whitehead Road Elementary — CCSD students showed out to support drug prevention awareness and support a lifestyle of healthy choices.

This week, CCSD officially opened its two newest school-based health centers — the Classic City Health Center and Coile Health Center — in partnership with MedLink Georgia, providing students, staff, and families with affordable access to convenient and comprehensive healthcare services. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, Oct. 29, for the Classic City Health Center, and a separate ribbon-cutting for the Coile Health Center is scheduled for Nov. 12.

Read more about the centers here and check out our Facebook gallery of photos from the Classic City Health Center ribbon-cutting along with the video below!

Congratulations to Cedar Shoals High School seniors Amelia Hembree and Delia McElhannon, who won second place in National FFA Agriscience Fair in the Animal Systems Category! They were recognized last week on stage at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Amelia and Delia conducted a nutrition study on chickens, substituting an insect-based protein obtained from mealworms and replacing a small amount of traditional feed in the diets of young chickens and tracking their weight gain over a three-week period.

After winning a state championship last school year, the Clarke Central High School FFA Veterinary Science CDE team picked up where they left off, receiving a silver medal last week at the National FFA Convention. Team members include (from left) Clarice Buril, Quinn Pendley, Max Burnham, and Juliana Hardman. Clarke Central agriculture science Levi Carr Brooks is the team's faculty advisor. In addition to the team medal, Burnham won an individual gold medal, while Buril and Pendley received silver and Hardman received a bronze. Congratulations to these Gladiators!

Congratulations to Cedar Shoals Theatre, which won three awards last weekend in its region one-act play competition for its production of "The Boys Next Door."

Jacorrion Smith and Alex Buckley were selected as “All Star Actors,” and Allan Halstead won “Best Supporting Actor."

Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October was even more personal for Clarke Central High School as students and staff have rallied around teacher and tennis coach Evan Adams to support her fight after she was diagnosed earlier this year with Stage 1B-triple positive. As part of this effort, Coach Cherrelle Pullen Pass and the Gladiator flag football team donated $500 from their booster club in support of Coach Adams.

You can read more about Coach Adams in this story from the Athens Banner-Herald. Anyone interested in donating to support her in her fight against cancer may do so here.

We are still accepting nominations for our November Employee of the Month! Any member of the CCSD community (student, parent/guardian, staff member, community member) may nominate any full-time district employee with at least one full year of service.

Go to bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward to get started on your nomination or complete the embedded form below!

CCSD's Youth Development Initiative is excited to offer free open gym volleyball skills sessions to girls in grades 2-7 from 2-3 p.m. on Sundays now through Dec. 15 at the district gym, 595 Prince Ave. All girls are invited to come develop their fundamental skills with Coach Nora Fowler. Sessions will be held every Sunday except Nov. 24. Email Coach Fowler at fowlern@clarke.k12.ga.us for more information!

Tickets are now on sale for the Classic City Championship basketball games, which will be held Friday, Dec. 20, at the brand-new Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center in downtown Athens! Come watch the Cedar Shoals High School and Clarke Central High School girls' and boys' junior-varsity and varsity basketball teams do battle in an exciting new venue and support all of our student-athletes! More info, including ticket pricing, is available here! CCSD employees will also have to purchase a ticket unless they have an approved GHSA pass.

The game schedule is as follows:

• 1 p.m. - girls' JV
• 3 p.m. - boys' JV
• 5 p.m. - girls' varsity
• 7 p.m. - boys' varsity

At its Thursday, Oct. 17 meeting, the Clarke County Board of Education tabled action on the proposed academic calendars for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years until its Nov. 14 meeting to allow for additional public input.

Following a public input survey on the district's academic calendar this spring, which garnered 863 responses, a district committee was convened in May to craft the calendars for the next two school years. The committee was composed of certified and classified staff, school leadership, representatives from local school governance teams, families, and students. It included representation from each school within the district, as well as the central office, in order to foster inclusivity and equity in the calendar development process.

The calendars and survey responses can be found on this page or by clicking the buttons below. Please submit any comments to feedback@clarke.k12.ga.us.

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, Nov. 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.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., Athens, is partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" program for its "Spotlight on the Arts" Family Day from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 9. Little Characters Theater Troupe will perform a piece inspired by the featured book “Show Way” (by Jacqueline Woodson), and families can join in group improv games. The event will also include interactive art cart activities, a quilting demonstration by local artist Beatrice Brown, and a take-home art project. The first 50 guests will receive a free copy of “Show Way.”

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, Nov. 10, while supplies last.

The Pollack Family Foundation will host the Banquet of Blessings, a free Thanksgiving community feast, on Sunday, Nov. 24, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Classic Center Grand Hall, 300 North Thomas St., Athens. The goal of the event is to provide a warm meal to those in need along with fellowship and hospitality during the holiday season. Items such as jackets, gloves, hats, socks, sleeping bags, children's books and toys, and baby items will also be given away.