Better Together

Whit Davis Elementary's S.T.E.A.M. Day was a hit with students, who partook in fun, interactive lessons in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics! The event had support from many local professionals, experts, and organizations in the S.T.E.A.M. fields. See more photos here! And click the links below to see galleries of more exciting events around the district!

Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals high schools have been named 2025 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools by State School Superintendent Richard Woods and the Georgia Department of Education! Clarke Central earned a designation in six of the seven applicable AP Honor School categories — including AP School of Distinction — while Cedar Shoals was named in three of the categories. Read more here!

Congratulations to three student-journalists from Clarke Central High School's ODYSSEY Media Group for taking home top individual honors from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association! Editor-in-Chief senior Wyatt Meyer has been named Georgia Champion Journalist after receiving the GSPA Georgia Junior Champion Journalist Award last year. Fellow senior Managing Editor Janie Ripps was named Georgia Champion Journalist runner-up, and Diversity and Representation Editor, junior Peter Atchley, was named Georgia Junior Champion Journalist.

Read more about the trio here! (Photos courtesy of ODYSSEY Media Group)

Clarke Central High School will be host to the international exhibition, “Anne Frank: A History for Today,” beginning later this month and will hold an opening public reception from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in the school media center, 350 South Milledge Ave., Athens. The event is being held in conjunction with the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia Hillel House.

Directly from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam via the USC Anne Frank Center (the only one in North America), the exhibit provides visitors with a historical overview of the Holocaust through the perspective of Anne Frank and her family. It includes photographs and other artifacts and utilizes passages from Frank’s diary. Clarke Central will be the only K-12 school in Georgia hosting the exhibit during the current tour.

Clarke Central students will serve as docents for the exhibit and will undergo extensive training from members of the staff at the USC Anne Frank Center in preparation. In addition, Clarke Central students who visited Europe for a Holocaust history-based tour will be in attendance at the reception to speak with visitors about their trip and experiences. The reception will also feature music from the school’s string orchestra.

Members of the community are encouraged to attend the opening reception, which will also feature traditional Jewish foods.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission has partnered with the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and private institutions to provide application fee waivers to Georgia high school seniors through the Find Your MATCH in March initiative. More than 60 Georgia colleges and universities have agreed to waive their application fees for high school seniors between March 1-31.

Read more about the initiative here. You can also find a full list of participating colleges, application instructions, and contact information on our Facebook post from earlier this week!

The Athens Community Career Academy will once again host summer enrichment camps in June for rising ninth-grade students featuring several of its pathways and designed to introduce students to pathways they can apply for during their freshman year at their home high school and start taking classes in as early as their sophomore year.

The weeklong camps are half-day camps from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Breakfast, lunch, and transportation will be provided upon request. Spots in each pathway camp are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. The deadline to apply is April 22.

The camps and dates include:

• Firefighting (June 9-12)
• Biotechnology (June 9-12)
• Cosmetology (June 9-12)
• Advanced Manufacturing (June 23-26)
• Culinary Arts (June 9-12)
• Healthcare (June 9-12)
• Teaching as a Profession (June 9-12)
• Broadcast Video Production (June 9-12).

Go to bit.ly/ccsdsummerprograms to select the camp you are interested in attending and select whether your student will need breakfast, lunch, and transportation. For more information, contact Halo Smart, ACCA Workforce Development Coordinator, at smarth@clarke.k12.ga.us or 706-357-5244.

Registration is now open for the fall 2025 season of Gladiator and Jaguar Youth Football and Cheerleading! All CCSD students ages 6-12 are eligible to participate. Registration is $50 football and $30 for cheerleading. Teams will compete as members of the North Georgia Youth Football Association. Click or tap on the flyers above to enlarge them, and click on the buttons below to register! Team spots go quickly so register soon to secure your child's spot!

Barnett Shoals Elementary School invites members of the community to MAC Fest, the school's annual Music, Art, and Culture Festival, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22. This event celebrates creativity, diversity, and the vibrant talents within the community. It will feature a wide range of performances, interactive activities, and displays.

Community members and groups are invited to participate in the celebration in the following ways:

• Performances – All types of music, dance, theater, or other cultural expressions are welcome.
• Activity leaders – Lead a hands-on activity or workshop that engages attendees and promotes creativity, learning, and fun for all ages.
• Cultural or artistic experiences – Set up a display or interactive experience that allows participants to learn about different cultures, artistic expressions, or traditions.
• Community resource table – Share valuable information about your organization, provide resources, or showcase community programs that support the arts, culture, and education.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form or email Barnett Shoals family engagement specialist Jennifer Flores at floresj@clarke.k12.ga.us if you have any questions.

Support members of the Cedar Shoals High School FFA chapter in their research projects for the State FFA Agriscience Fair by completing their surveys on dog owner perceptions of vaccinations and and consumer perceptions of vegetables produced in high-tech food environments.

• To complete the dog vaccination perception survey, click here.
• To complete the high-tech food product survey, click here.

Teams from Clarke Middle and Howard B. Stroud Elementary schools will be among those competing Saturday, March 22, in the 12th annual Athens Area Black History Quiz Bowl. The event is free and open to the public and will begin at 2 p.m. in the Elizabeth G. King Gymnasium on the H.T. Edwards Campus, 440 Dearing Ext.

The event will focus on fostering awareness and appreciation of African American History, enhancing study skills, building a positive self-image, and promoting teamwork.

CCSD has a new partnership with Varsity Tutors that provides students with virtual, asynchronous assistance and extended learning opportunities at all levels. These support services include free tutoring anytime, enrichment classes, essay reviews, read-aloud sessions, and self-study resources to name a few!

CLICK HERE for information on how to access Varsity Tutors.

Check out the programs below and stay tuned for more information!

• Elementary School
• Middle School
• High School

You can also check out answers to these frequently asked questions in English and Spanish for more details.

Is your company hiring, providing internship opportunities, or looking for more ways to connect with high school students? The Athens Community Career Academy, 440-1 Dearing Ext., Athens, will host a career fair on Wednesday, April 2, 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1-2:15 p.m.

The event connects local employers with CCSD students seeking full-time jobs, summer positions, or internships starting in August. Graduating seniors are looking for employment, while sophomores and juniors will be in search of part-time work or Work-Based Learning credit opportunities. If you or a colleague are interested in recruiting, please complete this registration form by Friday, March 21.

This free program, coordinated by CCSD, is open to all students grades 1-12 throughout northeast Georgia with a qualifying physical disability. Wheelchair football practice starts March 9. If you're interested in signing your student up, please complete this interest form or contact CCSD AdaptED coordinator Chris Aiken at aikenc@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, March 13, 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.

Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services is rewarding CCSD students who earn high grades with a free summer pool pass! In order to be eligible, any student in grades K-12 who resides in Athens-Clarke County must take a copy of their final report card or equivalent to the Leisure Services Department’s park office where a swimming pool is located.

A report card with all A's or all E's guarantees a free summer pool pass. A report card with all A's and B's, or all 3's and 4's, is good for 10 free trips. The passes may be used at all of the department’s five pool and both splash pads located throughout the county this summer.

For more information and a list of pool and splash pad locations, visit www.accgov.com/aquatics.