Thank you all for a great first 6 weeks of this new school year! These first days have gone by so fast. New routines and faces are starting to feel familiar now as everyone settles into the rhythm once again, and at each school I have witnessed intentional instruction, enthusiastic engagement, and energized students for the year ahead.
Congratulations to our newly named Teachers of the Year! These outstanding professionals have been selected for their dedication, passion, and commitment to our students. They are truly exemplary, and they reflect the quality of the teachers that we have in our district. We are proud to have you represent the GCSS Tigers family.
This first quarter, our main message to our students and their families is on the importance of consistent attendance. While I understand that we have had greater than expected illness sweep through our buildings in the first few weeks, absenteeism in the first 30 days often predicts poor attendance throughout the school year. Students who miss 2-4 days in the first or second months of school go on to miss nearly a month over the course of the school year. Throughout this year, a dedicated district attendance team led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rotonya Rhodes will be working diligently to implement strategies that promote attendance not only for academic growth but also to address social-emotional well-being. We want every student to feel a sense of belonging, to know that they are an integral part of our school family.
As September unfolds, our consistent routines will soon become synonymous with accomplishment for our students. Let’s remain steadfast in our commitment to attendance, safety, and the unwavering pursuit of excellence. Here’s to a year of growth, learning and shared dedication!
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Houston
Superintendent
GCSS Athletics will implement the use of handheld security wands to screen attendees at all home sporting events, beginning on Friday, September 29th with the Tiger Football Homecoming game.
GCHS Athletic Director Chad Smith said the new security procedure is being taken in light of recent safety incidents that have happened at athletic events in other school systems: “This effort is just one proactive measure used to help ensure the safety and security of students and staff and to maintain a family-friendly and fun atmosphere for the fans at our athletic events,” AD Smith said. “The process is similar to what is done at sporting venues across Georgia and nationwide.”
The district's clear bag policy will continue to remain in effect. Click here to read more of this story on our website.
Parents, students, faculty and staff, the Board of Education, and many Greene County community members gathered in August to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Pre-K—5 Greene County Elementary School building on Meadow Crest Road. At the ceremony, students who will be educated in the new building in just a little over a year had a chance to speak and thank the Board of Education and Superintendent Houston and tell them which parts of the new school they were most excited about, such as the library, theater, outdoor learning spaces, and more.
"When we are united in our ideals and work sacrificially to help others, great things happen," said Dr. Perry Lee, Chairman of the Greene County Board of Education. "The new Greene County Elementary School is just one example of an achievement that will prove our efforts worthy for decades to come."
The new 113,000 square foot facility is expected to educate about 900 students when it opens next year. Click here to read more of this story on our website.
Mrs. Kati Mize's Marketing classes have been working hard at the Tigers Den, and they are offering a way for teachers and staff to purchase spirit shirts. If you would like to purchase a spirit shirt, please see the picture below that shows different options they currently have. Email them at gchstigersden@gmail.com with your order details. All shirts will be ready for pick up by the end of the school day each Thursday (most likely much sooner). Please get orders in by noon on Thursday to be ready before each Friday football game. The Tigers Den accepts cash, credit cards, and Cash App. An invoice will be sent to you after your order is placed (this will come from Square). Thank you for supporting the Tigers Den and DECA!
Jacqueline D. Evans is a Parent Mentor for the Greene County School System. A Parent Mentor is a parent of a child with a disability employed by the school system to use their knowledge and experience to provide their first-hand experience to other families in raising a child with special needs, to encourage positive communication among the parents and educators in order to promote success for all students.
Jacqueline is a mother of 3. She has a child who was diagnosed as having Significant Developmental Delay, and Speech-Language impairment. Jacqueline has worked with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health for more than 10 years. Her goal as a Parent Mentor is to help both families and educators in providing the children the best lives possible.
Jacqueline is here to listen and provide support to all families who receive special services. She’s available to attend IEP’s or other meeting with parents and educational staff as needed. Her goal is to facilitate positive parent/professional relationships within Greene County School System.
Early Childhood Education is the newest pathway at the Greene College & Career Academy. It provides hands-on learning opportunities for students who are interested in education and services or working with children in another occupation. Topics covered in the courses include human growth and development (prenatal-age 12), appropriate and optimal care, safety, health, and wellness for children, and preparation for classroom teaching through a practicum.
The Early Childhood Education I recently class had two guest speakers. Ms. Bailee Adams, the Speech-Language Pathologist for CBJ Preschool, came to speak to the students during their career unit. She talked about her role as an SLP, what she does on a daily basis at the Pre-K, and inspired the students to have fun and be kind in whatever career they choose to pursue. Ms. Kathy Arena, our representative from PAGE, came to speak about professionalism, focusing on the Code of Ethics for teachers. Thank you to Ms. Adams and Ms. Arena for visiting the ECE class!
Kindergarten students had a blast in Mrs. Ansley's Literacy Lab recently, learning all about insects, including naming the body parts of insects, and exploring the life cycles of various insects. Students learned and sang songs that helped them remember content-specific vocabulary. Students made models of different insects using playdoh, as well as making and labeling a diagram of an ant. They finished the week by sequencing the life cycle of a butterfly. What a great way to combine learning about nature with research, vocabulary, and writing skills! 🦋🌿✏️
Students in Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Geller’s ELA class recently enjoyed making s’mores as a way to wrap up their reading unit and because they earned a classroom reward. Students read three parts of a story “How to Make S’mores” and worked on making inferences from the story. The story was about a girl who moved to a new country (America) and had to figure out how to make new friends and handle new situations. She had never tried or even heard of s’mores before! In addition to making inferences about the events in the story, students also discussed positive ways to handle new situations. Students had fun making s’mores, journaling, and even sitting around the “campfire” while Mrs. Geller read scary stories!
The Greene County Board of Education approved a rollback millage rate for the 5th consecutive year and the Fiscal Year 2024 budget at its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, August 17th. At 10.311 this year, the Greene County BOE millage rate is among the 10 lowest school board millage rates in the state.
“This year’s budget planning process faced a number of challenges in the form of unfunded cost increases from the state, such as a 59% surge in the employer-paid cost of health insurance, as well as a decrease in our state funding,” said Dr. Chris Houston, Superintendent. “However, through sound financial management and careful planning, we are pleased to be able to avoid passing that cost along to the taxpayer and instead pass a rollback millage rate, which our BOE has done every year since 2019. I am grateful to our CFO Dean Ware and our finance department staff for their diligent work in once again creating a sound, balanced budget that addresses these challenges and keeps the burden off of our community."
The Greene County School System has won the Excellence in Financial Reporting Award from the Georgia Department of Audits and Account for six consecutive years, every year since the award was established. Click here to read more of this story on our website.
Language Line is the service we use for phone interpretation. Linked below you will find two documents: instructions for how to access a Language Line interpreter by phone, as well as best practices for partnering with an interpreter. Please note step #4 on the instructions sheet, which requires a school access code. Please ask your school administrator for your building's access code. All faculty and staff members who will be calling home to parents this year should be familiar with how to access Language Line.
To arrange document translation (flyers, letters to parents, etc.) and in-person interpretation for meetings and events this school year, please use the GCSS Translation and Interpretation Request Form to request these services. When possible, please provide 3 days advance notice for translation requests and 1 week advance notice for in-person interpretation requests. Earlier is better, but with that being said, we understand that emergencies and last-minute situations do arise, and contacting a LanguageLine interpreter by phone may be the best option in some cases.
Thank you for your commitment to facilitating communication with all GCSS families in a language they can understand!
Whether you are looking to add to your current teaching certification or earn initial certification, Piedmont Graduate Admissions is offering College of Education biweekly Zoom information sessions at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays to share more about their pathways. Scan the QR code in the attached flyer or register online at piedmont.edu/events to learn more.
Connect with Us
Email: gcsscommunications@greene.k12.ga.us
Website: www.greene.k12.ga.us
Location: Greene County Board Education, 101 E 3rd Street, Greensboro, GA, USA
Phone: 706-454-1109
Facebook: facebook.com/gcsstigers
Twitter: @gcss_tigers
Instagram: @gcss_tigers
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