Better Together

We hope all of our students are enjoying their fall break and resting up to return to school on Tuesday, October 20! In the meantime, here's a reminder of things happening around the district over the next week!

Student government leaders from Cedar Shoals, Clarke Central, and Classic City high schools joined arms last week to participate in "Unity in the Community," a charitable event hosted by Athens-based City of Refuge. Student volunteers packed grocery bags with essential items to be distributed to Athens-Clarke County residents in need. Check out more photos on the Cedar BluePrints Instagram!

Click the links to view more recent photo galleries from happenings across the district!

Stan Harrison's Advanced Biomanufacturing students at the Athens Community Career Academy are wrapping up their capstone research project, growing and analyzing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Mr. Harrison noted that MSCs are often called the "Holy Grail" of regenerative medicine for knee, hip, or shoulder joint replacement. Although replacement therapies are still a few years away, MSCs may be grown (cultured) to replace either bone or cartilage.

With the support of the Mortensen Stem Cell Lab at the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center, the Biomanufacturing Pathway students at ACCA incubated the human MSCs and cultured them in specialized flasks. Every day, they observed cell health and growth under a specialized inverted microscope and decided whether to divide the flasks if they appeared to be "confluent," or at least at 70% cell density.

Students will have the opportunity on October 29 to present their findings to Dr. Luke Mortensen of UGA and defend their research, similar to college graduate students. Mr. Harrison said other students, families, and community members will be welcome to view the presentations that day beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the ACCA biotech lab, which will coincide with the academy's pathway open house that same evening.

CCSD encourages students to find their "E" for after high school, whether that's Enrolling in college, Enlisting in the military, Entering the workforce, or carving their own path as an Entrepreneur. Our Biomanufacturing pathway supports one of Athens-Clarke County's top targeted economic sectors, biotech and pharmaceuticals, and is just one of two dozen career pathways that connect our students with local and area employers, high-demand career opportunities, and, in many cases, industry certifications and high-wage jobs right out of high school or college.

Go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/ctae for more information on our CTAE pathways and student opportunities!

Congratulations to the Whitehead Road Elementary Koalas on winning the 2026 CCSD Elementary Volleyball League championship with a victory over Timothy Road Elementary! Check out the full photo gallery from the championship match, and view additional photos in the first-round and semifinal gallery!

Now we turn our attention to the CCSD Elementary Basketball League with the season tipping off next week! Check out the full schedule for week 1!

Week 1 Schedule

Tuesday, October 20

At District Office gym – Whit Davis vs. Barnett Shoals (Girls, 4:30 p.m.; Boys, 5:30 p.m.)

At District Office gym - Fowler Drive vs. Stroud (Girls, 6:30 p.m.; Boys, 7:30 p.m.)

At Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School – Cleveland Road vs. Whitehead Road (Girls, 4:30 p.m.; Boys, 5:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, October 21

At District Office gym - Gaines vs. J.J. Harris (Boys, 4:30 p.m.)

At District Office gym – Oglethorpe Avenue vs. Holston (Girls, 5:30 p.m.; Boys, 6:30 p.m.)

At Clarke Middle School – Timothy Road vs. Barrow

Athens-based nonprofit Casa de Amistad is partnering with CCSD to offer free ESOL (English to speakers of other languages) classes for parents and guardians of CCSD students this fall at J.J. Harris Elementary School, 2300 Danielsville Road. Classes will be held on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to noon beginning Monday, October 26. Register using this form.

Nominations for CCSD's Employee of the Month award for November are now open! Each month from September through May, the district recognizes an employee for their outstanding work supporting students and staff.

Anyone in the community may nominate any full-time employee with at least one year of service for the award at bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward.

Athens-Clarke County youth are invited to register for the ACC Leisure Services winter basketball season. Age groups include 6U (Co-ed), 8U (Co-ed), 10U boys and girls, 12U boys and girls, and 14U boys.

Practices will begin in November and be held once per week, and the season schedule runs December through February. 6U and 8U teams will play their games at Heard Park, while 10U, 12U, and 14U will play at Lay Park.

The participation fee is $65 for Athens-Clarke County residents with scholarship assistance available for eligible families. Register today at accgovga.myrec.com.

Prospective CCSD vendors are also encouraged to attend our third annual "Primetime with Purchasing" event on Thursday, October 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the District Office. The event will allow businesses to connect with representatives from every district department and learn more about specific business opportunities within the district. Get assistance with our vendor packet and learn more about business funding assistance. Mayor-Elect Dexter Fisher will be the keynote speaker for the event.

The AI4STEM Education Center at the University of Georgia will be offering a free “AI + Science Explorers Camp” for eighth-grade students to explore how AI can support scientific inquiry, problem solving, and discovery. The daylong camp will be held during days CCSD students are not in school with two options — October 15-16 and Oct. 19 or November 23-25 — from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Space is limited. Register at this link. For more information, email ai4stem@uga.edu.

Each year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program honors some of our nation’s most exceptional high school seniors who shine through academic achievement, artistic talent, and career and technical excellence. Established by executive order in 1964, the program has grown to recognize more than 150 students annually, celebrating those whose accomplishments reflect the highest ideals of scholarship, creativity, and leadership.

The 2026-27 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program application window is now open through November 1. High school seniors may apply, provided they meet all program qualifications outlined by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The application, program criteria, and informational brochures are on the Excellence Recognitions PSP webpage. Applications are due by November 1 at 5 p.m.

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, November 12, 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 to access board meeting agendas.
• Board Briefs: 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 students of all ages are invited to sign up for youth dance classes through Dancefx. Classes for all experience levels are available in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, and pointe. Registration fees are waived for CCSD students, and scholarships are available to help with other program costs. Complete the online registration form.

The University of Georgia baseball program will hold its next day camp for youth ages 5-12 on Monday, November 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Foley Field. Learn from Bulldog players and coaches to develop your skills, and experience what it's like to be a Dawg for a day! Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! Register at this link! Note: There is no school for CCSD on November 23.

The University of Georgia's College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, Office of Government Relations, and Office of Service-Learning will host a community health fair from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 21, at the UGA Health Sciences Campus, 105 Spear Road. ADD Drugstore will be providing free flu shots, and the event will also include free health screenings (including glucose, hepatitis C, blood pressure, and bone density), a free yoga class, and other hands-on health activities.

The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce's Athens Achieves initiative and Goodwill of Northeast Georgia will hold a career fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at Georgia Square Mall, 3700 Atlanta Highway. Please wear professional attire and bring a printed job resume. Registration is requested and can be completed at this link.

The annual "Wild Rumpus" Halloween-themed festival in downtown Athens will be held Saturday night, October 31. The event is free with family-friendly activities, and everyone in the community is invited to join and wear a costume.

Learn more about the event and the "Every Kid Gets a Costume" costume drive at www.wildrumpus.org.

The Clarke County Sheriff's Office invites the community to its fifth annual Fall Festival on Friday, October 23, from 5-9 p.m. at 2900 County Farm Road.

This year’s theme is "Saturday Morning Cartoons," and the event will feature free food and drinks, games, family-friendly activities, a Haunted House, Haunted Hayride, and opportunities for families to connect with more than 30 ACCGov departments and community partners. Free parking will be available at Southeast Clarke Park, and free shuttle buses will run to and from the event.

Follow the Sheriff's Office Facebook page for the latest updates and information.

A PDF (English and Spanish) is attached with details on other upcoming events.

Piedmont Athens Regional and Safe Kids Athens have joined forces to make a positive difference in the lives of children in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties by providing educational programs, including car seat safety.

The organizations offer the following safety tips for families with young children:

• Keep infants and toddlers rear-facing until they reach height and weight limits for their seat. Once they outgrow their rear-facing seat, switch to a front-facing seat with a harness.
• Wait until your child outgrows their front-facing seat before transitioning to a booster seat.
• Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit into a seat belt properly with the lap belt over their upper thigh and shoulder belt snug across their shoulder and chest.
• Ensure children 12 and younger always ride in the back seat with seat belts safely secured.

Contact April Dorsett at april.dorsett@piedmont.org or 706-475-5631 to schedule a free car seat check!

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 October, 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.