Better Together

School leaders and community members held a ribbon-cutting for the brand-new Horvat Court at Hilsman Middle School during a special "Pride of the East Side Tip-Off" event. Thanks to this donation from the Horvat family, who had three children go to Hilsman and Cedar Shoals High School, students at Hilsman will have a space to have fun playing basketball and better their mental health as well. Cedar Shoals cheerleaders and the Jaguar basketball teams participated in the event, and special appearances from members of the University of Georgia men's basketball and football teams made for some exciting games and an overall fun day. See more photos from the event here!

Students throughout the district have been engaged in hands-on interactive science activities. In the pictures above, students at Whitehead Road Elementary created models and wrote explanations based on their observations of ferns; students at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle who have been studying food webs developed models of marsh ecosystems; and students at Gaines Elementary viewed plant and animal cells under microscopes.

This week, CCSD announced its three finalists for 2024-25 Teacher of the Year – Chris Batson of Clarke Middle School, Tymisha Creightney of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, and Barbara Gaertig of Hilsman Middle School.

The finalists were chosen from a field of 22 school-level teachers of the year whose applications were evaluated and scored by a district committee. The winner, along with the district Support Professional of the Year, will be announced on Oct. 24 at the district’s Teacher/Support Professional of the Year awards banquet. The winning teacher will then go on to compete at the state level.

Leave Your Message of Support for One or More Finalists!

As we continue to celebrate these finalists in the lead-up to the big day, students, staff, families, and community members are invited to complete this short form (also embedded directly below) to voice your support for one or more of the finalists. Please tell us about your experiences with them and why they are deserving of the district Teacher of the Year award. You may complete the form more than once if you would like to write about multiple finalists. The submission deadline is Friday, Oct. 18.

David Darden, an automotive technology teacher at Cedar Shoals High School, has been named a winner of the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, winning $50,000 for the school’s auto tech program.

Mr. Darden is one of 25 public high school skilled trades teachers across the United States — and the only one in Georgia — who were named winners among the more than 900 applications that were submitted nationwide. A surprise celebration was held for Mr. Darden on Tuesday, Oct. 8, when he was presented with the award.

Read more about the award here, and see more photos on the CCSD Facebook page!

Congratulations to Liza Burnsed, Transition Specialist with CCSD's Department of Special Education, for being named the district's Employee of the Month for October!

Ms. Burnsed has worked in special education with CCSD for 10 years and has been a transition specialist for the past three years. In her role, Ms. Burnsed works tirelessly every day in assisting students served through our special education program and helping them and their families prepare for life after high school. This includes, among many other things, making and maintaining contacts with numerous local businesses and companies to set up job training sites and support employment opportunities for students with special needs.

Ms. Burnsed was surprised with the award by Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker and will be recognized at the Oct. 17 Board of Education meeting.

As a reminder, you can nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one year service for the Employee of the Month Award by going to bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward.

CCSD saw strong increases in its high school graduation rates last school year with gains in most demographic areas, according to data released this week by the Georgia Department of Education. The improvements followed a year of intentional efforts to implement a consistent approach in all classrooms geared toward continuously increasing the number of CCSD students who graduate within four years.

Read more here!

CCSD's biennial student art exhibition, featuring art works from students in grades 1-12, is now on display at the Lyndon House Arts Center. You can read more about the exhibition in this article from The Red and Black.

And remember to join us on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 6-8 p.m. for a reception celebrating the exhibition. The event will be at the Lyndon House, 211 Hoyt St., Athens.

Congratulations to Cedar Shoals High School seniors Ryne Barfield (left) and Ryan Xiao, who have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program! The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition that recognizes high school students and awards college scholarships.

These students were named semifinalists for scoring high on the PSAT their junior year. Ryne and Ryan will now complete extensive applications with hopes to receive finalist scholarships. They join four Clarke Central High School students who were named semifinalists and were highlighted in this newsletter last week.

You can read more about the program here.

Congratulations to the following Cedar Shoals students for being chosen for the Delta Psi Boulé Scholars Program: Naquavious Bentford, Terrance Briscoe, Tony Hitchcock, Caleb Holland, Javen Hutchins, Treylon Johnson, Nijhay Keyes, Keovoris Parrish, and Alijah Pontoo.

This program mentors high school male students to improve academic performance and develop leadership skills for college and career success. Launched in 2009, the program partners with Cedar Shoals and Oglethorpe County high schools, providing workshops on leadership, career development, financial literacy, and college preparedness. Since 2018, $96,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students through the program.

Congratulations to Clarke Central High senior Lucian Prelipceanu, who placed fourth for his T-shirt design at the SkillsUSA Fall Champions Rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. Lucian's design will now be on display at the fairgrounds.

Clarke County Board of Education District 7 member Dr. LaKeisha Gantt will host a "Community Conversation" event Monday, Oct. 21, from 6-7 p.m. at the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church Historic Schoolhouse, located at 610 Epps Bridge Pkwy., Athens. This is the second in a series of upcoming town hall-style events with BOE members. The meeting is open to all Clarke County residents. Spanish-language interpreters will be present.

CCSD is partnering with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities, Voices for Georgia's Children, and several other organizations to hold the "Free Your Feels" Teen Summit, a community-driven event dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness about young mental health. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, from noon to 3 p.m. at The Classic Center, 300 North Thomas St., Athens.

Designed for teens aged 13-18, this summit provides a unique platform for young people to connect with their peers, access valuable resources from local service providers and organizations, and engage in various self-expression activities such as journaling and podcasting. Attendees can also enjoy free food and fun throughout the event. Additionally, adult caregivers are welcome to join the event with their teens, with a portion of the day to participate in the “Caregiver Cafe,” a special session led by a licensed clinician that fosters open, group dialogue among caregivers. This event promises a supportive and engaging environment for both teens and their caregivers.

Register at this link or in the form embedded below.

All CCSD students grades 9-11 and their families are invited to the district's AP and Dual Enrollment Night event Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens.

The program will cover the Advanced Placement programs at Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools and college-level course options available to students as well as dual-enrollment options through the Athens Community Career Academy, Athens Technical College, the University of North Georgia, and the University of Georgia. High school teachers, counselors, and representatives from local colleges will be be present to talk with students and families about what options might be right for them.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sigma Alpha Iota, the University of Georgia music fraternity, will host its annual "Dreaming of a Redcoat Band Day" event Sunday, Nov. 10, from 9:45 a.m. to noon for elementary school students and from 12:45-3 p.m. for middle and high school students.

During the event, students will play games and instruments, play stand tunes, and split off into sections to learn music. There will also be drum major lessons. At the end of the event, students will do a "Dawg Walk" with a special appearance by the UGA mascot, Hairy Dawg.

The cost to attend is $18 per student if signed up before Oct. 15 and $20 if signed up after Oct. 15, and the price includes a T-shirt for all participants and snacks during the event. You can register here.

Race registration is officially open for the inaugural Clarke Central High School "Glads Run ATH" 5K on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 a.m. Volunteer opportunities are also available for those who don't want to run, jog, or walk the course as well as "virtual runner" and sponsorship opportunities.

• To register to run, go to bit.ly/glads5Krun.
• To volunteer, go to bit.ly/glads5Kvolunteer.
• To be a sponsor, go to bit.ly/glads5Ksponsor.
• To purchase a T-shirt, go to bit.ly/glads5Kshirt.

If you are the owner or representative of a local or area company and would like more information about doing business with CCSD, join us on Saturday, Oct. 26, for our "Prime Time with Purchasing" event!

Hosted by CCSD's Office of Purchasing and Contracts, the event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CCSD District Office, 595 Prince Ave., and will give potential vendors an overview of ways to do business with the school district as well as current bids and opportunities that are available. Small businesses and minority- or women-owned businesses who are interested in becoming a vendor are strongly encouraged to attend.

To register for this event, scan the QR code in the flyer or go to bit.ly/CCSDPrimeTimeRegistration.

The state and national award-winning Clarke Middle School Science, Energy, & Adventure Team (SEAT) Fall Flower Fundraiser is active and runs through Tuesday, Oct. 15.

The team will earn 50% of the customer's purchase price for team field trips and service projects. Customers can type in a team member's name so that an individual team member will get credit for the sale. The team goal is to earn $1,250 or more this fall.

Flower Power will ship each customer's order to the address that is provided (continental US only). Click here for more information and to order!

If you want to get an early start on your Christmas decoration planning and get that tree purchase out of the way, the Clarke Central High School baseball program is holding its annual Christmas Tree and Greenery fundraiser through Sunday, Oct. 27.

Fraser Fir trees ranging from 5 to 11 feet tall, wreaths from 16 to 32 inches, and garlands in both Fraser Fir and White Pine (25 or 75 feet) are available for purchase. Orders will be delivered for free to homes in the Athens area on Sunday, Dec. 1.

Orders can be placed here. For more information and questions, email cchsbaseballtreesale@gmail.com.

The Clarke County Board of Education will hold its next monthly work session and business meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, beginning with the work session at 5 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 7 p.m.

Also next week, the board will hold a two-day retreat Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19, at the Rivet House, 355 Oneta St., Athens. The retreat is a public meeting and open to the community, though there will not be a public comment period.

All meeting agendas and supporting documents can be found at this link.

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, Oct. 17, 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.

Attention, CCSD employees! In the first of a new series of videos featuring topics from CCSD's Human Resources Division, Dr. Selena Blankenship (Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources), Mr. Dan Swartz (Executive Director of Human Resources), and Mr. La'Tura Hunter, Benefits Specialist, give an overview of the benefits available to CCSD employees and the upcoming Open Enrollment period (Oct.15 through Nov. 8) for 2025 coverage.

Watch the video below for more information.

Athens-Clarke County Animal Services will hold a Trunk-or-Treat event Saturday, Oct. 26, from 3-6 p.m. at the shelter, 125 Buddy Christian Way, Athens. Come enjoy an afternoon with shelter animals and other fall activities. Check out the shelter on Facebook for updates and more information.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., will host its next Family Day event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 19. Explore the exhibition “A Perfect Model: Prints After Anthony van Dyck’s Portraits” with interactive gallery games and crafts, then create your own print inspired by the show.

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, Oct. 20, while supplies last.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., will host Teen Studio: Mystery Masquerade from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. Teens ages 13-18 are invited to this studio-based workshop led by local artist and educator Kristen Bach. Teens will create their own masks and then play a “whodunit” game by solving clues hidden within works of art. Costumes are encouraged.

This program is free and includes a pizza dinner from DePalma’s Italian Cafe. Seats are limited; register for the program here or email gmoa-tours@uga.edu.

Celebrate the holidays and make exciting new memories at The Classic Center Cultural Foundation's Breakfast with Santa event, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center, 300 North Thomas St., Athens. The event will include a breakfast buffet with crafts in Santa's Workshop, a photo opportunity with Santa, and much more!

Tickets are now on sale. Click here to purchase.

Casa de Amistad is an Athens-based nonprofit serving the local Latino/Hispanic community through adult literacy education and advocacy and other services to promote a more inclusive, harmonious, and multicultural Athens. Check out the organization's fall newsletter in English here and Spanish here.