Better Together

Throughout February, all CCSD schools are celebrating Black History Month through a variety of instructional activities and special events and programs designed to deepen their understanding of local, state, and national history and historical figures and to build on important community connections. Click on the links below for photo galleries of a few of the activities and events from the past week and continue to follow CCSD on social media (@ClarkeCoSchools) throughout the month for more Black History Month celebrations.

• "Community Leaders as Readers" program at Bettye H. Holston Elementary
• Hilsman Middle Black History Month program and Hilsman/Cedar Shoals integration mural unveiling
• "Black Men Read" initiative at Whit Davis Elementary
• Read-in at Whitehead Road Elementary
• Community readers event at Barrow Elementary
• Eighth-grade field trips to Morton Theatre
• Community vendor fair at Classic City High

It was a great evening of soccer Thursday, Feb. 13, with the Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central girls' and boys' varsity teams facing off for bragging rights in the Classic City Championship matches. Congratulations to the Clarke Central girls on their 6-2 victory and the Gladiator boys on their 3-1 win and to the Cedar Shoals teams on well-played matches. Good luck to both schools on the rest of the season! Check out our Facebook page for more photos!

For the past decade, Christian Barner has been a key cog in the machine that helps the Clarke Central High School community of more than 2,000 students and staff members run smoothly. As the school’s academic support specialist, family engagement specialist, and through his many other roles, he also plays a pivotal part in building community connections between the school and the thousands of family members of students. His daily work and dedication is a testament to the reach and impact of the school and school district in all places throughout the community. CCSD is proud to present this celebration video of our 2024-25 Support Professional of the Year, Mr. Christian Barner.

Congratulations to Shawn Hinger, media specialist at Clarke Middle School, for being named CCSD's Employee of the Month for February! Ms. Hinger is in her 22nd year at CMS and has been one of the biggest champions of literacy throughout the district during her career in education, helping lead the charge in our renewed Culture of Literacy campaign to improve educational outcomes for all students. She was surprised at the school this week by Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker and CMS administration and was recognized at the Thursday, Feb. 13 Board of Education meeting.

As a reminder, anyone in the community may nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of service for this award. Head to bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward to get started or fill out the form embedded directly below!

Forty-seven students from CCSD’s four middle schools and Cedar Shoals High School combined to win 32 awards — including seven top overall awards — in the Northeast Georgia regional National History Day Contest at the University of Georgia last weekend and qualified to advance to the upcoming state competition.

National History Day is a nationwide non-profit organization that operates an annual contest designed to engage students and enhance their research, literacy, and critical thinking skills through the discipline of history with a working theme. The 2025 theme was “Rights and Responsibilities in History.” As part of the contest, students select a topic, decide whether to work individually or in a group, conduct research, analyze their findings, develop a thesis, and submit an entry in one of five categories – historical paper, website, documentary, exhibit, or performance. Students then present their project and defend their thesis before a panel of judges.

Click here for a full list of regional winners from CCSD and educators who supported them on their projects!

A total of 32 CCSD middle school students and 20 projects received medals last weekend in the Northeast Georgia regional science and engineering fair at Piedmont University in Demorest, while 21 students and 13 projects qualified for the state fair that will take place this spring.

Read more about the competition and see a full list of regional medalists and supporting educators here!

Sixteen CCSD students — 10 from Clarke Central High School and six from Cedar Shoals High School — have been named semifinalists for the 2025 Governor's Honors Program. GHP is a monthlong residential summer program for high school students entering 11th or 12th grades which is held on the campus of Georgia Southern University where students attend classes in the mornings and afternoons in specific areas of study and participate in a wide variety of social and instructional opportunities every evening.

Out of 32 initial GHP nominees between the two schools (17 from Cedar Shoals and 15 from Clarke Central), these 16 semifinalists will now have an on-site interview/audition at Georgia Southern and will find out in late March if they have been selected for the program. Congratulations and good luck to all of these students listed below!

From Clarke Central:

• Isaac Bergman (Communicative Arts)
• Max Burnham (Agricultural Research, Biotechnology, and Science)
• Eli Cook (Engineering)
• Andréas Dillies (Mathematics)
• Niles Flath (Social Studies)
• Kyndal Hunter (World Languages)
• Liza Larson (Communicative Arts)
• Margo McDaniel (Dance)
• Quinn Pendley (Agricultural Research, Biotechnology, and Science)
• Waylon Vaughn (Visual Arts)

From Cedar Shoals:

• Lilly Cohen (Communicative Arts)
• Chizoba Emegwam (Agricultural Research, Biotechnology, and Science)
• Geneva Gay (Visual Arts)
• Angel Jones (Agricultural Research, Biotechnology, and Science)
• Marten Schut (Theatre)
• Eli Stone (Social Studies)

All of CCSD’s school-level bookkeepers along with members of the Business Services Division at the District Office were recognized at the Thursday, Feb. 13 Clarke County Board of Education meeting for their recent completion of the School Financial Accounting Personnel Certificate Program through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

The new professional learning program is designed for K-12 school-based support personnel who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of their school’s accounting and funds, budgets, purchasing, payroll processing, and ensuring their school’s financial procedures are in line with local board policies as well as state and federal laws.

To earn their certificate, participants had to complete 24 program hours through a variety

of instructional activities covering the program’s core curriculum, a pre- and post-program accounting survey, and a financial management school-level project and presentation. The project is intended to demonstrate the participant’s ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during the program as well as provide a direct benefit to the school.

Through successful completion of this program, both our new and veteran school-based accounting personnel are now equipped to promote enhanced accountability by advising and supporting school administrators charged with the responsibility of financial management as well educators who are entrusted with public funds and property.

CCSD students, staff, and families who have used one of our four school-based health centers for services are asked to rate their experience by taking this short survey (available in English and Spanish). Your feedback is valuable to us and will help inform us on how we can better serve our families.

As a reminder, CCSD's four school-based health centers are open to all CCSD students, staff, and families. Click the links for more information on each center:

• Hilsman Health Center
• Clarke Middle Health Center
• Classic City Health Center
• Coile Health Center

If the school-based health center is not on your child's school campus, CCSD offers bus transportation to students from their home school to attend an appointment at a center. Please click this link to give permission for your student to use CCSD transportation to their appointment.

Barrow Elementary School will host its annual Barrow Boogie 5K and 1-mile Fun Run on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the school, 100 Pinecrest Dr. The fun run will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9 a.m. Prizes will be given for the top runners. See the flyer above for additional information or register and find more details at this link.

The Athens Community Career Academy (ACCA) offers an opportunity for CCSD students in grades 10-12 to participate in high school- and college-level career-themed pathways that are aligned with in-demand local workforce needs. Students can earn early college essentials credits, technical college certifications, industry-recognized credentials, and participate in unique apprenticeships or internships through taking courses at ACCA.

Students currently in grades 9-11 with a grade-point average of 2.0 or higher and fewer than 36 period absences can still apply until March 1 for several ACCA pathways for next school year.

Students interested in enrolling in one of the pathways listed in the flyer above should complete the short interest form at bit.ly/accainterest.

Find more information at this link or register directly for the tournament here or scan the QR code in the flyer above.

CCSD will hold an Educator Career Fair on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens. Whether you're a soon-to-be college graduate ready to start your teaching career or you're a veteran educator looking to make a move, this career fair is the perfect opportunity to speak with many of our current teachers and principals to understand in detail about their school and the positions they are hiring for. At the event, you may be invited to interview with school teams and potentially offered a teaching position on the spot. Representatives from our Human Resources Division will also be there to answer any questions you may have.

With excellent pay and benefits, innovative partnerships and programs, and a commitment to providing teachers with the professional development resources they need to succeed, CCSD aspires to be the employer of choice for teachers to advance our mission of creating educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential. Register and find more information at bit.ly/ccsdfair25!

CCSD's Business Services Division is pleased to announce a new series of free workshops designed for current and prospective vendors. The goal of the sessions is to enhance local and area businesses' understanding of the district's procurement processes and foster stronger community partnerships.

The first workshop — "Deep Dive into the Solicitation Process" — is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens. Additional sessions on the schedule include "Accounts Payable & Invoicing" (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 20) and "CCSD Contract Management and Expectations" (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 29).

For more information, contact Veronica Jackson, CCSD's Purchasing and Contracts Supervisor, at 706-546-7721, Ext. 79711, or jacksonv@clarke.k12.ga.us.

In accordance with federal Title I requirements, every year all CCSD schools develop a Family Engagement Plan and Family School Compact to guide how the school interacts with families and invites families to participate in an input survey. Results of the survey are used to help schools tailor their family engagement programs to families' needs.

Click here to access the 2025 family engagement survey. You may take the survey more than once if you have children at multiple schools. The link to the survey and information about family engagement can be found on the main menu of each school's website under the "For Families" tab.

At its Thursday, Feb. 13 meeting, the Clarke County Board of Education voted 5-2, with two members absent from the meeting, to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for the Clarke County School District.

Read more here.

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.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., Athens, will host its monthly free Family Day event Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to noon. Travel back to 17th-century Florence by exploring the exhibition, “Beyond the Medici: The Haukohl Family Collection.” Discover the unique Florentine take on baroque art with Art Cart activities and a hands-on art project. Then stick around for the rest of the museum's open house activities, including a baroque music performance and more drop-in art-making until 5 p.m.

For those who cannot attend in person, Family Day to-go kits will be available for pick-up starting at 1 p.m. Feb. 22 through the end of day Sunday, Feb. 23, while supplies last.

Other Museum Activities

The Museum of Art has the other regular programming opportunities available for children and families:

• Toddler Tuesdays featuring art and story time together in the galleries followed by an art activity for little ones. This free program is designed for families with children ages 18 months to 3 years. Seats are limited; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
• Teen Studio is geared toward ages 13-18 and is a studio-based workshop led by local artists and educators. Look at art, then create your own objects inspired by what you saw. This program is free and includes a pizza dinner. Seats are limited; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to sign up or register on the museum's website.

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.

The Athens YWCO and Step Into Swim are offering youth swim lessons for children ages 4-9 this spring and offering scholarships to students who cannot otherwise afford private lessons. There will be eight 30-minute sessions offered from 5:30-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, either from March 4-27 or April 1 through May 1. See the flyer above or click here for additional information. For questions, call 706-354-7880, Ext. 3.

Looking for an after-school program to help your child get more physically active through running? Check out Atlanta Track Club’s Kilometer Kids program being offered this spring in Athens. The free, 10-week, game-based running program for children grades K-5 is designed to teach them about goal setting, healthy habits, respect, and community building, all through exposing them to the sport of running. There is no fee to participate, and the program is for all students regardless of running ability or experience.

The Athens spring program will begin Feb. 27 and be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Thursday for 10 weeks at Bishop Park on softball field #2.

To learn more and to register, please visit atlantatrackclub.org/kilometerkids.

Registration is open for the Athens United Soccer spring developmental program for ages 4-12. Registration fees vary by age group:

• U5-U6 - $135
• U7-U8 - $150
• U9-U10 - $175
• U11-U12 - $200.

No previous playing experience or advanced skill level is required. The program is focused on providing opportunities for more children to participate in and develop a love for the game of soccer while learning new motor skills and having fun.

Go to www.athensunited.net to register. For more information, call 706-224-7260.

Casa de Amistad is currently offering free GED courses taught in Spanish every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Goodwill Center, 4070 Lexington Rd., Athens. Scan the QR code in the flyer below for the registration link and go to athensamistad.com for more information.