Better Together

It was a great evening of football and fun Thursday, Aug. 15, at Billy Henderson Stadium as Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals faced off in the annual Classic City Championship. The Gladiators prevailed, but congratulations to both teams on a clean, well-played first game of the season and good luck the rest of the way. Also a job well done by our bands, cheerleaders, JROTC cadets, and all involved. Check out the main photo gallery from the game here!

In addition to all four middle schools, CCSD also offers the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school programming to students grades 1-5 at three elementary schools – Fowler Drive, Gaines, and J.J. Harris. The program includes an array of activities designed to complement the regular academic instruction students receive throughout the school day.

Register your child today by completing this form (available in English and Spanish).

Click here for more information on 21st CCLC, including registration forms, program handbooks, and a list of site coordinators and their contact information.

CCSD joins the National Eye Institute and school districts around the country in recognizing August as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, a national health observance that highlights the importance of protecting children’s vision and eye health.

To that end, our team of school nurses is excited to continue our partnership with Prevent Blindness Georgia this school year in providing free comprehensive, fully-dilated eye exams and two free pairs of eyeglasses to students throughout the district who are referred for a full exam and are potentially in need of corrective lenses beyond their initial vision screening. This unique collaboration, with the clinics held at our schools and campuses and bus transportation provided as needed, has allowed many CCSD students to have access to high-quality vision care and optometrist exam that may not have otherwise been possible for them due to barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, or transportation availability.

Read more about this exciting partnership in this press release from April. More than a dozen clinics have been scheduled across the district in the coming months. Families that are interested in their children receiving services through the clinics should contact their school’s nurse to schedule a screening, and, if given a referral, the nurse will work with them to schedule the exam.

In accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, CCSD and all of its schools and programs are required to notify parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year (or at the time of enrollment of the student) of their “right to know” the professional qualifications of their student’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.

Learn more about this process here.

The Clarke County Mentor Program is seeking community members to become mentors to CCSD students and make a difference in their lives. Mentors act as a role model and friend; they encourage positive choices, promote high self-esteem, and support academic achievement. Mentors visit their assigned “mentee” at school, ideally once each week during the school year, for a meal, game, academic help, school program, and conversation.

CCSD encourages anyone looking to make an impact to start the process of becoming a mentor today. Learn more about the program requirements and the application process at clarkecountymentorprogram.org. The right time is now!

High school students: Make your voice heard! All CCSD students in grades 11-12 who are interested in serving on this year’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council are invited to complete the online application by Friday, Aug. 30.

Through participation on the council, students will learn about district initiatives and share their perspective on being a CCSD student with Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker. All students will also have a chance to develop their leadership and advocacy skills. The council will meet five times over the course of the year; students are asked to commit to attend all meetings.

CCSD students in grades 10-12 also have an opportunity to apply to serve on Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods' advisory council this year. Students selected will meet with Superintendent Woods throughout the year to discuss the impact of state policies in the classroom and other education-related issues. They will also serve as the Superintendent's ambassadors to their respective schools. Cedar Shoals High School Class of 2024 graduate Alejandra Cerron-Palomino (pictured) served on last year's state council.

Interested students should complete and submit the online application by Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted. Selected students will be contacted via email. All students may visit gadoe.org/studentadvisory on Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. to determine if they have been selected.

Mayor Kelly Girtz and the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government are seeking applications by Sunday, Aug. 18 from students in grades 10-12 who are interested in taking part in the Mayor's Youth Council. Students must be Athens-Clarke County residents to be eligible. Applications, including one reference, should be submitted at www.accgov.com/youthcouncil.

The goal of the Mayor’s Youth Council is to encourage effective youth engagement in Athens-Clarke County and to provide an opportunity for youth voices to communicate directly with local government leadership. The Mayor's Youth Council will encourage civic engagement and community service while also building a working understanding of how local government works.

Selected applicants will be interviewed in late August/early September, with the first council meeting happening in September. Council members will attend monthly meetings and also work on small group projects throughout the year focusing on issues impacting youth today.

The Athens Area Human Relations Council is now accepting scholarship applications through Friday, Sept. 27, from all high school seniors in Clarke, Oglethorpe, Madison, and Oconee counties. Find application forms here.

A completed application must include the completed form, an essay, two recommendations, and a high school transcript. All documents must be submitted via email to scholarships@humanrelationscouncil.org.

A downloadable and printable copy of the application can be found below.

CCSD joins school districts around the country in recognizing August as National Truancy Prevention Month and invites our families and community members to be partners in emphasizing to our students the importance of regular school attendance.

Under Georgia Law, it is mandatory for all children between ages 6-16 to maintain regular school attendance. As a district, we are required to inform families of the attendance for all enrolled students.

• CCSD requires families to submit written documentation to excuse absences within five days of the student’s return to school.
• To be considered “in attendance” for a school day, a student must be present for at least one half of the school day, excluding the lunch period. Students leaving school before meeting that requirement will be considered absent for the day.
• The State of Georgia considers any child subject to compulsory (required) attendance as truant when they accumulate more than five days of unexcused absences during a school calendar year.

Learn more about CCSD's attendance expectations and protocols here. Remember: We must have present students in order to have thriving students!

It's time once again to nominate a CCSD Employee of the Month! The Employee of the Month program recognizes and rewards staff members for their service and dedication to the students and families of the Clarke County School District. Each month (September through May), a CCSD employee is chosen for the award, surprised at their school or building, and invited to the monthly Board of Education meeting for recognition.

Any member of the CCSD community (student, parent/guardian, staff member, community member) may nominate any full-time district employee with at least one full year of service. Nominations for September Employee of the Month are now open! Go to bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward to get started!

Parents and guardians: Have you filled out your student's health form for the new school year? If not, please scan the QR code in the flyer above or go to qrco.de/CCSDStudentHealth. For questions, contact your school nurse.

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, Sept. 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 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.

Equal Education for Athens (EEA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free online tutoring services for students in Athens-Clarke County. The organization invites parents/guardians to complete the online interest form here (also embedded directly below).

You will receive an email once your child is matched with a Math and/or English teacher. The weekly virtual tutoring sessions are 45 minutes long.

For more information, email students.eea@gmail.com.

The Georgia Children's Chorus invites children ages 7-18 in the greater Athens area to sign up for a placement audition for the 2024-25 season. The season begins Aug. 20. Learn more at www.georgiachildrenschorus.org. For questions, email gcc@uga.edu or call 706-542-8711.

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, which will again being offered at Bishop Park this fall. The free, 10-week, game-based running program for students in 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 elementary students regardless of running ability or experience. The season starts Tuesday, Sept. 3, and practices will be held every Tuesday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Bishop Park Softball Field #2, 705 Sunset Dr., Athens.

Sign up here. The team name is Athens Kilometer Kids.

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department will host the annual Athens Water Festival on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sandy Creek Park, 400 Holman Rd. Swim in the lake, hear music, splash around with water activities, meet animals, and take fun in many more fun activities.

Park entry will be $2 per person with free admission available for those who qualify. For more information, go to AthensWaterFestival.com or call 706-613-3729.

The Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., Athens, will hold its monthly free Family Fun Day event on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon.

For the event "Line and Color," come learn about the elements of art with fun art cart games and crafts; then create your own work of art using line, shape, and color. For those who cannot attend in-person, Family Day to-go kits will be available for pick-up starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, through the end of day Sunday, Aug. 18, while supplies last.

Teens ages 13-18 are invited to the Georgia Museum of Art from 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, for this studio-based workshop led by local artist and educator Kristen Bach. Explore the galleries and make your own work of art inspired by the exhibition, “A Perfect Model: Prints after Anthony van Dyck’s Portraits.”

The program is free and includes a pizza dinner from DePalma’s Italian Cafe. Seats are limited; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to register.

Athens nonprofit Casa de Amistad has the following upcoming events:

• A 12-week Spanish-language course for English speakers, every Wednesday from Aug. 21 through Nov. 14
• Fall ESL courses for adults
• Fall GED courses for adults.

See the flyers below for details about each event and QR codes that will take you to the registration link. For additional information, go to athensamistad.com.