Better Together

To have Thriving Students, we must have Healthy Students, and we are thrilled to be doubling our number of school-based health centers serving students and staff across the district! In October, through a partnership between CCSD and MedLink Georgia, we will be opening a new health center on the campus of Coile Middle School and inside the upper west end of the Classic City High School building on the H.T. Edwards campus which also includes the Athens Community Career Academy and Early Learning Center West.

These centers will function similarly to the Hilsman Health Center and Clarke Middle Health Center and will be open to students and staff throughout the district. They will provide child wellness checks, immunizations, sports physicals, preventative screenings as well as treatment for illness, injuries, and mental health, and more.

Modular units have arrived for the Coile Health Center and will be prepared and outfitted for use in the coming weeks, while the finishing touches are being put on the Classic City Health Center. Be on the lookout for additional information in this newsletter and on our website (www.clarke.k12.ga.us) and social media platforms (@ClarkeCoSchools) as we get closer to the openings of these centers!

Congratulations to Cedar Shoals High School seniors Amelia Hembree and Delia McElhannon, who have been named National FFA Agriscience Fair finalists in the Animal Systems Category! Amelia and Delia will compete next month and will be recognized on stage at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October. Amelia and Delia conducted a nutrition study on insect-based protein obtained from polystyrene-fed super mealworms, which replaced a small amount of traditional feed in the diets of young chickens, and tracked the chickens' weight gain over a three-week period.

Other CCSD students also earned a "Bronze" award designation in the national competition. Cedar Shoals juniors Lawrence Hodges and Alessandra Perez-Garcia received a Bronze for in the Environmental Systems and Natural Resource Systems category, while Cedar Shoals juniors Derriana Smith and Chizoba Emegwam received a Bronze in Social Science. Coile Middle School eighth-graders Emilie Adams and Quinn Hilten received a Bronze in the Power, Structural, and Technical Systems category.

Remember when the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County (FFE) announced its 2024 Teaching and Staff Awards with surprise school visits on July 26, and we said one award announcement was being held until a later date? Well, that was for good reason!

FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace stopped by Gaines Elementary School on Aug. 16 and, with an assist from principal Dr. Luther McDaniel, FaceTimed with teacher Kylie Noble to present her with the Charlotte Brown Chair for Teachers of Special Education award. Ms. Noble was not at Gaines on July 26 because she was preparing to give birth to her baby daughter, Autumn, who she welcomed into the world a day later!

CCSD is proud to have the best and hardest-working school nutrition professionals around who are dedicated to contributing to students' academic success by encouraging a lifetime of healthy eating and ensuring excellent food safety practices. The team at Cleveland Road Elementary (pictured) is one of 18 around the district who received a perfect 100 on their most recent health inspection, including four this year – Cleveland Road, Howard B. Stroud Elementary, Whit Davis Elementary, and Whitehead Road Elementary. All CCSD school nutrition sites have received a 92 or higher on their latest inspection.

Are you a community member or local business owner/representative who would like to get involved and make a difference? CCSD is “Better Together” because of our community partners. We share a commitment to educational achievement for today’s students and the preparedness of tomorrow’s workforce. The Partner in Education program works with corporate and civic partners to directly improve the school experience for children in our school district.

If you are interested in partnering with us, please complete this form (also embedded below), and we will contact you to discuss how you/your organization can best support our students and schools. For additional information, contact Dr. Cyndee Perdue Moore, CCSD's Executive Director of Public Relations and Communications, at moorecy@clarke.k12.ga.us or 706-546-7721, Ext. 79402.

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.

As a reminder, CCSD high school students in grades 11-12 who are interested in serving on Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker's Student Advisory Council are invited to complete the online application by Friday, Aug. 30. All students selected to the council will learn about district initiatives and have the opportunity to share their perspectives about being a CCSD student while developing their leadership and advocacy skills. The council will meet five times over the course of the year, and 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. 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. Interested students should complete and submit the online application by Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. Selected students will be contacted via email.

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.

We are accepting nominations for our September Employee of the Month Award through Aug. 31.

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. Go to bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward to get started on your nomination or complete the embedded form below!

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 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.

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.

Local organization Dignidad inmigrante en Athens will host the 15th annual LatinxFest in downtown Athens from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. Come enjoy live music, food, dancing, children's activities, and more. For the latest updates on the festival, go to the official event page on Facebook.

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.

Athens nonprofit Casa de Amistad is once again offering free adult ESL (English as a Second Language) and GED (General Equivalency Diploma) classes this fall both online and at locations throughout the community. Scan the QR code on the flyers below or go to athensamistad.com for more information and to register.