Northeast High School’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Department and FFA chapter celebrated the opening of a student-run floral shop on Northeast’s campus on Thursday, January 21. An opening celebration and ribbon-cutting was held from 1-2:30 p.m. at the school.

The Northeast-Bibb FFA chapter received a $15,000 grant from Toyota through the National FFA Foundation in 2013 to start a floral shop business at Northeast. With the donation, the Northeast-Bibb FFA chapter’s goal was to continue bringing awareness to the community that the horticulture industry is one of the largest employers in Georgia.

“Northeast High has a flourishing horticulture program, but it is our desire to teach entrepreneurship through the floriculture industry, which is currently a multi-million dollar business that focuses on bedding plants, potted herbaceous perennials, foliage and fresh flowers,” FFA Adviser and Northeast teacher Lula Curry Williams said at the time. “We want to ensure we have the sustainability to continue making the difference for our students, just as we have done with the gracious gratitude of Toyota.”

With the funds, the Northeast-Bibb FFA Chapter created a space at the school for a floral shop business.

“We have been renting and selling ferns to companies that have conventions in the local area,” Ms. Curry Williams said at the time. “We have provided services to formal receptions, weddings, funerals, and community gatherings. We wish to continue our work, but in a more formal, modern facility.”

Hartley Elementary School Junior Beta Club fourth-graders enjoyed a round-table discussion with District Chief of Staff Keith Simmons Tuesday morning about how your appearance can exude success and respect.

Recently, the Junior Beta Club took an etiquette workshop with Trelley Williams of the Links Organization. They learned table etiquette, the importance of introductions, and how to properly enter and exit a room!

Wearing bowties and pearls on Tuesday is an incentive program that is part of Hartley Elementary's PBIS initiative.

The Bibb County Spelling Bee was held on January 16 at Central High School and sponsored by the Bibb Association of Educators (BAE). The top spellers from District elementary and middle schools competed in the annual spelling bee. The District champion is Landon Juang of Howard Middle School. He’ll compete in the regional spelling bee at Fort Valley State University in February. The runner-up is Paige Riser from Rutland Middle School.

The Georgia Department of Education named Heard Elementary School as a Georgia FamilyFriendly Partnership School Award Finalist. This means the school meets criteria for the award in four areas: physical environment, personal contact, school practices and policies. Creating a family-friendly environment is key to family engagement and therefore, student achievement.

Bernd Elementary School was one of three schools in Georgia to win the Georgia Department of Education’s Parent Engagement Video Contest on Facebook. The District Title I Family Engagement Team produced the video with students Harrison Munoz, Azaley Person and Savonta Luke. The school won an opportunity to present at the Family Engagement Conference held in Athens in February. Nakeisha Leitzey, Bernd Title I representative, will present at the conference on behalf of the team.

In addition, State School Superintendent Richard Woods will visit the school this spring to celebrate its success.

Southwest High School’s Law Enforcement Pathway and students are being highlighted on a billboard in Macon, Ga. This billboard series is part of a Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Future Workforce collaborative campaign promoting various CTAE pathways around the state.

Congratulations to Southwest students Azucena Cervantes and Jaylan Germany (pictured above) for representing the District.

Congratulations to Marquez Pitts, top winner of this year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Competition sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission at the Historic Douglass Theatre. Pictured, left to right: CTAE Supervisor Jason Weiss, Marquez Pitts and DECA Adviser Valeria Drummond.

The Teacher Support Specialist Team (TSS) at Williams Elementary School hosted a luncheon for their new teachers and staff before Christmas Break. Lunch was provided from Chick-Fil-A and small tokens of appreciation provided. The TSS team has been active in ensuring their new staff members feel welcome, participate in mentoring activities and are involved in positive experiences.

Students in third through fifth grade enjoyed a fun filled hour of Jazz, Blues, and Dixie themed music from The Jazz Association of Macon on Wednesday, January 20th at Brookdale Elementary School. Teachers also joined in on this entertaining morning by scat singing following the lead of Dr. Edward K. Clark. This fun-filled event exposed and expanded the students' awareness of music and its different genres.

Bernd hosted two parent engagement activities: Muffins with Mom (pictured above) and Donuts with Dad (pictured below).

During the event, families enjoyed juice and pastries while receiving information about test-taking tips and the GA Milestones Assessment.

Howard High School won the Future Business Leaders of America Region Championship for the fifth consecutive year.

Five years ago, Howard High's FBLA chapter started with about 40 students and has grown to over 200 members, FBLA adviser Morgan Jarvis says.

Pictured below: Students from Hutchings College and Career Academy attend the conference. They are: Anderson Wash, Vada Amerson, Shanautica Harvey , Jordan Reeves, Wykeis Jordan, Donald Turner, Jamari Cliett and Logan Poole.

The Robo Pandas, Vineville Academy of the Arts' robotics team, won First Place in Best Mechanical Robot Design at the First Lego League Super Regional Competition.

Alexander II Magnet School's robotics team, the RoboSTEINS, took home the Teamwork Award. (Pictured below)

For the second year in a row, the CTAE student organization, FCCLA, with their leader Ms. Sheila Mackey organized a gift-giving opportunity for all the Westside CTSO clubs.

The FCCLA, TSA, DECA, FBLA and Beta Clubs all gave money from their clubs to go toward the purchase of coloring books and crayons for every child in the Middle GA Head Start programs. This year 720 coloring books and crayons were donated so each child would have a gift this holiday season.

The Bibb County School District will open Pre-Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year on Monday, February 1, through Sunday, February 14. All applications for the Pre-K lottery will be processed online this year through the District’s website, www.bcsdk12.net. Online registration will remain open through February 14.

There are currently 729 Pre-K slots available to children who are 4 years old on or before September 1, 2016. Selection is based on a random computer lottery, and there is no cost to participate.

Students may attend Pre-K at their zoned neighborhood school or parents may choose to register them at one of three alternative locations: Northwoods Academy, Alexander II Magnet School or Vineville Academy of the Arts. Transportation will not be provided to non-zoned schools and parents may only register their child for one school.

Parents will have an opportunity to register their child in person on Saturday, February 6, and Saturday, February 13, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Northwoods Academy, 709 Pierce Avenue in Macon. Computers will be set up at Northwoods on these two dates to allow parents to register for the Pre-K Program on site.

Representatives from the Connect2Compete program also will be on site to provide parents with information about low-cost home internet services and to help them learn about whether or not they qualify for a $30 tablet from EveryoneOn.

Parents will be notified by email on March 7, 2016, of whether or not their child has been accepted into the District’s Pre-K Program. If a child's name is not selected, his or her name will automatically be placed on the waiting list for the school to which they applied.

If a child is selected, parents will be required to provide registration documents within the allotted time frame of March 14-25, 2016, to complete the registration process. If registration documents are not received during this time frame, the child’s Pre-K slot will be forfeited.

Registration documents include:

• Two proofs of residence (mortgage statement/lease agreement and utility bill for address of residence),
• Child’s certified birth certificate,
• Child’s Social Security card,
• Immunization - GA form 3231
• Ear, Eye, Dental and Nutrition Screening - GA form 3300, and
• Photo ID of parent/guardian.

Also, parents must attend a scheduled orientation before the 2016-2017 school year. If parents do not attend orientation, the child’s Pre-K slot will be forfeited.

For more information regarding the Bibb County School District’s Pre-K Program or the registration process, call Northwoods Academy at (478) 779-3200.

The Macon Mayhem hockey team visited Bernd Elementary to read aloud to students, as well as inspire students about the importance of attending school every day and doing their best. Students also "played hockey" with the teammates during an assembly.

Vineville Academy of the Arts students had special visitors from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Pam Hanse and Anne Hanse. Mrs. Hanse read a short historical book about a famous Revolutionary figure (George Washington) to the students and gave a quick background about DAR. She then presented 3-4 books in honor of the DAR to each Student Council Representative from each classroom to be placed in each classroom library.

District employees celebrated the Grand Opening of the Operations Center on Cavalier Drive on Friday, January 22.

It's a one-stop shop and houses multiple departments, has allowed the District to expand and become more efficient.

Once split up throughout the District – with cramped and outdated locations on Roff Avenue, Ridge Avenue and Mulberry Street – the departments will now work together at one site, thereby improving the efficiency of the District’s operational division. The larger facility will provide departments with more space for effectively collecting and delivering goods throughout the District, as well as additional space for equipment storage and separate industrial work areas.

As an example, the Maintenance and Custodial Services Departments will now have space to properly organize work areas for locksmiths, heating and air, carpentry, electric and plumbing to repair equipment and items in-house; store parts for equipment and emergency supplies; and house a laundry facility on site.

The future scope of work at the site includes a 2-year plan to build out additional space for the District’s Transportation and Campus Police Departments to move to location.

The Transportation Department is currently located behind Miller Magnet Middle School on Roff Avenue and Campus Police is located in the old Renaissance Academy building at 1065 Anthony Road.

Vineville Academy of the Arts and Vineville Neighborhood Association welcomed 2016 and the New Year with a fabulous Historic Tour Of Homes. This year’s tour of homes not only showcased bungalows and cottages in the historic Vineville neighborhood, a tour of The Big House and Allman Brothers Band Museum, but also included Vineville Academy of the Arts Orchestra students, Vineville Voices and Vineville Dancers performing in Stanislaus Park.

The Vineville Neighborhood Association worked with Strong Tower Fellowship to have recently renovated beautiful homes on the tour. Also on the tour was the community garden located next to these homes. During the tour of homes, the students, several artists and designers performed, gave tips and shared their expertise of decorating and entertaining. The New Town Trolley circled the neighborhood to make sure guests were able to visit all homes, entertainers and artists.

VISION: Each student demonstrates strength of character

and is college or career ready.

MISSION: The Bibb County School District will develop

a highly trained staff and an engaged community dedicated

to educating each student for a 21st century global society.