One Athens Connects

Excitement filled the air during our recent iAcademy at Athens Elementary ribbon-cutting celebration! Over 400 stakeholders were present for this momentous occasion that included special remarks from Mayor Ronnie Marks, Athens City Schools Board President Beverly Malone, Superintendent Beth Patton, iAcademy Principal Amanda Tedford, students, faculty, and staff.

The new iAcademy at Athens Elementary was designed by Lathan Associates Architects and built by Bailey Harris Construction. Planning and demo began in 2019, with a groundbreaking in September 2021. This state-of-the-art school is located on the previous site at 515 N. Madison Street. The new 68,000 sq. ft. school includes:
*24 Classrooms
*Music Room
*WOW Innovation Lab and Maker Space
*Media Center
*Art Classroom
*Cafetorium
*Renovated Gymnasium
*Storm Shelter for students, faculty, and staff

iAcademy at Athens Elementary is home to 430 Pre-K through 3rd-grade students and 60 faculty and staff members. Classes started in the new building on January 4, 2023. We are so very proud of our beautiful new school and look forward to our students making wonderful memories in their new "home".

iAcademy at Athens Elementary School invites you to become a permanent part of their new campus by purchasing a commemorative brick to recognize students, teachers, family, and friends in the Athens community. The bricks are incorporated into the design and displayed at the entrance area to the beautiful new school. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to support our teachers and students at iAcademy at Athens Elementary School. Two brick options are available: 4” x 8” - $50 (includes up to three lines with 21 characters per line) and 8" x 8" - $100 (includes up to six lines with 21 characters per line).

• To place your iAcademy at Athens Elementary brick order, click here or visit www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/athenses.
• To pay for your brick, you can either drop off payment at iAcademy at Athens Elementary School or visit website at www.acs-k12.org/aes and click the "Pay Fees" button.

Thank you for supporting iAcademy at Athens Elementary!

Our Athens City Schools Board of Education recently approved the 2023-2024 ACS Academic Calendar. Click below to download or view at acs-k12.org/calendar.

Preparing children for success begins early. Athens City Schools is proud to offer two Pre-K programs: Alabama First Class Pre-K Program and Eagles Nest Inclusion Pre-K.

Each program has its own unique admission requirements, application, tuition, and selection process. Pre-K registration runs January 15, 2023 through March 22, 2023. Learn more about each program and apply at www.acs-k12.org/prek. For registration help in Spanish, contact (256) 233-6600.

We would like to take a moment to recognized our ACS National Board Certified Teachers. This certification is one of the most respected professional certifications available in K-12 education. National Board certification is available in 25 certificate areas, spanning 16 disciplines from Pre-K through 12th grade. National Board Certified teachers demonstrate a deep understanding of their students, content knowledge, use of data and assessments, and teaching practice. We are proud to have 12 National Board Certified Teachers in ACS.

KARA CRUMBLEY, Athens Intermediate School
CARLA DAWS, HEART Academy at Julian Newman Elementary
MARLA DEAN, Athens Middle School
DAYLEE DOWNS, Athens Middle School
AMANDA HARBIN, SPARK Academy at Cowart Elementary
PAIGE HICKS, Athens High School
DR. BENITHA JONES MASS, Athens Intermediate School
SUE NOAH, iAcademy at Athens Elementary School
ASHLEY SAMS, Athens Intermediate School
KASEY STARNES, FAME Academy at Brookhill Elementary School

Special congrats to our newest NBCTs!
ERICA HAND, Athens Renaissance (2022)
NICOLE COLLINS, HEART Academy at Julian Newman (2022)

We are #athensproud of all of you and your hard work, dedication, and commitment to your students and teaching profession.

Scholarship opportunity to attend a full week of Space Camp for Leading Students in Alabama (SALSA). Open to students ages 12-14. Click here to learn more. Click here to apply.

Application closes Friday, March 31st, at 11:59 pm.

Take a peek at all of the exciting things go on in ACS. Be sure to follow ACS and your schools on Social Media and download the free ACS app.

PowerSchool Parent Portal is a web-based platform and app that can be used to access information such as student grades, attendance, assignments, class announcements, class schedule and more. Parent Portal is accessible from any device with internet access (i.e. computer, tablet, smartphone) or download the app for free. Learn more about PowerSchool Parent portal at acs-k12.org/powerschool. If you have any questions, please contact your school.

Kids and Kin is a FREE statewide program that provides resources and training to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings who provide child care for the children of a relative. Kids and Kin offers a wide range of helpful topics in a small and supportive group setting. If you have any questions, contact Tammie Hill, Family Guidance Center, at thill@familyguidancecenter.org or call 1-800-499-6597, ext. 211. Learn more at www.familyguidancecenter.org. Kids and Kin is provided by the Family Guidance Center of Alabama and funded by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

It's time for SPRING SPORTS! View all sports schedules at acs-k12.org/athletics. Purchase tickets and passes on the GoFan app or at gofan.co/app/school/AL109

In an effort to make all of our Athens City Schools athletic event experiences GOLDEN for all spectators, fans, and families, the Golden Guidelines will be implemented during the 2022-2023 school year:

• All children in 8th grade and below and non-school-age children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
• All students are expected to be seated and in the stands unless visiting the concessions or restrooms.
• Students are not permitted to loiter in groups outside of the seating area.
• Students who do not follow the ACS Athletic Facilities guidelines will be required to sit with the adult they arrived with or asked to leave the game.

Our goal is to always have a safe and enjoyable environment at our stadium, gymnasiums, fields and more. We appreciate your cooperation. If you have any questions, please reach out to Linda Moore, Athletic Director, at Linda.Moore@acs-k12.org.

STUDENTS Are you interested in being a part of sports and extracurricular activities at Athens Middle School and Athens High School during the 2023-2024 school year? If so, be sure to mark your calendars for important tryout information. More team dates coming soon. View acs-k12.org/athletics for more information.

We love sharing about all of the amazing things that are happening in our schools and in the lives of our outstanding students and employees! Do you have a story, event, award/ recognition or something cool going on with your student that you would like to share with our #oneAthens community? Please click here or email Christy.Hubbard@acs-k12.org.

Click here to view a previous edition of the One Athens Family Newsletter.