Rutland High School recently held a ceremony to mark the grand opening of an outdoor classroom. The project was funded through a "Teach to Inspire" grant from the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
"This is a true example of how the community has come to help us make school better," said Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones Jr.
Rutland teacher Rebecca Morgan applied for the grant and chose to do an outdoor classroom to create a consistent space that was shady and had tables for writing. She was also excited to help bring something to the school that could be used by other teachers and by future students.
"The wonderful thing about this is it's not just my classes that benefit," she said.

Click here for more information about projects funded through this grant.

The applications for magnet programs at the District's five magnet schools - Alexander II Math & Science Magnet School, Burdell-Hunt Communications Magnet School, Vineville Academy of the Arts, Miller Fine Arts Magnet Middle School and Central High School Fine Arts and International Baccalaureate Magnet High School - are now available online. For some of these programs, additional interview and essay requirements must be met.

Click here for more information and to apply for these programs!

Springdale Elementary School was one of the schools recognized by Gov. Nathan Deal and the Governor's Office of Student Achievement with a Gold Award for "Greatest Gains." The award was part of the Single Statewide Accountability System, which uses the College and Career Ready Performance Index to recognize schools that achieve and improve at a high level. Way to go, Springdale!

In a celebration at Vineville Academy of the Arts on Nov. 2, District partners the Business Education Partnership and OneMacon announced that the $2.1 million needed for full "The Leader in Me" implementation at the elementary and middle schools had been raised.
"It shows our community, our school district and our parents are all focused on providing the best experiences," said Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones Jr.
In addition to performances by Vineville Academy students and words from Dr. Jones and BEP co-chairman Blake Sullivan, students and community members who attended the announcement heard from Sean Covey of FranklinCovey, the company that offers "The Leader in Me" program for schools.
"What you're doing here, I think, is such a good model," he said of the collaboration in Macon-Bibb County. "We look at Macon, Georgia, and say, 'What they're doing is exactly what we need to be doing in communities across the country.'"

The students, faculty and staff at Bruce Elementary School have been collecting canned goods for the Mentors Project of Bibb County. We are always thankful for the efforts in our schools to help others!

On Nov. 14, the Lambda Phi Chapter Men of Omega Psi Phi read to the young leaders of Southfield Elementary School. The Men of Omega Psi Phi were celebrating Achievement Week for their fraternity. Special thanks to teacher Amaris Smith and her husband Anthony Smith, Omega Psi Phi member, for coordinating the visit with media specialist Shanta Johnson.

There are several scholarships available through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Inc. A list of these scholarships is available on the District website.

In preparation for last week's Thanksgiving Break, Bernd Elementary School (above), and many other District schools, held a Thanksgiving Feast for students and parents. At Springdale Elementary School (below), the Pre-K students held a Pow Wow and Feast to also celebrate Native American culture. We hope everyone had a safe and happy break!

Students from Westside High School's DECA chapter joined community leaders at Hartley Elementary School for "Professional Dress Tuesday" earlier this month. These students, along with teacher Valeria Drummond, greeted the elementary students at the door. The participating students were Shon Adams, Anton Dunham, Tarjai Grayer, Ciara Jackson, Josh Johnson, Lamar Samyra, Jontori Lowe, Jordan Lowe, Zori Middleton, Alexia Miller, Jakaiya Miller, Janesia Phelps and Emmanuel Smart.

The week leading up to Veterans Day, schools across the District held events to express gratitude for the service of our veterans.

Students, faculty and staff at Rutland Middle School recognized veterans in their community with a breakfast and ceremony. This included performances by the band, cheerleaders, chorus and Junior Leadership Corps, as well as presentation of colors by the Rutland High School Marine Junior ROTC.
The guest speaker for the event was Eric Harrington, an electrical engineer at Robins Air Force Base. He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy and thanked members of all branches.
"One of the things you learn from being in the military is it's one big team," he said, also encouraging the students to continue focusing on their education.

Similar events were held at Rutland High School, Alexander II Magnet School, Skyview Elementary and Veterans Elementary, among others.

To celebrate National Parent Involvement Day, Northeast Health Science Magnet High School hosted a breakfast for parents. Those who attended got to hear an academic update from school Principal Steve Jones, and even got to participate in a raffle and "Rock, Paper, Scissors" contest to start off the day.
"It's all about the work you're doing and the work your students are doing," Jones said.
As part of his presentation, Jones celebrated the school's most recent graduation rate, which rose above 80 percent. He also pointed to other figures related to test scores and discipline but said one of the biggest keys to improvement was regular attendance.
"If your child is coming to school, we can work with them," Jones said.

Schools throughout the District held similar events throughout the month in honor of Family Engagement Month. At Howard Middle School, 38 parents joined school and District administrators for breakfast. This allowed leaders to share information with parents as well as answer questions. At Williams Elementary, parents shadowed students for the day and even came dressed in uniform for the full experience! Springdale Elementary School chose to hold a Scavenger Hunt for Parent Involvement Day, which also included prizes and certificates for students.

District Title I Homeless Liaison Dr. Danielle Jones has been named to the Georgia Department of Education's Committee of Practitioners. This committee is directed to be substantially involved in the review of and comment on any proposed or final state rules, regulations, and policies relating to Title I prior to their publication.

Committee members are provided with an update on national education reform activities, changes in Title I legislation and regulations, and other pertinent state and federal information. Congratulations to Dr. Jones, and thank you for representing our District well!

November 13 was the day for "Books With Barbers" at Hartley Elementary School. Boys came in for free haircuts from local barbers, and they also got a chance to read with these friends from the community.
"We get a chance to come out and support them in school," said barber Derrick Brown. "I love to see the kids reading."
The haircut wasn't just a diversion or gimmick to get the kids reading with community partners, though. Brown, who is also known as "3D Da Barber," said that it can be important for students to get the confidence of feeling like they look good.
"A haircut changes your day," he said.
The District would like to thank Brown as well as the other barbers who took time out of their day to help out - Wade White, Carey Goodson, Thomas Russell, Trey Foster, Brad Baker, Charles Gilmore, Cornelius Brown and Donell Williams.

Vineville Academy of the Arts recently awarded certificates to its Students of the Month. These students received "Panda Paw" awards for representing "Loyalty" and overall "Democracy." Way to go!