Your Future Starts Today
January 2020 Updates
Dates to Remember:
Thursday, February 6: The Vaping Crisis @ Callaway Conference Center @ 6:30 pm
Saturday, February 8: Get Troup Reading Summit @ Callaway Conference Center @ 9:00 am
Monday, February 17: President's Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, February 18: TCSS Board Work Session @ 5:30 pm
Thursday, February 20: TCSS Board Meeting @ 5:30 pm
January Board of Education Meeting Highlights
For the first board meeting of the year, the Troup High Air Force JROTC students presented the colors before the Pledge of Allegiance. Alos, students from Rosemont shared about their participation in Greenpower races and building their 737 Goblin car. Hogansville girls were awesome; showing board members their works from the Girls Who Code Club. Finally, two of our own paraprofessionals were honored with the Grow Your Own Scholarship: Tika Russell at Ethel W. Kight Elementary and and Sharonza Jones at Long Cane Elementary. Both will receive reimbursements for completing a degree focused in education.
Felice Hilton, TCSS Bus Driver, Caught Showing Acts of Kindness (Video Below)
TCSS Hosts Leadership Troup Education Session
This month, TCSS hosted over 30 Leadership Troup class members for a session centered around education, leadership, and generational differences.
During the morning session, Lauren Healey with the Fanning Institute led a half- day Generational Differences workshop. After lunch, education leaders led a panel discussion on the current and future state of public education in Troup County. They answered questions about third grade reading levels, senior taxes, student attendance, technology in the classroom, and staffing. Members of the panel were:
- Helen Rice – Third Congressional District State Board of Education Member
- Cathy Hunt – TCSS Board of Education Member
- Dr. Brian Shumate – TCSS Superintendent
- Traviera Sewell – TCSS 2020 Teacher of the Year
Get Troup Reading Summit on February 8th
Get Troup Reading is hosting their first reading summit in February. The stakeholder group, consisting of over 40 members, met in October to begin planning the event and inviting speakers to share their expertise. They hope to see 200-300 community members in attendance. In addition, the summit is approved by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning for four hours of continuing education credits. It is a single session that early learning center employees, and some paraprofessionals who work in the school system, can earn credits by attending the free event.
- Event: Get Troup Reading Summit
- Date: Saturday, February 8th
- Advance Registration Link: Constant Contact
- Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Venue: Callaway Conference Center
TCSS Elementary Students Celebrate 100 Days of School!
BWES Recognizes January Students of the Month
Each month, Berta Weathersbee Elementary School recognizes students who exceed expectations based on their behavior, attitude, and classroom participation.
BWES Host Awards Ceremony for First Quarter Achievers
Callaway Elementary and High Receive Grief Sensitive School Donation
Ethel W. Kight Students Learn We are All Equal
Ethel W. Kight Elementary Kindergarten students in Ms. Avery Shead’s class have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. They used their learnings to complete an assignment using brown eggs and white eggs to compare and contrast. The students talked about the similarities and differences of each food item from the outside shell to the inside core. The lesson taught them that everyone is equal no matter what is on the outside. In the photo, students Leland Mitchell, Ariaunna Charter, Chase Glenn, and Morgan Campbell share their work.
EKES Introduces Baton Twirling Team
The first ever Ethel W. Kight Baton Twirling Team put on quite a performance for parents and teachers at a recent parent night meeting. Batons were twirled, tossed, and caught in a magnificent show of hard work and ability. Ethel Kight is so proud of the dedicated girls who show up every week and put in the work to perform.
Hillcrest Students Learn About Physical and Chemical Changes
Columbus River Dragons Honor Hogansville Elementary 4th Grader
Brody Storey, a 4th grader at Hogansville Elementary, was honored by the Columbus River Dragons as the honorary puck dropper at “Scout Night” on January 4th. Brody was nominated by one of his teachers, Gary Jones.
Mr. Jones said, “Brody is a great all-around kid. He loves being outdoors and helping others. Earlier this year, Brody and his family went to a River Dragons game that I also attended, so I knew he loved hockey. I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity for him, so I contacted the team and they contacted the Boy Scouts.”
Brody is a member of Pack 324 out of LaGrange. He has been involved with the scout program for four years and is currently a Webelo.
HGVS Students Enter Duke TIP National Writing Contest
Brody Storey (4th grade) and Thomas Griffin (5th grade) of Hogansville Elementary recently submitted writing entries to this year’s Duke TIP National Writing Contest. Their submissions will be judged against other students across the United States in their respective grade levels. The TIP program is offering cash awards to the top three students.
This year’s writing prompt was based off finding a mysterious package that is half opened on the front porch. The package is stamped with Handle With Care and something inside will benefit the community.
Students were tasked with creating writing that demonstrates well written, original thoughts while maintaining a common voice throughout the story, limited grammatical errors, and a strong beginning, middle section, and ending. Brody and Thomas have been working on the writing process since mid-December and should be notified of their results in the next several weeks by the university.
HHES Places in Their First Academic Bowl Meet of the Season
Rosemont Readers Play Arcade Games
Thank You West Point Presbyterian Church
WPES Students Named January Students of the Month
West Point Elementary School is pleased to announce their January 2020 Students of the Month. Students of the Month are selected from each classroom based on their good behavior, good attitude, and classroom participation. Congratulations to these exceptional students!
Students and Parents Prepare to Transition to High School
When 8th grade students enter high school they may feel mixed emotions that range from excitement to butterflies. TCSS helped ease those nervous emotions as the system hosted parent information sessions, student visits to high school, and a transition fair so rising freshman could learn more about college and career pathways.
First, close to 1,000 middle grade students visited their respective high schools to understand the academic and extracurricular opportunities available for them to choose. Then, parents received invitations to a transition meeting where they were provided pertinent information to help their child move on to high school. The information included core class offerings, career pathway choices, dual enrollment opportunities, and general expectations for their soon-to-be high schooler.
Lastly, all 8th graders descended upon the campus of the Callaway Conference Center to attend the 8th Grade Transition Fair where they were introduced to the concept of career pathways, dual enrollment and future college opportunities. Transportation was free to the third annual event.
Middle School Students Visit Chic-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame
GNMS Comes Out Tops in Global Word Mania Competition
U.S. Representative Drew Ferguson Visits LCMS Drone Class
Ga. Tech Head Coach Guest at LCMS and THS Sports Banquet (Video Link Below)
TCSS Celebrates the 2nd Annual Arts & Apps and MLK, Jr. Commemorative Celebration
When Mae Caudill used the rainbow as inspiration for her thoughts on art and music, she had no idea it was going to be one of the first displays for the Arts & Appetizers event. “I’m really excited to see it. I paint all the time and I’m glad my friends are here to see it, too,” she said.
This year, a student artwork gallery, along with appetizers, was the prelude to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Celebration. Held at the Troup High Fine Arts Auditorium, there was a lobby full of patrons enjoying the 117 piece art collection. After they delighted in appetizers provided by Chartwells, they entered the auditorium to await the start of the MLK Celebration.
There were close to 25 performances like Asett Andrews from Franklin Forest Elementary. The first grader showed personality and owned the mic when she gave her poetry reading of “Hey Black Child” from memory. Gardner Newman Middle School steppers were a show stopper and the chorus students from Callaway Middle and Long Cane Middle combined to sing a powerful rendition of “Jordan’s Angels”.
CHS Names New Change Cadet Colonel
Recently, Callaway High School's AFJROTC UnitGA -20068 conducted a Change of Command Ceremony. The ceremony started with Cadet Sidrick Cameron being promoted to the permanent rank of Cadet Colonel. This is the highest possible rank in the cadet corps.
The Change of Command Ceremony is steeped in tradition and rich in military history. These ceremonies date back 954 years to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The ceremony is formal and is symbolic of passing the responsibility, authority, and accountability of command from one leader to another.
Cadet Colonel Sidrick Cameron was presented the Red Shoulder Cord which signifies that he is now the GA-20068 Corps Commander. Cadet Colonel Cameron is pictured here with his grandmother, Carol Jones, father, Sidrick Cameron, Sr, mother, Tonya Jones-Cameron, and brother, Sean Cameron.
The HOPE Academy Seeks Mentors for Man-Up Program
THINC First in State to Receive NCAC Model School Status
THINC College and Career Academy (THINC), has received commendations that no other program of its kind in the state of Georgia has received – Model Status. Recently, they became the first college and career academy in Georgia to achieve this status through the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC). The Model Status recognition places THINC and Troup County School System on the state and national stage as an exemplary model to be replicated.
The notification of Model Academy status was presented in Philadelphia. Academies can be recognized as model, certified, or in progress. For an academy to reach NCAC's highest level of recognition, it must meet or exceed proficiency in all 10 areas of the National Standards of Practice.
THINC Students 'Sleep' on Community Service Project
In the upcoming weeks, the number of children in Troup County who need a bed to lay their head at night will become lower thanks to the service project hosted by THINC. Employees and students invited business partners and the community to help build 50 beds for the LaGrange Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). There were 118 total volunteers, including those who came from companies like Georgia Power and Kia.
While part of THINC’s mission is to produce work-savvy graduates through soft-skills training, the mission of SHP is to build beds for children who are sleeping on the floor or not in their own bed. Greg Watts, SHP Chapter President said, “When we say sleeping on the floor, it could be a child who is sleeping on an air mattress or with other siblings…if a child does not have a bed of their own, we are building one for them. We provide the bed, mattress, comforter, sheets, and pillows. When we leave, they are ready to go to sleep.”
Currently, there are 126 kids in Troup County that are awaiting their bed and 60 to 65 percent of those referrals have come from Troup County School System (TCSS) counselors. “We have done 60 plus beds in Hogansville. For example, we might receive a call from the counselor from a school. They see a lot of what goes on in the homes because they are in touch with the families. I’ve had teachers come up to me after we have delivered beds to one of their students, and they say they see a notable difference in the child while they are in the classroom,” Watts added.
THINC Recognized by Georgia's Lt. Governor
Recently, THINC College and Career Academy was recognized by Georgia's Lt. Governor, Geoff Duncan, during the annual Lt. Governor's Business and Education Summit. They received commendations for successfully completing the Georgia College and Career Academy recertification process.
Photo: Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and THINC Principal, Dr. Chris Williams.
Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Releases Top 10 Issues in Public Education
The top 10 identified issues for 2020 are as follows:
- Issue 1: Preparing for 2030: Shifting Demographics and Georgia's Future
- Issue 2: Early Learning: Building Toward the Future
- Issue 3: Literacy: The Great Equalizer
- Issue 4: Funding: Ripple Effects of Budget Cuts
- Issue 5: Principal Leadership: Insulating the Teacher Pipeline
- Issue 6: Strong Foundations: Standards, Assessments, and Accountability
- Issue 7: Student Success: Barriers Beyond the Schoolhouse
- Issue 8: Rural Poverty: Endangering Opportunity
- Issue 9: School to Work: Pathways to Employment
- Issue 10: Beyond the Diploma: Keys to Post-Secondary Success
PBIS Team Meets to Discuss Tier II Interventions
A team of over 35 people spent a day of learning and reintroduction into connecting data and identifying at-risk students who are likely to experience barriers to graduation. The main focus of the day was Tier II interventions through Positive Behavorial Intervention and Supports (PBIS). Topics such as attendance, course or class performance, and office discipline referrals were on the agenda. The main purpose of PBIS implementation in TCSS is to use evidence-based, data-driven results to reduce discipline incidents, increase school safety and supports, and improve academic outcomes.
Help Us Share the TCSS Story
We are proud to be an educational path to success where parents choose to send their children for a quality education. We are an accredited educational system with over 12,000 students in grades K-12.
Mission: The mission of the Troup County School System is to educate all students in a challenging and safe learning environment, so they will become productive citizens in a diverse and changing world.
Email: stephenyk@troup.org
Website: www.troup.org
Location: 100 North Davis Road, LaGrange, GA, USA
Phone: 706.812.7900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troupcountyschoolsystem/
Twitter: @troupcountysch1
January 29, 2020