Better Together
3/1/24 • News from the Clarke County School District
Scenes around CCSD
Black History Month Celebrations Wrap Up in Style
CCSD schools wrapped up a great month of Black History celebrations this week with numerous festivities during the school day and in the evening hours. These included a special Black History program at Clarke Central High that featured musical, dance, and spoken-word performances as well as special remarks from former Georgia Labor Commissioner and CCHS alum Michael Thurmond, as well as a fine arts showcase at Cedar Shoals High. Several of our elementary and middle schools also held evening and school-day events showcasing student talent over the past week. Be sure to follow CCSD (@ClarkeCoSchools) and our schools on social media to see many more photos!
Adapted Sports Team Practices Underway
The new CCSD Adapted Sports program held a successful first practice last weekend and is still looking for additional players! Students in grades 1-12 with a qualifying disability are invited to sign up for the Clarke Classic City Dawgs team for free. John Walker and Julius Hooper are coaching the adapted football team, and the first game is scheduled for March 23. Click here to fill out a short interest form and contact Chris Aiken at aikenc@clarke.k12.ga.us with any questions.
G.R.E.A.T. Program Stresses Life Skills
This week, Lt. Jerry Johnson with the CCSD Police Department began implementation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary. Over the next six weeks, Lt. Johnson will meet with fifth-grade classes twice a week and work with them on peaceful conflict resolution, controlling their emotions, helping their peers control their emotions, setting positive examples for others, always being respectful toward everyone, and many other skills and traits that will serve them well throughout life. Lt. Johnson implemented the 13-week middle school version of the program at Hilsman Middle last fall and plans to introduce the program into at least one CCSD school per semester moving forward.
Cedar Shoals, Clarke Central Named AP Honor Schools
Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools were among 276 schools in Georgia named Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools for 2024 in an announcement by State School Superintendent Richard Woods this week. Cedar Shoals earned a designation in five of the seven applicable AP Honor School categories, while Clarke Central was named in two of the categories.
Read more here!
Nominate an Employee of the Month for March!
Our Employee of the Month program, sponsored by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, recognizes and rewards staff members for their service and dedication to CCSD students and families.
Any member of the CCSD community (parent, staff member, student, community member) may nominate any full-time CCSD employee who has been with the district at least one year for the award. Winners for each month are recognized at the monthly Board of Education meeting.
Get your nomination in by March 8 for your nominee to be considered for the March Employee of the Month award. Click here for more information and to get started!
ACCA to Hold Spring Parent Tours
The Athens Community Career Academy, 440-1 Dearing Ext., will host upcoming tours of the academy during the school day for parents/guardians and community members to get a look at students and hands-on learning in action!
Tours are available for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 12, and Friday, March 29. Please click here — or scan the code or copy and paste the link in the flyer above — to sign up for one of the tours. The signup form is also directly embedded below for your convenience.
Student Spotlights
Clarke Central Student Wins State SkillsUSA Competition
Congratulations to Clarke Central High School junior Grayson Krause, who won first place in Computer Programming at the Skills USA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta last weekend! Grayson will compete next in the national competition, which also be held in Atlanta, this summer. Grayson is pictured with his Clarke Central SkillsUSA advisor, Mr. John Walker.
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit that serves middle school, high school, and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. It seeks to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens.
Clarke Middle's Jaumot-Ramos Advances to State Spelling Bee
After winning the CCSD District Spelling Bee last month, Clarke Middle eighth-grader GJ Jaumot-Ramos kept their streak going last weekend, winning the Region 7 bee in Putnam County to advance to the Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee, set for March 15 in Atlanta. GJ will be one of 20 spellers vying for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in late May/early June. Good luck, GJ!
Clarke Central's Dykes Wins at Georgia Junior Livestock Show
Clarke Central senior and FFA president Kathleen Dykes took her final showing of show pigs to the next level last weekend. At the Georgia Junior Livestock Show in Perry, Kathleen won Grand Champion Duroc Barrow and second place in class with her crossbred gilt. Congratulations, Kathleen, on a great high school career with FFA!
Student Opportunities
AAHRC Youth Forum Set for March 16
The Athens Area Human Relations Council will host its annual Youth Forum on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clarke Central High School, 350 South Milledge Ave. The event is free and open to middle and high school students, but registration is required. Click here to register, and call 706-546-6799 for more information.
Chess and Community Annual Conference, Tournaments Set for March 23
Chess and Community, an Athens-based nonprofit dedicated to preparing youth to lead through community engagement and civic empowerment, will hold its 11th annual conference and community chess and robotics tournaments on Saturday, March 23, starting at 9 a.m. at the Classic Center, 300 North Thomas St., Athens.
Click here for more information and to register for the conference and tournaments. The registration deadline is March 16.
Join Athens Peer Court
Students: Want a great resumé builder? The J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia, 1240 South Lumpkin St., Athens, invites students in grades 8-12 to join Athens Peer Court. Peer Court is a volunteer leadership program in which students will be lawyers, judge, bailiff, and jury in hearings for real cases in Athens-Clarke County. Participants will develop leadership skills, practice public speaking, critical thinking, and goal-setting, and learn to solve problems and work as a team.
Interested students should visit fanning.uga.edu/athenspeercourt for more information or to sign up. Students must attend both fall training sessions at the institute, scheduled for:
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13.
UGA Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Camp
The University of Georgia will host its 2024 Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Summer Camp for high school students July 15-19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The weeklong camp is designed to provide students with an immersive and hands-on experience in the fields of data science and artificial intelligence and help them gain valuable skills that will benefit them in their future academic and professional pursuits.
Click here for more information and to register.
Apply for SMASH Academy at Spelman
SMASH Academy, set for July 6-26 at Spelman College in Atlanta, is a free computer science-immersive college prep program for current 10th- or 11th-grade students with an aim of eliminating barriers faced by underrepresented communities in the tech workforce. Students spend two weeks living and learning on the Spelman campus, followed by a week of virtual competitions.
Applications are open now at www.smash.org/apply for the program, and the deadline is April 1. The program seeks low-income students of color who are high-achieving in the classroom (minimum 3.0 grade-point average with an interest in math and science).
UGA to Host Creative Explorers Summer Camp
The Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development in the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education will host Creative Explorers, a six-week summer camp series for rising third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students – starting the week of June 3-7 and ending the week of July 22-26. There will be a different domain covered each week, and you can sign your child up for one or multiple weeks.
Program fees are $400 per week with $350 per week pricing through March 15. Needs-based scholarships are available. See the flyer below or click here for more information about the program. For other questions, email kids@uga.edu.
Support the Clarke Middle SEAT Spring Flower Fundraiser
The online store for the Clarke Middle School SEAT (Science, Energy, and Adventure Team) Spring Flower Fundraiser is now open and will close on May 15. Orders will ship at the appropriate time for planting based on the delivery zip code. Customers can send products as gifts.
This state and national award-winning group of students seeks to promote energy education and resource conservation in the community through projects and special outreach events. The team will earn 50% of the sales price from these items. Funds earned will be used to support community service projects and field trips for student team members. Here is a link to the fundraiser.
CCSD Transition Fair Set for March 22
CCSD's Special Education Department will host a spring Transition Fair on Friday, March 22, to help connect students with disabilities and their families with community resources and information about post-secondary opportunities.
The fair will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave. Click here to RSVP! See the flyer below for more information and direct questions to Liza Burnsed, CCSD Transition Specialist, at burnsedl@clarke.k12.ga.us.
Calendar and Other Reminders
Calendar Reminders
Click to view the 2023-24 Academic Calendar.
Important dates:
- 3/11 - 3/14: PK-8 conference week
- 3/13: Early dismissal for all CCSD schools (Elementary, 12:20 p.m.; middle/high, 1:30 p.m.)
- 3/14: Student holiday
- 3/15: Student/school staff holiday
- 4/1 - 4/5: Spring break
Update or Create Parent Portal Account
Follow these directions for updating the contact information in your Parent Portal account. Don't have an account yet? Follow these directions to set one up. Having a Parent Portal account allows parents and guardians to access attendance records, class schedules, grades, and assignment information for their students. If you already have an account but forgot your password and need a reset, use the links on the login page to reset your password or username or to request help. You may also email campus@clarke.k12.ga.us for additional assistance.
How to Address Questions, Concerns
Have a question or concern that you'd like to address? CCSD has put together a matrix of who to reach out to depending on the situation. Please click here to view this information. You can also go to CCSD's main site at clarke.k12.ga.us, go to the "I Want To" tab at the top of the page, and select “Ask a Question/Submit a Concern.”
Download the Edulog App for Bus Info
Parents/guardians of students who ride a bus to and/or from school can use the Edulog page on the district website or download the Edulog Parent Portal mobile app to find information about their student’s bus.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Check out our monthly breakfast and lunch menus and find more school nutrition information here.
Take Advantage of our School-based Health Centers!
- The Clarke Middle Health Center (CMHC) is a free clinic that serves students and staff and is an extension of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s mobile clinic. Click here for hours, contact information, and more.
- The Hilsman Health Center, the first school-based health clinic to open in northeast Georgia, is a partnership between CCSD and the Athens Neighborhood Health Center and is a comprehensive medical office. It is staffed by a nurse practitioner, dentist, and support staff. Click here for a list of services provided, hours, contact information, and more.
Board of Education News
Board Contact Information, Meetings
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, March 21, 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.
Careers at CCSD
Interested in a Career at CCSD?
Community Information and Resources
Events at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Athens
The Joel E. Smilow Club and the H.T. Edwards Club, 440 Dearing Ext., offer youth programming on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are starting a teen basketball league this spring. See the flyers below for more information.
Library PLAY Card
As part of a collaboration between CCSD and the Athens Regional Library System, the PLAY Card account provides each CCSD student with free materials (books, magazines, etc.) and online resources from the public library to help your child succeed in school, along with fun resources to support a lifelong love of reading. You and your child can check out materials at the libraries by entering their student ID number.
211 – Get Connected. Get Help.
Community Food Resources
Search for Jobs in Athens-Clarke County
Website: www.clarke.k12.ga.us
Location: 595 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA, USA
Phone: 706-546-7721
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.