Better Together
3/22/24 • News from the Clarke County School District
View and Celebrate CCSD Student Art This Weekend
As we wind down our celebration of National Youth Art Month, remember that there are two receptions planned this weekend for the public to view and celebrate the art works of our exceptionally talented students across the district.
The reception for the second annual CCSD High School Student Pop-Up Art Exhibition will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA) gallery. Meanwhile, the reception for the annual CCSD Youth Art Month Exhibition, featuring works by students from all grade levels, will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the Lamar Dodd School of Art on the University of Georgia campus.
See more details in the flyers below!
Scenes around CCSD
Girl Empowerment
Howard B. Stroud Elementary has started the Sisterhood Serenity Circle girls' group for fourth- and fifth-grade students. Their first community guest was area family physician Dr. Loretta Duggan, who spoke to the girls about the importance of prioritizing their physical and mental health and well-being as they continue to mature.
Orchestras Take the Stage
Student orchestras from Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals high schools and Burney-Harris-Lyons and Clarke middle schools performed at Clarke Central this week during the Georgia Music Educators Association District 14 large-group performance evaluations. Find more photos from some of the performances here!
Build it Up
Sixth-grade students at Clarke Middle got an early geometry lesson in math class during an activity where they had to build a sturdy structure out of marshmallows and dried spaghetti noodles.
Student and Staff Spotlights
Congratulations to Hannah Gorman, special education paraprofessional at Clarke Middle School, for being selected as CCSD's Employee of the Month for March! Ms. Gorman, a CCSD alum who graduated from Clarke Central High School in 2016 and has been at CMS for five years, was nominated by the parents of one of the students she works with. They praised her for always communicating with them about his needs and pushing him out of his comfort zone in a good way.
"We very much appreciate knowing he is in good hands each day. It is clear that Ms. Hannah truly loves our son and is committed to helping him live his best life every day!" they wrote.
Ms. Gorman was surprised at school with the award by Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker and recognized at the Thursday, March 21 Board of Education meeting.
As a reminder, anyone in the community (parent, staff, student, community member) can nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of service for Employee of the Month. Click here for more information and to get started!
Clarke Middle Student Finishes Third in State Spelling Bee
2024 CCSD Spelling Bee champion GJ Jaumot-Ramos of Clarke Middle continued to represent CCSD extremely well last week, finishing in a tie for third out of 20 competitors in the Georgia Association of Educators state Spelling Bee.
Congratulations, GJ, on a terrific run!
Coile FFA Wins 2 More Grants for Service Projects
The FFA chapter at Coile Middle has already had a great year and added to its accolades recently. The chapter has been awarded two Day of Service mini-grants in the amount of $400 each. This grant provides alumni or middle/high school chapters with up to $400 to conduct a one-time service event.
One of the applications was written and submitted by eighth-grader Kenia Gonzalez-Chavez, who created a project called "Care Packages for Low-Income Women," which provides small hygiene care packages for women in the community. The second award application was written by eighth-grader Taraji Peek, whose project, “Covering Seniors with Love," will provide members with the opportunity to create blankets and pillows for seniors in the community.
Materials for the projects will be purchased as soon as funds are distributed.
ACCA Counselor Wins Recognition for Mock Interview Initiative
Athens Community Career Academy counselor Ariel Gordon, who developed the "Project Yellow Jacket" mock interview initiative where community members and local business representatives help ACCA students sharpen their job interview skills, submitted the project to the Georgia Department of Education for its Employability Skills lesson plan contest. This week, Ms. Gordon received notice that she won the contest for the project and received a $1,000 prize. The contest is sponsored by the Atlanta Electrical Contractors Association.
Clarke Central's Ward Named State Athletic Director of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Jon Ward, Athletic Director at Clarke Central High, for being named the Georgia High School Association Class 5A Athletic Director of the Year! Dr. Ward earlier this year received the Region 8-AAAAA award.
LSGT Candidate Declaration Window Open
The window for parents/guardians and teachers to declare their candidacy for their school's Local School Governance Team (LSGT) is now open!
As a charter system, CCSD is required to maximize school-level governance through LSGTs. In their work as a governing body, these teams work with school leadership and the community to make data-driven decisions that help determine the school's long-term direction, design innovative solutions to increase student achievement, and serve as school ambassadors to the local community.
Now through April 10, individuals interested in serving a two-year term on their school's LSGT (July 2024 through June 2026) must complete a Declaration of Candidacy Form. Elections will be held April 15-19, and results will be announced by April 26.
Click here for more information about LSGT elections. CCSD is also asking community members who aren't a parent/guardian or staff member but are still interested in serving on an LSGT to complete this interest form.
2024 FFE Award Nominations Open
Nominations are now open for the 2024 Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County teaching and staff awards! Anyone in the community may nominate a CCSD educator or staff member for one of 12 awards. Nominations close at 11 p.m. on April 11. Go to www.athensffe.org/awards-list for a list of awards that will be given out this year and go to bit.ly/2024FFEAwards for the nomination form!
School Choice Window for 2024-25 Opens April 1
CCSD will open up our annual School Choice application window for the 2024-25 school year from April 1-30. School Choice allows parents and guardians the opportunity to apply for a transfer to a school outside of their attendance zone, provided that space is available. This is open for students in grades K-12 that are currently enrolled in CCSD.
The schools that qualify for School Choice will be posted on April 1 when the application opens on our website. For more information please visit this page.
Student Opportunities
Registration for CCSD's 21st Century Summer Camps Now Open!
CCSD will host our 2024 summer 21st Century program summer camps for elementary and middle school students this June. The camps are free to attend, and breakfast and lunch will be provided and transportation will be available at no charge.
The elementary camp, open to CCSD students who will be entering grades 2-5, will be held from June 3-18, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday of each week. They will include integrated math and English language arts instruction, hands-on projects, field trips, and other engaging and educational activities. The camp locations will be Barnett Shoals Elementary for students who attend east side elementary schools (Barnett Shoals, Fowler Drive, Gaines, Howard B. Stroud, J.J. Harris, Whit Davis, and Winterville) and Timothy Road Elementary for students who attend west side elementary schools (Timothy Road, Barrow, Bettye H. Holston, Cleveland Road, Johnnie Lay Burks, Oglethorpe Avenue, and Whitehead Road). Click HERE to register your child.
The middle school camps, open to CCSD students who will be entering grades 6-8, will be held from June 3-18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday of each week. They will include an introduction to middle school for incoming sixth-graders, music education, field trips, and other activities. Register your child HERE. The camps will be held at each of our four middle schools. Current middle school students should sign up for the school they already attend, while rising sixth-graders should sign up for the school they will be zoned for.
See the flyers below for additional information. For questions, please email phillipsa3@clarke.k12.ga.us or call 706-546-7721, Ext. 79413.
Application Fees Waived at Several Colleges in Georgia This Month
March is Apply to College Month in Georgia, and dozens of colleges and universities across the state are waiving their application fees as part of a partnership between the Georgia Student Finance Commission, University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, and several private colleges and universities. Go to bit.ly/ApplyToCollegeMonthGA for the full list of schools participating!
ACCA to Offer Summer Pathway Camps to Rising Ninth-graders
The Athens Community Career Academy will host free summer enrichment camps in six of the pathways it offers to high school students for rising ninth-graders. The weeklong camps will be held daily at the ACCA campus, 440-1 Dearing Extension, Athens, and are intended to introduce incoming to ninth-graders to pathways they'll be able to apply for and start taking classes in starting in 10th grade.
Camps being offered this summer include:
- Advanced Manufacturing, June 3-6
- Cosmetology Basics, June 3-6
- Culinary Arts, June 3-6
- Healthcare, June 3-6
- Teaching, June 3-6
- Film, June 17-20.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost, and transportation will also be available. Space is limited. Sign up by April 22 at bit.ly/accasummer9.
Quintet Athens Elementary School Writing Challenge: Your Chid's Writing Could be Set to Music!
Students in grades K-5 are invited to participate in this year's Quintet Athens Story Writing Challenge. Now through April 27, students may submit an original story of up to 500 words using the printable online form linked below. Stories can be any genre as long as they are an original work by the student.
Up to 10 winners will be chosen based on creativity, originality, organization, and use of descriptive language. Winners will be announced on May 1, and their stories will be set to original music compositions by local composers and performed as part of the Quintet Athens Symphonic Story Time: Stories by Classic City Kids event on June 2 at the Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter St.
Click here for contest instructions and here for the submission form.
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).
Fundraisers
Coile FFA to Hold Spring Plant Fundraiser
The Coile Middle School FFA will host its spring plant sale starting Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and continuing April 15-19 from 4:15-6:15 p.m. daily at the school, located at 110 Old Elberton Rd., Athens.
All plants and vegetables are student-grown and will be $1 apiece. The chapter is steadily adding inventory and posting updates to its Instagram profile.
High School FFA Chapters Selling Mixed Vegetable Boxes, Spring Plants
The FFA chapters at Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools are holding mixed vegetable box and spring plant sale fundraisers to help support their program activities.
The mixed vegetable box fundraiser is through Front Door Produce and runs through March 25 for both schools. Boxes are $30 each and include zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, sweet corn, hot peppers, cabbage, citruses, and bell peppers. Box pickup for each school will be Thursday, March 28, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at their respective greenhouses.
Click here for more information about and to order for the Cedar Shoals fundraiser and here for the Clarke Central fundraiser.
The Cedar Shoals greenhouse will be open to the public for their spring plant sale from 4-6 p.m. March 27, 4-6 p.m. March 29, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 30. The Clarke Central greenhouse will be open for their sale March 28-30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Dates and times are contingent on how long supplies last.
For additional questions, contact Julie Throne (Cedar Shoals) at thronej@clarke.k12.ga.us or Levi Carr Brooks (Clarke Central) at carrl@clarke.k12.ga.us.
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.
Calendar and Other Reminders
Calendar Reminders
Click to view the 2023-24 Academic Calendar.
Important dates:
- 4/1 - 4/5: Spring break
- 5/22: Last day of school (High schools will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. on May 21 and 22.
- 5/23: Cedar Shoals High School graduation (9 a.m.) and Classic City High School graduation (5 p.m.)
- 5/24: Clarke Central High School graduation (9 a.m.)
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, April 11, 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
ACCGov to Host Future Land Use Map Information Sessions
The Athens-Clarke County Planning Department invites the public to complete its survey on the county future land-use map (available in English and Spanish) and attend one of the upcoming informational sessions.
Upcoming sessions include:
- 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at Creature Comforts, 271 West Hancock Ave.
- 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, at Whitehead Road Elementary School, 555 Quailwood Dr.
- 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at Fowler Drive Elementary, 400 Fowler Dr.
Spanish-language interpreters will be present for the sessions at Whitehead Road and Fowler Drive. See the flyer below for additional 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.
Teen Newsletter from ACC Library
Click to view the latest ACC Library Teen Newsletter.
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.