Your Future Starts Today
February 2020 Updates
Dates to Remember
March: Youth Art Month
March: Music in Our Schools Month
March: National Nutrition Month
Week of March 1: Social Workers Week
Week of March 1: Read Across America
Week of March 16: National School Board Appreciation Week
Sunday, March 8: Daylight Savings Time - SPRING FORWARD!
Friday, March 13: Professional Learning Day - NO STUDENTS
Monday, March 16: TCSS Board Work Session @ 5:30 pm
Wednesday, March 18: TCSS Teacher of the Year Reception @ 4:00 pm
Thursday, March 19: TCSS Board Meeting @ 5:30 pm
Monday, April 6 - Friday, April 10: Spring Break - All TCSS Schools and Offices Closed
Thursday, May 21: Callaway High School Graduation
Friday, May 22: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Friday, May 22: Troup High School Graduation
Saturday, May 23: LaGrange High School Graduation
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day - All TCSS Schools and Offices Closed
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February Board Updates
In addition, Randy Hardigree was recognized for being named a 2020 faculty member for Harvard's Project Zero Classroom in Boston. The three teacher of the year finalists received icebergs. They are Jill Kemp, Hollis Hand Elementary, Courtney Agurs, Callaway Middle, and Hannah Frady, Troup High.
Thanks to our partners for their continued support. KIA donated six vehicles to the automotive programs at Troup and LaGrange High. The Rockweave festival that took place in October partnered with TCSS to enhance the music and art programs in schools. They raised $10,000 for these programs and presented a check to the school system.
TCSS Welcomes Dr. Scott Burckbuchler as New CFO
Just weeks after calling Troup County home, one would never know Dr. Scott Burckbuchler (he says call him Scott or Dr. B) hails from Virginia. When walking into his office, there are odes to the Georgia Bulldogs that would make the biggest fan proud. With a life-sized black and red Dawg flag hanging from his wall, Burckbuchler is making his rounds to the schools and settling into his new position as Chief Financial Officer of Troup County School System.
“People have been so welcoming; very friendly and helpful. It’s a reflection of the community as a whole. I’ve had positive interactions with people in the community and the schools. Everyone cares about kids and cares about making progress. I’m excited to be a part of that process,” said the father of two.
Burckbuchler touts 25 years in education, and budgeting is his most prized field of expertise. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a professor before entering private industry. He said his parent’s chosen career field had a profound impact on his desire to be in education. While he didn’t have the desire to be a teacher, he was focused on a career in business and political science. He believes this current move is a bridge between the two interests.
Troup County Announces STAR Student and Teacher
Recently, five students and teachers were honored during the 2020 Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club. Before the event ended, Laegan Anseligh Smith from LaGrange High School, was named Troup County’s STAR Student.
Smith said, “This is quite a surprise and really exciting. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to talk about Coach Moore because of the way he teaches. It has had an impact on me. He has a way to teach lessons that will grab you and that helps the material be relatable to the students.”
The five students were:
1. Jared Nation - Callaway High (Mrs. Barbara Murphy, Teacher)
2. Baker Davis - LaFayette Christian (Mrs. Vikki Stringham, Teacher)
3. Lily Kamat - LaGrange Academy (Janice Ingram, Teacher)
4. Laegan Smith (winner) - LaGrange High (Mr. Kenny Moore, Teacher)
5. Todd Sandiford - Troup High (Ms. Kayla Yeargin, Teacher)
TCSS Welcomes 44 New Substitute Teachers into the System
The Vaping Crisis: How Troup County is Fighting Back
The vaping epidemic is being brought to the forefront in Troup County starting with WellStar West Georgia and WellStar Medical Group, Troup County School System (TCSS), and local law enforcement as the entities partnered to share the medical dangers of E-Cigarettes (E-Cigs) and tobacco products with the community.
The panelists shared vaping device designs to look for when it pertains to E-Cigs, conversation starters for parents to begin the discussion at home, and a presentation created by the American Academy of Family Physicians called TarWars.
Dr. Salman Fidahussein, Chief of Staff at Wellstar West Georgia and Medical Director of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, told the attendees, “Unfortunately, we see a lot of cases that could have been prevented. We have to emphasize education on prevention because by the time we see the disease, it is often too late. We at WellStar want to collaborate with our school system and other community leaders so that we can reach as many parents and children as possible and educate them on the dangers of tobacco products and e-cigs so that we can have a healthier and more successful future generations.”
Berta Weathersbee Celebrates Math and Science Day
Berta Weathersbee Elementary (BWES) students brought their curiosity and questions to the farm as they spent a day of learning around math and science.
There was a space and science center planetarium in the gym, lizards and monkeys from Wild Animal Safari on the second floor of the school, weird science experiments by a scientist in a white coat in the auditorium, and a petting zoo behind the school close to the Kona Ice truck.
Students were fascinated as they touched llamas, lambs, and goats from Sims Pond Farm. They learned the lamb was only two weeks old so they had to be careful with their touch. Before the planetarium presentation, students were able to crawl through a small tube as they walked into a darkened globe reminiscent of a midnight sky. Employees from the Coca Cola Space Science center gave a 10 minute presentation on the planets and stars.
Callaway Elementary Celebrates Multicultural Day
EKES Students Learn Just What the Doctor Ordered
Rasheeta Jennings’ and Matthew Karr's second grade classes performed “surgery” on Friday to learn about text features. Students dressed up as surgeons and cut out text features from various articles and glued them to paper bodies.
Hillcrest Students Learn About Circuits
Fifth graders in Ms. Donna Shepard's science class at Hillcrest Elementary are learning through hands on experience. Here, they are learning about parallel and series circuits by using batteries, small light bulbs, and a conductor.
Pictured in the photo are students Brody Walker, Jase Foster, Charlotte Woody, and Javeon Wilson.
Hogansville -Places 2nd in Academic Meet
Hogansville Elementary hosted the second academic meet of the season sponsored by West Georgia RESA. The school had over two hundred visitors from nine surrounding schools from Coweta, Meriwether and Heard counties.
The team won two of three rounds by defeating Unity (Meriwether Co.) and Ruth Hill before dropping the final round to Coweta Charter. Their success landed them in 2nd place for the evening. Now Coach Jones and Howse find their team comfortably sitting in 3rd place overall in the region. The top four teams will qualify for the Finals.
The Greenwave Academic Team has also received an official invitation to compete for a national championship at the 2020 Elementary National Academic Championship to be held in Atlanta, Ga in June.
This year’s team is once again coached by Gary Jones and Amanda House. Team members include: Thomas Griffin, Jackson Waldrop, Tamiaya Hodo, Tripp Glover, Xander Stinson and Calleigh Christopher.
Hogansville Brings Positive Message to Girls Who Code
The Girls Who Code club is working very closely with Positive Fields in this adventure and recently toured Positive Fields' workshop and storefront. They learned even more about coding, types of 3D printing, how to build a 3D printer, and much more.
Girls Who Code club members are Jayda Simon, Sarah Keegan, Lakayla Bailey, Maya Furlow, Jacy Duncan, Savannah Johnson, Emma Dire, Cristy Ramos-Serrano, and Jazzlyn Endsley.
Not pictured are Trinidy Tucker, Wren Barber, Isabel Zirulo (all also involved in cheerleading), and Zebreanna Miller.
Hollis Hand Raises Over $5,000 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
LLS is a nonprofit organization fighting blood cancer. Their mission is to cure blood cancers and improve the lives of patients and their families. LLS recently launched a new Children’s Initiative which seeks to accelerate treatments with fewer harmful side effects so that young patients with cancer not only survive, but thrive for generations to come.
By donating toward this worthy cause, students learned valuable pro-social skills like kindness, sharing, and empathy. Five homeroom classrooms earned a pizza party for bringing in the most donations. Last year, Hollis Hand also raised over $5,000 for LLS. Pictured with Mrs. Natalie Doerr, the school counselor, are students Cameriyan Hutchinson, Mae Lemmo and Leighton Shelnutt.
Rosemont Students Learn About Internet Safety
Sgt. Stewart Smith and Investigator Matt Mayfield provided very helpful information to help our students and parents become more aware and knowledgeable of possible risk factors and how to stay safe online.
WPE Knows that Real Men Read!
This initiative brings community members into the school while promoting the benefits of reading. Each man was assigned to a classroom where they read a story and shared with the students their own personal reading history. The men also told the students how reading impacts them now and how they utilize reading in their careers.
A special thank you goes out to all the Troup County men who supported this event!
West Point Elementary's Breakfast of Champions and Service
West Point Elementary School students recently got greetings and breakfast served with a smile from the West Point Police Department. The Protect and Serve Breakfast campaign kicked off this month with officers donning hairnets and good attitudes to greet the students, serve them breakfast and wish them well for the day. The campaign will continue monthly.
Girls with Goals at Callaway Middle School
Lego Robots and Chromebooks at Gardner Newman Middle School
Long Cane Middle School Celebrates Black History
The program opened with an opening dance then a welcome from Principal Whitney Glisson. The choir sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Mr. Kenneth Redding, TCSS educator encourage each teacher to find away to reach the students to ensure they learn. He played the piano and shared renditions of songs he created for his students to help them understand the Bill of Rights.
Students presented stories about famous African Americans like Astronaut Mae Jemison, Former President Barack Obama, Poet Maya Angelou, NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson, and Entrepreneur Madame CJ Walker.
LaGrange High Students Participate in FBLA Competition
Congratulations to LaGrange High School's Raven Anders and Khamani Philpots who both brought home a 5th place medal in the Marketing Competition at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Region Competition. The LaGrange High FBLA Chapter is sponsored by Mrs. Laura Carroll.
Pictured: Khamani Philpots receiving his medal
Troup High Students Celebrate National Future Farmers of America's Week
Students in Troup High's Future Farmers of America (FFA) participated in activities to celebrate the week. For example, they invested in the campus by hosting a campus-wide clean up, went to a bowling outing, showed teachers appreciation by going through the school with a snack cart, and then they hosted a taco bar for members.
Today’s FFA members are the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. Through agriculture and hands-on learning, they are preparing for more than 250 unique career opportunities in the food, fiber and natural resources industries.
Troup High Students Win Scholarships to Mercer University
* Victoria Grace Gipson: Presidential Scholarship - FULL TUITION EACH YEAR
* Sam Johnson: Jesse Mercer Scholarship - $26,000 PER YEAR
* Atticus Tucker: Josiah Penfield Scholarship - $25,000 PER YEAR
* Todd Sandiford: Josiah Penfield Scholarship - $25,000 PER YEAR
Pictured is Victoria Grace Gipson, Todd Sandiford, and Atticus Tucker
TCSS Names Teacher of the Year System Finalists
Recently, Dr. Brian Shumate, surprised three teachers with flowers and candy during the Teacher of the Year Surprise Patrol. These educators soon learned they made it to the next local round of competition.
The three division finalists are:
• Jill Kemp: Kindergarten at Hollis Hand Elementary
• Courtney Agurs: Science at Callaway Middle School
• Hannah Frady: 9th – 10th grade Social Studies at Troup High School
They have to complete an essay, a videotaped interview, and a classroom observation with three judges outside of Troup County. One will be named the county Teacher of the Year in March.
TCSS Offers Free ACT Test for All Juniors
When Dr. Brian Shumate, Superintendent of Troup County School System (TCSS), gave his first address to all employees in August, one of his goals was to ensure every junior in the school system took a college entrance exam for free. That statement became a reality on Tuesday as over 700 juniors sat for the ACT college entrance exam.
“Every kid should have a college experience in high school, even if they don’t plan to attend college. We want them to leave TCSS with a college entrance exam, apply and become accepted into college, and create a college transcript while in high school,” said Shumate.
The system has budgeted a little over $35,000 to administer the ACT. They expect to spend a little less due to the reduced rate the district will receive because their free and reduced lunch percentages are between 50 percent and 74.99 percent. All three principals agree that TCSS providing one test administration for free removes transportation and financial barriers that students and their parents would have had to otherwise incur.
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
February 28, 2020