Congratulations to Isaac Bergman, eighth-grader at Clarke Middle, for winning the 2022 Clarke County School District Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 27. The competition, held at the Larry G. McLure Fine Arts Building at Cedar Shoals High School, featured students from all elementary and middle schools.

Isaac correctly spelled the word “moorage” to win and advances to the region competition on February 26. The State Spelling Bee will be held on March 18.

Congratulations to the runner-up, Aliza Snow, 5th grader at Chase Street Elementary, and Kavya Sinhmar, 4th grader at Timothy Road Elementary, who finished third. Click here to view event pictures and here to view video of the competition.

Congratulations to Alex Borges, District Translator and Community Liaison, and Dr. Lawrence Harris, Chief of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, for being recognized as "Gamechangers" at Tuesday's Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Gamechangers Luncheon.

The “Gamechanger” awards recognize 10 community leaders under the age of 40 who “lead by example and collaboratively seek to implement a bright vision for the community.” Both Mr. Borges and Dr. Harris, part of our Community Engagement team, work tirelessly to support our students, families, and the Athens-Clarke County community. The award recipients will be featured in the upcoming issue of Athens Magazine, scheduled for release in February.

CCSD is partnering with the Department of Public Health to provide free COVID-19 testing clinics. All tests are free and results will be available within 24-48 hours.

Clinic Information

• Monday, January 31, 2022 & Friday, February 4, 2022
• 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• H.T. Edwards Building / 440-1 Dearing Extension
• No appointment is necessary, but registration is required.
• Click here to register.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for children ages 5 and above. Booster doses were recently approved for children ages 12 and older.

February Clinics

• 2/9/22: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. @ Coile Middle School
• 2/9/22: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. @ Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School
• 2/10/22: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. @ Clarke Central High School
• 2/10/22: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. @ Clarke Middle School
• 2/11/22: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. @ Cedar Shoals High School
• 2/11/22: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. @ Hilsman Middle School

Additional Community Vaccine Opportunities

Clarke County Health Department

345 North Harris Street

Athens, GA 30601

• Call for an appointment: 706-389-6921
• Book an appointment with DPH online: https://gta-vras.powerappsportals.us/en-US/

We know prom can be expensive, so let us help! The Athens-Clarke County Library will host a special "Bling Your Prom" event on February 18 and 19.

Teens in grades 9-12 can shop for one FREE outfit (dress or suit) plus accessories, including shoes, ties, and jewelry! Changing rooms are available to try on clothing, plus we've got a selfie station to see how your new outfit looks on camera. Stop by for a fun and free shopping experience with friends!

• Friday, 2/18: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, 2/19: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• 2025 Baxter Street, Athens, GA 30606

Donations Accepted

Interested in donating your old formalwear and accessories to this worthy cause? Just bring your new or gently-used items to the Teen Services Desk on the first floor of the ACC Library at 2025 Baxter Street by February 17. Questions? Email ya@athenslibrary.org.

Early registration for 2022 pre-k and kindergarten will be held:

• February 21-26, 2022
• 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• 595 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA 30601
• 706-546-7721
• Click here for registration information

As a result of recent renovations of the district's new central office location, surplus church pews left from the chapel will be offered for sale. These pews are clean and ready to use. Due to their historical value, the pews will be sold only to CCSD employees or Clarke County residents (I.D. is required).

Sale Date & Info

• Saturday, February 12, 2022
  
• 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Old Piedmont College Gym - 595 Prince Avenue, Athens, 30601
• $50 per pew (cost may vary slightly due to size). Limit 2 per person.
• Debit or Credit Card only.
  
• Pews must be removed immediately.
• Questions? Contact Veronica Jackson (jacksonv@clarke.k12.ga.us / 706-546-7721 x79711).

The new district central office and location for BOE meetings is:

• 595 Prince Avenue
• Athens, GA 30601

Board of Education meetings will be held at the new space beginning with the February work session on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the community will be scheduled soon.

The Board of Education monitors and analyzes policy issues considered by government entities at the local, state, and federal levels. The Clarke County School District Board of Education adopted its 2022 legislative priorities at the regular board meeting held on January 20, 2022.

“Our 2022 Legislative Agenda continues the work from our priorities set in 2021, including the importance of acknowledging that Georgia’s history of slavery and oppression must be taken into account when considering state funding of K-12 education,” states Dr. Mumbi Anderson, board member.

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: Next regular meeting is Thursday, February 10 at 6:00 p.m. (in-person and broadcast on the CCSD YouTube channel).
• Board Briefs: Click to read the "Board Brief" overview from meetings.
  
• Public Comments: Click here for information on how to sign-up to speak at a regular BOE meeting.
• Review Policies for Review: View and comment on district policies pending public review.

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Fill in this form with your contact and shipping information to order your tests.

Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address;
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests;
• Orders will ship free starting in late January;
• USPS will only send one set of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests to valid residential addresses.