Only ONE WEEK LEFT until our January "Find Your Fit Friday" session! From 2:30-4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, representatives from CCSD's Human Resources Division will meet with prospective employees at the District Office, discuss current vacancies, and share information about the hiring process and pathways to joining the CCSD team.
If you're interested in joining our team and using your talents to promote positive school cultures across the district and to further our mission of creating educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential, register now at bit.ly/3XR6F2Y.
You can also view a list of current teaching and support staff openings at ccsdjobs.org!
Anyone in the community may nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of service for the award. The winner will be surprised at their school or building, publicly recognized at the Jan. 9 Clarke County Board of Education meeting, and presented with a gift bag from the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce with contributions from several local businesses.
Submit a nomination at bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward
In addition to winning first place among all third-graders in Georgia, Robby also made National Honor Roll by placing in the top 10% out of all the more than 33,000 students in 619 schools across the U.S. who took part in the competition this fall! He was surprised with his awards today during an assembly by the Barrow math team coach Sara Clarke, and his parents were also in attendance!
More exciting news to share about the Barrow math team at a later date!
Congratulations to the Howard B. Stroud Elementary girls and Timothy Road Elementary boys on winning the 2025-26 Elementary Basketball League championships last night. Stroud defeated Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary to win its third consecutive championship and finish off a third straight undefeated season, while Timothy Road topped Gaines Elementary in the boys' final. See more photos here!
Pure and priceless excitement today for more than 3,500 of our students, grades 2-5, who made the trip to watch Georgia Women's Basketball's annual Elementary Day game! The Lady Dawgs took care of business with a 77-49 win over North Carolina A&T to remain unbeaten at 11-0, and our students had an amazing time taking in the action. See more photos here!
•Omnia Mansour, senior at Cedar Shoals High School, was recognized for placing sixth in her division in the National FFA Agriscience Fair competition.
• CCSD 2025-26 of REACH Scholars was recognized: Mary Jane Okoli of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, Freidom Baldwin of Clarke Middle School, Aaliyah Fox and Sofia Ramirez-Ramirez of Coile Middle School, and Dayanna Martinez of Hilsman Middle School.
•Sonja Winfrey, nursing clinic assistant at Cedar Shoals High School, was recognized as CCSD’s Employee of the Month for December.
•Kevin Perry of the Georgia Beverage Association and representatives from the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department presented a check as part of the “Made to be Remade” community grant received by ACCGov to support sustainability initiatives in schools.
A big congratulations to Sonja Winfrey, nursing clinic assistant at Cedar Shoals High School, on being named CCSD's Employee of the Month for December! Ms. Winfrey was nominated by Cedar Shoals Nurse Eve Bisard, who described her as a respectful, professional, caring, and approachable employee who is dedicated to serving the entire Cedar Shoals community and also commended her on her work ethic and performance, including receiving a 100 from the Georgia Department of Public Health on the school's 11th-grade immunization audit the last three consecutive years.
Ms. Winfrey was surprised with the award this afternoon by Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott, Cedar Shoals principal Dr. Makeba Clark, and members of the district nursing support team. She will be recognized publicly this Thursday night during the Board of Education meeting!
As a reminder, anyone in the community may nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of service for this award at bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward.
Fridges delivered to these schools will help store food items that would otherwise be thrown away and sent to the landfill! Whit Davis Elementary, Howard B. Stroud Elementary, Whitehead Road Elementary, Bettye H. Holston Elementary, Classic City High, and Coile Middle all received these refrigerators yesterday as part of Lunch Out of Landfills, an initiative to cut down on school cafeteria waste, which can be one of the largest producers of waste in any community.
Thank you to all of the individuals who helped make this generous donation possible!
These students will now go through an extensive online application process for acceptance into the GHP program. Semifinalists will be announced in February, and finalists (those selected to attend GHP) and alternates will be announced in March.
Congratulations and good luck to these students!
• J.J. Harris Elementary School student Amal Maxwell for winning first place among all fourth-graders statewide in the Georgia Writers Museum's 2025 Spooky Story writing contest
• the Clarke Central High School boys' varsity cross country team on their second consecutive state runner-up finish and fourth straight top-3 finish
• bus driver John Herrera on his selection as CCSD's November Employee of the Month
• Timothy Pritchett and Brian Smith of Barnett Shoals Elementary School, CCSD's 2025-26 Teacher and Support Professional of the Year.
Congratulations to all, and we look forward to even more exciting recognitions at the December meeting!
Mr. Herrera was surprised with the award by Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott this afternoon during a transportation team meeting and will be publicly recognized and celebrated at this Thursday's Board of Education meeting!
Thank you to everyone in the community for continuing to submit so many wonderful nominations for very deserving employees. Anyone in the community may nominate any full-time CCSD employee with at least one full year of experience for the award at bit.ly/CCEmployeeAward
As the District 9 honoree, Ms. Gay will advance to compete for the SSWAG School Social Worker of the Year, a statewide award recognizing excellence and innovation in school social work across Georgia.
With 31 years of service to children and families, Ms. Gay has spent the past 24 years as a CCSD school social worker. She has consistently gone above and beyond to advocate for students’ academic, social, and emotional stability and success. She has played a key role in developing, facilitating, and implementing programs that promote mental health awareness and physical safety, family engagement, and equitable access to resources. Her compassionate approach and commitment to collaboration have made her a trusted leader among colleagues and a powerful voice for all students.
Ms. Gay is pictured with, from left, Chrystal Gillis, CCSD's Director of School Social Work; Nicholas Hartley, SSWAG District 9 President; and Dr. Angela Pope, CCSD Lead Social Worker.
CONGRATULATIONS, Ms. Gay, and good luck in the state competition!
We are pleased to announce the winners of our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Writing & Art Contest! This year's contest theme was "My Dream: Our Future." All of the winners listed (first place, second place, third place, honorable mention) in each category will be recognized at a future meeting of the Clarke County Board of Education and will be featured in a video that will debut at the University of Georgia annual MLK Freedom Breakfast in January! A big congratulations to all!
K-2 Writing
1st place - Melody Meza, 2nd grade, Howard B. Stroud Elementary School
2nd place - Ja’Siris Turner, 2nd grade, Barrow Elementary School
3rd place - Seshata Sharpe, 2nd grade, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Honorable Mention - McKena Washington, 2nd grade, Gaines Elementary School
3-5 Writing
1st place - Alana Serrano Sanchez, 3rd grade, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
2nd place - Olivia Morse, 4th grade, Fowler Drive Elementary School
3rd place - Kiara Alonso Valencia, 4th grade, Judia Jackson Harris Elementary School
Honorable Mention - Londynn Clayton, 3rd grade, Whit Davis Elementary School
Middle School Writing
1st place - Alexia Gil-Chavez, 8th grade, Clarke Middle School
2nd place - Ashley Villanueva-Hernandez, 8th grade, Coile Middle School
3rd place - Autumn Fayerweather, 8th grade, Hilsman Middle School
Honorable Mention - Eloise McDaniel, 6th grade, Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School
High School Writing
1st place (tie) - Mary Wicker, 11th grade, Clarke Central High School
1st place (tie) - Arianna Ellison, 11th grade, CCSD Learning Center
2nd place - Katie Kulik, 11th grade, Cedar Shoals High School
3rd place - Taniya Johnson, 11th grade, Classic City High School
K-2 Art
1st place - Emelia Watson Coello, 1st grade, Timothy Road Elementary School
2nd place - Elizabeth Orr, 1st grade, Barnett Shoals Elementary School
3rd place - Macie Slagle, 1st grade, Barrow Elementary School
Honorable Mention - Evelyn Gustafson-Pruitt, 2nd grade, Winterville Elementary School
3-5 Art
1st place - Leah Swinford, 5th grade, Timothy Road Elementary School
2nd place - Gabriela Martinez Rosales, 4th grade, Judia Jackson Harris Elementary School
3rd place - Maddie Davis, 5th grade, Winterville Elementary School
Honorable mention - Virginia Hahn, 5th grade, Whit Davis Elementary School
Middle School Art
1st place - Haley Wallace, 8th grade, Hilsman Middle School
2nd place - Camila Lopez Rodriguez, 7th grade, Coile Middle School
3rd place (tie) - Max Selleck, 7th grade, Clarke Middle School
3rd place (tie) - Neymar Rodriguez-Martinez, 8th grade, Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School
High School Art
1st place - SK Hodges, 10th grade, Cedar Shoals High School
2nd place - Anneliese Carson, 9th grade, Clarke Central High School
FIND YOUR FIT WITH CCSD! If you are interested in becoming a teacher, if you're already a certified teacher who would like to get back in the classroom, or if you're interested in joining CCSD in a non-teaching, support staff role, join us on Friday, Nov. 7, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Room 123 at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens! Register at bit.ly/CCSDRecruitmentDays. Can't make it? No problem! Additional "Find Your Fit Friday" sessions are planned for Dec. 5 and Jan. 9, same place and time!
"Building Clarke Middle School on an active site was no small feat, but every challenge was worth it to create a space that truly meets the needs of our students and staff," said John Gilbreath, CCSD Assistant Superintendent of Operations. "This school stands as a testament to thoughtful design, teamwork, and a shared commitment to a better future for the children."
"It was one of the most successful projects I've ever been a part of," said Chris Gareau, Executive Vice President of Grahl Construction, LLC, adding that strong communication between the district, construction contractors, architects, civil engineers, and all parties, was crucial to building the facility and opening on schedule.
