Four brilliant students from J.J. Harris Elementary School spoke today at the Classic City of Athens Rotary Club - putting some of the writing and public speaking skills they've been learning to the test by delivering speeches to the group about the perils of discrimination and the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. A job well done by Harmonie Browner, Jesli Escalante Rivera, Juan Abarco Victoriano, and Bentley Thomas! Thank you to the Rotary Club for hosting these students, and thank you to J.J. Harris principal and Rotarian Dr. Beverly Harper for showcasing these exceptional young people who are part of our bright future!

Today a team from the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Power visited CCSD for a look at our Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education pathways and programs as part of our application to become an Economic Development Partnership District, a designation which recognizes school districts for their strong CTAE programs, work-based learning opportunities, and commitment to workforce development. The team had a chance to tour the instructional labs and learning spaces at the Athens Community Career Academy and the new CTAE building in progress at Cedar Shoals High School and hear from panels of students and teachers representing ACCA, Cedar Shoals, and Clarke Central High School about how the programs are providing students with more access to well-paying jobs across multiple areas that meet local and regional workforce demands. The group capped the day off with a tour of one of our key industry partners, ABB, which provides internship and work opportunities for CCSD students. More photos over on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

A great opening reception of the Confluence pop-up art exhibition at Athens Institute for Contemporary Art, featuring works from many of our talented high school students. The exhibition will be on display through Monday, March 24, so make sure to stop by! More info at athica.org.

A tremendous turnout at Clarke Central High School last night for the public reception for the "Anne Frank: A History for Today" traveling international exhibit. Thank you to the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia Jewish Studies Program for your support in bringing this exhibit to Clarke Central, the only K-12 school in Georgia to host the exhibit during its current tour. And thank you and congratulations to teacher Meghan McNeeley, the 18 students who served as docents for the reception, the other 20+ student volunteers, and everyone else who helped make this a successful event and special evening. More photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

A truly special day at Clarke Central High School filled with joy and excitement as many of our students competed in the annual Spring Special Olympics! Job well done by all of these fantastic students and a huge thank you to the staff, volunteers, and community members and organizations who help make these events possible! See more photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Another informative session this morning with the latest in our Business Services Division's series of *free* community workshops designed to engage current and prospective vendors on the process of successfully doing business with CCSD! This morning's session focused on accounts payable processes, as members of our AP team walked attendees through the procedures of ensuring our vendors get paid on time. As a reminder, to submit an invoice or changes to a payment address or for general questions about CCSD's invoice and payment processing practices, email ap@clarke.k12.ga.us. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for our next vendor workshop, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 29 and focus on contract management and expectations. And be on the lookout for details of our next Midday Meetup lunch with our Business Services team!

A very nice surprise this morning at Winterville Elementary School as representatives from Northeast Georgia RESA presented music teacher Madison Graham with the organization's Shared Services Positive Partnership Award! The award celebrates school-level teachers and staff who partner with RESA Shared Services in a meaningful way to meet the needs of students. Mr. Graham was nominated by members of the regional Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing staff who work at the school for his efforts at creating a more inclusive environment for D/HH students – including teaching the entire class sign-language movements to songs. Thank you to the team at RESA for this recognition of Mr. Graham and thank you to Mr. Graham for all the work you do and for affirming one of CCSD's core beliefs – that learning occurs best in cultures where staff and students feel a sense of belonging, safety and support.

Scenes from last night's Board of Education meeting where we recognized Clarke Central High School state SkillsUSA champions Grayson Krause and Zach Bergman and Silver medalist Dan Bray, along with our March Employee of the Month, Sarah Lockman from Whitehead Road Elementary School. Congratulations to these winners!

Celebrating Music in Our Schools Month! Thank you to the Clarke Central High School Percussion Ensemble for a terrific performance for Board of Education members and guests last night prior to the BOE meeting. The group is under the instruction of Christopher Simpson and Jordan Raysor.

A special and fun Culture of Literacy event at Winterville Elementary School yesterday morning. In addition to principal Dr. Carletha Pearson and Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker, Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle and members of his Mayor's Book Club visited to read to students while the mayor also busted out his guitar to get the students moving and grooving! Special thanks to Mayor Ferrelle, State Librarian Julie Walker, Madison Mayor Fred Perriman, and Sadie Krawczyk and Chan Weeks from the Georgia Municipal Association for stopping by to share their love of reading with our students. More photos over on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Thanks to those who stopped by the Athens Community Career Academy last night for its Pathway Showcase, introducing current ninth- and 10th-grade students to the career pathways that still have openings for the 2025-26 school year. If you or your student is a current ninth- or 10th-grader and is interested in taking courses in the Biotechnology, Broadcast Video and Film Production, or Entertainment, Sports, and Event Management pathways, complete the interest form at bit.ly/accainterest today!

A momentous day at the Athens Community Career Academy as we held an official ribbon-cutting for the new lab for the brand-new Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing pathway! Local community and industry leaders and representatives from organizations who made generous donations to help make the lab and pathway a reality were on hand for a tour of the lab and demonstrations by current pathway students and their instructor, Stan Harrison. This new, three-course pathway introduces CCSD high school students to the science of using natural biological processes to manufacture products to solve human problems through a variety of methods. It also forms a vital connection between students (our future workforce) and local employers in a growing industry and targeted sector for Athens-Clarke County Economic Development with more and more investments continuing to pour in. Students who complete the pathway can earn professional certification as a biotechnician assistant and will have a leg up on their peers whether they continue their studies in the field in college or go directly into the workforce with well-paying jobs and upward mobility. Whether it's through the further development of crucial medicines and vaccines or new ways to conserve precious resources, we are thrilled that these students will be exposed to and have doors opened to opportunities to further explore cutting-edge science that will have the power to save lives and improve our quality of life. As Mr. Harrison put it, these students will change the world some day. See more photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

At last night's Board of Education meeting, we were pleased to recognize all of CCSD’s school-level bookkeepers along with members of the Business Services Division for their recent completion of the School Financial Accounting Personnel Certificate Program through the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. To earn their certificate, participants had to complete 24 program hours through a variety of instructional activities covering the program’s core curriculum, a pre- and post-program accounting survey, and a financial management school-level project and presentation. The project is intended to demonstrate the participant’s ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during the program as well as provide a direct benefit to the school. Through successful completion of this program, both our new and veteran school-based accounting personnel are now equipped to promote enhanced accountability by advising and supporting school administrators charged with the responsibility of financial management as well educators who are entrusted with public funds and property. Congratulations to all!

Thank you to those who came out to yesterday's Midday Meetup with Procurement at Food for the Soul on Broad Street! If you are a business owner or know a business owner interested in doing business with the Clarke County School District, please contact the CCSD Procurement Team at 706-546-7721. For questions and more information, please contact Purchasing & Contracts Supervisor Veronica Jackson at 706-546-7721 ext. 79711. Stay tuned for more information regarding the 2025 Vendor Workshop Series, designed for current and prospective vendors. #CCSD2025 #BetterTogether #ConnectedCulture

A notice for all CCSD students regarding tomorrow and Monday. Un aviso para todos los estudiantes de CCSD con respecto a mañana y el lunes.

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Shawn Hinger, media specialist at Clarke Middle School, for being selected as CCSD's Employee of the Month for February! Ms. Hinger is in her 22nd year at Clarke Middle and has been one of the biggest champions of literacy throughout the district during her career in education, helping lead the charge in our renewed Culture of Literacy campaign to improve educational outcomes for all students. Ms. Hinger was surprised with the award this morning by Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker, CMS interim principal Derrick Maxwell, and instructional coach (and former CMS student) Mollie Schubach, who nominated her. She will also be recognized this evening at our Board of Education meeting.

Bettye H. Holston Elementary School simultaneously put our Culture of Literacy initiative to work and had a fun "Community Leaders as Readers" Black History Month program this morning as several African American leaders from the district and local community visited and read books to students from all grade levels. Thank you to all who came to spend time with our students and for sharing and promoting a love of reading! See more photos over on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)

This morning, Whitehead Road Elementary School celebrated Black History Month by reflecting on previous Civil Rights Movement protests that combatted segregation, including sit-ins. Students across Whitehead Road learned and reflected how individuals came together to promote change, and conversed in their classrooms regarding how change has shaped our country in the decades that followed, including in our classrooms today. Well done by these teachers and students at Whitehead Road! #CCSD2025 #BetterTogether #BlackHistoryMonth #ConnectedCulture

Clarke County School District will highlight local history during Black History Month centered around education. We start our first Flashback Friday with the Knox Institute, the first secondary school for Black students to earn accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of the University of Georgia. From its inception in 1868 until its closure 60 years later, the Knox Institute served as a prestigious private school for Black Athenians. Prominent Athenians attended the Knox Institute, including world-renowned music composer Hall Johnson, as well as namesake for the Morton Building, Monroe "Pink" Morton. Stay tuned this month for events happening across CCSD during Black History Month and more local history! #CCSD2025 #BetterTogether #BlackHistoryMonth

HISTORY MADE: Congratulations to Clarke Central High School junior Moon Uriostegui, who last week won her weight class championship at the GHSA Area 8 Girls wrestling tournament, making her the first ever Gladiator female wrestler to win an area title! Moon will compete in the state sectionals this coming weekend for a chance to qualify for the state tournament.