Clarke County School District -

The many departments that make up our Academics and Student Supports Division held their official 2025-26 kickoff meeting this morning, led by Interim Deputy Superintendent Dr. Donna Elder. This team of experienced, dedicated professionals is working hard to Raise the Bar in 2025-26 for our students, families, and the community that we serve!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to 14 CCSD teachers and support staff members who have been announced as the winners of the 2025 Foundation for Excellence in Public EducationTeaching and Staff Awards! See the full list of winners below and more photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Frieda M. Thomas Teacher of Promise Award:
Rodrigo Valadez - 7th Grade Math Teacher, Hilsman Middle School
Astrid Tarleton - Science Teacher, Cedar Shoals High School

Downs Family District Services Award
Maurice Williams - School Resource Officer, Clarke Central High School
Demarkous Appling - Bus Driver, CCSD Transportation

Howard B. Stroud Community Service Award
Chantel Eaton - School social worker, Barrow Elementary School and Clarke Middle School

Michael Peter Horvat Secondary Coaches’ Award
Daneidra Barnett - 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher and Athletics Coach, Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Joan D. Humphries Teacher of Excellence Award
Sara Clarke - Gifted Teacher, Barrow Elementary School

Ken Sherman Double Century Teacher of Excellence Award
Karen Richburg - Special Education Teacher, Cedar Shoals High School

Seasoned Teacher Award
Reneta Elder - Social Studies Teacher, Athens Community Career Academy

Kathryn H.Hug Instructional Leadership Award
Jeanna Wheeler - Instructional Coach, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School

Martha Comer Chair for Teachers of Languages Award
Susan Lane - ESOL Teacher, Cedar Shoals High School

Cardee Kilpatrick Chair for Middle School Teachers Award
Audrey Hughes - 7th Grade Science Teacher, Clarke Middle School

Ann M. Schindel Chair for Teachers of Mathematics Award
Conor Naughton - 8th Grade Math Teacher, Hilsman Middle School

Thomas H. Whitehead Chair for Teachers of Science Award
Enya Granados - Science Teacher, Clarke Central High School

A HUGE THANK YOU to Java Joy for stopping by Whit Davis Elementary yesterday morning with some great-tasting coffee for the staff to brighten their day as they got started on pre-planning for the new school year! CCSD loves Java Joy and the smiles they bring!

What a fantastic kickoff to the school year yesterday with our districtwide employee convocation at The Classic Center and Akins Ford Arena! Our teachers, administrators, and support staff brought that "Raise the Bar" energy all day long! See more photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

We may be getting ready for the 2025-26 school year to start in a few days, but last night we had a chance to celebrate a few more members of the Class of 2025 during our summer graduation ceremony for Cedar Shoals High School and Clarke Central High School! CONGRATULATIONS to these graduates who never gave up on their educational journeys and best wishes as you enter into the world as proud CCSD alumni! More photos over on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Today was an exciting day at Clarke Middle School where we held our annual CCSD New Teacher Orientation kickoff event, welcoming the well over 100 educators joining us this year who are either first-year teachers or veteran teachers who are entirely new to CCSD or returning home! See more photos on our Facebook page (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

This week, we held the second half of our summer district leadership retreat at the District Office. Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott, Interim Deputy Superintendent Dr. Donna Elder, and other district department leaders spoke with school leaders about the coming year, and Dr. Scott introduced all new school and district leaders who have either joined CCSD or been promoted to new leadership roles since the start of last school year.

More fun on the way next week as we hold new teacher orientation, our districtwide employee convocation, and make final preparations for the start of the school year. In 2025-26, we are all committed to Raising the Bar in pursuit of excellence!

We were thrilled to have a presence and provide resources at yesterday's Empower Pinewoods family expo yesterday as we help families get ready for a new school year! Pictured, from left to right, are district lead family engagement specialist Sarah Halstead, district translator and interpreter Carol Fernandez, district mental wellness specialist Allyn Carey, and district translator and interpreter Stephanie Lopez Vargas.

A WONDERFUL turnout this past Friday morning as more than 60 current and aspiring educators attended our Find Your Fit hiring fair for teachers and paraprofessionals! Attendees visited with representatives from many of our schools and district departments, and several had the opportunity to interview for openings on the spot! Find Your Fit with CCSD and join our team! Browse current openings and apply at ccsdjobs.org.

The Clarke Middle School Science, Energy, and Adventure Team recently visited Washington, D.C. for the annual NEED Project conference, where they were recognized with three awards – Exemplary School Energy Efficiency Project, Georgia School of the Year, and National Junior School of the Year! Congratulations once again to these Owls on being recognized for the work they do in promoting environmental awareness and energy conservation education efforts throughout the community! See more photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

A fun and exciting conclusion to the Athens Youth Development Initiative Summer Mystery Book Club last night as participants wrapped up their discussion on "To Catch a Thief" by Martha Brockenbrough and participated in a murder mystery pizza dinner activity! More photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)! There is still plenty of space available in the upcoming *FREE* YDI Sports Book Club with sessions scheduled for July 1, July 15, and July 29 at Clarke Middle School and led by CMS media specialist Shawn Hinger! Participants will read and receive their own copy of "The Academy" by T.Z. Layton. Even if you can't make one of the sessions, students are still welcome to register! Register today at www.athensyouthdevelopment.com.

Incoming Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott visited the University of Georgia's Delta Innovation Hub yesterday to visit Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central rising 9th-, 10th, and 11th-grade students participating in Innovate U! Launched in 2021, Innovate U is a collaborative initiative between the UGA Office of the President, the UGA Fanning Institute for Leadership, the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Clarke County School District. Designed for rising freshmen through juniors, the summer program equips 25 CCSD high school students with leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills through hands-on sessions in leadership development and human-centered design thinking. Over the course of three weeks in June, students work in small teams—guided by UGA student mentors and local industry professionals—to develop innovative solutions to real-world community challenges. This year’s focus is on Community Wellness. The program culminates this week in a showcase where students present their ideas to peers, families, and community stakeholders. More photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Fun end-of-camp celebrations today for our 21st Century middle school camps! Full photo gallery on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Fun celebrations today marking the end of our 21st Century program summer camps as Gaines Elementary celebrated with presentations, awards, and recess! Fowler Drive Elementary and J.J. Harris Elementary students celebrated at J.J. Harris with a number of activities, displays of artwork from students, and snacks! Both celebrations featured the CCSD Interactive Lab Buses, where students were able to peek inside and see these unique buses that serve as wonderful resources to students across the district. See more photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

Members of the CCSD Security and Safety departments are attending the Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference this week. Attendees are learning about legislative updates affecting school safety as well as best practices so they can lead the way back home in ensuring that all of our schools and buildings are a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for our students and staff.

Scenes from day 3 of the Clarke Central Athletics cheerleading camp yesterday where students from across CCSD had a great time learning from coaches and cheerleaders on the Gladiator cheer team! More photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

It was another busy, but productive day at the District Office, where: •School and district leaders participated in a Leader in Me training to discuss how we can move closer to implementing the Leader in Me program across all schools. Leaders also took a deep dive into Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and how they can implement them in their work and personal lives to become more highly effective, influential leaders. •Members of the CCSD Special Education team led the first of a two-day professional learning session for administrators throughout CCSD and other neighboring school districts. •Members of our Human Resources and Technology Services teams were hard at work welcoming and onboarding several of our new CCSD employees.

Summer camps at the Athens Community Career Academy this week as welding students dive deeper into their program and rising ninth-graders are gaining exposure several pathways, including Cosmetology, Healthcare, Culinary Arts, Teaching as a Profession, Film, Firefighting, and more! See more photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

A great time at our 21st Century elementary summer camps this morning where students had a chance to pet and feed animals from Lozano Farms Mobile Petting Zoo! Special thanks to Lozano Farms for coming out and putting smiles on our students' faces! More photos on our Facebook at (@ClarkeCoSchools)!

A great wrap-up this morning to our annual Educator Externship week where our team of two dozen teachers, counselors, and other support staff from our middle and high schools gave presentations recapping their visits to local businesses and what they learned to take back to their students to help open their eyes to the many job opportunities throughout our community and help these businesses grow a pipeline of future employees. Thanks to these educators on taking time out of their summer and thank you to participating companies and sponsors who continue to help make this event possible! More photos on our Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools)!