🎉🎉🎉SCHOOL NURSE OF THE YEAR🎉🎉🎉
Last week, nurse Meredith Dykes, who currently serves the Office of Early Learning, Classic City High School, and the Athens Community Career Academy, won 2024 Georgia School Nurse of the Year!
Nurse Dykes was initially nominated for this honor by multiple CCSD nursing colleagues, and later determined the state winner among multiple nominees by an outside group of judges from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Kennesaw State University, The Georgia Nurses Association, and the National Association of School Nurses. The award was presented at the Georgia Association of School Nurses Conference on Jekyll Island, GA on Wednesday June 12, 2024.
Nurse Dykes, who has been a nurse for over 20 years and a school nurse in CCSD for over eight years, holds a nursing degree as well as a masters degree in public health. You may see her zip around the H.T. Edwards campus on her scooter (with a helmet, of course!) as she works tirelessly to support the health and wellness of CCSD students. Nurse Dykes excels at connecting students and families with community resources and initiating programs in our schools to help students succeed. This past year, Nurse Dykes helped to bring the free vision clinics to CCSD students through a partnership with Georgia Prevent Blindness. Nurse Dykes is a true asset to our CCSD School Nursing Team and is well deserving of this statewide honor and recognition! Way to go, Nurse Meredith Dykes!!!
#BetterTogether
#GeorgiaSchoolNurseOfTheYear
#OptimizedTalent
Clarke Central High School hosted the Gladiator Soccer Camp this week, bringing young students from across our community to enjoy a week full of teamwork and fun! Here are some highlights!
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#ConnectedCulture
The Athens Community Career Academy held its Film Orientation Camp for rising ninth-grade students this week. These students were able to get creative and explore the opportunities in the Broadcast Video Production pathway over four days!
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#ThrivingStudents
Today marks the First Day of Summer!
Be safe this summer with these safety tips, and have lots of summer fun by visiting the public pools and splash pads across Athens! For more information, visit accgov.com/1333/Aquatics-Pools-Splash-Pads!
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#FirstDayOfSummer
CCSD joins the nation in celebrating Juneteenth!
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#Juneteenth
CCSD is currently accepting applications for many positions, including positions in these schools! If you wish to join the CCSD team, please visit bit.ly/CCSDJobs today!
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The CCSD Administrative Office will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19 in recognition of Juneteenth.
La Oficina Administrativa del CCSD estará cerrada mañana, miércoles 19 de junio, en reconocimiento al Juneteenth.
We are 45 days away from the First Day of School!
Make sure your student is registered with these documents during application.
¡Estamos a 45 días del primer día de escuela!
Asegúrese de que su estudiante esté registrado con estos documentos durante su solicitud.
#BetterTogether
INVESTING IN STUDENTS AND PEOPLE: The fiscal year 2025 budget approved by the Clarke County Board of Education last night focuses on continued and additional investments into CCSD's three main priorities – Thriving Students, Optimized Talent, Connected Culture.
See the graphic for highlights and read more about the budget at bit.ly/CCSDFY2025Budget.
NEWS: At its meeting last night, the Clarke County Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Annie Turman as Principal of @bhlmiddleschool, effective July 1. Dr. Turman, who is entering her 20th year in education, has been with BHL for 10 years and has been one of the school’s assistant principals since 2021. She first joined CCSD and BHL in 2014 as a seventh-grade English teacher and was named the school’s Teacher of the Year for the 2017-18 academic year. She then became an instructional coach for English and social studies teachers in grades 6-8 in 2018, a position she held until her promotion to assistant principal.
“I am honored and grateful for this opportunity and am committed to engaging with students, faculty, staff, families, and community partners to support our students in making academic gains,” said Dr. Turman. “I further commit to develop a strong climate and culture in which students engage in stimulating learning experiences that support their success. I pledge to support the growth and well-being of the whole child by employing wisdom in using resources available to me. As we launch into a new school year, I look forward to collaborations that will develop and progress made as a result.”
“Dr. Turman is a highly effective, data-driven instructional leader who has demonstrated a commitment to and enthusiasm for improving student learning and has earned the reputation as a role model for both students and her colleagues,” said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker. “She knows the BHL community very well, and I am confident that she will uphold and strengthen the positive school culture and high expectations for academic excellence that were in place under Dr. Clark’s leadership and in which Dr. Turman played a pivotal role.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Turman!
MORE NEWS: Also at its meeting last night, the Clarke County Board of Education approved the appointment of Mr. Derrick Maxwell as interim principal of Clarke Middle School for the 2024-25 school year. Mr. Maxwell is no stranger to CCSD, having begun his educational career in 2002 as a teacher at BHL Middle for five years. After spending a year with the District Office as an after-school program specialist, he returned to BHL as an assistant principal and was later principal of Whit Davis Elementary from 2012-2016. He also served as principal of Cedar Shoals High School from 2018-2019 and most recently was principal of Winder-Barrow High School.
“I am extremely honored and excited to join the traditions and excellence already established within the entire Owl nation while creating and sustaining new levels of excellence in the beautiful and long-awaited new building,” said Mr. Maxwell. “I can’t wait to meet or reconnect with the students, staff, and community. It’s going to be a great year! Go Owls!”
“Mr. Maxwell has been a long-time supporter of and advocate for Clarke County students,” said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker. “He not only has great familiarity with our school district, but he has a proven track record of being an effective and successful school leader. His leadership ability will be a tremendous asset to CMS during this period of transition for the school.”
Please join us in welcoming to Clarke Middle and back to the CCSD family!
OPTIMIZED TALENT: At last night's Board of Education meeting, we recognized the inaugural CCSD Aspiring Leaders and Aspiring Principal programs. The Aspiring Leaders Program is a year-long professional learning experience designed for CCSD personnel who have demonstrated leadership potential and have a desire to gain skills, insights, and strategies to strengthen their capacity to lead and influence.
Each of these exceptional educators spent the past year engaging in comprehensive training, capstone projects, and reflective practices, all aimed at enhancing their leadership capacities. And throughout the process, they have all demonstrated exceptional commitment and a deep passion for education. We look forward to the positive impact they will undoubtedly make in their current and future roles within our district and the transformative leadership they will bring to our schools.
2023-24 Aspiring Leaders cohort: Caroline Allums, Tamika Brown, Khadijjah Douglas, Krystian Edwards, Garry Grant, Alon Hammond, Ginger Lehmann, Shanna McGettigan, Dana Morris, Melissa Paul, Alexis Scott, Mollie Sherman Schubach, Rachel Temples, and Nathan Reincheld.
2023-24 Aspring Principals cohort: Kristina Lerch-Batson, Charlotte Lester, Melissa Ellard, Summer Smith, Bylan Swift, Eric Blake, and Sandra Scott.
MORE NEWS: And also at its meeting last night, the Clarke County Board of Education approved four other school administrative appointments:
•At Cedar Shoals High School, assistant principal Mr. James Price has been promoted to Associate Principal of Instruction and Mr. Nathan Reincheld has been appointed Associate Principal of Operations. Mr. Reincheld has spent the past year at the District Office as the World Languages Curriculum Coordinator.
•At Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School, Dr. Magen Watkins has been appointed Assistant Principal, a position she has held on an interim basis since January.
•And at Gaines Elementary School, Shante Thompson has been appointed Assistant Principal. Ms. Thompson is moving to Gaines from Whitehead Road Elementary where she spent the past four years and was most recently an instructional coach.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming these leaders into their new roles and read more about them here: https://bit.ly/3Vnd8RA
