The May 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes important end-of-year updates and reminders and a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Cherokee County School District staff and PTA units and leaders have been honored with top awards by the Cherokee County Council PTA!

Congratulations to the winners and best wishes as they advance to regional and State opportunities for recognition.

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Golden Apple Award presented to top teachers this week by the Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International!  

Twelve CCSD schools were invited to recognize an honoree this year, and they are: Katelyn Sugar of Arnold Mill ES, Beth Smith of Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Laura Wagner of Bascomb ES, Liane Moler of E.T. Booth MS, Heather Barton of Etowah HS, Lacy Savage of Free Home ES, Morgann Anderson of Indian Knoll ES, Meredith Rocker of Johnston ES, Janet Marotte of Knox ES STEM Academy,  Kristin Covington of Mountain Road ES, Stephanie Collett of R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, Rachel LaChine of Sequoyah HS.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for the Office of Support Services: Carla Cornelison! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Liberty ES 2021 Volunteers of the Year: Dana Gardner and Tammy Willis! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District celebrated National School Nurse Appreciation Day with the presentation of its inaugural Nurse of the Year Awards!

The top school nurse selected for each Innovation Zone (a high school and its feeder schools) was surprised with award presentations on Monday and today.  They now advance to a CCSD Nurse of the Year Award program, with the winner to be selected by a panel of nursing professionals and retired educators and announced at a new professional development event for school nurses this summer.  

Two Cherokee County School District graduating seniors have earned 2021 National Merit Scholarships!

Nathan Davis of Creekview HS and Jeremy Jeong of Sequoyah HS are among the top 2,500 seniors in the U.S. to earn the prestigious $2,500 scholarship awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.  

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Woodstock MS 2021 Partner of the Year: Family Tradition, Woodstock!

Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships) to learn more! #CCSDPartnersInAction

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy has earned national digital citizenship certification!

The school has been named a Common Sense Certified School for Digital Citizenship by Common Sense Education, a national organization that helps educators teach students to understand and safely use technology and to develop successful digital skills and habits.

School Lunch Hero Day was observed on Friday in appreciation of school cafeteria workers nationwide! To show their appreciation, Cherokee County School Board members and CCSD senior staff worked the line in multiple Cherokee County School District lunchrooms.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here. Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Clark Creek ES STEM Academy: Joy Harrison! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating future educators this month!

High schools are holding “signing day” events as part of Teacher Appreciation Month to honor graduating seniors who plan to pursue careers in education.

Three Cherokee County School District Class of 2021 seniors have been named finalists for a top national honor.

As semi-finalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, Koryn Todd of Creekview High School, Annelise Axelsson of River Ridge High School and Sophia Abbott of Woodstock High School are among only 700 students from the more than 3 million graduating seniors in the nation’s Class of 2021 selected to advance in the prestigious recognition program.  Only 18 students from Georgia were named semi-finalists.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its Yes I Can Award winners.

The Yes I Can Awards celebrate the achievements of children and youth with exceptionalities.  The awards encourage students to seek their highest potential, and increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations, and personal qualities of those with disabilities. 

Thirty-five Cherokee County School District students earned honors through the 2020-21 Georgia PTA Reflections fine arts contest! 

The annual competition offers students in all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.  Students can earn recognition at the School, District, State and National levels.  This year's theme was “I Matter Because …”

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Etowah HS 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Susan McElhannon! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

A Cherokee County School District student has won the Georgia Award of Excellence.

ACE Academy Class of 2021 graduate Michael Benjamin Gerow earned the award presented by the Georgia Department of Education to recognize graduating seniors who overcome special needs to achieve academic and/or extracurricular accomplishments.

Two Cherokee County School District students have graduated from a regional leadership program.

Etowah High School sophomore Ila Prabhuram and Woodstock High School junior Fawzan Khan were among 29 outstanding high school students selected to participate in the Model Atlanta Regional Commission (MARC) youth leadership program, which recently concluded for the school year.

A Cherokee County School District student has won first place in a prestigious National art competition!

Creekview High School senior Paige Nash earned top honors in the 40th Annual Congressional Art Competition and will represent the 11th Congressional District in the National exhibit.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Free Home ES 2021 Partner of the Year: Macedonia United Methodist Church (Mother’s Cupboard)!

Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships) to learn more! #CCSDPartnersInAction

A Cherokee County School District teacher has earned a statewide award recognizing educators as heroes!

Grace Ed Technologies today, National Teacher Appreciation Day, announced the three winners of its 2021 Teacher Heroes Awards including Cherokee High School teacher and coach Jeremy Law.

A Cherokee County School District student has earned a statewide scholarship!

Etowah High School senior McKenzie Anderson has earned the 2021 Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference Buster Bynum Scholarship.

A Cherokee County School District student has won a national photography contest! 

Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grader Annie Mercer earned third place in the middle school division of the 2021 Jostens Photo Contest, sponsored by the company known for its yearbooks and other school memorabilia. 

Please see the message below from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Every teacher, whether in his second year or in her 30th year, has them saved.

These treasures take many forms: the handmade cards with imperfect spelling and perfect love, the well-worn first “best teacher” mug turned pens holder and the shiny new one filled with coffee, the dried store-bought carnation and the dried playground dandelion.

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited
 

Registration is now open for CCSD High School 2021 Summer School.

Summer School will be offered from June 3-23, 2021 with options for Credit Recovery and Initial Credit.

Creekview High School’s agriculture program is growing even more thanks to a generous donation. 

Pilgrim’s of Canton donated $5,000 through its Hometown Strong Program to the school’s agriculture program and FFA chapter.  Teacher Pauline Benton said the donation will assist in training FFA members for the Poultry Evaluation Career Development Event, help continue community service programs that feed the food insecure and those in poverty in the community, and provide leadership scholarships for students to attend the National FFA Convention. 

Eleven CCSD seniors have been selected for the prestigious Georgia Scholar recognition, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced Thursday.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for ACE Academy: Pam Cheever! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

All six CCSD high schools made the U.S. News and World Report’s “Best High Schools” list for 2021, which was released by the publication this week.   Creekview HS led the county in the rankings at number 2,342 out of 24,000 high schools in the country; five of CCSD’s high schools – Creekview, Etowah, River Ridge, Sequoyah and Woodstock – also ranked in the Top 100 in Georgia of the more than 400 high schools in the state and fell within the top 15% nationwide. 

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Johnston ES 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Nicole Balejcsik! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District is seeking EBD teachers for numerous schools for next school year.  This position offer competitive compensation and outstanding benefits, a balanced school calendar, and wonderful work environments and caring teams.  Apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net and clicking on any of the openings for an EBD teacher.  For more information, please contact Amy Graham, Director of Staffing at amy.graham@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4306. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is seeking School Nutrition Workers for numerous schools for this school year and next school year.  This position offer competitive compensation and outstanding benefits, a schedule that follows the school calendar, and wonderful work environments and caring teams.  Apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net and selecting any of the School Nutrition Worker listings at various schools.  For more information, please contact Cassandra Higgins at cassandra.higgins@cherokeek12.net and 770.721.8419. #CCSDfam

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Every school year, each CCSD high school selects one Student Delegate to the School Board to represent the student voice. One Delegate is named the Student Advisor and sits with the Board at its meetings. Meet the last one for this school year! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District saluted educators Thursday night at the long-awaited 2021 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration.
 
The annual banquet to recognize all of CCSD’s school Teachers of the Year and to announce the overall winner is usually held in the fall.  This year’s program was delayed due to the pandemic, and additional safety measures were enacted for Thursday night including limiting guests.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for River Ridge High School: Cali Mondello! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s 2021 STAR Students and Teachers!

The STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, Student honor is awarded to the high school senior from each Georgia high school with the highest score on any single test date of the SAT taken by the contest deadline, who also in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.  Each honored student is invited to select their favorite teacher to be named that school’s STAR Teacher.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Macedonia ES 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Rebecca Wright! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Seven Cherokee County School District students placed at the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair!

The students, who all attend E.T. Booth Middle School, earned high honors at the competition for middle and high school students, including two best in state awards and several other top prizes.  The 73rd Fair took place virtually over the past several weeks and followed a regional competition where nine E.T. Booth Middle School students earned an invite to the State competition and 10 won special awards.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Creekview HS 2021 Partner of the Year: Amber Cloy Photography!

Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships) to learn more! #CCSDPartnersInAction

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Bascomb ES 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Alanna Blake-Lawlor! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Cherokee County School Board members regularly visit schools for tours with the Superintendent of Schools, members of his staff, and the school’s Principal and administrative team.  This month, the visit was to Hickory Flat Elementary School, where they met with Principal Kerry Estep and her leadership team and enjoyed a School Nutrition lunch from the cafeteria. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, April 15, approved school calendars for three more years and appointed several new leaders for next school year.

The approved calendars for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year now are posted at http://bit.ly/CCSDcalendars.  They were developed by a committee of CCSD employees and parents and use the same balanced calendar model as currently in place.  

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Boston Elementary School: Darlene Gaddis! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The April 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.

GRADUATION UPDATE: Following a meeting this afternoon relative to graduation ceremony planning, we are pleased to announce that CCSD Class of 2021 graduating seniors will be allowed tickets for six guests to attend their ceremony next month at First Baptist Church of Woodstock.  We are very appreciative for the opportunity to expand guest capacity for this special event in light of the Governor’s change in pandemic restrictions.  The event also will be livestreamed, as it has been in years past, to allow guests who cannot attend to watch the ceremony from home.

Sixteen Cherokee County School District high school and middle school students have won seats in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band and Orchestra.

Students audition for these selective performance opportunities.  This year's All-State Band and All-State Orchestra Events will be held virtually on Friday afternoon and Saturday. 

We are excited to share application and enrollment information about i-Grad Virtual Academy (Grades 9-12) with you.  Applications for the 2021-22 School Year open on April 1, 2021 and are due by April 30, 2021.  Students and parents must complete the online form and get at least one recommendation from their current school.  The application process will give students the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to be successful in a virtual environment.  Application decisions and notifications will begin in early May, and accepted students/parents will be contacted with enrollment information.  

CCSD High School 2021 Summer School will be offered from June 3-23, 2021 with options for Credit Recovery and Initial Credit as detailed below.  More detailed registration information will be released in mid-April.

Get ready to learn! The Cherokee County School District is opening online registration for 2021-22 kindergarten students, as well as first graders new to CCSD, on Monday, February 8.