Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton delivered a new Jeep Rubicon to CCSD Teacher of the Year Dana Townsend at Mill Creek MS on Friday just before Thanksgiving break.  As the district winner, Ms. Townsend received a free one-year lease on any vehicle at the dealership. 

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, approved its annual Legislative Partnership Program outlining requests for the local Legislative Delegation’s consideration during the upcoming session, and local control topped the list. 

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate ACE Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Pete Godfrey!

Schools throughout the Cherokee County School District celebrated Veterans Day with special programs and lessons on Friday and today. Activities included breakfasts for veterans invited by their children or grandchildren who attend the hosting school, with guest speakers, musical performances by students and the presentation of colors by students active in Scout troops. Students also made special displays to honor veterans, including those in their families who have passed away and soldiers considered missing in action. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is focused on further improving suicide prevention training for its staff and offering more support to students in need.

This important issue long has been a part of professional development for staff, but CCSD is increasing its training and programs in response to the national rise in teen suicide rates, as well as the tragic deaths of students, teachers and parents in the community.

The Cherokee County School District’s VILLA parent academy program participants took a field trip to tour schools this week – complete with a school bus ride!

VILLA (Volunteer Instructional Leadership Learning Academy) is a free six-week program that offers participants the opportunity to learn more about the public schools in their community.  In addition to classes with School Board and staff presentations on CCSD operations, participants take a field trip to see teaching and learning firsthand.

A CCSD leader has been named the Region 4-7A Athletic Director of the Year! 
 
Jeremy Adams, the athletic director and an assistant principal for Cherokee High School, now is in the running for the State title in recognition of his service to high school athletics and student athletes.
 

Reporting safety concerns to the Cherokee County School District now is easier than ever with the roll-out of a new smartphone app!
 
The School District in August launched the new SafeSchools Alert system, which allows students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community to report safety concerns to CCSD School Police and administrators by text, email, online message or phone call, with the option to do so anonymously.  To further increase accessibility, the system now includes a new smartphone app, which can be downloaded at no cost.  

Cherokee County School District schools have earned high ratings for cultivating a positive school climate! 
 
The District earned a 4-star average on the 5-star scale in the Georgia Department of Education’s annual ratings, which measure how a community views the quality of its school’s culture and character; the highest possible rating is 5 stars.  The rating is based on a survey of students, parents and teachers; student discipline issue rates; and daily attendance.
 

Cherokee County School District drama students shone at Regional One Act Play Contest competitions!

In Region 6-6A, Sequoyah High School hosted Regions and earned second place overall, with River Ridge High School placing fifth and Creekview High School competing.  

In Region 4-7A, Cherokee High School hosted the competition and placed second, followed by Etowah High School in third and Woodstock High School in fourth place.  

A Cherokee County School District student’s photography and commentary on his generation has been published by the New York Times!

Cherokee High School junior Noah Lee is one of 36 high school students whose photograph was selected from thousands entered across the country at the media company’s request.  The Times asked teens to “analyze media and adult stereotypes about their generation — then take photos to counter them.”

The Creekview High School JROTC Raider Team has won the U.S. Army State Championships for the second consecutive year and competes this weekend at Nationals! 

Student team commander Sgt. Major Dylan Burgess led his classmates to defend last year’s State title by winning first- and second-place trophies in every event at the State championships, the only team to do so.  The team now travels to Nationals this weekend to compete against 24 other states from across the country.  The CrossFit-style competition includes six hours of athletic events with cadets completing all events as a team rather than as individuals.

The Cherokee County School District honored extraordinary educators with a dinner, tributes and gifts at the 2018 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration on Thursday night... with a new twist: the surprise announcement of the CCSD Teacher of the Year at the event.

With the creation this year of a new Finalist level of recognition, also came the decision to make the announcement of the overall winner a surprise at the dinner, and Mill Creek Middle School PE and health teacher Dana Townsend received the exciting news at the end of the program!

A Cherokee County School District educator has been tapped to serve on the State School Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council!

Creekview High School American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Andrea Sheldon is among the select group of teachers from across Georgia selected to represent their profession on the board.  The Council meets twice a year to advise Georgia Superintendent of School Dr. Richard Woods on State-level education issues and provide him insight as to how those decisions impact classroom teachers and instruction.

The Cherokee County School District’s second annual VILLA Program now underway encourages and celebrates parent engagement!

The parent academy program began last year in CCSD as a pilot initiative developed with the Georgia School Boards Association and with the support of Cherokee County School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, who championed the idea during her re-election campaign. 

Freedom Middle School earned the top trophy at this year’s Cherokee County School District Middle School Academic Bowl.  Creekland Middle School came in second at the event, which is organized by CCSD’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction and was hosted this year by Dean Rusk Middle School.

A Cherokee County School District leader has been named a finalist for the statewide title of 2019 Georgia Assistant Principal of the Year!

Creekview High School Assistant Principal Jessica Whitley is one of five leaders announced today as finalists for the award presented by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.  The winner of the award, which is open to middle and high school assistant principals statewide, recognizes “outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students.”  

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM has earned national recognition for its successful efforts to improve classroom instruction!

The school, led by Principal Joey Moss, has earned the Model Professional Learning Community at Work honor from Solution Tree, one of only 200 honored schools and districts in the nation – and only the second school in Georgia, following Etowah High School.

The Cherokee County School District for the sixth consecutive year has exceeded the State’s average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) accountability system score, which annually calculates student academic achievement and progress.

The School District’s 2017-18 CCRPI average, released today by the Georgia Department of Education, is 79, as compared to the State average of 76.6.  Scores at all three levels of CCSD schools surpass State performance: 78.9 elementary (77.8 Georgia); 76.5 middle (76.2); 81.2 high (75.3).  Significant formula revisions to this year’s system make it impossible to accurately compare these new averages to past results, according to the GDOE. 

CCSD held a Bus Driver Appreciation breakfast at its transportation depots this week, thanks to our sponsor Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Drivers were treated to biscuits, fruit and coffee, with door prizes and small tokens of appreciation from CHOA. 

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018 outscored the previous class, topped State and National averages and ranked second among metro Atlanta counties on the SAT, according to results released today by the College Board!
 
The CCSD Class of 2018 earned an average total score of 1122, an increase from last year’s 1121, on the curriculum-based, college entrance and placement exam – the most commonly recognized measure of achievement for high school students.  The score exceeds the National public school average by 73 points and the State by 68 points… and ranks CCSD as the ninth highest-performing school district statewide!

The Transition Academy helps young adults with cognitive disabilities make a smooth transition into the community after they exit the school system.

The Cherokee County School District won top awards for communications and community engagement including three “Best in State” top honors! 

The Georgia School Public Relations Association’s Annual Publications, Photography & Electronic Media Contest recognizes outstanding work by public schools, school systems, post-secondary institutions, and educational agencies and associations.  The winners were announced at the Association’s Annual Conference on Saturday; CCSD earned the highest total of “Best in State” awards presented, as well as six Gold, 11 Silver and four Bronze awards.

CCSD high school students improved their performance on College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams in 2018, with 74% of students scoring a 3 or higher, up from 71% in 2017 and again exceeding state and national averages. 

A Cherokee County School District elementary school is a finalist for three statewide STEM education awards!

The Technology Association of Georgia and the TAG Education Collaborative have selected Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy as a finalist for its 2018 Georgia STEM Education Awards.  

Congratulations to CCSD's School Nutrition program, which formally accepted its Platinum-level Golden Radish Award at an awards ceremony in Atlanta today!

CCSD School Nutrition, which serves 5 million meals each year in our school cafeterias, for the second consecutive year won the award from Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health and Education, and Georgia Organics.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, purchased land for a replacement Canton Elementary School, the construction of which will be included in the 2021 Education Special Local Option Sales Tax renewal proposal. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said the purchase of 63 acres on the east side of Reinhardt College Parkway (Highway 140) 2.8 miles north of the Riverstone Parkway/Waleska Road intersection for $26,000 an acre is a promise kept by him and the School Board. 

Thanks to the support of partner Northside Hospital Cherokee, the Cherokee County School District received EpiPens at no cost for all of its schools!  The cost of the pens – auto-injectors that can be life-saving in cases of serious allergic reaction - was waived by manufacturer, Mylan, as part of its EpiPen4Schools program.  CCSD’s participation in the program was made possible by NHC Dr. Matthew Simmons, who wrote prescriptions for each school’s clinic. 

More Cherokee County School District Class of 2018 students took the ACT exam than any previous class, while maintaining impressive averages and exceeding National and State averages!

Results released today show the Class of 2018 posted an excellent overall score of 23, while a record number took the challenging college entrance and placement examination: 1,809 students -- an 11-percent increase from the previous year.  The score ranks CCSD third among metro Atlanta counties and seventh in Georgia – out of 180 school districts!