It’s less than two weeks until the first day of school for CCSD on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021!  Please check out the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections, which includes important back-to-school info and a message from the Superintendent.  Don’t forget to visit the Back-to-School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s when it opens Monday, July 26, as we need the parents of all students – both in-person and Digital Learning – to update emergency contacts and provide other important “first day forms” information. Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that, based on the Governor’s decision through Executive Order to end the Public Health State of Emergency on June 30, 2021, and the significant improvement of the state of public health, we are returning to pre-pandemic school operations for the 2021-22 school year, which begins Aug. 2.  More back-to-school information will be shared with our families in the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter on July 22.

Our Principals are dedicated leaders, and we’ll be introducing you over the coming days to Principals who are new to the role or who are serving at new schools this year.  Please help us celebrate Christy Rich, who this school year will begin leading Macedonia Elementary School!

Macedonia Elementary School Principal Christy Rich’s own career path is a lesson for her students and teachers and staff in pursuing goals and serving others.

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 2021 Creekland Middle School Teacher of the Year Liesl New!

Creekland Middle School Teacher of the Year Liesl New makes history relevant for her eighth-grade students by connecting them to it.

Our Principals are dedicated leaders, and we’ll be introducing you over the coming days to Principals who are new to the role or who are serving at new schools this year.  Please help us celebrate Dr. Carolyn Daugherty, who this school year will begin leading Bascomb Elementary School!

Bascomb Elementary School Principal Dr. Carolyn Daugherty is happy to be home in the Etowah Zone.

As part of the Cherokee County School District’s back-to-school preparations, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower held his first meeting with the Cherokee County Council PTA’s new executive board.

Our Principals are dedicated leaders, and we’ll be introducing you over the coming days to Principals who are new to the role or who are serving at new schools this year.  Please help us celebrate Melinda Roulier, who this school year will begin leading Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy!

Principal Melinda Roulier can’t wait to get to know her new Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy family.

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 Etowah HS: Cathy Alexander! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

CCSD this school year will begin using the ParentSquare messaging system for Principal communications. 

This system will be used by Principals to send messages for their school, such as newsletters, updates and reminders, to all parents.  Principals also will use this system to notify parents if there has been a positive COVID-19 case in their child’s class and to monitor for symptoms.  ParentSquare also will be used, beginning in mid-August, to send the weekly progress reports for attendance and grades to all parents.

Our Principals are dedicated leaders, and we’ll be introducing you over the coming days to Principals who are new to the role or who are serving at new schools this year.  Please help us celebrate Tia Bryller, who this school year will begin leading Woodstock Middle School!

Woodstock Middle School Principal Tia Bryller is a new face in the Woodstock Zone, but she knows middle school by heart.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Free Home ES 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Pastor Nathaniel Long! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District celebrated back-to-school for its school nurses with the presentation of the first-ever CCSD School Nurse of the Year Award!

The new awards program was developed in the spring with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a CCSD Partner.  On National School Nurse Appreciation Day in May, a top school nurse was selected from each Innovation Zone (a high school and its feeder schools) and surprised with award presentations.  The Zone winners advanced to the CCSD School Nurse of the Year Award judging, with the winner selected by a panel of nursing professionals and retired educators. 

Our Principals are dedicated leaders, and we’ll be introducing you over the coming days to Principals who are new to the role or who are serving at new schools this year. Please help us celebrate Mike Santoro, who this school year will begin leading Creekview High School!

An award-winning educator and coach, Principal Mike Santoro is headed back to high school.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Woodstock High School 2021 Partner of the Year: The UPS Store!

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

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 2021 Clayton Elementary School Teacher of the Year Jada Hanson!

Clayton Elementary School Teacher of the Year Jada Hanson remembers when a teacher changed her life for the first time.

A Cherokee County School District concert band for the first time has been selected to perform at the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association State Conference!

The Sequoyah High School Symphony Band, under the leadership of Director of Bands and Orchestra Casey Eubanks, will perform at the statewide association’s 2022 event to be held in January at the Classic Center in Athens.  The band earned the honor through a recorded music submission process used to audition for the special opportunity.

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 Dean Rusk MS: Lisa Burns! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

On behalf of the Superintendent, please review the following updates about CCSD’s Digital Learning program for the 2021-22 School Year. 

We have outlined the highlights of the program and back-to-school preparations below.  We encourage you to review the CCSD Digital Learning Models for SY2021-22 Guidebook, which explains the learning models and expectations in greater detail, and is posted online at https://bit.ly/CCSDdlguide21.

CCSD's Transportation Department spends the summer break getting its fleet of big yellow buses inspected and ready for another 4 million miles on Cherokee County roads. In the days before the start of the school year, CCSD’s school buses can be spotted out on the county's roads and highways, running their routes.  One practice run with their bus is required, but many drivers practice more times in their own vehicles.

Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition department is beginning the new school year with announcements including that it will continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to all students at no cost to them … for the entire 2021-22 school year!

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

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Teasley Middle School 2021 Partner of the Year: Chick-fil-A, Riverstone!

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

The Cherokee County School District is seeking school bus drivers!  These positions offer excellent benefits (full-time benefits for part-time work, with at least four hours of pay per day guaranteed), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.  A Georgia Class B CDL Driver’s License with School Bus & Passenger endorsements is required; CCSD provides drivers with specialized training.  Job details are posted at https://bit.ly/CCSDbusdriver.  Check out the video at http://bit.ly/CCSDbusvideo to learn more about a day in the life of a CCSD school bus driver!  Join the #CCSDfam & apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net.  Questions? Please contact CCSD Recruitment Coordinator Lindsay Bowley at Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

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 2021 Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy Teacher of the Year Rebecca Coleman!

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy Teacher of the Year Rebecca Coleman is the kind of teacher students remember for a lifetime.

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, July 15, 2021 took the following action:

• Approved the monthly personnel report, which included the appointment of Adam Johnson, a 13-year CCSD teacher who has taught and coached track at Cherokee High School, as a new assistant principal at Woodstock High School;

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 Carmel ES: Simone Alsup! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to E.T. Booth MS 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Heather Baird! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Ball Ground ES STEM Academy 2021 Partner of the Year: Zach's Grading & Tree Removal!

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

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 2021 Cherokee High School Teacher of the Year Dr. Jodi Burn!

Cherokee High School Teacher of the Year Dr. Jodi Burn sees star power in every student.

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 School Operations: Sue Hotaling! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

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

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy 2021 Partner of the Year: Bethel Tabernacle!

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

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 2021 Carmel Elementary School Teacher of the Year Bill Barsh!

Carmel Elementary School has its own “Mister Rogers,” and his name is Bill Barsh.

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 Mill Creek MS: Lynnette Greene! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited