CCSD is partnering for the second year with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development to offer high school students an outstanding career education opportunity: the 2019 Summer Internship Program! Applications due by May 25. Check out the flier (or visit https://www.cherokeega.org/internship/) to learn more about this six-week program to learn & earn this summer. #CherokeeByChoice

Indian Knoll Elementary School is the winner of the Cherokee County School District’s 2019 Elementary School Academic Bowl.

All 23 elementary schools participated in the event, with Indian Knoll ES, Macedonia ES, Avery ES, Boston ES winning their leagues and advancing to the semi-finals.  Macedonia Elementary School won second place.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Boston Elementary School Volunteer of the Year Lori Burton!

The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District Career Pathway students earned top honors in the State’s Skills USA competition testing their career knowledge and abilities!

Students from various programs at Cherokee High School and Sequoyah High School competed in the skilled trades and leadership events, with three winning gold medals, two earning silver and four achieving bronze.

The Creekview High School Band and Sequoyah High School Band represented the Cherokee County School District in the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday in Washington, D.C.! The parade, which includes a march down Constitution Avenue, is the culmination of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Celebration held each year. Fifteen bands from across the United States and the Bahamas were chosen to perform. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District’s online system for registering new students for the 2019-20 school year now is open to parents!

Parents can log in from home to the New Student Gateway by clicking here.  Parents who missed the window for online kindergarten registration in March also can register their children using the New Student Gateway.

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 2019 Freedom Middle School Teacher of the Year Kate Morris!

A defining lesson that Kate Morris teaches her reading and language arts special education students at Freedom Middle School is the preparation and delivery of a speech to the class.

Registration forms now are online for CCSD's summer school learning opportunities from June 5-25 for high school students including rising ninth-graders.

In addition to offering a wide selection of courses for students who need to retake classes not passed during the regular school year, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit.  

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking & congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Support Services Support Staff Employee of the Year Colleen Manuel! #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District students excelled at the statewide literature competition!

The Tome Student Literary Society, a National organization dedicated to promoting a love and appreciation of literature among fourth- through 12th-grade students, held its annual TomeCon competition and teams from six CCSD school participated and won top honors.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Teasley Middle School 2019 Partner of the Year Woodstock City Church!  The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. 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! #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Bascomb Elementary School Volunteer of the Year Jennifer Flannery! #CCSDfam

Arnold Mill Elementary School students are enjoying a new playground at the school this week, thanks to the hard work of its PTA! 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower today honored the Cherokee County School District’s Chief Financial Officer with the third of his four top annual awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised CFO Kenneth Owen with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Leadership during a morning meeting of senior staff, who rose to their feet to honor their colleague.

It’s spring… and that means plant sale time!

CCSD’s high school agriculture Career Pathway classes and extra-curricular programs offer students hands-on learning opportunities including cultivating plants. Once those plants are ready to leave the greenhouse, students sell them as a fundraiser… giving the community another way to support career education!

The April edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features an important update on the school calendar issue -- and much more!

No matter what you call it - vaping, Juul-ing, e-cigarettes – or how harmless the devices may seem, let’s clear the air: these are dangerous devices not permitted in schools.

CCSD takes vaping as seriously as any other tobacco product or marijuana, and the repercussions to a student’s health and school record are not worth risking. A 2018 national study released reported 1 in 5 high school students have tried vaping.

CCSD is expanding its week-long summer enrichment program to all rising first- through fifth-graders!

CCSD Summer Discovery program will be offered at Hickory Flat & Liberty Elementary Schools, and open to all CCSD students. Two sessions -- all taught by CCSD teachers -- will be offered (9 a.m.-Noon; 1-4 p.m.) June 3-7. The cost for the week-long program is $100 for one session or $190 for two sessions. Parents provide transportation and lunch.

The Cherokee County School District will hold its annual Comprehensive Improvement Plan Review parent meetings next month.

Under authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, CCSD, as a Local Educational Agency (LEA), is provided Federal funds for initiatives designed to meet the educational needs of eligible students. 

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named a 2019 Georgia STEM Scholar!

E.T. Booth Middle School seventh-grade science teacher Kara Reeder is one of only 23 teachers selected from a pool of statewide nominees to earn the honor from the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers.

A Cherokee County School District teacher has earned the State’s top honor for math education!

Loretta Muise of Woodstock High School has been named the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ High School Teacher of Excellence for 2019!

Clark Creek ES STEM Academy Media Specialist Lisa Boysen has been named a Common Sense Media Educator for her dedication to teaching students digital citizenship.

Common Sense, a national nonprofit organization focused on educating students and parents about digital media safety, honors educators and schools for preparing students to avoid online dangers such as plagiarism, loss of privacy and cyberbullying.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the Woodstock Innovation Zone 2019 Media Specialist of the Year Amy VanFossen of Woodstock Elementary School!

Woodstock Elementary School media specialist Amy VanFossen is a “difference maker,” according to her Principal, and she earns the praise of colleagues, students and parents alike.

This is National Social Work Month, and CCSD has four full-time social workers who assist the families of our 42,000 students in overcoming challenges that might affect their education.  Our social workers strive daily to connect families with community resources and provide interventions to address situations like homelessness, hunger, truancy, drug abuse, neglect and other challenges.   Last year, CCSD’s three social workers made 793 home visits; handled more than 800 cases; made 1,500 parent contacts and provided assistance to 146 homeless students.   This year, with the addition of a fourth member to the social worker team, they are on a pace to work 1,000 referrals and  serve more than 230 homeless students. 

Cherokee County School District students excelled in this year’s Student Technology Competition, with 53 placing first at Regions and six placing at State!

The statewide program includes 16 categories of competition for students in Grades 3-12.  Two hundred and eighty students put their technology skills to the test at the Piedmont Regional Technology Competition held earlier this school year at Woodstock Middle School. 

Teasley Middle School Connections/Technology teacher Scott Reece has been named a LEGO Education Ambassador by the company's LEGO Master Educator program.  

The Master Educator Program is a community of early learning through secondary educators who embody the mission of LEGO Education to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow by enabling every student to succeed.  

Two Cherokee County School District music educators have been elected to lead the State’s choral music education organizations!

Scott Martin, choral director at Creekview High School, was elected the Choral Chair Elect for the Georgia Music Educators Association. Laura Martin, choral director at E.T. Booth Middle School, was elected the President-Elect for the Georgia American Choral Directors Association.

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy teacher Dr. Rita R. Frady has been honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who!

Award criteria include position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in the field of education are considered during the selection process.  Dr. Frady is in her 29^th year as a Title I elementary music teacher.  She has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in the field of music education. 

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Arnold Mill Elementary School Support Staff Employee of the Year June Landers! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

Two Cherokee County School District high school students are among this year’s 21st Century Leaders Georgia Youth Leadership Award winners!

The youth leadership and talent development program annually selects 21 top youth leaders from throughout the State for the honor, including Cherokee High School junior Michael Garcia and Etowah High School junior Kailen Kim. 

Thank you to these outstanding partners for donating to the CHOICE program that helps students who need extra support in order to graduate on time! Does your company want to donate incentives for this program? Or a financial contribution for a scholarship? Please contact penny.dempsey@cherokeek12.net for more information. #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Woodstock Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year Sojourn Community Church! #CCSDfam

Indian Knoll Elementary School Counselor Colleen DeLosh deeply understands the struggles of the students she serves.

Not only did she, of course, attend school like them, but she also as a young person experienced her parents’ divorce, moving and a sibling’s drug addiction – all issues that make life even more challenging for her own students.

Both of her parents were good listeners, but Ms. DeLosh needed a “neutral” party to confide in, lean on and learn from… and she found that person in a school counselor.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy Volunteer of the Year Carolyn Timcoe! The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 honored a teacher with the second of his four top annual awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised E.T. Booth Middle School eighth-grade teacher Amy Loiselle with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Excellence during a before-school faculty meeting there, which erupted into applause for the honoree.

What is Child Find?
The purpose of Child Find is to identify, locate, and evaluate children and youth, who are suspected of having or have a diagnosed disability or developmental delay, in order to provide free appropriate Special Education services.  The Cherokee County School District serves children ages 3 to 21.

Five hundred Cherokee County School District students competed in the CCSD Elementary Science Olympiad, with four teams now headed to State!

Hickory Flat ES Team Green earned first place in the competition, with Mountain Road ES Team Red placing second; and Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue and Liberty ES tying for third.  These teams advance to the Georgia Elementary Science Olympiad on May 11 at Kennesaw State University.  

A Cherokee County School District culinary team competed at the State level with its Farm-to-School-inspired recipe!

The team of Etowah High School Family and Consumer Sciences students Isabelle Bridges, Milas Alexis Dominguez, Alexander Fiscarelli and Marie-Andree Girard was invited to cook up its Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl at the Georgia Department of Education’s third annual Shake it Up Farm-to-School Student Chef Competition in Macon.  Only nine teams from across the state were invited to compete; Putnam County High School’s team won the cook-off. 

The Cherokee County School Board is celebrating the CCSD School Police Department for its 20 years of exemplary service.  

Led since its establishment by Chief Mark Kissel, who has announced he will retire at the end of this school year, the Department consists of 20 police officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, an Emergency Management Facilitator and office staff.

The Cherokee County School District recently hosted a New Leaders Reception for the School Board to meet the educators recommended by the Superintendent of Schools for leadership roles including Principal posts.  The reception, which was sponsored by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a CCSD Partner, gave School Board members the chance to meet and talk with the leaders before voting to approve their new roles for next school year.  The new leaders and their families enjoyed a warm welcome, refreshments and the gift of a journal from Children’s Healthcare.  This is the second year for this tradition, and a second event will be hosted next month for the School Board to meet additional new leaders including those recommended for Assistant Principal posts. #CCSDfam

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 Free Home Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Keith Furstenberg!

Physical Education teacher Keith Furstenberg’s selection as Free Home Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year by his peers is not only an honor, but also is especially remarkable, according to the Principal.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the Sequoyah Innovation Zone 2019 Media Specialist of the Year Mia Temples of Hickory Flat Elementary School!

Hickory Flat Elementary School Media Specialist Mia Temples is in a league of her own, according to her Principal.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 21, 2019 approved the appointment of five new Principals to fill vacancies for next school year, as well as a new head football coach for Creekview High School. 

The five new Principals are: for Clayton Elementary School, Carrie O’Bryant; E.T. Booth Middle School, Todd Sharrock; Knox Elementary School, Jennifer McIntosh; Sixes Elementary School, Dr. Ashley Kennerly; and Woodstock Middle School; Michael Santoro.

The Creekview High School Grizzly football program is under new management, with the unanimous vote tonight by the Cherokee County School Board to hire Trevor Williams as head coach.

Coach Williams most recently served at South Forsyth High School as its football team’s defensive coordinator and as a Special Education specialist and credit recovery program co-director.  A Cherokee County native, Coach Williams graduated from Sequoyah High School.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Technology & Information Services Support Staff Employee of the Year Jeremy Gravley! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District students excelled at the Georgia High School Association’s State Championships for Literary Teams, with one team winning the overall prize and nine students earning first-place awards!

Cherokee County School Board members regularly visit schools for tours with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, members of his staff and the school’s Principal and administrative team.  This week, the School Board visited Sequoyah High School, where they learned from Principal Bob Van Alstyne about new Advanced Placement class offerings; an initiative with its feeder elementary and middle schools to enhance the family culture in the Innovation Zone; and improvements made to school safety and security.  The group enjoyed a lunch featuring new School Nutrition cafeteria offerings, followed by strawberry shortcake made from scratch by Family and Consumer Sciences students! #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to 2019 Woodstock High School Partner of the Year: Cherokee Insurance Center! Learn more about partnering: https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Avery ES Volunteer of the Year Sandy Kreh!

The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam
 

The March edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features an important update on the State-mandated school calendar issue and new troubling education legislation.  The newsletter also includes two brief surveys on our Strategic Plan and communications… please participate to help CCSD continuously improve!