WOW: The new Mission Road Elementary School is really taking shape! Doesn't it look great?! 🚧
CHECK IT OUT: Kindergarten registration is right around the corner! Details below!
SEASON OF WONDER: Congratulations to Ms. Ballard and White Elementary School! Out of 25 local schools participating in this year's tree decorating contest at the Bartow County Public Library, WES won BOTH the People's Choice Award and Staff Choice Award! This is the first time the same school won BOTH awards!
Honorable Mention Awardees: Bartow County College and Career Academy & Taylorsville Elementary
Thank you for this opportunity, Friends of the Library!
CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS: More than 7,000 children in the Georgia foster care system will have presents to open on Christmas morning, thanks in part to Cass Middle School and Eric Broome with Arrow Restoration and Consulting! The CMS Honors Society spearheaded this service project and raised $1,400 for Clark's Christmas Kids! It's part of a larger statewide initiative called Georgia Schools Care.
[picture of CMS Honor Society students reading to Hamilton Crossing Elementary this week]
LETTERS TO SANTA: Parents, you still have time to email the Daily Tribune a copy of your child's amazing letter to Santa! Staff members will read them, select a few to publish on Dec. 23rd, and then send them on to jolly 'Ol Saint Nicholas himself!
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: Dec. 18 at 10 a.m.
EMAIL: marie.nesmith@daily-tribune.com
CENTRAL OFFICE CELEBRATIONS: When you work in a school system and community like this, you have a lot to celebrate! And, if you know Superintendent Page, then you know he likes to celebrate the RIGHT WORK. In the Bartow County School System, the right work supports learning, collaboration, and results. That's what we value.
This month, we celebrate and honor Joann Robinson, our Payroll Specialist. Joann is hard-working, loyal, and very much dedicated to our amazing school system. She definitely makes us all better! Congratulations, Joann!
COLORING OUR WORLD: Splash of paint here, splash of paint there, and voila! Our Wildcats' world just got a whole lot brighter! Euharlee Elementary School's brand-new media center MURAL has that "WOW FACTOR!" Don't you agree?! Local artist and former Woodland High School teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Reavis, was inspired by Randall Spangler's "Reading Tree," and painted the mural with the help of EHES and WHS alums, Ethan Perkins and Breeanna Chapman! Our students enjoyed watching the process and learned a lot about collaboration, teamwork, proportion, and scale! AMAZING work!
NEW: Adairsville High School students and staff will be getting an 18-classroom addition due to significant growth in the community. The new addition will adjoin to the south side of the existing building and include traditional classrooms, two science labs, and an engineering lab! Construction will begin after the holiday break and should wrap up by Dec. 2024!
IN THE NEWS: It was great to hear our next Superintendent, Clint Terza, on Bartow's Morning News! Always fun with WBHF's Alan Sanders!
WELL WISHES FOR OUR LYNN: Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, Lynn Huskins, officially leaves us at the end of the month after 20 years in the Bartow County School System! (40 in the education field) So, we had to celebrate her one more time with a reception as amazing as she is! There are not enough adjectives to describe Lynn. Her impact reaches far and wide in Bartow County, and her legacy is inspiring. Well-deserved standing ovation.
"Legacy is not leaving something for people. It's leaving something in people." - Peter Strople
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS: Santa sighting today at Hamilton Crossing Elementary 👀👀👀👀👀
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SOCK DRIVE: Join the Bartow County School Wellness Committee in helping the Boys and Girls Club this holiday season! Each school will be accepting donations of SOCKS, GLOVES, HATS, & PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS from now until Jan. 19th!
NEW: Tonya Poe, our current assistant support specialist at Central Office, will be our new executive assistant to the superintendent!
Tonya has been with the Bartow County School System for almost 18 years! This former Colonel cheerleader graduated from Cass High School and so did all four of her sons! So, it's no surprise that Tonya's first job in the BCSS was taking the reins as a parent involvement coordinator at CHS!
Throughout the years, Tonya earned her associate degree in business administration from Georgia Highlands College and bachelor's degree in organizational management from Covenant College. She assumed many roles at CHS, including the administrative assistant position to the principal.
In 2018, Tonya left CHS and took the position of administrative assistant to the chief leadership and learning officer at Central Office.
Join us in congratulating Tonya! She's an important part of our BCSS FAMILY! She also loves decorating for Christmas, Disney, giraffes, motorcycle rides, and helping students and staff in the BCSS! (not necessarily in that order 😃)
IT'S OFFICIAL: A familiar face will soon be taking the reins as superintendent of Bartow County Schools.
The Bartow County Board of Education unanimously voted Monday night to appoint current Chief Leadership and Learning Officer Clint Terza.
With nearly 29 years in education, five in Bartow County, Terza will seamlessly transition to his new role at the end of this academic year.
“I have been so fortunate and blessed to work alongside Superintendent Page, someone I have known for about 15 years,” said Terza. “I have a high level of respect for him, as he always leads with faith, family, and an educational focus. This school system has seen an unprecedented number of historic moments under his leadership, and I hope to continue the legacy.”
Terza is a Pennsylvania native, but moved to Cobb County, Georgia, to teach in Coweta County immediately upon graduation from Clarion University.
“After surviving winters in central Pennsylvania, my wife and I thought the sunshine and job opportunities looked so much better in Georgia,” said Terza.
And he was right. He quickly landed his first job teaching fifth grade at Jefferson Parkway Elementary School and was selected as the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher.
You could very well say Terza followed in his family’s footsteps since his mother and father were both elementary school teachers.
“After a year at Jefferson Parkway Elementary, I moved to Birney Elementary in Cobb County,” said Terza. “There, I truly found my calling for educational leadership.”
Since then, Terza earned his master’s and specialist degree in Leadership and Administration and assumed the roles of administrative assistant, assistant principal, and principal at four other schools in Cobb County.
“I was the principal of Austell Intermediate School for seven years, Smitha Middle School for five years, and South Cobb High School for three years before serving in Bartow County,” said Terza.
He was also recognized by the United States Department of Education for leading a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence during that time.
In addition to the accolades, those who know Terza best, say his motivation, determination, and dedication set him apart from the rest.
“I don’t shy away from challenges,” said Terza. “One of my primary focuses is continually improving student achievement through collaboration and strong Tier I instruction.”
Outside of the classroom, you will find Terza with his wife of 26 years, Lauri, and children, Devin (23), Morgan (20), and Reese (18).
Since his children are in college now, he has a lot more time to enjoy the cinema-style theater he built, classic rock music, and cars. He maintains, “nothing beats a 63’ Corvette split window coupe!”
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: COGNIA SYSTEM OF DISTINCTION
“This recognition is based on the results of Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process,” said Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “With over 1,100 engagement reviews for accreditation completed in the 2022-2023 academic year, Cognia only recognized 25 schools and eight systems in 12 states and five countries with this distinct honor! Wow! There was extensive internal preparation for this review, and I am so proud of our school system’s commitment to learning, collaboration, and results.”
Cognia provides an Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score as a measure of overall performance. With a maximum score of 400, the Bartow County School System received an IEQ score of 383.
“You and your team did the most complete self-study and detailed reporting of any that I have ever seen while working with Cognia,” said Dr. Erik Swanson, a Cognia regional accreditation evaluator. “I congratulate you on the work you are doing for learners.”
“The Bartow County School System is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards and is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning,” added Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia.
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: LYNN HUSKINS, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT
After 40 years in the field of education, Lynn, one of our biggest BCSS cheerleaders, is retiring. She is a fixture in our System, in our FAMILY. She is always the first person to smile at you, lend an ear, and help in any capacity. From school board packets and the organization of board meetings to contacting TV stations during inclement weather, Lynn does it all, and she does it with grace and passion.
Tonight, the Bartow County Board of Education recognized Lynn with a beautifully etched Waterford crystal vase, and on Wednesday, she will be honored with a reception.
Join us in congratulating Lynn on this next chapter of her story. We know she'll busy with her grandkids, gardening, and all those great car shows!
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: ADAIRSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL – HIGHEST DISTRICT GRADUATION RATE – 98.6%
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
David Gaspardo, Maintenance Department
“David has a can-do attitude and will work whatever hours, wherever needed, to see that the district is running properly. He works a lot of holidays and weekends and has never complained. He can always be counted on. He is truly a valuable member of the Maintenance team here in Bartow County.” – Maintenance Staff
THE BUZZ AROUND BARTOW: After several rounds of spelling in the Bartow County Spelling Bee, Cloverleaf Elementary fifth grader, Azaan Muhammad, spelled "effusive" to win! This year's runner-up is Madalie Furey, a fifth grader from Clear Creek Elementary! Congratulations!
AUTHOR VISIT: New York Times best-selling Author Dion Leonard and his now-famous dog, Gobi, visited White Elementary students Thursday! The wide eyes and wider smiles say it all! They really enjoyed hearing about how Gobi and Leonard found each other during a grueling 155-mile ultramarathon race across the Gobi Desert! High altitudes, excessive heat, wind, and sandstorms couldn't keep these two apart! Gobi even gave a few autographs with her right paw!
