Bartow County School System

WOW, WOW, WOW: Congratulations to the Cass High School Band for its amazing performance at the Lake Lanier Tournament of Bands! The band walked away as Best in Class AAA and a very close 2nd Place Overall finish on the day. What an incredible way to start the competitive season! Class AAA Champions 🥇 1st Place AAA Percussion 🥁 1st Place AAA Color Guard 🏴 1st Place AAA Band 🎺 Overall 2nd Place 🥈 Up next...the 5th Annual Northwest Georgia Marching Band Championship tomorrow at Cass High School! Wish them luck! 📸: David Draper

LIGHTNING FAST VISIT: WSB Meteorologist Brian Monahan visited Mission Road Elementary School this week to share his extensive knowledge on monitoring and interpreting computer and radar analysis of the weather, among many other topics!

TOUCH A TRUCK: As you can tell from the first picture, the Touch a Truck event at Clear Creek Elementary School was a big hit! This is yet another example of how our community partners help engage students in relevant learning experiences!

NEW: The Bartow County School System four-year graduation rate climbs to a new all-time high in 2022 – 94.4%. That rate is up from 93.6% last year and beats the state average by more than 10%. Two Bartow County high schools break the milestone 95% plane, and the graduation rate for students with disabilities skyrockets for the second year in a row. “Those are incredible highlights from the data just released today by the Georgia Department of Education,” said BCSS Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “There are so many reasons to celebrate, as school leaders remain intentional and focused in this area, and students are increasingly engaged and supported through the Professional Learning Communities process. I could not be prouder of the work that is being done and excited to continue the trend of improving student outcomes countywide.” Adairsville High School students and staff earned the highest graduation rate in the county – 96.6%. That is a 3% increase over last year’s rate and the first time above the milestone 95% mark. The graduation rate for students with disabilities also jumped from 79.3% to 89.2%. “AHS is committed to providing relevant learning experiences for ALL,” said AHS Principal Dr. Lexie Bultman. “The increase in our graduation rate, which is the highest it has ever been, continues to validate the effectiveness of the PLC process and our commitment to those relevant learning experiences. Collaborative teacher teams consistently analyze student data to make informed decisions about each individual student, leading to increased learning and achievement.” “Scores and numbers are never our mission, but they are a metric by which we are measured,” added Dr. Bultman. “Graduation rate is a school metric everyone can get behind and this is truly a schoolwide effort! We are excited because this increase supports the hard work our staff put in each and every day to ensure all students learn at high levels.” Cass High School’s graduation rate increased from 91.9% in 2021 to 92.1% this year. School leaders also graduated more students with disabilities than any other school in the county. Increasing their outcome by 9%, they recorded a 92.3% graduation rate this year for students with disabilities. “We are excited to see our four-year graduation rate over 92%, the highest in school history!,” said CHS Principal Steve Revard. “The Class of 2022 was a special group of students that pushed through adversity, while continuing to raise the bar. Our teachers and staff remain dedicated to supporting all students through effective collaboration, Tier II instruction, a focus on literacy, and extracurricular opportunities. I am also incredibly proud of our Guiding Coalition, as they continue to implement research-based strategies and innovative practices that move Cass High forward.” Woodland High School and its school community were pleased to log a 95.3% graduation rate, which is above the milestone 95% plane for the second year in a row. Their rate for students with disabilities is 82.8%, which is a whopping 37% higher than their average in 2018. “We are very pleased to see that our graduation rate is above 95% for the second year in a row,” said WHS Principal Dave Stephenson. “Our students enjoy a culture of high expectations, and our staff have committed to each student who walks through our doors becoming fully prepared for opportunities after high school. We will continue to focus on all students learning and achieving at the highest levels.” Exceptional Education Director Tania Amerson and her team were also instrumental in raising their overall system rate for students with disabilities by almost 8%, moving from 80.8% last year to 88.6% this year. “The work to prepare our students to graduate starts at pre-K,” adds Amerson. "The collaboration which is occurring between general and exceptional education at all levels is leading to improved outcomes for all students as evidenced by the decreasing gap in graduation rate between general and exceptional education. I am very pleased to see this gap closing and know this work is having a positive impact on the lives of our students and community.”

BE IN THE KNOW: We interrupt your regularly scheduled Fall Break to bring you this picture from the Grand Marshal float at the Adairsville parade over the weekend! Recognize these familiar faces? * Dr. Phillip Page, Bartow County School System Superintendent * Dr. Lexie Bultman, Adairsville High School Principal * Sharon Viktora, BCSS Parent & State School Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council Member * Anna Sullivan, BCSS Board Member * Sarah Collum, Adairsville Elementary School Teacher of the Year * Jonathon Stephey, Adairsville Middle School Teacher of the Year

CHOO CHOO: The Great Locomotive Chase Festival is rolling through Adairsville this weekend, and our superintendent was invited to lead the parade tomorrow as the Grand Marshal!! So, today, Dr. Page is warming up his arm and practicing his wave! 👋👋👋 Make sure you stop by and say hello!

NEW: History making moment for Woodland High School students and staff as they earn their HIGHEST OVERALL SAT SCORE TO DATE! In fact, their total mean score of 1079 puts them in the top quartile of schools across the state! "We are so incredibly proud of our students and teachers!," said WHS Principal Dave Stephenson. "It’s particularly exciting to see strong results in both Evidence-Based Reading and Writing AND Math. Strong SAT outcomes show that our graduates are prepared for success at the next level, and it’s a testament to the four years of great work put in by Woodland High School teachers addressing learning gaps and accelerating our kids to career and college readiness." "We have seen SAT improvements move along with our increase in Advanced Placement participation and testing success," adds Principal Stephenson. "Clearly, practice in rigorous content and assessment translates to strong SAT outcomes. We look forward to growing access to these programs for all Woodland learners in the years ahead."

STUDENTS IN STEM: Best day of the week for Mission Road...all because students and staff participated in an amazing STEM Walk! You could find students making memories while engaged in lessons on calculating wind speed, coding, and so much more! Great things happening at MRES!

BARTOW AND BEYOND: Our Annual Transition Fair - a one-stop-shop for Adairsville, Cass, Woodland, and Cartersville City Exceptional Education students and families who are wondering what their options are after high school! Vendors from various agencies were available at Georgia Highlands today to discuss how services can be provided beyond public education. Representative included: Georgia Highlands, Kennesaw State, Chattahoochee Tech, Georgia Northwestern, Parent to Parent, Vocational Rehabilitation, Guardianship, Highland Rivers, and many more! Project Search was there to help as well!

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. Today, we celebrate and honor Lindsey Huskins, our Benefits Specialist! Lindsey is detailed, dependable, and a true class act. We are certainly lucky to have her! Congratulations, Lindsey! You make us all better!

"I'LL TAKE LEARNING FOR 500:" Jeopardy star and Kennesaw State University alumnus, Raymond Goslow, paid a visit to our Cass High School Magnet students to discuss Geospatial Mapping as a career! How neat, right? What a great educational experience! Goslow placed second in the 2022 "Jeopardy! National College Championship" on Feb. 22. He now works as an administrative coordinator for the Georgia Public Library Service!

PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARDS: Every year, Dan Clark with the Bartow Education Foundation sponsors an event to honor our bus drivers with perfect attendance, and this year was no different! Congratulations to these dedicated, hard-working individuals who love our children! Clark awarded them all gift cards (and bragging rights!). Michael Blalock - 11 years Jerry Hoover - 4 years Anthony Alexander - 1 year Sebrina Brewer - 1 year Falena Campbell - 1 year Jeff Crowe - 1 year Jennifer Edwards - 1 year Jeff Johnson - 1 year Melissa Mauldin - 1 year Jane Monroe - 1 year Jason Neal - 1 year Carrie Overby - 1 year Judy Scoggins - 1 year Sue Shellhorse - 1 year

Due to the possibility of inclement weather on Friday, September 30, all Bartow County School System football games played in Bartow County will be moved to Thursday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. Adairsville High School is scheduled to play in Walker County, Georgia, on Friday. LaFayette High School, the host school, has not moved or canceled the game. We will communicate any necessary changes if they become available. Thank you for your understanding as we work to keep our BCSS Family safe.

RIGHT WORK: Let's recognize our new Ms. Dot STAR Award winners for going above and beyond in their line of work. Their impact can truly be felt districtwide! CONGRATULATIONS: Shannon Hilburn, BCCCA Tamera Johnson, CMS Falena Campbell, Transportation

SERVING UP SOMETHING SWEET: First, Donuts with Dad. Now, Muffins with Mom. HCES is serving up all the fun! Special thanks to our moms and stand-in moms who are nurses at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center, Parent Action Committee members, and teachers during planning!

COLLEGE ACCESS DAY: In order to help our Hispanic, Latino, and native Spanish speakers navigate the path to college, the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce is hosting College Access Days on Oct. 8 and Nov. 5! The sessions will be held primarily in Spanish and cover the topics of college admissions, financial aid, and local scholarships! Representatives from local colleges will be on hand, and childcare will be provided by qualified staff at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. See attached flyer for additional information!

He did it. Judd Bailey did it. 2543 pills. 27 chemotherapy infusions. 17 spinals. 13 port flushes. 6 hospital stays. 3 surgeries. 2 x-rays. 2 ultrasounds. 2 electrocardiograms. 2 bone marrow biopsies. 2 positron emission tomography scans. Two years after being diagnosed with stage 2 B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, this fifth grade Mission Road Elementary School student beat cancer. Heart pounding and tears flowing, Judd rang the bell! His cancer story ends and gratitude begins. “He is thankful to be ringing the bell, ending his chemotherapy treatment,” said Jessi Bailey, Judd’s mother and third grade teacher at MRES. “He is looking forward to his trip to Jekyll Island this week, his celebrations, and to be able to be a normal child again. He has felt every ounce of love and support this school and community has given him, and he cannot wait to give back to them in the future.” His school community, filled with countless students and staff, continues to wrap their arms around the 10-year-old boy they affectionately call “Super Pug Judd.” They wear the homemade t-shirts and never miss an opportunity to grab a hug, look with admiration, and whisper, “You got this!”

START YOUR ENGINES: These third graders at Adairsville Elementary are taking off! In their first reading room transformation, they entered a "RACE" and reviewed skills they have been learning all year, such as character traits and thick and thin questions! Good work, AES!

STEM SHOWCASE: Smiles all around as Euharlee Elementary School students showcased their most recent projects in science, technology, engineering, and math! They have their sights on state STEM certification!

WELCOME TO CAMP JEKYLL: These fifth grade GATEWAY students are having the time of their lives at Camp Jekyll! Their wide-eyed wonder and smiles are truly priceless! Without our sponsors, this first-of-its-kind environmental science trip to Jekyll Island wouldn't be possible. Thank you, Kona Ice, Reliable Paper, Inc., Bailey Civil Group, Mrs. Gail Henry, and Mr. & Mrs. David King!