TAKE NOTE🎼: The Cass High School Band showed up and showed out at the Bands of America Regional Championship in Johnson City, Tennessee! Out of 26 participating ensembles from 10 different states, CHS received 4th PLACE OVERALL (3rd and 4th tied) with a final score of 85.25. This is their highest score at a Bands of America event...EVER! The band received 3rd Place in prelims while also winning 1st Place in Class AA! They were recognized as: Class AA Champions Best Music Performance - Class AA Best Visual Performance - Class AA Best General Effect - Class AA Special thanks to Dr. Brent Shropshire, director of counselors, college readiness, wellness, and fine arts. Also, huge thank you to CHS Director of Bands Sam Iddings and CHS Associate Director of Bands Alex Shive! Well done! People from across the Southeast have been talking about this performance and band program!

OPENING SOON: The Bartow Virtual Academy application window will open Nov. 1 for the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year. The BVA is open to all 9th – 11th grade students who meet certain criteria. Seniors are not eligible for second semester unless they have previously been in the BVA. The online application link and criteria information can be found here: https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/page/bartow-virtual-academy

COMING UP: ADAIRSVILLE'S PINK OUT This beautiful, long-standing tradition will commence this Friday at 9 a.m. Our AHS field formation this year is "RISE UP." We would like to invite all cancer survivors and their families to join us for the Survivor Lap.

OPTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES: Adairsville, Cass, and Woodland Magnet students are touring Oxford of Emory and The Emory Atlanta campus today! Wonderful exposure for our students!

ON A HIGH NOTE: Congratulations to our Adairsville Marching Tigers! They recently competed in the Chief Ladiga Marching Festival in Piedmont, Alabama, and received Superior Drum Major, Superior Majorettes, Superior Color Guard, Superior Percussion, Superior Band, Best in Class 3A Drum Major, Best in Class 3A Majorettes, Best in Class 3A Color Guard, Best in Class 3A Percussion, and Best in Class 3A Band! We're not even sure how they got all that hardware home!

SAVE THE DATE: Starting Nov. 10th, eighth grade students can apply to our exclusive Magnet Programs! Out-of-district students may apply too, but only a limited number will get accepted. #options&opportunities #betterinbartow

JOIN OUR FAMILY: You read that right! We're hiring substitute nurses! https://bartow.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

NEW: When our state STEM director is in town and 12 program directors request virtual visits, it must mean one thing! We're close to ANOTHER SCHOOL BECOMING STATE STEM CERTIFIED! Adairsville Middle was first, and come February or March, WOODLAND MIDDLE could be next! That is amazing news! Great job, Wildcats!

STATE RECOGNITION: The Bartow County School System Communications Department earned five gold awards and one silver award from the Georgia School Public Relations Association! They were honored in the areas of writing, photography, and social media!

WOODLAND WOW MOMENT: We're cheering loud and proud for our Wildcats! As the sun came up today, these cheerleaders were greeting Taylorsville Elementary School students in the car rider line! What a special treat! These kiddos LOVED it! #gameday #traditions #betterinbartow

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 Dr. Brent Shropshire, our Director of Counselors, College Readiness, Wellness, and Fine Arts. He's a quiet, powerful force in the BCSS, and because of his expertise, he's on many Boards, including the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board of Directors. He's innovative, passionate, and most definitely makes us all better! Congratulations, Dr. Shropshire!

IN THE NEWS: 11 Alive's Kaitlyn Ross heard about what Cass High School Standout Sacovie White is doing on and off the football field and had to interview him, his family, and Coach Gates! The sweet relationship with his sister, Caroline, will be front and center in this story when it airs in a few weeks! We'll be sure to let you know when it does! We hear it time and again that Bartow is "blessed with the best," and we certainly think so too!

SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT: Who likes a good, old fashioned dunk tank?😂Depends on if you're in it or throwing the ball, right? Well, our very own Bartow County School Police Officer Nick Thompson will be "taking one for the team" tomorrow at the Euharlee Covered Bridge Fall Festival! Raising money for the ever-popular Shop with a Hero event, Officer Thompson will be at the dunk tank from 11:30-Noon! Stop by, help raise money for a great cause, and see Officer Thompson get dunked!

BIG BCSS ANNOUNCEMENT: YOUR 2023-2024 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR & SYSTEM TOTY FINALIST IS...Britney Ouellette, our 1st grade Math & Science Teacher at Adairsville Elementary School! Chosen from all elementary school Teachers of the Year, Mrs. Ouellette will now attend the TOTY Banquet on Nov. 9 at the Booth Western Art Museum. There, a System winner will be announced. Congratulations, Mrs. Ouellette!

BIG BCSS ANNOUNCEMENT: YOUR 2023-2024 MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR & SYSTEM TOTY FINALIST IS...Jesse Simpson, our 6th grade Social Studies Teacher & Head Baseball Coach at Cass Middle School! Chosen from all middle school Teachers of the Year, Mr. Simpson will now attend the TOTY Banquet on Nov. 9 at the Booth Western Art Museum. There, a System winner will be announced. Congratulations, Mr. Simpson!

BIG BCSS ANNOUNCEMENT: YOUR 2023-2024 HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR & SYSTEM TOTY FINALIST IS...Alison Burkhalter, our Teaching as a Profession Instructor at the Bartow County College and Career Academy! Chosen from all high school Teachers of the Year, Mrs. Burkhalter will now attend the TOTY Banquet on Nov. 9 at the Booth Western Art Museum. There, a System winner will be announced. Congratulations, Mrs. Burkhalter!

GROW IN BARTOW: The District Mentor Program wishes to spotlight Ashley Dunn, a teacher at Allatoona Elementary, for exhibiting best practices in mentoring and support in her building. Ashley defines what it means to be great in Bartow!

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: We wouldn't be the award-winning school system we are today if it wasn't for our community partners! We have the BEST! Hands down! Just ask these Clear Creek Elementary School pre-K and kindergarten students! This Touch a Truck event was such an engaging way to LEARN today! Those smiles tell a story! GREAT JOB: BARTOW COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE – LT. MATTHEW PIFER CITY OF ADAIRSVILLE – TRENT SMITH AND WIL SWAIN TAYLOR TRANSPORT – HEATH HAMPTON MATTHEW SMITH TRUCKING – BRADLEY CHEEK BARTOW COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT – COTY STANLEY AND PAUL LOTTNER

GEORGIA MATCH: Calling all high school seniors! Matching with the right college just got easier! Based on your recent HOPE GPA, GEORGIA MATCH provides you with a simple way to determine your eligibility for college admission. Starting today, letters, similar to the one below, will be mailed to your home. Inside, you'll find your school "matches." Learn more about GEORGIA MATCH here: www.gafutures.org/GEORGIAMATCH

NEW: Another year, another significant milestone for the Bartow County School System! Just released today by the Georgia Department of Education - the BCSS four-year graduation rate reaches 95% - a new all-time high! “That exceeds the state rate by more than 10%,” said Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “Five years ago, our graduation rate sat at 87.1%. Knowing these are crucial metrics in the field of education, our staff worked with intentionality and focus through the Professional Learning Communities process to raise rates considerably. It worked, and I am very proud of our staff and students. These rates truly provide valuable insights into the success and effectiveness of schools and systems across the Nation.” Adairsville High School leads the county with the highest graduation rate – 98.6%, up from 96.6% last year. School leaders also graduated more students with disabilities than any other school in the system. Increasing their outcome by 7.1 percentage points, AHS recorded a 96.3% graduation rate this year for students with disabilities. “With the continued commitment of our dedicated staff and students, I am not surprised AHS once again demonstrated one of the highest success rates in the state with a 98.6% graduation rate - a 2% increase from the previous year,” said AHS Principal Dr. Lexie Bultman. “We have the right people doing the right work as their focus remains steadfast on collaboration, learning, and results.” Cass High School records another record-high graduation rate – 92.5%. That is up .41 percentage points from last year. “We are proud of the class of 2023 for setting yet another school record with a 92.5% graduation rate,” said CHS Principal Steve Revard. “Our teachers, counselors, support staff, parents, and community all play a significant role preparing our students to become college and career ready.” Woodland High School maintains a 95.3% graduation rate, which is above the milestone 95% plane for the third year in a row. Its graduation rate for students with disabilities also jumped from 82.8% last year to 90% this year. “Three straight years at over a 95% graduation rate clearly demonstrates the culture shift that our staff and students are committed to,” said WHS Principal David Stephenson. “Our families and community know that their children will learn and achieve when they enroll at Woodland. I am particularly proud of our exceptional education grad rate, which exceeded 90% this year. At Woodland, our vision is ALL students learning and achieving at the highest levels, and our graduation rate is a strong signal of our progress towards that vision.”