Bartow County School System

TOTY BANQUET: Take a look at our BIG SYSTEM WINNER, Mr. Michael Kobito, as he accepts his System Teacher of the Year Award!

Honoring our 2021-2022 TOTY Finalists & Winner! High School Teacher of the Year & System Teacher of the Year - Michael Kobito Middle School Teacher of the Year & System Finalist - Katie Hamilton Elementary School Teacher of the Year & System Finalist - Natalie McPherson

TOTY BANQUET: Congratulations to our 2021-2022 Teachers of the Year! The Bartow County School System celebrated all 20 of these amazing educators Thursday night at the Booth Western Art Museum!

WE HAVE A WINNER: The Bartow County School System Teacher of the Year is Michael Kobito, Woodland High School teacher and band director! Congratulations to our runners-up, Natalie McPherson and Katie Hamilton! What wonderful representations of the BCSS!

2021 REACH GA SCHOLARS: Five Bartow County students earn the opportunity to attend a Georgia college, university, or technical school nearly cost-free upon graduation and completion of the REACH Georgia Scholarship Program! The 2021 REACH Georgia Scholars are Lakota Cummings and Aiden Pledger from Cass Middle School, Josue Granado from Red Top Middle School, Raleigh McCain from Woodland Middle School, and Sam Gardner from Adairsville Middle School. This fifth cohort of REACH Georgia Scholars officially signed their commitment letters Tuesday, October 26, at the Bartow County College and Career Academy in front of school leaders, board members, and area representatives. The REACH Georgia Scholars were nominated by their counselors and teachers in the spring of their seventh-grade year, based on grades, attendance, and behavior. After completing the application, students were interviewed, and then selected to join 19 other REACH Georgia Scholars already admitted into the program. Through REACH Georgia, students are given academic and social support to ensure they graduate from high school and attain a college degree or certificate. Part of this support includes pairing each scholar with a mentor. Members of the community are asked to complete a background check and training, and then visit their mentee at school twice a month. "This year's group is full of different personalities,” said REACH Georgia Coordinator Kristy Mitchell. “During the interview, some were outgoing, while others were very shy. They were all so appreciative of this opportunity. I am looking forward to getting to know them, and I'm sure they will do a great job." Upon successful program completion, students earn a $10,000 scholarship. Certain schools will match or even double-match the scholarship, increasing the amount they can earn to $30,000. Students can also qualify for other scholarships. The ten-year-old program serves nearly 2,400 scholars in 154 school systems across Georgia, committing more than $24 million in scholarships.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: With a truckload of power tools and a good memory, Cass High School Class of 1982 Graduate Keith Bearden gathered his classmates and set out to unearth a 43-year-old time capsule buried at the original Cass Middle School, which is currently the registration building near the bus barn! After digging for nearly an hour, the time capsule was excavated! In 1978, Jimmy Carter was president and stamps were only 15 cents, but what else was uncovered in the time capsule? Well, the Class of 1982 found shoes, Space Dust candy, Coca-Cola memorabilia, Star Wars books, maps, Constitution of the State of Georgia, trading cards, TV Guides, Rocketry manuals, cassette tapes, and Sears and Roebuck magazines, just to name a few! What a fun way for our alumni to revisit the past with a few good memories and laughs!

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: Jamie Mealer, Paraprofessional, Adairsville Elementary School Stephanie Prince, Cafe Manager, Red Top Middle School Joe O'Shields, Long-Term Substitute, Bartow County College and Career Academy

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 Tania Amerson, our Exceptional Education director. Tania is extremely knowledgeable, passionate, driven, and personable! We couldn't imagine a better person leading that department! Congratulations, Tania! You make us all better!

NEW: Four-year graduation rate data just released by the Georgia Department of Education has system and school leaders beaming with unparalleled pride; not only are all three Bartow County high schools above the milestone 90% mark, but every rate reached an all-time high and beat the state rate! Equally as impressive, graduation rates of students with disabilities skyrocketed by more than 12% at two out of three high schools. The system four-year graduation rate increased from 91.2 last year to 93.6 this year! That beats the state rate of 83.7 by almost 10%. The graduation rate of students with disabilities also jumped from 71.4 to 80.7! Woodland High School records the highest graduation rate in the county with 95.4, a 3.6% increase from last year. WHS also graduated 79% of its students with disabilities. That is a 12.3% increase over last year’s rate. WHS Principal Dave Stephenson sites new course extension opportunities, credit recovery, and a commitment to all students learning at high levels. “The Class of 2021 benefitted from a full four-year commitment to monitoring all our students,” added Stephenson. “This was even more critical when the pandemic hit. Teachers, counselors, clerks, and paraprofessionals maintained ongoing communication throughout both the closures of spring 2020 and the entire 2020-21 school year in order to connect with and motivate distance learners and their families. Our teachers showed great compassion for students who were impacted by quarantines and other disruptions by continually focusing on evidence of learning, through both face-to-face and technology-based supports.” Cass High School boasts a 91.9% graduation rate, which is almost three points higher than last year. CHS also graduated 83.3% of its students with disabilities. That is a tremendous increase from 2020, where 69.6% of its students with disabilities graduated. CHS Principal Steve Revard said he is excited to see the hard work from his students, teachers, and staff recognized with the highest graduation rate his school has ever seen. “As a Professional Learning Community, collaborative teams continue to analyze individual student data based on common formative and summative assessments,” added Revard. “From there, teacher teams make informed instructional decisions that include response days, Tier II, and Tier III instruction. Additionally, course extension options and summer interventions help ensure student learning remains non-negotiable.” Adairsville High School’s graduation rate also rises to an all-time high, from 92.3 last year to 93.6 in 2021. “Posting the highest graduation rate in the history of the school is quite an accomplishment,” added AHS Principal Bruce Mulkey. “I couldn't be prouder of the Class of 2021 and our entire staff. This achievement is a collaborative effort that requires a dedicated team of students, parents, teachers, counselors, and support staff. We are confident that the processes our staff follows to help us monitor our graduation cohort are extremely beneficial. I believe everyone has been very concerned about the impact COVID-19 would have on our students, but Dr. Page and our Board deserve a lot of credit for giving our staff the support needed to ensure all our students were successful and helped us overcome any of those setbacks. One example of that is the new Learning Support Specialist position that focuses on student results. It's difficult to put a value on additional support positions, but there's little doubt Pat Konen was instrumental in our success last year. I'm also convinced that the PLC process has made us better across the board. While that process was initiated at the system level, our teachers have been responsible for execution, and they have done everything that has been asked of them and more. They continue to work to improve their craft, and they continue to amaze me daily.” Exceptional Education Director Tania Amerson and her team were also instrumental in raising graduation rates to historic heights. “I was so happy to see this increase in graduation rates,” said Amerson. “Our department mission is to prepare students with the skills needed to achieve their desired post-secondary outcomes. Earning a high school diploma is a huge accomplishment towards this goal for our students. Additionally, the Bartow County School System is committed to high levels of achievement for ALL students. This graduation data affirms this commitment. The implementation of the PLC process in Bartow County has allowed for increased collaboration between general education and exceptional education teachers which has led to increases in learning for all students.” “As you can see, the work being done across our system to increase graduation rates is intentional,” added Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “It has been impressive to watch our high school leadership teams collaborate weekly to improve all of our high schools. They set a goal to surpass the milestone 90% graduation rate, and not only did they meet that goal, they surpassed it. I could not be more proud of our instructional leaders and the work they do to ensure our students are prepared to be successful adults in Bartow County and beyond.”

WOW: BCSS ESOL Teacher Paula Guy, from Cloverleaf Elementary School, has been selected to the board of directors on Georgia Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (GATESOL). There, she will encourage professional development, participation, and leadership within the state, work cooperatively toward the improvement of instruction in all programs which seek to provide students with an opportunity to acquire English language skills and proficiency, and promote an understanding of the cultures of non-native speakers of English. Congratulations, Ms. Guy!!

HIP HIP HOORAY: It was the 50th Day! First-grade students at Adairsville Elementary had so much fun exploring the number 50 and the 1950’s on Monday! They counted, wrote, and represented numbers to 50 by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, & 10’s, listened to music, learned dances, and ate treats popular in the 1950’s. Students practiced the language of the Engineering Design Process by collaborating for the 50 Cup Challenge and made predictions about whether the ice cream would sink or float in their Coke Floats.

Icon: it’s a fitting word to describe our very own Ms. Dot Frasier. She’s successful and admired in Bartow County and beyond. At 86 years young, Ms. Dot has been serving Bartow County children for the last 63 years, and she shows no signs of slowing down. While Ms. Dot currently holds the title of Bartow Education Foundation Executive Director; she has served in many other capacities as well. From teacher to assistant principal to principal of Pine Log Elementary School and Emerson Elementary School, Ms. Dot leaves a legacy of love. In fact, she rarely, if ever, leaves a workday without telling someone that she loves them, and she truly means it. “Ms. Dot means so much to so many people,” said Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “Bartow County School Board Member Mr. Terry Lee Eggert expressed a strong interest in recognizing Ms. Dot in a special way. So, Executive Cabinet members at Central Office put their heads together and came up with a proclamation to show gratitude for the unique contributions she makes to our system. Ms. Dot plays a large role in making our system what it is today.” The proclamation reads in part, “The Bartow County Board of Education and Superintendent of the Bartow County School System do hereby honor Ms. Dot Frasier as the first Teacher of the Year in the Bartow County School System in the year nineteen sixty-nine. Each subsequent year on the date of the System Teacher of the Year banquet will be proclaimed as ‘Ms. Dot Day’ within the Bartow County School System.” The proclamation was signed and issued October 18, 2021. “Ms. Dot has dedicated her working life to serving the students in the Bartow County School System and in serving our community,” added Bartow County Board of Education Chairman Derek Keeney. “This proclamation is a small gesture of appreciation for the unparalleled impact she has made on countless lives. Ms. Dot's commitment to our students and teachers is exemplary.” Ms. Dot and the Bartow Education Foundation are committed to raising money for classroom needs through the Teacher Grant program. Over the years, she has raised more than $1 million to increase student learning. Similarly, Ms. Dot takes great pride in recognizing Teachers of the Year during Bartow County’s annual TOTY Banquet. “To build a 30-year career in education is an amazing thing,” said Bartow County School Board Member Anna Sullivan. “To continue that career well beyond the time that others decide they are ready to refocus life on slowing down is an extraordinary life calling. Ms. Dot has never slowed down. She exemplifies a life calling that is powered purely by her great love of people, both big and small. We are a better community for her work, her dedication, and her love” “Ms. Dot Day” is fast approaching as it will be held this year on October 28. Look for it to be filled with what Ms. Dot is known for the most – love.

BOARD RECOGNITIONS: Congratulations to our Employee of the Month, Mrs. Sharon Holt from Euharlee Elementary School! "Sharon Holt does an excellent job in leading the kitchen at Euharlee. She has been at the school for five years and has never scored less than 100 on the health inspections that occur twice a year. Mrs. Holt continually looks for ways to make the menus more appealing to students and staff. For example, she started offering a potato bar and home cooked breakfasts to staff this year. To ensure that every student starts the day with a full stomach, she visits each classroom before the bell rings, offering a bagged breakfast to late arrivals. We are very fortunate that she is a member of the Euharlee team." - EHES Principal Jim Bishop

BOARD RECOGNITIONS: Pine Log Elementary School PLES students and staff, as we know, earned bragging rights as they were recently named a District STEM Certified School and Model PLC School for their sustained increase in student achievement. They are the 6th Bartow County school to be named a Model Professional Learning Community and 7th Bartow County school to earn District STEM Certification!

NIGHT TO REMEMBER: When Friday Night Lights lead to potential signing days!!Check out this helicopter at Adairsville High School! It landed Friday night with Head Georgia Tech Football Coach Geoff Collins and GT Defensive Coordinator Andrew Thacker! It was a memorable night! The Tigers even came from behind in the 4th quarter to beat Sonoraville! [photos: Collins, Thacker, the Mulkey’s]

NEW: Red Top Middle School Teacher Katie Hamilton has just been named MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR! Congratulations! Mrs. Hamilton is now in the running for the System Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced October 28 at the Booth Western Art Museum!

NEW: Woodland High School Teacher and Band Director Michael Kobito has just been named HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR! Congratulations! Mr. Kobito is now in the running for the System Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced October 28 at the Booth Western Art Museum!

HEADS UP: Online applications for the Bartow Virtual Academy will open for high school students only for second semester on Nov. 1 through Nov. 30. You will be able to find the application link on the BCSS website.

TOTY: Ahh...check out your 2021-2022 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR!! Tomorrow, three of these individuals will be named finalists! Stay tuned! Soon, you'll see some incredibly wide smiles and maybe a few tears! Tomorrow is a BIG day! In the meantime, let's put our hands together for our TOTY!

NEW: HUGE month for Pine Log Elementary School! First, its named a Model Professional Learning Community School for its sustained success in raising student achievement. Now, it's the seventh school in the system to become District STEM Certified!