Bartow County School System

A-TEAM AWARD: Superintendent Page and system leaders present Clear Creek Elementary School and its fifth-grade math team, which consists of Beverly Hancock and Ashton Russell with the most prestigious award given by the District, the A-Team Award! Beverly Hancock and Ashton Russell exemplify the three big ideas of our Professional Learning Communities culture as they continually demonstrate a focus on learning, collaboration, and results. Through observations and conversations with each team member, it is evident this team uses the PLC process to work together with collective responsibility for student learning. They ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all fifth-grade math students, use common formative assessments to monitor student learning, use common assessment data to improve teaching and learning practices, and support the RTI process by providing systematic interventions and extensions for all students. It is also evident that Principal Kelly Wade and the Clear Creek Elementary School Guiding Coalition have played a significant role in the development of this A-Team. Its Guiding Coalition was mentioned many times as a source of strength for the PLC process and as the means for the professional development which resulted in the efficacy of this collaborative team. Congratulations on this extraordinary achievement! Beverly Hancock and Ashton Russell will now present at May's school board meeting, New Teacher Institute, and serve as role models for future A-Teams throughout our school system. This is our 12th collaboration team to earn an A-Team Award!

MUSIC TO OUR EARS: We're full of Tiger pride as the National Band Association presents the Citation of Excellence to Adairsville High School Band Director Everett Cannady and the AHS Symphonic Band! For an outstanding contribution to bands and band music; "Through professional leadership, you have inspired and motivated excellence in musical performance. Your record of service to our profession is one of which you may be justifiably proud, and it will serve as a model to others." -NBA CONGRATULATIONS! Big month for Mr. Cannady and his Tigers!

ON A HIGH NOTE: The Adairsville High School Symphonic Band took center stage this weekend at OrlandoFest in Orlando, Florida, and won not only FIRST PLACE in its division but also GRAND CHAMPION, which is the top overall high score in all classes! That's not all! AHS Senior Hayden Laney was awarded the Instrumental Soloist Award for the best solo in the competition! Congratulations, AHS Symphonic Band and Band Director Everett Cannady! Outstanding work and leadership!

EARTH DAY: Pine Log Elementary, White Elementary, and many other schools across our system celebrated Earth Day by learning about the environment and conservation! PLES students were hard at work recycling, and WES grade-level garden clubs transplanted the vegetable plants they grew from seeds and decorated their spaces with garden signs they made as STEAM projects! Special thanks to Mary Willis, one of our wonderful Master Gardener volunteers, the Etowah Foundation, and Bartow Education Foundation!

NEW: Coming soon to a Bartow County school near you...the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) for educators in Northwest Georgia Districts! This highly coveted opportunity coming to our area will allow educators to engage in STEM community asset mapping to identify assets within their communities and schools to help their districts and schools fulfill their STEM missions. This workshop will help leaders craft or improve plans for engaging community partners, higher education partners, families, teachers, and students in STEM teaching and learning. Additionally, they will share partnership opportunities with STEM@GTRI, as well as other opportunities for STEM learning from Georgia Tech. Registration information coming soon. We appreciate GTRI and our Regional Educational Service Agency for hosting this extraordinary workshop!

ON ASSIGNMENT: Cass High School’s newspaper staff hit the road and traveled all the way to Athens, Georgia to explore the exciting career opportunities in the field of journalism! During a program at the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, students learned from top UGA educators, including the director of the Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab and experts who specialize in photojournalism! CHS students also toured the Grady Newsource Studio and spoke with UGA students about how they’re using their knowledge and skills to gain internships and other opportunities. CHS felt right at home, especially when CHS Alumna and current Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach for the Grady School of Journalism, Diane Murry, stopped by to offer some encouraging words!

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH: We have the BEST media specialists! They embrace collaboration and assist faculty with curriculum development and communication! Thank you for the work you do with our children! It doesn't go unnoticed.

REMINDER: Georgia Milestones start next Monday for grades 3 and up! Details below!

WORLD WIDE EXPEDITION: Two days of culture, food, and fun at Cass High School! The CHS International Studies Magnet Program hosted the World Wide Expedition for Bartow County elementary and middle school students as well as CHS Social Studies and World Language classes to help educate them on international culture. What a unique experience you’ll only find in the BCSS!

BARTOW AND BEYOND: Exciting news! Our own Kayli Hilburn from Adairsville High School was accepted into the United States Air Force Academy! Wow! Congratulations, Kayli!

STUDENT CELEBRATION: The smiles were wide and the cheers were loud at Pine Log Elementary School's Academic Growth Parade! While celebrating the right work and building self-efficacy, students created posters highlighting their accomplishments this year! Growth could be found in any area, including essential standards, learning targets, MAP, Milestones, and letter recognition. Many of these students have kept data journals this year, and we are just so proud of their hard work and our teachers' incredible focus on learning at high levels! Great job, PLES! Let's celebrate!

HCES WEDDING EXTRAVAGANZA: We hear wedding bells at Hamilton Crossing Elementary School, and here's why! Kindergarteners have worked hard this year learning letter identification and letter sounds. As a culminating activity, HCES held a wedding to help students remember the spelling rule for the letter Q…Q and U always go together in a word! Miss Q was represented by the lovely Josie Rushing and Mr. U was represented by the handsome Elijah Reed. Reception was immediately following the ceremony 😊

WOW: Forget state, regional, or even national recognition, this Odyssey of the Mind team from Adairsville High School is working toward WORLDWIDE honors and recognition! John Sprayberry, Hope Brown, Ella Goble, Brailyn Myrick, and Tori Sprayberry (shown below) are headed to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals May 25 through May 28 at Iowa State University! The team qualified for World Finals after competing in the state competition earlier this month at Columbus State University! Odyssey of the Mind is an international, educational, creative, problem-solving competition. Every year, there are six long-term problems designed for vehicle, technical, classical arts and literature, structure, performance, and primary. After selecting their problem, teams spend weeks or months working together and creating a solution to their long-term problem. Working in teams, students learn teamwork, the appreciation and understanding of what others bring to the group, and a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual. We are so proud of our AHS Odyssey of the Mind team! Let's wish them well as they head to World Finals! Hit that "love" button!

RED APPLE RUN: A little rain couldn't stop the Bartow Education Foundation from hosting the best race ever this weekend! The second annual 5K run and 1.5 mile walk to support the Teacher Grant Program was a tremendous success! Clear Creek Elementary, Cass Middle, and Cass High won the Top Team Awards for the most participants!

NEW: Our 2022-2023 Bartow Virtual Academy application window will open May 1 and close on May 31 for rising 6th-12th grade BCSS students. You can find additional information and the application link here: https://bartowga.sites.thrillshare.com/page/bartow-virtual-academy

GRADUATION REMINDER: Who's getting excited and maybe a little nervous?! We can't wait to see our seniors in their caps and gowns next month! Monday, May 23 – Cass High at 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 24 – Woodland High at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 26 – Adairsville High at 8 p.m.

FREE SENSORY FRIENDLY DAY: The Booth Western Art Museum's Sensory Friendly Day is coming up on Saturday, May 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Registration is encouraged but not required. Check it out! https://boothmuseum.org/event/sensory-friendly-day/

DID YOU KNOW: You can use an EBT card at the Cartersville Farmers Market? Details below! Also, remember, children 18 or under can receive meals at no cost this summer through our summer feeding program. Additional information coming soon!

BOARD RECOGNITIONS: STEM CERTIFICATION • Kingston Elementary School • Red Top Middle School

BOARD RECOGNITIONS: EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN’S WEEK WINNERS Exceptional Children’s Week is an annual celebration of students with exceptionalities and the professionals who serve them. This national movement was started by the Council for Exceptional Children. Each year, the Bartow County School System seeks to recognize the students and educators who work tirelessly within our Exceptional Education Department. Citizenship Elementary School Winner Cayden Thomas-Hicks, CCES Citizenship High School Winner Jaylin Sullivan, CHS Technological Brilliance Winner Hunter Davis, EES Sportsmanship Winner Matthew Rodriguez, AHS Artistic Gifts and Talents Winner Ariel Palmer, KES Bartow County Employee System Winners Exceptional Education Coordinators Amanda Smith Cara Shores Justin Fitzgerald Bartow County Employee Elementary School Winner Amanda Robinson, CCES Academic Excellence Elementary School Winner Griffin Galford, WES Academic Excellence Middle School Winner Carly Kelley, CMS Academic Excellence High School Winner Erik Gutierrez, CHS Director’s Choice Award Stephanie Hadaway, System Level Behavior Specialist