STORY TRAILS: Enjoy a stroll and a story at Manning Mill and Hamilton Crossing Parks! You won't be disappointed - these kiddos from Pine Log Elementary weren't! They loved the Story Trail at Manning Mill Park!
BARTOW AND BEYOND: More than three dozen high school students from Adairsville, Cass, and Woodland began a three-day spring college tour this morning! First stop? UGA! Stay tuned!
SUPPORTING OUR OWN: How to be a Wildcat. Gavin Nix doesn't need an instruction manual; it is in his blood. Literally growing up in the Bartow County School System, Gavin attended Mission Road Elementary School, Woodland Middle School, and Woodland High School. His mom, Leslie, taught at Woodland High School too.
When Gavin left after graduation to join the United States Marine Corps in 2020, he left a positive impression on his school community and all who knew him. “Driven, motivated, polite, positive, and the total perfect package” were all words used to describe Gavin. Teachers and coaches say the talented wrestler was also a school leader and a true Wildcat as he cheered on his favorite athletic teams.
Fast forward two years later, and the Bartow County community is cheering Gavin on and rallying behind him after his foot was recently amputated.
“He graduated from the Reconnaissance Training Assessment Program and then continued on the course of becoming a RECON Marine,” said Leslie. “During field training exercises, he developed an infection on his heel that led to osteomyelitis and multiple surgeries. Due to the extreme nerve and tissue damage, he developed a painful neurological disease called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, better known as CRPS.”
Multiple treatment options didn’t work. After being on crutches for almost a year, and watching his muscles and tissue continue to deteriorate, the decision was made to amputate his left foot.
“You could literally see the relief on his face after having his foot removed which speaks volumes about how painful this last year has been,” added Leslie.
Gavin plans to receive treatment and heal at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego over the next few months.
Add grit to the long list of words already used to describe Gavin. The courage and determination he has to come back stronger and better than ever is nothing short of amazing and inspiring, and we want him to know that the Bartow County community is rooting for his continued success!
Please leave an encouraging message for Gavin below, and if you’d like to send Gavin a card, please contact Alisha Evans at alisha.evans@bartow.k12.ga.us
WOW: Check out our 2022 Exemplary ESOL Teacher and Student, Ms. Ellen Greer (EHES & TES) and Joselyn Sanchez Armendariz (WHS)! Congratulations!
RECOGNITIONS: BARTOW COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
We appreciate these exemplary individuals and the support they show our award-winning school system! Thank you, Superintendent Page, Mr. Derek Keeney, Mr. Tony Ross, Mr. Butch Emerson, Mr. Terry Lee Eggert, and Mrs. Anna Sullivan!
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: ADAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY & EUHARLEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS - DISTRICT STEM CERTIFIED
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: MISSION ROAD ELEMENTARY - MODEL PLC SCHOOL
BOARD RECOGNITIONS: EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Mrs. Tammy Dempsey, RTMS Office Staff
"Tammy is new to the Miner family this year but is not new to the Bartow County School System. She transitioned from Emerson Elementary next door. Her move was seamless and was like she had worked with us here at Red Top for years. She handles everything and is the face of our school as she is the first person anyone sees or talks to at Red Top. This is very important to any school. The added icing on the cake is that Mrs. Dempsey already knows many of our students and families as she worked next door and has already been interacting with them for years. She is a vested Miner and represents our school professionally and efficiently. She is a valued part of our Miner family, and we are fortunate to have her as an asset to our school." - RTMS Principal Dr. Wes Dickey
NATIONAL RECOGNITION: First year organizing and operating a summer feeding program, and the Bartow County School System receives top honors from the United States Department of Agriculture!
This year, 84 school systems and School Food Authorities qualified for either a gold, silver, or bronze Turnip the Beet 2021 Award. Of those, a dozen from Georgia earned awards, and the BCSS was one of only two systems in the state to earn the highest level award.
The Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding Summer Meal Program sponsors who work hard to offer high-quality meals that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious.
“I'm so excited to see our staff's hard work being recognized, and I'm proud to be a part of such a wonderful team that appreciates the importance of meeting student needs for ultimate student success,” said BCSS School Nutrition Services Director Betsy Roam. Last year was our first year of organizing a summer feeding program. We attacked this new challenge with customer service being our top priority. We also focused on utilizing fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables every day, providing convenient pick-up locations, and coordinating food service for all our summer athletic and academic programs.”
To be considered for the award, the USDA required Bartow County Schools to complete an application and demonstrate that its team exceeded program requirements to serve high-quality meals to children during the summer months.
According to the USDA, “Nominations must clearly illustrate how the meals are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious. The Nomination Form includes short-answer questions and menu criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The criteria include serving local foods, a variety of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free milk.”
“Our meals were planned around student preference,” added Roam. “During the school year, we analyze data monthly to see what students are choosing. We've found that offering the most popular entrees increases our exposure with our customers. Meaning, if we can get them to pick up a meal, we are presented with the opportunity to expose our students to fresh fruits and vegetables.”
In addition to nutritious meals at no cost, many summer sites in Bartow County offered food and wellness-related activities. Gardening and nutrition lessons were incorporated into ESOL classes and the local recreation department offered similar activities as well.
ALL SYSTEMS GO: The FIRST LEGO League Community Robotics Tournament this weekend at Georgia Highlands College was a MAJOR success! More than 160 Bartow County students from 16 elementary and middle schools competed for titles in eight different categories! Top results below! Thank you, GHC and BCSS, for providing our children with more STEM opportunities than ever before!
Grand Champions
1st - MRES, Robocats
2nd - WES, Warriors Cargo Crew
3rd - CMS, IT Crowd
Core Values Award
1st - CMS, IT Crowd
Rising Stars Award
1st - CCES, Master Builders: True Blue
Robot Design Award
1st - WES, Warriors Cargo Crew
Innovation Project Award
1st - CCES, Master Builders: Navy Transportation
Robot Game Award
1st - MRES, Robocats
Breakthrough Award
1st - RTMS, Miners Lego
Motivate Award
1st - AMS, Time Travelers
SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION WEEK: A very special, sincere thank you to School Board Members Anna Sullivan, Derek Keeney, Tony Ross, Butch Emerson, and Terry Lee Eggert! Their support of the System and every student in it is insurmountable! Read what several school leaders had to say about our Board!
"It is evident that our school board members are passionate about making a difference. We couldn't do all that we do without their support. The school board members ensure that our students get the best education possible. Bartow County is an amazing place to be!" - CLES Principal Amy Heater
"Mrs. Sullivan is impactful because she cares. She's not in it for politics or hidden agendas, she does it because she loves her community and wants the kids to be successful. She always attends STEM Walks and is a huge supporter of our Fine Arts. She knows what's best for kids & staff because she spends time with them." - AMS Principal Tony Stanfill
"We have been so honored and blessed to have multiple board members visit WMS for various events. Mr. Butch Emerson came by on one occasion just to say hello and drop off doughnuts for our office staff. Ms. Anna Sullivan has attended several of our STEM walks and STEM nights. We always appreciate having a visit from a board member any time. We are so thankful for all they do to support the right work our students and staff are doing. Their contribution to the greater good of our community is immeasurable and will impact this community for years to come." - WMS Principal Michael Blankenship
"Emerson Elementary School School board members play a vital role in successful school systems. We are truly blessed to have extraordinary board members who go above and beyond to ensure our learning community has everything it needs to be successful. The students, parents, and faculty at Emerson Elementary greatly appreciate the love and support we receive from our school board members." - EES Principal Tracy Mulkey
"I always appreciate Mr. Emerson’s visits to Euharlee Elementary. On a recent STEM Walk, he was very positive in the feedback that he provided to the teachers. Watching their reactions, I could tell that they were proud to receive words of encouragement from their school board representative." - EHES Principal Jim Bishop
“We are so thankful for the school board’s work in our local community to improve student achievement in our schools by supporting our schools in the PLC process.” - CMS Principal Kristy Arnold
PRE-K LOTTERY: Join us now for our live Pre-K Lottery Drawing! Watch it at the link below, and make sure you have the Microsoft Teams application on your device. We’ll work to post the whole video later today.
https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/article/688187
LET'S WISH HIM LUCK: It's Ethan Rollax's time to shine -- again! The Adairsville Middle School eighth grader won the District and Regional Spelling Bees. Now, it's time for him to WIN the State Spelling Bee Championship tomorrow! Good luck, Ethan!
PRE-K LOTTERY: Remember to join us this Friday, March 18, at 9 a.m. for our live Pre-K Lottery Drawing! Watch it at the link below!
https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/article/688187
STUDENT-TEACHER ACHIEVEMENT RECOGNITION: Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) STAR Student Caden Wolf (WHS) and his STAR Teacher, Kerry Hammond (EES), attended a special recognition banquet at the Coosa Country Club in Rome!
The STAR program serves to recognize academic achievement in Georgia high schools and honor excellence in teaching!
Congratulations, once again, Caden Wolf and Kerry Hammond!
BASICALLY THE BEST: We love Bartow Basic Needs Inc! Organizers just dropped off additional boxes of personal hygiene items at 12 of our schools! From toothbrushes to socks and underwear, our students are taken care of. Thank you, Bartow Basic Needs, for organizing collection drives and giving back to your community!
REMINDER: Tomorrow, March 16, is an Early Release Day! Elementary schools dismiss at 11:30 a.m. and middle/high schools dismiss at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will still be served, and buses will run on an early dismissal schedule. After School programs will continue to operate.
NEW: With a broom in one hand and a mop in the other, Gabe Belberena goes to work in the Tiger Paw Café at Taylorsville Elementary School. First, he sweeps. Then, he mops.
“And if there’s someone who can’t open their milk carton, I’m there, too, helping them,” said Gabe.
This routine continues every day from 7:30 a.m. until the shrill sound of the morning bell signals it is time to stop.
“Unfortunately, I have to stop and go to class,” added Gabe.
That is right, Gabe is not a custodian, he is a fifth-grade student! For the last two months, Gabe has made this his morning routine.
“Sometimes, when I feel like sleeping in, I think about cleaning, and that helps me get up and start the day,” said Gabe.
But it is not the love of cleaning that has Gabe jumping out of bed every morning, it is helping others.
“I have never seen this in all my years of working in a school building,” said TES Assistant Principal Kevin Muldoon. “Students, especially students his age, use the time before school starts to socialize with their friends, but not Gabe.”
“I just want to help our custodian, Ms. Mary,” added Gabe. “She works so hard, and the breakfast area can get dirty quick with the younger kids eating. Also, some kids are so disrespectful and don’t clean up after themselves.”
“I was so shocked,” said Lead Custodian Mary Alfaro. “I’m also proud. Other kids can learn from him.”
That is exactly what is happening. Students, as young as five years old, are taking notice and helping Gabe in the mornings.
“At TES, we all strive daily to live out our acronym of ROAR (Respectful, On-Task, Awesome Attitude, and Responsible),” added Muldoon. “Gabe exemplifies these characteristics both in the classroom and out. He has a good heart, cares deeply for people, and is a diligent worker. We are proud of the young man Gabe is becoming.”
Gabe, as forward-thinking as he is, already lined up a couple successors for when he moves on to middle school next year.
“If someone needs help, you should help them,” added Gabe. "That's what life is about."
Kindness caught on camera and proof lessons are not always taught in the classroom.
BCSS SHOUTOUT: Congratulations to Adairsville High School’s Meredith Barnhill and Woodland High School’s John Howard as they were selected as Region Athletic Directors of the Year for their respective regions! They were recognized over the weekend at the Georgia Athletic Directors Association conference in Savannah!
MAGNET GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER: Take a swing at the Cartersville Country Club and support our three magnet programs! Proceeds help cover operational costs of the magnet programs, college trips, field trips, and travel abroad opportunities!
Golf teams can register online at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx...
Companies can complete their sponsorship online at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx...
Cash, checks, and online payments are accepted https://woodland-high-school.square.site/.../bcss.../75...
