Bartow County School System

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...

WATCH OUT, GEORIGA: Our Tigers Robotics Team is competing this weekend in Dalton for the first time at the First Robotics Challenge (FRC) level, which is the highest level of competition! Let's show them some love and support!

REMINDER: Wednesday, 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: The SAT test scheduled for tomorrow, March 12, at Adairsville High School, has been rescheduled for March 26th.

NATIONAL PI DAY: Today, March 14, is known as Pi Day because the numerical date 3/14 is the same as Pi (π) – 3.14! To mark the occasion, Clear Creek Elementary School came up with 36 EPIC ways to celebrate math! Here are a few of our favorite activities showcased today by our brilliant students! • Sphero Battle Bots & Bowling • VR Goggles • Osmo Racing • Snow • Ice cream (from creamer) • Micro Pond • Green Screen • Drones • Edible Play Doh • Stomp Rockets • RVR (Robots) • Slime • Snap Circuits

NEW: Adairsville Elementary School students and staff mourn the sudden loss of their beloved speech-language pathologist of six years, Ms. Laurie Weeks. Six years of smiles. Six years of transformation in the lives of her 75 students. She was positive, patient, and truly passionate about the work she felt called to do in the Adairsville community. “Laurie will be so missed here at Adairsville,” said AES Teacher Kellie Dailey. “We all experienced her warm smile and sweet spirit as she interacted with us on her way to pick up her students each day. We observed her having sweet conversations with those students as they walked along beside her wheelchair. She was always engaged with them and took time to have ‘real’ conversations with them. She seemed to relish being in the company of her students who obviously loved her dearly. She was making a difference in their lives, and she was making a difference in our lives in serving our students.” Ms. Weeks was confined to a wheelchair, but she did not let that define her. Never complaining, Ms. Weeks raced children down the hallways, while others lovingly laughed and said, “she belongs on a racetrack!” “Laurie Weeks inspired me every day to look beyond my circumstances and see what I can do for others,” said BCSS Occupational Therapist Christy Lusian. “She never let paraplegia, a hectic schedule, or anything else stop her from having an upbeat attitude, a kind word to her friends, and having a sweet, loving heart for each and every one of the kids she served.” In a poignant moment this week, one of Ms. Week’s students said, “she doesn’t have to be in a wheelchair anymore, she’s walking in heaven.” Additional support services will continue to be available at Adairsville Elementary. Staff members are wearing her favorite color, purple, and her handicap parking space will soon be decorated by a local artist in her honor. Ms. Weeks will be missed by her Bartow County Speech and Language Family, Exceptional Education Department, System, and school community.

STEM COMMUNITY PARTER APPRECIATION LUNCH: An intentional focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in our schools helps all our students learn at higher levels. With nearly a dozen district and state STEM certified schools, we would not have seen the successes we’ve had without our community partners! They have been with us since we began this journey five years ago, and they are with us today. Our volunteers are the heartbeat of this program; they’re critical! Hopes and dreams are cultivated in our children because of these individuals. Thank you to our stakeholders, teachers, principals, STEM Program Director Paula Camp, and board members for making this program extremely successful!

MINI GRANT AWARD WINNERS: Mark Justice and Watts from Cobb EMC visited Emerson Elementary School today to present Sarah Parris, Heather Misztak, and Jeff Vest with Mini Grant Awards! Each of these grants will support Emerson Eagles through reading promotion in the school, increased technology skills, and STEM activities in all grades! Before leaving, Watts even took a stroll around the school and visited some of our students and classrooms! Thank you to Cobb EMC for its support!

WOW: By now, you know the Band programs in Bartow County are top-notch, but did realize just how good they are? Check out these familiar faces in the Georgia All-State Band! Emma Brown, CMS Nola Brown, CMS Vincent Morris, CMS Camden Briggs, CHS Melanie Armstead, CHS Damaya Norwood, CHS Lillian Taylor, CHS Ben Novo, WHS Stephen Owens, WHS Trip Drennan, WHS After passing rigorous auditions, these students earned the right to travel to Athens over the weekend and learn from world-renowned conductors! Cass Middle School was the only middle school in Bartow County to have members in the Georgia All-State Band and were tied for the most students in all the middle schools in GMEA District 7. CMS also had the most students in GMEA District 7 make District band in February with 22 incredible students! Congratulations to some of the best musicians in the state of Georgia!

COMMUNICATE + CONNECT + SUCCEED: The Bartow County School System is strengthening the connection between home and school – one language class at a time! Under the direction and leadership of ESOL Program Coordinator Kristy Mitchell, more than 70 BCSS parents are receiving heavily discounted English as a Second Language classes through a partnership with Organic Language Acquisition School. Parents who primarily speak Spanish, Japanese, or even Punjabi are now learning basic words and phrases, the alphabet, and how to read in English. This unique opportunity has resulted in 74.1 percent of the parents participating saying they are more actively involved in their child’s school, and 81.5% say they are now more confident in helping their child with their homework. One of our most successful partnerships to date; for more information on how to get involved, please contact Kristy Mitchell at kristy.mitchell@bartow.k12.ga.us. Additional classes will be offered in the future.