All three Bartow County high schools have the distinct honor of being named Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools by the Georgia Department of Education for their commitment to creating strong AP opportunities.
There are 273 AP Honor Schools this year in 97 districts. They are named in eight categories based on the results of 2022 AP courses and exams.
Adairsville High School received the AP STEM School Award and AP Humanities School Award.
Cass High School earned the AP STEM School Award.
Woodland High School gained the AP STEM School Award, AP Humanities School Award, and the AP STEM Achievement School Award.
The following describes the categories in detail:
AP Access and Support Schools
Schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identified themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP Challenge Schools
Schools with enrollments of 900 or fewer students and students testing in English, math, science, and social studies.
AP Expansion Schools
AP schools with 25% growth in AP student participation from May 2021 to May 2022 and a minimum of 25 students testing in May 2021.
AP Humanities Schools
Schools with a minimum of five students testing in each of the following AP categories: one ELA course, two history/social science courses, one fine arts course and one world language course.
AP Humanities Achievement Schools
AP Humanities schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP Schools of Distinction
Schools with at least 20% of the total student population taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP STEM Schools
Schools with a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses. (AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles)
AP STEM Achievement Schools
AP STEM schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
“We are very proud of the continued work of our AP teachers and students,” said AHS Principal Lexie Bultman. “Their efforts to grow our AP program in both quality of instruction and expansion to all students has been inspiring. Our teachers have truly used collaborative efforts to best prepare students for college and life beyond the high school experience. And our students have responded in a big way, rising to the challenge of college-level work while in high school. We look forward to seeing continued improvements in our AP program and witnessing how this will benefit our students in their long-term goals.”
“We are very proud of our students’ continued commitment to seeking out academically rigorous course work, especially in our STEM areas,” said CHS Magnet Coordinator Micaela Armona. “Next year, we will be offering even more courses such as AP Music Theory, and we are expanding our AP Fine Arts opportunities by adding AP Art History. Our goal is that every student takes at least one AP course before they graduate. With the addition of AP Art History and AP Pre-Calculus, Cass students will have 23 AP courses from which to choose. We are seeing a growth in the success of our AP program with an increase this year in the number of students designated by College Board as AP Scholars and an increase in the number of teachers designated by Bartow County as AP Teachers of Distinction. This growth is a direct result of our collaborative process and the emphasis we have placed on increasing the academic rigor in all our courses.”
“We are honored by all three AP Honor Awards, especially AP STEM Achievement,” said WHS AP Coordinator Mary Beth Tumlin. “AP courses are the most rigorous courses at the high school level and this honor shows the hard work and commitment of our students and staff to learn and achieve at the highest levels. Six of our eight STEM courses had a pass rate above 50%, with three of those courses having a pass rate above 85%.”
Each high school will be honored for its achievements at the Bartow County Board of Education meeting on May 15, 2023.
CARTERSVILLE DANCES WITH THE STARS: Our Top Gun, Deputy Superintendent David Chiprany, took us all on a wild ride Saturday when he performed with Halle Collins in Cartersville Dances with the Stars! He didn't take home the big mirror ball trophy, but he made us all proud with his moves and money-making abilities! Dr. Chiprany and the Bartow County School System raised the third highest amount - almost 22,000! The whole star-studded event raised $273,606 for Backpack Buddies and the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter! That's enough money to feed food-insecure students on weekends in Cartersville-Bartow County for about two and a half years! Wow! What an amazing cause! Enjoy the pictures and cameo by our top-notch Superintendent, Dr. Phillip Page!
COME ONE, COME ALL: Family Resource Fair; happening now!
A-TEAM AWARD: Superintendent Page and system leaders present Cass High School and its geometry team, which consists of Audrey Ellison, Lisa Doolittle, Tyler Washington, Sierrah Woods, and Jason Coker with the most prestigious award given by the District, the A-Team Award!
Audrey Ellison, Lisa Doolittle, Tyler Washington, Sierrah Woods, and Jason Coker 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 geometry 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 Steve Revard and Cass High School's 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!
Audrey Ellison, Lisa Doolittle, Tyler Washington, Sierrah Woods, and Jason Coker will now present at a future school board meeting, New Teacher Institute, and serve as role models for future A-Teams throughout our school system.
This is our 19th collaboration team to earn an A-Team Award!
SUPPORTING OUR OWN: The Cartersville Dances with the Stars weekend is ALMOST upon us, and our own Deputy Superintendent David Chiprany is putting in some serious practice hours on stage in preparation for the big event!
Meanwhile, Dr. Chiprany's colleagues at Central Office and all Bartow County schools are raising money for the two worthy causes - Backpack Buddies and the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter!
If you know Superintendent Page, you know his love for putt-putt runs deeper than his love for a good Braves game (maybe 😆). So, of course, we had to include that in our fundraisers!
There is still time to donate! Text DavidChriprany to 41444 and catch his big dance this Saturday!
BEYOND THE SHELF: Celebrating the joy of reading; that's what it's all about during Read Across America Week! On the birthday of beloved Author, Dr. Seuss, book fairs are booming, book characters are parading through the halls of our elementary schools, and guest readers are a plenty! You can tell students at Cloverleaf Elementary School are excited about reading! Check out these pictures!
TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT: Calling all 3rd-6th graders! This summer's FREE Bartow County STEM Camp will challenge students to test their STEM skills as they learn to use cardboard engineering to design a sustainable building, produce an award-winning stop-motion animation video, and code Sphero and Edison robots. Camp will be held at Euharlee Elementary June 5-8, 2023. We will have two separate sessions to choose from: 8:00-11:00 a.m. or 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Registration will open TONIGHT at 6:00 p.m. Be sure to sign up to reserve a spot. Space is very limited! https://forms.gle/4gKhDW6u4jMNkFZYA
FREE BOOKS?!?!?!: Sweet smiles and even sweeter giggles filled the Adairsville Elementary School Library when students were told they could pick out $10 worth of books at the book fair! The ever-popular book fair was made even more popular thanks to the generous Sans Souci Women's Club donation of $10,000!! Thank you for giving back to your community and promoting a love of learning that will last a lifetime!
[pictured in check presentation: San Souci President Ella Landrum, Treasurer Sarah Prueter, Earlene Dutton, Jennifer Robinson, Cindy Malone Scott, and AES Media Specialist Regina Hicks]
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Cass High School and Bartow County celebrate Black history and culture this month and throughout the year!
From a truly inspiring 288 square foot mural to a stepping performance and Black history and culture-themed games, CHS Leadership and Government students, Black Student Union, Skills USA, and the National English Honors Society, organized a memorable, unifying event on campus Monday.
It involved the community through invitation, tabling, catering, and speaking opportunities.
Students and staff hope everyone walked away from the event with an even deeper appreciation for Black history and culture and ready to do their part in furthering the unity of CHS and the Bartow County community.
👀👀👀: Bartow's back on the BIG SCREEN! We have the best parents! Thank you Kristy East and Horton Outdoors! Let's gooo, Clear Creek Elementary School!
A-TEAM AWARD: Superintendent Page and system leaders present the Bartow County College and Career Academy and its health science team, which consists of Harry Wyche, Anne Rickman, Dr. Jhinora Pollard, and Donna Mathias with the most prestigious award given by the District, the A-Team Award!
Harry Wyche, Anne Rickman, Dr. Jhinora Pollard, and Donna Mathias 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 health science 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 Greg Doss and the BCCCA 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!
Harry Wyche, Anne Rickman, Dr. Jhinora Pollard, and Donna Mathias will now present at a future school board meeting, New Teacher Institute, and serve as role models for future A-Teams throughout our school system.
This is our 18th collaboration team to earn an A-Team Award!
GEARING UP FOR GREATNESS: In just two short days, 28 Bartow County Robotics teams will storm Georgia Highlands College to compete in the 2023 FIRST Lego League Robotics Community Showcase! During the all-day event, you'll see ultra-fast paced Robot Games and innovative projects utilizing kinetic tiles and hydroelectric plants, just to name a few! Congratulations, BCSS teams! Your work this year has been nothing short of incredible!
BARTOW BRAG: Best group of police officers around! Join us in celebrating their collective efforts to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff in the Bartow County School System!
HEAVY HITTER: The Atlanta Braves picked its TOP THREE finalists for the ballpark PA announcer position, and our own Larry Gardner is in the mix! Not only that, our "local parent turned celebrity," WON the fan poll with 60% of the votes!! Wow!! Let's cheer him on as he continues to hit this opportunity out of the park!
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 Scott Brown, our Technology Specialist! Scott has been a tremendous help to us since day one! He's a self-starter, efficient, personable, and kind! There is no job he can't do, and he'll do it with a smile on his face. We're proud to have him as he makes us all better! Congratulations, Scott!
STAR STATUS: Cartersville-Bartow County STAR students and teachers were honored this afternoon by the Rotary Club of Cartersville!
Adairsville High School's Annie McCormick, Cass High School's Ryan Pope, and Woodland High School's Joseph Parker earned the highest SAT scores in their schools and were therefore named STAR students by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Also, in the top 10% of their class, these students named the educators who have been the most impactful in their successful educational career. McCormick choose AHS Math Teacher Katy Carder as her STAR teacher, Pope selected Math Teacher Tammy Ragus, and Parker nominated Chorus Teacher Kimberly Human.
The Rotary Club of Cartersville also recognized Pope as the DISTRICT WINNER! With a score of 1440, he earned the highest SAT score in the county! Pope and his STAR teacher will now compete for regionwide honors next month!
FREE BARTOW COUNTY SUMMER STEM CAMP: Calling all 3rd-6th graders!
PAY TO PIE: When raising money for Backpack Buddies and the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter, nothing is off the table, not even cherry pies! Deputy Superintendent Dr. David Chiprany, Chief Leadership and Learning Officer Clint Terza, and other Central Office leaders were good sports when they took a pie to the face today!
SAVE THE DATE: Atlanta National College Fair
MEET THE ELITE: Ten Bartow County School System students advance in the highly competitive and prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program!
The semifinalists include Adairsville High School juniors Callie Viktora (Environmental Science) and Caroline Gossett (Visual Arts), and sophomore Braden Mathis (Environmental Science); Cass High School juniors Michelle Lin (World Languages: Chinese) and Joseph Loh (Communicative Arts); Woodland High School juniors William Doerfler (Music: French Horn), Delaney Matthews (Music: Saxophone), Emily Stockinger (Dance), Christian Koontz (Visual Arts), and sophomore Hannah Willoughby (Music: Soprano).
“This year, approximately 4,200 students across the state were nominated to the state-level competition, and more than 1,500 of them have been selected as semifinalists for the state interviews and auditions. That is about 200 more semifinalists than last year,” said BCSS GHP Coordinator Paula Camp. “As you can see, our group advancing in this elite program is mostly made up of juniors. They are experienced and it shows by their depth of knowledge in their specific area of study, extracurricular involvement, and maturity. Additionally, you can see the passion and excitement in their eyes. These ten outstanding students will without a doubt succeed at extraordinary levels.”
The 2023 GHP semifinalists will now have the opportunity to interview or audition at Georgia Southern University on March 11. Finalists and alternates will be announced April 7.
Upon acceptance, finalists will participate in the four-week, summer residential program at Georgia Southern University starting June 18.
The Governor’s Honors Program remains fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly.
