BOARD RECOGNITIONS: EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Carolyn Pool, Bartow County College and Career Academy Custodian
“Have you ever had a co-worker that makes you think that you have no idea how you got along each day before this person became your co-worker…one that makes you hope that you never have to know what it is like to have that person leave? Mrs. Carolyn Pool is that person at the BCCCA. She became part of our BCCCA family last fall and immediately made an impact in our building. She takes exceptional pride in everything she does, which is demonstrated by work that is incredibly thorough. Her attention to detail is unmatched and is often noticed by staff members, students, and visitors. Mrs. Carolyn is very dedicated to her school, her co-workers, and her students. She is one of the kindest ladies you could ever meet. Her smiles light up the room, and her hugs brighten our days. Mrs. Carolyn Pool stands for everything that we all should be as employees of the Bartow County School System and deserves the honor of being named the BCSS Employee of the Month!” – BCCCA Assistant Principal Lori Scifers
INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY: When we heard September 15, 2023, was International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration, all we could think about was our very own Ms. DOT Frasier, Bartow Education Foundation executive director! Ironically enough, Ms. DOT also epitomizes those same characteristics and a million more! So, join us in celebrating this legend in Education and beyond! She has served our community for more than 60 years and is still going strong! #betterinbartow #DotDay
PERFECT ATTENDANCE: It's that time of the year when we recognize these bus drivers for "going the extra mile!" They have one to 12 years of perfect attendance and were rewarded today by Dan Clark with the Bartow Education Foundation. Each received a monetary gift, breakfast, and of course, bragging rights! We love all our bus drivers! They're a special part of our school community! Hit that "love" button and let them know how impactful they've been🚌
* 12 YEARS *
Michael Blalock
* 5 YEARS *
Jerry Hoover
* 2 YEARS *
Falena Campbell
Jennifer Edwards
Jeff Johnson
Jason Neal
Sue Shellhorse
* 1 YEAR *
Debbie Eaton
Rachael French
Janna Jordan
Lily Michaels
Rebecca Neal
Laverne Reed
Shelly Rutledge
Brian Schultz
Gwen Tanner
* Not all drivers pictured *
The Bartow County School System has been named a 2023 Cognia System of Distinction!
“This recognition is based on the results of Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process,” said Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “We were just notified that with over 1,100 engagement reviews for accreditation completed in the 2022-2023 academic year, Cognia only recognized 25 schools and eight systems in 12 states and five countries with this distinct honor! Wow! There was extensive internal preparation for this review, and I am so proud of our school system’s commitment to learning, collaboration, and results.”
Cognia, formerly AdvancED, nationally recognizes districts that meet rigorous standards in the areas of culture, leadership, engagement, and growth in learning. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the school system is accredited, and that it is recognized across the nation as a school system that meets Cognia Performance Standards and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.
Cognia provides an Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score as a measure of overall performance. With a maximum score of 400, the Bartow County School System received an IEQ score of 383.
“You and your team did the most complete self-study and detailed reporting of any that I have ever seen while working with Cognia,” said Dr. Erik Swanson, a Cognia regional accreditation evaluator. “I congratulate you on the work you are doing for learners.”
“The Bartow County School System is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards and is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning,” added Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia.
Schools in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a six-year term.
NATIONAL SEMIFINALIST RECOGNITION: Adairsville High School Senior Callie Viktora advances in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program!
Out of 1.3 million applicants, only 16,000 students nationwide are named semifinalists!
Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Congratulations, Callie! We are so proud of ALL your accomplishments!
SAVE THE DATE:
TUESDAYS AT "THE LEAF" INCLUDE:
Gardening✅
Weather Stations✅
Reading✅
&
Robots✅
REMINDER: Wednesday, September 20, will be an Early Release Day! Elementary schools dismiss at 11:30 a.m. and middle/high schools dismiss at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be served, and buses will run on an early dismissal schedule. After School programs will continue to operate.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: What a way to start the day! These Hamilton Crossing Knights felt so special when they were greeted by Cass High School Cheerleaders!
Join us tonight as Adairsville takes on Cass and Woodland looks to defeat Pepperell at home!
INNOVATE & COLLABORATE: Sound the horn! Robotics in Bartow County is officially underway for the year, and these 25 teams could not be more excited! Today, they were bussed over to Georgia Highlands College to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Innovation Kickoff event!
This year's challenge, "MASTERPIECE," delves into the world of Fine Arts! Teams will think about how they share their hobbies and interests with others and how they can use technology and The Arts to help engage others or increase participation in what they love to do. People who work in The Arts can teach us a lot about how to communicate, engage, and entertain audiences of any size.
To start this challenge, we brought in about 13 industry professionals from organizations such as Savoy, Booth Western Art Museum, KSU Marching Band, Fusion Dance, and Adairsville High School's Art and Magnet Program to foster creativity!
Bartow County had one team reach the WORLD competition last academic year; let see how many teams will make history this year!
WILDCAT LEARNING HUB UNVEILED: Tada! Welcome to Woodland Middle School's new Learning Hub! Funded through federal coronavirus relief efforts, students and staff are enjoying a freshly designed space filled with new seating, 3D printers, computers, and so much more!
"This will be one of the main places in our building where we focus on problem-based learning tied to STEM" said WMS Principal Michael Blankenship. "Reading is still a central focus and powerful part of learning. The emphasis is not any less on reading, it is simply striving to be more inclusive of engaged learning."
READY, SET, READ: White Elementary School Warriors have L4 grant money and a BIG plan! They're bringing in highly qualified individuals to help implement reading groups and interventions for students in grades 1-5! Improvement in reading stills will assist students in meeting proficiency on their essential standards. This support staff will be utilizing a variety of interventions this year, including phonological and phonics instruction, guided reading, and individualized instruction to help all students make progress in their reading skills! Great job, Warriors! #betterinbartow
READ TO GROW: This week, we welcomed about 100 Read to Grow volunteers back in our first-grade classrooms to help with individualized reading support! Volunteers assist with one-to-one and small group reading, literacy games, and vocabulary. They're making a HUGE difference in the lives of our students and so can you! We'd love for you to join our team! A training session will take place tomorrow, September 8, at 65 Gilreath Road. No registration required. Before school systems nationwide were impacted by COVID-19, we had significantly more volunteers. We're hoping to reach those numbers again soon to increase literacy success in Bartow County!
A DILL-ICIOUS DAY: What's better than participating in garden-based learning and growing cucumbers while studying the life cycle of a plant? These second grade ESOL students in Mrs. Martin's class would say, "nothing!" They loved every minute of harvesting, prepping, and serving cucumber salad with the help of School Nutrition Program Operational Specialist Jessica Chandler! Every student was offered this specialty #farmtoschool snack with their lunch today! White Elementary's very own Mr. Pickel was first in line to taste test the final product!
READY, SET, GROW...IN BARTOW: The District Mentor Program wishes to spotlight Regina Hicks, our media specialist at Adairsville Elementary, for exhibiting best practices in mentoring and support in her building. Regina defines what it means to be great in Bartow!
COME ONE, COME ALL: The ever-popular Story Trail at Hamilton Crossing Park is featuring a new book called Fall Mixed Up! Check it out this holiday weekend!
EMPTY BOWLS 2023: Clays a flyin’ in hopes the Bartow County community will be a buyin’!
The Laney’s are at it – again – helping the community one beautiful bowl at a time! This past weekend, they gathered dozens of students, past and present teachers, and community members to make original, hand-crafted bowls for the Empty Bowls event September 24th at the Bartow County College and Career Academy!
A $25 ticket will get you a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl, all-you-can-eat soup buffet from 15 local restaurants, and great entertainment, featuring the Wandering Willows and Natalie Goodwin!
ALL proceeds go to support the Backpack Buddies initiative, which feeds food insecure families on weekends in Cartersville-Bartow County!
Help make this 12th annual event a HUGE success. Tickets are available now through your child’s school or the General Store Café in Adairsville.
Thank you, Adairsville Elementary School Assistant Principal Kristy Laney and Adairsville High School Art Teacher Jayme Laney! Your impact in this community is immeasurable!
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 Rebecca Franklin, our School Nutrition Services Supervisor. Of course, she supports learning, collaboration, and results. She also does not shy away from hard work in any situation. Rececca gets the job done professionally, all the while interjecting a level of wit and charm that will leave you smiling for days or even weeks. She radiates positivity, and she's positively special to our 20 schools and Central Office. Rebecca absolutely makes us all better! Congratulations!
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:
Claudia Perkins, Lead Custodian, Euharlee Elementary School
William Pickel, Lead Custodian, White Elementary School
Jennifer Whitlock, Registrar, Adairsville Middle School
