Bartow County School System

AND THE RESULTS ARE IN: The Backpack Buddies 5K was a HUGE success! More than $27,500 was raised to help feed food-insecure students on the weekends in Cartersville-Bartow County Schools! Mission Road Elementary had the most participants out of all 20 Bartow County schools, and our very own superintendent placed third overall in his age group 😮🥉

BARTOW CARES 4 U: As part of our #bartowcares4u campaign, we are learning about the word SUPPORT in our schools and community this month! Have you ever been left alone when you really needed someone to help you? To be supportive means that we must come alongside someone else and help them with a problem or struggle. In a time when we have been isolated for so long, we must be more intentional to be there for one another. Learn more about the campaign here: https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/article/783187

DID YOU KNOW: By filling out a FREE & REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION, you're positively affecting these areas: 🍎Free or reduced meal prices for healthy student meals 💲Increased funding to support student education 🖥Additional funding for technology and internet access 👩‍🎓Discounted college application fees 📘Discounted fees for SAT, ACT, & AP tests; scholarship opportunities If you feel like you may qualify for free and reduced school meals, please apply by September 14. Link: https://frapps.horizonsolana.com/welcome

JOIN OUR FAMILY: Since our bus driver recruitment campaign started this week and the announcement of a $3,500 signing incentive, the applications have been rolling in! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! There are still positions available, though, so please apply! If you have your CDL already, even better, so you can start now! 🚌

WOODLAND WOW MOMENT: The growth of Woodland High School's Advanced Placement program is nothing short of amazing! The AP test participation rate recently doubled and the pass rate reached an all-time high! Other highlights include: 🏆Kylie Agan & Marcus Muriithi took six AP exams by the end of their sophomore year! Kylie is on track to have 10 at the end of her junior year! 🏆Kylie Agan, Bradley Benners, and Delaney Matthews all earned the AP Scholar with Distinction award as sophomores! 🏆 Emily Roach and Anthony Zhang will have completed 12+ AP exams by the end of their senior year! 🏆 Kiconco Bassler and Adam Edens will have completed 11 AP exams by the end of their senior year! 🏆 Grace Card, Kameron Chappell, Ethan Davis, Jolie Fannin, and Camber Wallace will have completed 10 AP exams by the end of their senior year! CONGRATULATIONS!!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Emma Segars Emma is a standout student-athlete at Woodland High School! She's a varsity member of the cross country, swim, and track teams. Last year, during cross country, she individually qualified for state, and during track season, she qualified for sectionals in three events! Academically, Emma manages Advanced Placement and honors classes and actively participates in Beta Club, National Honors Society, and Spanish Honors Society. Even though the list of accolades is long, what impresses us most is her character. "I am so thankful to be a part of the sports program here at Woodland High School. It has taught me many valuable lessons including how to work together as a team and to conquer hardships that we face with a positive attitude." - Emma

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. Today, we celebrate and honor Christy Williamson, our School Nutrition program specialist! Christy is currently processing our free and reduced meal applications and is especially wonderful at that job. She's a natural communicator with a passion for helping and supporting our children. Congratulations, Christy! You make us all better!

OPTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES: Did you know we have a Welding Pathway in Bartow County? Check out these students developing their welding skills through actual hands-on practice at the College and Career Academy! #betterinbartow

OUR CHILDREN NEED YOU: Join our team! The Bartow County School System is currently hiring bus drivers to join our award-winning system, which transports more than 8,500 students every day. If you love children and want to make a difference in your community, apply online at www.bartow.k12.ga.us or call 770-606-5873. As a Bartow County bus driver, you will enjoy: 🚌 $3,500 signing incentive (to be paid over the course of eight months) 🚌 $1,000 one-time December pay supplement (applicable if hired before October 18, 2022, or $500 after that) 🚌 Opportunities to earn extra money at your hourly rate through field trips and other activities 🚌 Health benefits 🚌 Retirement benefits 🚌 Fully paid Commercial Driver’s License training 🚌 Time off (sick leave, summers, and major holidays) 🚌 Drivers follow student calendar (home when your children are off of school) 🚌 All possible effort made to place drivers in a zone where their child(ren) attend a BCSS school 🚌 Rewarding work, shaping the lives of our children Bus Monitor positions are also available. The critical support role provides assistance to Exceptional students being transported. Again, for more information on all positions, visit www.bartow.k12.ga.us.

TODAY'S THE DAY: Join us tonight at the Tellus for our Bartow SPIN Night & College Fair!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Parker Dunn This Cass High School senior STANDOUT maintains a 4.0 while participating in football and wrestling. Parker was a member of the Duals and Traditional 2021-2022 State Championship Teams! In addition to those extracurricular activities, Parker is involved in JROTC and aspires to attend the Naval Academy! "The programs that I’m involved in are always ambitious. No matter what, we always strive to be the best. It has taught me that nothing in life comes easy and the only way to get where you want to be is through hard work and perseverance." - Parker

OFFER ALERT: First, the Corky Kell Classic, now this! The good news from Cass High School keeps coming! Freshman Offensive Linemen Bear McWhorter received an offer from PENN STATE this week! Congratulations, Bear!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Chris Roper Chris, a senior at Adairsville High School, plays football, basketball, and baseball. While maintaining good grades in Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses, Chris is also entertaining multiple Division I football offers and interest from several Ivy League schools, including HARVARD, DARTMOUTH, and the UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA! Congratulations, Chris! We cannot wait to see where you land after you leave Tiger Nation! "What I have learned through the sports program at Adairsville High School is that it is much bigger than just the sport. It is about the family that is created in each sport and the love we have for each other. Our community is behind every sport, and it makes you realize that it goes beyond just yourself." - Chris

NEW: The state press release below is significant for many reasons! Not only are leaders launching a mental health initiative like Bartow County Schools, but our own Michael Kobito, Woodland High School Teacher and Georgia Teacher of the Year, is quoted in his first official release! See below. --- The Georgia Department of Education is launching a statewide Employee Assistance Program for all full-time public-school teachers and staff in the state, along with Pre-K teachers. Georgia’s Public Education Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a partnership between Kepro and GaDOE, and will be provided at no cost to districts, schools, or employees. This program is designed to support the mental health and wellness of teachers and staff and will allow access to mental health counseling, financial and legal resources, work/life referral services, and more. Services are available starting today, and teachers and staff will receive additional access information directly from GaDOE or from their district or school. The EAP is free, confidential, and supportive – neither the state nor local districts or schools will have access to information shared in counseling or consulting sessions. The launch of the EAP is a direct response to the recommendations of the Teacher Burnout Task Force chaired by 2022 Georgia Teacher of the Year Cherie Bonder Goldman. The classroom teachers who comprised the Task Force recommended that the state, local districts, and schools “provide mental health support or strengthen existing programs of mental health support for teachers and staff (i.e., Employee Assistance Program).” Services available through the EAP include up to six free sessions of mental health counseling, referral services for childcare, eldercare, home repairs, moving/relocation, and more, and free consultations with legal or financial experts. “Supporting our teachers and staff is the key to setting our students up for success,” 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year Michael Kobito said. “We can only give our best when we can be at our best. Coming straight from recommendations made in the Teacher Burnout Report, teachers and staff will have resources that help with the mental health strains we face in today’s world and other stressful situations outside the school building. In addition, access to services 24/7 will alleviate some of the stresses and anxieties teachers and staff face, creating more opportunities for a healthier, happier, and more supported workforce.”

BARTOW BRAG MOMENT: Can we all stop and talk about these OUTSTANDING Adairsville High School juniors and senior for a minute?! * AHS Junior Callie Viktora has taken FIVE AP courses/exams and has scored a FIVE on all of them! * AHS Junior Emma Higueras and Callie are the first students EVER at AHS to qualify as AP Scholars with Distinction as Sophomores! * AHS Senior Annie McCormick has taken SIX AP courses and is pursuing THREE more this year!

HIP HIP ARRAY: The "Array Bakery" is back open for business in Adairsville! Third-grade students at AES are reviewing beginning multiplication concepts such as arrays, equal groups, and repeated addition with bakery themed hands-on activities. 👩🏻‍🍳 Students also received cake mix, frosting, and M&M's candy for an optional homework assignment. Students could bake a cake with their family and then decorate it using a multiplication strategy they practiced in class. Just another reason it's #betterinbartow Good work, Ms. Greenway, Mrs. McMurdo, and Mrs. Sorrell!

GO, GO GO: Today is the last day to register for the annual Backpack Buddies 5K on Saturday! Proceeds benefit food insecure families in Cartersville-Bartow County schools. Your registration fee covers the cost of food for one child (on the weekends) for an entire month! Details below! So far, in our system, the most registrants are coming from Mission Road Elementary School! Remember, you can also sign up to become a ghost runner! https://runsignup.com/.../Carte.../TheDowntownCartersville5K

NEW: College Board’s newly released Advanced Placement Scholar Roster includes 142 Bartow County School System students – the highest number ever recorded in Bartow County! The number of AP Scholars has nearly tripled from 2017! College Board’s AP program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school. Students can earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP exams administered in high schools. College Board recognizes three levels of achievement based on student performance and AP exams. The highest level of academic honor is AP Scholar with Distinction, followed by AP Scholar with Honor, and AP Scholar. Twenty-nine students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of 3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The honorees include Mark Brunson (AHS ’22), Sydney Irons (AHS ’22), Emma Higueras (AHS ’24), Annie McCormick (AHS ’23), Callie Viktora (AHS ’24), Camden Briggs (CHS ’22), Maki Barnes (CHS ’22), Carson Carroll (CHS ’22), Evelyn Lynch (CHS ’23), Sydney Orr (CHS ’23), Andrew Ziemer (CHS ’23), Kylie Agan (WHS ’24), Kiconco Bassler (WHS ’23), Bradley Benners (WHS ’24), Shelby Bishop (WHS ’22), Grace Card (WHS ’23), Abigail Carlsen (WHS ’22), Kameron Chappell (WHS ’23), Taylor Chappell (WHS ’22), Jayla Chastain (WHS ’22), Adam Edens (WHS ’23), Jolie Fannin (WHS ’23), Eryn Gentry (WHS ’22), Hannah Godfrey (WHS ’23), Delaney Matthews (WHS ’24), Benjamin Novo (WHS ‘22), Emily Roach (WHS ’23), Christopher Tarver (WHS ’22), and Caden Wolf (WHS ’22). Fourteen students received the AP Scholar with Honor Award after earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The recipients are Connor Patterson (AHS ’22), Aldon Aquarian (CHS ’22), Gavin Davis (CHS ’24), Scarlett Hale (CHS ’24), Alexandra Pacheco (CHS ’24), Rey Ventura-Velasquez (CHS ’24), Breanna Chapman (WHS ’24), Aiden Cornette (WHS ’23), Mac Doran (WHS ’22), Jorden Edens (WHS ’24), John Forsyth (WHS ’22), Sara Lowe (WHS ’24), Joseph Parker (WHS ’23), and Chloe Webb (WHS ’24). Ninety-nine students earned the AP Scholar Award by earning a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. The honorees are Ella Baker (AHS ’24), Gracelyn Baker (AHS ’23), Cavender Barnes (AHS ’23), Adeline Bearden (AHS ’22), Melody Cress (AHS ’22), Alayna Findley (AHS ’23), Alex Gollaz (AHS ’24), Megan Gregory (AHS ’23), Kyoshi Harmon (AHS ’24), Lexi Heatherly (AHS ’24), Kayli Hilburn (AHS ’22), Lillian Kinsey (AHS ’23), Jaiden Leach (AHS ’23), Eden Lipham (AHS ’22), Samantha Lusian (AHS ’23), JoBeth O’Kelley (AHS ’23), Braden Potter (AHS ’24), Bryce Richardson (AHS ’22), Emily Rogers (AHS ’22), Nick Schmied-Tatransky (AHS ’24), Abigail Simpson (AHS ’22), Michael Spinks (AHS ’24), Tori Sprayberry (AHS ’24), Macy Wilson (AHS ’24), Alissa Winters (AHS ’24), Ansley Womack (AHS ’23), Melanie Armstead (CHS ’22), Jovany Contreras (CHS ’22), Alex De Anda Rodriquez (CHS ’22), Parker Dunn (CHS ’23), Eli Etheridge (CHS ’22), Gideon Fortner (CHS ’23), Alexander Ghavamian (CHS ’23), Laney Gordon (CHS ’24), Ryan Grant (CHS ’23), Chelsea Harris (CHS ’22), Dannyell Hendrix (CHS ’22), Aislen Hernandez (CHS ’22), Ryan Hillhouse (CHS ’24), Bryce Kresho (CHS ’22), Ricky Le (CHS ’22), Joseph Loh (CHS ’24), Justice Mason (CHS ’22), Alana McCoy (CHS ’24), Zachary McKnight (CHS ’23), Rylee Moore (CHS ’22), Cindy Muniz (CHS ’25), Jacob Peace (CHS ’22), Aniya Perry (CHS ’22), Dillon Sanford (CHS ’24), Gabe Self (CHS ’24), Destiny Smith (CHS ’22), Lily Taylor (CHS ’24), Kelli Young (CHS ’22), Deborah Ajao (WHS ’24), Lainey Baker (WHS ’22), Victoria Barbosa (WHS ’22), Erica Boatner (WHS ’22), Kimberly Braun (WHS ’22), Erin Bollwerk (WHS ’22), Leanora Brown (WHS ‘24), Abigayle Cates (WHS ’23), Tessa Ciavarro (WHS ’22), Parker Collins (WHS ’24), Shawn Davis (WHS ’23), Heaven Dennis (WHS ‘24), Peyton Dorn (WHS ’24), Ellie Eanes (WHS ’22), Jhon Gordon (WHS ’22), Alana Hennon (WHS ’22), Emily Higdon (WHS ’22), Gabriel Hull (WHS ’22), Adria Kalsi (WHS ’22), Christian Koontz (WHS ’24), Mason Lawson (WHS ’23), Savannah Lawson (WHS ’22), Rylee Leachman (WHS ’22), Esteban Martinez (WHS ’23), Kassidy McCool (WHS ’22), Mackenzie Miller (WHS ’24), Mya Moffit (WHS ’22), Marcus Muriithi (WHS ’24), Serena N’guessan (WHS ’22), Shanice N’guessan (WHS ’22), Faith Owens (WHS ’24), Haylee Roach (WHS ’22), Raegan Rothman (WHS ’23), Hunter Sennett (WHS ’23), Chloe Smith (WHS ’22), Matthew Stone (WHS ’22), Andrew Thayer (WHS ’23), Mason Tucker (WHS ’22), Camber Wallace (WHS ’23), Reagan Weightman (WHS ’24), Ava Whatley (WHS ’24), Gracie Williams (WHS ’24), Kyler Williams (WHS ’22), and Anthony Zhang (WHS ’23). “We also recognize Bartow County School System AP Teachers with Distinction because their rigorous classroom instruction and support is tremendous to the success of these intellectually gifted students,” said Paula Camp, director of Advanced Learning, STEM, and Gifted Programs. “More than 80 percent of their AP students took the AP exams, and of those, more than half scored a three or higher on it! Our AP Teachers with Distinction include: Katy Carder (AHS AP Calculus), Jayme Laney (AHS AP Studio Art), Kaylie Noe (AHS AP Spanish), Rachel Queen (AHS AP Seminar), Robby Stone (AHS AP Literature), Kristi Sylvester (AHS AP Biology), Micaela Armona (CHS AP Literature), Cecilia Betancourt (CHS AP Spanish), Kevin Busse (CHS AP Macroeconomics), Jacquelyn Brennan (WHS AP Physics), David Condon (WHS AP Environmental Science), Dom D’Agostino (WHS AP Seminar), Lori Howe (WHS AP Spanish), Dana Hunt (WHS AP Biology), Kelly Hunter (WHS AP European & AP World History), Catherine Johnson (WHS AP Art 2D & AP Drawing), Cheri Kienitz (WHS AP Human Geography), Tim Morris (WHS AP Literature), Kris Norris (WHS AP Calculus), and India Williams-Rakestraw (WHS AP Language).”

IN THE NEWS: National attention now for our own Michael Kobito, who's none other than the STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR! The GaTOTY serves as an ambassador for education, traveling the state and speaking to educators and community groups! He's busy, so don't be surprised if you see our beloved former Woodland High School Band Director Eric Willoughby step in this year! https://www.paperturn-view.com/.../james-july-august-2022...

CHECK OUT THE NEW HARDWARE: All CHAMPIONS should receive championship rings, right? We sure think so, and who's more deserving than our own Mr. Michael Kobito, who was named the BEST TEACHER IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA by the Georgia Department of Education! Special thanks to Keith Foust with Herff Jones for making this happen! There are FIVE DIAMONDS set in the ring, Mr. Kobito's name on one side, and a nod to his new honor on the other side. Congratulations, Mr. Kobito, and thank you for this amazing gift, Herff Jones! #betterinbartow