District News

The July edition of the CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter is now online here, and is filled with important back-to-school information! Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy earning the prestigious School Bell Award!

The Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals presents the distinguished Award to 10 schools in Georgia each year in recognition of outstanding curriculum and organizational leadership initiatives… this is the eighth time in the last decade that a CCSD school has been honored.

A Cherokee County School District student is nationally ranked for his automotive transportation career skills – the first-ever CCSD student to be named to the top 5!

Cherokee High School rising senior Austin Ledbetter competed at the Skills USA National contest this summer in Louisville and now is ranked No. 5 in the Nation in collision repair technology!  Students who earned gold at their state SkillsUSA competition were invited to the National event to test their hands-on career skills.

New this school year, CCSD has published a one-stop shop webpage featuring all elementary and middle schools' lists.  Check it out here!

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, July 18, 2019 appointed a longtime CCSD leader to head up the new Social and Emotional Learning initiative, as well as several resulting Principal changes.  

Dr. Debra Murdock, the former Principal of Cherokee High School and Georgia High School Principal of the Year, who has most recently served as the School Operations’ executive director overseeing middle and high schools, will take on the newly created role focused on developing new ways to better support students’ and employees’ emotional and mental health and well-being.

CCSD stays busy over the summer break, as departments continue to serve students through special programs and work begins to prepare for the new school year.  This slideshow video and the information below represents just some of the many projects underway over the summer.

Cherokee County School District leaders kicked off the new school year with the fourth annual CCSD Leadership Symposium professional development event!

Thanks to the support of community partners, CCSD school and district leaders attended a keynote address on Wednesday at River Ridge High School and will participate in an all-day training workshop next week.

This year’s event was made possible by Presenting Sponsors, Cherokee County Educational Foundation and Northside Hospital Cherokee; and Platinum Sponsors, ABM Industry Groups, Credit Union of Georgia, Goshen Valley and HP.

CCSD’s Office of School Operations presented a training session for CCSD’s School Police Department and Principals. Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner, sponsored a meet-and-greet breakfast at the start of session to thank the officers and leaders and help them kick off a successful and safe new school year. Credit Union of Georgia President and CEO Brian Albrecht, Canton Branch Manager Jason Blakey and Business Development Officer Kelly Nagel attended the event to show their support. #CCSDfam

Please share our new job listing for Facility Technician -- this position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/CCSDFacilityTech Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Tippens Education Center Support Staff Employee of the Year Dawn Beasley!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Indian Knoll Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: Kona Ice of Cherokee!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Freedom Middle School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Theresa Spears!

Please share our new job listing for a School Psychologist -- this position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/jobsCCSD Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

Please share this opportunity! We are so appreciative of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office and its dedicated crossing guards. #CCSDfam

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy Support Staff Employee of the Year Nancy Stephan!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Johnston Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: The ONE Taekwondo Center!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Free Home Elementary School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Sherry Wallace!

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Woodstock Elementary School Support Staff Employee of the Year Diane Dumond!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Knox Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Partner of the Year: EF2 Realty Team!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Etowah High School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Michael Beck!

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Cherokee High School Support Staff Employee of the Year Wendy Wemmer!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Liberty Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to E.T. Booth Middle School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Susan Honea!

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, June 20, 2019 unanimously approved the Superintendent’s proposed budget for next school year and celebrated the swearing-in of a new CCSD School Police Chief.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Creekview High School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Joe Greene!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Macedonia Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: Stevi B's Pizza Buffet at Riverstone!

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Preschool Centers Support Staff Employee of the Year Katie Flowers!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Dean Rusk Middle School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Kathy Tucker!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Little River Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: EF2 Realty Team!

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Woodstock Middle School Support Staff Employee of the Year Jayne Woodyard!

The Cherokee County School Board celebrated its Students Advisor and Student Delegates with a special send-off at the student representatives’ last meeting of the year.

The Cherokee County School District partnered with Northside Hospital Cherokee to offer employees the opportunity to get healthier and earn prizes through a Spring Wellness Challenge. 

The Cherokee High School Air Force Junior ROTC Program has been selected as one of 102 units to receive the 2018-19 Air Force JROTC Distinguished Unit with Merit Award. 

Sequoyah High School DECA student marketing association members earned top honors at the 2019 DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando. 

A Cherokee County School District student has placed at the International Science and Engineering Fair!

Woodstock High School rising senior Zakwan Khan earned honorable mention in the Addiction Science category for his project “The Role of the Cat-2 Gene in the Development of Substance Abuse.”

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating the winners of its first-ever Minecraft Challenge!

Students from across CCSD were challenged by the Office of Technology & Information Services to design a “school of the future,” with a focus on ensuring this school for 100 years from now would be more accessible, inclusive and sustainable.

Seventy-five CCSD teachers have earned the Certified Inclusive Educator (CIE) designation after completing specialized training to better serve special education students.

The 10-month program, developed by CCSD’s special education department, provided teams of general education and special education co-teachers with training on best practices including research-based strategies and effective models, concluding with a capstone presentation by participants for their fellow teachers at their own schools.

A Cherokee County School District teacher has won a statewide award for her service to children with visual impairments!

Katie Proctor, who teaches students who are blind or have low vision, was presented with the Lions of Georgia’s Anne Sullivan Award for her “exemplary work with individuals with visual impairments.” 

A Woodstock High School Class of 2019 graduate has been appointed to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy!

Anna Fournaris, who served as the school’s Navy Junior ROTC commanding cadet officer, is headed to the service academy in Colorado Springs, Co. later this month to begin her studies.  She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and go on to serve after graduation as an air battle manager for the Air Force.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Curriculum & Instruction Support Staff Employee of the Year Jody Page!

CCSD's expanded elementary school enrichment program, Summer Discovery, was full of arts and crafts, Lego building, computer coding, cooking classes, singing and dancing-- and, a lot of smiles!  

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Mill Creek Middle School 2019 Partner of the Year: Northside Hospital Cherokee!

Attention CCSD Parents: Please be advised that we have received reports that a door-to-door salesman working in our community has allegedly told parents that he and his merchandise have been endorsed by CCSD.  That is untrue.  We have not and do not endorse any such materials or sales.  Thank you to the parents who brought this to our attention.   

We’re so proud of our two leaders recognized by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce this morning as part of its “Top 10 in 10” 2019 class of rising young stars! Congratulations to Dr. Ashley Kennerly, new Principal of Sixes Elementary School (second from right); and Melissa Sneed, supervisor of special education for CCSD (third from left), and their fellow honorees. #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Creekland Middle School 2019 Volunteer of the Year: Creekland Middle School PTSA!

The Cherokee County School District 2019 School Psychologist of the Year is Wendy Barker!

Ms. Barker, who serves Little River Elementary School and provides support to CCSD’s Preschool Assessment Team, was presented with the “Golden Cranium” Award by her colleagues.

Thank you to Roly Poly of Woodstock for providing lunches to CCSD School Police Department, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office & Woodstock Police Department Officers who together made our Class of 2019 graduation ceremonies a better and safer experience for students & their families and friends. We appreciate these officers and are glad you do, too. #CCSDfam #2019CCSDgrads

Thank you to Roly Poly of Woodstock for providing lunches to CCSD School Police Department, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office & Woodstock Police Department Officers who together made our Class of 2019 graduation ceremonies a better and safer experience for students & their families and friends. We appreciate these officers and are glad you do, too. #CCSDfam#2019CCSDgrads

Cherokee High School’s graduation ceremony Thursday night included almost 600 students who walked across the stage in bright red caps and gowns to receive their coveted diplomas; however, the journey of a few dozen steps was particularly significant for one young man, Elijah Cook

Fourteen Cherokee County School District teachers have been honored as this year’s Golden Apple Award winners!

The Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International presents the annual awards to one teacher from each selected school; honorees are chosen by their colleagues in recognition of distinctive service, enthusiasm, initiative and expertise. 

Liberty Elementary School continues to build upon its national recognition as a School of Character with work that has earned an additional two Promising Practices Awards!

The international organization Character.org, which has repeatedly honored Liberty ES a leader in character education and service learning, presented the two awards in recognition of the school’s “Caring for Caritas” and “Birthday Bins and Meal Kits for Foster Families” projects.

Did you see it? Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grader Christopher Yancy and his Kindness Award were featured on the ABC World News Tonight national news broadcast on May 30, 2019! 

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Boston Elementary School Support Staff Employee of the Year Karen Cohen!

Thank you to Chick-fil-A of Cherokee County for providing dinners to CCSD School Police Department, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office & Woodstock Police Department Officers who together are making our Class of 2019 graduation ceremonies a better and safer experience for students & their families and friends. We appreciate these officers and are glad you do, too. #CCSDfam #2019CCSDgrads

The Cherokee County School District and School Board celebrated the Class of 2019 Valedictorians and Salutatorians at its 19th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet.

The evening at the Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo Educational Services Facility auditorium on Wednesday was attended by the Scholars and their parents; the teacher each Scholar chose as the most influential in his or her education; CCSD’s high school Principals; the Superintendent of Schools and members of his senior staff; and the School Board.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Mountain Road Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: Airborne Canton Aerial Adventure Park!

The latest issue of our CCSD Connections parent newsletter is online now: https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for its sponsorship! #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2019, made up of 3,000 students, will walk across the stage for graduation ceremonies next week! 

All ceremonies will be held at First Baptist Church of Woodstock (11905 Highway 92, Woodstock, 30188). The ceremonies will be streamed on www.fbcw.org so family and friends who are unable to attend still can participate.

The Cherokee County School District’s 2019-20 school year will begin on Thursday, August 1. 

Each school’s front office will be open daily beginning Monday, July 15; hours are limited, so please call before visiting.

CCSD is continuing its participation in the USDA Seamless Summer Option, which offers free meals to children during the summer – and rolling out a new delivery bus!

The meals are available to youth 18 years of age or younger; the program runs June 5 to July 19, Monday through Friday, with no meal service July 1-5. All meals must be consumed on site; the distribution sites and times are listed on the flier above; a menu is online here.

When children do not read during the summer months, research suggests they may lose up to three months of reading ability. Stop the "summer slide" by taking advantage of free reading resources for students this summer. 

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Johnston ES 2019 Teacher of the Year Brittany Stalling!

Johnston Elementary School Teacher of the Year Brittany Stalling remembers when she realized her life’s calling.

Our school counselors are extraordinary, which is why we’re sharing the stories of our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year… please help us celebrate 2019 Cherokee Innovation Zone Counselor of the Year: Heather Chesnut of Clayton Elementary School!

Congratulations to the Valedictorians and Salutatorians for the Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2019! 

These students and their parents will be honored by the School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the 19^th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet on Wednesday.  Each student also is invited to select a favorite teacher, and these teachers are honored at the Banquet as well.

Arnold Mill Elementary School fourth-grader Sara Ali has won first place in a regional poetry contest!

Her poem, “Pop goes the Seedlet,” entered into competition by the Canton Trayletaah Garden Club, won first place in the Garden Club of Georgia Poetry Contest.  She then advanced to also win first place from the Deep South Garden Clubs of the National Garden Club, serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

The Cherokee County School District celebrated four retiring leaders with a special reception.

The Senior Staff Retirement Reception on Thursday afternoon honored CCSD Police Chief Mark Kissel, Director of Facility Construction Phil Parrott, Supervisor of Curriculum Tammy Castleberry and Coordinator of Curriculum Judy Withey.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Human Resources Support Staff Employee of the Year Vickie Bryant!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Oak Grove Elementary School Fine Arts Academy 2019 Partner of the Year: The Premier Group Real Estate Firm!

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2019, made up of more than 3,000 students, will walk across the stage for graduation ceremonies next week!

Attention all CCSD Class of 2019 graduating seniors (and their parents): ABM Industry Groups has just partnered with CCSD to offer a new $1,000 college scholarship. One grad from each of CCSD's six high schools will win a $1,000 scholarship to be presented next month. The application (which is easy) and reference letters are due by June 3. The application and reference form are online here.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Volunteer of the Year Denise Mason!

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy Principal Rodney Larrotta has earned a top honor for community service!

The Rotary Club of Canton today presented Principal Larrotta with its 2019 Jean Harris Service Above Self Award, which honors an outstanding volunteer from the community each year.

Please share our new job listing for a Programming Specialist -- this position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/programspec Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net 

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that the School Board has unanimously approved a new tougher anti-vaping policy for next school year.

While CCSD’s student discipline code already prohibits the possession or use of vaping devices and oils anywhere on campus, this new policy (click here to read) adds more serious repercussions.

The Cherokee County School Board recently recognized the winner of the annual Waste Management/Pine Bluff Landfill Scholarship!  The longtime Partnership Agreement between the School Board and Waste Management of Metro Atlanta specifies one $5,000 scholarship will be awarded by the company to a graduating senior from a CCSD high school each year.  The Class of 2019 school is River Ridge High School, and the company’s Pine Bluff Community Advisory Board scholarship committee selected Billie O’Bryant as the winner from a pool of outstanding applicants.  Marla Prince of Waste Management joined the School Board in making the special presentation at its May meeting.  This is the 12^th anniversary of the annual scholarship presentation! #CCSDfam

PHOTO: From left to right, Marla Prince of Waste Management and scholarship winner River Ridge HS graduating senior Billie O’Bryant.

Cherokee County School District students excelled in this year’s Social Studies Fair, with 16 projects advancing to Regionals and four students placing at the Georgia Council for the Social Studies State competition!

Through the annual event, students explore social studies in the areas of Sociology/Psychology, History, Anthropology, Economics, Geography and Political Science and complete a research project.

The Cherokee County School Board has recognized the winner of the inaugural LGE Community Credit Union Scholarship!  The newly established Partnership Agreement between the School Board and credit union specifies one $5,000 scholarship will be awarded by the Bank to a graduating senior from a CCSD high school each year, with a focus on outstanding community service.  The Class of 2019 winner selected by the credit union’s scholarship committee is Chase Thomas of Etowah High School! 

A Woodstock High School senior has earned a top award from the Georgia Department of Education!

Albani Andreina Arenas Tovar has earned the Excellence in English Learner Education Award, which recognizes an English Learner who has excelled in her school and community.  Albani and her teacher, Jamie Vogan, both were recognized in a recent ceremony at the State Capitol by State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods.

The Cherokee County School Board has recognized the winner of the inaugural East West Bank Scholarship!  The newly established Partnership Agreement between the School Board and bank specifies one $2,500 scholarship will be awarded by the Bank to a graduating senior from a CCSD high school each year. 

A Cherokee High School senior is one of only 17 students statewide to win a top honor from the Georgia Department of Education.

Jack Edmondson has earned the Award of Excellence, which recognizes Georgia high school seniors with special needs who achieve academic and/or extracurricular accomplishments.  He was honored by State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods at a recent ceremony at the State Capitol and joined by his Cherokee HS geometry teacher Lorri-Ann Brogdon, who nominated him for the award.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Indian Knoll Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Patti Nations!

Indian Knoll Elementary School Teacher of the Year Patti Nations felt called to her profession as a young girl, transforming everywhere she went into a classroom for her siblings or stuffed animals.

Our school counselors are extraordinary, which is why we’re sharing the stories of our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year… please help us celebrate Creekview Innovation Zone 2019 Counselor of the Year Katherine McNamara of Avery Elementary School!

CCSD middle schools will send about 100 students to the Battery at SunTrust Park this Sunday to participate in the Atlanta Braves Science of Baseball STEM Showcase, showing off what they've learned this year using the Science of Baseball curriculum.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, May 16, 2019 reviewed the Superintendent’s proposed budget for next school year and approved a new crackdown policy to stop student vaping.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Bascomb Elementary School Support Staff Employee of the Year Deanna Rechsteiner!

Eighteen Cherokee County School District high school students have been selected for the elite Georgia Governor’s Honors Program!

The statewide summer honors program for select rising high school juniors and seniors offers four weeks of college-level instruction at Berry College in Rome.

The Cherokee County School District saw great success at the 2019 Career and Technical Instruction State Leadership Conference with 23 students competing and one earning a top-three win!

The Cherokee County School District was well represented at the 71^st Georgia Science & Engineering Fair, with 20 Regional first-place winners, four State first-place winners and one student winning the State Fair’s Grand Award!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Partner of the Year: Bethel Tabernacle Church!

The Ralph Bunche Center in Canton, a CCSD Preschool Center, welcomed community partners for the first time to its end-of-the-year program for prekindergarten students and their families.  After the students performed onstage at Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy, families visited information tables set up by the Cherokee County Health Department, City of Canton, MUST Ministries and Sequoyah Regional Library System. 

CCSD elementary schools and preschools celebrated the special occasion with student-made crafts for moms and special events honoring mothers, like the Muffins for Mom breakfast on Friday morning at the Ralph Bunche Center, a CCSD Preschool Center. Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for sponsoring and to Business Development Officer Kelly Nagel for volunteering!

Twelve CCSD student athletes have been honored as Regional winners and two as State winners by Positive Athlete Georgia!

More than 3,000 students are nominated annually by coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers and parents.  Awards are presented for specific sports and regions, with a top award presented to one male and one female student for the entire state.

The Cherokee County School District is beginning a new service for families registering students for school.

The Centralized Summer Registration Center will allow parents to complete the process for registering students -- in any grade who will be new to CCSD for the 2019-20 school year -- early in the summer break, rather than waiting for school front offices to reopen.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Cherokee High School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Ginny Harden! The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

Congratulations to CCSD School Police Chief Mark Kissel on his Public Safety Employee of the Year Award presented today by the Rotary Club of Canton! Chief Kissel, at right, is retiring this year after a decorated career in law enforcement and public safety including the establishment of the CCSD School Police Department. We appreciate you and all that you have done for our community! #CCSDfam

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower today presented his top annual award for an instructional excellence advocate to Northside Hospital Cherokee’s CEO!

Dr. Hightower surprised Billy Hayes with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Advocacy during the monthly board meeting of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, for which the hospital leader serves as board President.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Hickory Flat Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Corinne Snow!

Hickory Flat Elementary School Teacher of the Year Corinne Snow is not only a positive strong influence in the lives of her students, she also is one of the most positive people her colleagues have ever known.

Our school counselors are extraordinary, which is why we’re sharing the stories of our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year… please help us celebrate Etowah Innovation Zone 2019 Counselor of the Year Danielle Mabeus of Bascomb Elementary School!

Georgia STEM Day 2019 had students in CCSD middle school classrooms working in teams to creatively solve problems and generate solutions.  Using videos and materials developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, students tackled their assigned problems across multiple subject areas throughout the day—and got to pitch their ideas to GTRI scientists and researchers to determine feasibility and get feedback to tweak their proposals. 

The Cherokee County School District has published its annual Financial Facts report, which provides highlights and snapshots from the proposed Annual Budget.

The report is posted online here and provides financial additional information to the community in advance of the School Board’s public hearings and budget adoption.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Safety & Security Support Staff Employee of the Year Officer Michael S. Hunt Jr.! #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District high schools and middle schools will have early release days later this month, which will affect traffic in the surrounding areas.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to River Ridge High School 2019 Partner of the Year: Georgia Army National Guard!

A Cherokee County School District team of elementary school students placed in the top 10 in a national computer coding challenge!

The Little River Elementary School "Coding Eagles" team placed ninth in the National Code Rush Challenge.

River Ridge High School junior Sathvika Narasimhan has earned a National honor for her achievements in computing.

She recently was presented the National Center for Women & Information Technology's Award for Aspirations in Computing at a ceremony held at Georgia Tech.

Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, advocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Cherokee County School District joins in this observance as we care deeply about the health and well-being of all of our students. Our school counselors, nurses, social workers and psychologists are here to help. We have developed a resource page for parents to learn more about mental health resources and suicide awareness and prevention: http://bit.ly/ccsdresources #CCSDfam #NCMHAD

Two Cherokee County School District graduating seniors have earned the prestigious National Merit Scholarship!

Kieran Black of Etowah High School and Jordan Vaughn of Sequoyah High School are two of only 2,500 students in the nation -- of the 1.6 Million students who took the 2017 PSAT exam -- to be awarded the $2,500 scholarship by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Cherokee County School District Innovation Zone Lead Principals, on behalf of all of their fellow Principals, presented gifts of appreciation to the Office of School Operations’ leaders on Tuesday at the last Principal’s Meeting of the school year. The group thanked Deputy Superintendent Trey Olson and Executive Directors Beth Long and Dr. Debra Murdock for their support over the past year. From left to right: Avery ES Principal Dr. Lisa Turner, Woodstock MS Principal David Childress, Creekview HS Principal Dr. Mark Merges, Ms. Long, Mr. Olson, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy Principal Dr. Abby May, Woodstock ES Principal Matt Freedman, Dr. Murdock, Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Penny Valle, Hickory Flat ES Principal Whitney Nolan and Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Rodney Larrotta. #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Ralph Bunche Center 2019 Volunteer of the Year: Laurel Canyon Optimist Club!

Please join us in thanking our school nurses today on National School Nurse Day! They provide exceptional care for our students, staff and visitors each day. #SND2019 #CCSDfam

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy this month became the first school in the Cherokee County School District - and only the 183rd in the world - to earn STEM certification from AdvancED, the international accreditation agency for educational institutions. 

Three retiring CCSD principals were honored Tuesday by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower for their service to the children of Cherokee County.  David Childress of Woodstock MS, Cindy Crews of Sixes ES, and Tammy Sandell of Knox ES STEM Academy were given a standing ovation by their fellow principals for their combined 87 years of service as teachers and administrators in the Cherokee County School District.

All six Cherokee County School District high schools have been named to U.S. News and World Report’s “Best High Schools” list!

The magazine’s prestigious list is based on factors including academic performance, college readiness, graduation rates and success of disadvantaged students. 

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day! We appreciate our outstanding teachers and all that they do every day to serve our community. #CCSDfam #ThankATeacher

A Cherokee County School District leader has been invited to present at a national conference!

CCSD Lead Speech-Language Pathologist Dr. Patti Howard will share her knowledge with colleagues from across the country at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Schools Connect Conference this summer.

Please help us spread the word: online registration for kindergartners and all students who will be new to CCSD for the 2019-20 school year is underway at https://registration.cherokeek12.net/. You can complete the online process in about 15 minutes and set up a time to visit the school and verify your required legal documents. Want to learn more about the learning that happens in our kindergarten classrooms? Check out the report: Ready to Learn: A Parent’s Guide to CCSD Kindergarten at http://bit.ly/CCSDkready #CCSDfam

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Sonja Chapman! 

A second-generation educator, Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy Teacher of the Year Sonja Chapman knew as a young girl that her calling was to be a superhero in the form of a teacher.

Our school counselors are extraordinary, which is why we’re sharing the stories of our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year… please help us celebrate River Ridge Innovation Zone 2019 Counselor of the Year Kelly Brangan of River Ridge High School!

For River Ridge High School Counselor Kelly Brangan, the highlight of her day is talking with students.

Today is School Lunch Hero Day in appreciation of school cafeteria workers nationwide! To show their appreciation, School Board members, the Superintendent of Schools (aka Captain Bowtie) and his senior staff, and community leaders worked the line of some of our lunchrooms today! #CCSDfam

Congratulations to all of our outstanding Partners in Education that were recognized this week as Partners in Excellence by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce! We appreciate you! #CCSDfam

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Ball Ground ES STEM Academy Support Staff Employee of the Year Lisa Adams! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

Connor Oakes, a seventh-grader at LR Tippens Educational Center, has been named one of the 10 national winners of the HMH READ 180 Awards for 2019!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Sequoyah High School 2019 Partner of the Year: Corporate Office Furniture & Panels, Inc.!  The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. 

The May edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features info on graduation, summer camp (the deadline to apply for CCSD Summer Discovery is Friday) -- and much more!  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Johnston Preschool Center 2019 Volunteer of the Year: CCSD Transition Academy! The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. 

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of School Operations Support Staff Employee of the Year Cindy Saville! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Sixes Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year: Modern Woodmen of America! The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. 

It’s spring… and that means plant sale time!

CCSD’s high school agriculture Career Pathway classes and extra-curricular programs offer students hands-on learning opportunities including cultivating plants. Once those plants are ready to leave the greenhouse, students sell them as a fundraiser… giving the community another way to support career education!

Please join CCSD in supporting April as the Month of the Military Child by wearing purple on Wednesday, April 10, for Purple Up Day! #GAMilitaryChildMonth #CCSDfam  Learn more here. 

This is National Social Work Month, and CCSD has four full-time social workers who assist the families of our 42,000 students in overcoming challenges that might affect their education.  Our social workers strive daily to connect families with community resources and provide interventions to address situations like homelessness, hunger, truancy, drug abuse, neglect and other challenges.   Last year, CCSD’s three social workers made 793 home visits; handled more than 800 cases; made 1,500 parent contacts and provided assistance to 146 homeless students.   This year, with the addition of a fourth member to the social worker team, they are on a pace to work 1,000 referrals and  serve more than 230 homeless students. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 honored a teacher with the second of his four top annual awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised E.T. Booth Middle School eighth-grade teacher Amy Loiselle with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Excellence during a before-school faculty meeting there, which erupted into applause for the honoree.

What is Child Find?
The purpose of Child Find is to identify, locate, and evaluate children and youth, who are suspected of having or have a diagnosed disability or developmental delay, in order to provide free appropriate Special Education services.  The Cherokee County School District serves children ages 3 to 21.

Five hundred Cherokee County School District students competed in the CCSD Elementary Science Olympiad, with four teams now headed to State!

Hickory Flat ES Team Green earned first place in the competition, with Mountain Road ES Team Red placing second; and Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue and Liberty ES tying for third.  These teams advance to the Georgia Elementary Science Olympiad on May 11 at Kennesaw State University.  

A Cherokee County School District culinary team competed at the State level with its Farm-to-School-inspired recipe!

The team of Etowah High School Family and Consumer Sciences students Isabelle Bridges, Milas Alexis Dominguez, Alexander Fiscarelli and Marie-Andree Girard was invited to cook up its Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl at the Georgia Department of Education’s third annual Shake it Up Farm-to-School Student Chef Competition in Macon.  Only nine teams from across the state were invited to compete; Putnam County High School’s team won the cook-off. 

The Cherokee County School Board is celebrating the CCSD School Police Department for its 20 years of exemplary service.  

Led since its establishment by Chief Mark Kissel, who has announced he will retire at the end of this school year, the Department consists of 20 police officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, an Emergency Management Facilitator and office staff.

The Cherokee County School District recently hosted a New Leaders Reception for the School Board to meet the educators recommended by the Superintendent of Schools for leadership roles including Principal posts.  The reception, which was sponsored by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a CCSD Partner, gave School Board members the chance to meet and talk with the leaders before voting to approve their new roles for next school year.  The new leaders and their families enjoyed a warm welcome, refreshments and the gift of a journal from Children’s Healthcare.  This is the second year for this tradition, and a second event will be hosted next month for the School Board to meet additional new leaders including those recommended for Assistant Principal posts. #CCSDfam

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Free Home Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Keith Furstenberg!

Physical Education teacher Keith Furstenberg’s selection as Free Home Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year by his peers is not only an honor, but also is especially remarkable, according to the Principal.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the Sequoyah Innovation Zone 2019 Media Specialist of the Year Mia Temples of Hickory Flat Elementary School!

Hickory Flat Elementary School Media Specialist Mia Temples is in a league of her own, according to her Principal.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 21, 2019 approved the appointment of five new Principals to fill vacancies for next school year, as well as a new head football coach for Creekview High School. 

The five new Principals are: for Clayton Elementary School, Carrie O’Bryant; E.T. Booth Middle School, Todd Sharrock; Knox Elementary School, Jennifer McIntosh; Sixes Elementary School, Dr. Ashley Kennerly; and Woodstock Middle School; Michael Santoro.

The Creekview High School Grizzly football program is under new management, with the unanimous vote tonight by the Cherokee County School Board to hire Trevor Williams as head coach.

Coach Williams most recently served at South Forsyth High School as its football team’s defensive coordinator and as a Special Education specialist and credit recovery program co-director.  A Cherokee County native, Coach Williams graduated from Sequoyah High School.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Technology & Information Services Support Staff Employee of the Year Jeremy Gravley! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District students excelled at the Georgia High School Association’s State Championships for Literary Teams, with one team winning the overall prize and nine students earning first-place awards!

Cherokee County School Board members regularly visit schools for tours with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, members of his staff and the school’s Principal and administrative team.  This week, the School Board visited Sequoyah High School, where they learned from Principal Bob Van Alstyne about new Advanced Placement class offerings; an initiative with its feeder elementary and middle schools to enhance the family culture in the Innovation Zone; and improvements made to school safety and security.  The group enjoyed a lunch featuring new School Nutrition cafeteria offerings, followed by strawberry shortcake made from scratch by Family and Consumer Sciences students! #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to 2019 Woodstock High School Partner of the Year: Cherokee Insurance Center! Learn more about partnering: https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Avery ES Volunteer of the Year Sandy Kreh!

The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam
 

Basketball season officially came to a close for CCSD’s high school seniors last Thursday night, as they played their final high school games together at Etowah High School in the Varsity Brands Senior Classic.  CCSD also presented a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as part of the event. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower on Monday presented the first of his four top awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised CCSD Supervisor of Digital Learning Joy Silk with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Support during a meeting Monday with her Office of Curriculum & Instruction colleagues, who rose for a standing ovation.

Congratulations to the winners of CCSD’s 2019 Georgia Young Authors Competition!  This contest showcases the excellent writing instruction that is taking place in each of CCSD’s schools in Grades K-12. 

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Etowah High School 2019 Teacher of the Year  Tabatha Box!

Etowah High School math teacher Tabatha Box loves teaching math -- so much so that the way to her heart on Valentine’s Day was a gift of a skirt patterned with equations.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the River Ridge Innovation Zone 2019 Media Specialist of the Year: Jacqueline Zaski of Arnold Mill Elementary School!

Arnold Mill Elementary School Media Specialist Jacqueline Zaski sees her role as an educator who uses the media center as her classroom.

CCSD's Communications Division today released the District's 2018 Annual Report of District Progress, showcasing CCSD student achievement and School District accountability across multiple metrics.  The report can be viewed here. 

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 ACE Academy Support Staff Employee of the Year Kathy Frost! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to 2019 Woodstock Middle School Partner of the Year: The Premier Group Real Estate Firm!  The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation.  Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships) to learn more! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District celebrated its Work-Based Learning program with regional guests and special recognitions of partners that help with this important career education initiative.

The Work-Based Learning program provides CCSD high school students the opportunity to explore possible careers through working in school partners’ places of business.  The School District this month for the first time hosted a regional Work Based Learning meeting, with high school career education teachers from across the state in attendance to learn about one of CCSD’s programs: healthcare science.  

Happy Registered Dietitian Day! We appreciate CCSD's own registered dietitian Linda Dittrich, whose work makes our School Nutrition menus healthier and ensures choices are available for children with different dietary needs. #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Arnold Mill ES Volunteer of the Year Cecilia Marin!  The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

A Cherokee County School District student has earned first place in Georgia in a statewide essay contest!

Free Home Elementary School fifth-grader Katie Rickert is her grade level’s winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s American History Essay Contest.

E.T. Booth Middle School seventh-grade science teacher Kara Reeder does more than ensure students master STEM knowledge – she “truly changes the trajectory of students’ lives.”

One parent shared how, before Ms. Reeder’s class, her son didn’t like science class much.  But after Ms. Reeder’s hands-on lessons connected to real-life experiences, that all changed.  Now, she said, he’s a STEM Pathway student at Etowah High School focused on a career in engineering.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the 2019 Etowah Innovation Zone Media Specialist of the Year Pam Morris of Bascomb Elementary School!

No day is the same for media specialist Pam Morris, due to the many roles and responsibilities she has taken on at Bascomb Elementary School.

Want to be inspired? Check out CNN's feature on Matthew Lane, an Etowah High School senior basketball player and Positive Athlete Georgia honoree, who overcame cancer and now shares his story with students. The story features footage from his recent visit to speak to Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy fifth-graders. As Matthew says: "Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive." #CCSDfam https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2019/03/07/positive-athlete-matthew-lane.cnn/video/playlists/cnn-positive-athlete/

The Cherokee County School District celebrated outstanding school community partners and volunteers at the Sixth Annual CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony.

The ceremony on Thursday, March 8, 2019 at CCSD’s Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo Educational Services Facility honored a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center.  The evening included the surprise announcement of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year selected from that pool of 79 honorees.

The Cherokee County School District celebrated the important role of support staff at its inaugural Support Staff Employee of the Year Awards on Tuesday evening.

The celebration honored one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions.  Each of the 46 honorees were recognized by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board members, received a plaque and gifts of appreciation including a $100 Visa card funded by sponsors, and enjoyed a reception with their family, Principals and other CCSD leaders.

Missed our job fair, but still want to learn more about joining the #CCSDfam for next school year? We're participating in the Cherokee Career Expo from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center (1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 30114). We're hiring teachers, school nurses, bus drivers, school nutrition cafeteria staff, clerical support and more! #CherokeeByChoice Click here for more: https://www.cherokeega.org/career-expo/

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Dean Rusk Middle School 2019 Teacher of the Year Bonnie Jackson!
Bonnie Jackson is a teacher’s teacher.  

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the Cherokee Innovation Zone honoree, Anne Nechvatal of Cherokee High School!

Anne Nechvatal has made a lasting impact on the profession of media specialist, with countless colleagues throughout CCSD and statewide naming her as inspiration and mentor.

Do you know the rules of the road when encountering school buses?  When to stop and when you can keep going?  Check out this video - http://bit.ly/stop4bus - to learn more. #SafeCherokee

The Cherokee County School District’s award-winning School Nutrition department will celebrate National School Breakfast Week from March 4 to 8 with special items on the menu at all CCSD school cafeterias including a fruit parfait on Tuesday and breakfast for lunch on Wednesday.  The week’s theme is “School Breakfast: Start Your Engines.” 

#CCSDfam #NSBW19

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating the importance of literacy with its second annual month-long “Get CCSD Reading” campaign! 

In support of the statewide Get Georgia Reading initiative, the program kicks off with Read Across America Day on Friday, a nationwide reading event that coincides with renowned children’s book author and illustrator Dr. Seuss’s March 2 birthday.

The Cherokee County School District and one of its leaders are finalists for national school spirit awards!

The Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards celebrate schools, organizations and individuals who “go above and beyond the call of duty to build school pride, student engagement and community spirit.”  

The finalists list just released by the company names Woodstock High School Principal Mark Smith as a contender for its Most Spirited Principal award, and CCSD for the Spirit of St. Jude Award.  Winners will be announced at the company’s School Spirit Awards Show in Orlando on May 11.  

The Cherokee County School District recognized 301 extraordinary high school juniors as Superintendent’s Key Scholars!

Twenty-two Cherokee County School District students are headed to the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair next month!

CCSD’s top young scientists and engineers recently competed at the Northwest Georgia Regional Science and Engineering Fair, where 22 students – all from three schools: E.T. Booth Middle, Freedom Middle and Woodstock High -- earned first-place and the opportunity to advance to the State event.  The State fair is at the University of Georgia from March 28-30.  

The Cherokee County School District seeks to score with a new math campaign and competition connected to the excitement of college basketball’s “March Madness.”

The month-long CCSD Math Madness celebration begins this week in schools across CCSD, with activities planned by the Office of Curriculum & Instruction that encourage problem-solving, real-world math application… and fun!  Students in kindergarten through fifth grade also will have the chance to win prizes through an i-Ready Math March Madness competition using CCSD’s online math system.

The Cherokee County School District has kicked off a significant update to its five-year Strategic Plan and began the process with community engagement.

The School District, with the support of the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA), is developing a new plan aligned with the community’s vision for the future and designed to be better understood and appreciated by the community and more accurately implemented and measured by CCSD staff.

Congratulations to Freedom Middle School eighth-grader Braden Flournoy, the Cherokee County School District’s spelling bee winner, who this past weekend won the Regional competition! He now advances to the Georgia Association of Educators’ State Spelling Bee on March 15 in Atlanta. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is expanding its week-long summer enrichment program to all rising first- through fifth-graders! Previously offered as a program for specific schools, this year's fun and educational CCSD Summer Discovery program will be offered at two campuses, Hickory Flat and Liberty Elementary Schools, and open to CCSD students -- no matter the school they attend. Two sessions will be offered each day from June 3-7 (9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.), and students can enroll in one or both (students who enroll in both will have time to eat a lunch brought from home on campus). Parents will need to provide transportation for their students, as well as lunch; before- and after-care is not provided. More details -- including course offerings and costs -- will be shared with parents of elementary school students soon!

UPDATE:  The Cherokee Lady Warriors and the Creekview Lady Grizzlies will advance to the Elite 8 round of State Tournament play.  Cherokee will host Rockdale and Creekview will host Forest Park; Cherokee playsTuesday night (Feb. 26), 6:30 pm at Cherokee; Creekview plays Wednesday at 6 pm.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Creekview High School 2019 Teacher of the Year Liana Howard!

Creekview High School teacher Liana Howard has a quote from “To Kill a Mockingbird” on her English classroom wall: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.”

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 recognized retiring Principals and the School District’s retiring police chief and approved appointments to fill several leadership vacancies for next school year. 

The monthly personnel recommendations made more news than usual due to the announcement of retirements of several longtime leaders and the naming of two Office of Curriculum & Instruction directors and a coordinator for 2019-20 operations.

Five Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named 2019 National Merit Scholarship Finalists!

Anne Greer of Cherokee High School, Kieran Black of Etowah High School, Mia McMahill of River Ridge High School, and Natasha Ambriz-Villela and Jordan Vaughn of Sequoyah High School now are in the running for possible scholarships.  

New York Times best-selling author Laura Schroff visited Sequoyah HS Tuesday, speaking to students and reinforcing the message from her book "An Invisible Thread," which is used in literature classes.

Nine CCSD basketball teams are in the hunt for a state title after the close of region tournaments last week. Cherokee HS Girls team and the Etowah Eagles Boys team each earned Region Champion titles, while seven additional teams earned playoff berths.

The Cherokee County School District next month will present its first-ever Support Staff Employee of the Year Awards!

The celebration on March 5 will honor one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions.  Each honoree will be recognized by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board members, receive a plaque and gifts of appreciation, and enjoy a reception with their family and Principal. 

Cherokee HS sophomore Rebekah Seng was presented the Congressional Award, Silver Medal today at the school by Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk's office.  State and Local Government Relations Director Mack Parnell from Congressman Loudermilk's staff presented the medal to Rebekah, who is a member of the JROTC program at Cherokee HS, in a small ceremony in the JROTC classroom with her parents and special guests.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Creekland Middle School 2019 Teacher of the Year Laura Brown!

Creekland Middle School special education teacher Laura Brown’s eighth-graders complete a project each year called “The Power of One.”  They study the positive impact a prominent person in history, such as Malala Yousafzai or Jesse Owens, has made in the lives of others.

More than 650 female athletes from Cherokee County's six high schools participated in the county's annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), held Wednesday, February 6, at Woodstock High School. NGWSD recognizes the contributions female athletes have made in their sports, acknowledges the challenges they have overcome, and celebrates the positive influence of sports participation for girls and women everywhere, as well as the impact of Title IX legislation that guarantees equal access to athletics for females. 

Cherokee County School District’s high schools all have earned State recognition for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs!

Each of CCSD’s six traditional high schools has earned recognition from the State as a 2019 AP Honor School for commendable student performance and participation on AP exams.  CCSD’s high schools all have been named to the State’s AP Honor List each of the last nine years.  As a district, CCSD ranks fifth overall in Georgia for AP exam pass rates.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s 2019 STAR Students and Teachers!

The STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, Student honor is awarded to the high school senior from each Georgia public and private high school with the highest score on any single test date of the SAT (taken through the November test date of senior year), who also in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of his or her class based on grade point average. Each honored student is invited to select his or her favorite teacher to be named that school’s STAR Teacher.

CCSD employs 90 counselors across 39 schools and centers to provide support and guidance to our students. Thank you to all our counselors for their daily efforts to help students and families!  In recognition of National School Counseling Week, we asked our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year to share some thoughts about being a school counselor-- what they enjoy most about their job and how parents can best help their children.  Parents are encouraged to reach out to their child's counselor if they have concerns, questions or need information or resources.  They are here to help! 

Congratulations to the winners of the annual CCSD Reading Bowl!  They are… for elementary school: Avery Elementary School, first place; R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy, second; and Little River Elementary School, third; middle school: Freedom Middle School, first place, and Dean Rusk Middle School, second; and high school: Creekview High School, first place, and River Ridge High School, second. #CCSDfam

Please help the Georgia PTA learn more about family engagement in our schools by taking this quick survey by Feb. 15: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4338471/8e40728cd90f  #CCSDfam

CCSD recognized 58 high school seniors today who have signed scholarship letters of intent to play their sport at the college level.  The Signing Day event at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton recognized students who will be playing football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, basketball, swimming, tumbling, volleyball, golf and track. 

CCSD high school and middle school basketball teams ended their regular seasons last week and begin tournament play tonight, lasting through the week.  All six of CCSD's high schools will have both their boys' and girls' teams involved in regional tournaments to determine seeding/eligibility for the state tournament, which kicks off February 15.  CCSD middle schools will begin the county tournament schedule tonight to determine the county champion for boys and girls teams, 7th and 8th grade.  Schedules/brackets can be found here. 

The latest issue of our CCSD Connections parent newsletter is online now: https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for its sponsorship! #CCSDfam

Parents who wish to utilize general reassignment as a school choice option within the Cherokee County School District next school year can make those requests during the next month.

Due to forecasts for possible inclement weather tomorrow, all CCSD schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. We will continue to monitor conditions tomorrow to determine if further action is needed. Updates will be posted & emailed to parents. How do we decide? Learn more here (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/school-closure-decision-process). #SafeCherokee 

The Superintendent of Schools will make an announcement by Jan. 31 as to whether classes will be held during the last three days of February Break.

As you know, schools are scheduled to be closed on Monday, Feb. 18, and Tuesday, Feb. 19 for student holidays.  The CCSD school calendar designates Wednesday, Feb. 20, through Friday, Feb. 22, as possible school holidays or inclement weather make-up days.

The latest issue of our CCSD Connections parent newsletter is online now: https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for its sponsorship! #CCSDfam

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Carmel Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Melanie Phillips!

Kindergarten teacher Melanie Phillips’ heart hurts when she hears her students described as “those kids.”

Please share this information… we’re seeking a Supervisor of Application Support Services to join our CCSD family!  To apply: Click Jobs@CCCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net.  For more information & to make referrals: contact CCSD Recruitment Coordinator Lindsay Bowley atLindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256. #CCSDfam

Students throughout the Cherokee County School District celebrated the spirit of the season through service learning projects.  They, with the support of teachers and staff, parents, and school partners, collected thousands of donations of gifts, food and other necessities for families in need in their community.  Many also volunteered throughout the community to serve and spread holiday cheer.  Here are a few photos from the many ways our students helped make the community a better place this holiday season!  #CCSDfam  

Teasley Middle School presented its annual Spirit of the Season program Friday morning in a school assembly. Students enjoyed entertaining skits, a dance presentation and performances by the chorus and band, all of which culminated in a presentation of their gifts to the community: 1600+ food items, 250+ toys and more than $2,000 in cash and gift card donations to make the holidays bright for area families. TMS also fulfilled holiday wishes for more than 200 families at the school.

The fourth grade classes at Hickory Flat Elementary School turned their hallway and classrooms into a Colonial Christmas village before the break with costumes, decorations and lessons from the early days of America. Students made ornaments, solved colonial STEM problems, created silhouettes and learned calligraphy, among their activities.

Cherokee County School District middle and high schools will have an early release day on Dec. 21, as students begin their winter holiday break.

On Friday, Dec. 21, all CCSD high schools and middle schools will dismiss on a half-day schedule, with buses departing early.  Elementary school dismissal is not affected and will remain 2:15 p.m.  Preschool program dismissal also is not affected.  The After School Program will not be offered at CCSD elementary schools.

Four Cherokee County School District schools have been honored by the Governor for academic progress and success!
 
Avery Elementary School and R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy earned top Gold Awards and Creekview High School won Silver in the “Greatest Gains” ratings announced by Gov. Nathan Deal.  These awards recognize only 112 schools statewide that earned a three-year average CCRPI (College and Career Ready Performance Index) Progress Score ranking in at least the 93rd percentile.  

The Cherokee Farm to School Second Annual Golden Shovel Award was presented to Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy and teacher Mollie Guy!

Cherokee Farm to School is a collaboration between the Cherokee County Farm Bureau, local farms and agriculture businesses, and the Cherokee County School District and its School Nutrition program.  The award recognizes a teacher who goes above and beyond in school garden work at his or her school.  The winning school receives a raised garden bed from the Cherokee County Farm Bureau, and the honored teacher receives a trophy and a real shovel.

CCSD bus drivers and other transportation employees donated food, treats, pillows, linens and other essentials for the boys in foster care at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch in Waleska.  The donations were delivered via school bus on Monday, December 17 by Deputy Superintendent Trey Olson, Transportation Director Jim Georges,  Transportation Specialists Joan Dillon and David Ammons, as well as driver Joseph "Sarge" Farrell, who drives the middle/high school route that serves the ranch. 

A Cherokee County School District student has won the region’s annual student essay contest on protecting water resources!

Woodstock Middle School seventh-grader Bryce Jones not only was named the Cherokee County winner in the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s annual contest, he also was named the regional winner out of more than 1,200 entries.

Lori Moore headed to college with plans to become a broadcast journalist.  

But she soon realized the headline she hoped would define her life story would be a different one: “Educator Makes Positive Impact on Students’ Lives.”

The Cherokee County School District participated in the National Hour of Code event… but instead of just an hour, celebrated for an entire week!  Students participated both through lessons on computers and “unplugged” activities that taught them coding principles without using technology.  Here are a few photos of the many activities that happened districtwide! #CCSDfam #CCSDstem 

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, began the School District’s personnel hiring process for next school year, which will not include significant growth.

The first step in this process is adoption of the Superintendent of Schools’ organizational chart, which will be in effect for the next two years, and was approved unanimously by the School Board.  As student enrollment growth has slowed, the plan calls for reorganizing central office Divisions and restructuring roles to allow for better use of current staff to serve changing needs.

More than 200 senior football players, cheerleaders, marching band members and JROTC cadets had one last night under the lights as CCSD high schools came together for the 2018 Varsity Brands Senior Bowl.  The White team, comprised of players from Cherokee, Creekview and River Ridge HS, claimed the win over the Gray team, formed from Etowah, Sequoyah and Woodstock.  All proceeds from the charity game went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

A group of Sequoyah High School students is nationally ranked for its career skills!

The Sequoyah Hot Rodders team of Automotive Technology students placed seventh at the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow National Engine Challenge Competition in Las Vegas… outscoring teams from across the country!

Due to forecasted icy road conditions, all CCSD schools and offices will operate on a 2-hour delay Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Buses will pick up 2 hours late; school will end on time. We will closely monitor conditions overnight to determine if further action is needed.  Updates will be shared on our website and social media, and by email to parents.  How do we decide? Learn more here (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/school-closure-decision-process). #SafeCherokee 

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Bascomb Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Leslie Kreiger!

When new kindergartners walk through the door of teacher Leslie Kreiger’s Bascomb Elementary School classroom, they find themselves eye-to-eye with her.  

The latest issue of our CCSD Connections parent newsletter is online now! Read up on all the latest CCSD news including important info about inclement weather: Friday, Dec. 7, is the last day to update your inclement weather early dismissal transportation plan using our online system! #CCSDfam

A Cherokee County School District elementary school has been named a Georgia Title I Distinguished School!
                    
R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy has achieved the elite recognition awarded only to the top 5% of Title I schools in the State based on its students’ academic success and progress last school year.  Title I schools are those that serve higher populations of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

In cooperation with the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, there will be an increased law enforcement presence today (12/4/18) at CCSD schools used as polling sites (http://bit.ly/runoff12418 ), with an emphasis on arrival, dismissal and ASP dismissal times. #SafeCherokee

Boston Elementary School has been named a 2018-19 National Beta School of Distinction!  

This award recognizes schools with Beta or Junior Beta Clubs that are growing and showing outstanding academic achievement, exemplary character, demonstrated leadership and service to others.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Lisa Nations!

Lisa Nations is a rock for Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy and her community.

Woodstock High School students are economics state champions!  

A team of four seniors won first-place statewide in the Georgia Council of Economic Education’s Georgia Personal Finance Challenge.  They now head to the national competition in May!  

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy celebrated its new partnership with the Rotary Club of Canton on Tuesday -- and accepted a generous donation to help its special needs students! Club members visited the school for lunch and a tour of its accessibility lab, which provides sensory learning opportunities for special needs students. The Club’s $5,000 donation presented on Tuesday will fund additional equipment for the lab, which was created by teacher Amy Jones.

Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal visited two Cherokee County School District elementary schools this week to read to students.  During her visits to Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy and Oak Grove Elementary School Fine Arts Academy, Mrs. Deal read stories about achieving dreams and spoke to students about their own career aspirations.  She encouraged students to work hard and continue reading every day! #CCSDfam

Congrats to the Woodstock High School Navy Junior ROTC Academic Team on winning the North Cobb Area 12 Brain Brawl, qualifying them for the Area Championship in March! Team members are, from left to right, Ansley Reed-Triola, Anna Fournaris, Ben Ziemecki, Harrison Provost, Noah Myers and Sebastian Escamilla. Their coach is teacher Lt. Mark Fagan. #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District middle and high schools will have an early release day on Dec. 21, as students begin their winter holiday break.

On Friday, Dec. 21, all CCSD high schools and middle schools will dismiss on a half-day schedule, with buses departing early.  Elementary school dismissal is not affected and will remain 2:15 p.m.  Preschool program dismissal also is not affected.  The After School Program will not be offered at CCSD elementary schools.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Avery Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Bonnie Smith!

A special U.S. flag hangs in the main hallway of Avery Elementary School that symbolizes the impact of its Teacher of the Year, Bonnie Smith.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Arnold Mill Elementary School 2019 Teacher of the Year Brooke McMullen!

Teacher Brooke McMullen’s second-graders master more than State academic performance standards during their year in her Arnold Mill Elementary School classroom.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate ACE Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Pete Godfrey!

Schools throughout the Cherokee County School District celebrated Veterans Day with special programs and lessons on Friday and today. Activities included breakfasts for veterans invited by their children or grandchildren who attend the hosting school, with guest speakers, musical performances by students and the presentation of colors by students active in Scout troops. Students also made special displays to honor veterans, including those in their families who have passed away and soldiers considered missing in action. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District’s VILLA parent academy program participants took a field trip to tour schools this week – complete with a school bus ride!

VILLA (Volunteer Instructional Leadership Learning Academy) is a free six-week program that offers participants the opportunity to learn more about the public schools in their community.  In addition to classes with School Board and staff presentations on CCSD operations, participants take a field trip to see teaching and learning firsthand.

A CCSD leader has been named the Region 4-7A Athletic Director of the Year! 
 
Jeremy Adams, the athletic director and an assistant principal for Cherokee High School, now is in the running for the State title in recognition of his service to high school athletics and student athletes.
 

Cherokee County School District schools have earned high ratings for cultivating a positive school climate! 
 
The District earned a 4-star average on the 5-star scale in the Georgia Department of Education’s annual ratings, which measure how a community views the quality of its school’s culture and character; the highest possible rating is 5 stars.  The rating is based on a survey of students, parents and teachers; student discipline issue rates; and daily attendance.
 

Cherokee County School District drama students shone at Regional One Act Play Contest competitions!

In Region 6-6A, Sequoyah High School hosted Regions and earned second place overall, with River Ridge High School placing fifth and Creekview High School competing.  

In Region 4-7A, Cherokee High School hosted the competition and placed second, followed by Etowah High School in third and Woodstock High School in fourth place.  

A Cherokee County School District student’s photography and commentary on his generation has been published by the New York Times!

Cherokee High School junior Noah Lee is one of 36 high school students whose photograph was selected from thousands entered across the country at the media company’s request.  The Times asked teens to “analyze media and adult stereotypes about their generation — then take photos to counter them.”

The Creekview High School JROTC Raider Team has won the U.S. Army State Championships for the second consecutive year and competes this weekend at Nationals! 

Student team commander Sgt. Major Dylan Burgess led his classmates to defend last year’s State title by winning first- and second-place trophies in every event at the State championships, the only team to do so.  The team now travels to Nationals this weekend to compete against 24 other states from across the country.  The CrossFit-style competition includes six hours of athletic events with cadets completing all events as a team rather than as individuals.

The Cherokee County School District honored extraordinary educators with a dinner, tributes and gifts at the 2018 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration on Thursday night... with a new twist: the surprise announcement of the CCSD Teacher of the Year at the event.

With the creation this year of a new Finalist level of recognition, also came the decision to make the announcement of the overall winner a surprise at the dinner, and Mill Creek Middle School PE and health teacher Dana Townsend received the exciting news at the end of the program!

A Cherokee County School District educator has been tapped to serve on the State School Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council!

Creekview High School American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Andrea Sheldon is among the select group of teachers from across Georgia selected to represent their profession on the board.  The Council meets twice a year to advise Georgia Superintendent of School Dr. Richard Woods on State-level education issues and provide him insight as to how those decisions impact classroom teachers and instruction.

The Cherokee County School District’s second annual VILLA Program now underway encourages and celebrates parent engagement!

The parent academy program began last year in CCSD as a pilot initiative developed with the Georgia School Boards Association and with the support of Cherokee County School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, who championed the idea during her re-election campaign. 

Freedom Middle School earned the top trophy at this year’s Cherokee County School District Middle School Academic Bowl.  Creekland Middle School came in second at the event, which is organized by CCSD’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction and was hosted this year by Dean Rusk Middle School.

What is Dual Enrollment? Who can participate? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? If you have questions like these, please join us for a free CCSD Dual Enrollment Information Night open to all CCSD high school parents at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, at Sequoyah HS or Thursday, Nov. 15, at Etowah HS. 

Two Cherokee County School District nurses are statewide award finalists!

CCSD Lead Nurse Gwen Chambers and Arnold Mill Elementary School Nurse Betty Miller are finalists for the March of Dimes 2018 Georgia Nurse of the Year Awards, which honor excellence in patient care, compassion, and service.

A Cherokee County School District leader has been named a finalist for the statewide title of 2019 Georgia Assistant Principal of the Year!

Creekview High School Assistant Principal Jessica Whitley is one of five leaders announced today as finalists for the award presented by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.  The winner of the award, which is open to middle and high school assistant principals statewide, recognizes “outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students.”  

The Cherokee County School District and Georgia Bureau of Investigation next week will co-host a summit on youth suicide prevention.

The Cherokee County Youth Suicide Prevention Summit, which is open to the public, is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, at the Cherokee County Conference Center at 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 30114. 

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM has earned national recognition for its successful efforts to improve classroom instruction!

The school, led by Principal Joey Moss, has earned the Model Professional Learning Community at Work honor from Solution Tree, one of only 200 honored schools and districts in the nation – and only the second school in Georgia, following Etowah High School.

The Cherokee County School District for the sixth consecutive year has exceeded the State’s average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) accountability system score, which annually calculates student academic achievement and progress.

The School District’s 2017-18 CCRPI average, released today by the Georgia Department of Education, is 79, as compared to the State average of 76.6.  Scores at all three levels of CCSD schools surpass State performance: 78.9 elementary (77.8 Georgia); 76.5 middle (76.2); 81.2 high (75.3).  Significant formula revisions to this year’s system make it impossible to accurately compare these new averages to past results, according to the GDOE. 

CCSD held a Bus Driver Appreciation breakfast at its transportation depots this week, thanks to our sponsor Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Drivers were treated to biscuits, fruit and coffee, with door prizes and small tokens of appreciation from CHOA. 

Going once, going twice, gone! Your bid can be the winning one at CCSD’s annual surplus equipment auction, which is open to the public, and begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the CCSD Central Warehouse (201 Mountain Brook Court, Canton, 30115). The sale preview starts at 7:30 a.m. More information is listed on the auctioneer's website: http://jeffdobson.com/

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018 outscored the previous class, topped State and National averages and ranked second among metro Atlanta counties on the SAT, according to results released today by the College Board!
 
The CCSD Class of 2018 earned an average total score of 1122, an increase from last year’s 1121, on the curriculum-based, college entrance and placement exam – the most commonly recognized measure of achievement for high school students.  The score exceeds the National public school average by 73 points and the State by 68 points… and ranks CCSD as the ninth highest-performing school district statewide!

The Transition Academy helps young adults with cognitive disabilities make a smooth transition into the community after they exit the school system.

The Cherokee County School District won top awards for communications and community engagement including three “Best in State” top honors! 

The Georgia School Public Relations Association’s Annual Publications, Photography & Electronic Media Contest recognizes outstanding work by public schools, school systems, post-secondary institutions, and educational agencies and associations.  The winners were announced at the Association’s Annual Conference on Saturday; CCSD earned the highest total of “Best in State” awards presented, as well as six Gold, 11 Silver and four Bronze awards.

CCSD high school students improved their performance on College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams in 2018, with 74% of students scoring a 3 or higher, up from 71% in 2017 and again exceeding state and national averages. 

A Cherokee County School District elementary school is a finalist for three statewide STEM education awards!

The Technology Association of Georgia and the TAG Education Collaborative have selected Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy as a finalist for its 2018 Georgia STEM Education Awards.  

Congratulations to CCSD's School Nutrition program, which formally accepted its Platinum-level Golden Radish Award at an awards ceremony in Atlanta today!

CCSD School Nutrition, which serves 5 million meals each year in our school cafeterias, for the second consecutive year won the award from Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health and Education, and Georgia Organics.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, purchased land for a replacement Canton Elementary School, the construction of which will be included in the 2021 Education Special Local Option Sales Tax renewal proposal. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said the purchase of 63 acres on the east side of Reinhardt College Parkway (Highway 140) 2.8 miles north of the Riverstone Parkway/Waleska Road intersection for $26,000 an acre is a promise kept by him and the School Board. 

Thanks to the support of partner Northside Hospital Cherokee, the Cherokee County School District received EpiPens at no cost for all of its schools!  The cost of the pens – auto-injectors that can be life-saving in cases of serious allergic reaction - was waived by manufacturer, Mylan, as part of its EpiPen4Schools program.  CCSD’s participation in the program was made possible by NHC Dr. Matthew Simmons, who wrote prescriptions for each school’s clinic. 

More Cherokee County School District Class of 2018 students took the ACT exam than any previous class, while maintaining impressive averages and exceeding National and State averages!

Results released today show the Class of 2018 posted an excellent overall score of 23, while a record number took the challenging college entrance and placement examination: 1,809 students -- an 11-percent increase from the previous year.  The score ranks CCSD third among metro Atlanta counties and seventh in Georgia – out of 180 school districts!

The Cherokee County School District next week will host a PTA-sponsored program for parents on drug addiction and prevention with guest speakers including Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds.

Representatives from businesses and organizations throughout the community came out Thursday to Partner Up with CCSD schools!

Participants met one-on-one with leaders from CCSD's schools to share coffee and conversation about partnership opportunities. Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for sponsoring the Partner Up event.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating National School Lunch Week next week with special entrees!

The National School Lunch Program serves 30 million children every day, and this year’s celebration theme, “Lots 2 Love,” encourages students and school nutrition professionals to share what they love most about school lunch.

The Cherokee Sheriff's Office is seeking more dedicated crossing guards to protect our students and keep traffic moving safely around our schools! #SafeCherokee

CCSD Preschools recently received a donation of six wagons, three of which are outfitted to carry medical equipment, to help children with special needs. 

A Cherokee County School District teacher has earned a top educator honor presented by Yale University!

Matt Bartula of Sequoyah High School has won the 2018 Yale Educator Award – one of only 59 teachers worldwide to be honored.

Curtains up! CCSD's high school theater season kicks off tonight at Cherokee High School and continues with fall shows from all of our outstanding troupes! #CCSDfam

Eighteen Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named National Merit Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation!  

This recognition is based on the high scores the students earned on the PSAT.  Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses that will be awarded in the spring.

A Cherokee County School District senior has achieved a perfect score on the ACT!

Etowah High School senior Victoria “Tori” Ridgeway earned the top composite score of 36 on the college entrance and placement test – a feat accomplished by, on average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT!  

The Cherokee County School District began a new tradition today by surprising four teachers with the news they are CCSD Teacher of the Year Finalists!

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower visited the four teachers’ classrooms to announce their selection, from the field of all CCSD schools’ and centers’ Teachers of the Year, to vie for the top honor.  

“Our School District truly is defined by the quality of our teachers, both their classroom instruction and the culture they create as role models and leaders,” Dr. Hightower said.  “With as many schools and teachers as we have, we certainly were ready to create another level of Teacher of the Year recognition.  We’re so proud of these finalists; they’re not just great educators -- they’re great people.”

The finalists are: Tabatha Box, math teacher at Etowah High School; Jama McCartney, art teacher at Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy; Karen Reynolds, first-grade teacher at Little River Elementary School; and Dana Townsend, PE teacher at Mill Creek Middle School.

Express Gateway update portal, the online system for parents to change phone, email or important information for students, is now available. 

CCSD is participating in Georgia’s Farm to School month celebration with special menu items including a Kickin’ it with Kale salad on Wednesday!  

The fresh kale, cranberry and apple salad will be available throughout CCSD cafeterias as a side choice at lunch on Wednesday, with students encouraged to try kale, a vegetable that may be new to them. 

A Woodstock High School student has been selected for a Harvard University high school debate program!

Junior Laney Broussard is one of an elite group of students, selected from hundreds of applications, to participate on the 2019 Harvard Debate Council through the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project.

October is Farm to School Month, and the Cherokee County School District and its School Nutrition Program are celebrating!  The CCSD School Nutrition Program has won state and national recognition for its commitment to serving fresh ingredients from local farms in cafeterias and educating students about agriculture and healthy eating. 

Dean Rusk MS held a breakfast kickoff with the Atlanta Community Food Bank on Friday September 28^th from 8:15 - 9 am while students arrived for school.  

The Cherokee County School District was honored with two awards at the Georgia School Nutrition Association’s annual fall luncheon this week! 

The School District’s School Nutrition program, which is led by Director Tina Farmer, was formally recognized at the event as a Georgia USDA Best Practice Award winner in the category of Farm to School Programs.  

The State announced this summer that CCSD had earned the prestigious award, which honors school nutrition programs that serve locally grown foods and educate students about them, for the second consecutive year.

A Cherokee County School District parent mentor has earned a top statewide award for her service!

JoEllen Hancock, a 13-year parent mentor who supports the families of students served by CCSD’s Office of Special Education, won the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership’s 2018 Phil Pickens Award.

Two Cherokee County School District teachers have been named Georgia’s Recreation Specialists of the Year!

Amy Aenchbacher and Dave Martinez, who both work as adaptive physical education specialists for CCSD’s Special Education department, earned the honor from the Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance (GAHPERD).

Woodstock MS teacher Victoria Corr has earned the Charles “Coach” Cooper Scholarship awarded by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation.

The Cherokee County School District’s graduation rate has reached a new high, with 87.4% of the Class of 2018 earning a diploma within four years of entering high school.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, voiced their support of parents and employees, who overwhelmingly voted in a recent survey to keep the current school calendar – and local control of it.  

In response to widespread media coverage of the formation of a Senate Study Committee to mandate a school start date after Labor Day for all Georgia public schools, the CCSD Office of Communications over the past week conducted a brief survey of parents, employees and the School Board’s Student Delegates.  The survey resulted in 8,305 responses from parents and 2,674 responses from employees.

Two Cherokee County School District leaders have earned top awards from a statewide organization in recognition of their advocacy for physical education and health programs!

Five Cherokee County School District high school seniors today were named 2019 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists in the prestigious annual competition!

They are: of Cherokee HS, Anne Greer; of Creekview HS, Noah Tetpon; of Etowah HS, Kieran Black; of River Ridge HS, Mia McMahill; and of Sequoyah HS, Natasha Ambriz-Villela.  Less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors are named semi-finalists. 

Four Cherokee County School District students have been named to the State School Superintendent’s 2018-19 Student Advisory Council!

Woodstock HS junior Zakwan Khan, Creekland MS eighth-graders Sean Czerner and Brayden Fuentes, and E.T. Booth MS eighth-grader Ila Prabhuram are among the 120 students statewide selected to serve on the board of middle and high school students.  This is the second consecutive year Brayden has been chosen to serve. 

The Cherokee County School District for the second consecutive year has earned Georgia’s top honor for preparing and serving fresh, healthy meals to students!

CCSD’s School Nutrition program, which serves 5 million meals each year in school cafeterias, earned the Golden Radish Award at the Platinum Level from the Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health, Education and Georgia Organics.

Applications for free and reduced-price meals must be completed every school year under Federal guidelines.  If your student was approved for free of reduced-price meals last school year, the approval has been extended for the first 30 operating days of the school year.  Previous year meal benefits will expire on Sept. 12, 2018 unless a new application is received.

The Ralph Bunche Center in Canton, a CCSD Preschool Center, celebrated an exceptional school partner this week.

The Christian Egner Foundation, named for a student who passed away, raises funds to benefit the Center and other programs in the community that serve special needs children. The Foundation on Thursday celebrated its Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting, and the preschool hosted the ceremony at its playground. The ceremony included special singing by students and guests.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s School Teachers of the Year winners!

At the start of every school year, each CCSD school is asked to select its own Teacher of the Year.  These school-level winners now are eligible for the honor of Cherokee County School District 2019 Teacher of the Year!  

CCSD's Office of Safety & Security, in collaboration with Cherokee County Office of Fire & Emergency Services and Woodstock Fire Department, is sponsoring a districtwide fire safety contest for students!

National Fire Prevention Week is October 7–13, 2018, and the theme is: “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”

Twenty-seven Cherokee County School District schools have been named to the Governor’s SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Honor Roll! 

The recognition honors the commitment of schools to the health and well-being of students through fitness and nutrition.  The PE and Health teachers who made these awards possible will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the Board’s Sept. 13 meeting.  Schools also receive prizes of banners and sports equipment from the SHAPE program based on the medal level they achieved.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating a special pair of school Teachers of the Year!

Cherokee County School Board Members visited schools throughout CCSD over the past week to see students already hard at work learning! We hope you enjoy this brief slideshow of photos from their visits.  #CCSDfam

A Teasley Middle School teacher has earned State recognition for excellence in teaching mathematics!

Dr. Iona Strougo is a 2018 State-level finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching!  The National awards program recognizes outstanding teaching and leadership in the two subject areas.

The Cherokee County School District has named the 2018-19 Student Advisor and Student Delegates to the School Board.

The School Board has included a Student Advisor position on its board since 1999, and for the past eight years, a Student Delegate from each high school also has been selected.  These students serve for one year to give input and feedback to the School Board; the advisor role is rotated among CCSD high schools.  

This year’s Student Advisor is Chase Thomas of Etowah HS.  The Student Delegates are: Jessica Rios of ACE Academy; Morgan Feltham of Cherokee HS; Ann Blakey of Creekview HS; Angelica Millen of River Ridge HS; Natasha Ambriz-Villela of Sequoyah HS; and Blake Adkins of Woodstock HS.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, approved leasing Hickory Flat Elementary School’s former gym to the Cherokee County government to use for community recreation purposes.  

The Cherokee County School District has maintained the original gym since the school community opted four years ago to discontinue its use in favor of the modern, air-conditioned gym.  When the Cherokee County government recently inquired with CCSD staff about possibly leasing the facility for community use, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower recommended the School Board approve such an agreement.

A Mill Creek Middle School seventh-grader enjoyed a wiffle ball game of a lifetime with his classmates Tuesday as they celebrated his big heart.

The Atlanta Braves surprised Bronco Reese, a heart transplant recipient who then overcame cancer, with one of its Community Hero Awards.  The pep rally ceremony came complete with the Heavy Hitters drum line, Blooper mascot and half a dozen Braves players… including Woodstock High School grad Nick Markakis.

Three CCSD schools have earned recognition from Safe Routes to School for their efforts to encourage students to walk and bike more and stay safe!  Clayton Elementary School earned the Gold Partner Award from the nonprofit organization, with Bascomb Elementary School and Woodstock Elementary School both winning Bronze Partner Awards. #CCSDfam

It’s Curriculum Night time! CCSD Curriculum Night programs provide parents with an overview of what their children will learn this school year. Hope to see you there! #CCSDfam 

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy has earned global recognition for its leadership in effectively using technology for teaching and learning!

The school has been selected by Microsoft as a 2018-19 Microsoft Showcase School in honor of its successful integration of educational technology in the classroom to benefit students and teachers.  Only 39 schools nationwide were selected as Showcase Schools!  Clark Creek ES STEM Academy is one of only three schools in Georgia named to the list… which again also includes Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy. 

Please share our new job listing for School Police Officer -- this position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/ApplyCCSDpolice

The Cherokee County School District’s school PTA units and leaders have won top State awards for their family engagement efforts! 

The Georgia PTA presents statewide awards to outstanding PTA units and parent leaders at its annual conference, and CCSD claimed an impressive list of high honors.  The CCSD winners will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the School Board’s Aug. 16 meeting.

Friday Night Lights time is nearly here!  Scrimmages kick off next week, with the regular season beginning Aug. 17.  Check out the full CCSD schedule for high school varsity football games below. Let's go, #CCSDfam! 

The rain is not going to stop our students from having the best-ever #CCSD1stDay! We love seeing your photos... search for the hashtag to find more that your friends and neighbors are sharing on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. #CCSDfam

What an awesome #CCSD1stDay!

Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy parent U.S. Air Force Major John Lloyd returned home Wednesday from a six-month deployment in Kuwait and surprised his son in class on the first day of school.  Thank you for your service, and welcome home! #CCSDfam

Please see the following message to parents from Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Today, we found silver linings in our rain clouds. 

No one wants to hear a forecast for rain on the first day of school.  It soaks those new school clothes and backpacks, but, of greater importance, it also makes the morning traffic more challenging and dangerous.

Our teachers and leaders carried on, many getting drenched as they greeted car riders in the process, but remaining enthusiastic and welcoming.  And you carried on, too, and we appreciate the patience and kindness you showed, especially as buses were slowed by the rain and car rider lines grew long.

We need your help in spreading an important message as our students head back to school: #SafeCherokee  Please check out this brief video - http://bit.ly/CCSDSafeCherokee - featuring Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower and Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds, and a united force of our community’s law enforcement and public safety officers and first-responders. 

CCSD's summer break doesn't mean days off and down time for all its employees.  The nine weeks of summer break are prime work time for many departments, which start preparing for the next school year as soon as the last bell rings in May.

CCSD School Nutrition staff are ready to welcome students to the cafeteria and help them understand how the cafeteria line and cashier process works!  

You can view the brief video here: http://bit.ly/CCSDcafeteria  The video also features useful information for parents.  

For the fourth consecutive year, Cherokee County School District students exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests!  CCSD has exceeded State averages every year since the tests that measure mastery of Georgia Performance Standards began.

“We are focused on increasing students’ mastery of the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in college, career and life,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “These Milestones results show our students and teachers are consistently and successfully getting the job done.  I’m so proud of them, their families and our partners and volunteers -- we’re in this together with the same goal: making our community’s future the best it can be.”     

How many students are expected in CCSD schools this school year?

How many new teachers will be in the classrooms?

Who is my new Principal?

Find the answers to these questions and many more in the 2018-19 First Day Facts publication, which shares new information about the upcoming school year.

The Cherokee County School District today launches its Back-to-School Gateway, an online system designed to reduce paper waste and wasting parents’ valuable time!

The Back-to-School Gateway is a paperless, online registration system for students already enrolled in CCSD schools that replaces the dreaded stack of “first-day forms” with a quick digital check and update of students’ existing contact and emergency notification information in CCSD’s records system. 

The Cherokee County School District is expanding to all schools its system that allows parents to track their child’s school bus on a smart phone or computer!

The Transportation Department began testing the Versatrans My Stop system last school year, and after a successful pilot, the system will be available to all CCSD parents beginning July 30 – just in time for the first day of school on Aug. 1.

The Cherokee County School District will begin offering students and parents a closer look at school cafeteria menus this school year with the new MealViewer To Go app and website.

The system, which launches today, not only lists what’s on the breakfast and lunch menu each day, but includes photos and nutritional information.  The menu for the first day of school is available now through MealViewer, with more menus, photos and nutritional information being added daily in preparation for the start of school.

The Cherokee County School District is adding an expanded system for reporting safety concerns!

The SafeSchools Alert system will allow students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community to anonymously report safety concerns by text, email, online message or phone call.  This system will replace the previous anonymous tip hotline.

The Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools recently took a sneak peek at the newly renovated Cherokee North annex at Cherokee High School before it opens on the first day of school, Aug. 1.
 
Cherokee North, formerly the home of Canton Elementary School, will alleviate overcrowding at the main campus and prepare for increasing enrollment -- 2,797 students are expected this school year, with 881 of that total in the ninth grade.  Cherokee HS parents and students can get their first look at the school’s open house from 9 to 11 a.m. on July 30.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, July 19, 2018, approved the installation of security foyers in 15 more schools, speeding up the project at the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools and his Safety and Security Ad Hoc Committee.

The foyers will be constructed over the next year at Avery ES, Bascomb ES, Boston ES, Clayton ES, Hickory Flat ES, Johnston ES, Macedonia ES, Mountain Road ES and Sixes ES, and Creekland MS, E.T. Booth MS, Freedom MS, Mill Creek MS, Teasley MS, and Woodstock MS.

The Cherokee County School District’s school and district leaders kicked off the new school year with the annual CCSD Leadership Symposium professional development event!

Thanks to the support of community partners, CCSD school and district leaders this week had the opportunity to attend two days of sessions designed to prepare them for the new school year.  This year’s event was held at Woodstock High School and was made possible by Presenting Sponsors, Cherokee County Educational Foundation and Credit Union of Georgia; and Platinum Sponsors, ABM Industry Groups, Goshen Valley and HP.

The Cherokee County School District School Police Department this week hosted a national training program for officers from across the state!

In cooperation with the Georgia Association of Secondary School Law Enforcement Executives, CCSD hosted the National Association of School Resource Officers’ (NASRO) Advanced School Resource Officer Course at Teasley Middle School in Canton.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower today met with Cherokee County Council of PTA leaders to kick off another school year of outstanding partnership!

Dr. Hightower said he looks forward to a great year ahead with the PTA, which he views as the Cherokee County School District’s most important partner.

“Our PTA gives unparalleled support for our students and staff, as evident through its thousands of hours of volunteer time, thousands of dollars in fundraising for school needs and thousands of voices advocating on our behalf,” Dr. Hightower said.  “We would not be able to succeed in our mission of ‘Educating the Emerging Generation” without the PTA, and we’re so grateful for all that they do.”

More than 1,300 students participated in CCSD Summer School opportunities in June for academic help and credit recovery, to prepare for high school, or to take extra high school classes.

The high school credit recovery program culminated with a graduation ceremony at Etowah HS on Friday, with 50 students earning their high school diploma!  A record 42 students walked across the stage at the ceremony and received their diplomas from School Board Members Vice Chair Mike Chapman and Patsy Jordan.

UPDATE 5/12/18: Creekview HS Wins National Rocketry Challenge!

From Team America Rocketry Challenge:

The students from Creekview High School will now represent the United States at the International Rocketry Challenge at the Farnborough Air Show outside of London in July, facing off against teams from the UK, France and Japan.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has surprised the third 2018 winner of his annual awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower presented a “Superintendent’s 2018 Game Changer Award” for Instructional Excellence to Woodstock High School Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teacher Kelly Burke during the school’s faculty meeting, which erupted in cheers and a standing ovation for the longtime and celebrated educator.

Retired? Looking for part-time work? Join a wonderful organization and serve your community’s children by becoming a CCSD bus driver for next school year! Learn more by attending a free workshop from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 10 (date change!) at our Transportation Office (1665 Hickory Road, Canton, 30115). Our bus drivers enjoy health benefits and a part-time schedule that doesn’t require working on weekends, holidays or during the summer, but offers the option to work extra hours. CCSD offers drivers outstanding professional development opportunities, and the CCSD Transportation maintenance department is the recipient of the National ASE Blue Seal of Excellence. Check out this brief video: http://bit.ly/CCSDBusDrivers #CCSDfam

Congratulations to Cherokee High School senior Sarah Snyder, winner of the college scholarship presented annually by Oak Leaf Church, a Cherokee County School District Partner, to a graduating senior!

As part of its CCSD Partnership Agreement, Oak Leaf Church annually awards one $1,000 college scholarship to a graduating senior from Cherokee High School.  The Oak Leaf Church Scholarship Committee selected Sarah as this year’s recipient, and she recently was recognized at a Cherokee County School Board meeting.

Cherokee County School District middle and high school students recently placed at the Tome Literacy Society’s State competition!

Tome is a National organization dedicated to promoting “multiple literacies among fourth- through 12th-grade students across the United States through: service; collaboration; competition-based club activities; and clean, entertaining, encouraging literature. All activities promote self-esteem, leadership skills, strong values, and nurture critical thinking, creativity, and imagination in the digital age.”

A Bascomb Elementary School teacher has been recognized for her legacy of service to the American Heart Association!

Longtime PE teacher Nettie Mosteller, who is retiring at the end of the school year, was surprised by the Association with the special recognition and plaque presentation.

Today, we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Day, and this week, we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week.

While it’s important to officially mark this day and this week, we should not need a reminder to thank our community’s teachers.

We should keep them in our hearts all the time. We should not begrudge them the right to earn a living through their profession. We should remember the vital role they play in shaping our future.

The Cherokee County School District is served every day by a team of 43 dedicated school nurses, who care for the whole student, whole school and whole community.

Today is National School Nurse Day, and this year’s statewide school nursing theme celebrates how these professionals are “Bridging the Gap” for the children and families they serve.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has presented his final award of the year for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy instructional lead strategist Dr. Julie Dutko with his Superintendent’s 2018 Game Changer Award for Instructional Support during a meeting Tuesday with her colleagues, who cheered her on as she accepted the honor.

Four Cherokee County School District high schools have been named to U.S. News and World Report’s “Best High Schools” list… an increase from three last year!

Creekview, River Ridge, Sequoyah and Woodstock High Schools earned Silver Medal spots on the magazine’s prestigious list based on factors including academic performance, college readiness, graduation rates and success of disadvantaged students.  Only 5,900 of the country’s 20,500 public high schools were named to the list released today.

GCA, an ABM company, is seeking SCHOOL CUSTODIANS for the K-12 schools in Cherokee County. GCA is holding job fairs this weekend in Canton and Woodstock, and next week in downtown Canton. Candidates must apply in-person and qualified candidates** will be presented with an immediate contingent job offer* ON THE SPOT! (see details below)

Sixteen Cherokee County School District students have been selected for the competitive Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

The four-week summer instructional program at Berry College for rising high school juniors and seniors is designed to provide students with academic, cultural and social enrichment “necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators and leaders.” Students live and study on the campus in Rome from June 17 to July 14.

The Cherokee County School District recently presented its first CCSD Leadership Degree and Certification Fair to share information on leadership degrees with interested teachers and leaders.

Forty-eight teachers and leaders attended the free session, which included one-on-one time with university representatives from Berry College, Kennesaw State University and Piedmont College. Berry and Piedmont College will be offering degree programs at CCSD facilities beginning this summer; KSU’s programs are fully online.

The Sequoyah High School Air Force JROTC Program has earned the Silver Star Award for Excellence in Community Service for the second year in a row and its 11th consecutive Distinguished Unit Award from the Department Of The Air Force!

The Silver Star Award recognizes the top 5% of nearly 900 units nationwide based on community service in support of schools and local communities. The award is earned by units with the highest per cadet average of community service hours that are planned and conducted by cadets under the supervision of our instructors. This award also recognizes the personal growth and accomplishments of the cadets, contributions of the instructors as mentors, and the support of the school and local community.

Mill Creek Middle School has earned national certification for digital citizenship!

The school has been named a Common Sense Certified School for Digital Citizenship by Common Sense, a national nonprofit organization dedicated “to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology.”

Cherokee County School District high schools and middle schools will have early release days next week, which will affect traffic in the surrounding areas.

Students at all CCSD high schools have the option of leaving campus early following final exams on varied schedules (check with your child’s school if you need the schedule) beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 21, through Thursday, May 24. High school buses will continue to depart on their usual afternoon schedule. Middle and elementary school dismissal is not affected.

The Cherokee County School District has won a top national award for excellence in teaching practices!

The International Center for Leadership in Education, a division of global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, has named CCSD an Innovative District for 2018 – one of only 11 school districts in the Nation to be recognized!

Two Cherokee County School District teachers have won a statewide teaching award!

Dr. Jennifer Reynolds and Greg Koch of Teasley Middle School have earned the Georgia Council for Exceptional Children’s Co-Teaching Team of the Year Award for 2017-18.

Students on the 7th grade Lookout Mountain team at E.T. Booth MS have been learning about the science behind the sport of baseball as the center of their STEM classroom activities this spring. Students and teachers celebrated the end of the unit this week with a visit from Atlanta Braves mascot “Blooper,” along with prize giveaways of Braves tickets and memorabilia.

Through a CCSD partnership with the Atlanta Braves, the Booth MS team teachers were able to work with Science of Sport, a nonprofit organization that develops curriculum with the sole focus of bringing sports and STEM subjects together.   The new curriculum was a “home run” with students and teachers, and is expected to be expanded to other CCSD middle schools next school year, as the district focuses on increasing the STEM rigor in its middle schools.

A Cherokee County School District elementary school has won an international award for character education and service learning!

Liberty Elementary School on Friday, May 18, 2018 was one of 73 schools around the world — and the only one in Georgia — to be recognized by the nonprofit Character.org as a National School of Character.  The school will be honored at the organization’s 25th National Forum on Character in Washington, D.C. in October.

Fifth-grade students from Sixes ES and Clark Creek ES STEM Academy recently celebrated completion of a pilot CCSD technology program where they learned advanced Microsoft program skills that they will be using in middle and high school, and beyond.

The CCSD Student Technology Academy (STA) is a pilot program that mimics an initiative known as the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) for teachers. CCSD teachers have been earning the prestigious MIE endorsement by completing a 16-hour course, which is focused on 21st-century learning concepts combined with the acquisition of new skills using Microsoft tools in the classroom.

Congratulations to the Valedictorians and Salutatorians for the Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018!

These students and their parents will be honored by the School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the 18th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet on Wednesday.  Each student also is invited to select a favorite teacher, and these teachers are honored at the Banquet as well.

HEROES WANTED: The Cherokee County School District is seeking applications from POST-certified police officers interested in joining our growing Police Department! Details at bit.ly/CCSDjoinPD Join the #CCSDfam to support the children we serve and our entire community!

A Cherokee County School District student has been named the top high school reader in the State!

River Ridge High School junior Grace Pfohl won first place and the title of Reader of the Year for the Secondary category (Grades 9-12) at the Georgia Reading Association’s State Competition.  Students are nominated for the award by a reading or English teacher based on the quality, quantity and variety of their reading.  Winners are selected from nominees based on the student’s essay and teacher’s letter of recommendation.

Thirteen Cherokee County School District teachers have been honored as this year’s Golden Apple Award winners!

The Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International presents the annual awards to recognize one teacher from each selected school who exemplifies genuine care and dedication to students, strong instructional practices in the classroom and leadership within their school.  The School District is divided into three sets of schools for the awards, and, each year, the chapter invites one set of schools to select an honoree for each of their schools.

The Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018 this week will walk across the stage for graduation ceremonies!

The ceremonies all will be held at First Baptist Church of Woodstock (11905 Highway 92, Woodstock, 30188):

• River Ridge HS: 4 p.m., Thursday, May 24
• Etowah HS: 8 p.m., Thursday, May 24
• Creekview HS: 4 p.m., Friday, May 25
• Woodstock HS: 8 p.m., Friday, May 25
• Cherokee HS: 9 a.m., Saturday, May 26
• Sequoyah HS: 1 p.m., Saturday, May 26

The ceremonies will be streamed on the FBC

Six Cherokee County School District projects submitted by students won at the Georgia Council for the Social Studies Northwest Regional Fair, with three going on to earn top honors at the State Fair!

The competition began locally, with 95 projects entered by schools into the CCSD Social Studies Fair.  Twenty-two projects placed first, earning those students the opportunity to compete at Regionals.

The Cherokee County School District recently congratulated the 12 Class of 2018 winners of Aramark scholarships!

As part of its Partnership Agreement with CCSD, Aramark Education allotted funds for a $500 scholarship to be awarded to two outstanding Class of 2018 graduating seniors from each of CCSD’s traditional high schools.  The Aramark Scholarship Committee selected the winners, who were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at a School Board meeting.

The Cherokee County School District recently recognized its Student Delegates to the School Board for the 2017-18 School Year in appreciation of their service!

The School Board has included a Student Advisor position on its board since 1999, and, for the past seven years, a Student Delegate from each high school.

More than 30 Cherokee County School District seventh-graders have been recognized by Duke University for their SAT and ACT scores!

The Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) supports academically talented seventh-graders who have previously scored at or above the 95th percentile on a standardized test such as CogAT by providing them with the opportunity to take the SAT and ACT, which are college-entrance exams designed for above-average 11th– and 12th-grade students.

This year, 159 CCSD students participated in the program, with 37 students earning State honors, and five students additionally earning Grand-level recognition.

A Cherokee County School District student won first place in the Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition!

The annual writing contest is open to students in grades kindergarten through 12 and provides an opportunity for schools to encourage writing in a variety of genres.  Each CCSD school submitted a top entry for each grade level to compete at the District level, with 176 school-level winners submitted.  District judges then selected a first-place winner for each grade level.

The District’s 13 first-place winners advanced to the Regional Educational Service Agency’s competition, where six earned first place, and one of those entries went on to earn first place at State. Dean Rusk MS eighth-grader Isabelle Blevins’ entry, “Hate to Love,” earned first place at District, Region and State competition!

The School Board on Thursday, June 21, 2018, approved the Annual Budget for 2018-19, which continues class-size reductions, increases safety and security spending and keeps the tax rate steady, and renewed the Superintendent of Schools’ contract through June 2021. 

The budget recommended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower grows the day-to-day operating budget to $406 Million from the current $385 Million based on rising student enrollment, the restoration of the final $4 Million in State “austerity budget cuts,” and the property tax digest’s recovery to pre-Recession levels.  The millage property tax rate remains unchanged at 19.45 mills; the School Board held three public hearings prior to approval of the budget and millage rate.

The School Board on Thursday, May 3, 2018, heard the Superintendent of Schools’ recommendations for improving safety and security in CCSD schools and approved three more years of school calendars.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower in February, following the Parkland school shooting, re-established his Ad Hoc Safety and Security Committee, which initially formed after the Sandy Hook school shooting.

"On Valentine's Day, our hearts again were broken by a tragic school shooting, this time in Florida," Dr. Hightower said.  "As I shared after Parkland, while I would keep its families in my prayers, I also would take action to ensure the safety of our students, employees and schools."

Dr. Hightower asked the Cherokee County Sheriff, Chief Marshal, all of Cherokee's city Police Chiefs, parents and Principals from every one of CCSD's Innovation Zones and CCSD leaders to serve on the Committee, which was chaired by CCSD School Police Chief Mark Kissel.

Update: CCSD Media Specialist of the Year Anne Thiers of Creekview HS has been chosen as a Regional Winner by Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA).  The surprise announcement was made yesterday by Ge-Anne Bolhuis, North Central Georgia/Region 2 Representative for GLMA.  Anne will go on to compete for the Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year, representing CCSD and all of Region 2.  Congratulations!

Creekview High School’s media specialist can add another accolade to her growing list: Cherokee County School District 2019 Media Specialist of the Year!

Anne Thiers, who has won her Innovation Zone’s title for the last two years and co-sponsored and coached the school’s reigning State Champion Reading Bowl team to multiple region and state championships, was surprised with the honor Wednesday morning before an auditorium of her colleagues and family. 

The Superintendent of Schools has determined the February Break will be a full week-long break for students.

Due to a mild winter so far, resulting in the need to close schools for only one full day, coupled with positive long-range forecasts, all CCSD schools will be closed Monday, Feb. 18, through Friday, Feb. 22, for the student holiday.  CCSD central offices will remain open as previously scheduled.       

The Cherokee County School District has earned five National awards for excellence in communications and public relations!

The National School Public Relations Association annually honors the best publications and electronic media produced by school districts nationwide as part of their communications efforts. 

“We can’t succeed without our community’s support, and our Office of Communications serves an important role in ensuring we not only share timely and relevant information with the community, but also provide opportunities for engagement,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “These National awards recognize our dedication to providing the best service possible, which we’re committed to further improving every day.”

Indian Knoll's Jennifer Lewis is the 2018 Library Media Specialist of the Year for Georgia

As part of the June 15 School Board Meeting, Etowah High School will request approval of Jason Dasigner to lead its Boys’ Basketball Program as Head Coach.

Coming to a screen near you... a film festival featuring CCSD student filmmakers! The first-ever Cherokee Student Film Festival is on Sunday in the Cherokee High School auditorium as a result of a collaboration between CCSD and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development. Admission is free! See the flier for more info. #CCSDfam

A Cherokee County School District teacher is a finalist for a national education award!

Cherokee High School English, speech and forensics teacher Jamie Wills is a finalist for the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Educator of the Year Award.

Woodstock High School has named Coach Pete Manderano as head coach for its men’s lacrosse program.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to Carmel Elementary School 2019 Volunteer of the Year Amy Hagan!

The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

n Etowah High School Junior ROTC Cadet is one of only 150 students nationwide and one of only six in Georgia awarded an Air Force JROTC Flight Academy scholarship to earn his private pilot’s license and college credits this summer!  

Kyle Raffety won the $23,000 competitive scholarship based on strong evidence of his commitment to the Air Force core values of integrity, service to others, and excellence.  

The Cherokee County School Board has earned state recognition for its outstanding governance and leadership!

The Georgia School Boards Association has awarded the Cherokee County School Board its 2018 Quality School Board designation.  The statewide recognition program celebrates school boards that consistently model best practices and meet specific high standards of excellence.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has recognized the first class of recipients of an inaugural award he describes as his most important honor for Cherokee County School District employees.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Sarah Munroe!

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy’s Teacher of the Year Sarah Munroe is a writing teacher, so what better praise than in the form of a letter written by one of her second-grade students.

Freedom Middle School eighth-grader Braden Flournoy correctly spelled “rapacious” and then “affidavit” to claim the title as the county’s top speller at the 2019 Cherokee County School District Spelling Bee Thursday night at Cherokee High School. 

CCSD Farm to School program wins kudos

CCSD school nurses and Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services trained more than 300 school employees on how to stop severe bleeding in a victim.

The Cherokee County School District and School Board honored the Class of 2017 Valedictorians and Salutatorians during the 17th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet on Wednesday at Woodmont Golf & Country Club.

Our school counselors are extraordinary, which is why we’re sharing the stories of our Innovation Zone Counselors of the Year… please help us celebrate Woodstock Innovation Zone 2019 Counselor of the Year: Sarah Bigelow of Freedom Middle School!

Sarah Bigelow began her counseling career in social services, focused on helping children escape abuse and neglect.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy 2019 Teacher of the Year Jama McCartney!

As an art teacher at Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy, Jama McCartney teaches children to shape clay into pottery.  Her colleagues say she’s just as gifted at shaping students into better people and her school into a better place.

Etowah High School has earned national recognition for its successful efforts to raise student achievement!

The school, led by Principal Robert Horn, has earned the Model Professional Learning Community at Work honor from Solution Tree, one of only 200 schools and districts in the nation – and the only school in Georgia — to do so.

The Cherokee County School District uses the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model in all of its schools to encourage collaboration, the sharing of data and best practices, and professional development among teachers, who are grouped by subject area and/or grade level of instruction.

UPDATE: Etowah HS team member and Class of 2017 graduate Drew Waters was drafted by the Atlanta Braves!  He was the 41st pick overall and snapped up in the second round by the Braves on June 12, 2017.  He was named to USA Today’s ALL-USA Baseball First Team on June 13, 2017.

The Cherokee County School District recently hosted a New Leaders Reception for the School Board to meet the educators recommended by the Superintendent of Schools for leadership roles including assistant principal posts.  The reception, which was sponsored by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a CCSD Partner, gave School Board members the chance to meet and talk with the leaders before voting to approve their new roles for next school year.  The new leaders and their families enjoyed a warm welcome, refreshments and a small gift from Children’s Healthcare.  This is the second year for this tradition; an event was held last month for the School Board to meet additional new leaders including those recommended for Principal posts.
#CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District continues to earn high marks from the State for its financial efficiency, tying for the best rating among metro Atlanta counties!   

The State’s Financial Efficiency Star Ratings measure school districts’ spending per student in relation to those students’ academic performance according to the College and Career Ready Performance Index.  Ratings range from a half-star to the highest rating of five stars.

Model ARC program gives students insight into regional issues

Cherokee County School District is again participating in the USDA Seamless Summer Option, which offers free meals to children during the summer.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night approved the hiring of two teachers who also will serve as head basketball coaches.

Aaron Darling, who currently teaches and leads the boys’ basketball program at Cambridge High School in Fulton County, will serve in the same role at River Ridge High School. 

Chris Yarbrough, who currently teaches and leads the girls’ basketball program at Northview High School in Fulton County, will serve in the same role at Sequoyah High School.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate Cherokee High School 2019 Teacher of the Year Ben Sosebee!
Ben Sosebee is such a popular educator at Cherokee High School that students want to be in any and every class he’s teaching.
 

CCSD elementary school earns a Star Award for Promising Practices

Get Georgia Reading Campaign partner myON is delivering thousands of free books to computer and mobile devices that families can access 24 hours a day – every day – through Aug. 31.  Last summer, children throughout the state read 248,901 books and spent 55,831 hours reading.  This year, the Campaign is challenging Georgia to top last year’s numbers by reading more than 250,000 books and spending over 60,000 hours reading.  More info: http://getgeorgiareading.org/2017/05/03/summer-for-georgia-readers-begins-today/

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, April 18, 2019 approved the appointment of a new CCSD School Police Chief and new assistant principals to fill vacancies for next school year. 

The School Board unanimously approved naming Major Buster Cushing, who currently serves as commander of field operations for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, as the next CCSD School Police Chief effective July 1.  Major Cushing will fill the role held by retiring Chief Mark Kissel  since the Department’s establishment 20 years ago.

The Cherokee County School District will host its annual job fair on March 2 for hiring new teachers, bus drivers and school nutrition workers!

The fair is from 9 a.m. to noon at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, and offers job candidates the opportunity to meet CCSD and school leaders.  Candidates not only will have the opportunity to introduce themselves, but also the chance to ask questions.

17 CCSD teachers selected to read AP exam essays

A Cherokee County School District student has won a Congressional art contest!

Cherokee High School has named Samer Kaddah as its new Men’s Soccer Head Coach!

Cherokee County School Board members regularly visit schools for tours with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, members of his staff and the school’s Principal and administrative team.  This week, the School Board visited Woodstock Elementary School, where they learned from Principal Matt Freedman about new initiatives to further improve teaching and learning, increase parent engagement and business and community partnerships, and focus on a positive school climate.
#CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 heard a forecast for next year’s budget and weighed in on legislative issues anticipated to come up this session. 

The meeting began with the swearing in of four Board members, who all were re-elected to four-year terms: Mike Chapman, John Harmon, Clark Menard and Robert “Rick Steiner” Rechsteiner.  The School Board then elected Kelly Poole its vice chair, who will serve in the additional role through the end of the 2019.

Sequoyah HS student named regional winner

Josh Pierce to take over as head coach

A Cherokee County School District Class of 2017 graduate has been named the Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year!

A Cherokee County School District teacher is one of only two teachers in the nation selected to present at an international conference for educators!

Mountain Road Elementary School kindergarten teacher Kelly Gilstrap was invited by the International Center for Leadership in Education to participate in pre-conference and conference presentations at its 27th Annual Model Schools Conference in Washington, D.C. in June.

The conference brings together global thought leaders, innovative districts, and model schools for educational leadership development and sharing best practices.  

A Cherokee County School District Principal is a finalist for a statewide Principal of the Year Award!

Creekview High School Principal Dr. Mark Merges is one of six finalists for the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year award.  

Summer Externship program gives CCSD counselors a peek into careers in local industries

A Cherokee High School Class of 2017 graduate has been named Georgia’s Positive Male Athlete of the Year!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Tippens Education Center 2019 Partner of the Year: Laurel Canyon Optimist Club!

The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage to learn more!

#CCSDfam

River Ridge High School’s football program is welcoming a new head coach who built a statewide reputation for success after starting his career on Cherokee County fields.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night approved the hiring of Michael Collins to teach physical education at River Ridge High School and head up its football program, effective March 1.  Coach Collins most recently led teams in Cobb County (2010-2018; 2005-2007) and DeKalb County (2008-2009). 

CCSD vendor GCA is now hiring school custodians

Irene Chen plans to study business at Emory University

The Cherokee County School District is saying thank you and goodbye to more than 100 employees retiring this school year.

“Our School District is not only an outstanding professional organization with a reputation for excellence, it’s also a family,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “While we don’t see them as often, retirees remain an important part of our family, and many return to volunteer in our schools as tutors and mentors. We appreciate them and wish them great joy in their retirement!”

CCSD recognized 32 additional high school student athletes Wednesday who had signed scholarship letters of intent to play their sport at the college level. 

The Cherokee County School District will offer a variety of summer school learning opportunities from June 5-25 for high school students including rising ninth-graders.

In addition to offering a wide selection of courses for students who need to retake classes not passed during the regular school year, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit.  

The Cherokee County School District and School Board honored the Class of 2018 Valedictorians and Salutatorians during the 18th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet.

Three of the Chamber of Commerce "Top 10 in 10" Young Professionals this year are CCSD administrators.

The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition program has won two State “Best Practices” Awards!

CCSD is partnering for the second year with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development to offer high school students an outstanding career education opportunity: the 2019 Summer Internship Program! Applications due by May 25. Check out the flier (or visit https://www.cherokeega.org/internship/) to learn more about this six-week program to learn & earn this summer. #CherokeeByChoice

The Cherokee County School Board regularly visits schools to meet with Principals and tour classrooms to see teachers and students at work.  On Wednesday, the School Board, joined by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower and senior staff members, visited Johnston Elementary School, led by Principal Laura Akers.  The group learned about the school’s new positive behavior and culture initiatives like Cat Packs, as well as efforts by teachers to share best practices for effective instruction through their Professional Learning Community job-alike group meetings.

#CCSDfam

Thank you to Chick-fil-A of Cherokee County, Roly Poly of Woodstock and Sam’s Club of Woodstock for providing meals and refreshments to CCSD School Police Department, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office & Woodstock Police Department Officers who together are making our Class of 2018 graduation ceremonies a better and safer experience for students & their families and friends.

CCSD is again participating in the USDA Seamless Summer Option

Two Cherokee County School District schools have won top State awards for their media center programs!

Indian Knoll Elementary School is the winner of the Cherokee County School District’s 2019 Elementary School Academic Bowl.

All 23 elementary schools participated in the event, with Indian Knoll ES, Macedonia ES, Avery ES, Boston ES winning their leagues and advancing to the semi-finals.  Macedonia Elementary School won second place.

The Cherokee County School District invites parents of students who receive Special Education services to help improve schools by completing a survey.

Clark Creek ES STEM Academy Team Maroon and Mountain Road ES Team Red recently competed at the State Elementary Science Olypiad competition, after tying for first place in the Cherokee County event.  Two Clark Creek students placed at the state competition.

The Cherokee County School District is accepting applications for its second annual parent academy program.

The Cherokee County School District has published its annual Financial Facts report, which provides highlights and snapshots from the proposed Annual Budget.

The report is posted online here and provides financial additional information to the community in advance of the School Board’s public hearings and budget adoption.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Boston Elementary School Volunteer of the Year Lori Burton!

The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is opening online registration for kindergarten beginning Jan. 22!

The new online system introduced last year allows parents to log in from home to the Registration Gateway via CCSD’s website at www.cherokeek12.net instead of handwriting information on a pile of paper forms in a school office.  

A Cherokee County School District graduating senior has earned the prestigious National Merit Scholarship!

Etowah High School senior Joseph Young is one of only 2,500 students in the nation — of the 1.6 Million students who took the 2016 PSAT exam — to be awarded the $2,500 scholarship by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The School Board on Thursday, May 17, 2018, reviewed the Superintendent of Schools’ recommended tentative Annual Budget for 2018-19, which calls for continued reduction in class sizes, greater spending on safety and security measures and no tax rate increase.

The Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame as part of its recent annual banquet recognized a male and a female Outstanding High School Senior Athlete from each of the Cherokee County School District’s high schools.

Cherokee County School District Career Pathway students earned top honors in the State’s Skills USA competition testing their career knowledge and abilities!

Students from various programs at Cherokee High School and Sequoyah High School competed in the skilled trades and leadership events, with three winning gold medals, two earning silver and four achieving bronze.

Cherokee County School District middle school educators hit a home run for learning on Friday at SunTrust Park!  

The group of 28 teachers and seven administrators participated in the Atlanta Braves Science of Baseball Workshop, part of the Braves’ positive partnership with CCSD.

A Sequoyah High School student has won an international award for her marketing skills!

Hanna Palmer earned the Award of Excellence for Apparel & Accessories Marketing at the 2018 DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta.  The Conference was the pinnacle of competition for the student marketing association, where more than 19,000 students from around the world vied for international honors.

Johnston Elementary School has been named to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s 2017 list of America’s Healthiest Schools!

The Creekview High School Band and Sequoyah High School Band represented the Cherokee County School District in the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday in Washington, D.C.! The parade, which includes a march down Constitution Avenue, is the culmination of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Celebration held each year. Fifteen bands from across the United States and the Bahamas were chosen to perform. #CCSDfam

Three Cherokee County School District teachers have been nominated for a national honor!  Kristin Covington of Mountain Road Elementary School, Rebecca Heard of Clayton Elementary School and Mystic Henderson of Etowah High School are nominees for the 2018-2019 LifeChanger of the Year Award. 

UPDATE 6/12/17: CCSD Media Specialist of the Year Anne Nechvatal of Cherokee HS today was named the Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year!  The surprise presentation was made today at the Georgia Library Media Association’s Summer Institute in Peachtree City.

The Cherokee County School District’s online system for registering new students for the 2019-20 school year now is open to parents!

Parents can log in from home to the New Student Gateway by clicking here.  Parents who missed the window for online kindergarten registration in March also can register their children using the New Student Gateway.

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate CCSD Preschool Centers 2019 Teacher of the Year Lauren Garcia!

Teacher Lauren Garcia meets parents at the beginning of their own learning process: raising a child with special needs.  She teaches them expertly, as she does their children at the Johnston Preschool Center, about the importance of setting goals, valuing progress, and celebrating every success.

A Cherokee County School District Class of 2017 graduate has won a 2017 National Merit Scholarship!

Our teachers are amazing, which is why we share the story of a school’s Teacher of the Year every week... please help us celebrate 2019 Freedom Middle School Teacher of the Year Kate Morris!

A defining lesson that Kate Morris teaches her reading and language arts special education students at Freedom Middle School is the preparation and delivery of a speech to the class.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods came to ET Booth MS to hear a presentation by eighth-grader Ila Prabhuram, who serves on the State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council.  The Council is made up of 120 students from across Georgia to provide feedback and discussion about state board policies, as well as participate in service projects and serve as student ambassadors.

A Sequoyah High School Class of 2017 graduate is headed to West Point!

Registration forms now are online for CCSD's summer school learning opportunities from June 5-25 for high school students including rising ninth-graders.

In addition to offering a wide selection of courses for students who need to retake classes not passed during the regular school year, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit.  

The Cherokee County School District presents an annual Agency Information Fair for parents, grandparents, teachers and caregivers to learn more about services in the community for children with special needs. This year's free event is on March 21. Please see the flier posted online here for more info, as well as this list of participating organizations.

The Cherokee County School District School Police Department next week will host a national training program for officers from across the state!

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking & congratulating 2019 CCSD Office of Support Services Support Staff Employee of the Year Colleen Manuel! #CCSDfam

More than 100 CCSD teachers attended a workshop Monday on understanding Social Emotional Learning and its impact on student attitude, behavior, and achievement.  Teachers learned how to maintain a classroom environment where students can feel safe and build resilience, especially those students who have experienced trauma in their personal life and may be struggling. 

The School Board on Thursday, June 15, 2017, unanimously approved the Superintendent’s Recommended 2017-18 Annual Budget, which funds improvements in teaching and learning and safety and security without a millage rate increase.

Cherokee County School District students excelled at the statewide literature competition!

The Tome Student Literary Society, a National organization dedicated to promoting a love and appreciation of literature among fourth- through 12th-grade students, held its annual TomeCon competition and teams from six CCSD school participated and won top honors.

Open enrollment for the Cherokee County School District’s Georgia Lottery Pre-K Classes program begins in February for an earlier start to the annual process.
 
The earlier start, which has been moved up from the spring, will provide parents more time to seek other preschool options should their 4-year-old not win a spot in the lottery drawing for the program’s limited seats.

A Cherokee County School District nurse has been named the top school nurse leader in the state!

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Teasley Middle School 2019 Partner of the Year Woodstock City Church!  The Partner of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content/ccsd-school-partnerships) to learn more! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School Board on Friday, Dec. 14, presented its 2019 Legislative Partnership Priorities to members of the county’s Legislative Delegation, including pleas for continued local control of educational decisions and increased State funding for school safety and security.

The annual breakfast meeting hosted by the School Board included a review by School Board Chair Kyla Cromer of those Priorities, as well as time for the legislators to share what issues they plan to advocate for during the session.

A Cherokee County School District nurse has been named the top school nurse leader in the state!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Bascomb Elementary School Volunteer of the Year Jennifer Flannery! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is continuing to expand the menu of high school credit classes offered in its middle schools.

Arnold Mill Elementary School students are enjoying a new playground at the school this week, thanks to the hard work of its PTA! 

Eight Cherokee County School District schools have been named 2017 National Beta Schools of Merit.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower today honored the Cherokee County School District’s Chief Financial Officer with the third of his four top annual awards for instructional excellence!

Dr. Hightower surprised CFO Kenneth Owen with his Superintendent’s 2019 Game Changer Award for Instructional Leadership during a morning meeting of senior staff, who rose to their feet to honor their colleague.

The Cherokee County School District has earned its first-ever National recognition for communications by bringing home three awards from the National School Public Relations Association!

The April edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features an important update on the school calendar issue -- and much more!

The Cherokee County School District continues its Georgia School Bell Award-winning streak with Oak Grove Elementary School Fine Arts Academy earning the prestigious honor for 2017!

No matter what you call it - vaping, Juul-ing, e-cigarettes – or how harmless the devices may seem, let’s clear the air: these are dangerous devices not permitted in schools.

CCSD takes vaping as seriously as any other tobacco product or marijuana, and the repercussions to a student’s health and school record are not worth risking. A 2018 national study released reported 1 in 5 high school students have tried vaping.

The calendar feature of our webpage and school pages is being upgraded.  If you need a print version of the 2017-18 school calendar (which will be added back to the calendar button), you can access it here:

2017-18 CCSD Calendar (Print Version)

Upate:  Summer Discovery 2020 is tentatively scheduled for June 8-12.  Mark your calendars and look for registration information in early spring.

CCSD is expanding its week-long summer enrichment program to all rising first- through fifth-graders!

CCSD Summer Discovery program will be offered at Hickory Flat & Liberty Elementary Schools, and open to all CCSD students. Two sessions -- all taught by CCSD teachers -- will be offered (9 a.m.-Noon; 1-4 p.m.) June 3-7. The cost for the week-long program is $100 for one session or $190 for two sessions. Parents provide transportation and lunch.

Drivers in the River Ridge Zone will want to plan ahead as area road construction will impact traffic congestion when students return to school on August 1.

The Cherokee County School District will hold its annual Comprehensive Improvement Plan Review parent meetings next month.

Under authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, CCSD, as a Local Educational Agency (LEA), is provided Federal funds for initiatives designed to meet the educational needs of eligible students. 

The Cherokee County School District has changed its school meal pre-payment account system for the 2017-18 school year.

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named a 2019 Georgia STEM Scholar!

E.T. Booth Middle School seventh-grade science teacher Kara Reeder is one of only 23 teachers selected from a pool of statewide nominees to earn the honor from the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers.

How many students are expected in CCSD schools this school year?

A Cherokee County School District teacher has earned the State’s top honor for math education!

Loretta Muise of Woodstock High School has been named the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ High School Teacher of Excellence for 2019!

Cherokee County School District students again exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests, which measure mastery of Georgia Performance Standards.  CCSD students have exceeded State averages every year since Milestones began three years ago!

Clark Creek ES STEM Academy Media Specialist Lisa Boysen has been named a Common Sense Media Educator for her dedication to teaching students digital citizenship.

Common Sense, a national nonprofit organization focused on educating students and parents about digital media safety, honors educators and schools for preparing students to avoid online dangers such as plagiarism, loss of privacy and cyberbullying.

The School Board on Thursday, July 20, 2017, unanimously approved the second phase of a safety initiative to install security foyers in schools, with six projects planned for this school year.

Our school media specialists are extraordinary, and we’re profiling our Innovation Zones’ Media Specialists of the Year to celebrate them. Please read all about the Woodstock Innovation Zone 2019 Media Specialist of the Year Amy VanFossen of Woodstock Elementary School!

Woodstock Elementary School media specialist Amy VanFossen is a “difference maker,” according to her Principal, and she earns the praise of colleagues, students and parents alike.

Summer months are far from slow in the Cherokee County School District, as employees, in addition to running summer school and meal programs, stay busy with facility maintenance, professional development and preparing operations for the new school year.

Cherokee County School District students excelled in this year’s Student Technology Competition, with 53 placing first at Regions and six placing at State!

The statewide program includes 16 categories of competition for students in Grades 3-12.  Two hundred and eighty students put their technology skills to the test at the Piedmont Regional Technology Competition held earlier this school year at Woodstock Middle School. 

More than 400 bright yellow school buses will be back on the roads in Cherokee County August 1 as the 2017-18 school year gets underway this week. Drivers should stay alert and watch for children waiting at roadside bus stops throughout the county during morning and afternoon routes. The start of the school year is also a good time for drivers (and parents of new drivers) to revisit Georgia law about encountering a school bus on the road and when it is legal to pass a stopp…ed bus:

Teasley Middle School Connections/Technology teacher Scott Reece has been named a LEGO Education Ambassador by the company's LEGO Master Educator program.  

The Master Educator Program is a community of early learning through secondary educators who embody the mission of LEGO Education to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow by enabling every student to succeed.  

Please see the following back-to-school message from Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Two Cherokee County School District music educators have been elected to lead the State’s choral music education organizations!

Scott Martin, choral director at Creekview High School, was elected the Choral Chair Elect for the Georgia Music Educators Association. Laura Martin, choral director at E.T. Booth Middle School, was elected the President-Elect for the Georgia American Choral Directors Association.

UPDATE 8/4/17: The Cherokee County School District’s enrollment today reached 41,774 students… which is an increase of 369 students from last school year’s Day Four.  Today’s total remains under the peak-enrollment projection of 42,299, but enrollment has increased by 561 students since the first day of school.

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy teacher Dr. Rita R. Frady has been honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who!

Award criteria include position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in the field of education are considered during the selection process.  Dr. Frady is in her 29^th year as a Title I elementary music teacher.  She has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in the field of music education. 

Love the Friday Night Lights? It’s almost that time of year in Cherokee County… with high school varsity football kicking off next week. Here’s a schedule to keep and share with your fellow fans. Games begin at 7:30 p.m. and it’s $8 at the gate. #CCSDfam

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize one here every week. Please join us in thanking and congratulating 2019 Arnold Mill Elementary School Support Staff Employee of the Year June Landers! The Support Staff Employee of the Year from every CCSD school and central office division is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, and ABM Industry Groups LLC and Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named to an important State education board!

Two Cherokee County School District high school students are among this year’s 21st Century Leaders Georgia Youth Leadership Award winners!

The youth leadership and talent development program annually selects 21 top youth leaders from throughout the State for the honor, including Cherokee High School junior Michael Garcia and Etowah High School junior Kailen Kim. 

School Board members visited schools across the Cherokee County School District this week for a “first week peek”!

Thank you to these outstanding partners for donating to the CHOICE program that helps students who need extra support in order to graduate on time! Does your company want to donate incentives for this program? Or a financial contribution for a scholarship? Please contact penny.dempsey@cherokeek12.net for more information. #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018 will walk across the stage for graduation ceremonies, which all will be held at First Baptist Church of Woodstock (11905 Highway 92, Woodstock, 30188), at these times and dates:

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here every week... congratulations to Woodstock Elementary School 2019 Partner of the Year Sojourn Community Church! #CCSDfam

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that a plan is in place to ensure the 2017 Solar Eclipse on Aug. 21 is a safe and educational opportunity for all of our students

Indian Knoll Elementary School Counselor Colleen DeLosh deeply understands the struggles of the students she serves.

Not only did she, of course, attend school like them, but she also as a young person experienced her parents’ divorce, moving and a sibling’s drug addiction – all issues that make life even more challenging for her own students.

Both of her parents were good listeners, but Ms. DeLosh needed a “neutral” party to confide in, lean on and learn from… and she found that person in a school counselor.

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named the top Work-Based Learning educator in Georgia!

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week... congratulations to 2019 Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy Volunteer of the Year Carolyn Timcoe! The Volunteer of the Year from every CCSD school is recognized at an annual ceremony sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Do you volunteer to help a CCSD school? Contact the Principal of your local school (http://cherokeek12.net/schools/) to learn how you can help! #CCSDfam

It’s Curriculum Night time!

The March edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features an important update on the State-mandated school calendar issue and new troubling education legislation.  The newsletter also includes two brief surveys on our Strategic Plan and communications… please participate to help CCSD continuously improve!

The School Board on Thursday, August 17, 2017, held its first meeting in its new auditorium and announced plans to offer a parent academy program this fall in collaboration with the Georgia School Boards Association.

Watch a video celebrating the dedication: http://bit.ly/CCSD-FRP

The Cherokee County School District on Thursday evening dedicated the Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo Educational Services Facility.

The Cherokee County School District has named the 2017-18 Student Advisor and Student Delegates to the School Board.

Watch a video with highlights from CCSD’s observance of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse!

Watch this brief video about the outstanding Cadet and her award!

For the fifth consecutive year, none of CCSD’s schools are considered “critically overcrowded,” reflecting long-standing successful management practices and School Board policies governing student enrollment growth forecasts and school construction project planning.

A report with additional information is available here.

The Cherokee County School District tested its School Messenger emergency notification system on Sept. 1, 2017.

The Cherokee County School District continues to excel at preparing students for college and career success!

UPDATE 1:51 p.m. 9/10/17: Based upon Governor Deal’s declaration of an emergency and multiple weather briefings with Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency relative to impending heavy rains, strong wind and potential flooding and power loss from Hurricane Irma, the Superintendent of Schools is closing Cherokee County School District schools and offices and cancelling all district operations for Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017.

As CCSD, and other school districts around the country, expands its use of a digital environment for curriculum content delivery, the need and preference by students to access these resources anytime and from anywhere is steadily increasing.

Five Cherokee County School District high school seniors today were named 2018 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists!

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists as part of the statewide appreciation week for these professionals.

The School Board on Thursday, September 14, 2017, heard plans for a public review of options to relieve overcrowding at Cherokee High School.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s School Teachers of the Year winners!

Thirty one Cherokee County School District schools have been named to the Governor’s SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Honor Roll!

The Cherokee County School District swept top Georgia PTA Awards for Principals, school nurses and school PTAs!

Clayton Elementary School’s PE teacher is a State award and grant winner!

PE teacher Coach Anne Cross recently won a first-place Fire Up Your Feet award and $1,500 grant and a Walk in Circles Award from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center.

Additional information about district ACT scores released by the state last week shows that all six CCSD high schools are ranked in the top 15 percent of high schools in Georgia, and CCSD’s average score places it second among Metro Atlanta county districts.

UPDATE: The following message was sent today, Sept. 27, 2017, to River Ridge High School and Mill Creek Middle School parents:

UPDATE 10/17/17: Detailed reports from The College Board show CCSD’s 2017 SAT scores to be among the highest in Georgia– and first among county school districts in Metro Atlanta! All of CCSD’s high schools earned average scores in the top 15% of high schools in the state, with a total score difference of less than 6% among CCSD schools.

The Cherokee County School District’s four-year graduation rate is rising to new heights!

The School District’s four-year graduation rate climbed to a record high of 86.5% for 2017, up from 84.7% for 2016, according to a new report from the Georgia Department of Education. The rate also continues to exceed the statewide average, topping the State’s 2017 rate of 80.6%.

Learning to read is the very foundation of a child’s education. Without a solid grasp of reading and writing, students can struggle in other subjects and become discouraged, losing their enthusiasm for learning.

Watch a video from the surprise presentation here.

UPDATE 4/17/18:

Cherokee County School District Teacher of the Year Stephanie Vidrine of Woodstock Middle School is a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year!  Please join us in cheering her on!

A Cherokee County School District senior has achieved a perfect score on the ACT!

A Cherokee County School District teacher has won a State career education grant valued at $2,000!

The Cherokee County School District this week launched its inaugural parent academy program.

A Cherokee County School District nurse is a statewide award finalist!

What is Child Find?

The purpose of Child Find is to identify, locate, and evaluate children and youth, who are suspected of having or have a diagnosed disability or developmental delay, in order to provide free appropriate Special Education services. The Cherokee County School District serves children from 3 years through 21 years of age.

Cherokee County School District high schools and its Academy Street Theatre Group program are ready to raise the curtain on fall shows!

A second round of Attendance Area Focus Group meetings to review possible solutions to Cherokee High School overcrowding has been scheduled to provide information responsive to audience questions.

A Cherokee County School District school has been named a finalist for a top statewide STEM education award!

Watch a video from the celebration here!

The Cherokee County School District Transportation Department on Tuesday celebrated its third annual Bus Driver Appreciation Week breakfast.

The School Board on Thursday, October 19, 2017, heard an update on meetings gathering community feedback on potential overcrowding mitigation plans for Cherokee High School.

While the campus doesn’t meet CCSD’s definition of “critically overcrowded” due to solutions already implemented, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said he’s committed to asking for the School Board’s approval in December of a plan for alleviating overcrowding beginning next school year.

Avery ES was selected as the first winner of the Cherokee Farm to School committee’s “Golden Shovel” award for its “Project Learning Garden,” implemented by second-grade teacher Lori Hohl.

A Cherokee County School District Career Pathways teacher is among an elite group of educators selected for a State leadership program!

Twenty-four Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named National Merit Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation!

Dear Parents,

On behalf of the Superintendent, this message is in response to today’s arrest of two of our students that is understandably generating significant media attention.

A Cherokee County School District senior has achieved a perfect score on the ACT!

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised the CCSD School Police Department today charged three Etowah High School students after their social media posts about an attack on the school caused a panic.

Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has been honored with a top state award for school and community relations!

Eight outstanding Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named Wendy’s High School Heisman Winners, and one is a State award finalist!

The Cherokee County School District has earned the highest honor in the State for providing fresh, healthy meals to students!

The Cherokee County School District for the sixth consecutive year has improved results and exceeded the State’s average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score, which annually rates student academic achievement and progress!

Woodstock High School is the first high school in the Cherokee County School District to earn prestigious State STEM Certification… and only the 12th high school in all of Georgia!

What is Dual Enrollment? Who can participate? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? If you have questions like these, please join us for a free CCSD Dual Enrollment Information Night open to all CCSD high school parents at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at Etowah HS or Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Sequoyah HS. Dr. Rouel Belleza, CCSD Supervisor for Student Services, will present an overview of the program, which allows high school students to take college courses and earn both high school and college credit. For more information, email rouel.belleza@cherokeek12.net

Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy’s Principal has achieved an educational milestone of his own!

The Cherokee County School District won a record 16 awards from the Georgia School Public Relations Association (GSPRA) including three “Best in State” top honors!

The Creekview High School Army JROTC Program earned first place at the Georgia State Raider Championships!

Etowah High School drama students earned top honors at Region and State competition!

Seniors Jenna Klein and Adam Parbhoo were named Best Actress and Best Actor at the regional 7AAAAAAA One Act Play event, and went on to be named to the State’s All Star Cast.

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named the Georgia Conservation Teacher of the Year!

The Cherokee County School Board will hold a Public Input Session on 2018-19 Attendance Areas at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017 in its auditorium at 1205 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 30114.  The purpose is to hear from the community about possible solutions to Cherokee High School overcrowding.

Cherokee County School District schools honored our community’s veterans with special Veterans Day programs.  Students heard guest speakers and performed patriotic songs at Veterans Day assemblies, completed classroom activities to learn about veterans’ service and shared special breakfasts with their loved ones who have served our country.

The inaugural class for Cherokee County School District’s new parent academy program has graduated!

The School Board on Thursday, November 16, 2017, heard from five parents during a public hearing on potential solutions to overcrowding at Cherokee High School.

The hearing, which was attended by a small crowd of parents and teachers, followed two rounds of community meetings to gather input in response to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower’s decision to trigger an Attendance Area Review process.

Four Cherokee County School District schools have been honored by Gov. Nathan Deal for outstanding academic performance!

The Cherokee County School Board on Friday, Nov. 17, continued its tradition of sharing its legislative partnership priorities with the local Legislative Delegation over breakfast.

Raffle ticket sales are underway to raise $200,000 for CCSD’s high school football and band programs… and one lucky ticket-holder will win a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Truck valued at $48,700 donated by Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton!

The Cherokee County School District earned high marks from students, parents and employees for school climate, according to new data from the Georgia Department of Education.

The Cherokee County School District on Dec. 18, 2017 will switch from RevTrak to Online School Payments for online payment of school-related purchases.

UPDATE 12/14/17: Here’s a highlight video from the game and half-time celebrations!

Knox Elementary School has been named a Common Sense Certified School for Digital Citizenship this week by Common Sense, a national nonprofit organization dedicated “to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology.”

Are you watching the weather?

So are we, in coordination with our valued community safety partners.

Please check out this brief video to learn more about how CCSD monitors inclement weather and decides whether to close school.  More info is on the same page posted below the video.

UPDATE 2:14 p.m. 12/10/17: All CCSD schools are closed Monday, December 11, 2017 for students and staff due to continued poor travel conditions on secondary roads and neighborhoods throughout the county as well as compromised access to multiple school campuses. #SafeCherokee

School Board Members on Wednesday, Dec. 13, visited the Cherokee County School District School Police Department’s new headquarters.

The School Board on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, approved a plan to relieve Cherokee High School overcrowding by using the neighboring Canton Elementary campus.

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy in Canton on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 welcomed community leaders to cut the ribbon on its new food pantry to be stocked with support from MUST Ministries.

Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy is again being celebrated as a global leader in leveraging technology to improve teaching and learning!

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating a newly formed department organized to improve support to the whole child.

The Cherokee County School District has earned a National honor for its support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

Seven CCSD teams will be heading to the First LEGO League Super Regionals next month at Kell High School after competing at a regional event last weekend. More than 32 schools across six neighboring school districts attended a regional First LEGO League competition on the Mill Creek MS campus on Saturday, Dec. 16, competing in three different groups.  Four CCSD teams won titles in various categories, led by a championship title win for Mill Creek MS LegoCats/Garnet team.  The other category wins included:

A Woodstock High School Junior ROTC student has earned a major university scholarship!

Cherokee County School District winners now are headed to the 2017-18 Georgia PTA Reflections competition.

The Cherokee County School District’s Social Studies Fair saw impressive participation, with 22 first-place winners advancing to the 2018 Northwest Regional Social Studies Fair in March!

Cherokee County School District launched multiple new initiatives this year to increase student achievement, and district leaders knew that teachers would need additional support as they integrated these new programs into their daily classroom activities.  To help teachers meet the challenge, CCSD created a new position called an Instructional Lead Strategist (ILS) at each elementary school, as well as targeted middle and high schools.

The CCSD School Nutrition Program is seeking potential new partners for its annual Summer Feeding Program!

On behalf of the Superintendent, in anticipation of predicted inclement weather, all CCSD evening and extracurricular activities are cancelled for Tuesday, January 16. Elementary ASP will remain open; however, parents are encouraged to pickup their student(s) prior to 5:00 PM.

Based upon the National Weather Service’s forecast for additional snow accumulation resulting in icy roads, prolonged sub-zero temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills tonight and tomorrow morning, Cherokee County School District is closed Wednesday, January 17.

Due to the NWS Special Weather Statement warning of extremely hazardous driving conditions and the extension of the wind chill advisory, the Cherokee County School District is closed on Thursday, January 18, for both students and staff.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that a decision on whether to close Cherokee County School District schools and offices for Friday, January 19, 2018 is pending and may not be made until 5 a.m.

After communications with emergency management, roads/bridges and law enforcement officials and due to continued icy/hazardous conditions on secondary roads and at multiple school campuses in various areas of the County, Cherokee County School District is closed Friday, January 19, 2018.

On behalf of the Superintendent, due to improved road conditions, most extra-curricular events scheduled for this evening and this weekend will take place as planned including: 

The School Board on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, heard its first report on anticipated revenue for the 2018-19 budget, including expectations that the State will continue withholding $4 Million as an “austerity budget cut” as recommended by Gov. Deal and further increase costs to school districts for providing employees with mandated health and retirement benefits.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that he has called for school to be held on three days during the February Break — Feb. 21, 22 and 23 — as inclement weather make-up days for all CCSD students

The Cherokee County School District is asking parents of special needs students to complete the Georgia Department of Education’s survey.

Three Cherokee County School District Air Force Junior ROTC cadets are among the first group of students in the nation selected for the newly launched AFJROTC Flight Academy scholarship, which will enable them to earn their private pilot’s license this summer at one of six partnering universities.

CCSD will hold its annual job fair for teacher candidates, as well as future bus drivers and school nutrition workers, on Saturday, March 3, from 9 am to 12 noon at River Ridge High School in Woodstock. 

Woodstock Middle School seventh-grader Lydia Lord correctly spelled “endocrinologist” and then “incorrigible” to win the 2018 Cherokee County School District Spelling Bee Thursday night at Cherokee High School.

Two Cherokee County School District teachers have been selected for the Microsoft Education Global Minecraft Mentor Program!

E.T. Booth Middle School has earned national recognition for its efforts to teach students digital citizenship!

Woodstock Elementary School’s robotics team members placed at State competition!

The team placed first in Core Values for Team Work at the First Lego League State Competition held on Saturday at Georgia Tech. The team will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the Feb. 15 School Board meeting.

Fifteen Cherokee County School District students are headed to the 70^th Annual Georgia Science & Engineering Fair!

Parents who wish to utilize general reassignment as a school choice option within the Cherokee County School District next school year can make those requests during the next month.

The Cherokee County School District congratulates its annual Reading Bowl winners and two high school teams advancing to Divisional competition!

A Sequoyah High School student has been elected to serve on the 2018-19 Georgia DECA State Executive Officer Team!

Did you know that the Cherokee County School District offers a variety of school choice options?

The Cherokee County School District has earned high marks from the State for its financial efficiency!

More than 700 female athletes from Cherokee County’s six high schools participated in the county’s annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), held Monday, February 5, at Cherokee High School. NGWSD recognizes the contributions female athletes have made in their sports, acknowledges the challenges they have overcome, and celebrates the positive influence of sports participation for girls and women everywhere, as well as the impact of Title IX legislation that guarantees equal access to athletics for females.

More than six dozen Cherokee County School District student-athletes were recognized in a ceremony Wednesday at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton for signing scholarship commitment letters to compete at the college level.

In honor of National School Counseling Week (Feb. 5-9), we asked some of our amazing school counselors about the challenges and rewards of their job.  Here is what they shared:

This is a news story about our upcoming Kindergarten Registration Gateway launch on March 12.  Click here for the Kindergarten Gateway Registration page where the link will go live and where you can find more information and a video welcome from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower!

A Cherokee County School District leader is speaking up for Special Education students and educators at the state level!

Five Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named 2018 National Merit Scholarship Finalists!

Congratulations to this year’s Cherokee County School District STAR Students and Teachers!

The Cherokee County School Board has hired Adam Carter to serve as Creekview High School’s head football coach!

The School Board on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, began its annual leadership hiring process with the approval of the Superintendent of Schools’ recommendations to fill two central administration vacancies.

Please see the Feb. 16, 2018 message below from Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

February is National CTAE Awareness Month!

Note:  We are producing a video series this spring spotlighting a different Career Pathway at each of our six high schools.  In honor of National CTAE Awareness Month, watch our first video here, focusing on the Architectural and Engineering Design program at Etowah High School.  New videos will be released over the next few months.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that we are aware of social media posts by “Ray Andres” threatening “SHS.”  CCSD School Police investigated these posts on Feb. 21, 2018 and learned they refer to a high school in Ohio.  These posts are being circulated nationwide and causing similar alarm in other communities.  We take threats to the safety and security of our schools very seriously.  We appreciate the parents who contacted police immediately and directly to report these posts.

The Cherokee County School District is expanding its pilot of a new system that allows parents to track their child’s school bus on a smart phone or computer!

The Transportation Department began testing the Versatrans My Stop system earlier this school year with selected individual parents, and that pilot now is ready to expand on March 5 to three schools: Arnold Mill Elementary School, Johnston Elementary School and Mill Creek Middle School. The School District’s goal is to expand access to the system to all CCSD parents at the start of next school year.

Two Cherokee County School District high school choral groups are featured at a national choral event this week!

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy has been named a Georgia High-Progress Reward School!

The following message was sent on behalf of the Superintendent of Schools to CCSD parents on Feb. 28, 2018:

The Cherokee County School District on Saturday, March 3, 2018 will begin emailing parents a weekly school attendance and grades report.

The Cherokee County School District recognized 331 extraordinary high school juniors as Superintendent’s Key Scholars!

State School Superintendent Richard Woods visited Woodstock High School this week to present the school’s official State STEM Certification banner, recognizing it as the 12th high school in all of Georgia to earn the prestigious honor. 

Woodstock Elementary School has earned national recognition for its efforts to teach students digital citizenship!

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating National School Breakfast Week (March 5-9) with special menus and activities to encourage more children to enjoy a healthy breakfast!

A Cherokee County School District student placed at the regional spelling bee and now is headed to the State competition!

CCSD’s annual Job Fair on Saturday drew more than 600 people interested in positions as teachers, bus drivers or school nutrition workers.

(Note:  a brief video about the bookmobile can be seen here.)

Cherokee County School District launched its month-long reading campaign, “Get Cherokee Reading,” on Monday morning by delivering books to Title I schools in the county.  Retired CCSD Media Specialist Rebecca Amerson drove her custom-painted “bookmobile” camper to Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy, Canton ES STEM Academy and Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, loaded down with books provided by the CCSD Curriculum & Instruction Division.

As part of our “Get Cherokee Reading” campaign this month, we invited a few friends to read a favorite children’s book for videos to be played in our elementary school classrooms.

UPDATE 4/10/18…  Ms. Lewis has been named the North Central Georgia Regional Library Media Specialist of the Year for 2018!  She now is in the running for the Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year Award.  The state winner will be announced at the GLMA Summer Institute, June 11-12 in Peachtree City.  All regional winners will also be honored at the conference opening ceremony.

March is National Social Work Month, and the first week of March is dedicated specifically to School Social Workers.  CCSD has three full-time social workers who assist the families of our 42,000 students in overcoming challenges that might affect their education.  Our social workers strive daily to connect families with community resources and provide interventions to address situations like homelessness, hunger, truancy, drug abuse, neglect and other challenges.   Last year, our three social workers made 793 home visits; handled more than 700 cases; made 1,500 parent contacts and provided assistance to 146 homeless students.   Perry Marshall, David McFerrin and Tara Quinn-Schuldt share a few insights about their work:

It’s School Board Appreciation Week, and we're shining the spotlight on each of our representatives to thank them for their service! #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District Principal has won the top honor awarded to school administrators by the statewide association for speech and debate coaches!

The Georgia Forensics Coaches Association selected Cherokee High School Principal Todd Miller as winner of its 2018 Principal of the Year Award.

CCSD’s Special Education Department will host an Agency Fair March 20 for families seeking resources for students with disabilities (SWD).  See the flyer here. The Agency Fair will be from 2:30 pm to 5 pm at the Cherokee County South Annex, located at 7545 Main Street, Building 200, Woodstock.  More than three dozen companies and agencies are typically present, offering resources from preschool to post secondary options.

The School Board on Thursday, March 15, 2018, approved the appointment of new Principals for next school year and the voter-supported installation of artificial turf at all high schools.

On behalf of the Superintendent, be advised that due to the National Weather Service’s inclusion of Cherokee County into the Enhanced Risk Zone for severe weather Monday evening, CCSD will cancel all after-school activities, practices and programs that begin after 6:00 p.m. today (3/19/18).

Woodstock High School Principal Mark Smith’s strong support for his media center and its programs is readily evident, whether he is cheering on the Reading Bowl team, tweeting about media center activities, or even spending 10 hours on the floor with a wrench, assembling new library tables in time for the first day of school. His dedication to his school’s media center recently earned Mr. Smith the Georgia Library Media Association’s Distinguished Administrator of the Year award. He was surprised with the award by students, administrators, media specialists and his family in, where else, the Woodstock HS media center on March 9.

The Cherokee County School District has published its Annual Report of District Progress, which offers the community a snapshot of successes over the past year.

The Cherokee County School District is offering summer school opportunities for students to gain recovery credit for high school classes not passed during the regular school year. Additionally, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit. The District is also offering an opportunity for specifically identified rising ninth-grade students to participate in a Summer Bridge program to preview core ninth-grade content, with an emphasis on high school transition skills and processes. Details and complete registration information can be found here.

Each of CCSD’s six high schools will offer sports physicals on site this spring at a cost of $20.  Payment is cash only.  Students can attend at ANY location, they do not have to go to the event at their school. 

Open enrollment for the Cherokee County School District’s Georgia Lottery Pre-K Classes program begins April 30!

Spanish language version available here.

Heroes Wanted*: Seeking more awesome people who care about kids and public education to join the Cherokee County School District as teachers, support staff, bus drivers and school nutrition workers for the upcoming school year. Must love: competitive compensation packages (State Heath Benefit Plan! Teachers Retirement System! And much more!); being part of a growing organization (eighth-largest school system in Georgia); serving an incredible purpose (Educating the Emerging Generation); and working alongside the wonderful colleagues, students, partners and volunteers who make up the #CCSDfam.

*Capes provided.

The Cherokee County School District recently hosted a New Leaders Reception for the School Board to meet the educators recommended by the Superintendent of Schools for leadership roles including Principal posts.

A brief video about the event can be viewed on the CCSD YouTube Channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS_Ym4ps2Vo

Basketball season officially came to a close for CCSD’s high school seniors Thursday night, as they played their final high school games together at Cherokee High School in the Varsity Brands Senior Classic.  Senior players made the most of the evening, cutting up and having fun, taking a few playful shots at each other as well as the rim.

Creekview High School’s Reading Bowl team has won the State Championships!

The team took home the big trophy from the statewide Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl competition on March 24 held at the University of Georgia. This follows a second-place win at States last school year.

More than 500 Cherokee County School District students competed in the Cherokee County Elementary Science Olympiad, with four teams now headed to State!

The Sequoyah High School Literary Team is the 2018 Georgia 6A Literary State Champion!

Dean Rusk is one of the CCSD schools which implemented the “grab n go” breakfast program this year, where students can pick up a quick and portable breakfast on their way in from the bus. The program got a boost this week with the addition of a specialized cart to make it easier to load and transport food and beverages, as well as easily display them for quick access to students, made possible by grant funds.

The Cherokee County School District honored its top school community partners and volunteers at the Fifth Annual CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony.

The Cherokee County School District’s Office of Technology & Information Services will perform scheduled maintenance on CCSD’s fileservers from 11 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2018 through 2 a.m. Saturday, March 31, 2018.

Exciting news… as part of the Cherokee County School District’s newly established Partnership Agreement with the Atlanta Braves, the club is hosting a Cherokee County Schools Night on Wednesday, April 18, at SunTrust Park during its Teacher Appreciation Week. 

Two Sequoyah High School Automotive Technology SkillsUSA Team members placed at State competition, with one named State Champion!

Woodstock MS Counselor Rod Metcalf is described by his principal as “the heart and soul” of WMS, where he has supported and guided students since the school opened its doors in 1996. Mr. Metcalf’s dedication to the nurturing and motivating of thousands of students over 22 years led him to be selected as the Cherokee County School District’s Counselor of the Year for 2018.

The Cherokee County School District’s online system for registering new students opens to parents on April 16.

More than three dozen Cherokee County School District student-athletes were recognized in a ceremony Wednesday at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton for signing scholarship commitment letters to compete at the college level.  They join the first round of more than 70 signees who were honored in February on National Signing Day.

Cherokee County School District’s high schools all have earned State recognition for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs!

Cherokee County School District Teacher of the Year Stephanie Vidrine of Woodstock Middle School is a Top 10 finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year!  Please join us in cheering her on!

The Woodstock High School Girls’ Basketball program is welcoming a new head coach who brings State tournament experience with her.

The School Board on Thursday, April 19, 2018, approved the appointment of new School District and school leaders for next school year and a voter-supported classroom addition at Mill Creek Middle School.

The Cherokee County School District hosted a New Leaders Reception on Thursday, April 19, 2018 for the School Board to meet the educators recommended by the Superintendent of Schools for School District and school leadership roles including Assistant Principals.

Woodstock High School engineering and technology Career Pathway students recently won statewide honors and office and are advancing to Nationals!

A Cherokee County School District educator has been selected as an elite National STEM Scholar!

Hickory Flat Elementary School is the winner of CCSD’s Elementary School Academic Bowl and will be recognized by the School Board next week!

Thirteen Cherokee County School District students earned first-place awards at the Northwest Georgia Regional Science and Engineering Fair and advanced to State, where two won blue ribbons!

The Cherokee County School District’s credit rating has improved for the second consecutive year, an accomplishment benefitting taxpayers!

The Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame will honor a dozen top Cherokee County School District student athletes as part of its annual banquet.

Twelve Cherokee County School District students placed in the 2017-18 Georgia PTA Reflections fine arts contest, with four winning first place and one advancing to Nationals!

Nine Cherokee County School District graduating seniors have been recognized as 2018 Georgia Scholars – a top honor awarded by the State!

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower today presented the first of his annual awards for instructional excellence! The surprise presentation of a “Superintendent’s 2018 Game Changer Award” was made to Avery Elementary School Principal Dr. Lisa Turner before a room full of her fellow Principals and District leaders.

The Cherokee County School District thanked five retiring Principals with a special salute and luncheon on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower paid tribute to each retiring Principal – Donna Adams of CCSD Preschool Centers, Jan Adamson of R.M. Moore ES, Elliott Berman of Sequoyah HS, Dr. Ann Gazell of Indian Knoll ES and Darrell Herring of River Ridge HS — as part of the event before presenting a plaque of recognition and appreciation and turning the microphone over to them for remarks.

The Cherokee County School District will hold its annual Comprehensive Improvement Plan Review parent meetings later this month.

Under authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, CCSD, as a Local Educational Agency (LEA), is provided Federal funds for initiatives designed to meet the educational needs of eligible students.

Cherokee HS freshman Rebekah Seng was presented the Congressional Award, Bronze Medal on May 1 at the school by Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk of the 11th District.  Rebekah, who is a member of the JROTC program at Cherokee HS, received the award in a small ceremony in the JROTC classroom with her parents and special guests. Only 18 students in Georgia qualified for the Bronze Medal this year.