Bartow County School System

UMMER BUNDLE: Anything better than seeing a child develop a love for literacy? 📚🥰📚 Thanks to the Bookmobile and our L4 Georgia grant money, every pre-K and kindergarten student will soon get a summer bookbag and books! These pre-K kiddos at the Bartow County College and Career Academy LOVED IT! Pine Log, you are up next! The Bookmobile will visit on Monday!

A TEAM AWARD: Superintendent Page and system leaders present Red Top Middle School and its sixth grade social studies collaboration team, which consists of Katie Hamilton and Dana Walters with the most prestigious award given by the District, the A-Team Award! Katie Hamilton and Dana Walters exemplify the three big ideas of our Professional Learning Communities culture as they continually demonstrate a focus on learning, collaboration, and results. Through observations and conversations with each team member, it is evident this team uses the PLC process to work together with collective responsibility for student learning. They ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all their students, use common formative assessments to monitor student learning, use common assessment data to improve teaching and learning practices, and support the RTI process by providing systematic interventions and extensions for all students. Katie Hamilton and Dana Walters will now present at an upcoming school board meeting, New Teacher Institute, and serve as role models for future A-Teams throughout our school system. This is our 28th collaboration team to earn an A-Team Award!

CHECK THESE OUT: Unique summer camp opportunities at Georgia Highlands College for current 2nd-5th grade students! Dive into the realms of STEM and healthcare, where young minds explore the wonders of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and healthcare professions. Their expert-led programs blend hands-on experiments, interactive learning, and real-world applications to inspire innovation and problem-solving skills!

SERVING UP SUCCESS: Bartow County School Nutrition receives the Turnip the Beet Award for the third consecutive year! Recognized for its outstanding summer meal program, Bartow County is one out of only six gold level award winners from Georgia. Other counties include Douglas, Gordon, Henry, Newton, and Wayne. “The Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Division is excited to announce that 18 total Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program operators in Georgia have been awarded the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s Turnip the Beet Award for 2023,” said State Director of School Nutrition Linette Dodson. “The Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding summer meal program school food authorities and sponsors across the nation who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious during the summer months.” New summer meal pick-up locations will be announced at the end of May. If you would like to be a part of this award-winning Seamless Summer Meal Program, go to https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/o/bartow/page/nutrition-seamless-summer-meal-program Applications are due Friday, May 3. “From the heart and hands of Bartow County to every corner of its summer camps and athletic fields, we are infusing each meal with creativity and care,” said School Nutrition Specialist Jessica Chandler. “We cherish the opportunity to serve the children of Bartow County, knowing that each nutritious bite fuels their potential and brightens their days. Personally, I have really enjoyed watching our entire team pour their heart out into serving these kids and their community all year long. They have done a great job! It is a very true statement to say that someone's grandma is cooking in our kitchens!” Bartow County School Nutrition will be recognized by the Bartow County Board of Education June 17.

SHINING BRIGHT IN BARTOW: Adairsville High School Magnet Student Callie Viktora earns the University of Georgia's top academic scholarship! It's called the Foundation Fellowship, and it is available through the Morehead Honors College. The fellowship is a full scholarship program, covering tuition, room and board, research and academic conferences, dinner seminars with faculty and alumni, yearly individual and group travel, and an additional post-first-year Maymester study abroad opportunity at Oxford University in England! About 2,000 students applied for this opportunity. Approximately 55 were interviewed by a seven-person panel, and only about 25 students were accepted! Additional details to come! Congratulations, Callie!

BARTOW VIRTUAL ACADEMY: The application window for our Bartow Virtual Academy will be open May 1 - May 31 for the 2024-2025 academic year. The BVA is available to all 6th – 12th grade students who meet the criteria. The online application link and criteria information can be found on the BVA website at the link below! https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/page/bartow-virtual-academy

SUPPORTING OUR BCSS FAMILY: About 40 Bartow County parents successfully completed adult English classes through OLA Language School and the Bartow County School System! Mrs. Kristy Mitchell, Bartow County’s ESOL Program Director, initiated this partnership with OLA in the fall of 2021. “We asked parents how we could help them, and they said they wanted to learn English,” said Mitchell. “It is not easy to learn a new language. I am so proud of these parents who made time to learn to speak, read, and write in English. They’ve described how this has helped them communicate with teachers, build their confidence, and obtain better jobs.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Cass High School Magnet Student Alexandra Pacheco is recognized by the Georgia Department of Education and the State Superintendent as an International Studies Star Student through the International Skills Diploma Seal program! “While all of our magnet students demonstrate a passion in the study of world languages, cultural studies, and global competencies, Alex’s passion has inspired her to take action," said Magnet Coordinator Micaela Armona. "Alex doesn’t wait for opportunities to get involved with her community, she creates them for herself and others.” Alexandra completed a pathway in both Spanish (she earned the biliteracy seal by scoring a 5 on the Spanish AP test) and French. She has taken 13 AP courses while at CHS. In addition to being an active member of over 10 clubs, a three-sport varsity letterman, and member of the Model UN team, she also serves as the president for student government, Beta Club, and the HoPe organization. She has completed study abroad trips to Spain and Japan respectively. One of Alexandra's most impressive achievements is her role as the president of the Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe). Under her dynamic leadership, HoPe not only won the prestigious HoPe Transformation Award in 2023 but also experienced substantial growth, increasing its membership from 16 to 152 students. Her dedication to the HoPe program, and the positive impact she has had on the lives of so many students, underscores her passion for fostering educational opportunities and promoting cultural awareness. Alexandra's influence extends beyond the school grounds. She played a crucial role in building the CHS International Studies Magnet program through her innovative project, World Wide Expedition. Through this initiative, students created captivating displays of landmarks from different countries and educated elementary students on various aspects of each nation's culture, language, food, and unique achievements. This project not only enriched the educational experience of our students but also bridged communities and fostered cultural understanding. She is currently interning with Constanza Sweeny, owner of Intercultural Fest, LLC and has been instrumental in organizing and promoting the Intercultural Festival taking place this Sunday, April 28 in downtown Cartersville. Ultimately, her passion for cultural studies as well as community activism is taking Alexandra all the way to California where she plans to major in Political Science and Latino Studies at Stanford University. Congratulations, Alexandra!

TRUE INSPIRATION: Exciting news! Intellectual Disabilities Specialist Tina O'Shields and the Bartow County Special Olympics have been nominated by our local Chick-fil-A Supply General Manager, Scott Sangrey, for the 2025 True Inspiration Awards! Congratulations, Mrs. O'Shields! Thank you for your exceptional work with our Special Olympics!

CENTRAL OFFICE CELEBRATIONS: When you work in a school system and community like this, you have a lot to celebrate! And, if you know Superintendent Page, then you know he likes to celebrate the RIGHT WORK. In the Bartow County School System, the right work supports learning, collaboration, and results. That's what we value. This month, we celebrate and honor Tanya Rucker, our Assistant Support Specialist to the Chief Leadership and Learning Officer. Tanya's presence is like a steadfast force, and her poise never goes unnoticed. The way she carries herself is truly inspiring, and her personable nature makes every interaction a pleasure! Keep shining and setting the bar high, Tanya! You certainly make us all better!

ARTS ON THE ROCK: Looking for a family fun day this weekend? Woodland High School's Fine Arts Department is hosting a community celebration of live performances, food trucks, games, and a car show! Check out the schedule of events below!

SENIORS & RECENT ALUMS: This event is for YOU! Get on-the-spot job interviews with local companies or admission information if you have your sights on college!

DID YOU KNOW: There has been so much exciting behind-the-scenes work done this academic year for our Exceptional Education SENIORS! * First Job Fair May 3rd @ the BCCCA Graduating seniors will attend an employment fair where they will network with possible employers! * We started competing in state-level Career & Technical Instruction competitions! * We started offering college & industry tours to places like Columbus State University and Georgia Northwestern Technical College!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED: Help support the Bartow Education Foundation Teacher Grant Program! By signing up for the Red Apple Run, you are helping Bartow County teachers fund innovative projects in the classroom! The race/walk is THIS SATURDAY at Hamilton Crossing Park! Register by Wednesday using the link below to guarantee a t-shirt. You can register at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, but a t-shirt is not guaranteed. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, please make sure you notate your school affiliation during registration because the schools with the most participants get 💵!! https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Cartersville/RedAppleRun5K

GROW IN BARTOW: The District Mentor Program would like to spotlight Cindi Gravely, the instructional lead teacher at Kingston Elementary School, and Nelia Card, a third grade teacher at Pine Log Elementary School, for exhibiting best practices in mentoring and support in their buildings. Cindi and Nelia define what it means to be great in Bartow! Thank you for all the support you offer to our teachers, schools, and this district.

A WIN AT WORLDS: Clear Creek's TEAM BLAZE walked across the international stage this weekend at the FIRST LEGO League World Championship in Houston, Texas! This amazing Robotics team competed among 50,000 people from 58 countries and WON the Core Values Gracious Professionalism Award! They also earned their highest robot game score in competition with a 455! CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM BLAZE! ABOUT THE AWARD: The Gracious Professionalism Award is chosen by the referees and judges to highlight a team that demonstrates the FIRST pillar of Gracious Professionalism. Gracious Professionalism is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Through Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain coexist. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SPONSORS! Without the help of our generous community, this life-changing trip would not have been possible!

MAGICAL MOMENTS: Woodland High School Senior Riannae Lowe was on her way to Prom when she stopped to take a picture with her littlest fan! You could not tell her this wasn't Princess Aurora! Both their days were MADE! #fairytales #sweetmemories 📸Te'Ara McClain

SUMMER JOB OPPORTUNITY: Join our award-winning Seamless Summer Meal Program and make a big difference in your community! Four-day work week! Must be 16 or older to apply! Deadline to apply is May 3rd!

ContinUed BARTOW: Attention, BCSS Staff! Apply for a chance to earn an educational graduate degree at NO COST through Berry College! But HURRY! The application window closes in about a week! https://www.bartow.k12.ga.us/page/continued-bartow

A TEAM AWARD: Superintendent Page and system leaders present Adairsville High School and its Biology collaboration team, which consists of Ariel Martin, Kristi Sylvester, TJ Langston, Casey Smith, and Elisha Mayberry with the most prestigious award given by the District, the A-Team Award! Ariel Martin, Kristi Sylvester, TJ Langston, Casey Smith, and Elisha Mayberry exemplify the three big ideas of our Professional Learning Communities culture as they continually demonstrate a focus on learning, collaboration, and results. Through observations and conversations with each team member, it is evident this team uses the PLC process to work together with collective responsibility for student learning. They ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all their students, use common formative assessments to monitor student learning, use common assessment data to improve teaching and learning practices, and support the RTI process by providing systematic interventions and extensions for all students. Ariel Martin, Kristi Sylvester, TJ Langston, Casey Smith, and Elisha Mayberry will now present at an upcoming school board meeting, New Teacher Institute, and serve as role models for future A-Teams throughout our school system. This is our 27th collaboration team to earn an A-Team Award!