Mill Creek Middle School News

The Wildcat Pride Rock is a great way to send your special message...

Show your school spirit, wish someone "Happy Birthday!" or "Congratulations!"

The Cherokee County School District participates in the statewide Child Find program to help identify students eligible for Special Education services.

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, March 16, 2023 approved the appointment of new principals and other new leaders for next school year.

Cherokee County School District high school and middle school students won seats in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band, Chorus and Orchestra.

The Cherokee County School District is beginning kindergarten and new student registration for the 2023-24 school year with a new online registration system.

The Synergy system is easy to use and similar to the previous Gateway system that CCSD parents with older children have used.  Beginning March 7, parents of any student who will be new to CCSD for the 2023-24 school year can enter information and upload documents to complete the registration process online.  Parents are asked to complete this process by May to ensure as smooth an enrollment as possible.  Parents whose children already are enrolled in CCSD in grades K-12 do not need to complete this process.

Please check out the March edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections for the latest CCSD news including announcements and upcoming events. 

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

The Cherokee County School District is kicking off its month-long celebration of the importance of literacy!

Every March, CCSD celebrates literacy beginning with Read Across America Day, a nationwide reading event that coincides with renowned children’s book author and illustrator Dr. Seuss’s March 2 birthday.  CCSD’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction coordinates the campaign, which supports the statewide Get Georgia Reading initiative and CCSD’s continued focus on improving literacy.

The Cherokee County School District Annual Job Fair for next school year is THIS SATURDAY! Pre-register today to join us: https://bit.ly/2023CherokeeJF #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District again has earned national honors for its School Nutrition summer meals program!

Birthday Sign Forms and Payment

Cherokee County School District students excelled in this year’s Student Technology Competition, with more than 40 placing first at regions and now advancing to the state contest!

The statewide Georgia Student Technology Competition program includes 14 project categories for students in Grades 3-12.  Nearly 200 students from more than 20 CCSD schools put their technology skills to the test at the Piedmont Regional Technology Competition.  Students submitted videos to present their projects for judging. 

The Cherokee County School District congratulates the districtwide winners of the annual PTA Reflections fine arts contest!

The annual competition offers students in all grades and of all abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts 2D and 3D.

Reminder: CCSD's Job Fair is a month away ... please join us from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 4, at River Ridge High School (400 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 30188).  Pre-register today at https://bit.ly/2023CherokeeJF #CCSDfam

Please check out the February edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections for the latest CCSD news including announcements and upcoming events.  You also can learn more about the opportunity to nominate a deserving teacher or support staff member for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card sponsored by Credit Union of Georgia.  #CCSDfam

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named the top science teacher in the state!

Ann-Margaret Somers of Mill Creek Middle School is the Georgia Science Teachers Association 2022-23 Teacher of the Year for Middle Schools.

The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition program has added a Halal menu item.
 
CCSD School Nutrition continuously updates school menus to keep up with student preferences, and last semester tested a new item in response to a request from students’ parents.

February is School Choice Month for the Cherokee County School District!  

In February, CCSD opens the opportunity for parents to request a school reassignment for the next school year, including our STEM, STEAM and Fine Arts Academies, and our online high school, i-Grad Virtual Academy.  

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s 2023 School Teachers of the Year winners!

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

Mill Creek Middle School Principal Matthew May is one of five finalists for the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year award.

Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grader Joli Palmquist correctly spelled “ascension” and then “importunate” to claim the title as the county’s top speller at the 2023 Cherokee County School District Spelling Bee Wednesday night at Cherokee High School.  Rohan Pandya of ET Booth MS captured second, and Charli Wallace of Creekland MS placed third.

The Cherokee County School District will present its next Parent University program on Tuesday, Jan. 31, with a focus on cyber bullying and social media.

CCSD's Parent University regularly presents free programs for parents on topics of interest to families with school-age children.  The Jan. 31 program is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Woodstock City Church (150 Ridgewalk Way, Woodstock 30188).  The target audience is parents/guardians and students age 11 and older.

We are closely monitoring weather conditions and the potential for severe weather this afternoon. 

The forecast calls for high winds and heavy rain, which could delay bus routes.  If any change is made to dismissal times, we will notify parents immediately by email and text, as well as through a post on our website and Facebook page. 

All after-school and evening extra-curricular activities including athletics have been cancelled.  After School Program care will be offered at elementary schools as planned until 6 p.m.

The Cherokee County School District on Friday, Jan. 20, will host a virtual job fair for Special Education positions for next school year including: school psychologists, speech language pathologists, board certified behavior analysts and occupational and physical therapists.  

Save the date: the CCSD Certified Job Fair will be 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 4, at River Ridge High School (400 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 30188).  Pre-register at https://bit.ly/2023CherokeeJF #CCSDfam

CCSD’s new CTAE handbook, “Focus on the Future,” went home with 8^th graders this month as they prepare to register for their high school classes.  The handbook highlights the 38 Career Pathways offered at CCSD schools, with information on the classes required and possible career options in various fields.

On behalf of the Superintendent, this is to advise that, after carefully reviewing the weather forecast for tomorrow morning (Friday, Dec. 23), and at the recommendation of State officials to remain off of the roads if at all possible at that time, he has declared that tomorrow will be a remote work day for CCSD employees, with duties as assigned by worksite supervisors.  As a result, all schools and offices will be closed, and staff will not be answering phones.  Friday is a school holiday for students, so this decision does not impact a school day.  #SafeCherokee 

Cherokee County School District teams succeeded at the regional First Lego League robotics competition, with three earning trophies and one advancing to super regionals!

The Mill Creek Middle School Lego Cats - Navy team and R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy Robotic Warriors each won the Core Values trophy for their bracket, and the Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy BrickMasters won the Innovation Project award for its bracket.  R.M. Moore’s team also earned a high enough overall score to move on to the super regionals event next month.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its first REACH Georgia Scholars!  

REACH Georgia is the state’s first needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program for middle and high school students.  An eighth-grader from each CCSD middle school has been selected as one of CCSD’s first REACH Georgia scholars.

The Cherokee County School District celebrated the important role of support staff at its Fifth Annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards on Thursday evening.

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Mill Creek Middle School 2022 Volunteer of the Year: Jennifer Conley! #CCSDfam

Please check out the December edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections for the latest CCSD news including announcements and upcoming events.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner! #CCSDfam

Eleven projects by Cherokee County School District students are headed to the Regional Social Studies Fair!

Through the annual CCSD Social Studies Fair program, students in grades 5-12 have the opportunity explore an area of social studies and complete a research project individually or as part of a team.  

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 approved mid-year bonuses for teachers and support staff and heard plans to increase salaries for next school year.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower proposed the one-time supplemental payments of $1,000 for eligible full-time employees and $500 permanent part-time employees, which will be issued in this month’s paychecks, to show appreciation for their continued service.

On behalf of the Superintendent of Schools, please be advised that Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, the date of the General Election Runoff, will be a Digital Learning Day for all CCSD students.  

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District next month will celebrate outstanding service at its fifth annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!

The recognition ceremony on December 8 will honor one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions.  Each honoree is congratulated by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board members and receives a plaque and gifts of appreciation before an audience of honorees and their families, Principals and CCSD leaders.

Please check out the November edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections for the latest CCSD news including announcements and upcoming events.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam
 

The Cherokee County School District will host a fall job fair from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at 1020 Keeter Road.  We are hiring for mid-year teaching positions due to retirements, as well as for immediate openings for bus drivers, paraprofessionals and school nutrition assistant managers and subs. 

Creekland Middle School for the second consecutive year earned the top trophy at the Cherokee County School District Middle School Academic Bowl!  

Mill Creek Middle School’s team placed as runner-up at the event, which was organized by CCSD’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction and sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation.  Teasley Middle School placed third.

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 2022 Mill Creek Middle School Teacher of the Year Amanda Carter!

The Cherokee County School District is offering 2023-24 high school students the opportunity to participate in an educational travel experience to Greece and Italy during June 2024!

CCSD will hold its annual sale of surplus equipment and vehicles on Saturday, November 12.  Preview begins at 8 am, sale begins at 9 am. 

It’s National School Bus Safety Week, and we want to recognize those who are responsible for keeping our students safe on the bus and training our new bus drivers to do the same! Meet school bus driver and trainer Jane Harmon! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District’s Superintendent of Schools has been named a finalist for the Georgia Superintendent of the Year award!
 
Dr. Brian V. Hightower, who has led CCSD since 2016, was announced as one of four finalists for the top honor today at the Georgia School Superintendents Association’s fall conference in Athens.  

Please check out the October edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections for the latest CCSD news including announcements and upcoming events.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam
 

The Cherokee County School District has again earned a top state honor for providing outstanding meals and service to students!

CCSD’s School Nutrition program, which serves 5 million meals each year in school cafeterias, won the Golden Radish Award from the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Division.  

The Cherokee County School District has earned international recognition for excellence in education!

The district is one of only 38 school districts in the world to today be named a 2022 Cognia School System of Distinction by the international accreditation organization.

The September edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections with the latest CCSD news, including the announcement of an Oct. 12 Digital Learning Day for high school students not taking the PSAT or SAT at school that day.  

Microsoft Education has recognized 36 Cherokee County School District teachers and staff as among the nation’s top instructional technology experts!

They have been named to the 2022-23 class of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEE).  The technology company selected only 830 educators, support staff and school and school district leaders nationwide, considered among the best at understanding how technology can improve learning, for this elite recognition. 

The Cherokee County School District’s Police Department is dedicated to serving and protecting our students and staff every day. We’re thankful for their service and will regularly introduce you to our officers through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #SafeCherokee

The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition department is searching for the best kid-friendly spinach recipes!

The fourth annual CCSD School Nutrition Parent Recipe Contest in celebration of National Farm to School Month offers parents the opportunity to earn a $100 Visa gift card sponsored by Credit Union of Georgia and see their recipe featured on school lunch menus.  This year’s featured vegetable, which is selected annually by Georgia Organics, is spinach, and the contest theme is “Are you ‘Spinach to Win It?!’”

Please check out the August edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections, which includes CCSD news and a message from the Superintendent.  If you have not already done so, please visit the Back-to-School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s to update your child’s emergency contacts and provide other important information.  Thank you to this month's newsletter sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia!  #CCSDfam

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

VILLA (Volunteer Instructional Leadership Learning Academy) is a free six-session program that offers CCSD parents the opportunity to learn more about their school district and how to be more engaged in our schools.  CCSD earned the Georgia School Boards Association’s 2019 Leading Edge Award for helping to develop and pilot the statewide program.

The following message is from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Today’s skies may be cloudy, but our schools were filled with sunshine.

As I visited schools across our community today, the smiles shone brightly among students and teachers and staff celebrating the first day of our new school year.

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Mill Creek Middle School 2022 Partner of the Year: Nothing Bundt Cakes Woodstock!

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! #CCSDPartnersInAction #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is bringing back the popular option of part-time employment for specific certified jobs!  For the upcoming school year, this “49%” option of working 3.5 hours per school day is available for specific teaching roles, school psychologists and speech language pathologists.  This is an outstanding opportunity for parents of young children, professionals who also work in private practice and retirees. 

Cherokee County School District students for the seventh consecutive year exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests, with significant gains on most tests. 

The annual tests assess students’ mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, which set expectations for what lessons students will learn in each grade.  Teachers and administrators use the results to improve instructional best practices.

It’s less than two weeks until the first day of school for CCSD on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022!  Please check out the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter online here, which includes important back-to-school info and a message from the Superintendent about school safety and security.  Don’t forget to visit the Back-to-School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s when it opens July 25 to update your child’s emergency contacts and provide other important information.  Thank you to this month's newsletter sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia!  #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District this week congratulated the winners of its new Bus Driver of the Year Awards!

The awards recognize one outstanding school bus driver from each Innovation Zone (high school and feeder middle and elementary schools) and one from CCSD’s team of Special Education drivers; from this pool of winners, one overall CCSD winner was selected.

We have been pleased to offer to-go meal service at no charge during summer break for any child age 0-18 in Cherokee County.

The last CCSD meal pick up for the summer break will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 18, at Cherokee High School’s North Campus at 930 Marietta Hwy, Canton, GA 30114 - North Campus is to the right of the main campus, and Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy at 3219 Hunt Road, Acworth, GA 30102.

The Cherokee County School District’s 2022-23 school year will begin on Monday, Aug. 1.  

For students who are new to CCSD, parents may register them online this summer using our New Student Gateway; parents still will need to present copies of legally required documents in person to complete enrollment.  For information, visit http://bit.ly/ccsdenrollment.  

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night approved the budget for next school year, which calls for a tax rate reduction, increased investment in school safety and pay raises for teachers and support staff.

The 1.5 mills decrease in the tax rate, which was unanimously approved, is the first reduction proposed since 2014 and was prompted by the rise in property values.  While most homeowners will see an increase in their tax bill due to their property value rising, the increase will be less due to the School Board’s action.   

The Cherokee County School District is seeking a professional with experience in nutrition, dietetics and/or food service to serve as a School Nutrition Coordinator.  This leadership position supports the department’s operations, including training programs and promotions.  It offers competitive compensation, excellent benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, opportunities for professional development and career advancement, and a wonderful work environment and team!  Join the #CCSDfam & apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net  For more information, please call 770.721.8419 or email Tina.Farmer@cherokeek12.net.

Cherokee County School District employees and volunteers have been honored by the PTA with state awards!

The Georgia PTA at its annual convention, which was held last weekend in Columbus, recognized outstanding PTA volunteers and school district employees from across the state, with several top honors presented to Cherokee County winners.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its retiring educators and support staff!

The majority of the retirees noted below are ending their careers this week; some retired earlier in the year based on their retirement eligibility date.

Dear CCSD Families,
 
Our hearts are with Uvalde. 
 
And just as after Sandy Hook and Parkland, we know that this tragedy not only has filled you with the same heartbreak, but also with anger and worry. 
 

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night reviewed the proposed budget for next school year, which calls for a reduction in the tax rate for all property owners and well-deserved pay increases for teachers and support staff.

The proposed 1.5 mills decrease in the tax rate is the first reduction proposed since 2014 and has been recommended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower in light of rising home values.

UPDATE 5/23/22: Great news! The USDA waiver has been extended for July so the weekly to-go bag model will continue in July. #CCSDfam #CCSDserves

The CCSD School Nutrition Summer Feeding program will kick off June 6, and community donations are requested to make it a success.

“We care about our students’ well-being all the time, and we know that providing meals over summer break is a hardship for some families,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “We’re so fortunate to have a dedicated School Nutrition team, an outstanding partner in MUST Ministries and a supportive community working together to feed our students over the summer.”  

Just last week, CCSD received its 1,200th online #thanksCCSD submission!  Dr. Hightower made a special recognition presentation to Mill Creek MS sixth-grader Anya Chand, who made the submission, and Mill Creek MS teacher Lee Smith, whom she had thanked.  Through the generosity of Credit Union of Georgia, each received a $100 Visa gift card presented by Cherokee Area Manager Jason Blakey! #thanksCCSD  #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District students, educators and volunteers were honored by the PTA with regional awards!

The Georgia PTA District 13 Spring Conference & Awards Ceremony, which recently was held in Woodstock, recognized outstanding PTA volunteers, teachers, nurses, administrators and students from Cherokee and Forsyth Counties.

Eighty-six Cherokee County School District high school and middle school students won seats in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Chorus and Reading Chorus.

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation helped celebrate the end of the school year by presenting Cherokee County School District teachers and support staff with $50,000 in grants!

The nonprofit organization, since its 2012 formation to raise funds for CCSD teachers, programs and schools, has awarded more than $1 Million in grants to support teaching and learning.

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, a professional organization of active and retired women educators, for the past 24 years has presented the annual awards.  The honor recognizes one teacher from each selected school for distinctive service in education and for demonstrating ethics in all professional relationships, enthusiasm and initiative, and knowledge and skills in his/her education field.  

Twenty-seven Cherokee County School District students earned state honors through the 2021-22 Georgia PTA Reflections fine arts contest! 

The annual competition offers students in all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.  Students can earn recognition at the School, District, State and National levels.  This year's theme was “I Will Change The World By... .”

Friday May 6 marked the 10^th year of recognizing School Lunch Hero Day, which is celebrated the first Friday of May to pay tribute to the heroes of School Nutrition who keep students supplied with nutritious meals for breakfast and lunch throughout the school year.

The Cherokee County School District will present a Job Fair focused on hiring support staff for next school year from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at our technology campus at 1020 Keeter Road, Canton, 30114.

The May 2022 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes important end-of-year announcements including May 27 early dismissal for middle and high school students and plans for the summer meal program.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

A message to the community from Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower …

Many years ago, rural families would thank their valued teachers with the crops from their farms. 
 
After this tradition had passed, the apple, the prettiest of these crops, continued to be given for generations as a gift to favorite teachers. 

Cherokee County School District students earned Regional and State honors through the annual Georgia Student Technology Competition!
 
The statewide competition offers students in Grades 3-12 the opportunity to showcase their skills through 16 categories and vie for honors at Regional and State fairs.  

NOTICE: Due to the rising volume of false information currently being circulated about our school district and our outstanding teachers and staff, we will be updating our Fact vs. Fiction webpage at https://bit.ly/CCSDfacts on a more frequent basis.  If you have a question about something you’ve seen on social media or received via mail or email about our schools, our staff or our curriculum, please reach out to your school or contact us directly at the Ask CCSD Helpdesk at https://bit.ly/AskCCSD  #CCSDfam
 

A Cherokee County School District business partner and volunteer has received a top community award!

Kevin Williams, operator of Cherokee County Chick-fil-A, today was honored with the Liberty Bell Award by the Blue Ridge Bar Association at its annual Law Day observance.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday heard good news about the school district’s financial outlook due to increasing home values and discussed ways to reduce the burden on taxpayers, while also using some of the windfall to make teacher and staff pay more competitive.

Twenty-eight Cherokee County School District high school and middle school students won seats in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band and Orchestra.

Students audition for these selective performance opportunities.  This year's All-State Band and All-State Orchestra events were recently held at the Classic Center in Athens.

CCSD High School 2022 Summer School will be offered from June 6 - 24, 2022 with options for Credit Recovery and Initial Credit as detailed below.  

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2022 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Mill Creek Middle School: Johnny Gibson! #CCSDfam

The April 2022 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent about the district’s accreditation renewal, as well as other important information.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia!

There will be no school on Tuesday, May 24, the date of the Primary Election, in order to ensure the safety and security of students due to the use of schools as polling sites.  May 24 will be a Digital Learning Day, with assignments provided online for students to complete at home.  Bags with a breakfast and lunch for students will be available for pick up at all schools that morning at no charge; order forms will be emailed to all parents on Friday, May 20.

The Cherokee County School District received excellent news today: the district’s international accreditation as a high-quality school system is recommended for renewal for another five years!

“Accreditation is the gold standard for school districts – it provides independent assurance to parents, employees and taxpayers as to the excellence of their public schools,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “I’m incredibly proud of the work that all of our employees do every day to provide the best possible education and care to each of our students.  Thank you to the amazing parent volunteers and business and community partners who support us.  None of this would be possible without the outstanding leadership of our School Board, its vision for our future and its strong stewardship of the resources entrusted to them by our community.”

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that serious misinformation about CCSD is being circulated on social media. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has no plans to ask the School Board to privatize bus drivers or School Nutrition or any other part of CCSD operations.  The School Board also has had no discussions about privatizing these services.

As part of national Sunshine Month, observed every March to highlight the importance of open government and transparency, the Cherokee County School District has updated its Open CCSD website.

CCSD is committed to transparency and accountability.  Open CCSD at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/open-ccsd was established in 2013 to provide the community with a clear understanding of its operations and stewardship of fiscal resources.  

The Cherokee County School District has earned national honors for its School Nutrition summer meals program!

The school district every summer participates in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Seamless Summer Option, which offers free meals to children in need during the summer.  The high quality of CCSD’s program earned the USDA’s Silver Turnip the Beet Award.  CCSD School Nutrition is one of only a dozen school districts in Georgia to earn the national honor and one of only 84 nationwide.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 17, 2022 approved a budget amendment to accept state funding for eligible part-time and full-time staff to receive a one-time bonus and appointed new school leaders for next school year. 

It’s Georgia School Board Appreciation Week, and we’ll be shining the spotlight on each of our representatives to thank them for their service.  #CCSDfam 

CCSD presents an annual Agency Information Fair for parents and teachers to learn more about services in the community for children with special needs. This year's event is on March 28. #CCSDfam

It’s Georgia School Board Appreciation Week, and we’ll be shining the spotlight on each of our representatives to thank them for their service.  #CCSDfam

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers … and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam

Mill Creek Middle School has earned national recognition for teaching students to safely use technology.

The school was awarded Common Sense School digital citizenship certification by the national nonprofit organization Common Sense.  Mill Creek MS achieved the certification through its outstanding efforts to educate students to think critically, use technology responsibly and navigate the technology safety challenges of cyberbullying, plagiarism and privacy issues. 

In recognition of National School Social Worker Week, please join us in thanking CCSD’s six social workers and two student support specialists who are dedicated to their mission of “ensuring that no student in Cherokee County gains less than full advantage of the educational opportunities provided by the school system as a result of family problems or school attendance problems.” We appreciate their service and dedication to the families of our 42,000 students! Learn more about our school social workers at https://www.cherokeek12.net/.../divisions-school.... #CCSDfam

The March 2022 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent about special reading and math events and the district’s upcoming accreditation review.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia!  #CCSDfam 

It's Read Across America Week and #GetCCSDReading Month! CCSD schools are celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday, the importance of literacy and favorite books ...with guest readers, dress-up days, reading challenges and incentives and much more! We hope you enjoy this slideshow of photos from some of the festivities.

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 17, heard an update on CCSD’s student support services efforts including suicide prevention.

A Cherokee County School District robotics team placed at the state tournament!

The Mill Creek MS Lego Cats - Navy team earned the third place overall Champion’s Award at the statewide First Lego League competition held this month at Georgia Tech.  This success followed their win of the Core Values trophy for their bracket both at Regionals and Super Regionals competitions.  

We are continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 cases among students, staff and our community at large and to review our related protocols.  

While community case levels remain at a very high range, we are seeing a definite trend of declining cases -- both for our schools and our community.  If case levels continue to decline, we anticipate parent visits to the cafeteria and extended parent/volunteer visits to classrooms can safely resume on Feb. 28 following February Break (Feb. 21-25).  

Don’t miss your opportunity to become a teacher in an outstanding metro Atlanta school district!  The Cherokee County School District on Saturday, March 5, will host its annual Teacher Job Fair for next school year.  There will be both an in-person event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 5, at River Ridge High School (400 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, 30188), and virtual online interview appointments also will be available.  

The February 2022 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes an important message from the Superintendent about school choice, enrollment, CCSD’s reaccreditation and the opportunity to nominate a CCSD teacher or support staff member to win one of four $250 gift cards through the CCSD Share the Love contest.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its top school Partners of the Year and Volunteers of the Year!

The annual recognition program, now in its ninth year, recognizes a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center who are selected based on their outstanding service for the past year.

February is CCSD School Choice Month, which includes both the opportunity to request a reassignment and the kickoff for Pre-K, kindergarten and Grades 1-12 new student enrollment for the 2022-23 School Year. 

Cherokee County School District students excelled in this year’s Student Technology Competition, with 41 placing first at regions and earning a spot at the upcoming state championships! 

Two Cherokee County School District First Lego League teams won at Super Regionals, with one advancing to the State Tournament!

The Mill Creek MS Lego Cats - Navy team and the Clark Creek ES STEM Academy BrickMasters team each won the Core Values trophy for their bracket, and the Lego Cats – Navy team also earned a high enough overall score to move on to the state event.

Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower this week participated in the annual “State of the County” program.

Presented by the regional Council for Quality Growth nonprofit organization, the luncheon on Wednesday featured reports by Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Harry Johnston, Cherokee Office of Economic Development President Misti Martin and Dr. Hightower.

Mark your calendar!  The Cherokee County School District’s first-ever Job Fair focused on support staff will be from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, at our technology campus at 1020 Keeter Road, Canton, 30114.  

As shared with you earlier this month, in preparation for our on-time return to in-person learning on Jan. 4, we implemented several changes in CCSD COVID-19 protocols, with a timeline to review those changes today. 

Save the Date!  The Cherokee County School District’s annual Teacher Job Fair will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 5, with in-person interviews at River Ridge High School and virtual online interview appointments available.  The event will focus on hiring teachers for the 2022-23 school year, with a separate event to be announced for positions including bus drivers, paraprofessionals, technology professionals and School Nutrition workers.  We will post instructions at www.cherokeek12.net and on CCSD social media next month explaining how you can sign up for online appointments if you choose to participate virtually.  #CCSDfam

The January 2022 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter.  The Superintendent’s message includes an announcement about the expansion of CCSD’s school choice program.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 13, reviewed a progress report on accomplishing Blueprint strategic plan goals and heard operational updates including the planned expansion of CCSD’s school choice program.

The Cherokee County School District on Friday, Jan. 28, will host a virtual job fair for applicants for Special Education positions for next school year including: board certified behavior analysts, educational audiologists, occupational and physical therapists, physical and health impairment teachers, school psychologists, Special Education facilitators, speech language pathologists and vision teachers. 

The Cherokee County School District winners of the annual PTA Reflections fine arts contest have been named, with top district winners now advancing to state competition!

The annual competition offers students in all grades and of all abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts 2D and 3D.  Students can earn recognition at the school, district, state and national levels.  This year's theme is “I Will Change the World By... .”

As we prepare for the reopening of schools on Tuesday, Jan. 4, please be advised of several changes in CCSD COVID-19 protocols in response to new Department of Public Health guidance and the rising cases resulting from the Omicron variant.

CCSD schools have been busy celebrating the holiday season by giving to others and serving the community through volunteering.  Thank you to all the teachers and staff who coordinate these opportunities for meaningful service learning!  We hope you enjoy this slideshow of a few of the many outstanding activities.

Cherokee County School District teams succeeded at the First Lego League Regional competition, with three earning trophies and four advancing to Super Regionals!

R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy’s Braves Build Masters earned the Grand Champion prize at the Regional competition held last weekend at Mill Creek Middle School. Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy’s BrickMasters claimed the Innovation Project award, and Mill Creek Middle School’s Lego Cats - Navy Team won the Core Values honor.  All three teams will be headed to the next level of competition in January, along with the Oak Grove Elementary School STEAM Academy Apex Eagles team, which also qualified at Regionals to advance.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised we are aware of the national news reports and social media posts about a TikTok challenge related to school violence today. This challenge did not originate locally, and there have been no threats reported in regard to any CCSD schools. The challenge, according to news reports, was started by a student in Utah who did not want to attend school today. We take all threats seriously, and our CCSD Police Department will continue to be on alert, monitor the situation and communicate with local law enforcement agencies.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s 2022 School Teachers of the Year winners!

Every fall, 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 2022 Teacher of the Year. 

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Mill Creek MS 2021 Partner of the Year: Truett’s Grill, Chick-fil-A!

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! #CCSDPartnersInAction

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Dec. 9, celebrated the School District winning the Georgia 2021 Governance Team of the Year Award with a review of accomplishments from the past year.

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 2021 Mill Creek Middle School Teacher of the Year Ryan Brumbelow!

Mill Creek Middle School Teacher of the Year Ryan Brumbelow is “that” teacher, according to his colleagues, who makes connecting with his students look easy.

The Cherokee County School Board has earned top state honors for exemplary leadership and innovation practices in recognition of its Social and Emotional Learning initiative.

For the third consecutive year, the Georgia School Boards Association has awarded the Cherokee County School Board its Leading Edge Award in the Culture, Climate & Organizational Efficacy category.  The awards, presented in seven categories, recognize innovative practices by School Boards and School Districts that make a significant and positive impact on students.  This year, the districtwide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative earned the honor, following previous wins for CCSD’s Student Advisor and Student Delegates to the School Board program and VILLA parent academy.  

The December 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes an important message from the Superintendent about CCSD earning the State’s highest honor for leadership and dedication to providing the best education possible to every child!  Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia.  

The Cherokee County School District has earned the State’s highest honor for leadership and dedication to providing the best education possible to every child.

The Governance Team of the Year Award is awarded to the School Board and Superintendent of Schools of only one Georgia school district in each of the three size categories -- small, medium and large – by the Georgia School Boards Association.  CCSD earned the honor for large districts, which are those with more than 10,000 students.     

A Cherokee County School District teacher has been named a 2022 Georgia STEM Scholar!

Mill Creek Middle School teacher Ann-Margaret Somers, who teaches eighth-grade science and physical science and serves as the school’s science department chair, earned the honor from the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers.  Only about two dozen elementary and middle school teachers from a pool of statewide nominees are recognized each year as STEM Scholars.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 18, approved its 2022 Legislative Partnership Priorities, which advocate for continued local control of public education decisions and the end of State educational funding budget cuts.

CCSD School Nutrition is pleased to offer to-go meal service at no charge for all CCSD students for the Friday, Nov. 19, Digital Learning Day.  The meal kit will include one breakfast and one lunch.

Please be advised that false rumors are deliberately being spread in our community about CCSD and COVID-19 vaccinations.  CCSD is NOT holding ANY COVID-19 vaccination events for our students at our schools or elsewhere.  

The Cherokee County School District next month will celebrate excellent service at its fourth annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!

The recognition ceremony on December 2 will honor one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions.  Each honoree will be congratulated by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board members and receive a plaque and gifts of appreciation before an audience of honorees and their families, Principals and CCSD leaders.

The November 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam 

On behalf of the Superintendent, we recognize and celebrate the historic World Series win by the Atlanta Braves, a valued CCSD Partner.  We love our hometown team and are so proud of their accomplishments this season.  While we are not cancelling school for Friday’s victory parade and celebration, any student absences for students who attend that event will be counted as “unexcused but without academic penalty.”  While our policies do not permit excused absences for such occasions, the designation of “unexcused but without academic penalty” provides students the important opportunity to make up all missed work and tests next week.  For those families who choose to attend Friday’s celebratory parade that will travel through Fulton and Cobb Counties, we hope you have a safe and memorable experience and we’ll see you back in class on Monday!

CCSD Reminder: Tuesday, Nov. 2, is a student holiday for Election Day as a safety precaution due to the use of many schools as polling sites.  It is not a Digital Learning Day.  It is a Professional Learning Day, with teachers and staff attending training sessions focused on improving instruction and support services in areas including reading, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), history, Career Pathways, Special Education and Gifted education.  

Cherokee County’s 1-percent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Ed SPLOST) is up for a renewal on the Nov. 2 General Election ballot, with early voting underway now.  This post is design to provide the community with accurate information about the continuation of the existing penny sales tax.  More information about the Ed SPLOST is on our website at https://bit.ly/CCSDsplostinfo.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday, Oct. 21 work session, reviewed projects proposed for the Education Special Purpose Location Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) renewal up for a vote on Nov. 2, with Early Voting now underway.

The Cherokee County School District’s graduation rate has hit a new high, with 90.82% of the Class of 2021 earning a diploma within four years of entering high school!  

CCSD recognized its school bus drivers on Tuesday morning with a drive-through breakfast and gifts.  

The Cherokee County School District participates in the statewide Child Find program to help identify students eligible for Special Education services.

Going once, going twice..... sold! 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. 13, at the CCSD Central Warehouse (201 Mountain Brook Court, Canton, 30115). The sale preview starts at 8:00 a.m.

Hundreds of athletes, peer helpers, CCSD staff and community volunteers participated in the annual CCSD Awareness Games on Friday, October 15, at River Ridge HS.

The Cherokee County School District has been named a finalist for the 2021 Governance Team of the Year Award presented by the Georgia School Boards Association!
 
Three awards are presented annually to recognize top School Boards and Superintendents of Schools for outstanding leadership and dedication to continuous improvement.  One winner is selected in three categories based on school district enrollment: small, 1-3,000 students; medium, 3,001-10,000 students; and large, 10,000+ students.  

The October 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Mill Creek MS 2021 Volunteer of the Year: Mill Creek MS PTSA Executive Board! #CCSDfam

Please be advised that the Versatrans My Stop Bus Tracking System began experiencing technical difficulties today and will be down for maintenance tomorrow (Oct. 5, 2021).  This is the app that CCSD parents can use to track the location of their child's school bus on its way to the bus stop each morning and afternoon.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

CCSD is looking for School Nutrition Workers to join us in serving our kids!  The work day is 6.5 hours and the schedule follows the school calendar.  The starting hourly rate has been increased to $12.59 an hour for School Nutrition Workers, as well as to $12 an hour for part-time School Nutrition workers and substitutes, and $10.50 an hour for lunchroom monitors.  The School Nutrition Worker position offers full time benefits, professional development, advancement opportunities and a great work team and environment.  Apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net and selecting any of the School Nutrition Worker listings at various schools.  Openings for part-time School Nutrition workers and substitutes and lunchroom monitors also are posted.  Questions?  Contact School Nutrition at cassandra.higgins@cherokeek12.net and 770.721.8419. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, reviewed plans for the Education SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) up for renewal by voters in the Nov. 2 election.

The Cherokee County School District, for the past 24 years, has used a 1-percent Education SPLOST to fund capital improvement projects, which include constructing new schools and facilities and renovating existing ones; funding technology infrastructure; buying school buses; and purchasing land for future schools.  

Twenty-seven Cherokee County School District teachers and staff have been recognized as instructional technology experts, and one has earned a national fellowship!

They have been named to the 2021-22 class of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEE), and CCSD Instructional Technology Specialist Merry Hofmeister additionally is one of only 32 educators in the U.S. and three in Georgia named a Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow.

Twenty-seven Cherokee County School District teachers and staff have been recognized as instructional technology experts, and one has earned a national fellowship!

They have been named to the 2021-22 class of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEE), and CCSD Instructional Technology Specialist Merry Hofmeister additionally is one of only 32 educators in the U.S. and three in Georgia named an Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow.

What's cooking, #CCSDfam?  

If you're a CCSD parent who loves to cook, please enter our third annual CCSD School Nutrition Parent Recipe Contest ... you could win a $100 Visa gift card and see your side-dish recipe featured on CCSD school lunch menus in October!  

A Cherokee County School District teacher recently came to the rescue for a student!

Mill Creek Middle School seventh-grade teacher Leslie Coleman performed the Heimlich maneuver to rescue student Chloe Weeks from choking.

The September 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

CCSD is looking for substitute teachers to join us in serving our kids!  We recently increased our sub rate to $150 for daily subs and $185/day for certified long-term subs.  Subs can hand-pick how frequently they want to work as well as where they want to accept jobs.  Although no previous teaching experience is required, we train our subs on how to foster a seamless learning experience for our students.  Please help us share this opportunity with those who might be interested!  The next workshop is Sept. 14.  Applications can be submitted to our 2021-22 Substitute Teacher posting at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD  Contact Katie.Munson@cherokeek12.net with questions.  #CCSDfam
 

Enrollment for the Cherokee County School District has increased beyond expectations, but for the ninth consecutive year, no schools are considered “critically overcrowded.”

The annual Inventory of School Housing report, which is developed based on the 20-day enrollment count (Aug. 27) of 41,901 and is posted below, shows the impact of sustained enrollment growth and highlights where additional classroom space soon will be needed. 

The Cherokee County School District Police Department has earned State recognition!

The Department was notified this month that its status as a Certified Agency, first achieved in 2006, has been renewed by the Joint Review Committee of the State of Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program.  

CCSD will host its next substitute teacher training workshops on Sept. 2 and 14 and now is accepting applications.  Please sign up today by applying online for 2021-22 Substitute Teacher at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD  Questions? Please contact Katie Munson at 770-479-1871 or katie.munson@cherokeek12.net  #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is seeking After School Program (ASP) workers and lunchroom monitors!  These part-time jobs offer the opportunity to work on school days close to home to support your community’s children.  Lunchroom Monitors work during school hours; ASP is offered at elementary schools until 6 p.m.

It's time for Friday Night Lights! 

Cherokee County School District students exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests for the sixth consecutive year, with expected decreases locally and statewide due to the pandemic’s impact on instruction.

The annual tests, which were not administered in 2020 due to the pandemic, assess students’ mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, which set expectations for what lessons students will learn in each grade.  Results are used by teachers and administrators to improve instruction for specific students as well as develop new overall instructional best practices. 

CCSD will host its next substitute teacher training workshop on Sept. 14 and now is accepting applications.  Please sign up today by applying online for 2021-22 Substitute Teacher at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD  Questions? Please contact CCSD HR at 770-479-1871 or katie.munson@cherokeek12.net  #CCSDfam

Our enrollment has grown to 41,514 students from our opening day enrollment! We see this growth pattern every year, with enrollment usually peaking at the 20th day of school. We will post a 20th day enrollment report at the end of August on our website as we do every year. Welcome to our new families! #CCSDfam

The August 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia.  #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is seeking school bus drivers! These positions offer excellent benefits (full-time benefits for part-time work, with at least four hours of pay per day guaranteed), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. A Georgia Class B CDL Driver’s License with School Bus & Passenger endorsements is required; CCSD provides drivers with specialized training. Job details are posted at https://bit.ly/CCSDbusdriver. 

Please see the following message from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower and enjoy some our of #CCSD1stDay photos in the slideshow posted above.

Like many of you, I woke up earlier than usual this morning to celebrate our new year.  While I didn’t have a child’s shoelaces to tie or ponytails to fasten, my day needed to start as early as possible so I could see as many smiles as possible.

As part of the Cherokee County School District’s back-to-school preparations, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower held his first meeting with the Cherokee County Council PTA’s new executive board.

CCSD this school year will begin using the ParentSquare messaging system for Principal communications. 

This system will be used by Principals to send messages for their school, such as newsletters, updates and reminders, to all parents.  Principals also will use this system to notify parents if there has been a positive COVID-19 case in their child’s class and to monitor for symptoms.  ParentSquare also will be used, beginning in mid-August, to send the weekly progress reports for attendance and grades to all parents.

CELEBRATE YOUR STUDENT’S BIRTHDAY ON OUR ELECTRONIC SIGN

It’s less than two weeks until the first day of school for CCSD on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021!  Please check out the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections, which includes important back-to-school info and a message from the Superintendent.  Don’t forget to visit the Back-to-School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s when it opens Monday, July 26, as we need the parents of all students – both in-person and Digital Learning – to update emergency contacts and provide other important “first day forms” information. Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

On behalf of the Superintendent, please review the following updates about CCSD’s Digital Learning program for the 2021-22 School Year. 

We have outlined the highlights of the program and back-to-school preparations below.  We encourage you to review the CCSD Digital Learning Models for SY2021-22 Guidebook, which explains the learning models and expectations in greater detail, and is posted online at https://bit.ly/CCSDdlguide21.

CCSD's Transportation Department spends the summer break getting its fleet of big yellow buses inspected and ready for another 4 million miles on Cherokee County roads. In the days before the start of the school year, CCSD’s school buses can be spotted out on the county's roads and highways, running their routes.  One practice run with their bus is required, but many drivers practice more times in their own vehicles.

Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition department is beginning the new school year with announcements including that it will continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to all students at no cost to them … for the entire 2021-22 school year!

The Cherokee County School District is seeking school bus drivers!  These positions offer excellent benefits (full-time benefits for part-time work, with at least four hours of pay per day guaranteed), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.  A Georgia Class B CDL Driver’s License with School Bus & Passenger endorsements is required; CCSD provides drivers with specialized training.  Job details are posted at https://bit.ly/CCSDbusdriver.  Check out the video at http://bit.ly/CCSDbusvideo to learn more about a day in the life of a CCSD school bus driver!  Join the #CCSDfam & apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net.  Questions? Please contact CCSD Recruitment Coordinator Lindsay Bowley at Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, July 15, 2021 took the following action:

• Approved the monthly personnel report, which included the appointment of Adam Johnson, a 13-year CCSD teacher who has taught and coached track at Cherokee High School, as a new assistant principal at Woodstock High School;

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that, based on the Governor’s decision through Executive Order to end the Public Health State of Emergency on June 30, 2021, and the significant improvement of the state of public health, we are returning to pre-pandemic school operations for the 2021-22 school year, which begins Aug. 2.  More back-to-school information will be shared with our families in the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter on July 22.

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 19, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 12, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here.  Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Mill Creek MS: Lynnette Greene! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 28, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, June 17, 2021 unanimously approved its budget for next school year, which is balanced without a tax rate increase and includes hiring 125 new teachers above and beyond enrollment growth to help bridge any pandemic-related learning opportunity losses.  

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 21, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating four of its outstanding Special Education team members!

Four members of the Department of Special Education received its top annual honors during the annual Special Education Staff of the Year Awards ceremony.  They are: CCSD Occupational Therapist/Physical Therapist of the Year Amy Peart; CCSD School Psychologist of the Year Laura Killen; CCSD Special Education Facilitator of the Year Kortney Dempsey; and CCSD Speech Language Pathologist of the Year Stacy Irwin.

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 14, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

The June 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District School Nutrition program has earned top honors from the Georgia Department of Education.

The program earned the State’s 2020 Vision District award in recognition of its outstanding efforts to use Georgia grown foods on school cafeteria menus.  CCSD has received numerous accolades for its Farm to School initiative and collaboration with community partners including the Cherokee County Farm Bureau.

If your children are 0-18 years old, we are pleased to offer summer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 7, at Cherokee High School's Cherokee North building, Creekview High School and Etowah High School's Etowah East building.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its retiring educators and support staff!

The majority of the retirees noted below are ending their careers at the close of this school year; some retired earlier in the year based on their retirement eligibility date.

“Congratulations to each of our retirees for dedicating your career to serving our community’s children,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “Whether you served in a classroom or behind the scenes, you made a positive difference in the lives of our students.  I know our entire community has benefitted from your exemplary service and joins me in wishing you the best as you enjoy your hard-earned retirement.”

Dear CCSD Family,

The message below is to our graduating Class of 2021 seniors.  I am sharing it with all of you, as they are the future of our community.  You can see each of their names posted on our website at http://bit.ly/CCSDclassof2021.

Dear Class of 2021,

The finish line is in sight.

CCSD is seeking skilled Maintenance/Facility Technicians to keep our schools and offices running safely and smoothly.  More information about this opportunity is at http://bit.ly/CCSDfactech.  CCSD offers employees excellent compensation and benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.  Join the #CCSDfam & apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net  Questions about this opportunity?  Contact Rocky Simpson via email at rocky.simpson@cherokeek12.net or by phone at 770.721.8452.

CCSD is offering a special to-go free meal service for all students on the last day of school! 

Meal pick up will be Friday, May 28, in a designated area of your child’s school (car rider or bus lane) at a designated time.  Here are the locations and times for this distribution: http://bit.ly/CCSDmeals528.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday reviewed the recommended budget for next school year, which includes hiring more teachers to lower class size while not raising the school property tax millage rate, and adopted a resolution that prohibits implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) and The 1619 Project.  

Cherokee County School District staff and PTA units and leaders have been honored with top awards by the Cherokee County Council PTA!

Congratulations to the winners and best wishes as they advance to regional and State opportunities for recognition.

The Cherokee County School District celebrated National School Nurse Appreciation Day with the presentation of its inaugural Nurse of the Year Awards!

The top school nurse selected for each Innovation Zone (a high school and its feeder schools) was surprised with award presentations on Monday and today.  They now advance to a CCSD Nurse of the Year Award program, with the winner to be selected by a panel of nursing professionals and retired educators and announced at a new professional development event for school nurses this summer.  

The May 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes important end-of-year updates and reminders and a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Thirty-five Cherokee County School District students earned honors through the 2020-21 Georgia PTA Reflections fine arts contest! 

The annual competition offers students in all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.  Students can earn recognition at the School, District, State and National levels.  This year's theme was “I Matter Because …”

A Cherokee County School District student has won a national photography contest! 

Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grader Annie Mercer earned third place in the middle school division of the 2021 Jostens Photo Contest, sponsored by the company known for its yearbooks and other school memorabilia. 

Please see the message below from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Every teacher, whether in his second year or in her 30th year, has them saved.

These treasures take many forms: the handmade cards with imperfect spelling and perfect love, the well-worn first “best teacher” mug turned pens holder and the shiny new one filled with coffee, the dried store-bought carnation and the dried playground dandelion.

The Cherokee County School District is seeking School Nutrition Workers for numerous schools for this school year and next school year.  This position offer competitive compensation and outstanding benefits, a schedule that follows the school calendar, and wonderful work environments and caring teams.  Apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net and selecting any of the School Nutrition Worker listings at various schools.  For more information, please contact Cassandra Higgins at cassandra.higgins@cherokeek12.net and 770.721.8419. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District saluted educators Thursday night at the long-awaited 2021 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration.
 
The annual banquet to recognize all of CCSD’s school Teachers of the Year and to announce the overall winner is usually held in the fall.  This year’s program was delayed due to the pandemic, and additional safety measures were enacted for Thursday night including limiting guests.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, April 15, approved school calendars for three more years and appointed several new leaders for next school year.

The approved calendars for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year now are posted at http://bit.ly/CCSDcalendars.  They were developed by a committee of CCSD employees and parents and use the same balanced calendar model as currently in place.  

The April 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.

GRADUATION UPDATE: Following a meeting this afternoon relative to graduation ceremony planning, we are pleased to announce that CCSD Class of 2021 graduating seniors will be allowed tickets for six guests to attend their ceremony next month at First Baptist Church of Woodstock.  We are very appreciative for the opportunity to expand guest capacity for this special event in light of the Governor’s change in pandemic restrictions.  The event also will be livestreamed, as it has been in years past, to allow guests who cannot attend to watch the ceremony from home.

Sixteen Cherokee County School District high school and middle school students have won seats in the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band and Orchestra.

Students audition for these selective performance opportunities.  This year's All-State Band and All-State Orchestra Events will be held virtually on Friday afternoon and Saturday. 

We are excited to share application and enrollment information about i-Grad Virtual Academy (Grades 9-12) with you.  Applications for the 2021-22 School Year open on April 1, 2021 and are due by April 30, 2021.  Students and parents must complete the online form and get at least one recommendation from their current school.  The application process will give students the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to be successful in a virtual environment.  Application decisions and notifications will begin in early May, and accepted students/parents will be contacted with enrollment information.  

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised of the following reminders and updates:

SPRING BREAK
CCSD schools and offices will be closed Monday, April 5, through Friday, April, 9, with classes resuming April 12.  We ask that all students and their families please follow COVID-19 safety precautions over the break, including social distancing, wearing a mask, staying home when you’re sick, and getting tested if you’re symptomatic or if you have had a close contact with someone who is positive.  If you will be travelling during the break, please review the CDC’s guidance at http://bit.ly/covidtravel21; CCSD is not requiring students quarantine due to travel, but if you choose to self-quarantine your children for this reason, please let your child’s school know.

CCSD High School 2021 Summer School will be offered from June 3-23, 2021 with options for Credit Recovery and Initial Credit as detailed below.  More detailed registration information will be released in mid-April.

CCSD is offering a special to-go free meal service for all students for Spring Break!

Meal pick up will be Friday, April 2, in a designated area of your child’s school (car rider or bus lane) at a designated time.  Location and Pick up Time by School. (https://bit.ly/CCSDmealpickup)

On behalf of the Superintendent, all after-school and evening extra-curricular activities for today, March 25, 2021, are cancelled due to severe weather.  Elementary School After School Program will be offered as usual.  

Clayton Elementary School’s school counselor sees her mission in three parts: to connect, to educate and to advocate.

Heather Chesnut meets and exceeds that mission with love, hope and a lot of hard work, according to her students, their families and her colleagues.  

“She is a safe haven,” one parent shared, noting her children have been strongly supported by Ms. Chesnut as they navigated through family challenges over the past two years.  “She goes above and beyond what is required of a school counselor.”

Ms. Chesnut earlier this year was selected by colleagues as the Cherokee Innovation Zone’s Counselor of the Year in recognition of her outstanding service for the past nine years, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower surprised her Tuesday with the honor that she’s the Cherokee County School District 2021 Counselor of the Year! 

On behalf of the Superintendent, as announced last week (http://bit.ly/ccsdbbb321), in addition to traditional in-person learning for the 2021-22 School Year, CCSD will continue to offer a Digital Learning option for students in Grades K-12 for the first semester (Aug. 2-Dec. 17).  Any further extension of Digital Learning will be considered in the fall. 

The Cherokee County School District Special Education Department will present its annual Agency Information Fair through a virtual event on March 31.

Parents and teachers are invited to participate to learn more about services, resources and organizations that support students with special needs.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 18, 2021, heard school operations updates on plans for special events including graduation ceremonies and proms, as well as details for next school year including the continuation of a Digital Learning option.  

The School Board also approved several appointments for CCSD school leadership roles for next school year including new Principals for Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy and Mountain Road Elementary School, as well as the naming of the District’s first administrator focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

On behalf of the Superintendent, as shared with the School Board at its meeting tonight, he has announced plans for Digital Learning for next school year; high school prom; and graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2021.

On behalf of the Superintendent, due to the threat of severe weather, all CCSD schools will be closed for in-person learning on Thursday, March 18, 2021.  Teachers and staff will not report to schools.  Teachers will post assignments for students in Canvas.  If your child does not have access to technology or should your household be without power due to the severe weather, makeup opportunities will be extended. A decision has not yet been made about extra-curricular activities scheduled for after school and evening.

The Cherokee County School District this week will begin a new series for its Parent University program, an annual initiative focused on providing parents with expert guidance to help their children be more successful in school and in their lives overall.

For this school year's series, which begins Tuesday, March 16, and will be conducted through live sessions on Microsoft Teams, CCSD is partnering with Nathan Maynard, author of the bestselling book "Hacking School Discipline," to focus on how to build students' social-emotional competencies through restorative practices. 

For more information click here.

The Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) has announced the week of March 15-19, 2021 as “School Board Member Appreciation Week.” 

CCSD joins a statewide celebration this week to salute the efforts of local school board members.  As constitutional officers of Georgia, school board members are responsible for setting educational policies, employing school personnel, providing buildings and equipment, operating a transportation system and disbursing school funds.  As community leaders, school board members serve as advocates for the children in local public schools and must study, evaluate and decide what actions are in the best interest of those students.

The Cherokee County School District is successfully vaccinating employees at a districtwide event this week in collaboration with the Department of Public Health.

The two-day event began Thursday and continues today at Canton First Baptist, with a goal of vaccinating 2,850 full-time and part-time CCSD employees.  Additional employees, including substitute teachers, will be vaccinated by DPH by special priority appointments next week.

The Cherokee County School District today surprised the overall winners of its third annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!

The awards program honors one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions, and one overall CCSD winner is selected for each of three categories: Elementary School; Middle School/High School/Centers; Central Office.  

The Cherokee County School District is seeking an outstanding nutritionist/dietitian to serve as a School Nutrition Facilitator.  This position offer excellent compensation and benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. 

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised we have received official confirmation that the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered by the Department of Public Health (DPH) to our employees during our mass vaccination event this Thursday and Friday (March 11-12).  This means that we will NOT need to close in-person learning on April 15 and 16 for a second round of vaccinations.  

On behalf of the Superintendent, all CCSD schools will be closed for in-person learning on Thursday, March 11, and Friday, March 12, 2021 in order to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to CCSD employees.  We understand this closing may create hardships, but it is the best way for our organization, in partnership with the Department of Public Health (DPH), to quickly vaccinate all interested CCSD employees as soon possible.  

The March 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District is seeking school bus drivers for next school year!  These positions offer excellent benefits (full-time benefits for part-time work, with at least four hours of pay per day guaranteed), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.

The Cherokee County School District is seeking RNs or LPNs to join its team of School Nurses.  These positions offer excellent benefits, a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.  Details are posted at http://bit.ly/CCSDnurses21  Join the #CCSDfam & apply now by clicking Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net  Sign up today for the CCSD Virtual Job Fair on March 6 to learn more and talk with a CCSD School Nurse!  Info at https://bit.ly/CCSDjobs21  

We greatly value the outstanding support staff in our schools and central office divisions, which is why we recognize them here. Please join us in thanking the 2020 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Mill Creek Middle School: Lori Karnes! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, approved several appointments for CCSD school leadership roles for next school year.

As part of the monthly personnel report, the School Board accepted the retirements of many longtime educators throughout CCSD including Bascomb Elementary School Principal Kathleen Chandler.  

CCSD is offering a special to-go free meal service for all students for the February Winter Break!

Meal pick up will be Friday, Feb. 12, in a designated area of your child’s school (car rider or bus lane) at a designated time.  Location and Pick up Time by School. (https://bit.ly/CCSDmealpickup)

The February 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County School District today surprised the winners of its poster and video contests to seek students’ help in encouraging mask usage among their classmates.

CCSD students in grades 6-12 were invited to create and enter a short public service announcement-style video that educates students about the benefits of mask usage by students at school, and students in grades K-12 were invited to design and enter a poster promoting the same message.  The winning videos and posters will be used in CCSD schools and on CCSD websites and social media to promote student mask usage.

Sign up now! The Cherokee County School District’s annual Job Fair will be a virtual event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 6. The event will focus on hiring teachers, bus drivers, school nurses, School Nutrition workers and more for the 2021-22 school year. Visit http://bit.ly/CCSDjobfair21 to sign up to participate. #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here -- congratulations to Mill Creek MS 2020 Partner of the Year: Horace Mann Insurance, The Holman Agency!

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! #CCSDPartnersInAction

Please be advised that due to a technical error the weekly grade and attendance reports emailed to parents this morning are inaccurate. We are working to address the issue and will send new reports in as timely a manner as possible.
 

The window for school choice reassignments  for 2021-22 within the Cherokee County School District is February 1-March 1. This includes applications for CCSD STEM and Fine Arts Academies. 

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that all CCSD schools will reopen for in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 25.  

Thank you for your patience during our temporary closure as we worked to return staffing levels to our operational needs.  Thank you to our teachers and support staff for their outstanding work to continue providing engaging instruction and services to students.

The Cherokee County School District's Special Education department will offer a virtual program for parents of Special Education students.

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting Thursday night heard updates on State education funding and the state of public health.  

The January 2021 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent about the continued temporary closure of schools due to COVID-19. 

CCSD is providing a temporary pay incentive to substitutes. The incentive will begin immediately and expire May 15, 2021.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that all CCSD schools will remain temporarily closed for in-person learning through Friday, Jan. 22, with a tentative reopening date of Monday, Jan. 25.  This difficult decision was made based on continuing high levels of staff absences and substitute teacher shortages due to positive cases and quarantines, as well as the current level of community spread and its resulting impact on emergency medical services and hospitals.  

Save the Date! The Cherokee County School District’s annual Job Fair will be a virtual event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 6. The event will focus on hiring teachers, bus drivers, school nurses and School Nutrition workers for the 2021-22 school year. We will post instructions at www.cherokeek12.net and on CCSD social media the first week of February explaining how you can sign up to participate. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District is seeking a dynamic Cyber Security teacher to help start its first-ever Cyber Security high school career program for next school year!  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/CCSDcyber  Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

On behalf of the Superintendent, this message is to advise you of changes to schoolwide communications.

All CCSD schools now are using the Canvas system for sending all schoolwide emails.  This is separate from the School Messenger system for CCSD emergency notifications.  In order to receive emails from your school, such as Principal newsletters and other important news specific to your child’s school, please be sure to set up a Canvas parent account if you have not already done so.  If you already are receiving emails through Canvas from your child’s teacher (the email will have the Canvas icon at the bottom), then you have set up a parent account and don’t need to take additional steps.  If you need to set up a Canvas parent account, please follow the instructions at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/canvas.  

Dear CCSD Families,

When we welcomed our students back for in-person learning on Wednesday to fulfill our commitment of providing the best education possible to our students, we did so with the knowledge of the state of public health in our community.

Cases are higher in our community, our state and our nation than ever before.  Health experts are voicing concerns that a new COVID-19 strain now circulating in our nation will spread faster among everyone, including school-age children.  Our hospitals are full.

The Registration Gateway system is experiencing technical issues; we have contacted the vendor to request assistance.  If you need immediate help with enrollment, please contact the registrar for your child's school by email.   The directory of registrars is online here; email addresses use the format first.name@cherokeek12.net  Please do not call today (Jan. 5) as registrars are working from home due to the districtwide Digital Learning Day. 

Dear CCSD Families, 
 
Four days ago, we welcomed a new year and new hopes for an end to COVID-19.  The hope I feel is very real, but it is not yet reality, which is why we all must continue to take COVID-19’s impact on our community, including our schools, very seriously.  We know that cases are rising, and we are closely monitoring cases among our students and staff.

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: https://cherokeega.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=167 Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256.

The Cherokee County School District is sponsoring two contests to seek students’ help in encouraging mask usage among their classmates.

CCSD students in grades 6-12 are invited to create and enter a short public service announcement-style video that educates students about the benefits of mask usage by students at school, and students in grades K-12 are invited to design and enter a poster promoting the same message.  Entries for both contests are due Jan. 19 and will be judged for message, quality and creativity. 

CCSD REMINDER:

EARLY DISMISSAL ON FRIDAY, DEC. 18: All in-person CCSD high school and middle school students will be dismissed early on Friday, Dec. 18 (the early dismissal schedule is online at https://bit.ly/early1218). Elementary school After School Program is cancelled.

CCSD is offering a special to-go free meal service for all students for the December Holiday Break!

Meal pick up will be from 1-2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at four locations only – Cherokee High, Creekview High, Etowah High and River Ridge High – and you will choose the location on your form.  You do not have to live in that school’s attendance area to pick up there.

The Cherokee County School Board has earned top state honors for exemplary leadership and innovation practices.

The Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) has awarded the Cherokee County School Board its 2020 Exemplary School Board designation.  The statewide recognition program honors school boards that consistently meet standards of excellence and model best practices; it is a three-tiered program, and Exemplary is the highest level of achievement.  In order to earn this status, school boards must demonstrate commitment to

The Cherokee County School Board during its meeting Thursday approved the purchase of land for the potential site of a new Cherokee High School.

The 88-acre site is north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and adjacent to the current Teasley MS campus in Canton’s Riverstone area, and the land cost is $87,500 per acre to be paid for with current Ed SPLOST funds. 

DIGITAL LEARNING DAY ON TUESDAY, JAN. 5: Due to the planned use of our schools that serve as polling sites for the General Election runoff vote, we will not hold in-person school on Tuesday, Jan. 5, which was to be the first day back at school after the Winter Break. Instead, in-person students will participate in a Digital Learning Day and complete their lessons at home online using Canvas and Microsoft Teams; teachers and staff will be working at their schools. This change will not impact students already enrolled in Digital Learning.

The December 2020 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent about changes to COVID-19 precautionary quarantine protocols and two changes to the school calendar.  Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner.  #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight one here every week ... congratulations to Mill Creek MS 2020 Volunteers of the Year: Mill Creek MS PTSA Executive Board Members! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

Today is National Educational Support Professionals Day... thank you to all CCSD employees who support our teachers and students by keeping our schools safe, healthy and operating smoothly. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited #EducationalSupportProfessionalsDay

On behalf of the Superintendent, this message is to update you to the fact that the number of COVID-19 cases in both Cherokee County and across the country is on the rise, and what happens outside of our schools impacts what happens inside our schools and our ability to keep schools open.  

CCSD is offering a special to-go free meal service for all students for Thanksgiving Break!

Meal pick up will be from 4-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at two locations only – Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy in Canton and Carmel ES in Woodstock – and you will choose the location on your form.  You do not have to live in that school’s attendance area to pick up there.

CCSD School Nutrition will offer a special meal pick-up on Friday, Nov. 20, for free meals for the week of Thanksgiving Break!  

This service, funded by USDA grants, is open to all CCSD students and to any child age 0-18.  

The Cherokee County School District’s graduation rate has hit a new high, topping 90% for the first time in recent years with 90.3% of the Class of 2020 earning a diploma within four years of entering high school.  

The CCSD graduation rate is an increase from 86.9% achieved by the Class of 2019, according to a new report from the Georgia Department of Education released today.  All six CCSD high schools reported higher grad rates for the Class of 2020, with Creekview HS reporting the top rate of 96.2%.

Please share this information … we’re seeking more school bus drivers to join our CCSD family!  To apply: Click Jobs@CCSD at www.CherokeeK12.net.  For more information, please contact CCSD Recruitment Coordinator Lindsay Bowley at Lindsay.Bowley@cherokeek12.net and 770.704.4256. #CCSDfam

On behalf of the Superintendent, Digital Learning will be extended as a learning choice for the second semester (Jan. 5 – May 28, 2021) for all elementary school students and Special Education preschool and PreK students currently enrolled in the program.  Parents of students currently enrolled in Digital Learning for these grades will receive a separate email later today with a link to the online declaration form that is due by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.  
 
 

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 three years through 21 years of age.

The November 2020 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent.

On behalf of the Superintendent, this is to advise that Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 extra-curricular practices, games and events can occur as planned.  We know you join us in our concern for CCSD families who experienced storm damage as well as our CCSD students who have not had access to free school meals during our closure.  We maintain a list of resources for food and general assistance on our website bulletin board at http://bit.ly/CCSDbboard.  Please contact these agencies if you need help, or if you can support them through financial donations and/or by volunteering.

With multiple school power outages still ongoing likely through tomorrow morning and over 20 roads still impassible throughout the County, Cherokee County School District will be closed Friday, October 30. This will not be a Digital Learning Day due to the remaining widespread power outages.  A decision to allow Friday extracurricular events will be made mid-day based upon local conditions. 

On behalf of the Superintendent of Schools, this is to announce that due to the National Weather Service Tropical Storm Warning and likely associated hazardous wind and flooding conditions during the early morning hours tomorrow, Cherokee County School District will be closed on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020.  This will not be a Digital Learning Day due to the likely event of expected widespread power outages throughout the morning.  A decision to allow Thursday extracurricular events will be made mid-day based upon local conditions. #SafeCherokee

CCSD recognized its school bus drivers on Tuesday morning with a drive-through breakfast and gifts.  CCSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower visited with drivers at two bus maintenance facilities, passing out Chick-fil-A biscuits and goody bags from sponsors. 

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday heard an update on potential State funding concerns for next school year.
 
During its pre-meeting work session, School Board members began the planning work for its annual Legislative Partnership Priorities, a list of top issues it would like to see addressed by Cherokee County’s State legislators during the General Assembly Session.  The report typically is shared by the School Board with the Delegation at a meeting in early December prior to the legislative session’s start in January.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised of several important decisions in regard to CCSD school operations:

• HYBRID MODEL: The three high schools currently operating on a hybrid model – Creekview, Etowah and Woodstock High Schools – all will resume traditional in-person instruction (five days a week) beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020 (Monday, Oct. 12, is a scheduled school holiday for all students/professional development day for teachers and staff).  This decision does not affect students currently enrolled in Digital Learning. 

The October 2020 edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and contains important information including updates on school operations for this month.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

If your student(s) is/are enrolled in Digital Learning or hybrid learning, we are pleased to offer to-go meal service for them! 

Meal pick up will be Monday, Sept. 28, in a designated area of your child’s school (car rider or bus lane) at a designated time.  Please contact your school nutrition manager for specific locations and serving times: CCSD School Nutrition Manager Contact Information

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating outstanding school community partners through its Seventh Annual CCSD Partner of the Year awards!

Through the annual program, every CCSD school selects a Partner of the Year to honor.  From that pool of outstanding partners, a committee of retired educators and community leaders selects an overall CCSD 2020 Partner of the Year.

The Cherokee County School Board during its meeting Thursday heard operations updates and talked about construction of a replacement Cherokee High School as a possible project to be funded in the next Education SPLOST renewal.

Dear #CCSDfam,

We’re nearing the end of our seventh week of school with Fall Break ahead of us.  I hope this holiday allows our students and staff and all of their families time to rest, relax and recharge.

Whether you’re taking a vacation out of town or a staycation in Cherokee County, please keep your health and the health of your entire community in mind.

CCSD School Nutrition will not offer to-go-meal service on Monday, Sept. 21, as CCSD schools will be closed for Fall Break.  You will receive an email the morning of Thursday, Sept. 24, with an online order form that is due by 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, for to-go meal pick-up on Monday, Sept. 28.  If you need food assistance during Fall Break, please contact one of the community food banks serving Cherokee County, which we have listed on our website at http://bit.ly/ccsdhealthinfo  Reminder: All CCSD families who think they may qualify for free or reduced-price meals are asked to please complete the online application at www.lunchapplication.com.  This approval will be needed to receive free and reduced-price meals after the temporary USDA program providing free meals to all students ends on Dec. 31.

The Cherokee County School District has surprised the overall winners of its second annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!

The awards program honors one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions, and one overall CCSD winner is selected for each of three categories: Elementary School; Middle School/High School/Centers; Central Office.  These overall winners are selected by a committee of retired educators and community leaders.  

What's cooking, #CCSDfam? 

If you're a CCSD parent who loves to cook, please enter our second annual CCSD School Nutrition Parent Recipe Contest ... you could win a $100 Visa gift card and see your side-dish recipe featured on CCSD school lunch menus in October! 

UPDATE 10/14/2020: More great news for CCSD families ... the USDA funding for free school meals for all students has been extended through the end of the school year!

Cherokee County School District families are receiving a new form of economic stimulus: free school meals for all students!

CCSD School Nutrition beginning Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 will not charge any fees to any students for breakfasts or lunches through Dec. 31, 2020 (the end date is dependent on available funding), based on extended meal service flexibilities from the USDA.  There are no forms to complete or income eligibility requirements for this federally funded temporary relief program.  

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that he has decided to extend Digital Learning for elementary school students for the second nine-week grading period, which ends Dec. 18, 2020.

Parents/guardians of elementary school students currently enrolled in Digital Learning (kindergarten through fifth grade; and Special Education preschool and PreK) must complete a declaration form by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11; a link to the form will be emailed to them separately this afternoon.  

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating outstanding school volunteers through its Seventh Annual CCSD Volunteer of the Year awards!

Through the annual program, every CCSD school selects a Volunteer of the Year to honor.  From that pool of exceptional school volunteers, a committee made up of retired educators and community leaders selects an overall CCSD 2020 Volunteer of the Year.  This year’s winner is Brian Tomalavage, the Free Home Elementary School Volunteer of the Year!

The September edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter and includes a message from the Superintendent as well as news and updates. Thank you to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation helped kick off the new school year in CCSD this month by presenting teachers and support staff with $56,000 in grants!

The nonprofit organization, since its 2012 formation to raise funds for CCSD teachers, programs and schools, has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to support teaching and learning.
The Foundation’s Classroom Impact Grants program offer competitive grants for projects costing up to $2,500, with a focus on new ideas for instruction that could be replicated throughout CCSD classrooms.

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 2020 Mill Creek Middle School Teacher of the Year Wendy Perez!

We need dedicated substitute teachers to keep our in-person classrooms open as we continue providing this essential service to the children of our community.  Please sign up today so we can invite you to a training session.  Apply online at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD  #CCSDfam  #CCSDunited

As CCSD continues to navigate unchartered waters utilizing a Digital Learning platform for middle school instruction, we are creating additional supports for our student’s success. Within this new support, students enrolled in Middle School APEX courses will now be able to receive direct instruction and support from CCSD teachers twice a week for ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies starting on Thursday, August 27, 2020.

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s dedicated teachers… and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

School Board Members and CCSD administrative leadership this week toured two of the School District's latest facility improvement projects that are already in use enhancing student learning. 

Seventeen Cherokee County School District students have been recognized by Duke University for their outstanding SAT and ACT scores … that they earned last school year as seventh-graders!

Many of our students rely upon and look forward to our cafeteria’s homemade breakfasts and lunches and award-winning Farm to School recipes.  Our School Nutrition workers and lunchroom monitors are the everyday heroes who make this essential service happen!  Please consider signing up to serve as a substitute worker.  More information and the applications (look for Future Openings forms for each of these jobs) are online at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD #CCSDfam #CCSDunited

CCSD’s school nurses are superheroes, and these dedicated essential workers need back-up as we continue to offer in-person school. 

Cherokee County School District teachers and staff were welcomed to work for the sixth day of school with sweet surprises from a new organization dedicated to encouraging them and lifting the entire community’s spirits.

The following message is from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Today is the fifth day of school – and, this year, that is an amazing milestone.

As I said when we began the week, we would not have been able to reopen schools in person, simultaneously launch a new Digital Learning program and start the school year on time without your patience, grace, flexibility and support.

The following message is from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Today we began the first day of a school year unlike any ever before – and we succeeded because of you.

CCSD Back-to-School Updates & Reminders: 

The CCSD Back to School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s now is open!  Whether your CCSD student is returning in-person or learning online, we need you to please complete the Gateway “first day forms” as soon as possible.  The Gateway includes updating emergency contacts, confirming transportation plans, signing up for free and reduced price lunch, and much more.  To use the Gateway, you will need your child’s Student ID (the code they use in the cafeteria and to log in to computers) and GTID (the longer code on your child’s report card); if you don’t have these, your child’s school can provide them to you.

CCSD is ready for the new school year with 500 temporary substitute teachers signed up to serve ... but we've heard from more who want to join us! 

We're opening up three training sessions next month - on Aug. 7, 10 and 13 - for community members who want to work as substitute teachers.  Spaces are limited, so sign up now at https://bit.ly/JobsCCSD

#CCSDunited

It’s one week until the first day of school for CCSD on Aug. 3, 2020!  Please check out the July edition of the CCSD Connections newsletter at https://bit.ly/CCSDconnections, which includes important back-to-school info and a message from the Superintendent.  Don’t forget to visit the Back-to-School Gateway at https://bit.ly/CCSDb2s when it opens July 29, as we need the parents of all students – both in-person and Digital Learning – to update emergency contacts and provide other important “first day forms” information. #CCSDunited
 

Please complete BOTH the form and payment using the links below:

Link for Form

Link for online payment

On behalf of the Superintendent, please see the following announcements:

• The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting tonight made no changes to the current CCSD Reopening of School Plan at https://bit.ly/CCSDplan20.  The School Board unanimously approved CCSD’s annual budget, which includes significant investments in our reopening plan including more than $4 Million in additional health and safety measures.  You can read the Board Business Briefs recap at https://bit.ly/CCSDbbb71620.    

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting tonight unanimously approved the Cherokee County School District’s annual budget, which, despite a $25 Million State education funding cut, was balanced without the need for furlough days or a millage rate increase.

The Cherokee County School District has launched a Fact vs. Fiction webpage!  

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that we have made updates to the CCSD Reopening of School FAQs which is posted online at https://bit.ly/CCSDfaqs20.

CCSD's Summer Feeding Program will add weekend meals to the food distributions for the final two dates (July 13 and July 20), increasing the meals per child from 5 days of breakfast and lunch to 7 days.  Cherokee HS site will also have 200 boxes of fresh produce to give away the next two pickup days, one box per family.  The produce boxes are made possible through USDA's Farmers to Families program.  Meal distribution sites, times and guidelines are on the website here.

Dear #CCSDfam,
 
I begin this message by expressing gratitude: thank you to the School Board for its unanimous approval tonight of our CCSD Reopening of School Plan, thank you to the citizens who attended to share their opinions and thank you to those who, instead of attending, emailed or called to share their thoughts.  You can read a recap of tonight’s meeting online at https://bit.ly/CCSDbbb7920. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its called meeting tonight unanimously approved the Superintendent’s recommended CCSD Reopening of School Plan, which calls for both the return to schools for traditional learning and the launch of an improved digital learning choice.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that Cherokee County School Board Chair Kyla Cromer has called for a School Board meeting to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 2020 to consider approval of the Superintendent’s recommended CCSD Reopening of School Plan. 

Dear CCSD Parents/Guardians: 

This is just a reminder that, if you have not already, please complete the CCSD return-to-school questionnaire by 5 p.m. Monday, June 29.  The message we emailed to you on Monday, including a link to the questionnaire, is posted at https://bit.ly/CCSD62220.  You need your child’s student ID and a unique code to complete it; these were sent to you on Monday in a separate email from “no.reply@cherokee.k12.ga.us”

Dear #CCSDfam 

We are sending the message below to all of our high school students, many of whom have reached out to us with concerns about the issues of diversity, equity and tolerance.  We’re sharing this message with not only the parents of our high school students, but also the parents of all of our students, so you will be aware of its contents and can consider having a conversation at home about this topic.  We are very aware of where our role ends and where yours begins, and that we must work together to help our students succeed.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its work session and regular meeting this evening reviewed the proposed CCSD budget for next school year, which balances a State funding shortfall without the need for furlough days or a tax rate increase, and heard an update on school reopening plans.

If you have not completed your 2020 U.S. Census Survey, there is still time!  95% of households receive their census invitation in the mail (these were sent in March, with reminders sent in April).  As of June 14, 62% of Cherokee County residents have responded (compared to 57% in Georgia and 61% across the U.S.).  Every household has the option of responding online, by mail or by phone.  Households that have not responded may receive a visit from a census worker between Aug. 11 and Oct. 31 to help complete the form and ensure everyone is counted.  For more about the census and how the data is used, go to www.2020census.gov

Cherokee County School District middle and high school students competed at the Georgia 4-H Northwest District Project Achievement Competition, with five earning first-place honors.

Thirty-eight CCSD students in grades 7-12 participated in the event, competing in a field of 582 students.  For the contest, students choose an area of interest, research it, create a portfolio and make a presentation.  Students are judged on their presentation and their portfolio, which includes their project work, as well as information about their leadership and citizenship activities and community service.

Dear #CCSDfam, 

In any other time, a potential 11% cut in State education funding would not be a cause for optimism, but we are in challenging times.  As the initial forecast called us to brace for a 14% cut and a $32 Million loss for our School District, we are grateful for the 3% difference now projected by the Governor.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating the winners of its second annual Short Story Competition.

Sixteen Cherokee County School District students placed at this year’s statewide Georgia Student Technology Competition, with five earning the top honor!

Dear #CCSDfam, 

One of the best parts of my role as your Superintendent is visiting our schools to see our students and educators working together.

REMINDER: The summer schedule for our #CCSDserves to-go meal distribution by CCSD School Nutrition begins Monday, June 1!  Some locations and times have changed – check the flier above for details.  Please remember: a child must be present to receive a bag; do not come sick; do not stay at the site after picking up food.  More information is posted at bit.ly/CCSDserves  Thank you! #CCSDfam

Four longtime Cherokee County School District leaders have retired this year following successful careers of service to the community.

Congratulations to this year’s retiring senior staff: Deputy Superintendent and Chief Operations Officer Trey Olson, Executive Director for Administrative Leadership Beth P. Long, Director of Facility Maintenance Ronald Barnes, and Supervisor of Facility Maintenance Randy Evans.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating its educators and support staff who are retiring after exemplary service!

The Cherokee County School Board during its May meeting, which was held this evening virtually and streamed online, heard school reopening plans and a budget update.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating four of its outstanding special education team members!

Four members of the Department of Special Education received its top annual honors during a ceremony on Monday held virtually online.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised of the following updates:

GRADUATES: The Superintendent has authorized a special #2020CCSDGrads recognition for the Class of 2020 on Friday, May 29.  As part of the last weekly observance when our high school football stadiums are illuminated for 20 minutes at 8:20 p.m. (20:20 military time) on Fridays, we will hold Class of 2020 parades at the schools from 7 to 9 p.m.  Principals will send more information about this event to the parents of seniors.  Graduates will drive through a pick-up area for honor cords, medals and other special regalia and, as a gift to every senior from their Principal, each will receive an embroidered school patch to affix to their keepsake graduation robes.  These patches, which have adhesive backing, feature the same design as those on the rental gowns used for past commencement ceremonies.

The Cherokee County School District has earned national recognition for its effective use of educational technology!

The District has been selected by the District Administration educational leadership organization as the Districts of Distinction award winner in the Educational Technology category.  

Dear #CCSDfam,

A school in the first week of May overflows with joy and appreciation.  

Children march through the door carrying carefully wrapped packages – plenty of coffee mugs, yes, but also handmade treasures.  Teachers enjoy catered lunches and desserts baked up by PTA volunteers.  Hallways glitter with Teacher Appreciation Week posters, and the celebration spills over to social media, where we scroll through tributes to teachers of today and yesterday.

Dear #CCSDfam,

We lined up in the warm gym, waiting in the alphabetical order we knew by heart.  We scanned the crowded bleachers for familiar faces, including the permitted three we knew best.  And though my only role was to walk across a stage and accept my diploma, my palms stayed anxiously damp.

Dear #CCSDfam,

Amid the memes floating around, there’s one reminding us “we’re not all in the same boat” in this sea change.

While online learning is working well for many students and families, it is not for all.  We see this in system data; technology requests; teacher and parent feedback; and in our survey results, especially the thousands of comments from students and parents.  

The Cherokee County School Board this evening unanimously approved the Superintendent of Schools’ recommendation to end school early on May 8 and to postpone a decision on high school graduation ceremonies until July 1.

Dear #CCSDfam,

We have learned many lessons over the past month, and some of those have been lessons re-learned.

Like that our school families connect and strengthen even if our buildings are closed.  Our children show us their resilience, their optimism — their best, when put to the test.  And that it sometimes is hard to see the rainbow beyond the storm clouds, but it’s still there.
 

Dear #CCSDfam,

Grace. This word has become a mantra for me and for my leadership team over the last three weeks. It defines how I expect all of our employees to always treat students, parents and each other, and especially so in this challenging time.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that Gov. Brian Kemp has extended his closure of all schools statewide through the close of the school year.  This announcement also cancels all events scheduled to take place at CCSD schools, all CCSD special events and extra-curricular activities, and all community leases of CCSD facilities through May 31, 2020.   Over the coming days, the Superintendent and staff will develop recommendations for School Board approval regarding operations and programming for the remainder of the year.  This will include time-sensitive topics such as the completion of the academic year, final grades and graduation.  In the interim, CCSD will continue Digital Learning Days; Spring Break (April 6-10) will be observed as scheduled with no Digital Learning Days. #SafeCherokee

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that CCSD’s Office of Technology is ending its successful distribution of CCSD laptops for students to borrow for use during the school closure.  This distribution initially was only to take place on the last day of classes at schools on March 13, but Technology staff have worked hard to continue the process to meet students’ needs.  CCSD has distributed 3,112 devices to students and will fulfill another 500 pending requests by Friday.  If you are a CCSD parent and your child is without any access to any device on which to do their Digital Learning Days assignments, please notify your child’s teacher by 5 p.m. today, March 31, 2020.  If Technology is unable to fulfill your request, staff will let your child’s teacher know immediately so you can make other arrangements.

Dear #CCSDfam, 
 
While we know the past week has not been easy, and the news that Georgia’s schools will remain closed through April 24 caused many families more stress, I am filled with hope.

CCSD is partnering with Mountain Education Charter High School for its evening high school program beginning in June … and more employees are needed to staff the program!

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that the Governor has extended the statewide closure of all schools, including the Cherokee County School District, through April 24, 2020.  The Governor said he will make a decision prior to April 24 as to whether schools will re-open this school year.  This extended closure also means all events scheduled to take place at CCSD schools, all CCSD special events and extra-curricular activities and all community leases of CCSD facilities are cancelled through April 24.  CCSD will continue Digital Learning Days through April 3 and then again from April 13-24; Spring Break will be observed as scheduled from April 6-10 with no Digital Learning Days.  Also during this extended closure, CCSD will continue providing technology, Canvas and other learning support, as well as the #CCSDserves to-go meal program.  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower again expressed how much he appreciates the dedication of our students, parents and employees during this challenging time: we are here to support you -- we are all in this together. #CCSDfam

Dear #CCSDfam, 
 
Our entire CCSD family continues to impress me as we navigate through this storm together.

Online teaching and learning continues to strengthen, as our teachers gauge success and trade best practices, and as our students and families adjust to this challenge and develop new routines.  We continue to loan technology to students in need and provide technology and Canvas support.  We know online teaching and learning isn’t easy – we are here to help you succeed. 

Please share our new job listing for CCSD School Nutrition culinary specialist!  This professional will assist with planning and developing culinary processes for our School Nutrition Program. This position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits (including State Health Benefit Plan & Teachers Retirement System), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team. Job description & minimum qualifications posted at https://bit.ly/ccsdjob32320 Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter Lindsay.Bowley@Cherokeek12.net. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/jobsCCSD

Dear #CCSDfam, 

I have never been as proud to serve as your Superintendent as I have been this week.

Our CCSD community always rises to overcome challenges and meet needs, whether it’s a family devastated by a house fire or a student who can’t afford eyeglasses.  And our students and educators always impress me with their daily hard work that has resulted in admirable academic, athletic, and artistic accomplishments.

The Cherokee County School Board tonight heard plans to further extend the closure of all Cherokee County School District schools and offices through the previously scheduled Spring Break. 

Basketball season officially came to a close for CCSD’s high school seniors last Tuesday night, as they played their final high school games together March 10 at Creekview 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.

To assist with parent communication regarding middle school scheduling changes beginning SY 2020-21, a presentation for you to utilize is attached. 

CCSD is expanding its school closure to-go student meals program to include additional sites and to extend to Spring Break.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said, although CCSD will not earn federal funding reimbursement for the additional sites or for feeding students during spring break, it is the right thing to do.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that the Governor has mandated school closures through March 31, 2020. (https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2020-executive-order/03162001/download) This will extend CCSD’s current Digital Learning Days by two more days. We will keep you updated on any further extensions.

The Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) has announced the week of March 16-20, 2020 as “School Board Member Appreciation Week.” 

Dear Parents:

On behalf of the Superintendent, this message is to update you on resources you may need during the two-week closure of CCSD schools from Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, March 27, 2020.

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that all Cherokee County School District schools and offices will be closed for two weeks from Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, March 27, 2020.  We will use Digital Learning Days during this closure to continue teaching and learning.

The Cherokee County School District for the third consecutive year has earned 4.5 stars on the state's Financial Efficiency Star Rating. This score is among the best ratings in the State-- only 10 other school districts of the 180 in Georgia earned a 4.5..  

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

The Cherokee County Council PTA has set the schedule for its Parent University program presented in collaboration with CCSD and community partners.

Today is PTA Day in CCSD, as proclaimed by the Cherokee County School Board! We appreciate our PTA and its volunteers who give so much of their time, talent, treasure and hearts to support our students, staff and schools. More: http://bit.ly/PTAday20 #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District on Thursday conducted a multi-agency emergency response drill to practice school evacuation and reunification plans.

The drill was held during the winter break to avoid disrupting classes, with activity taking place at Cherokee High School in Canton, CCSD’s offices in Canton, and First Baptist Church of Woodstock.  Hundreds of law enforcement and public safety officers, volunteer role-players including students and parents, and CCSD employees worked together to act out an emergency scenario at the school, evacuation of the school, and reunification of students and staff with their families at the church.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 approved the appointments of new Principals and other leaders for next school year.

The Cherokee County School District next month will present its second annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!

The celebration on March 12 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.  

The Cherokee County School District and its Superintendent of Schools are finalists for national awards recognizing the best in school spirit and dedication to schools and students!

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 Cherokee County School District will host its annual job fair on Saturday, March 7 for hiring new teachers, bus drivers, school nurses and school nutrition workers.  The District is also looking for psychologists and speech language pathologists.

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

The statewide Georgia Student Technology Competition program includes 16 categories of competition for students in Grades 3-12. Three hundred and thirty-seven students put their technology skills to the test at the Piedmont Regional Technology Competition recently held at Woodstock MS: School. 

The window for school choice reassignments for 2020-21 within the Cherokee County School District is February 1-March 1. This includes applications for CCSD STEM and Fine Arts Academies.

The Cherokee County School District is opening online registration for 2020-21 kindergarten students and first graders new to CCSD on Monday, January 27.  The Registration Gateway allows parents to log in from home via CCSD’s website and get enrollment forms filled out online, rather than filling them out by hand while waiting at a school office.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 approved the appointment of a longtime CCSD leader as its next Chief Operations Officer.

Dr. Debra Murdock, a past Georgia High School Principal of the Year who currently serves as an Executive Director in the Office of School Operations, will begin leading the division this spring.

The Cherokee County School District earned positive credit ratings from the world’s top agencies, benefitting the community’s taxpayers.

Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s financial service companies this month reaffirmed CCSD’s Aa2 and Aa+ ratings, respectively, and awarded Stable outlooks to both, which places the District in an outstanding position for future growth. 
 

A CCSD teacher has won a top national fellowship for STEM educators!

Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grade science teacher Ann-Margaret Somers is one of only 26 teachers in STEM fields from across the country selected as 2019-20 Teacher Fellows by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).

Dean Rusk Middle School sixth-grader Riley O’Neill correctly spelled “piratical” and then “hurriedly” to claim the title as the county’s top speller at the 2020 Cherokee County School District Spelling Bee Thursday night at Cherokee High School.  Brayden McPhillips of Woodstock Middle School captured second, and Laura Hand of Creekland Middle School placed third. 

The January edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online here and includes updates on safety and security and other important information. Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for its sponsorship! #CCSDfam

Every holiday season, CCSD students, staff, parents & community partners join together to show how much CCSD cares about its families in need.  We hope you enjoy these photos from just a few of their many service projects. #CCSDfam #CCSDcares
 

The Cherokee County School District’s Social Studies Fair saw impressive participation, with 26 first-place winners advancing to the Northwest Regional Social Studies Fair in February!

Safe Schools Alert

Please watch this brief video to learn more about SafeSchools Alert - CCSD's system to report a school safety concern by text, email, phone call, online message or app to school police and administrators. Reminder: This system does not replace 911; please call 911 in an emergency. #SafeCherokee

The Cherokee County School District’s third annual VILLA Program, which encourages and celebrates parent engagement, saw record participation this year.

The December edition of the CCSD Connections monthly parent e-newsletter is now online here. Thanks to Credit Union of Georgia for its sponsorship! #CCSDfam

CCSD this fall held its first-ever student video PSA contest to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 heard an update on CCSD’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative, including projects underway to increase counseling services and create a “parent university” program for providing parents more information to help their children’s safety and well-being.

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 age 3 to 21 years old.

We’re proud of our CCSD family’s outstanding teachers… and every week, you’ll get to know one of them better through a Q&A posted here. #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 Mill Creek Middle School 2019 Support Staff Employee of the Year Thania Molina!

It's National School Psychology Awareness Week! We greatly appreciate all that our CCSD school psychologists do to help our students succeed. #CCSDfam

Cherokee County School District schools continue to score high among their community members for fostering a positive school climate and culture!

The District earned a four-star average on the five-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 five stars.  The rating is based on a survey of students, parents and teachers; student discipline issue rates; and daily attendance.

The November edition of the CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter now online here is filled with important information including two updates to the school calendar. 

There will be early dismissal for middle school and high school students on Friday, Dec. 20; elementary school dismissal will be on time, but After School Program will not be offered.   

There will be no school on Tuesday, March 24, the date of the Presidential Primary Election, in order to ensure the safety and security of students, as many schools are used as polling sites.  March 24 will be a Digital Learning Day, with assignments provided online for students to complete at home.  More information about how Digital Learning Days will work on March 24, as well as on any inclement weather days this fall and winter, is in the newsletter.

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. 9, 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/  Look for the "Upcoming Auctions" heading.

Explore the option of Dual Enrollment!  The Cherokee County School District invites students and parents who are interested in learning more about Dual Enrollment to our annual information nights coming up November 7 and 11.

Cherokee County School Board members regularly visit schools for tours with the Superintendent of Schools, members of his staff, and the school’s Principal and administrative team.  This month, the visit was to Mill Creek Middle School, where they learned from Principal Matthew May about efforts to increase academic success and Social and Emotional Learning, enjoyed a School Nutrition lunch from the cafeteria and visited classrooms. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District’s performance has improved, and, for the seventh consecutive year, has exceeded the State’s average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) accountability system score.

The scores, released today by the Georgia Department of Education, annually calculate student academic achievement and progress.  The School District’s 2018-19 CCRPI average is 83, an increase from 79 the previous year, and exceeding the State average of 76.  Scores at all three levels of CCSD schools also improved from the previous year and surpassed State performance: 86 elementary (77 Georgia); 80 middle (72); 82 high (77). 

October 21-25 is National School Bus Safety Week, and this is also the time we honor our school bus drivers and thank them for the great job they do keeping children safe on the ride to and from school.  Thanks to sponsors Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the Chick-fil-A restaurants in Cherokee County, CCSD drivers were treated to breakfast on Tuesday and given Chick-fil-A gift cards and a bag of treats.  CCSD schools also held special events or provided tokens of thanks for their drivers. 

Save the date: The Georgia Probe College Fair will make its annual stop in Cherokee County from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at Cherokee High School (Cherokee North Campus) at 930 Marietta Highway, Canton. Learn more: http://gaprobe.org #CCSDfam

Can you remember a teacher or another school staff member from your childhood who made a positive difference in your life?  Did you ever thank them?

“We know our School District is a family of caring teachers, counselors, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and many more, all focused on doing their best to serve our students …  and a new districtwide initiative will now give students the opportunity to thank them!” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “We’re excited to begin #thanksCCSD and honor those among us who go above and beyond.”

Want to learn more about what's next for CCSD? 

The Cherokee County School Board recently approved CCSD Blueprint: a long-range plan for continued success.  This strategic plan will guide CCSD's work for the next five years.  You can learn more about Blueprint, and keep up with CCSD's progress in accomplishing the goals set by the plan, by visiting this new webpage.

Hundreds of athletes and volunteers participated in the CCSD Special Olympics Awareness Games on Friday morning at River Ridge High School.  

The October edition of the CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter now online here is filled with important information including an update on CCSD’s Digital Learning Day plan for inclement weather.  Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District’s graduation rate continues to exceed State averages with 87% of the Class of 2019 earning a diploma within four years of entering high school.

CCSD’s performance tops the State’s rate of 82% -- an all-time high since the State began using a new formula required by Federal law.  Georgia’s rate has increased by 12 percentage points since 2012, while CCSD has climbed nearly 15 points.

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

Twenty-eight Cherokee County School District schools have been honored at the State level for excellence in health and PE programs!

The schools all earned recognition on the Governor’s SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Honor Roll, which rewards outstanding commitment to the health and well-being of Georgia’s students through fitness and nutrition.

The Cherokee County School District School Nutrition program has scored a three-peat with its third consecutive Platinum-level Georgia Golden Radish Award!

CCSD’s program, which serves 5 million meals each year in school cafeterias, again earned the top award from Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health and Education, and Georgia Organics.

The September edition of the CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter is now online at https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/newsletter, and is filled with important news & updates. Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia! #CCSDfam

Congratulations to CCSD's School Teachers of the Year!

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 2020 Teacher of the Year! 

Please share our new job listing for CCSD Director of Facility Maintenance! This leadership position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits (including State Health Benefit Plan & Teachers Retirement System), a great work calendar and schedule, and a wonderful work environment and team.

What's cooking, #CCSDfam?  

If you're a CCSD parent who loves to cook, please enter our first-ever CCSD School Nutrition Parent Recipe Contest... you could win a $100 Kroger gift card and see your side-dish recipe featured on CCSD school lunch menus in October!  

The CCSD Transportation Department has earned recertification of its prestigious National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Blue Seal of Excellence!

CCSD in 2015 became one of the first school systems in the State to obtain this level of certification, and just learned that this important seal of approval has been extended again based on a close review of its staff’s knowledge and practices.

CCSD students are invited to enter CCSD's Fire Safety Essay & Poster Contests by Sept. 9.

To raise awareness in observation of National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6-12, CCSD's Office of Safety & Security, in collaboration with Cherokee County Office of Fire & Emergency Services and Woodstock Fire Department, will sponsor districtwide fire safety contests.  The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) theme is: “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 approved Blueprint, a new long-range plan for the Cherokee County School District’s continued success, developed based on community input. 

The creation of the new five-year strategic plan, which is posted here, evolved over six months of meetings with students, families, teachers, support staff, business and community partners to determine what matters most to them and how CCSD could better serve them.

Twenty-three Cherokee County School District students placed in the 2018-19 Georgia PTA Reflections fine arts contest!

The annual PTA Reflections contest gives students in all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts for the opportunity to earn recognition at the School, County, State and National levels. 

Want to learn more about the Cherokee County School District and how you can better support your child's education? CCSD's VILLA parent academy program is the answer!

CCSD is accepting applications through Sept. 6 for its third annual VILLA program that provides parents with a behind-the-scenes look at their School District.

The August edition of the CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter is now online here, and is filled with important news & updates.

The School Board's Strategic Work Session and regular School Board meeting originally scheduled for August 15 (which were cancelled due to a gas main leak in the vicinity) have been rescheduled for Thursday, August 22. The Superintendent/School Board Strategic Work Session will be held at 6:00 p.m., and the School Board meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. The Superintendent’s recommended, updated agenda will be re-posted to the School District website on Monday, August 19.

Two Cherokee County School District schools have earned national recognition from the PTA!

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy and Mill Creek Middle School have been named National Schools of Excellence by the parent and teacher organization.

Please remember that applications for free or reduced-price meals must be updated every school year, per Federal guidelines.  Applications for this school year are due by Sept. 12 to avoid an interruption in status. 

You can apply online at www.lunchapplication.com or pick up a paper application in the front office of your child's school.  

If you have questions, please contact Paula Hilton at 770 721-8443 or paula.hilton@cherokee12.net.  Para español: Viri Gates a 770 721-8460 o Viri.Dudoit@cherokeek12.net.

The Cherokee County School District is sponsoring a video contest with a $500 prize to seek students’ help in raising awareness of the dangers of vaping.

CCSD students in grades 6-12 are invited to create and enter by Oct. 1, 2019 a short public service announcement-style video that educates students about the health dangers of vaping.  Entries will be judged for message, quality and creativity.  One winner will receive $500 sponsored by the Service League of Cherokee County.

Due to the anticipated high heat index for today and Tuesday, August 13, 2019, the Cherokee County School District is cancelling all outdoor activities from 12:00 noon to 6:00 PM.  This includes curricular and extracurricular classes and activities.

The Cherokee County School District is asking local businesses and organizations to Partner Up with CCSD!

Businesses and organizations are invited to learn more about partnering with CCSD schools by dropping in at the free event anytime between 4 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo Educational Services Facility auditorium (1205 Bluffs Parkway, Canton, 30114).  Participants can visit tables of school leaders, who will be grouped by geographic area, to share coffee and conversation with them about partnership opportunities.

You now can read CCSD's first-ever Class Act magazine online!

Thanks to the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News and Cherokee Life Magazine, CCSD is able to share more news with you through this new publication.

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.  Forms should be completed by Friday, August 9.

It’s Curriculum Night time!  CCSD Curriculum Night programs provide parents with an overview of what their children will learn this school year.  Find the event for your child's school in the schedule posted online here.

If we could have ordered up a perfect morning for the first day of school, I’m not sure it would have been prettier than today.

Not only did the beautiful weather exceed expectations, so did our entire #CCSDfam.  

CCSD is ready to celebrate the first day of school tomorrow, Aug. 1. We hope you enjoy this welcome-back video featuring messages from each of our schools! Please use the hashtag #CCSD1stDay tomorrow to share your photos with us. #CCSDfam #CCSDcares

The Cherokee County School District is increasing its efforts to support the emotional and mental health and well-being of students and staff through a new Social and Emotional Learning initiative.  Dr. Debra Murdock, who’s heading up the districtwide effort, has launched a new Twitter account @CCSDCares to share news about CCSD’s efforts… and to hear ideas from CCSD educators, parents and the community at large.  #CCSDCares  #CCSDfam   

It's almost time for CCSD school buses to start rolling! Do you know the rules of the road when encountering school buses? When to stop and when you can keep going? Please check out this video - http://bit.ly/stop4bus - to learn more. #SafeCherokee

Cherokee County School District students topped State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests for the fifth consecutive year, with important gains in early literacy and math! 

The test assess students’ mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, which set expectations for what lessons students will learn in each grade. Students in Grades 3-8 take Milestones End-of-Grade exams every spring in select core subjects; high school students in specific courses (and eighth-graders taking the classes for high school credit) take Milestones End-of-Course exams.  Parents will receive their children’s scores next month.

What's new for CCSD this school year? What do I have left on my back-to-school to-do list? Check out CCSD's annual First Day Facts report - a two-page, quick read of important information to start your school year off right! #CCSDfam #CCSD1stDay

The Cherokee County School District this week launched a three-year partnership with a global education leader to improve STEM learning opportunities for elementary and middle school students! 

CCSD, already recognized nationally for its commitment to STEM education, now is working with Discovery Education, part of the same company as the Discovery TV network, so its classroom resources and professional development for teachers can enhance lessons and incorporate more real-world learning experiences.

Please share our new job listing for school nurses -- this position offers a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits, a great work calendar and schedule (work while your kids are in school... and enjoy vacation with them!), and a wonderful work environment and team. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: http://bit.ly/JoinCCSDfam

UPDATE 1:30 p.m. - The Gateway is back online and running - thank you!

The Back-to-School Gateway is currently offline due to technical difficulties. CCSD Technology staff are working with the system vendor to correct the issue as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience — we will post here when it's back online and ready to use.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

Please click the links below to access grade level supply list for 2019-2020.

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.

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 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!

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! 

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

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. 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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’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.

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 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!

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Click Here to Enroll in MCMS Music

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. 

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/

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!

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 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.

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. 

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 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

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.       

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 

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.

Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton delivered a new Jeep Rubicon to CCSD Teacher of the Year Dana Townsend at Mill Creek MS on Friday just before Thanksgiving break.  As the district winner, Ms. Townsend received a free one-year lease on any vehicle at the dealership. 

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, approved its annual Legislative Partnership Program outlining requests for the local Legislative Delegation’s consideration during the upcoming session, and local control topped the list. 

The Cherokee County School District is focused on further improving suicide prevention training for its staff and offering more support to students in need.

This important issue long has been a part of professional development for staff, but CCSD is increasing its training and programs in response to the national rise in teen suicide rates, as well as the tragic deaths of students, teachers and parents in the community.

Reporting safety concerns to the Cherokee County School District now is easier than ever with the roll-out of a new smartphone app!
 
The School District in August launched the new SafeSchools Alert system, which allows students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community to report safety concerns to CCSD School Police and administrators by text, email, online message or phone call, with the option to do so anonymously.  To further increase accessibility, the system now includes a new smartphone app, which can be downloaded at no cost.  

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.
 

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!

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. 

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

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. 

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.

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

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. 

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 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.

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.”

Congratulations to Dana Townsend who has been chosen by her peers to represent Mill Creek Middle School as the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year!

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.

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. 

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.

Join us for Camp '25 on July 28, 2018.

First Day of School - Wednesday, August 1.