Gordon County Schools -

STATE CHAMP RECOGNIZED BY GCS BOARD: Gordon County Schools Board of Education recognized Lily Waters at the May board meeting for her recent state championship title. Organized by the Georgia Language Arts Supervisors (GLAS) and the Georgia RESA Network with support from the Georgia Department of Education, each year, Gordon County Schools participates in the Georgia Young Authors competition. GCS judges select both school and district winners who then advance to compete in the region contest. If a writer wins at the regional level, they then move on to compete in the state competition. This year, Lily Waters, a student at Fairmount Elementary qualified for the state contest. At the end of April, the winners of the state competition were announced and Lily secured a first place win at the second grade overall state champion with her story, "Pety the Good Dog." Way to go Lily! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

NATION SCHOOL NURSE DAY: Happy National School Nurse Day to our school nurses. Thank you for your dedication to keeping our students healthy, safe and ready to learn! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily #SND2023 #SchoolNursesRock

COACH OF THE YEAR – BOARD RECOGNITION: Gordon County Schools Coach of the Year, John Rainwater was recently recognized at the Board of Education meeting held earlier in May. Rainwater was recognized for his dedication to his students, coaching staff, school, and community. One nomination stated in part, “Over the years, I have seen the passion Coach Rainwater not only has for track and field but also for all of his athletes and coaches. It is truly a family atmosphere. The kids know that they are going to have to push themselves and work hard, but they also know that if they need anything at all (no matter how big or small) that Coach Rainwater will do whatever he can to help.” Another nomination also stated, “With Coach Rainwater, kids not only learn how to be better athletes, but they also learn how to persevere through hard times, strive and achieve goals, leadership, and how to work as a team.” Congratulations Coach Rainwater!!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK: It's Teacher Appreciation Week! This week we celebrate our remarkable teachers and their dedication to educating, inspiring, and encouraging their students each and every day. Join us in the #GordonGivesThanks initiative by submitting an entry to the link below to recognize a GCS teacher who has made a positive difference in your life or the life of your student. All messages will be shared with the teachers! You can also use #GordonGivesThanks to give your GCS teacher a shoutout on social media! Make a submission today at: www.gcbe.org/gordongivesthanks #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

TEXTBOOK ADOPTION: Gordon County Schools is currently seeking parental input for the adoption of high school textbooks for Advanced Placement World History. On the Gordon County Schools website, www.gcbe.org/textbookadoption, there is a link to an overview of the textbook the AP World History teachers have chosen for this adoption, following the Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Process. Should you wish to review the textbook in its entirety, please contact Dr. Amy Parker at ajparker@gcbe.org or 706-629-7366 ext 8143 for more information or to make an appointment to view the material. The window for providing input will expire on May 15, 2023.

CHILD FIND REQUIREMENT NOTICE: All children ages 0-21 are entitled to a free education, and that includes children with physical, mental or emotional problems. Some of these children are not identified. Please help us locate and identify them. For more information, please call the Gordon County Board of Education, Special Education Office at 706-629-4474 or email Alecia Segursky, Director Exceptional Student Services at asegursky@gcbe.org if you know of a child with a disability that has not yet been identified.

ACCG YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD: The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) recently awarded Sonoraville High School (SHS) junior, Hannah Jones, with the 2023 Youth Leadership Award. ACCG recognizes Georgia’s up-and-coming leaders who demonstrate a strong passion for leadership in their school and community through its annual recognition program. Tuesday evening, Hannah was recognized for the honor at the Gordon County Board of Commissioners meeting. Hannah is currently completing a Youth Apprenticeship with the Gordon County Government through the SHS work-based learning program. Gordon County Administrator Jim Ledbetter and Work-Based Learning/YAP Coordinator, Dr. Andrea Walraven, submitted Hannah’s nomination for the prestigious award. “Hannah is an exceptional student, leader, and person, and I am confident she will make an impact wherever she goes,” shared Dr. Walraven. After graduating from high school, Ms. Jones hopes to attend the University of Georgia and major in civil engineering. Congratulations, Hannah! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?: During session 3 of the 2023 State FFA Convention, Gordon County Schools alumni Bethany Champion gave her Retiring Address after spending the last year serving as the North Region State Vice President. Here is an excerpt from her speech entitled “If Not Now, When?”: “If you want to be better; if you’re in a rut or need to find your purpose and peace; if you want to be present and not miss the moments that you have; go for it now. Because if you don’t do it now, then when?” -Bethany Champion At the convention, Bethany also had the opportunity to publicly recognize those who have supported her on her journey. There to receive the honor from Bethany was agriculture educators, Ms. Rebecca Macedo, Mr. Joshua Boydston, Mr. James Stodghill and Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Fraker. #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

ADOBE CERTIFIED: Six graphic design students at the Gordon County College and Career Academy of Design and Advanced Manufacturing recently passed their official Adobe Certification tests for Adobe Illustrator. At the career academy, Shelia Johnson teaches Graphic Design and certification courses where students can work toward earning Adobe certifications that will allow them the opportunity to go straight into the workforce or help them to stand out on their college resumes. The Adobe Certified Professional certification is an industry-recognized credential that demonstrates mastery of the Adobe Creative Cloud software and foundational knowledge for digital media careers. Congratulations to the following students on earning such an outstanding achievement: •Nathan Hicks, Gordon Central High School •Lacey McEntire, Gordon Central High School •Alexandria Rampley, Gordon Central High School •Brooklyn Clark, Sonoraville High School •Santiago Canchola, Sonoraville High School •Cayden Herrington, Sonoraville High School #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

MATH FAIR: Last week, students at Ashworth Middle School participated in the 2023 Math Fair! AMS hosted the friendly competition to help prepare students for the Georgia Milestones Testing. Teachers supplied questions to each student based on grade-level standards. Students selected a question from each unit to complete and once they arrived at the correct answer, had the opportunity to turn in a student raffle ticket for their grade-level drawing. Students also participated in 12 different outdoor games as part of the friendly competition. At the completion of the event, 15 students were selected as winners of a prize donated by local community partners. Thank you to Fox Rentals, Shane Rice Construction, Sam Lusk Realty, North Georgia National Bank, and LaGenna's Rolling Cantina for sponsoring this event! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

FFA STATE CHAMP: Makena Blalock, a student at Sonoraville High School, brought home a first place State Championship title from the Georgia State FFA Convention in the Social Science Division for her research on Consumer Sensory Preferences of USDA Organic vs. Industry Standard Eggs. Makena now has the opportunity to compete at the National FFA Convention in November! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

CELEBRATE: It’s School Principals’ Day! Please join us in thanking our wonderful campus leaders who go above and beyond for our GCS students each and every day! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

FFA STATE CHAMP: Seth Carr, a student at Red Bud Middle School, won the middle school record book competition in Power, Structural, and Technical Systems at the Georgia State FFA Convention this past weekend. Way to go, Seth! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily #RBMSFFA

SAVE THE DATE: We are so excited to announce the Gordon County Schools summer camp schedule! More details and registration information can be found by visiting www.gcbe.org/bulletinboard #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

STUDENTS SPEAK: members of both the Gordon Central High School & Sonoraville High School Class of ‘23 joined Dr. Fraker for lunch earlier this week. The seniors shared their high school experiences and give advice for improvement for future generations. #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

WORKFORCE READY: Gordon County Schools community partner Mohawk Industries recently donated two forklifts to the Gordon County College and Career Academy, Inc. Career Academy students will now have the opportunity to get certified in Forklift Operation and Maintenance before leaving school and entering the workforce. We are so thankful for our community partners and the opportunities they help to provide for our students! THANK YOU! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

NURSE OF THE YEAR – BOARD RECOGNITION: Gordon County Schools Nurse of the Year, Kristi Langham was recently recognized at the Board of Education meeting held earlier in April. Ms. Langham has been recognized for her knowledge, kindness, and the overall impact she has made in the lives of students in Gordon County. One of her nominations for this award stated, “Kristi has made a tremendous impact in Gordon County Schools. Her knowledge in the medical field is evident as seen in her practice. She is always ready and willing to help in any way she can. She gives her BEST to each student she serves. As a parent to children within the GCS system, I am so thankful she has been my children’s nurse, as I NEVER have to worry if they are in good care.” Congratulations Mrs. Langham!!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Looking for a fulfilling summer job? Gordon County School Nutrition is hiring for our Summer Feeding program. We are having an informational meeting for all interested job-seekers: Friday April 14th - come at either 8AM or 3PM to the School Nutrition Office at 7300 Fairmount Highway (the former Sonoraville Middle School).

April menus for our 10 school cafeterias are up! Our School Nutrition staffs are ready and happy to serve our students -- click this link to see all the breakfast and lunch menus: https://www.gcbe.org/page/menus

SHS FCCLA: 8 students represented Sonoraville High School at FCCLA’s State Leadership Conference last week in Athens, GA. After earning their spot at the region competition in February, by placing 1st or 2nd in each of their events, they continued to work hard improving their speeches, boards, and portfolios for the state competition. Last Friday, they proved that hard work pays off! All 8 students placed in Georgia’s Top 10 for their event: earning gold, silver, and bronze medals. This was a huge accomplishment for these ladies and for SHS’s FCCLA Chapter. Congratulations to Ariel Davis (Job Interview), Serenity Price & Isabella Segursky (Professional Presentation), Riley Blackmon (Chapter Service Project), Joanna Gillette & Katey Ball (Focus on Children), and Tristan Bowen & Ellen Robertson (Repurpose & Redesign). #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily