Gordon County Schools -

APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL CELEBRATION: Recently, staff at Ashworth Middle School celebrated becoming the first Apple Distinguished Middle School in Georgia! Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple technology to connect students to the world, fuel creativity, deepen collaboration, and make learning personal. Ashworth Middle School has been recognized for the use of their iPad devices as an essential learning tool for finding inspiration, boosting creativity, gaining global insights, and helping students to apply critical thinking skills as they prepare for a successful career in high school and beyond. Congratulations Ashworth Middle!! We are so incredibly proud of you!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

SYSTEM LEADERSHIP MEETING: Yesterday, Gordon County Schools system leadership joined together for our monthly leadership meeting. Leaders from across Gordon County Schools met to discuss teaching, learning, and student engagement across GCS. We are so grateful for our #OneBIGFamily and the work our teachers and support staff do daily to make a difference in the lives of our students and their families! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS

FIRE HYDRANT REDESIGN CONTEST: Fourth and fifth grade students across the Gordon County Schools system recently had the opportunity to participate in a fire hydrant redesign coloring contest, hosted by Suzanne Roberts and the Calhoun Downtown Development Authority. In each of our local elementary schools, students were given the creative freedom to design a fire hydrant! After receiving a ton of entries, a winner was selected at each GCS elementary school. Each of the six designs will be painted onto fire hydrants in downtown Calhoun by local student artists from Gordon Central High and Sonoraville High. Thank you to Ms. Suzanne Roberts and the Downtown Development Authority for providing this opportunity for our students!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

TRAY OF THE WEEK BOARD RECOGNITION: In October of 2021, the Georgia School Nutrition program launched the Georgia Tray of the Week Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to highlight the consistently high-quality school meals served in Georgia schools. Having competed in the year-long, statewide competition, two Gordon County Schools were recognized for their outstanding dishes during the 2021-22 school year. Sonoraville Elementary School was selected as the Tray of the Week winners for their Pizza Power Pack and Sonoraville High School was selected as the winners for their Spaghetti entrée. Joining us at the board meeting last night to accept recognition for this outstanding accomplishment were Sonoraville Elementary School Nutrition Manager, Stacey Lemmermann and Sonoraville High School Nutrition Manager, Kristin Cronk! Congratulations!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR - BOARD RECOGNITIONS: The inaugural Gordon County Schools Employee of the Year awards has been established to recognize the efforts of an individual from each Gordon County Schools department who has demonstrated exemplary support and dedication to their service, their department, the school they serve and the students/staff at their school of service. During the month of October and November, we recognized the first two departments: School Nutrition and Transportation. Joining the GCS Board of Education last night to receive recognition for this outstanding achievement were School Nutrition Employee of the Year, Tammy Fuller and Transportation Employee of the Year, Jane Ridley! Congratulations to you both!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

November is Parent and Family Engagement Month! To celebrate Parent & Family Engagement Month, we are posting weekly tips filled with activities and ideas to help you engage with your child. Please post photos or videos of your family engaging in the activities on our Gordon County Schools social media pages or email them to kpannell@gcbe.org -Each post made by your family will enter you in a drawing to win a Family Prize Pack. -The drawing will take place on November 18, 2022 and the winners will be announced on our website and social media channels! Week THREE tips are available below and on our website at www.gcbe.org/pfemonth #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily #FamilyEngagement

VETERANS DAY: Today we honor our country's military veterans who put their lives on the line for our freedom. Thank you to all who have served. 🇺🇸❤️ #VeteransDay #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

VETERANS DAY IN GCS: Thank you to all of the members of our Gordon County Schools community for joining us for our Veterans Day Celebrations today. The weather may have not been the best, but that couldn't keep us from honoring our veterans! Thank you to ALL who served!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

VETERANS DAY: Gordon County Schools will be celebrating Veterans Day at each of our local campuses. Check out the events happening this Friday! Ashworth Middle School- Veterans will be honored at the school’s Veterans Day Breakfast on 11/11/22 at 7:45 a.m. Belwood Elementary School- There will be a Veterans Day breakfast on November 11 at 8:00 a.m., followed by a program. Fairmount Elementary School- Veterans will be honored with a parade on November 11th at 8:00 a.m. Gordon Central High School- GCHS will be hosting a Veterans Day Luncheon on November 11th during your student's regularly scheduled lunch period. Red Bud Elementary School- RBES & RBMS will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade on November 11th at 9:00 a.m. Red Bud Middle School- RBES & RBMS will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade on November 11th at 9:00 a.m. Sonoraville Elementary School- SES & SHS will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade on November 11th at 10:00 AM Sonoraville High School- SES & SHS will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade on November 11th at 10:00 AM Tolbert Elementary School- TES will be hosting a Veterans Day Luncheon where students are encouraged to invite veterans to visit with them at lunch on November 11. W. L. Swain Elementary School- Students will honor veterans on November 11 at 8 a.m. with a special breakfast. For more detailed information about the Veterans Day events, check our Community Bulletin Board by visiting www.gcbe.org/bulletinboard #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT MONTH CONTEST: Don't forget to send in pictures of your family completing some of the weekly tips to be entered to win one of these amazing baskets! Parent & Family Engagement month contest tips are available now on our social media pages and on our website at www.gcbe.org/pfemonth Thank you to our Community Partners at Savoy Automobile Museum, Kroger, Jumping Jacks, and Cracker Barrel for your support of the Parent and Family Engagement program! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Six Gordon County Schools middle school students have been named a Realizing Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Scholar. The REACH Georgia program provides support for students with academic promise, to help them successfully progress from middle school through college, with a goal of earning a degree. The students will receive scholarship funds upon high school graduation. The GCS REACH Scholar signing day will be held December 5th at the Gordon County College and Career Academy of Design and Advanced Manufacturing. Congratulations to our 2022 REACH Scholars! Emma Derrick MacKenzie Holland Madison Richards Leonardo Parra-Torres Carla Ramirez Hope Loveday

MENTORS WANTED: Help make a difference by becoming a REACH Scholarship Mentor! REACH mentors are volunteers from the community who provide support and guidance to encourage students in grades 8-12 in achieving academic, personal and occupational success. Interested? Contact Dr. Amy Parker at ajparker@gcbe.org for more information! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

November is Parent and Family Engagement Month! To celebrate Parent & Family Engagement Month, we are posting weekly tips filled with activities and ideas to help you engage with your child. Please post photos or videos of your family engaging in the activities on our Gordon County Schools social media pages or email them to kpannell@gcbe.org -Each post made by your family will enter you in a drawing to win a Family Prize Pack. -The drawing will take place on November 18, 2022 and the winners will be announced on our website and social media channels! Week TWO tips are available below and on our website at www.gcbe.org/pfemonth #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily #FamilyEngagement

FIRED UP FOOD DRIVE: The annual fired up food drive starts MONDAY! November 7-11, Gordon County Schools will be participating in the Fired Up Food Drive to benefit our community partner, the Voluntary Action Center (VAC). The VAC is looking to collect items that are either canned goods or unopened non-perishable items. #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Congratulations to Gordon Central High School senior, Gavin Holmes, on being named a School Winner for the 2022 Heisman High School Scholarship! The Heisman High School Scholarship program extends the Heisman prestige to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating and rewarding outstanding male and female scholar-athletes who understand that the most important victories happen not only on the field, but also in their schools and communities. #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

SES LUNCH BUDDIES: Check out some of the lunch buddies at Sonoraville Elementary School today! The Lunch Buddy program pairs mentors with elementary school students for a lunch meeting twice a month where students are able to speak with their mentors about their studies, classes, friends and what's going on in their world. This fantastic mentoring program first started in Gordon County Schools in 2018 and has made a positive impact in our schools. We are extremely thankful for the continued community support of this program!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is #OneBIGFamily. We asked Leigh-Ann Hunt, Media Specialist at Ashworth Middle School, what it means to be part of our One BIG Family: "I am thankful that I am a part of Gordon County’s One Big Family because of the impact we collectively make on the lives of our students, families, and coworkers. None of us can do it all on our own, but when we work together, we see great results. What I love most about being an educator is that it allows us opportunities to serve others every day, and it warms my heart to see so many teachers and staff pouring into our students – developing their skills, providing support, and showing them love. I personally benefitted from the love and support of countless Gordon County employees and families when I experienced an extended illness six years ago. Our people come from various backgrounds and experiences, but they pull together and show up when it counts. This quote sums it up well. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10" #GoCoSchools #GETGCS

November is Parent and Family Engagement Month! To celebrate Parent & Family Engagement Month, we are posting weekly tips filled with activities and ideas to help you engage with your child. Please post photos or videos of your family engaging in the activities on our Gordon County Schools social media pages or email them to kpannell@gcbe.org -Each post made by your family will enter you in a drawing to win a Family Prize Pack. -The drawing will take place on November 18, 2022 and the winners will be announced on our website and social media channels! Week 1 tips are available below and on our website at www.gcbe.org/pfemonth #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily #FamilyEngagement

We are thinking of our friends and family in the Chattooga High School community who lost several students in a tragic accident this weekend. #ChattoogaStrong #OneTribe #OneBIGFamily

TOTY CELEBRATION: We have some amazing teachers at Gordon County Schools. Please help us to celebrate the 2022 Fairmount Elementary School & Gordon County Schools System Teacher of the Year, Katy Waters! Waters knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an educator. “I have always wanted to be a teacher. I have never imagined myself doing anything else,” said Waters. “Growing up, I had a very close family member who struggled with adult illiteracy. I learned from a very young age the importance of a strong foundation in reading. Reading has always been my passion, so naturally teaching my first graders to read brings me great joy.” Leaving a lasting impression throughout her career for always going “above and beyond” for the students she has taught and the staff she has worked with, we asked Ms. Waters if there were any teachers that left a lasting impact on her: “I have been blessed with some amazing educators in my life. I vividly recall my first-grade teacher Mrs. Carlan and paraprofessional, Mrs. Parks. They made learning so much fun. Mrs. Parks made the best homemade cookies. My high school ag teacher, Mr. Barnes, taught me to be confident and helped train me in public speaking. My mom taught first grade for most of her career, she is a never-ending resource for great strategies and new ideas. Even though my husband teaches middle school, we still spend our evenings bouncing ideas off each other and doing our best to design lessons our students will remember.” We also asked Ms. Waters what made her so passionate about her students and career: “A parent posted once on her social media page that her little girl said a verse of scripture every day. Not just some days, but everyday... "This is the day the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). This was so powerful to me, and it has stayed with me since reading it,” said Ms. Waters. “Do what you love and love what you do, and all the pieces just seem to fall into place.” Prior to teaching first grade, Ms. Waters would host the morning announcements at FES. Each day, she would leave a lasting impact on each student and staff member in the school by saying, "You have control over your day, your actions, and your attitude. Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours." Congratulations Ms. Waters!! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily