Gordon County Schools -

The weather outside might be frightful, but breakfast and lunch in your school cafeteria is soooo delightful! Gordon County School Nutrition will be celebrating with some special foods in December: brownies for National Brownie Day and a special holiday-flavored Jolly Sidekick frozen fruit treat on December 8. Then, on December 13, we will feature freshly baked cinnamon rolls as part of our Christmas Brunch for Lunch. Finally, on a date set specifically for each school, we will serve a traditional Christmas lunch with turkey, ham and the sides we all love. Call your child's school for the date of their Christmas luncheon.

Discover the road to responsible driving with Gordon County Schools! Unlock the keys to safe and responsible driving with our Georgia Department of Transportation approved Driver's Education program, exclusively tailored for high school students. At Gordon County Schools, we believe in empowering our students to navigate the roads confidently, and that's why we're excited to present our comprehensive Driver's Education Program. Tailored to meet the requirements of Joshua's Law, our program ensures that all 16 and 17-year olds fulfill the mandatory certified driver education course before hitting the open road or waiting until the age of 18 to obtain their license. Embrace the journey of becoming a responsible driver with our engaging behind-the-wheel instruction, designed to prepare students for a lifetime of safe driving. Key Features: •Available to all students with a learner's permit, regardless of their school affiliation. •Comprehensive 30 hours of classroom instruction for $75. •Optional driving instruction class, including 6 hours of invaluable on-road experience, available for $220. •All classes and tests conducted using AAA How to Drive 15th Edition, ensuring a top-notch learning experience. •Proudly certified through the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS). Don't miss the chance to equip your student with essential driving skills in a program that goes beyond the basics. Join the Gordon County Schools' Driver's Education Program and drive into a future of safe and responsible motoring! The road to responsible driving starts here - enroll online today at www.gcbe.org/driverseducation #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

Parent and Family Engagement Month Contest - Week 3 is Here! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🎉 We're thrilled to kick off our annual competition, and you won't want to miss out on the fun and fantastic prizes we have in store! Here's what's in store for Week 3: •Night 1: Use this fun conversation starter to get your family talking about the talking about the Thanksgiving holiday and planning for future holidays: Imagine a future Thanksgiving. Tell that story. How will your descendants celebrate? What stories will they tell? •Night 2: Celebrate the holidays with a game of “Would You Rather?” Try these holiday questions and take turns making up new ones. Would you rather... -Eat only turkey or only mashed potatoes for an entire year? -Watch a parade or perform in one? -Wear an ugly sweater every day for a year, or wear antlers in every school picture? -Have an annoying song stuck in your head, or have to sing one in public? -Eat pumpkin pizza or pepperoni pie? -Listen to holiday music nonstop for 24 hours, or dress like a turkey in public? -Celebrate Christmas on the moon or on Mars? -Go to school in a boat or in a sleigh? •Night 3: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Activity. Use this activity to help “cool down” and regulate. Each family member takes turns naming: -5 things they can see -4 things they can touch -3 things they can hear -2 things they can smell -1 thing they can taste, OR 1 thing they would like to eat right now. -For an extra boost of calm, try encouraging family members to take one slow, deep breath before sharing, speaking in a whisper, or sitting as still as possible while they share. •Night 4: This is a great conversation starter for sharing old family traditions and for planning new ones: What is your favorite family tradition, and why? •Night 5: Cookie Face Race. This hilarious cookie face race challenge doesn’t have to be played with cookies – any flat-bottomed food item, like crackers, bread, slices of cheese, or dried fruit strips, can work! Each player tips his or her head back. Place a cookie (or other chosen food item) on each person’s forehead. Set a timer for one minute and say “On your mark, get set, go!” See who can get the cookie from their forehead to their mouth first – but no hands! Players can only use their facial muscles to move their cookies. If you missed any activities from Week 1 or Week 2, you still have time to make those up!! Visit www.gcbe.org/pfemonth for more information!

ICYMI: 🇺🇸Last Friday, our Gordon County Schools came together to honor and celebrate Veterans Day, expressing gratitude for the brave veterans in our community. #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

35 students from Gordon Central High School & Sonoraville High School Construction programs to visit GNTC’s Construction Management & Electrical Systems Technology programs located on the Gordon County Campus. The tour was set up to share information about the programs, potential careers and some time on construction equipment and VR Goggles for safety training on job sites. We are so thankful to our community partners for opportunities like this for our students! Thank you, GNTC Construction Management & Building Science!

Yesterday was Apply-to-College Day at Gordon Central High School, where seniors received support from Graduation Coach Jamey Angland, Assistant Superintendent Sket Angland, and Work-Based Learning instructor Daniel Worley as they navigated the college application process. #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

Tolbert Elementary lit up with laughter and warmth as third-grade students and their families gathered for the Family Dinner Project last night! Hosted by Gordon County Schools Parent & Family Engagement, attendees spent the evening enjoying a delicious spaghetti dinner from Sugar Valley Baptist Church, engaging in family conversations, and a few spirited rounds of bingo. #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

In celebration of National STEM/STEAM Day last week, we celebrated a fantastic community partnership with Shaw Industries! Shaw generously donated $500 to Tolbert Elementary, bolstering their STEAM program and empowering students to explore the exciting realms of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Thank you, Shaw Industries Group, Inc., for investing in our future innovators!

🇺🇸 Honoring our local heroes at Fairmount Elementary School, Sonoraville Elementary School, and Sonoraville High School! Today, these schools celebrated Veterans Day with heartfelt parades, celebrating the brave veterans from our community. Thank you, veterans, for your service and sacrifice! #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

CELEBRATING NATIONAL HOSA WEEK: Yesterday, in honor of National HOSA week, students enrolled in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) program from Sonoraville High School paid a visit to second grade students at Sonoraville Elementary. The SHS HOSA students taught about the importance of hand-washing, bringing the lesson to life with an engaging activity - simulating germs and demonstrating the proper way to wash hands to prevent the spread. #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

SWEET 16: Exciting news! The Sonoraville High School Competition Cheerleading team is heading to the STATE COMPETITION this weekend. Join the Phoenix this Thursday night from 6:00 to 7:00 in the main gym to catch their last run-through and to celebrate Senior Night! #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

The Gordon County Schools Wellness Committee welcomes participation from our parents, guardians, and community partners.

Parent and Family Engagement Month Contest - Week 1 is Here! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🎉 We're thrilled to kick off our annual competition, and you won't want to miss out on the fun and fantastic prizes we have in store! Here's what's in store for Week 1: Activity 1: A well-worded question is a quick way to connect after a long day. Try a conversation starter to get things started. Go around the table and let each person answer this question: If today were a food, what food would it be? Activity 2: Take turns asking “Would you rather…..?” questions. You can make up your own, but here are a couple to get you started: -…...be able to fly or be invisible? -…..live without social media or the internet? Activity 3: Have an Ingredient Race! Pick one of the ingredients from your meal and put in the center of the table. Give everyone a piece of paper and pencil and take 2 minutes to write down as many dinners that use that ingredient as possible. Whoever comes up with the most dinners wins! Activity 4: If you could work at any job in the world, what would your job be and where would you want to work? Activity 5: Arts & Crafts can help make dinner time fun in creative ways. Try creating your own placemats. All it takes is some blank paper and crayons or markers. Use your imagination and discuss your drawings as you eat. Don't forget to submit your completed activities via social media or email to kpannell@gcbe.org for a chance to win! You can earn up to 15 entries throughout November. Plus, there's a bonus activity waiting for you on our website at www.gcbe.org/pfemonth Let the fun and family bonding begin! #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Sonoraville High School student and FFA Vice President Makena Blalock is representing us proudly at this year's National FFA Convention in Indiana as a National Delegate - AND she's bringing home a NATIONAL WIN! Makena earned a national championship title today for her outstanding agriscience project in Division 3 of the Social Systems category of the National Agriscience Fair! Way to go, Makena! #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

We recently had a blast with our Partner in Education, Shaw Industries Group, Inc., as they teamed up with the Pre-K and Kindergarten students at Belwood Elementary School! Together, they delved into the magical world of books and carved pumpkins, creating unforgettable memories and spreading the joy of learning! #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

The November Gordon County Schools Connection Newsletter is here! 📣 We are excited to share another edition of the Gordon County Schools Connection: A Monthly Community Newsletter. Our November issue is packed with exciting updates, including Veterans Day celebrations, remarkable student achievements, Parent & Family Engagement Month, and a whole lot more. This is a read you won't want to miss! Dive into the action-packed content here: https://5il.co/28cys #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

Yesterday was an inspiring day at Gordon County Schools as peer leaders from across the school system came together for Sources of Strength training. They're ready to empower their peers with strength, hope, and support, making our school community even stronger! 💪 #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive

November is here, and so are some truly delicious meals in your Gordon County Schools!

Exciting news! Gordon County Schools is thrilled to announce our participation in a friendly Parent and Family Engagement Month competition this November. Families are in for a chance to win incredible prize packs by participating in weekly activities together. Each week, we've handpicked 5 engaging activities from the Family Dinner Project for families to complete. Submit each completed activity via social media or email to earn one entry, with the opportunity to accumulate up to 15 entries throughout November. The anticipation will build as we gear up to announce the lucky winners during the week of December 4th. Get ready to kick off the competition starting November 6th! We hope you will join us in strengthening family connections and creating lasting memories!

Happy Halloween from Gordon County Schools! 👻🎃 Wishing all our students, families, and staff a spooktacular and safe Halloween filled with laughter, treats, and unforgettable memories. #GoCoSchools #GCSTogetherWeThrive