Cherokee County School District - GA

The Cherokee County School District is seeking candidates for multiple school psychologist openings and one speech language pathologist with assistive technology experience! These positions offer competitive compensation (increasing for next school year!) with outstanding benefits, balanced school calendar, wonderful work environments and caring teams and opportunities for professional development and advancement. Join the #CCSDfam & apply now: visit www.cherokeek12.net and click Jobs @ CCSD to learn more about these and other openings. Questions? Contact CCSD Recruiter [email protected] and 770.704.4256.

The Cherokee County School Board appointed new leaders for next school year following several retirements and reorganization to improve realignment for better service to schools. Dr. Nicole Holmes, CCSD’s chief academic officer, is retiring at the end of July after a 30-year career in education. Michael Santoro, principal of Creekview High School, is joining Marietta City Schools as chief operations officer. A new chief academic officer soon will be appointed. The school board has appointed its first executive director for accountability: Dr. Joshua Heath, a 12-year educator who currently serves as a principal for Pickens County Schools. Creekview High School’s new principal is Mark Vance, a 17-year educator who serves as an assistant principal at the school. Nicole Wadsworth, a seven-year educator who serves as a teacher at Woodstock High School, will join Creekview HS as an assistant principal. Matt Kimbrell, a 24-year educator who serves as principal of R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy, will join School Leadership & Operations as an assistant superintendent. R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy’s new principal is Kim Moody, a 26-year educator who serves as an assistant principal at the school. Jennifer Dupoux, a 21-year educator who serves as a teacher at Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, will join R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy as an assistant principal. Dr. Ashley Kennerly, an 18-year educator who serves as principal of Sixes Elementary School, will join School Leadership & Operations as a director for leadership and operations. Sixes Elementary School’s new principal is Dr. Ginger Morgan, a 22-year educator who serves as an assistant principal at Little River Elementary School. Kelly Cooks, a 13-year educator who serves as a Special Education facilitator at Carmel ES, will join Little River ES as an assistant principal. Tia Bryller, a 20-year educator who serves as principal of Woodstock Middle School, will join School Leadership & Operations as director for school support and athletics. Woodstock Middle School’s new principal is Ken Nix, a 21-year educator who serves as an assistant principal at River Ridge High School. Pam Costa, a 19-year educator who currently serves as the instructional lead strategist at River Ridge HS will advance to serve as an assistant principal. Dana Thompkins, a 15-year educator who serves as a Special Education facilitator at Avery ES, will join Carmel ES as an assistant principal. Dr. Tara Quinn-Schuldt, a 19-year professional in her field who currently serves as a student support specialist is advancing to coordinator. Scott Krug, who has served with CCSD for 28 years and is supervisor of facility support services, is advancing to director. More: https://lnkd.in/e2y2z5qM #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School District this week celebrated its Class of 2024 summer graduates with a commencement ceremony! Family and friends were invited to cheer on their graduating senior at the event, which was held at the CCSD school board auditorium. Students entered the auditorium to “Pomp and Circumstance” while wearing their high school’s graduation caps and gowns, listened to inspirational remarks, and then were congratulated by School Board members and CCSD senior staff on their accomplishment. Thirteen students completed additional needed work this month to meet graduation requirements, and nine chose to walk in the ceremony. Congratulations to: Sama Barbosa, Etowah High School Cayden Cantrell, Creekview High School Tyler Crockett, Etowah High School Larry Dasher, Cherokee High School Issac Harwell, Etowah High School Alexander Reynoso-Loarca, Cherokee High School Mario Rios-Alcantara, Cherokee High School Lucas Rowland, Cherokee High School Arshan Sabzipour, River Ridge High School Ethan Sarrell, Sequoyah High School Josiah Sexton, Etowah High School Sarah Tinajero Zamora, Cherokee High School  Holly Marie Welch, Cherokee High School PHOTO: Congratulations to Class of 2024 summer graduates, from left, front row: Josiah Sexton, Etowah HS; Mario Rios-Alcantara, Cherokee HS; Sarah Tinajero Zamora, Cherokee HS; Issac Harwell, Etowah HS; Tyler Crockett, Etowah HS; back row: Ethan Sarrell, Sequoyah HS; Lucas Rowland, Cherokee HS; Holly Marie Welch, Cherokee HS; Larry Dasher, Cherokee HS. They are congratulated by, from left, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Nicole Holmes, School Board member Kelly Poole, Chief School Leadership and Operations Officer Dr. Debra Murdock and School Board member Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison. Not pictured: Cayden Cantrell, Creekview HS; Sama Barbosa, Etowah HS; Alexander Reynoso-Loarca, Cherokee HS; Arshan Sabzipour, River Ridge HS. #CCSDfam #2024CCSDgrads

Cherokee County School District educators and volunteers have been honored by the Georgia PTA with its top statewide awards! The annual awards program recognizes outstanding PTA volunteers and educators, with honors recently presented at the educational advocacy organization’s statewide convention. School nurse Betty Miller of Arnold Mill Elementary School is the Georgia PTA Outstanding Nurse Award winner! The honor recognizes school nurses who go above and beyond. She was honored earlier this year as the District 13 PTA winner for Elementary School, less than 750 students. The Outstanding Principal Award recognizes principals or assistant principals for outstanding contributions to education, and two CCSD leaders won statewide awards. Principal Matthew May was honored as the Georgia PTA Middle School Principal of the Year! Principal May, who most recently led Mill Creek Middle School and earned the honor for his service there, will lead Creekland Middle School next school year.  Principal Mark Smith was honored as the Georgia PTA High School Principal of the Year! Principal Smith leads ACTIVE Academies, which includes ACE Academy, Cherokee College & Career Academy, i-Grad Virtual Academy and Transition Academy. Each had been honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards. School PTA units were recognized with various awards, with two earning the state’s top honor, Outstanding Local Unit, which celebrates success in all areas. Mill Creek Middle School was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Middle School! Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of Co-Presidents Will Egwu and Scott Steinbrenner; Vice Presidents Felicia Hayes, Gail Peel and Samantha Bowman; Treasurer Lori Harrison, Recording Secretary Brittany Hamlin, Corresponding Secretary Michele Sanchez and Parliamentarian Paige Todd. ACTIVE Academies was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit High School! Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of President Sara Samson, Vice Presidents Brenda Page, Christina Brown and Mandi Fishback; Secretary Jory Cannon and Treasurer Lynn Beilfuss. Both units were honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards. Ten CCSD PTA units earned Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Merit Awards: Arnold Mill ES, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Bascomb ES, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, E.T. Booth MS, Johnston ES, Little River ES, River Ridge HS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy and Teasley MS. Three CCSD units earned state-level Hearst Family–School Partnership awards for excellence in bringing the school and community together to support student success: Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Liberty ES and Teasley MS. Each had been honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards. See more awards: https://lnkd.in/eATzmnxb #CCSDfam

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 2024 Support Staff Employee of the Year for Knox ES STEM Academy: Shay Langston! #CCSDfam

Twenty Cherokee County School District students recently were honored for their outstanding artwork! The students were selected by local arts businesses and organizations to receive prizes in recognition of their exceptional entries into the CCSD Festival of the Arts held this spring in downtown Woodstock.  Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the prize sponsors: • Kate Bean, Woodstock HS, Grade 11, art teacher Lori Thompson: $150 gift certificate for camp or class from Woodstock Arts • June Burnett, Arnold Mill ES, Grade 5, art teacher Caitlin Chase: Gift certificate for six-week art class from Paper, Scissors, Cake • Miranda Crespo, Etowah HS, Grade 12, art teacher Shannah Dean: Teaching opportunity from Paper, Scissors, Cake • Brianna Escrich, Teasley MS, Grade 8, art teacher Laura Dunn: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio • Jeremiah Foote, CCSD Transition Academy, art teacher Marisa Moore: Free summer membership from Local Color Studio • Dean Gallagher, Arnold Mill ES, Grade 1, art teacher Caitlin Chase: $150 gift certificate for camp or class from Woodstock Arts • Garrett Lees, Teasley MS, Grade 6, art teacher Laura Dunn: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio • Addison Levy, Cherokee HS, Grade 11, art teacher Morgan Clifton: Local Artist Showcase opportunity from Woodstock Arts • Lily Malone, Creekland MS, Grade 8, art teacher Annelise Stone: $200 gift certificate for camp or class from Woodstock Arts • Luna Miller, Johnston ES, Grade 1, art teacher Stacey Trawick: Gift certificate for six-week art class from Paper, Scissors, Cake • Victor Miranda-Lara, Creekview HS, Grade 9, art teacher Leslie Babcock: $100 gift card for class or workshop from Menagerie on Main • Kieran O’Maley, Freedom MS, Grade 7, art teacher Sonya Lombard: $100 gift card for class or workshop from Menagerie on Main  • Laura Owens, Teasley MS, Grade 7, art teacher Laura Dunn: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio • Keisy Pablo Martin, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, Grade 5, art teacher Dr. Lisa Spence: Free summer camp admission from Local Color Studio • Dina Pax Becovic, Cherokee HS, Grade 12, art teacher Morgan Clifton: One-year membership and $100 from Local Color Studio • Abraham Perez, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, Grade 5, art teacher Dr. Lisa Spence: Free summer camp admission from Local Color Studio • Elsa Siegrist, Cherokee HS, Grade 11, art teacher Giedre Parrado: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio • Latrinity Smith, Cherokee HS, Grade 9, art teacher Megin Roebuck: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio • J.T. Sornso Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, Grade 5, art teacher Dr. Lisa Spence: Free summer camp admission from Local Color Studio • Juana Tercero Rafael, Cherokee HS, Grade 10, art teacher Morgan Clifton: Gift certificate from Local Color Studio #CCSDfam

Four Cherokee County School District teachers have earned national recognition, with one being named the nation’s top teacher in his field! Cherokee High School Air Force JROTC instructors Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Jeffrey Bise and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Jody Van Ostrand and Etowah High School AFJROTC instructors Lt. Col. (Ret.) Stephen Bergey and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Ciarra Malto all have achieved 2024 Outstanding Instructor Awards from the U.S. Air Force, an honor earned by only 258 of the more than 1,900 Air Force and Space Force JROTC instructors worldwide. “We know that instructors go above and beyond each day. The ones we recognize with this award represent the ‘Best of the Best,’” U.S. Air Force Director Col. Johnny R. McGonigal said. “Through this award, we honor their exemplary contributions and impact on their cadets, school, and community. I extend my deepest appreciation to all winners for their dedication, hard work, and investment they have put into our AF/SF JROTC program and into our cadets. They represent the highest example of our core values which are crucial to the success of our mission.” Lt. Col. Bergey advanced in the awards program to be named the regional winner, and now has been named one of only two 2024 Overall Outstanding Instructors of the Year, the highest honor for AF/SF JROTC teachers worldwide!  This is the second time for Lt. Col. Bergey to earn this top honor, as he also achieved the prestigious recognition in 2022. Etowah HS Principal Robert Horn praised Lt. Col. Bergey for earning the overall award and for the outstanding program he and Technical Sgt. Malto have built. “Their enthusiasm for the program, but most importantly, for the students is the main reason for the growth of the program. Both instructors go above and beyond the call of duty to provide their students with the best programs, resources, and opportunities they can deliver,” Principal Horn said. “Their dedication and commitment to the students and the program has changed the trajectory of the program. We are grateful for their leadership!” These educators’ individual recognitions follow the recent announcement that their programs earned top awards from the U.S. Air Force. Cherokee High’s program earned the 2024 Distinguished Unit Award with Merit, one of only 147 AFJROTC programs worldwide to achieve this honor; Etowah’s program earned the Distinguished Unit Award, one of only 244 to achieve this honor. The Cherokee HS program additionally earned the Silver Star Community Service with Excellence Award, the highest unit award achievable and awarded to only 45 programs, the top 5%, worldwide. The Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis will recognize all four honored instructors at an upcoming School Board meeting. #CCSDfam #CCSDstem

Volunteers make a positive difference in our schools, which is why we spotlight them here ... congratulations to Avery ES 2024 Volunteer of the Year: Avery ES PTA Executive Board! #CCSDfam

We appreciate partners' support of our schools, which is why we celebrate their service here – congratulations to Tippens Education Center 2024 Partner of the Year: Allegro Business Products. Does your business or organization partner with a CCSD school? Visit our School Partnerships webpage (https://lnkd.in/g2NKAZmW) to learn more! #CCSDPartnersInAction #CCSDfam

Three Cherokee County School District schools have earned national awards for character education! Indian Knoll Elementary, Liberty Elementary and Sixes Elementary all have been honored with Promising Practices Awards by Character.org, a national nonprofit organization that promotes developing positive character among students. They are among only 155 schools honored nationwide and three of only five in Georgia. “We are extremely proud to recognize the schools and organizations that have developed and implemented a Promising Practice,” said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org. “Each of these programs and initiatives have demonstrated significant impact and strongly align with the principles that help schools and organizations cultivate a culture of character.” Sixes ES earned two awards: one for its “Five Flights, One Mission: Reach for the STARS!” initiative, and the other for “A Community Circle of Stars.” The “Five Flights One Mission: Reach for the Stars” initiative incorporates the school’s four STAR Matrix core values -- Safety, Teamwork, Attitude and Respect -- into school operations and activities encouraging positive character. Examples of the ways student positive behavior in these four areas is recognized include “Positive Office Referrals” for students and monthly “Red Wagon” shoutouts.  “A Community Circle of Stars” encompasses Sixes Elementary’s use of “restorative circle” classroom meetings to creating community and promote the STAR Matrix core values. This practice encourages student active listening, empathy and understanding, allowing students to articulate their feelings, resolve conflict and build positive relationships. Indian Knoll ES earned the honor for its “Caring Collaboration within the Community” service-learning project. Led by the school’s instructional lead strategist, Lauren Abrams, the Positive Behavior and Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program project focused on supporting local senior citizens. Students are assigned to one of six “Birdhouse” groups for the PBIS program. For this project, each Birdhouse sponsored a holiday and provided special treats for the seniors for that holiday. Liberty ES achieved the award for its “Liberty Elementary Thanksgiving Basket” service-learning project. Led by a parent, Kristie Duncan, in partnership with Liberty’s Student Leadership team led by teacher Stacy Campbell, the project began to provide Thanksgiving meals to Liberty students in need and their families. The initiative since has grown to a collective service project between Liberty ES, Freedom MS and Cherokee HS.  More: https://lnkd.in/e34kwfXB #CCSDfam