Individual CRCT results are beginning to filter in, and principals, teachers, and students are getting excited and are celebrating! Initial numbers appear to show that we did well on the CRCT across the board. We are looking forward to getting more results in the weeks and month to come.

This is exciting, but now is not the time to stop. We still have important school days to use for preparing our students for tomorrow.

Now is the time to think about acceleration for our students being promoted to the next grade. Let's get them excited about next year! Our students lose so much over the summer. If we start planting a seed of interest right now maybe they'll come back even more ready for 2011-2012.

I know you're going to continue to work hard with our retesting students. I ask that you pay particular attention to our students with disabilities. That's the one sub-group where we still have more work. This may not be a subgroup for some individual schools, but it is a subgroup for our system.

On a slightly different note, you've heard our school system submitted a waiver to the State Department of Education asking that we not be required to make up the instructional day missed because of the tornado. The state board had a called meeting today, Friday, May 6, and I'm happy to report that our request was approved. We're not making any modifications to our schedule or school calendar.

In the meantime, Congratulations! Things are looking better. Field days and field trips are going well, our students are safe, and test results are looking good! You're doing great! Have a great weekend, and let's come back and finish strong!

Let's Dare to do Better!

• Approved Pre-Kindergarten changes for school year 2011-2012 including:
• A start on August 8 with four days a week and then change to five days of school in January after MLK, Jr. Holiday.
• The school system will add back student days for Pre-K to the maximum extent possible without adding additional local cost if the system has to implement work schedule adjustment days for employees.
• The school system will continue to provide current Pre-K teachers with the local supplement. However, the supplement will be frozen. Any teacher new to Pre-K will not receive a local supplement.
• Pre-K employees will be allowed the opportunity to participate in various activities that provide additional financial incentives when their schedule allows.
   
• Declared its intention to pursue an IE2 contract operational model with the State Board of Education. Georgia law requires that all school districts select an operational system from three models identified by the State: district charter, IE2 contract, or status quo. Each model has various degrees of flexibility from state laws and regulations in exchange for increased accountability standards and possible consequences for failure to meet student achievement goals. Stakeholders will select accountability standards and set goals.
   
• Approved the following amended fund-level appropriations for fiscal year 2011: General Fund-$77,141,590; Special Revenue Fund-$20,243,832; and Nutrition Program-$5,909,218. Click here for more information.
   
• Passed a waiver resolution on State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1.02 to excuse the missed instructional time from Thursday, April 28, 2011. The resolution will be sent to the state department of education. The State Board of Education is meeting Friday, May 6, to consider and act on waiver requests.
   
• Passed a resolution to support the Georgia School Boards Association and Georgia School Superintendents Association's Vision for Public Education: Equity and Excellence.
   
• Approved the purchase of printer toner from low bidder PC Mall in the amount of $59,160.00 for 2010-2011.
   
• Approved the field trip request of: Spalding High School HOSA students to travel to Anaheim, California, Tuesday, June 21 - 26, 2011, to attend the National Leadership Conference.
   
• Reduced one-work force position by eliminating was a mechanic's helper/VCR repair position. The transportation department is phasing out VCRs and is now using newer technology.
   
• Deferred a decision regarding the GHS refurbishment and remanufacturing of exiting telescopic bleachers due to the need for additional research and work.
   
• Approved the refurbishment and installation of mobile units for the Griffin High School renovation at a maximum cost of $217,500. Nine mobile classrooms were donated by the Carroll County School System for a savings of $135,000. Clayton County School System provided railings and steps for saving of $17,000.
   
• Placed on first reading:
  Policy KN (1) - Complaints Process for Title I.
  Policy KN (2) - Complaints
  Comments may be submitted using these links or by clicking here.

Heard presentations on:

• March Finances
• Crescent Elementary School

Received points of information on:

• Fifth Grade writing results
• Construction and Renovation Monthly Report
• Facilities and Maintenance Monthly Report 

• Georgia School Nutrition AssociationNutrition Advisory Council Art Winners
• Hyemin "Diane"Yoo 2nd place3rd grade, Orrs Elementary
• Kayla Phillips, Honorable Mention5th grader, Orrs Elementary
• Artavion Jahiquez Walker, K5 Honorable Mention, Orrs Elementary
   
• Young Georgia Authors' Writing Contest System Winners
• Emma Pritchard, Kindergarten, Jackson Road Elementary
• Taylor Ann Gordy, 1st Grade, Crescent Elementary
• Karsyn Jewell, 2nd Grade, Jackson Road Elementary
• Meagan Jones, 3rd Grade, Jackson Road Elementary
• Sarah Smyly, 4th Grade, Futral Road Elementary
• Cameron Brown, 5th Grade, Jackson Road Elementary
• Daria Dozier, 6th Grade, Kennedy Road Middle
• Alexis Mimbs, 7th Grade, Kennedy Road Middle
• Kathleen Lynch, 8th Grade, Kennedy Road Middle
   
• C-SPAN StudentCam Competition, Kennedy Road Middle School
• Kathleen Lynch
• Hannah Jimerson
• Alexis Slattery
   
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Award
• Spalding High - Cory Ware
• Griffin High School - Michelina Walcott
   
• GHSA State Championship, Griffin High School Rifle Team
• Sgt. Major Julius Lang, Coach
• Kayla Collett
• Blake Connally
• Jay Cross
• Shayla Frazier
• Ale Gonzalez
• Sara Howell
• Madison King
• Chrystina Tyler
   
• Georgia Assembly Pages, Griffin High School Bogarsuns
• Edgar Carson, Club Sponsor
• Clyde Forbes
• Christopher Foster
• Exzayvius Williams
• Darius Wynn
• Dale Ming
• Jamal Jordan
   
• National Latin Exam, Spalding High School
• Todd Benz, Instructor
• Latin I Gold Medals:
• Taylor Carden
• Ben Eady
• Bethany Flournoy
• Emma Johnston
• Jacob Wallace
• Shelby Young
• Latin I Silver Medals:
• Hunter Coile
• Andrew Conner
• Christopher Fennell
• May Melton Geiger
• Andrea Heninger
• Garrett Mixon
• Alec Pinacas
• Ian Wright
• Latin II Gold Medals:
• Jeff Brake
• Caroline Hearn
• Olivia O'Brien
• Latin II Silver Medals:
• Shirbrea Allen
• Rachel Bailey
• Evan Courtois
• Aubrey Fowler
• Willie Thompson
   
• Griffin High School JROTC
  LTC Jesse Pugh (ret.)
  2010-2011 Accomplishments
   
• Spalding High School JROTC
  LTC Roderick (Rod) Sylvester (ret.)
  2010-2011 Accomplishments
   
• Salvation Army - Canned Food Drive Winners
  Elementary Schools
  Crescent Road Elementary - 1st Place
  Jackson Road Elementary - 2nd Place
  Futral Road Elementary - 3rd Place
  Middle Schools
  Rehoboth Road Middle School - 1st Place
  Kennedy Road Middle School - 2nd Place
  Carver Road Middle School - 3rd Place
   
• The Griffin-Spalding County School System Paraprofessional/Classified Scholarships
• Dimitra Collier, Secretary, Special Education Department
• Sheila Graham, Paraprofessional, Moreland Road Elementary
• Lauren Steward, Instructional Floater, System-wide
   
• Cowan Road Middle School - Bronze National Recognition Award, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
   
• Susan Mathews -Jackson Road Nutrition Manager, GSNA Lucille Sublette Award of Excellence- 2nd place, Georgia
   
• Griffin Spalding County School System Nutrition Department, Gold Scroll Award, Margie Calhoun, President of GSNA local chapter
   
• Flo Aaron, Head Cashier, Orrs Elementary
  SNA Star Club, One Star Member Certificate
   
• ServSafe Certification
• Florence Aaron, Orrs Elementary
• Patricia Bourne, Rehoboth Road Middle
• Lynn Butler, Atkinson Elementary
• Tonya Collier, Moreland Road Elementary
• Rebecca Collum, Anne Street Elementary
• Laurie Durham Sweat, Carver Road Middle
• Melissa Evans, Crescent Elementary
• Virginia Haynes, Cowan Road Elementary
• Lisa Lance, Jackson Road Elementary
• Gennell Mills, Futral Road Elementary
• Paula Moore, Griffin High School
• Melissia Parker, Beaverbrook Elementary
• Angela Sealey, Jordan Hill Elementary
• Rebecca Sherman, Taylor Street Achievement Center
• Barbara Stansell, Rehoboth Road Middle
• Timothy Thurston, Warehouse
• Joyce Turner, Moore Elementary

At the Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 3, the official school days for pre-k students for the 2011-2012 school year were adopted. 

• Pre-K students will begin school on Monday, August 8, the same as the first day of school for all students.
• Pre-K classes will be in session for four days per week, Monday through Thursday, from August 8 through Friday, January 13.
• On Tuesday, January 17, following the Monday, MLK Jr. holiday, pre-K students will begin attending five school days per week for the remainder of the school year which ends Friday, June 1.
• All school days for pre-K will be full length school days.

The recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones was to allocate the Pre-K program to the maximum extent possible taking into account the new legislation that cut pre-K from 190 days to 169 days for instruction and teacher planning time.

Dr. Jones said, "The sweeping changes that Governor Deal and the Georgia General Assembly made to Georgia's lottery-funded pre-K program involve not only the number of school days for pre-K students but also the pre-K class size. The pre-K classes will rise to 22 students (from 20) with a student-teacher ratio of 1:11."

"We have a strong commitment to our pre-K program," Dr. Jones continued. "Even though classes will be larger by two students, and we will actually have two fewer classes overall, we expect these remaining classes to be full of four-year-olds ready to learn."

Employee of the Month

 Middle Schools

L.I.F.E. Wellness Program

May 2011 Calendar

Newsletter

The winner of the April wellness drawing is

Bonita Willis

of Jordan Hill Elementary!

She won a $15 Subway gift card!

Way to go Bonita for striving to

Enjoy L.I.F.E.!