CCSD Staff News & Notes
Staff briefs
October 28, 2024 - Volume 1
This edition of CCSD Staff News & Notes includes educational resources and information about the upcoming election in November, important district updates, positive news highlights celebrating students and staff, and so much more.
Building Program Community Presentations
The building program, led by input from the community, provides a guide for much-needed modernization and upgrades to existing schools and will benefit every school.
Funding, through the continuation of E-SPLOST and passage of general obligation (GO) bonds, is needed in order for the district to address needs identified in the comprehensive building program. Click here for more information on funding education in the CCSD.
The public is welcome and invited to attend any of the available presentations which will take place at the dates and times as follows:
Note: Grovetown High School's community presentation was held on the originally scheduled date of September 25, 2024, and Lakeside High School's was also held on its original date of October 15, 2024. The remaining schools listed below were rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene.
Evans High School Auditorium – 4550 Cox Rd., in Evans
- October 28, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
- Feeder schools: Brookwood Elementary, Evans Elementary, Martinez Elementary, Lewiston Elementary, Westmont Elementary, Columbia Middle, Evans Middle, and Grovetown Middle
Greenbrier High School Auditorium – 5114 Riverwood Parkway, in Evans
- October 29, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
- Feeder schools: Greenbrier Elementary, North Columbia Elementary, Parkway Elementary, River Ridge Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Greenbrier Middle, and Riverside Middle
Harlem High School Auditorium – 1070 Appling Harlem Highway, in Harlem
- October 30, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
- Feeder schools: Euchee Creek Elementary, Grovetown Elementary, North Columbia Elementary, North Harlem Elementary, and Harlem Middle
Curriculum Highlights
Make-up days due to Hurricane Helene
The Columbia County School District is committed to supporting staff and students in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. In an effort to effectively maximize the remaining instructional time we have left for this school year, there will be no make up days for school closures due to Hurricane Helene.
The district will utilize the flexibility provided in the Strategic Waiver School System (SWSS) Partnership contract with the state board of education.
Curriculum adjustments have been guided by ACE Curriculum Committee to prioritize standards for each core subject area.
We will continue to administer and utilize student performance data from district benchmarks, diagnostics, and classroom assessments as planned. As always, we will continue to work with our families and community to do what is best, and what is needed, for our students.
Report Cards Now Available
For elementary school students:
A paper copy of each child’s Quarter 1 (Q1) report card was sent home with students on October 22, 2024. Please note, elementary school grades are released every 4.5 weeks. Grade reporting for PE, Music and Art are ratings of Satisfactory, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory.
Parents can monitor and review grades for students in grades 3-5 at any time throughout the year in Parent Portal.
For middle and high school students:
Report cards are now available in Parent Portal for students in grades 6-12. As a reminder, the first-semester grade is a continuous average over 18 weeks. This current report card shows a progress grade after the first nine weeks.
Parents are encouraged to monitor and review their child’s continuous semester average all year long in Parent Portal. Please note, report cards are best viewed from a desktop computer. If you do not have a Parent Portal Account, please visit this link for instructions on how to establish an account or reach out to your child’s school for assistance.
Benchmark Grades
The week of October 15, Q1 benchmark assessments were administered to students in grades 6-12 in all core subjects. The benchmark grades are available in Parent Portal for parents and students to view. Please note, the benchmarks were delayed as a result of school closures caused by Hurricane Helene. In response, if a student’s quarter 1 benchmark results are lower than the Q2 benchmark grade, it will automatically be replaced with the higher grade.
Benchmarks are administered quarterly throughout the year and are designed to measure student progress towards mastery of the subject’s standards. Teachers then use this data to plan lessons that address student learning needs to help maximize student achievement and success.
District Highlights
Read more about each of the outstanding student and staff accomplishments listed below on our CCSD Special Recognitions page at www.ccboe.net/recognitions, or click here.
District graduation rate rises for third consecutive year
The Columbia County School District (CCSD) continues to see success with more than 93% of high school students from the Class of 2024 earning their high school diplomas which is a 1.3% increase from 2023. To read more about each high school's scores for this year's cohort Click Here.
Greenbrier students to present award-winning STEM project in Washington D.C.
Two Greenbrier High School students earned an all-expenses paid trip for their innovative supplement concept called MicroMealz. Mia Riley and Kherington Phillips worked over 8 months on a solution to combat vitamin and mineral deficiencies for people who live in food deserts. The students placed first in the 9th-grade category for Georgia and in the top three in the southeast region competition for 9th Grade. To read more, click here.
Ms. Crystal McDowell among honorees in region for outstanding biology teacher award
The National Association of Biology Teachers named Greenbrier High teacher Crystal McDowell as one of three Oustanding Biology Teacher Award 2024 Honorees for Region IV, which includes five other states. Each year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12 only). To read more, click here.
Students named semi-finalists in National Merit Scholarship Program
Five students at district schools were recognized as semifinalists for the 70th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®).
The program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
- Jerry Fan, Lakeside High School
- Julia Min, Lakeside High School
- Matias Riveros-Amado, Lakeside High School
- George Zhou, Lakeside High School
- Nolan Parker, Greenbrier High School
Greenbrier 7th grader selected for 19 Under 19 Students to Watch in Georgia
Lucas Beasley, now in 7th Grade at Greenbrier Middle, was chosen as one of Junior Achievement of Georgia's Nineteen Under Nineteen Student to Watch. He was one of two students in the CSRA to be selected for the recognition. To read more, click here.
Teacher, two students selected for State Superintendent advisory teams
Students Ava Butler (Grovetown High) and Ella Pascual (Greenbrier High) were selected out of 1,550 applicants across the state to serve on the 2024-2025 state student advisory council. Ms. Crystal McDowell was also selected to serve on the State Teacher Advisory Council for 2024-25. To read more, click here.
CVA teacher earns prestigious recognition as Art Educator of the Year
Ms. Tiffanty Weser, an art teacher at Columbia Virtual Academy, has been selected as the Georgia Art Education Association’s 2025 Georgia Art Educator of the Year. She will be honored at the GAEA Fall conference and her application will move to the Southeastern Region for judging at the regional level.
CCSD educators earn collective $35,000 in grants for STEM education
Teachers from seven district schools, out of 30 across the region, received from $2,500 to $5,000 grants, totaling a combined $35,000, to advance programs relating to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Battelle Savannah River Alliance, the manager and operator of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) awarded $125,000 in K-12 Catalyst Grants for STEM Education to Central Savannah River Area schools.
Recipients from CCSD include the following:
- Ms. Marie Blindauer, Baker Place Elementary School - $5,000
- Ms. Erica Cox, Blue Ridge Elementary School - $5,000
- Ms. Allison Dixon, Greenbrier Elementary School - $2,500
- Ms. Kristin Messer, Greenbrier Elementary School - $5,000
- Ms. April Demsko, Evans Middle School - $5,000
- Mr. David Phillips, Greenbrier Middle School - $5,000
- Mr. Michael Dinkins, Evans High School - $5,000
- Ms. Laura Griffin, Harlem High School - $2,500
Read about all special recognitions by the Columbia County Board of Education posted after each meeting at www.ccboe.net/recognitions.
Board Meeting Presentations
All board meeting presentations are now available on our website for public viewing immediately following each meeting.
Noteworthy Dates
Find a complete list of our noteworthy dates recognized each month in the CCSD on our website at www.ccboe.net, or click here.
CCSD Foundation Notes
Welcome to the new CCSD Foundation Coordinator Ashley Whitaker. Be on the lookout for great news and information from Ashley. Learn more about the Foundation at ccboe.net/foundation.
Open Enrollment and Employee Benefits
Open Enrollment Ongoing Now!
All benefits-eligible employees can enroll, make changes to existing coverage, and more.
Important changes for 2025
- A new insurance provider for Dental and Vision coverage
- Enhanced short-term disability coverage at lower rates with a true open enrollment period
- An open enrollment opportunity for voluntary life insurance coverage.
Find detailed information about benefits and the enrollment process and get important updates by visiting the Emplyee Benefits page on our website at www.ccboe.net or click here.
Share your good news
Share your school or department success story to possibly be added in the CCSD Staff News & Notes.
Is your school doing something we should all know about? Do you want to recognize a teacher, student, or staff member for an engaging, enriching or inspiring experience? Tell us about it! Send your good news to news@ccboe.net.