A monthly publication highlighting work session and regular monthly meetings of the Board of Education
Board Briefs
November 2019
The Barrow County Board of Education is composed of nine members. Board members serve a four-year term, with three districts elected at-large and six elected by district. The Board is the official governing body of the Barrow County School System.
Highlights of Presentation and Discussion Items
Sims Academy Update from the Board Chairman
Joe Vogt has served on the Sims Academy Board of Directors since the program opened five years ago. He gave an update to the Board of Education about the progress and impact on students. He shared these key observations:
  • Students attending Sims are engaged and want to be there.
  • Sims is focused on employability skills with leadership, problem solving and communication to help prepare them for the workforce.
Mr. Vogt also shared that Sims Academy needs more community engagement from private industry to help train and prepare students for their future careers.
New Websites Coming Soon
Digital Content Specialist Nicole Valles shared a sneak peek for the new district website design. New websites for the district, all schools and programs will launch in the first two weeks of December.

Nicole walked Board Members through the new website design and layout, showcasing the improved functionality and accessibility.
Academic Calendar Survey
Assistant Superintendent Cindy Beggs shared an update on the development of the student academic calendars. Three versions of the calendar were shared with all School Governance Teams. Their feedback indicated interest in two different calendar options.

A survey has been developed to collect input from the community on aspects of the calendar. The survey is now open through Nov 18th.


Teaching & Learning: CCRPI Results 2018-2019
At the Work Session, Dr. Matt Thompson and Jennie Persinger presented CCRPI scores that were released by the Georgia Department of Education on October 25th.

Barrow County School System had significant gains in the College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) in 2019 over 2018. The overall district score on the 2019 CCRPI was 76.7, with scores of 77.7 for elementary schools, 76.7 for middle schools, and 75.8 for high schools. The district beat the state scores at the elementary and middle school levels.

Again this year, 13 of 15 schools earned a 4 or 5 on the School Climate Star Rating, with 5 being the highest rating. Click to download the entire presentation and results ( PDF).
Superintendent's Recognitions
Zaxby's Urgency to Serve Grants

District Partner in Education Zaxby's recognized it's Urgency to Serve grant recipients. These classroom grants will impact over 9,000 students in twelve of our schools and programs. In total, Zaxby's is generously giving $8,400 for our students. Todd Faulkner of Zaxby's Franchise Group is pictured with our teachers.
  • Emily Murphy of Apalachee High, Plant Stands by AHS Ag Mechanics
  • Ashley Bailey of the Arts & Innovation Magnet Program, Arts at Work
  • Tish Macdowell of the Arts & Innovation Magnet Program, Affirmation Garden
  • Tiffany Martin of the Barrow County Alternative Education Program, Science Equipment
  • Tiara Mensinger* of Bethlehem Elementary, Bethlehem's Angels
  • Katelyn Simmons of Bear Creek Middle, Animal Dissection
  • Dr. Anne Locke Ridgway* of Bear Creek Middle, The Trilogy is Complete... Marching to Success
  • Donna Morris of Bear Creek Middle, Hands on Science
  • Dr. Suzy Wallin of Bear Creek Middle, Increasing Student Participation in Diverse Physical Activities
  • Jill Hollis* of the PDC, The Gift of Communication
  • Jennifer Harris of Kennedy Elementary, Spreading Kindness
  • Ashley Drake of Russell Middle, 3D Science: Balancing Chemical Equiations
  • Wes Robertson of Russell Middle, Special Education Pod Coffee Cart
  • Scott Allen of Statham Elementary, PBIS Champions Fund
  • Danielle Harrison* of Winder-Barrow High, College Campus Visit Series
  • Tara Stuart* of Winder-Barrow High, DoggTales
  • Amanda Camp* of Winder Elementary, STEAM Specials Class Bots
  • Jennifer Deckard of Westside Middle, Interactive Workspace
  • Lindsey Williams* of Westside Middle, PE Equipment
  • Jamie Hardy of Yargo Elementary, PBIS End of Semester Celebration
  • Tammy Privette* of Winder Elementary, History Alive!

*Not pictured

Presentation of Colors

Cadets from the JROTC Program at Winder-Barrow High School presented the colors (not listed in photo order):
  • Cadet Robert Cooper
  • Cadet Davis Murdock
  • Cadet Garrek Bell
  • Cadet Spencer Scott
October Attendance Awards

Student
ES - Bramlett Elementary
MS/HS - Bear Creek Middle

Staff
ES - Kennedy Elementary
MS/HS - Westside Middle 
Programs - Alternative Education Program

Transportation
Winder Elementary

School Food & Nutrition
Kennedy Elementary, Westside Middle, & Winder-Barrow High all with perfect attendance. Westside Middle wins the tiebreaker with the highest overall attendance for year to date.
GSPRA Calendar Award

Shenley Rountree, Director of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships, received the Gold Award of Excellence for the 2018-10 BOLD District Calendar from the Georgia School Public Relations Association. The calendar highlights key dates and events for the school system and features BCSS student artwork.

Would you like a copy of the calendar ? Email us to request a free copy!
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The Barrow County School System utilizes eBoard in an effort to be transparent in its governance and operations. You can locate the most recent information concerning the Board of Education meetings on eBoard. 

The regular business meetings of the Barrow County Board of Education take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the boardroom of the Professional Development Center (PDC) located at 179 W. Athens St., Winder, GA 30680.


Barrow County School System | BOLDly Committed to Student Success