THE BEAT
September 17, 2020
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On September 11, the Baldwin County School District took the time to remember the heroes of a fateful day 19 years ago that forever changed our country. Most of us remember exactly where we were when we heard the news on September 11, 2001. As we remember the lives that were lost, we also honor those individuals who exhibited bravery during the attacks. In the blink of an eye, ordinary people reacted instantaneously to this tragedy and became extraordinary heroes. They taught us all about the true meaning of strength and tenacity of the human spirit. Americans from all backgrounds and all walks of life responded with courage and compassion. We can learn so much from these acts of heroism, especially during the challenging times we live in today. As we think back on the events of 9/11, we honor the memory of the men and women who sacrificed their lives and the countless others still affected by these horrific attacks against our nation. We will never forget. |
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Midway Hills Academy Staff & Students Pay Tribute to 9/11 |
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Midway Hills Academy staff and students found creative ways to pay tribute and honor the victims of 9/11. Plastic drinking cups were used to spell out "Never Forget" along the school's perimeter, and staff members wore American flag printed clothes. Students learned about the history of 9/11, also referred to as Patriot's Day. |
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September's Pursuit of Excellence Winners |
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Congratulations to the following employees who are the September 2020 recipients of the Pursuit of Excellence Award for the Baldwin County School District. |
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Mrs. Terri Carty
Assistant Principal at Midway Hills Primary School
Mrs. Carty joined the Baldwin County School District team in 2005. During her tenure with the district, she worked as a classroom teacher, an Instructional Coach, and an Assistant Principal. Ms. Carty was nominated by Ms. Tara Burney, Midway Hills Primary Principal, and Mrs. Carty's immediate supervisor. Ms. Burney commends Ms. Carty on her hard work in finding students who had not been enrolled in school. Because of Ms. Carty’s efforts, the student enrollment numbers were almost identical to those of the district's lead registrar. Ms.Carty is applauded for her extra efforts to increase enrollment since the beginning of school year. Her hard work and dedication to MIdway Hills Primary School do not go unnoticed. Thank you, Ms. Carty, for modeling excellence!
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Ms. Lola Solomon
Warehouse Shipping and Receiving Clerk
Ms. Lola Solomon is no stranger to the Baldwin County School District. She has worked with the school district since 1995 in the capacity of a substitute teacher. She was hired full-time in 2019 as a groundskeeper, and in 2020 she became the shipping and receiving clerk for the central warehouse. In just a short period, Ms. Solomon has made a positive impression on her role with the central warehouse and takes her role very seriously. Ms. Solomon was nominated by Gina Whitaker, Executive Assistant. According to Ms. Whitaker, "Ms. Solomon takes great pride in her work and should be commended for her willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done!" She can be seen lifting and moving boxes, delivering mail and supplies to all schools, tracking shipments, moving and assembling furniture. She prides herself on keeping her workspace, the warehouse area, and office space clean and tidy. Ms. Solomon, thank you for being a shining example of excellence!
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Ms. Donna James
Social Worker Support Staff
Ms. Donna James has been working with the Baldwin County School District for over 19 years. Ms. James was recommended by two BCSD leaders for her response to assisting a family in need. After contact was made, Ms. James immediately put her skills into play and made sure that they had the necessary resources. In addition to connecting the family to the appropriate agencies, Ms. James personally went to the family’s home, made sure they were comfortable, and delivered items that would help the family. Ms. James is commended for doing her work with a smile and with great humility. In her own words, she is “a servant." Ms. James, thank you for being an example of excellence!
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Congressman Jody Hice Visits Bee Well Clinic |
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Congressman Jody Hice visited the Bee Well School-based Health Clinic located at the Early Learning Center to learn more about the wonderful health care facility available to BCSD students, families, and staff. Congressman Hice toured the facility and received vital information about the wide array of services the clinic offers. The Bee Well Clinic opened in October 2019. Students and their families have access to preventative healthcare such as vaccines, diagnosis of common illnesses, sports physicals and annual checkups. This year we are excited to offer telehealth capabilities so student can be seen from home using a mobile device, phone or laptop as well as from the school nurse’s office via telehealth equipment provided through the Reaching Rural Communities Grant.
The Bee Well School-based Health Clinic is an element of the Wraparound Baldwin Federal Grant and was created through a partnership between Communities in Schools of Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Baldwin County School District, Georgia College, and Community Health Care Systems, Inc (CHCS), our service provider.
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Mobile Meal Routes Set to Begin September 16th |
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Effective Wednesday, September 16, the Baldwin County School Nutrition Department Summer Meal Program returns to provide nutritious meals to children in our community. United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, decided to allow schools to restart the free meal program in an effort to help children and families in our community to continue to receive access to meals during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the school nutrition department has been providing remote learning students meals by pre-ordering and pick up through its drive-thru meal service. The extension of the summer meal program will replace this operation while allowing our school nutrition department to offer meals to more students. The mobile meal deliveries will take place on Wednesdays. Any child 18 or younger in our community will be eligible to pick up a 5-day meal kit with milk. Children do not have to be present in order to receive meals, and parents do not have to fill out a pre-order form. Meals will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
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School Nutrition Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program Off to Great Start |
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The Baldwin County School Nutrition Department has announced that it has been awarded a 229K grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for the 2020-2021 school year. The FFVP is a federally assisted program providing free fresh fruits and vegetables to elementary-aged students in participating schools during the school day. According to Susan Nelson, BCSD School Nutrition Director, the program has been successful in introducing area elementary school children to a variety of produce that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to sample. “This program has been a great addition to our schools. It helps promote healthy eating and the consumption of fresh fruits and veggies,” she said. “Students will sample more unusual and exotic items, such as passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava, jicama, and more!” Nelson added.
The Baldwin County School Nutrition Department's Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program has had a great start. Foodcorp service members, Jenna White and Nicole Blyskal, passed out bags of fresh fruits and veggies to kids at Lakeview Primary, Midway Hills Primary, Lakeview Academy, and Midway Hills Academy as they headed out to leave for the end of the school day. In addition to the fresh produce, each bag contained nutritional facts about each item as well as recipes for kids to try at home. A thank you goes out to Brianne Marie Jackson for sharing with us pictures of smoothies she and her kids created from the recipe the children brought home from Lakeview Primary. Students brought home hydroponic lettuce, guava, and kiwi.
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BCSD Provides After School Program |
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The Baldwin County School District is offering a tuition-based After School Program at Lakeview Primary and Midway Hills Primary. The program provides a safe and educational environment for children to focus on structured homework time and enrichment activities. Days of operation are Monday-Friday from 2:45-5:30 PM. To apply or to view handbooks for each school's after school program, click the links below.
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Baldwin Success Academy Builds Character Through Word of the Week Activities |
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The Baldwin Success Academy helps its students build character through the use of The Word of the Week. Each week, students dive deep into the meaning of a word centered around building strong character and a positive self-image. The first week of September began with the word "RESPONSIBILITY." BSA students created a responsibility wall in which they wrote their responsibilities on post-it notes. They then tallied up how many times they had completed their tasks during the week to gauge their responsibility level. The students also discussed each task with each other and learned how to prioritized duties and make the most of time management. |
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Georgia College Early College & Baldwin High School Alumnus Serves as Guest Speaker for GCEC Convocation 2020 |
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Jamir Wright, Georgia College Early College, and Baldwin High alumnus returned to serve as the guest speaker for the GCEC Convocation 2020. The event was held virtually this year due to preventative measures put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. Jamir shared words of inspiration and wisdom with attendees and provided an informative Q&A session after his message. He is the first Georgia College Early College graduate to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in 2 years in Health and Community Wellness from the University of West Georgia in July of 2020. He earned his Associate degree from Georgia Military College and graduated from Baldwin High School in 2018. Currently, he is pursuing his Master's degree in Professional Counseling with a concentration in College Student Affairs at the University of West Georgia while serving as a graduate assistant for safety and security. |
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Baldwin High School's Band of the Braves Makes Sure the Show Must Go On |
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For the Baldwin High School Band of the Braves, the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will not stop the show from continuing. You may have spotted the Band of the Braves trailer traveling through your neighborhood recently. That's because BHS Band Director James McMillan and Assistant Director Chris Ryles delivered instruments, including marimbas, vibraphones, xylophones, and snare drums to virtual band students to make sure every student can practice properly throughout the semester. For this semester, every percussion student in Baldwin County will now be getting private lessons either in person or online. Congratulations to the staff Baldwin High School Band of the Braves for successfully adapting to the changes and continuing band for students, both in-person and virtually. |
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Oak Hill Middle School Celebrates International Literacy Day |
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Dr. Kareem Epps, Oak Hill Middle School 7th Grade Assistant Principal, was invited as a guest reader in Mrs. Cox's class in celebration of International Literacy Day. This year's theme was “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond." Dr. Kachari Davis, 6th Grade Assistant Principal, lead both her in-person and remote students, and her staff in a community-building reading activity in observance of the day. International Literacy Day, observed on September 8th, is a day that aims to raise literacy awareness and remind people of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.
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Montessori Students at Midway Hills Primary Sink Their Teeth into Learning About Apples |
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The Montessori class at Midway Hills Primary kicked off their Apple unit study by reading the book, “How Do Apples Grow,” and learning all the parts of an apple. They also explored the parts of real apples, using an apple slicer to see the stem, skin, seeds, flesh, and core hands-on! The unit also included a taste testing activity. The kids came up with descriptive words for the apples such as juicy, crunchy, sweet, & kind-of sour apples!
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The Early Learning Center Hosts Drive By School Supply Giveaway
The Baldwin County Early Learning Center hosted a Drive-By School Supply Giveaway for the school's in-person and virtual learners, Wednesday, September 9th. Parents drove through the car rider lane and received a bag of school supplies, a free book, and health information to keep their families safe. One lucky driver in the car lane received a $25 Walmart gift card randomly placed in one of the supply bags as an extra surprise for parents. The school had over 50 families participate in the event. A thank you goes out to Communities in Schools of Milledgeville/Baldwin County, Inc., Walmart, and Savannah Court of Milledgeville for providing books and supplies for the giveaway.
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Lakeview Academy Recognizes Eaglet of the Month Winners |
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Lakeview Academy recognized its September Eaglet of the Month recipients, both in-person and virtually. The Eaglet of the Month ceremony, hosted by LVA Principal Dr. Shawne Holder and Assistant Principal Heather Chancellor, was held in the school's media center and was a combination of honoring in-person students and remote learning students. They were chosen by teachers to receive the soaring recognition. Fun facts were shared about each honoree, as well as the reasons why they were chosen for the award. Each presentation ended with a heartfelt gesture of a job well done in the form of a fist bump! To be chosen as an Eaglet of the month, teachers choose a student who best exemplifies the character word of the month, which was "RESPECT". Some teachers also include input from students in the class when deciding, asking for nominations from among their classmates. |
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Lakeview Primary 2nd Grade Students Learn How to Be Cool |
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Lakeview Primary 2nd graders spent time in class learning about shadows and things that can keep you cool. For their lesson on shadows, the students made their very own shadow monsters to take with them to go out and help them find their shadows. They also made some "cool" illustrations, drawing and designing their very own popsicles. |
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Stand Up and Be Counted: The 2020 U.S. Census |
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The census helps shape the future of our community through Education, Medicare, Medicaid, Grants, Head Start, Lunch Programs, Family Services, Child Health Care, and so much more. Based on our current census count, the Baldwin County School District will lose millions of dollars from the federal government. Please complete the census form and be counted. It’s not too late to respond to the census online at 2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail.
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Donate Now to Support our Schools! |
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The Baldwin Charter School System Foundation serves as the primary fundraising tool to fund the REACH Scholars program, providing thousands in scholarship opportunities for students who represent the first of their families to have the opportunity to attend college. The foundation also supports our employee and student recognition programs. Please support our schools, students, and teachers by making your tax- deductible contribution today.
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Infinite Campus is the Baldwin County School District's new student information system and gaining access is easier than ever before. Simply follow the link to two videos that provide step by step instructions on how to create an account and login. You can also find this information by clicking the "Infinite Campus" link under the parents tab on www.baldwincountyschoolsga.org.
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Download the MyStop App Today! |
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Never worry about where your child's bus is ever again! Thanks to the new and innovative technology that the Baldwin County School District has invested. As a result, parents of our students can now get real-time updates of their child's bus location through the MyStop app, which is available for download in the iTunes or Android marketplaces.
MyStop provides parents, and parents only, a live look at their child's bus while in transit using GPS technology. Parents can see the exact location of the bus as it's moving along its route and can even provide an estimated time of arrival.
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District Social Media Links |
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Follow the links below to all of the social media networks for our respective schools in the district. Our Facebook and Twitter accounts are the best ways to stay up to date with the latest news and happening in all of our schools. Give us a like or a follow and help share all the good news that is happening in the district every day!
Click the link below to access the Baldwin County Board of Education Board Meetings, Policies, Communications, and About Us. Our District Strategic Plan/School Improvement Plans are currently being revised for 2018-2023.
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Georgia College Early College |
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