JCS BOE Earns Top Honors at GSBA | |
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JCS BOE has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to excellence by securing the coveted 2023 Exemplary Status from the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) for the seventh consecutive year. This prestigious recognition sets the tone for the board's remarkable legacy of educational leadership and innovation. In addition to this outstanding achievement, the JCS BOE also was awarded the Leading Edge Award from the GSBA for the fifth consecutive year. These impressive accolades were formally presented at the GSBA conference held last month.
Superintendent Dr. Donna McMullan commended the board's dedication and collaborative efforts, emphasizing the elevation of their commitment to excellence. She stated, "The JCS BOE has not only maintained but elevated its commitment to excellence. This seventh Exemplary Status and fifth Leading Edge Award, along with other GSBA recognitions, are a testament to the board members’ unwavering dedication, collaboration and innovative spirit."
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JHS Student Shines as Guest Speaker at State Conference
Caleb Rudisill, a JHS senior, demonstrated exceptional presentation skills and left a lasting impression at the GSBA Conference held in Atlanta last month. One of only two student presenters, Rudisill's engaging presentation captivated superintendents and board of education members from across Georgia.
Delivered with wit, his anecdotes highlighted the unique experiences he has had within the Jefferson City Schools. He eloquently reflected on his educational journey, spanning from Pre-K at Jefferson Elementary School to his current senior year at JHS.
“His presentation – including exceptional writing and outstanding delivery – conveyed how exposure to excellence within the school system fosters a culture of achievement," says Principal Rob McFerrin. “He’s a natural presenter with impeccable timing.”
Rudisill thanked Jefferson City Schools for providing an education facilitated by an "elite, caring, compassionate and determined group of individuals." In a broader acknowledgement, he expressed thanks to teachers across Georgia and the United States.
“Caleb’s presentation skills and heartfelt gratitude reflect positively on the dedication of educators and the quality of education within Jefferson,” says Superintendent Dr. Donna McMullan. “We congratulate him on this achievement and look forward to seeing his continued success.”
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JCS Gives Back
JCS showcased its commitment to community service and generosity in December, actively participating in a system-wide initiative that involved both students and staff. The endeavor involved raising funds for Clark's Christmas Kids, benefiting children in foster care in Georgia.
In an impressive display of heart and compassion, JCS successfully raised $10,055.83, earmarked to help the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFACS) provide a Christmas gift for every child in the foster care system in the state. This initiative was carried out in direct support of the Georgia Department of Education's Georgia Cares initiative. Notably, the substantial donation has earned JCS the esteemed Diamond Star status, the highest level of giving within the Georgia Cares initiative.
The staff’s dedication to philanthropy was also evident in November when JCS supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Georgia/South Carolina chapter, with a donation of $1,764. Additionally, during Childhood Cancer Awareness month in October, JCS rallied behind the Rally Foundation, contributing $ 4,364.35 to support the fight against childhood cancer.
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Jefferson School System Foundation News | |
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Charitable Giving
Jefferson City Schools has received tremendous support from the Jefferson School System Foundation since 1983. The Foundation is for the benefit of the school system with scholarships, special grants, supplements and other specific programs and projects as agreed upon with the administration. The Foundation partners with the North Georgia Community Foundation, which is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Please consider the Foundation as you contemplate your charitable donations this year! You can donate here.
Scholarships for Class of 2024
The Jefferson School System Foundation offers a wide variety of scholarships each year, including academic, music, athletic, FFA, military and more. The deadline to apply is April 8, 2024, and online applications will be available on Monday, February 5!
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JHS Names STAR Students & Teachers | |
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Jefferson High School has TWO STAR students and teachers this year! Seniors Katelyn (Katie) Anderson and Jacob (Jake) Dorough tied for the honor by achieving the highest SAT score for the class of 2024 at JHS.
Dorough chose Nick Helfrick who teaches language arts as his STAR teacher while Anderson selected her drama teacher, Elizabeth Kelley.
Read the full article here, including what each had to say.
Congratulations!
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JA Student Triumphs at JCS Annual Spelling Bee
After an intense competition lasting five rounds, Levi Miller emerged victorious as the winner of the annual JCS Spelling Bee earlier this month. The event took place at Jefferson High School’s Performing Arts Center, showcasing the spelling prowess of 25 students from third through eighth grade.
Miller, a fifth-grader, demonstrated exceptional spelling skills to secure the championship. He will now advance to represent the JCS at the regional level on February 24. Gia Littlepage, a seventh-grader from Jefferson Middle School, claimed the second spot and will serve as an alternate in the regional competition.
The following students showcased their spelling skills in the competition:
- Fourth Grade – Emersyn Aho, Blythe Braga, Jackson Cox, Finly Morrison, Liam Preston
- Fifth Grade – Katie Landrum, Levi Miller, Isabella Torres, Elsey Turner, Hannah Turner
- Sixth Grade – Shinaya Jat, Guiliana Keller, Ava Kendall, Jessica She, Oliver Turk
- Seventh Grade – Grayson Abernathy, Noah Kennedy, Gia Littlepage, Christopher Schantz, Asher Tedder
- Eighth Grade – Eva Guiler, Landon Harvey, Brook O’Hara, Kairo Rodriguez, Ian Springthorpe
Way to go super spellers!
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Children’s Author Nick Mask Visits JES
Showcasing the Art of Storytelling, Sparking Joy with Books
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Children's book author and illustrator, Nick Mask, brought literary magic to Jefferson Elementary School last week. Creator of the popular "Waffles the Adventure Cat" series, Mask engaged students with a reading of his book, "Waffles in Space," and a hands-on drawing session featuring Waffles the Cat.
Originally from Gainesville, Ga., Mask now resides in southwest Montana, creating whimsical tales and illustrations. His visit to JES aimed to instill excitement for reading and unleash the creativity of young minds.
During the visit, Mask shared insights into the making of his books and encouraged students to write and illustrate their own stories. The highlight was a draw-along session, allowing each child to take home their very own Waffles drawing as a lasting memory of the inspiring day.
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From Capitol to Culture: JMS Takes on Atlanta | |
Eighth-grade students from Jefferson Middle School took a deep dive into Atlanta’s rich history and culture last month during a field trip to the state’s capitol where they enhanced their learning about state governance at the Georgia Capitol Building, Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy at the MLK Museum and wonders of the animal kingdom at the Illuminarium Exhibit. Their trip also included a trip to The Varsity, capping off an unforgettable trip. | |
JA Stock Market Team Wins Congressional District | |
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Three Jefferson Academy students were declared regional winners of the Fall 2023 Georgia Economic Education Council’s Stock Market Game Team Challenge. The fourth-grade team members pictured include Alexa Wakeman, Conner Jeffords and Ava Portillo.
Angie Jacobs, JA teacher, is also pictured and is the sponsor of the stock market challenge. She was also selected as the December 2023 Georgia Council on Economic Education “Featured Teacher.”
“The Stock Market Game provided an extension to our economic standards to challenge the students with a mock stock market – they’ve learned how to navigate the buying and selling of stocks,” she says. “The enhanced vocabulary and critical thinking skills involved benefited the students with real-world applications.”
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Pre-K Celebrates 100 Days | |
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Students at the Center for Early Learning, JES's Pre-K, celebrated the 100th day of school on January 17. Students enjoyed activities centered around the number 100 while also dressing up as a centenarian!
Other Pre-K News
Registration for our Pre-K program will open online on Thursday, February 1. Families can register through March 1 and lottery results will be announced on March 8. An Open House event will be held on Saturday, February 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Come join the fun!
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Next Up:
Middle School Super Powers
Feb. 20 @ 6:00 p.m.
RSVP Here
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Parent Book Discussions
Guided by Abbie Vipperman, EDS, LPC, JCS School Counselor
Don't miss out on our new Parent Book Discussions! These monthly sessions provide a unique opportunity to explore topics supporting child development. Join in to share insights, build community and set a positive example for your children by showcasing the joy of reading. Covering various stages, these discussions offer valuable takeaways. Your active participation will make these sessions even more enriching!
See full program details and calendar here.
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Counselors' Corner
The Cost of College
By Holly McShane, Counseling Programs Coordinator
Note to Readers: This topic will be covered in a three-part series. We will address the current state of college costs and how it is reshaping college culture, current financial resources available to students and what families (with students of any age) can do now to prepare to ensure students are well prepared to enter the workforce with as little debt as possible.
Thirty years ago, the cost of attending the University of Georgia was $7,500 per year, totaling $30k for a four-year bachelor’s degree. Student loans had a variable interest rate of 6.2%. With a 10-year post-graduation payoff, a graduate was left with a $336 monthly payment. After 10 years, that student paid off a total of $10, 330 in interest alone.
Today’s UGA student pays an annual cost of $22,426 per year for a bachelor’s degree. With today’s federal fixed loan rate of 5.50%, a student who borrows close to $90,000, will begin making a monthly payment of around $940 within six months of graduation. >>> Continue Reading ...
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| Sport | Record | Season Result | | Comp Cheer
Game Day Cheer | n/a
n/a | Region Champs,
State: 4th
State Runner-Up | | Cross Country | n/a | Girls: Region Champs, State: 10th
Boys: Region: Runner-Up, State: Runner-Up | | Football | 13-1 | Region Champs,
State: Semifinals | | Softball | 17-6-0 | Region Runner-Up
State: Sweet Sixteen | | Volleyball | 31-5-0 | Region Champs
State: Elite Eight | | |
It's Time to Complete the Georgia Parent Survey | | | |
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The Georgia Department of Education has provided the Georgia Parent Survey to measure parent perceptions of school climate at your child's school. Your opinion is very important to us. Your survey responses are confidential and will be combined with the survey responses of other parents at your child's school to identify areas in need of improvement. It should only take ten or fifteen minutes to complete the survey. Please complete a survey for each school your children attend.
Thank you for your time and participation!
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Learn More about the Jefferson PLAY Card!
Jefferson City Schools is pleased to partner with the Piedmont Regional Library System to provide free access to books and online resources to help our students succeed! Click for More Details.
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JCS Superintendent Dr. Donna McMullan will retire effective June 30, 2024, after spending her entire career and school-age years within the system.
Read More
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In December, Jefferson Academy LEGO Club students participated in an act of kindness called “Build to Give.” For every heart they built with LEGOs, a LEGO set was donated to a child in need of play. | | |
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Mr. and Mrs. JHS Named
Jefferson High School has named the class of 2024’s Mr. and Miss JHS. Caleb Rudisill and Lanier Ashley were selected by JHS teachers for embodying excellence and portraying what it means to be a Dragon at the highest level.
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JMS Spreads Joy
Seventh-grade musicians from Jefferson Middle School's band shared the gift of music and warmth with senior residents at Athens Orchard Facility during the final stop of their holiday tour last month. Bringing festive tunes and heartfelt presents, the students created lasting memories for both residents and the performers.
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Jacobs Named State Runner-Up
Megan Jacobs, a JHS senior, was awarded 2nd place in State FFA Employment Skills LDE last month where she excelled in resume building, job applications, interviews, and follow-up correspondence categories. She emerged as one of the top contenders in the state finals after placing first in the regional round.
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JA Announces Yearbook Cover Finalists
Jefferson Academy students got creative when designing their submissions for the 2023-2024 JA Yearbook Cover – all centered around a circus theme.
Adalyn Maclaurin and Lily Ingram (both pictured) were named winners of the contest and their designs will be featured on the front cover.
Other finalists include Sutton Gurley, Jacob Milliken, Leighton Blackwell and Alexis Homewood whose artwork will be showcased on the back cover.
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JMS Honors JPD with Art
JMS seventh graders painted portraits of Jefferson City Police officers and surprised them by creating a gallery wall in one of their training rooms with final pieces! This creative project was born out of "a desire to show local police officers our deep appreciation for what they do," says Jessica Bowdon, JMS art teacher. "The project taught our students the importance of loving others through art making and sharing art."
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JHS & JMS Honor Veterans
"Always True to the Red, White and Blue" was the theme of this year's JHS Veteran's Day program held at the PAC. It was a moving tribute to those who selflessly dedicated their lives to defending our freedom. Read the full story here.
The JMS AFJROTC also organized, hosted and led an inspirational Veteran's Day program, including performances by the JMS Chorus Ensemble and JMS Band, along with presentations from the AFJROTC.
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Sammy Brown Completes JHS with More Athletic Accolades | |
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Brown Named All-American Bowl's Defensive Player of the Year
Jefferson High School’s Sammy Brown was named the winner of the All-American Bowl’s Defensive Player of the Year Award earlier this month, culminating his high school career. Brown can be seen here being interviewed during the nationally televised bowl game on NBC for the top 100 high school senior football players. Some of his senior highlights from this season were also shown during the interview. Brown was previously awarded the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country. He is now a new enrollee at Clemson University.
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Stay Connected with JCS
Dragon Digest newsletters are emailed during the school year through Infinite Campus to the parent email designated during registration. Have other family members who would like to receive this newsletter? Subscribe below.
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Upcoming Events
- February 8: BOE meeting at 4:00 p.m.
- February 19: President's Day (No School)
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