Gordon County Schools -

Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is #OneBIGFamily. We asked Katy Waters, First Grade Teacher at Fairmount Elementary and the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year, what it means to be part of our One BIG Family: “Gordon County Schools is such a special place to work. It doesn't matter which campus you walk onto; you are always greeted with a kind smile and a helping hand. Being a teacher is such a rewarding career, but it has its days of hardship and frustrations. I am thankful for my Gordon County Family, who I can lean on for support and guidance. Our schools build each other up and are always willing to share strategies and ideas to help all the students within our county succeed. I am grateful for my colleagues who make each workday so much fun and offer an endless supply of knowledge, strategies, and resources. My students, they bring such joy to my world and remind me to always be humble. Some days, I believe they are teaching me. It is a blessing to be a part of a school system that provides the best possible learning and working environment for our students and staff and want to see everyone be successful. Thank you, Gordon County Schools, for helping me become a better educator every day.” #GoCoSchools #GETGCS

The Gordon County Schools Board of Education plans to lower the Tax Millage Rate for 2022 from 18.50 to 18.25. This rate reduction will offset some of the increase in property fair market values in recent higher appraisals. Georgia law requires the advertisement of NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE if the proposed millage rate is higher than the calculated "rollback rate." The Gordon County Schools Board of Education will hold three public hearings in August and September to discuss the Tax Millage Rate. The dates, times and locations of said hearings as well as additional information about the tax millage rate can be found at www.gcbe.org/millagerate #GoCoSchools #GETGCS

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TIP OF THE WEEK: Infinite Campus is a great tool that allows parents real-time access to their student’s grades, missing assignments, attendance, and schedules. If you are not familiar with this tool or have questions about how to access your child’s information, check with your school about upcoming training sessions with your school’s Parent & Family Engagement Specialist. #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

✨WORK-BASED LEARNING SPOTLIGHT✨ Kannon England is a Senior Work-Based Learning student completing an internship at The Oaks at Fairmount Assisted Living Facility. Kannon has completed the CTAE Healthcare Pathway, and this is his second year in WBL at The Oaks. The Healthcare Pathway and WBL placement have allowed him to obtain valuable skills and knowledge in the medical field. He is being recruited by multiple colleges and universities to play baseball at the next level, and after that, plans to become a physician. Interested in learning more about the Gordon County Schools work-based learning program? Visit www.gcbe.org/workbasedlearning #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #WorkBasedLearning #CTAE #OneBIGFamily

Thank you Northwest Metro Association of Realtors for allowing our Superintendent, Dr. Kimberly Fraker, to join you to share information about our tremendous school system. Dr. Fraker was joined by Calhoun City Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Taylor, Cartersville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Feuerbach, and Bartow County Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. David Chiprany. Among those in attendance at the luncheon were several local realtors and supporters of our local school systems; Justin Childress, Flipper McDaniel and Diane Kirby. We are thankful for your continued support! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is #OneBIGFamily. We asked Sawyer Patterson, a student at Fairmount Elementary, why he likes to be part of our GCS Family: “Fairmount is the best school, they have the best teachers, I love everything I get to learn, I have good friends, and I get to make new ones every year." #GoCoSchools #GETGCS

Have you downloaded the new app for Gordon County Schools? It's everything Gordon County Schools, in your pocket. Download for Android: https://bit.ly/3lZI9tQ Download for iPhone: https://apple.co/3GilNfr #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT WEEKLY TIP: Our School-Parent Compact for Achievement is an agreement that explains how parents, students, and teachers will work together to make sure that all students are successful. The compacts are designed by grade-level and are available on our website. A paper copy will also be sent home with your child. Reviewing the compact together and posting the compact to your refrigerator door is a great way to connect with your child and keep the goals on your family’s mind. These are also valuable tools to use during Parent-Teacher Conferences. It is important that you sign the compact with your child and return to the school. Feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Visit www.gcbe.org/pfe to learn more about GCS Parent & Family Engagement today. #GoCoSchools #OneBIGFamily #GETGCS

TOTY CELEBRATION: We have some amazing teachers at Gordon County Schools. Please help us celebrate the 2022 Sonoraville High School Teacher of the Year, Amal Yacoub! Over the course of the last 24 years, Sonoraville High School Teacher of the Year, Amal Yacoub, has followed her goal of positively influencing the students she teaches and returning the kindness once shown to her by her teachers. “I had a rather tumultuous childhood, and I had some teachers and counselors who most certainly left a strong impression on me,” said Ms. Yacoub. “I had a few teachers in middle grades, high school, and even college professors who influenced my desire to become an educator. One teacher who stands out for me at Calhoun would be Dr. Ken Proctor. He was my AP English teacher.” “Mrs. Yacoub exemplifies what it means to Set a Higher Standard for her classroom. She goes above and beyond for her students and peers, always ready to help in any capacity,” a colleague shared. “Mrs. Yacoub is a dedicated teacher who strives to get the best from her students, often by using the positive relationships she works to establish.” “I feel incredibly fortunate and humbled to have been selected as a finalist for Gordon County Teacher of the Year. It is such an honor to serve as Teacher of the Year for Sonoraville High,” said Ms. Yacoub. Today, Ms. Yacoub is a foreign languages teacher at Sonoraville High School and has served as an educator for 24 years, with 6 years being at SHS. Yacoub grew up speaking Arabic as a child, double-majored in French and Spanish in college, and dabbles in the Italian and Japanese languages as well. It is a personal goal of Ms. Yacoub to make learning a foreign language a pleasant and rewarding experience for all her students. #GoCoSchools #OneBIGFamily #GETGCS

ROBOTICS: Tolbert Elementary School STEAM Teacher, Joey Marycz, has lots of fun planned for his students this year using these Sphero robots! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Staff at Sonoraville Elementary recently completed the Gordon County Schools #GCSTech back-to-school tech session! This fantastic group earned two thumbs up from Instructional Technology Coordinator Whitney Prather. #GoCoSchools #OneBIGFamily #GETGCS

Don't miss out on the upcoming Gordon County Schools Transportation: Driver's Education program in September! Students in the program will gain knowledge and experience behind-the-wheel and in the classroom to prepare them for life as a responsible driver. Visit www.gcbe.org/driverseducation for more info and to sign up for an upcoming class! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is #OneBIGFamily. We asked Nicole Head, Director of Gordon County School Nutrition, what it means to be part of our One BIG Family: “I am so thankful to be part of the Gordon County Schools Family. Since my first day of joining the GCS Family, my passion and vision for our School Nutrition Program has fully been supported and backed. I started in School Nutrition fresh out of college with no idea what I was searching for, but with encouragement from my husband, I jumped in! I knew it was my place, my home, where my heart was and it is with Gordon County School Nutrition. I am thankful for the incredible central office and leadership teams who do an amazing job each day, for my managers who have been willing to learn, grow and stretch beyond their bounds to continue to improve and the GCSN Team who work TIRELESSLY toward our vision and mission to serve our students, faculty, staff, and our community! To say I am thankful- I think it may be an understatement- I am blessed, grateful and encouraged to be a part of the GCS Family!” #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #GCSNutrition

Gordon County Schools would like to officially welcome back our students to their first full week of classes! Let's make this a fantastic year! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Thank YOU #GoCoSchools community for 2 fabulous days back in school. We have loved getting to meet our new students and reconnecting with our returning students! #OneBIGFamily #GETGCS

OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT: We are looking forward to seeing everyone at open house this evening! PALs: Belwood Elementary PALs orientation/open house will be on August 2nd at 8:00 AM PRE-K: All Gordon County elementary schools will host Pre-K orientation/open house. Please follow this link to see the time slot(s) scheduled for your school: www.gcbe.org/orientation ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: School Orientation/Open House for all Gordon County elementary schools will be on August 2nd. Students should attend orientation/open house at the times listed below: -Last names A-M: August 2nd from 5:00 PM to 6:00 P.M. -Last names N-Z: August 2nd from 6:00 PM to 7:00 P.M. MIDDLE SCHOOLS: School Orientation/Open House for all Gordon County middle schools will be on August 2nd from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. HIGH SCHOOLS: Freshman drop-in/open house for all Gordon County high schools will be on August 2nd from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. More information about Back-to-School can be found at www.gcbe.org/backtoschool #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

One BIG Family: Today, we welcomed our teachers back home at our annual get together. We celebrated their accomplishments from last year and looked ahead with excitement to another great school year! #GoCoSchools #OneBIGFamily #GETGCS we will welcome our teachers back to campus. Tune in at 9:00am here on Facebook as we celebrate the wins from last year and look ahead with excitement to another great school year. #HereWeGrowHouston

STUDENT HANDBOOKS: The 2022-2023 Gordon County Schools Digital Student Handbooks are now available online! Take a peak at the new handbooks by visiting www.gcbe.org/studenthandbook today! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily

Menus for August are available now! Come try our new dishes like Hand-Rolled Burritos, Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bread, Mexican Street Corn, and lots more! Go to https://www.gcbe.org/page/menus to see all menus.

Members of the Gordon County Young Farmers had the opportunity to be part of the State of the Industry Event and Economic Forecast hosted by the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce and presented by Dr. Roger Tutterow! #GoCoSchools #GETGCS #OneBIGFamily