Gordon County Schools -

Red Bud Elementary 3rd grade teacher Aja Fairbanks had her students working on ELA review. She was checking their work and reviewing missed questions. Go Cardinals! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Red Bud Middle School 6th grade ELA teacher Marilyn Coats had students working on a fun activity today with pumpkins and figurative language! They were all working very hard and achieving #GreaterThings in the classroom. #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Fairmount Elementary 4th grade science and social studies teacher Dana Ryal was reviewing with her students about space and using context clues. Her class is out of this world! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

The Sonoraville High School foreign language department is celebrating the Day of the Dead with awesome learning activities! Shoutout to teachers Amal Yacoub, Ale Beckman, Jose Gomez, and Wesley Grizzle for making learning fun. #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Sonoraville Elementary 4th grade ELA teacher Erin Childers had her students working on giving feedback to their written works. The students were so invested in giving quality feedback and reading what they had accomplished throughout their writing process! #TogetherGCS

November is here, so get ready to enjoy all of our day-to-day delicious food, and our super-popular Thanksgiving meals. All schools will serve Turkey & Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, and more! Dates vary from school to school, so contact the Nutrition Manager at your school to find out when your Thanksgiving is scheduled.

Strategic Planning Survey Link: https://forms.office.com/r/MpdZUzans2 Gordon County Schools invites you to participate in our school district Strategic Planning Survey, and we greatly appreciate your feedback as we work to shape the future of our schools. Your input plays a crucial role in helping us create positive outcomes for our students and community. The Strategic Planning Survey is a key part of our process to develop a comprehensive roadmap for guiding Gordon County Schools from 2026 to 2030. This survey allows us to hear directly from community members, parents, staff, and students about their perspectives, priorities, and hopes for our school system. By gathering this feedback, we aim to understand the community’s vision for our schools and identify areas for growth and improvement. The insights from the survey will directly influence the new strategic plan, which will set goals and outline initiatives that promote academic excellence, enhance student well-being, support staff development, and strengthen community partnerships. Ultimately, this survey empowers the community to play an active role in shaping the future of Gordon County Schools, ensuring that we continue providing the best possible educational experiences for all our students. You can complete the survey by visiting this link: https://forms.office.com/r/MpdZUzans2 If you would like to review our previous Strategic Plan and our 2020-2025 Scorecard, you can do so by visiting our website and following the links here: https://www.gcbe.org/page/strategic-plan

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to our Strategic Planning Community Meeting. Stakeholders for our school system were able to take our online feedback survey and speak with district leaders about learning, instruction, operations, finances, and communication.

What: A Community Engagement Session to gather input from parents, citizens, district employees, and students. When: October 29th (TODAY) from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This is a walk-in meeting, so please feel free to come in at any time. Where: Gordon County Schools Central Office Board Room, 7300 Fairmount Hwy SE Calhoun, GA 30701 Who: All Gordon County School District’s stakeholders are invited to participate. To Attend: All parents, citizens, district employees, and high school students are encouraged to attend. If you need an interpreter in order to participate, please notify us of your specific needs. Contact Mr. Brian Hall with questions at brianhall@gcbe.org or (706) 629-7366 ext. 8143. An online survey will be available for those who can’t attend the meeting. A link to the survey will appear on the district’s website at https://www.gcbe.org the day following the meeting.

The Gordon County Schools School Nutrition Department was honored at the SN Directors Conference with the prestigious Georgia Farm to School Award. This accolade, presented by the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Division (GaDOE SND), acknowledges exemplary efforts in incorporating locally grown foods into school meals, promoting farm-to-school initiatives, and creating educational experiences through edible gardens. Gordon County Schools’ commitment to supporting local agriculture and fostering a deeper connection to food origins for students was central to earning this recognition. Award criteria include the integration of locally grown items in school meals, the promotion of farm-to-school messaging throughout the school environment, the development of edible gardens for educational purposes, and the formal adoption of farm-to-school language into school policy or procedure. Gordon County’s efforts align with the Georgia Department of Education’s overarching goal to strengthen school-based agricultural education and community health. Gordon County Schools School Nutrition Director Nicole Head was presented the award by Richard Woods, State Superintendent, and Linette Dodson, State School Nutrition Director. Other key partners include officials from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, University of Georgia Extension, and the Georgia Department of Public Health, all instrumental in advancing the Farm to School initiative statewide. The Georgia Farm to School Award exemplifies the ongoing efforts within Georgia to create healthier, more sustainable food environments for students while supporting local farmers. Gordon County Schools looks forward to building on this success and continuing to nourish both students and the community through farm-to-school programs.

In accordance with state and federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this notice is to inform you of Gordon County School’s intent to destroy personally identifiable information related to special education services of students born before January 1, 1999 who received special education services under an Individual Education Plan while attending Gordon County Schools but who are no longer enrolled. These records will be destroyed November 22, 2024. Please be advised that the records may be needed by you for social security benefits or other purposes. If you wish to maintain this information for your personal records, please contact the Special Education Department at 706-629-4474.

Today, Gordon County Schools proudly joins the nation in recognizing and celebrating our incredible first responders who selflessly dedicate their lives to protect, serve, and support our community. From our local firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, and emergency medical professionals, to the 911 dispatchers and all those on the front lines—thank you for your bravery, compassion, and resilience. Our schools, students, and families are safer and stronger because of your unwavering commitment to keeping us safe. On behalf of Gordon County Schools, we express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for each of you who answers the call, day or night, to serve others in their time of need. Let’s all take a moment today to thank our first responders, celebrate their service, and honor their sacrifice. #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

What: A Community Engagement Session to gather input from parents, citizens, district employees, and students. When: October 29th from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Where: Gordon County Schools Central Office Board Room, 7300 Fairmount Hwy SE Calhoun, GA 30701 Who: All Gordon County School District’s stakeholders are invited to participate. To Attend: All parents, citizens, district employees, and high school students are encouraged to attend. If you need an interpreter in order to participate, please notify us of your specific needs. Contact Mr. Brian Hall with questions at brianhall@gcbe.org or (706) 629-7366 ext. 8143. An online survey will be available for those who can’t attend the meeting. A link to the survey will appear on the district’s website at https://www.gcbe.org the day following the meeting.

Things got a little "meta" today taking pictures of Sonoraville High School students in Brandon Hufstetler's video production class. They were taking student and nature photographs outside and doing a great job. Go Phoenix! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Red Bud Middle School 7th grade ELA teacher Ellen Anglin had her students captivated with reading today during their guided discussion activity! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools #GreaterThings #TogetherRBMS

Thank you to Atrium Health Floyd for bringing the mammogram bus to Red Bud Middle School today!

Fairmount Elementary's cafeteria was decked out in cool pirate-themed decorations all week! Check out their Pre-K students enjoying a healthy breakfast before their learning time. Go Bulldogs! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Red Bud Elementary 3rd grade teacher Hope Peterka worked with students completing their station activities before heading out to their bus safety presentation. These Cardinals worked hard! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools

Sonoraville Elementary PE teacher Trey Hart and paraprofessional Becki Hall had 5th graders stretching in preparation for basketball drills before a change of plans--fire drill! The students at SES handled it perfectly. Students returned and worked hard at their stations!

🎉 Let's Celebrate Parent & Family Engagement Month! 🎉 Gordon County Schools is excited to celebrate the powerful impact of family and teacher involvement on student success! Research shows that family engagement makes a huge difference, and we want to THANK YOU for all you do to support our students. Join Us from October 28 – November 21! Participate in our Parent & Family Engagement Bingo with activities designed to bring families together. And teachers, you’re invited too with a Teacher-Family Engagement Tic-Tac-Toe board! Here’s How It Works: 👨‍👩‍👧 For Families: Complete Activities: Mark off spaces on your bingo card by doing fun family activities like cooking together, taking selfies, playing outside, and more! Share on Social Media: Look for our weekly Facebook post, where you can comment with your child’s name, school, and a picture or video of your family completing an activity. Each week’s post is a new entry opportunity! 🍎 For Teachers: Complete Tic-Tac-Toe: Fill in your Teacher-Family Engagement Tic-Tac-Toe board by fostering family connections each week. Share on Social Media: Just like families, teachers can join in by posting on the weekly Facebook post with a photo of their activities and completed boards for a chance to win prizes! 🎁 Prizes & Drawings: Every weekly post counts as an entry in our Family Prize Pack drawing on November 22, featuring sponsors such as: -Booth Western Art Museum -Bowman’s Restaurant -Creative Discovery Museum -Food City -Food Lion -Home Depot -Rome Emperors -Southern Creamery -Walmart ...and MORE! Let’s make this month a time for connection, fun, and community! #TogetherGCS #GordonCountySchools