COMMUNICATOR
System-wide Straight Talk for GSCS Employees
August 11-18, 2017
In This Issue
 

Welcome back to a brand new school year!

Casey Bethel, 2018 Georgia Teacher of the Year, truly inspired us with his presentation at the Education Celebration. Many of you came away commenting that Casey's presentation reminded you of why you got into education in the first place and renewed that spirit within you. Teachers and those who support them make a real difference in the lives of students with whom they come in contact. We all must take that very seriously

Open House was a hub of excitement! Many of you told me that you were seeing a better turnout of parents and students than in previous years. Several students told me they were ready to come back while others were withholding judgement on that question for now.

This year's opening days have been as smooth as any we've had. Preparation has made that possible. Between open house and the first three days of the school year, I've visited every building in the district and have sensed the excitement from students and staff. I have been impressed with the work done to make the hallways and classrooms of our schools inviting and engaging. Our cafeterias started strong with great meal service at both breakfast and lunch. I have seen students in the classroom engaged and eager to learn on the first day. Buses routes have been running very efficiently with only a few tweaks needed.

We are now back in session for a new year and we have control over how it unfolds. It's our time to make a difference in the life of our community. The 2017-18 school year is our time to be Agents of Change!

Thanks for a great start!

Sincerely,
Jim Smith
Superintendent
KICKING OFF 2017-18
The Education Celebration and Classified Kick-off were both great events to jump start the new school year! These events recognized many GSCS employees and included amazing speakers who enlightened and influenced us to be innovative, inspirational, build meaningful relationships and to be exceptional leaders. Here are some highlights from the Education Celebration and Classified Kick-off:

AGENTS OF CHANGE

2017 CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR

VIDEOS
Did you love the videos that were shown during the events? Want to see them again? Click below...
THANK YOU EDUCATION CELEBRATION SPONSORS

Want to send a note of thanks to the Education Celebration sponsors? Click  HERE  for the list of sponsors with their contact information.
SOLAR ECLIPSE 8-21-17 DELAYED RELEASE
We have a once-in-a-lifetime event approaching our nation this month! On Monday, August 21, 2017, Spalding County will experience an "almost" total solar eclipse.

For the safety of our students, GSCS will delay dismissal by one hour and 10 minutes. Dismissal times for August 21 are:
  • Elementary schools - 4PM
  • High schools - 4:30PM
  • Middle schools - 5:10PM

Resources:

Click HERE for the GSCS Solar Eclipse Staff FAQ.

Click HERE for the GSCS Solar Eclipse flyer.

Click  HERE  for  useful information regarding the upcoming eclipse  from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).
ADP ANNOUNCES SATURDAY CALL CENTER HOURS
To increase accessibility for clients, ADP is pleased to announce that, beginning in August, SHBP Member Services will be available for calls regarding all products and services on Saturdays from 8AM to 5PM Eastern Standard Time.

SHBP Member Services will be closed on Saturday during the following holiday weekends:
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Weekend
  • Christmas Weekend
  • New Year's Weekend
  • Easter
  • Memorial Day

Click HERE for the flyer with more information.
2017 NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION SPONSORS
Thank you to our new teacher orientation sponsors who helped in so many ways to support our schools, teachers and mission of empowering students to graduate college and career ready.
  • Alexander & Company
  • Bovis, Kyle & Medlin, LLC.
  • Greg Daniel - ValuTeachers
  • The Southern Federal Credit Union
  • Valic Financial Advisors, Inc.
  • Underwriters Safety & Claims
  • PAGE - BJ Jenkins
  • GAE - Karen Jones
*Special thanks to Brian's Buffet, American Pie Pizzeria and Truett's Grill for supplying our new teachers with discount coupons
"EDUCATE AND INFORM THE WHOLE MASS
OF THE PEOPLE...THEY ARE THE ONLY SURE RELIANCE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR LIBERTY."
~ Thomas Jefferson
CELEBRATING CONSTITUTION WEEK
September 17 -23, 2017 is Constitution Week. This year is the 230th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution!
Help celebrate by putting it on your school's reader board.

Visit https://constitutioncenter.org/constitution-day/ for educational resources including the new Interactive Constitution App.
FOLLOW GSCS ON TWITTER
GSCS is now officially on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GriffinSpalding! Follow us for the latest district news and to see all of the great back to school photos from around the district! #GSCSBack2Class
BACK TO SCHOOL GIFT FROM PLANET FITNESS

To extend their back to school love and appreciation to the educational community, any GSCS employee, with their GSCS badge, will receive a waived sign-up fee (valued at $39.00) during the month of August. Stop by Planet Fitness (located at 1207 W. Taylor Street) for more information and to take a tour of the facility.
NEW WAYS TO CHECK OUT GEORGIA EDUCATION
Freedom & Opportunity: Georgia's Premier Education Magazine
Freedom & Opportunity Magazine released its first issue in April. It is Georgia's ONLY Premier Education Magazine, distributed throughout the state, serving over 6,000 of Georgia's top educators from those who legislate laws governing education to businesses and associations who make education in our great state a success!
Click HERE to view the first inaugural issue
Click HERE to view the May/June 2017 issue

Spark: Igniting Public Education in Georgia
The Georgia Vision Project's Spark campaign has a new website. The Spark campaign's purpose is to showcase the positive in public education by telling the stories that impact our schools. The purpose behind this site is solely dedicated to storytelling focused on students, teachers and the overall positive impact public education has on Georgia.

To watch and read stories from around Georgia click sparkgaedu.org.
XQ SUPER SCHOOL LIVE  - SEPT. 8, 2017 AT 8PM

Join the biggest stars in entertainment for an unforgettable, live special, as we come together to rethink American high Schools. Visit www.XQSuperSchool.org/live to get a sneak peek at the future of education.  Sept. 8, 2017 at 8PM on ABC, CBS, FOX & NBC
SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE