At the December 7 board meeting, the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education approved the new five-year strategic plan for the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS).

GSCS worked with The Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) and The Georgia Leadership Institution for School Improvement (GLISI) throughout the strategic plan development process.

According to GSCS Deputy Superintendent Donald Warren, “The development process for the new strategic plan began about a year ago. The process involved a partnership between our school system, our community, GSBA and GLISI. The process included soliciting feedback from 42 community leaders and a community engagement survey that resulted in feedback from 539 stakeholders.”

The strategic plan is a collaborative, internal and external, effort that culminates in a plan that serves as a road map for the work of the school district.

According to GSCS Superintendent Keith Simmons, “We are appreciative of all who participated in the various stages of this work. This is a comprehensive plan that is comprised of four strategic goal areas and 12 overarching initiatives.”

The following is a summary of the Griffin–Spalding County School System five-year strategic plan:

Vision: Distinctive Brand  Strong Leaders  Great Schools

Mission: To empower each student to graduate college and career ready

Student Achievement: We believe that promoting educational equity

will advance academic achievement and support a well-rounded

education for each student, empowering them to graduate ready to

choose college or a career.

Family and Community Engagement: We believe that cultivating

collaborative engagement with families and the community will build

and sustain positive relationships that lead to student success.

High Performing Staff: We believe that investing in the growth of our employees will produce a high-performing and enduring staff who build positive relationships with students.

Organizational and Operational Efficiency: We believe that providing effective organizational structures and efficient operations will support the growth and retention of high-quality staff and excellent learning experiences for each student.

GSCS Strategy Map: (strategic plan on one page)

GSCS Superintendent Keith Simmons stated, “The completion of this plan is an exciting accomplishment for our school district and stakeholders throughout the community as it marks the culmination of many months of hard work. It enables us to begin to put the necessary components in place as we move through the next five years of continued growth and improvement. This plan will help us communicate goals and expectations, enable cohesive, unified, informed decisions and work systematically as a team to realize improvement. Each one of these blue boxes are interrelated. We’ll help students, parents and staff understand their role and their benefit. I’m excited about this opportunity to stay focused on our destination through this strategic plan and strategy map. At the end of the day, it starts with students, it ends with students, it’s about students and it’s for students. We see the plan as a roadmap which will help our organization prepare our students for their next steps whether that be college or career.”

Congratulations to this year's GSCS Holiday Card Contest winners! The first place winner's photo was featured on the district's holiday card and received $100 cash prize. Second place winner received a $50 cash prize and third place received $25. Thank you to all who participated!

Join GSCS Superintendent Keith L. Simmons on a journey to observe great teaching and learning opportunities throughout the district!

Jordan Hill Elementary Teacher Aprille Oxenford was named the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) 2021-22 District-Wide Teacher of the Year. Oxenford will go on to represent the district as she competes for the 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Oxenford was surprised with the news in her classroom on Friday, October 29, and was recognized at the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

Oxenford has been a special education educator for 16 years. She currently teaches students with severe or profound disabilities, in kindergarten through second grade at Jordan Hill Elementary. During the 2020-2021 school year, she served as the virtual teacher for students with severe or profound disabilities in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Oxenford received her Bachelor of Arts in Education, Master of Education and Specialist in Education all from the University of West Georgia.

“Mrs. Oxenford’s work with the severe and profound exceptional students is second to none. She looks at challenges as opportunities. She sees the potential in all of her students. And she works to help them to be successful. After working with Mrs. Oxenford for four years, I can attest to the great work she does with each and every child that comes under her care. Watching students light up as they learn new things cannot truly be put into words. Being able to observe a student learning to speak, and then that same student being able to read words Mrs. Oxenford has taught them; is an experience you won't soon forget. I've always seen teaching as a calling. I believe being able to inspire our exceptional students is a mission only a few are able to accomplish. Mrs. Oxenford is among those few and her humble spirit as she carries out her life's work is noteworthy,” wrote a Jordan Hill Elementary administrator.

The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education received an award for Exemplary Board Status from Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) for 2021. The GSBA Board Recognition Program is a three-tier process to achieve the highest level in board governance. The three recognition levels are Quality, Distinguished and Exemplary with Exemplary being the highest level.

The Griffin-Spalding County School Board attended 12 hours of training, completed a self-review, utilized a thorough strategic plan, participated in the Georgia Vision Project and engaged with an exemplary committee for collaborative assessment to earn this award for the highest level of recognition. Congratulations to board members: R. Syntel Brown, Barbara Jo Cook, Will Doss, Zach Holmes and Sue McDonald.

The board would also like to recognize the members of the exemplary board committee for their time and influence. Thank you to Dr Jhondee Barnes, Jhaycee Barnes, Holly Brown, Tangela Booker Williams and Brittany Standifer.

Please be advised that beginning the second semester, January 5th, we will implement a clear bookbag policy. All high school student bookbags must be transparent. The entire bookbag should be clear plastic or see-through mesh that allows for the contents inside the bookbag to be known. Small purses (that are not clear) are allowed but should be smaller than 1 ft. by 1 ft. Lunch boxes that are not clear are allowed but should only be used to transport lunch. If students have equipment for extracurricular activities that must be carried in a bag, they should see their activity advisor for further direction. Thank you for helping to ensure safety at Griffin High School and Spalding High School. This clear bookbag policy is a proactive measure to serve as a deterrent to discourage students from bringing inappropriate items into our school. This is not in response to a particular incident but is an effort to keep our school environment safe.

Below are images of some examples of bags that are allowed under this new bookbag policy.

Within the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS), we believe that student attendance is key to student success and academic achievement. Please ensure that your child attends school every day, with the exception of illness and unforeseen family emergencies. Please take some time to review GSCS’ Guidelines for Student Attendance and Georgia Department of Education’s Student Attendance Protocol, at this Link.

Here are some important facts about student attendance, provided by Attendance Works (www.AttendanceWorks.org):

Haskell Ward was born March 13, 1940, in Griffin Georgia. He grew up on Solomon Street and attended Broad Street School and Moore Elementary School. His time at Moore Elementary and the teachers that invested in him there proved to be influential. Ward returned to Griffin on September 15, 2021, and presented Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) Superintendent Keith L. Simmons with a gift of $25,000 to create a scholarship fund to help students at Moore Elementary.

Haskell shared that just a few years ago, he requested and received transcript information from his primary education and learned that he had not passed the first grade. He was retained and repeated first grade and then was retained and also repeated second grade. From third grade on he was a model student, successful academically, and voted most likely to succeed in high school. He went on to attend and earn a Bachelor’s degree from Clarke College in Atlanta and then earned his Master’s degree from UCLA.

Haskell Ward said, “My success in life can be traced to here, Moore Elementary School … when I go back and look at the happiest days of my life, they are going to be in the area of the elementary school.”

GSCS is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our entire school

community. As part of that commitment, it is critical that every member of our community has an easy way to engage with us and be provided the highest quality customer service.

That’s why we’re using Let’s Talk!, a cloud-based customer service solution that makes it easy for you to ask questions and share concerns. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer, tablet or smartphone.

Have a question about back-to-school or safety protocols? Want to learn about volunteer

opportunities? Know a teacher or staff member who should be recognized for their hard work?

Simply click the Let’s Talk! button on our district website at www.spalding.k12.ga.us or go directly to Let’s Talk! by clicking HERE. Then select a topic to start a conversation. A timely, accurate response is guaranteed. You can also download the Let's Talk app by searching Let's Talk in your App Store or using these links:

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/my-lets-talk/id1089103047

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myletstalk

Our customer app code is: GS3241

Thank you for being a part of the GSCS family. We look forward to hearing from you.

1) How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for Griffin Spalding County Schools for a total of 11 ½ years as a certified educator. I also have 5 years of experience as a substitute teacher.

2) What motivated you to become a teacher and what is your WHY? Why do you choose, each day, to serve others through education? I’ve always had a passion for teaching, learning, and assisting others. I was taught at a very young age that education would be the key to opening many doors in life. My ‘why’ is figuring out what is needed in order for me to teach students that learn differently the material that they need in order to transition to the next level.

3) What do you love about your career, role, school, students, etc.? I currently teach at Carver Road Middle School, which is truly the home of Scholars and Champions. On a yearly basis, Carver has allowed me to grow and develop my many skills. I’m a person that has always loved to learn and share my experiences with others. When I first embarked on choosing a career, I knew that it would be in an area where I could assist others.

My role as a special education teacher allows me the opportunity to provide students that learn differently and need extra support, with a plethora of tools such as different research-based strategies, assistance and encouragement that I hope will inspire them to become life-long learners and productive citizens. My role as a mentor lead teacher allows me to provide my colleagues with resources that they can utilize in their classrooms to assist students that learn differently and need extra support. I strive daily to see what I can do better to assist, not only the students that I serve but everyone that I come in contact with.

4) Are there some experiences or testimonials that you'd like to share? As a teacher of diverse learners, it has been rewarding for me to observe students that I’ve taught being productive citizens within the community holding various positions such as cashiers, stockers, and entrepreneurs. One of my former students was an introvert and did not perform well in math class. This individual is currently working as a cashier in an industry that requires constant interaction with customers and is currently attending the local community college.

5) What else is remarkable about you and/ or your career? I’ve always been humble and appreciative of being an educator at Carver Road Middle School. As I shared earlier, Carver has always been the Home of Scholars and Champions. In the years of 2018 and 2019, our schools’ CCRPI scores excelled above all of the middle schools within the district. Schoolwide, the SWD population showed remarkable gains. I remediated students through Carver’s Blitz program along with afterschool and weekend tutoring. I was excited to receive rewards for the growth of our 8th-grade students in both science and math.

The next Griffin-Spalding Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 4 at

6 p.m. in the GSCS Learning Center.

*Social distance seating will be very limited and participants will be required to wear masks. Everyone is encouraged to watch the meeting on the district YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBHXsRZKnW2f3oLYD5pCjw

Public Comment Link: https://forms.gle/vfCYqe7DfBoSUQ668

This is a guide for our students to know what courses they need to take, to-do lists for students and parents, important dates and links to some great resources. We hope to take some of the uncertainty out of the road to graduation and College and Career Readiness.

All 8th-12th grade students and parents are encouraged to participate.

All participants will be emailed conference information the week of Scholarship Saturday. Hope to see you there.

The Family Education Webinar Series builds awareness and offers families strategies that they can use to support their children, build resilience, and nurture self-care.

Morning Session - January 20, 2022 10 am

Afternoon Session - January 20, 2022 6 pm

RSVP lisa.jones@gscs.org

Five GSCS eighth-grade students were named 2021 recipients of a $10,000 REACH Georgia Scholarship! In October, these students were surprised in their classroom by GSCS Superintendent Simmons, district leadership and their school leadership. The scholarships were presented at a special signing day ceremony at the Kiwanis Club of Griffin. Congratulations to Amari Green at Rehoboth Road Middle, Abbygail Gilmour at Kennedy Road Middle, Barbara Aguinaga at Carver Road Middle, Brianna Lee Adams-Hargrove at Cowan Road Middle and Jocelyn Camacho at Cowan Road Middle School! Thank you to our 2021 REACH sponsors: Kiwanis Club of Griffin, Chick-Fil-A of Griffin, Brightmoor Hospice, Marukan Vinegar and Rotary Club of Griffin!

GSCS Lunchbox Buddy Program for elementary students started November 1. The USDA is providing free school lunches to all students this year but some students still prefer to bring their food from home. For those elementary kids, the Griffin-Spalding County School System will offer a new lunch option that provides the best of both worlds called Lunchbox Buddy. This year, if any GSCS elementary student brings their lunch from home, they have the option to get three food items (a grain, fruit or veggie, or milk) free of charge to go along with their meal.

Use E-Link to find your student's bus info! Click HERE and use your student's ID number (lunch number) for the username and password.

Click each position for job descriptions, compensation details and application information

The Griffin-Spalding Partners in Education (PIE) raised over $28,000 during its 20th annual golf tournament to benefit the teachers and students of the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS). Twenty-three teams played in the tournament held at the City Park Golf Course on Friday, September 24.

Proceeds from the tournament are used to fund classroom grants, field trip grants and teacher tuition reimbursement scholarships.

This year’s first-place team was Twice the Ice (Sonny’s Ice), the second-place team was National Lock & Locker and the third-place team was Medical Weight Loss.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) for its comprehensive annual financial report for the 2020 fiscal year. The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

GSCS was also awarded The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting (COE). ASBO International’s COE recognizes districts that have met the program’s high standards for financial reporting and transparency. The school district earned the Certificate of Excellence for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended 2020.

“The COE’s mission is to promote and recognize excellence in financial reporting,” ASBO International Executive Director David Lewis says. “The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report informs stakeholders about the financial and economic state of the district, making it an important communications tool for building trust and engaging with the school community.”

By participating in the COE program, school districts demonstrate their commitment to financial transparency. Applicants submit their reports for review by a team of financial professionals who provide feedback to improve future documents. If the report meets the requirements of the program, it may receive the Certificate of Excellence. A district’s participation in the COE program can facilitate bond rating and continuing bond disclosure processes.

GSCS Superintendent Keith Simmons stated, “I am proud of the entire team for their efforts in this regard!”

GSCS COVID-19 data update for Friday, December 10. We will post updated data every Friday. For data by school, please visit: http://www.spalding.k12.ga.us/Students--Parents/COVID-19-Data/index.html

This week, GSCS Superintendent Keith Simmons hosted Slices with the Superintendent at both Griffin High School and Spalding High School. This is a new program for the superintendent to engage with high school students and get their feedback. He introduced the students to the recently approved new GSCS Strategic Plan: "A Roadmap to Success," got their thoughts and helped them understand their role. Thank you to our Partner In Education Slices Pizzeria Griffin and to the students that participated!

Thank you to Marukan Vinegar for donating $10,000 to Griffin-Spalding Partners In Education! This money will help fund a REACH Scholarship, classroom/field trip grants, teacher tuition reimbursement scholarships and other support for our students.

Pictured (L-R): Marukan Vinegar Director of Brewery Operations Teddy Blalock and GSCS Superintendent Keith L. Simmons

Click HERE for information about Chick-fil-A Griffin catering from our partners on Taylor Street.

Click Here to learn about Brightmoor services.

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE for more information.

GSCS needs your help with Purposity! With Purposity, members of the public can now help us serve our students by fulfilling needs like jackets or shoes. Even if you don't plan to donate, please download the Purposity app in the App store or on Google Play and, under the "organization" drop down follow Griffin-Spalding County School System.

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