2021 Annual Report

[2021]

ANNUAL REPORT

GLYNN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Pictured with Superintendent Dr. Scott Spence, left, are 2021-2022 Glynn County Board of Education members Mr. Jerry Mancil, Mr. Marcus Edgy (chairman), Ms. Audrey Gibbons, Mrs. Eaddy Sams (vice chairman), Mr. John Madala, Mr. Mike Hulsey, and Dr. Hank Yeargan.

District 1 MARCUS EDGY Chairman 912-258-3659 medgy@glynn.k12.ga.us

District 2 EADDY SAMS Vice Chairman 912-577-2323 esams@glynn.k12.ga.us

District 3 JOHN MADALA 912-506-2734 j_madala4@yahoo.com

District 4 DR. HANK YEARGAN 912-617-1451 hankyeargan@yahoo.com

District 5 AUDREY GIBBONS 912-242-3664 snobbig01@gmail.com

At Large Post 1 MIKE HULSEY 912-399-0140 mhulsey1@bellsouth.net

At Large Post 2 JERRY MANCIL 912-223-0548 jmancil@seaside-electricga.com

2021 Meeting Dates

Board meetings are live streamed on YouTube, Facebook and locally on Xfinity Channel 99.

Visit www.glynn.k12.ga.us/board_ meeting_dates/ for a schedule of 2021 meeting dates and times. To view Board agendas and official meeting minutes, click the “Board Meetings & Policies” link under the District tab or the “Board of Education” banner on the school system website.

To watch meetings live, visit www. glynn.k12.ga.us/boardlive/ or click the “Board Meeting Live Stream” banner on the school system website.

Board meetings are held in the board room of the school district’s Central Office, located at 1313 Egmont St. in Brunswick.

Board Meeting Live Stream

SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER Under some of the most difficult circumstances we

have ever seen in our school system history, GCSS students, staff, administrators and families quickly found balance in a shifting digital learning environment, and were able to navigate the uncertainties of traditional, face-to-face instruction.

It was not an easy task – hectic and unpredictable at times – but everyone rose up to the challenge and offered the best of themselves and our school district.

While this school year looked noticeably different from any other, there were so many exciting opportunities for our students and staff to grow personally and intellectually, at home and in school.

Our biggest success was that we finished the school year with 94% of our students attending full-time in a face-to-face setting. This during a time where 44% of the country’s students never attended school in person and 19% attended on a part-time, hybrid schedule.

Your hard work, determination, and love for our children allowed us to have a successful school year. Through this annual report, we are able to reflect on our accomplishments and envision our success. It provides an overview of the achievements in our schools from the past year and offers opportunities for growth in the upcoming school year.

While we have made significant progress in improving student achievement, we must continue our diligent efforts to move Glynn County Schools forward. Working together with a renewed commitment from students, staff, parents and community, I have no doubt that we will come back better than ever in 2021-2022. We will be a #strongerglynn.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your superintendent of schools and I look forward to a great 2021-22 school year as we grow, lead and excel to become a premier school district.

Sincerely, Scott Spence

GLYNN COUNTY SCH OUR VISION SCHOOLS 21 Total • 2 Preschools • 10 Elementary • 4 Middle • 2 High • 1 Career Academy • 2 Alternative Programs STUDENT ENROLLMENT 12,695 Total • 6,238 Female • 6,457 Male • 903 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) • 1,216 Gifted Program STUDENT DIVERSITY • 5,792 White • 4,286 Black • 1,820 Hispanic • 200 Asian/Pacific Islander • 25 American Indian • 572 Two or More Races FACULTY & STAFF 2,280 Total • 2,215 Full-time • 65 Part-time, Substitutes and Paraprofessionals • 296 Certified Staff (Bachelor’s Degree) • 639 Certified Staff (Advanced Degrees) STUDENT SUPPORT 238 Total • 17 Speech & Language • Pathologists • 26 School Counselors • 4 Social Workers • 6 Psychologists • 17 Nurses • 23 School Resource Officers (SROs) • 73 General Ed. Drivers • 19 Special Education Drivers • 48 Bus Support Staff • 5 Mechanics 3

GCSS Annual Report

To create 21st century learning environments that offer opportunities for all students to pursue higher education and develop skills that meet workforce needs while producing informed, conscientious and productive citizens who give back to their community.

OUR MISSION The Glynn County School System will ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of its students through the adoption of policies and the adherence to responsible business and financial practices that are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and State Board rules.

Our schools will be safe places for learning, innovative and creative teaching, and meaningful assessment. The school system will provide diverse academic environments and extracurricular activities through leading edge facilities and technology.

COMMUNITY SHARED VISION Working together to make Brunswick and the Golden Isles an exceptional place in Georgia to live, work and visit by strengthening our communities and enhancing the quality of life.

HOOLS AT A GLANCE 83.7 College & Career Ready Performance Index

CLIMATE STAR RATING

State CCRPI –77.1

3-stars or more for all schools

SAT GCSS: 1058 Georgia: 1043 Nation: 1030

ACT GCSS: 20.8

Georgia: 20.6 Nation: 21.7

SCHOOL NUTRITION 2,500,092 Total Meals Served (since July

GRADUATION RATES

2020)

• • • • •

Total lunches served: 1,352,225 Total breakfasts served: 1,061,045 Total snacks served: 86,822 Total number of meals served daily: 7,463 Approximately 64% students eligible for

GCSS (2020) – 93.5%

free or reduced lunch.

16:1

STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO

Georgia – 83.8%

TRANSPORTATION • • • •

130 Buses / 15 Microbuses 95 Bus Routes 7,527 Total Bus Riders 7,940 Miles Logged Daily

•

Annual Fuel Use: 273,474 Gallons

• 1,429,131 Miles Logged Yearly

ABOUT GLYNN COUNTY SCHOOLS

Governor’s Office of Student Achievement District Letter Grade: B

Nine GCSS students were named out of 323 graduating seniors from across the state.

Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators

Future Educator Signing Day

HR Department received Gold Award for recruitment process/materials.

Most Creative Award – 2020 Pandemic Meal Service

Recognized by the Georgia Peanut Commission for curbside meal delivery model that served over 12,000 meals per week during the pandemic.

GaDOE 2020 Vision Award

16 Glynn Academy and Brunswick High students signed letters of intent to their respective colleges to pursue careers in education.

2021 Billy Michal Student Leadership Award

Isabelle Zantow (Glynn Academy)

2021 State School Parent Advisory Council

Recognized for serving 20% or more Georgia-grown products on the daily menu.

Kellea Page (completed 2-year term)

All Schools Received an “A” on Health Inspection Score

Glynn Academy

Average Health Inspection Score is 95 for FY2021.

National Title I Distinguished School St. Simons Elementary School

Title I Reward Schools

2021 Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award REACH Program Partnership

School sytem and College of Coastal Georgia renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to continue the program for students ages 18 to 21 with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

L4GA Grant Recipient

GA graduate Molly Mitchell was named the STAR student by the GFWC Brunswick Woman’s Club in April. She also represented Glynn County at the Region 11 Event and won.

Eight GCSS schools collectively received more than $2 million in grant funds through the GaDOE’s Literacy for Learning, Living and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) program, an initiative to improve student literacy learning and community-school partnerships in Georgia. They include the following schools: Altama, Glyndale, Golden Isles, Satilla Marsh, Sterling, Jane Macon, Needwood and Brunswick High.

2021 Award of Excellence

21st CCLC Recipient

Golden Isles Elementary School Sterling Elementary School

2021 Glynn County STAR Student

Brunswick High graduate Shaheim Johnson was recognized by the GaDOE and the Georgia Learning Resources System for outstanding academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

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2021 Georgia Scholars

GCSS Annual Report

21st Century Community Learning Center grant funding provides instructional support and Afterschool Matters programs for students at Altama, Burroughs-Molette and Goodyear elementary schools.

ACCREDITED IN EXCELLENCE

“Strong,” “visionary” and “progressive” are a few of the words used to describe Glynn County Schools in an Accreditation Engagement Review Report conducted in January 2019. A team from AdvancED, the parent company of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), performed a three-day monitoring review of Glynn County Schools, from which they provided a detailed report highlighting the district’s demonstration of continued compliance with the accreditation standards as well as ongoing progress and improvement.

As part of the review, Glynn County Schools had to complete an onsite evaluation from the AdvancED team. This included administrators, teachers, students, parents, board members and several stakeholders. As a result of their analysis of artifacts, interviews, and classroom observations, the report indicated that the school system is moving forward in its practices and providing the best for its students.

The accreditation report provided an Index of Education Quality (IEQ) as a holistic measure of overall performance. Comprised of the Standards Diagnostic ratings (used to determine accreditation status), the IEQ score for Glynn County Schools is 339.52, which indicates that the district is within the Impact level and is engaged in practices that are sustained over time and are becoming ingrained in the culture of the institution. This is the highest rating for IEQ. Glynn’s IEQ was previously 288 in 2014. The average AdvancED Improvement Network (AIN) five-year IEQ range is 283.33 – a calculation that the school system has surpassed in the report’s findings.

On March 29, 2019, the AdvancED Global Commission approved Glynn County Schools’ accreditation status.

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ALTAMA

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Michelle Drew Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

Newly-constructed, state-of-the-art building to open Fall 2021.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Recipient (USDA).

The Junior Beta Club received $2,400 donation from Hello Goodbuy to attend the National Beta Club Convention.

Books and learning resources provided to parents and students through Communities in Schools’ outreach efforts.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 73.8 CCRPI Progress: 84.2 CCRPI Readiness: 82.3 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

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GCSS Annual Report

BURROUGHS-MOLETTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

State-of-the-art school building completed in February 2019.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Recipient (USDA).

21st Century and RISE UP Afterschool Programs support academic learning and promote enrichment activities for social development.

Strong partnerships with Boys & Girls Club, Christ Church, Jekyll Island Rotary Club, and International Longshoremen’s Association.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 68.8 CCRPI Progress: 92.7 CCRPI Readiness: 72.5 School Climate: 3 out of 5 Stars

Mavis Jaudon Principal GCSS Annual Report

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C.B. GREER

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

Title I Distinguished School (2018-19, 2019-20).

Highest-Performing Reward School (2014-Present).

Recipient of Parker’s PumpPerks School Rewards program which helped fund new playground.

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 93.1 CCRPI Progress: 97.5 CCRPI Readiness: 86 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

Robin Hunter Principal 9

GCSS Annual Report

GLYNDALE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Dr. Ella Green Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

New, state-of-the-art school planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

Grant funds from the Literary Guild of St. Simons provided 300 students with KEEP Books as part of its literacy education efforts.

2020 Glynn County Spelling Bee Runner-Up: Julia Knight (4th Grade).

L4GA grant supports student-teacher learning, classroom literacy instruction, school climate and community-school partnerships.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 71.3 CCRPI Progress: 80.4 CCRPI Readiness: 78.9 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

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GOLDEN ISLES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Tracy Reyna Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

2014-15 Family-Friendly Partnership School (GaDOE initiative).

2019 Greatest Gains Award (Bronze Level – Governor’s Office of Student Achievement).

Title I Reward School (2019-20).

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST III funds are scheduled to begin Summer 2021.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 84.4 CCRPI Progress: 94.9 CCRPI Readiness: 81.4 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

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GCSS Annual Report

GOODYEAR

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • • •

2020 Family-Friendly Partnership School (GaDOE initiative).

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Recipient (USDA).

CCRPI Growth (+20.79 points since 2019).

Creation of STEM Lab, Archery & Coding Clubs, Lapel Club, Buddy Up, Media Internship, and PBIS Student Committee.

Received $500 ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grant for STEM programs.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 71.9 CCRPI Progress: 87.4 CCRPI Readiness: 72.7 School Climate: 3 out of 5 Stars

Dr. Oatanisha Dawson

Principal

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OGLETHORPE POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Dr. Anna Wiles

Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

2019 Greatest Gains Award (Bronze Level – Governor’s Office of Student Achievement); 2017 Highest-Performing Award (Silver).

Orton Gillingham, Google and Promethean experienced teachers.

Freshwater wetland discovery trail and MarshLab (a hands-on learning science lab funded by PTA/donors).

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST III funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 97.3 CCRPI Progress: 96.7 CCRPI Readiness: 92.3 School Climate: 5 out of 5 Stars

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GCSS Annual Report

SATILLA MARSH

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • • •

Title I Distinguished School (2019).

L4GA Literacy Grant Recipient – Cohort 1 National Jr. Beta Club School of Distinction Green Leaves Club featured on Good Morning America and ABC News for reforestation and other eco-friendly initiatives.

Received $500 ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grant for STEM programs.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 88.6 CCRPI Progress: 89.1 CCRPI Readiness: 88.2 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

Dr. Charlie Frazier

Principal

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ST. SIMONS

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • • •

2020 National ESEA Title I Distinguished (One of two schools in State).

Title I Distinguished School (2019,2020).

2016-2018 Greatest Gains Award (Gold – Governor’s Office of Student Achievement); 2015 Greatest Gains Award (Platinum Award).

Ocean Lab (a hands-on learning science lab funded by PTA/donors).

Renovations and modernizations planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 92.9 CCRPI Progress: 89.6 CCRPI Readiness: 91.8 School Climate: 5 out of 5 Stars

Katy Ginn Principal 15

GCSS Annual Report

STERLING

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Stephen Brooks

Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

2019 Greatest Gains Award (Silver Level – Governor’s Office of Student Achievement); 2010 Greatest Gains (Bronze).

Partnered with Skatetime to introduce five-week, skating program into three elementary schools in the district.

2020 Handbag Bingo raised $10,000 for school and Jane Macon Middle.

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST III funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 84.9 CCRPI Progress: 98.8 CCRPI Readiness: 81.1 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

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GLYNN

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dr. Carter Akins Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

Virtual tutoring programs offered to support continuous learning.

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center partnered with school to repair and configure wildlife decoys.

Boys and Girls Club and Communities in Schools provide accountability and support to students throughout the school day.

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 83.1 CCRPI Progress: 87 CCRPI Readiness: 88 School Climate: 5 out of 5 Stars

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GCSS Annual Report

JANE MACON MIDDLE SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

2020 Glynn County Middle School Football Champions (3-year win).

Students participated in virtual and in-person Black History Month celebrations to honor accomplishments of African-Americans.

Strong relationships with community partners have a proven, positive effect on parent participation and student success.

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 79 CCRPI Progress: 86.3 CCRPI Readiness: 84.2 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars

Dr. Leslie Forcina Principal GCSS Annual Report

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NEEDWOOD

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Rebecca Smith

Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

Mentoring Monday, Saturday school tutoring and PBIS programs help students assess their self-development and set high standards.

NMS Boost sessions with school counselors support student self-confidence and other social-emotional learning in the classroom.

2020 Glynn County Spelling Bee Winner: Kara Nuque (8th Grade).

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 71.7 CCRPI Progress: 75.2 CCRPI Readiness: 81.9 School Climate: 3 out of 5 Stars

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GCSS Annual Report

RISLEY

MIDDLE SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • •

National Forum School to Watch and Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch (Georgia Middle School Association designation since 2015).

CABS and PBIS programs yield significant benefits in reinforcing positive behaviors and social interactions between students.

2020 Glynn County Middle School Softball & Volleyball Champions.

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 77.8 CCRPI Progress: 88.6 CCRPI Readiness: 84.4 School Climate: 5 out of 5 Stars

Maggie Grange

Principal

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BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL

Slade Turner Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • •

2021 AP STEM School (Georgia Department of Education).

Graduation Rate: 91.2% (Improved by over 20% in last 8 years).

•

2020-2021 Georgia FBLA State President: Mackenzie Buck (C/O 2021 Valedictorian).

Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

•

•

SAT Achievement Average: 1065; ACT Achievement Average: 19.79

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 83 CCRPI Progress: 87.2 CCRPI Readiness: 76.5 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars Dual Enrollment Courses Taken: 613 AP Courses Offered: 17

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GCSS Annual Report

GLYNN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • • •

2021 AP School of Distinction, AP STEM School and AP STEM Achievement School (Georgia Department of Education).

Approximately 1,000 AP tests administered yearly (133 students recognized by the College Board as AP Scholars).

Graduation Rate: 95% SAT Achievement Average: 1078; ACT Achievement Average: 20.5 Renovations and modifications planned through ESPLOST IV funds.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Overall Score: 86.8 CCRPI Progress: 89.3 CCRPI Readiness: 80.8 School Climate: 4 out of 5 Stars Dual Enrollment Courses Taken: 461 AP Courses Offered: 18

Matthew Blackstone Principal GCSS Annual Report

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GOLDEN ISLES COLLEGE & CAREER ACADEMY

Lori Peacock CEO & CTAE Director

Dr. Joseph Depenhart Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • • • • •

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This Girl Can workshop, in partnership with the Golden Isles Development Authority and Coastal Pines Technical College, introduced 8th and 9th grade girls to non-traditional careers.

Culinary Arts students hand-made over 1,200 “Take & Bake” meals and netted almost $6,000 for the A Taste of Career Success fundraiser.

Four students earned 1st- and 2nd-place awards at this year’s state Career and Technical Instruction Competition (First time in school history).

2020 Georgia Power Foundation Grant Recipient ($13,926). Funds were used to purchase programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for engineering students to build and maintain.

72% of students passed the End-of-Pathway Assessment for a career pathway (2nd-highest documented accomplishment with EOPA; 75% pass rate in 2018).

17 students received $500 scholarships from the GICCA Foundation and its community partners.

GCSS Annual Report

CLASS OF 2021

The Class of 2021 was offered over $1.92 million in scholarships (not including the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarships) and accepted to the following colleges and universities: Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College Agnes Scott College Albany State University Appalachian State University Arizona State University Arkansas Baptist College Ashland University Athens Technical College Auburn University Augusta University Baylor University Berea University Berry College Bethune-Cookman University Brenau University Brewton-Parker College Brown University Boston University Carson-Newman University Catawba College Centenary College of Louisiana Clark Atlanta University Clayton State University Clemson University Coastal Pines Technical College College of Coastal Georgia College of Saint Benedicts College of William and Mary Colorado State University Columbia University Columbus State University Cornell University Dartmouth College East Georgia State College Eastern Kentucky University Edward Waters College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.

Erskine College Florida A&M University Florida Institute of Technology Florida Southern College Florida State University Fort Valley State University Full Sail University Furman University Georgetown University Georgia College & State University

Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Military College Georgia Southern University Georgia Southwestern University Georgia State University Greensboro College Grambling State University Harvard University Hollins University Howard University J-Tech Institute Jacksonville University Johnson & Wales University Kansas State University Kennesaw State University LaGrange College Life University Louisiana State University Mary Baldwin University Massachusetts Institute of Tech.

Mercer University Methodist University Middle Georgia State University Mississippi State University Morehouse College North Carolina State University North Georgia Technical College Northeastern University Northern Illinois University Northwestern University Occidental College Ogeechee Technical College Oglethorpe University Paine College Palm Beach Atlantic University Piedmont College Queens University of Charlotte Radford University Reinhardt University Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech.

Saint Martin’s University Samford University San Diego State University Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah State University SCAD Atlanta Seton Hall University Shaw University

South Georgia State College Southern Adventist University Southern Methodist University Spelman College The Citadel Toccoa Falls College Tulane University Union College University of Alabama University Of California Riverside University of California San Diego University of California Santa Cruz University of Colorado Boulder University of Florida University of Georgia University of Kentucky University of Louisville University of Mississippi University of North Carolina University of North Georgia University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of South Carolina University of Tennessee University of Virginia University of West Georgia Valdosta State University Vanderbilt University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington State University Wesleyan College West Georgia College West Virginia University William & Mary Wingate University Xavier University of Louisiana Yale University Young Harris College Military Air Force Army Marines National Guard Navy

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FACES PRE-K CENTER/ LEAPS & BOUNDS

Stephanie Thompson

Principal

POINTS OF PRIDE • • •

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Altama Elementary will be added to the approved list of prekindergarten sites for the 2021-22 school year.

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries, the Phoenix Fund and the Coastal Georgia Community Foundation provided all students with at-home learning resources as part of its “Take 5” early literacy project.

Received a Summer Transition Program grant from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) to provide a six-week intensive academic program for rising kindergarteners during Summer 2021.

GCSS Annual Report

#STRONGERGLYNN

GCSS district and school leadership took part in a weeklong, team-based and hands-on learning experience that provided uninterrupted time to build leader skills and knowledge; space to engage in tough but necessary conversations; room to test research-based strategies that address the needs of our students; and expert coaches to help us devise a plan to drive instructional improvement in our schools and district.

Pictured are district and school leaders at the Base Camp & Leadership Summit on Jekyll Island, hosted by Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI).

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DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This past school year was encumbered with many challenges but it did not stop district and school leaders from making significant improvements to the benefit of all students and staff. Listed below is a snapshot of the important work that our dedicated professionals have continued through the 2020-21 school year: • • • • • • • • • •

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Deployed 8,000+ Chromebooks to ensure all students have access to the technology at any given time.

Implemented Google G Suite for Education to enhance each student’s learning experience in a secure digital platform.

Special Education Department received $47,744 from FY21 IDEA Supplemental Relief and CARES Act Education allocations to continue offering needed services to students.

Purchased a three-year MAP program to provide consistent assessment data reporting on all grade levels, pre-K through 12th grade.

Continued annual Unity Day celebrations to educate and raise awareness about bullying prevention.

Schools provided innovative, virtual and in-person parent engagement sessions to strengthen parent-school relationships.

21st Century Community Learning Center grant funds supported after-school programming at Altama, Burroughs-Molette and Goodyear elementary schools, as well as purchased 156 Chromebooks.

Expanded Achieve 3000, a reading program, to the high school level.

Summer Enrichment Program provided students with STEM-focused activities during July 2021.

Hosted COVID-19 vaccination clinics that were manned by GCSS school nurses and health care students at the Golden Isles College and Career Academy.

GCSS Annual Report

HAPPY RETIREMENT!

In May, we were honored to celebrate and recognize 51 GCSS retirees with a special luncheon at the King & Prince Resort. The Marshland Credit Union was the event sponsor, and the GA 2021 Literary Quartet provided the musical entertainment.

Together, these incredible individuals dedicated approximately 1,158 years of combined service. Thank you to our retirees for their lasting impact on the lives of our community’s children!

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GROW. LEAD. EXCEL.

The Glynn Academy Players were named the 2020 Region 2-6A One-Act Play Champions.

Our latest student-teacher cohort had a perfect pass rate this year on the End of Pathway Assessments (EOPA) for Early Childhood Education, earning the honor of being the highest-scoring cohort that has participated in the Pint Pirates program.

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Eighth- and ninth-grade girls take part in GICCA’s inaugural “This Girl Can” workshops.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Division at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center partnered with Glynn Middle School’s career technology class to repair and configure wildlife decoys used in education events.

GCSS Superintendent Scott Spence and College of Coastal Georgia College President Michelle Johnston signed an MoU to continue the REACH (Reaching Educational and Career Heights) program for another year. The program is for GCSS students who have completed 4 years of high school, participated in a minimum of 3years of job readiness training, and are between 18 to 21 years old, with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

Fourth- and fifth-graders at Satilla Marsh Elementary teamed up together, under the direction of Ms. Leigh Truett and artists Kevin and Britney Bongang, to create a special mural on the school’s playground.

GCSS Annual Report

THANK YOU FOR VOTING “YES”

The Altama Elementary replacement project was one of several improvements approved by Glynn County voters in November 2015 as part of ESPLOST II. The school is set to open for the 2021-2022 school year. With 41 classrooms and 2 computer labs within its 104,128 square feet, the school sits on 26.54 acres of the Block “H” tract located at 6045 Altama Ave. – not far from its current location – and can hold 750 students.

G

lynn County citizens overwhelmingly demonstrated their support for our schools by approving the continuation of the one-percent sales tax that directly funds our education projects.

Sixty-five percent of voters said “yes” to the ESPLOST IV (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) at the November 2020 election.

The new ESPLOST will be collected at the termination of the ESPLOST currently in effect (December 2020), and will raise no more than $112 million for a specific list of projects.

Priorities for ESPLOST IV include a new Glyndale Elementary School and additions, as well as renovations and modifications at St. Simons Elementary. ESPLOST dollars have and will continue to provide necessary funding for school buses, road work, more paved parking, improvements at the athletic facilities, land acquisition, a kitchen expansion, technology upgrades and equipment, and other school facility needs.

Thank you for your support and continued commitment as we work together to provide the highest quality education for all students.

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www.glynn.k12.ga.us

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