Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement students recently explored a hidden treasure while putting classroom lessons into real-world applications. Thirty-one students visited the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, approximately one hour from Thomasville. Students currently taking or who already completed AP Environmental Science and AP Statistics could attend. Teachers Dr. Phil Coppola (APES) and Kelsey Hanna (AP Stats) chaperoned. 

The excursion aimed to observe migrating monarch butterflies at this key stopover location en route to their summering grounds in Mexico. Students learned about public land conservation and the refuge’s role – specifically native, invasive, and at-risk species – and collected field data. AP Statistics students will use the gathered information to study links between data collection, analysis and interpretation.

This is the first year these classes collaborated on such a joint learning project, but given the trip’s success, future adventures may find their way onto lesson plans.

November is Georgia Apply to College Month, and Thomas County Central High School intends to take full advantage of the Georgia Apply to College program’s opportunities. 

TCCHS will host its Apply to College Day Thursday, Nov. 9. During the school day, senior students can visit the school’s media center computer lab to complete at least one college admission application. 

“We are excited about being able to offer this opportunity to our students,” TCCHS Senior Guidance Counselor Tammy Shealey said. “The goal is to provide our seniors with help from knowledgeable volunteers as they navigate the college application process and take advantage of ‘No Fee November’ through GAFutures.org.”

According to the official website, the program seeks to provide all high school seniors the chance to apply to college while assisting first-generation and underrepresented students navigate the application process. 

Representatives from Southern Regional Technical College and Thomas University will be on-site to aid school staff with hands-on support as students fill out applications.

“Thomas University looks forward to helping students throughout the day,” TU Admissions Representative Josh Barrett said. “It’s important that students have the opportunity to further their education, and this could be [an] important first step for many students.”

A Thomas County School System school has earned a new statewide award for excellence in school nutrition.

Thomas County Central High School is among the inaugural class of winners of the School Nutrition Cafeteria of Excellence Award presented by the Georgia Department of Education’s School Nutrition division. TCCHS is one of only thirteen winners of the Cafeteria of Excellence Award and the only winner named from this region of Georgia. 

The award, according to the state, “recognizes school nutrition professionals for exceptional attention to serving quality school meals and providing excellent customer service while maintaining program integrity.”  

“The applicant pool for this award was strong, and the application evaluators carefully reviewed each submission. It is an honor to announce that Thomas County Central High School is the recipient of this prestigious award,” State School Nutrition Director Dr. Linette Dodson said.  “Thank you for your commitment and dedication to ‘Fueling Georgia’s Future.”

Helping furry friends look and feel fabulous while learning standards and practicing skills is on the class schedule for Thomas County Central High School Veterinary Science students.

The TCCHS FFA chapter recently received an FFA Grant for Growing totaling $4,692 to start an animal grooming service tied to the school’s CTAE Veterinary Science Pathway.

Dr. Nikki Smith, instructor and TCCHS FFA adviser said this grant helps make a dream reality.

“This has been a goal of mine since starting the Veterinary Science course/pathway in August 2017 and gaining industry certification in 2021,” she said. “I feel that my students will not only gain knowledge of veterinary science but gain confidence, learn teamwork skills, employability skills, and hopefully find joy in working with these animals.”

TCCHS CTAE Director Dr. Beth Adams said Nikki Smith is the perfect teacher for the school’s vet science pathway.

“She is always looking for ways to improve the program and provide students opportunities to participate in hands-on instruction,” Adams said.

Students like senior EmmaRae Smith, 18, are excited at the prospect of this firsthand option. 

A Thomas County Central High School Class of 2023 graduate’s exceptional skills within the workplace recently promoted him to a state title. 

Bishop Jackson earned the Southwest Region Work-Based Learning Student of the Year and the Georgia WBL Student of the Year awards. He received these honors during the annual Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education summer conference.

Jackson knew about the region award but was genuinely surprised to collect the state title, too. He garnered various academic accolades during high school – including salutatorian, National AP Scholar, and acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – but said awards like those for WBL have special significance.

“The recognition truly means a lot,” Jackson said. “During my four years in high school, I received lots of tangible awards for my academic achievements. However, there is nowhere near the same amount of recognition for students who take traditional course loads or place more emphasis on CTAE.”

TCCHS WBL Coordinator Brandi Miranda nominated Jackson for the region award and expressed pride in his state accomplishment. According to Miranda, what sets Jackson apart from other WBL students is his ability to adapt and excel in real-world environments.

Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement program and its students continue to exceed and raise their high bar. 

The College Board recently announced the 2022-2023 AP Scholars. TCCHS bested its all-time high total of 64 last year to 86 this year, including four AP Capstone Scholars. 

“Our students have earned these accolades through their willingness to accept the challenge of AP classes, which represent the highest level of academic rigor,” TCCHS AP Coordinator Erin White said. “ They consistently perform well across the AP curriculum, and their achievements are proof of the strength of our entire academic program.”

Levels include AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor and AP Scholar with Distinction. There’s also the now locally-recognized AP National level for students who earn at least a four or higher on at least eight AP exams and an average of at least a four on all exams taken.

“We are proud of our AP course offerings at TCCHS and happy to see our students recognized for their commitment to excellence,” TCCHS Assistant Principal Dr. Erin Rehberg said. “These students – and their teachers – work hard to achieve at the highest level, and it is always rewarding to see that hard work pay off.  AP classes set students up for success in college and beyond, and we cannot wait to see how this distinction will lead to future accomplishments.”

Most of Georgia's public school systems are accredited by Cognia, a nonprofit organization tasked with setting educational standards that prepare students for life after the classroom. Cognia will be conducting an accreditation review for the Thomas County School System during the school year. As part of the accreditation process, schools submit their educational environment to a rigorous process of analysis and evaluation. This parent survey will allow you to respond to questions about Cognia standards and how Thomas County includes families in the education of their students. Please complete this survey by September 22, 2023. If you have children in two or more schools, please take a moment to complete a survey for each school.

Click here to for more information and to take the survey!

With the threat of severe weather from Hurricane Idalia, Thomas County Schools will be closed Wednesday, August 30. This decision was made after consulting with national, state and local emergency agencies. The safety of our students, teachers, and staff is very important to us. Please stay safe!

It was a magical and eventful summer for Thomas County Central High School students Grayson Jones and Allyson “Ally” Moore. The current seniors, both 17, spent part of their summer vacation immersed in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. 

Held at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro this year, GHP gathered some of the brightest and most innovative youth minds for a month-long educational experience that surpassed the traditional classroom. 

“I don't think there's another word that sums it up quite like ‘magical,’” Jones said. “It's not just the classes or the dances, but the small moments with friends that really make this program what it is. Even walking to the dining hall felt so special because you were constantly surrounded by like-minded people who understand you and everything you love.” 

Eventful is how Moore describes GHP.

“There was never a dull moment,” she said. “I was always doing something, whether it was learning in class or having fun afterward.”

Participants have major and minor study areas. Jones’ major was communicative arts. She loved the people she met, like her hallmate Jay and the teachers who instructed her. 

“I especially loved Gillian’s slam poetry class because of how encouraging she was,” Jones said. “We could write and perform anything in her class without fear of scrutiny or judgment. I always loved her stories about fun things she and her fiancé do for each other, and I will always miss her Edgar Allen Poe-themed music.” 

Jones minored in education.

The TCCHS CTAE Department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2023-2024 school year for the Animal Science pathways. 

The TCCHS and Bishop Hall Physical Education Department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2023-2024 school year for the Health and Personal Fitness courses.

Samples of these texts will be on display in the main administration office at the Thomas County Schools Board of Education. Parents are invited to stop by during normal office hours (7:30-5:00) from July 10-13 to review these materials and leave any desired feedback

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

The Thomas County Central High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy held a dodgeball tournament at the end of the school year to raise money for a worthy cause. The dodgeball tournament has become the chapter’s annual IMPACT project, and this year they raised more than $3,000 for the Fountain of Life Rescue, a local homeless shelter.

This is the fourth year the students have chosen Fountain of Life Rescue in an effort to make a real impact on the community. Over the last four years, the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy students have raised more than $10,000 for the organization. In previous years, students also volunteered with them by helping paint the interior of the facility.

The Chick-fil-A Leader Academy curriculum not only teaches students the importance of putting service before self, but also how to become servant leaders.

Adviser Stann McLeod said, “My students never cease to amaze me with their ability to make a huge difference when they put their hearts into it. This is what motivates me to keep working with our next generation.”

Thomasville Toyota was named Thomas County School System’s BEE Partner of the Year for 2022-2023.  This is the second time Thomasville Toyota has been chosen as BEE Partner of the Year. The first time was in 2020.

The Business and Education Exchange (BEE) Partner of the Year is chosen from the outstanding BEE Partners who work with Thomas County Schools to strengthen the link among schools, businesses/industries, and the community.  

The partnership between Thomasville Toyota and Thomas County Schools is strengthened by the support of Brad Ramsey, Thomasville Toyota’s Service and Parts Director.

“It is a true honor to be selected as the BEE Partner of the Year,” Ramsey said. “Thomasville Toyota is committed to providing resources to help the staff and students at Thomas County Schools. We are happy to be a part of their mission to educate students and help young people become productive members of society.”

The Nest, Thomas County Central High School's school store, teamed with Future Business Leaders of America to raise $3,000 for CURE Childhood Cancer. The Nest student volunteers and FBLA members designed "Gold Out" shirts, sold in the fall, to raise funds for CURE. The Ken Young Company in Cairo provided shirts at a discounted rate to assist with fundraising efforts. Sharon Johnson, the local CURE representative, and Ashely Sowell, TCCHS nurse and childhood cancer survivor, accepted the check from FBLA Adviser Nicholas Haskin, TCCHS Principal Jamie Thompson, and TCCHS FBLA students who also volunteer in the school store -- Roan Adams, Natalie Carlisle, and Caroline Westberg -- on May 16, 2023. Pictured are (left to right) Nicholas Haskin, Roan Adams, Ashely Sowell, Jamie Thompson, Natalie Carlisle, Caroline Westberg and Sharon Johnson.

Thomas County Central High School sophomore, Paige Parkerson, has been selected to serve on the inaugural HealthMPowers Youth Advisory Board. HealthMPowers works to champion healthy habits and transform the environments where children live, learn, and play. Along with five other members of the board, Parkerson will lend her expertise to program implementation and improvements, and inform operations to enhance services for children and youth.

“I am excited just to meet other kids from the state and work to find ways to help kids get more involved in the choices they make in food and activities,” Parkerson said. “I want to have an impact on others and help create a better living and understanding for everyone.”

The Board was established as a result of feedback from youth during the creation of the 2022-2025 HealthMPowers Strategic Plan. The YAB is aligned with the organization’s strategy to deliver high-impact learning experiences that foster healthy habits— with a unique focus on youth voice. Board members will meet virtually once a month and serve for a minimum of one academic year.

Thomas County School System officials have named Melissa O’Neal, third grade teacher at Cross Creek Elementary, as the District Teacher of the Year. O’Neal has worked for Thomas County Schools for 21 years.

Upon being named Teacher of the Year for the system, O’Neal said, “What an incredible honor! I am beyond thrilled and deeply grateful to be recognized as the Teacher of the Year for Thomas County. Teaching has been my true calling and passion in life, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of my students every day. This award is not only a recognition of my passion for teaching, but also a celebration of the collective efforts of our entire educational community.”

O’Neal currently teaches 3rd grade, having previously taught pre-kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade and 3rd grade. She has taught various academic levels such as special education inclusion, ESOL, and gifted students.

Cross Creek Elementary School Principal Ashley Lane said that O'Neal is deeply committed to the field of education and to the noble profession of teaching.

Lane said, “Ms. O'Neal has a true heart for teaching.  She embraces the profession and dedicates her time and attention to the needs of her students.  She often states that her students are her heart.”

O’Neal said that from the moment she stepped into the classroom, she knew that teaching was her true passion.

Please complete the Parent Survey!

The Thomas County School System is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous.

The survey is open until Friday, March 31. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Parent-FY23

Spanish surveys available upon request.
Encuestas en español disponibles a pedido.

Science and its innumerable avenues of exploration led 23 Thomas County Central High School students to attend the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Regional Science and Engineering Fair Feb. 10 in Tifton.

Thirteen of these students earned a chance to represent TCCHS at the state-level competition: Dru Jones, Laney Mobley, Riley Ambrose, Lilian Oaksford, Laylen Hines, Kathryn Covington, Layla Staley, Even Roberts, Kayden McClain, Caroline Westberg, Nayeli Badillo, Joleth Correon, and Claire Jones.

“I am extremely proud of all the students' hard work to prepare for region science fair,” TCCHS Science Department Chair Meagan Bradshaw said. “Students came prepared and ready for their judges' interviews.”

Freshman Claire Jones, 14, also won second place in the senior division (high school) for her project, “Don’t Be A Chicken.” Her experiment tested how various seasonings – salt, cinnamon, garlic powder and onion powder – would affect preserving a chicken thigh over five days. She hypothesized that salt and cinnamon would have the best results while the onion and garlic powders would be the least effective.

“I conducted my experiment by measuring the weight change of each piece of chicken,” Jones said. “Whichever ones lost the least amount of weight were coated with the best preservative, and whichever ones lost the most had the worse preservative."

Consistent dedication to advanced academics – especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – secured Thomas County Central High School’s place on a very selective list. 

TCCHS has achieved recognition from the Georgia Department of Education as an Advanced Placement Honor School in two categories: AP STEM and AP STEM Achievement.

Assistant Principal Dr. Erin Rehberg said TCCHS stands out in these categories because of its high number of AP courses (currently 20) and its faculty and students’ dedication to success.

“Earning this award means that our students have not only enrolled in the most challenging STEM courses offered at TCCHS, [but] they have also done remarkably well on the exams,” Rehberg said. “This honor speaks to the dedication of our students to achieve at the highest levels and to the dedication of our faculty to help them succeed.”

The GaDOE began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008. According to the Feb. 17 official press release, Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods named 273 AP Honor Schools from 97 school districts. The 2023 honorees earned their titles based on 2022 AP courses and exam results. There are eight categories: AP Access and Support, AP Challenge, AP Expansion, AP Humanities, AP Humanities Achievement, AP Schools of Distinction, AP STEM and AP STEM Achievement schools.

On February 10 and 11, band students from Thomas County Central High School and Thomas County Middle School traveled to ABAC in Tifton, Georgia, to participate in the District 2 Honor Band Clinic. Nearly 100 students participated from the Thomas County School District, and this prestigious group honors the best youth musicians the state offers.

TCCHS Band Director Joe Regina said that the high school is well represented at district honor band every year, but having so many students selected is quite an achievement.

"I'm so unbelievably grateful that Thomas County Schools supports the fine arts the way that it does, which is something that you just don't find in every school district,” Regina said. “Everyone from the superintendent to the principals and administrators, down to the faculty and our tremendous band staff district-wide are all a part of this great accomplishment." 

Phoenix Brock, a TCCHS freshman French horn player, enjoyed his experience at District Honor Band. 

“I got to meet new people, and the food was really good which is a big plus for me,” Brock said. “Also, I felt like I really learned from the music we played. I hope I can grow as a french horn player and a member of the TCCHS Band. Overall, I would love to do this again next year!" 

STEP 1: Use the link below to register your child for Pre-K or Kindergarten. If you need assistance, please call Hand-In-Hand at 229-225-3908. 
PreK and Kindergarten 23-24 Registration
STEP 2: After you register, use the link below to schedule a screener appointment. 
PreK and Kindergarten Screener

Utilice el siguiente enlace para inscribir a su hijo en Pre-K o Kindergarten. 
Inscripción de PreK y Kindergarten 23-24
Para programar una evaluación en español por favor llame al 229-516-2080.

The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Mark NeSmith declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Ken Harper made a motion that Leah Smith be elected chair and that Dan Stewart be elected vice chair. Chris Hayes seconded Harper’s motion.  NeSmith called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Smith and Stewart were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.

Smith has been a member of the board since 2018, and this is her first time serving as chair. Smith is a registered nurse at the Thomasville Eye Center. She and her husband, Ben, have two children in the school system.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Thomas County’s students, parents, and taxpayers with my re-election,” Smith said. “As the chair, I’m excited for all of the wonderful things this year holds for our school system. Working alongside Dr. Williams, vice chair Dan Stewart, the other board members, and our staff to channel your voices, I look forward to witnessing Thomas County’s successes.”

Versatile and motivated are adjectives Thomas County Central High School 2023 STAR Teacher Erin White uses to describe TCCHS 2023 STAR Student Bishop Jackson.

“Bishop is the epitome of a well-rounded and self-driven student,” White said.

Jackson, 18, said earning the STAR student title is exciting. This accolade celebrates the senior of each graduating class with the highest SAT score. 

“I worked hard to increase my SAT score for college admissions, so it means a lot to be recognized for my hard work,” he said.

White, the school’s Advanced Placement coordinator and MERIT coach, was Jackson’s first high school AP teacher. The senior chose White as his STAR teacher because he recalled her willingness to go the extra mile for her students – in or outside the classroom.

“Since the current senior class was the first to take AP U.S. Government as ninth graders, Mrs. White took extra effort to help us be successful,” Jackson said. “One memory of Mrs. White that stands out is during an 11th-grade trip to UGA and Georgia Tech. Not only did she drive the bus to Atlanta and Athens, but she facilitated a tour of both campuses. It really just shows how dedicated Mrs. White is to her students.”

He also appreciates White’s personality and perspective.

“Outside of teaching, Mrs. White is always helpful and kind, whether it be registering for exams, doing community service, or just having a conversation,” Jackson said. 

White expressed surprise and humility at Jackson’s selecting her.

An ONLINE registration portal will be active on January 30 and 31st. This live link will be available on this website and on social media for registration. If you need access to a computer, please call Hand-In-Hand at 229-225-3908 and ask for Trish Kearce who will schedule an appointment to assist you in registering your child.  All eligible students signed up for pre-k on January 30 and 31st will be guaranteed a slot. Out-of-district students will be accepted upon approval by the Board of Education.

A link will also be available during online registration to schedule your child’s screening appointment. 

The Thomas County School System recently held the official groundbreaking for a new 122,000 square foot multi-purpose building housed on the Thomas County Central High School campus. The new building, expected to be completed in 2024, will feature a state of the art band facility, new home for the JROTC program, new basketball locker rooms for both girls and boys varsity and junior varsity programs, a full gymnastics and cheerleading gymnasium, football locker rooms for the varsity and junior varsity teams, presentation room, health classrooms, modern weight room, and a full 120 yard indoor practice field for football, soccer, baseball, softball, and golf. The groundbreaking was held to kick off the beginning of Phase I which includes the addition of a new student parking lot which will allow room on the high school campus for the new facility. School board members, community members, and district and school administrative staff were present for the event. 

The Winter Break is December 19 - 30, 2022. There is a teacher workday/student holiday on Monday, January 2. We look forward to seeing students back on Tuesday, January 3!

Thomas County Central High School seniors learned it’s never too early – or late – to start their college applications. TCCHS held its Georgia Apply to College Day session Thursday, Nov. 17.  

According to the official press release, this day is an annual event sponsored by Georgia Student Finance Commission and supported by Communities in Schools, the Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Independent College Association, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the Technical College System of Georgia and the University System of Georgia.

“I am thrilled to host Apply to College Day at TCCHS,” 12th-grade counselor Tammy Shealey said. “Our goal was for each student to successfully complete at least one college admission application utilizing No Fee November.”

Senior English classes visited the school’s media center computer lab and received hands-on assistance from guidance office staff and representatives from local post-secondary institutions Thomas University and Southern Regional Technical College. 

Senior Coltin Kilgore said youth should take this day seriously because it aids them in deciding their future.

“Going to college is a way to find yourself, and it gives you more opportunities in the future that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” he said. “Going to college is a great way to find out what you want to do with your life.”

Kilgore already has an official acceptance to Full Sail University and plans to major in business media.

Calling all Santa’s helpers: Thomas County Central High School’s Shop With A Yellow Jacket, or SWAYJ, annual charity event is almost here. 

Always held in mid-December, SWAYJ assists Thomas County Schools pupils whose families could use a helping hand during the holiday season. 

“TCCHS is committed to improving the lives of its students and members of the Thomas County community,” assistant principal Levi Williams said. “The holidays can be an especially difficult time for many of our families and students. The mission for SWAYJ is to share a little holiday cheer and to reinforce the belief that helping and caring for one another is how we grow as a community.” 

Teams of TCCHS students raise funds to take an elementary-age pupil Christmas shopping at Walmart. But it’s not a spree for themselves.

“Instead, the gifts they purchase are for their family members, further spreading the spirit of giving during the holiday season,” Williams said.

Senior Bhumin Patel knows how special SWAYJ is because he’s participated before and plans to do so again this year. He started because he wanted to do something nice for someone else.

Patel recalls his favorite part of the experience as seeing the smile on his group’s little shopper’s face after finding a specific toy.

Thomas County Central High School Marching Yellow Jacket Band swarmed, and its fellow contenders felt the sting in a recent performance contest. The band competed against seven other groups from Georgia, Florida, and Alabama in the Battle on the Border Marching Band Competition at Martin Stadium in Valdosta on Saturday, Oct. 22. 

TCCHS received straight superior ratings for drum major, color guard, percussion and band. Additionally, it earned Best in Class AAA, Best Music Overall, the Jeff Lilly award for Most Entertaining Band, and first runner-up overall.

Quite an accomplishment on any day, TCCHS Band Director Joe Regina reveals the outcome’s especially commendable because his youth musicians also had the annual homecoming game, a mass band show with Thomas County Middle School students, and senior night the previous evening.

“Words cannot express how proud we are of our students for their efforts on Saturday,” he said. “We could tell very early on this season that we had a very special group of students marching this year.”

Members express similar enthusiasm for their results.

“I'm so proud and impressed by all our band members for putting their all into bringing home our awards,” sophomore clarinet player Bianca Torres, 15, said. “I know how hard everyone has worked, and I know how much we all deserve this win.”

Thomas County Central High School Future Georgia Educators’ members competed in the Future Georgia Educators Region Competition Day Tuesday, Oct. 18. Club sponsors Amy Smith and Delisa Barrow took the group to Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, where TCCHS student Shelby Wilbourn also served as a student ambassador and emceed the event. Two TCCHS teams won first and third places in the knowledge bowl; the top three teams in the region advanced to state competition for this category. The Future Georgia Educators State Competition will take place March 9, 2023 in Macon.

Each year, National Honor Society chapters across the nation and around the world strive to recognize high school students’ exemplary achievements.  Thomas County Central High School Chapter of the National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium. More than 100 TCCHS students earned induction status this year.

The Thomas County Central High School Army JROTC Raider Team (male category) won the 2022 Area 2 Region Championship, held Oct. 8 at Crisp County High School. This victory marks back-to-back region titles for the team. Next, the TCCHS team will travel to Griffin to compete for the state title later this month. The Georgia Raider State Championship is Oct. 29 at Spaulding High School.

Thomas County Central High School Band students auditioned for the Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Jazz Ensemble Monday, Oct. 3. Students from across Southwest Georgia had the opportunity to try out. Of the 21 selected, more than half of the ensemble’s seats – 13 – feature a TCCHS youth musician.

TCCHS students chosen include Ayden Webb (first chair, alto saxophone), Walker Cobb (first chair, tenor saxophone), Jesus Altamirano (tenor saxophone), Teddy Cone (first chair, trumpet), Arwen Hancock (trumpet), Matt Bradley (trumpet), James Butler (trombone), Jenna Coaker (trombone), Tyler Laidman (bass trombone), Tessa Thomas (first chair, vibraphone), Morgan Loper (first chair, piano), Rebekah Horton (first chair, bass guitar), and Keaton Stephens (drums).

These students will travel to Tifton in early 2023 to join the rest of the ensemble for rehearsals and a performance Feb. 9-10 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

The TCCHS and Bishop Hall social studies departments are in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2022-2023 school year for the world history course. A sample of this text will be on display in the TCCHS Media Center. Parents are invited to stop by during normal school hours (from October 17-21) to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

Thomas County School Nutrition Director Dr. Lauren Duplantis was recently appointed to serve on the 2022-2023 State School Nutrition Director’s Advisory Council. As a member of the Advisory Council, she will work with other directors, state staff, professional association and industry members to enhance the reach and effectiveness of school nutrition services across Georgia.

Duplantis was asked by State Director of School Nutrition Dr. Linette Dodson and will serve on the council for three years. The majority of the meetings are held virtually, but at least one meeting per year is held in person.

“It is an honor to be chosen to serve on the advisory council for the state, and I look forward to providing input that will not only improve the programs we provide locally, but that also enhances school nutrition services throughout Georgia,” Dr. Duplantis said. “Our mission is to provide quality meals and nutrition education opportunities for students that promote healthy children, ready to learn, and it is exciting to work alongside others in school nutrition who share this passion as well."

The current alignment of the council is with the RESA districts, having one local director from a district in each of the 16 different RESA districts.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods has appointed 16 new parents to serve on his 2022-2023 Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Danniell Slocumb, a Thomas County Middle School representative on the Thomas County School District’s Parent Advisory Council, was chosen as one of the members.

Slocumb, who is one of only 31 parents serving on the State PAC, was nominated by the Thomas County School District at the beginning of this school year. New members are selected each year by representatives of the Georgia Department of Education based on the applicants’ responses to questions on engaging parents to ensure their children’s success at school and the local school superintendent’s recommendation. Slocumb will serve a two-year term on the council.

Slocumb is actively involved with the Thomas County School System and a supportive member of the community. Having a recently graduated senior and a current seventh grader, Slocumb is well aware of the academic and social supports families can benefit from. She has partnered with the different schools in the Thomas County school district since her first daughter started school 18 years ago.

“I think that being engaged in a constructive way at the school level is the only way to be able to have a voice so that the school has a chance to listen to an outside perspective and then take action accordingly,” Slocumb said.

Three Thomas County Central High School students experienced a unique brand of magic when they attended the 2022 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

Thomas County Central High School students posted a record number of 5s on their Advanced Placement exams for the 2021-22 school year. In the last five years, TCCHS’ tally rose from 12 in 2018 to 53 in 2022, a significant increase from 2021’s 33 5s. 

“Naturally, we are super proud of those kids who earned these scores,” TCCHS AP Coordinator Erin White said. “We have several who received multiple 5s; we even had six freshmen earn 5s! It is really hard to get a 5, and it is definitely an accomplishment for the kids.”

According to the College Board AP Score Table, a 5 means extremely well-qualified for college credit and placement; it’s equivalent to an A or A plus in a college course taken at a selective university. 

Assistant Principal Dr. Erin Rehberg expressed pride in the school’s AP program and its students.

“It is exciting to see students performing at this level and earning the confidence and knowledge needed to do well in college,” she said.

The TCCHS CTAE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2022-2023 school year for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Pathway. A sample of this text will be on display in the TCCHS Media Center. Parents are invited to stop by during normal school hours (from August 17-26) to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

The Thomas County Board of Education has adopted a $65 million general fund budget for the current school year, and to partially fund this budget, approved a tentative rollback millage rate of 12.533 mills for tax year 2022.  The rollback rate is a 9% decrease from the 2021 millage rate of 13.804.

The proposed millage rate marks the tenth year in a row that the county board of education has reduced the school property tax rate. Thomas County School’s 2021 millage rate of 13.804 was the 25th lowest out of 180 school districts that can levy a tax, placing it in the bottom 14% of districts in the state.  The state average school property tax rate for 2021 was 15.88 mills.  Since school districts are in the process of adopting millage rates, comparison rates for 2022 are not yet available, but the school system’s proposed roll back rate is expected to move lower in the state ranking to at least the bottom 10% of the lowest property tax rates in the state.

Property values in the Thomas County School tax district increased 11.7% from 2021, but only 1.5% of the increase is in the form of real building growth. Over 10% of the property value increase was in the form of property reassessments, and by law, the school district is required to roll the millage rate back to yield the same amount of revenue that would have been collected had the reassessments not occurred.  By law, if a rollback is not adopted, the school system must declare a tax increase.  Approximately $11.7 million of local property tax revenue is included in the system’s 2022-2023 budget.

For the eighth time and fourth consecutive year in a row, the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts has recognized the Thomas County School System for Excellence in Financial Management and Reporting.

The Department of Audits created the award program to recognize those entities that are audited annually and go beyond standard financial business practices to be considered “the best of the best.” An award of distinction is presented to organizations that submit quality financial statements and supporting documentation in a timely manner, whose annual financial report is given an unmodified audit opinion and is free of any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, and comply with all Transparency in Government requirements.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams and Board Chair Mark NeSmith presented the award to Deputy Superintendent for Finance Joey Holland at the July board of education meeting. Upon receipt of the award, Holland gave credit to the staff members in the system’s finance department.

The graduation ceremony will be livestreamed on Saturday, May 21, starting at 9:00 a.m. using the link below:

https://youtu.be/UsLSLY2_xqw

The annual Thomas County Central High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Dodgeball Tournament, held in April, raised approximately $3,500 for Fountain of Life Rescue, Thomas County’s homeless shelter. 

Two Thomas County Central High School students earned placements in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District’s Congressional Art Competition. Sophomore Addison Weiss won first place, and senior Ashton Scully received second place.

Thomas County Central High School’s TC Masquers One Act team members celebrated their state competition win with the presentation of championship rings Thursday, April 28. The group claimed a piece of TCCHS history when its “A Piece of My Heart” production won the Georgia High School Association State One Act 4-A title in November 2021. The school’s one-act production advanced to state two previous times – 2003 and 2020 – but this is the first year TCCHS won a state competition.

Thomas County Central High School junior Morgan Loper’s commitment to academic excellence has led to special recognition by the College Board. She recently won the National Rural and Small Town Recognition award, part of the College Board National Recognition programs.

Only 216 high school seniors around the state earned the rank of 2022 Georgia Scholar, and Thomas County Central High School has three of them. These students are Jack Cantrell, Koda Copeland, and John Adam Singleton. 

Thomas County Central High School Army JROTC Drill team marches to a competition beat that improves continuously. The team wrapped its competitive season and gave its all at the 6th Brigade Georgia State Drill Championship March 26. 

Thomas County Central High School JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl (JLAB) team recently qualified for the national 2022 Army JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl Championship. TCCHS qualified in the leadership section, meaning the team ranks in the top 40 among 1,371 teams in its category. 

Veteran Lt. Col. Kevin Ingram runs the U.S. Army Junior ROTC program for Thomas County Schools. He started the program at Bishop Hall while splitting the workday between Bishop Hall Charter School and Thomas County Central High School. In July 2021, the program officially moved to the TCCHS campus. 

The Thomas County School System is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous.

The survey is open until April 1. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ParentSurvey21-22

Spanish surveys available upon request.
Encuestas en español disponibles a pedido.

The Thomas County School System announced recent staff promotions and title changes following approval at the February regular board meeting.

Both Dr. Jim Rehberg and Lindsay Thompson are moving from Thomas County Central High School to the district office.

Rehberg is now serving as the Director of Facilities and Operations. Rehberg, who holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, spent the previous 10 years as a district and school administrator at Thomas County Central High School where he was in charge of testing, academic recognition, and facilities. Prior to that, he worked as a media specialist serving the entire student body and faculty of TCCHS after teaching English literature and computer science.

"There is a direct correlation between a warm, welcoming, and secure atmosphere and student achievement,” Dr. Rehberg said. “The facilities at Thomas County Schools are among the best, and it is a privilege to work alongside the men and women responsible for ensuring our buildings remain a place where all students are safe and happy. We are always looking for ways to make what we have better. I look forward to facilitating the best environment possible for the students of Thomas County Schools."

Rehberg, a 1990 graduate of then Central High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at University of Georgia before completing his graduate work at Valdosta State University.
 

Whether writing as a hobby, to test skills, or with career aspirations in mind, four Thomas County Central High School students composed their way to wordsmith recognition. The school has four system-level winners in the Young Georgia Authors competition: freshman Layla Staley, sophomore Shane Sanford, junior Sofia Jimenez and senior Norman Desourdy.

TCCHS junior Savannah Taylor called upon her comfort with and connection to poetic expression of the human experience to become the region winner in the Poetry Out Loud competition. This accomplishment qualifies her for the state event in March.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter continues to dominate, winning the Georgia FBLA Region 1 Conference and Competition for the 11^th consecutive year.

Teaching might not have been part of his initial career equation, but Thomas County Central High School math teacher Justin Quigg’s decision to become one factored into his selection as the 2022 TCCHS Teacher of the Year.

A student who shines his inimitable light upon his studies and all who meet him, Norman Desourdy is the Thomas County Central High School Class of 2022 STAR Student. This accolade celebrates the senior of each graduating class with the highest SAT score, and it’s one Desourdy pursued. 

The links below will take you to the registration forms. The forms are not compatible on mobile phones, but computers will be available at HNH and the board office. Please call 229-225-3908 for more information.

Pre-K English Registration Form

Kindergarten English Registration Form

After you register, please click here to schedule the Pre-K & Kindergarten Screener.

de prekínder Formulario de

registro de jardín de infantes

La cita de evaluación de su hijo será el  22 de febrero de 2022. Llame Thais Woods al (229) 516-2080 entre las 10:00 am y las 3:30 pm para registrarse para la evaluación de su estudiante.

An ONLINE registration portal will be active on January 31 and February 1. This live link will be available on this website and on social media for registration. If you need access to a computer, please call Hand-In-Hand at 229-225-3908 and ask for Trish Kearce who will schedule an appointment to assist you in registering your child.  All eligible students signed up for pre-k on January 31 and February 1 will be guaranteed a slot. Out-of-district students will be accepted upon approval by the Board of Education.

A link will also be available during online registration to schedule your child’s screening appointment. 

Click here for more information.

Thomas County Central High School students celebrated Hispanic Heritage month earlier this school year. TCCHS Spanish instructors Anthony Paulino, John Jimenez, and Erika Wyatt organized the annual celebration.

Two Thomas County Central High School youth musicians impressed the Georgia Music Educators Association with their skills, receiving a seat and an alternate position on the 2022 GMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble. Junior Tessa Thomas earned the single seat for vibraphone players. Junior Morgan Loper received the alternate position on piano, which means that, if the student selected cannot attend, Loper takes their place.

A new year brings new beginnings for the Thomas County School System. During a called meeting this morning, the board approved the retirement of Mrs. Trista Jones, along with the recommendation of Mr. Jamie Thompson being named the new Thomas County Central High School principal and Mrs. Ashley Lane being named the new Cross Creek Elementary School principal.

Mrs. Jones has devoted 30 years of her life to our students and system. She will always be a cherished member of our Yellow Jacket family. We congratulate Mrs. Jones on her retirement and thank her for her many years of service to our system.

Congratulations also to Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Lane! They are both excellent leaders who will continue to help our system flourish and excel in their new positions.

The halls came alive with the sounds of Christmas cheer as Thomas County Central High School held its annual Shop with A Yellow Jacket service event, Saturday, Dec. 11.

Thomas County Central High School’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education Veterinary Science program now has its industry certification from the Georgia Department of Education, which means it has cutting-edge trade equipment, exemplary curriculum, and a well-trained instructor to offer the highest learning level it can achieve.

Justin Rogers was hired as the Thomas County Central head football coach Friday following the Thomas County Board of Education’s unanimous approval at a morning board meeting.

He will officially begin his duties as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach on January 3 according to Athletic Director Philip Duplantis.

“It is a privilege and honor to be able to serve as the head coach at Thomas County Central,” Rogers said. “I’m super excited to be a part of the Yellow Jacket family and feel passionately about continuing the tradition of excellence.”

Thomas County Central High School’s TC Masquers claimed a piece of school history when their “A Piece of My Heart” production won the Georgia High School Association State One Act competition for its 4-A region over the Thanksgiving break.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Preparations for the annual Shop with a Yellow Jacket event are now underway at Thomas County Central High School. Better known as SWAYJ, it’s a chance for the school and, most importantly, its students to give back to the community. Teams of 4-5 TCCHS students sign up and raise $100 to take some especially deserving younger kids who attend school in the Thomas County Schools system Christmas shopping for themselves and their families at Walmart. Also, the school decorates its cafeteria in a festive theme, and groups return with their purchases to wrap them. Team sign-up ends this week. SWAYJ is Saturday, Dec. 11.

Thomas County Central High School Debate team is off to a promising start in its competition season. Members competed in The Gladiator Debates at Johns Creek High School Oct. 15-16.

TC Masquers turned in a repeat performance by winning the Georgia High School Association Region 1-4A One Act competition for the second straight year. Thomas County Central High School Drama program’s entry, “A Piece of My Heart” by Shirley Lauro, wowed at the annual event, held Oct. 30 at Westover High School in Albany.

Thomas County Central High School continues its mission to offer a variety of Advanced Placement courses that challenge students consistently. This year, it adds AP Research to the roster, the second course in the AP Capstone program the school began last year.

Area high school cadets recently received some direct training in military physical and mental preparation when the Thomas County Central High School Army JROTC program hosted a Raider Challenge. Held Thursday, Sept. 30, this competition is the program’s varsity-level sport, explains Senior Army Instructor Lt. Col. Kevin “Buzz” Ingram.

The Thomas County School System decided to "GO GOLD" in September which was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Faculty, staff and students wore gold or yellow on Friday, September 3, to share awareness and show support for kids and families impacted by childhood cancer. Each school in the system also participated in Caps for CURE by paying one dollar to wear a hat on Friday. Thomas County Schools raised a total of $2,125.68. The money raised was donated to CURE Childhood Cancer. Sharon Johnson visited the school system recently to accept the check on behalf of CURE. 

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) awarded the Thomas County School System $3,754,352 over four years to advance literacy efforts. During this second round of Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA),  grants were awarded to 23 school districts totaling $22,101,554. 

Curriculum Director Robin Cartright “We are excited to again be awarded the L4GA grant as it allows us to provide literacy opportunities to our students and to our community. Through previous grant awards, we have implemented literacy initiatives and provided books and other texts that have led to stronger readers, and I have no doubt this will continue with the current grant award.”

Dr. Lisa Williams, Superintendent of Thomas County Schools stated, “I commend the extraordinary collaboration among our district and school level faculty in preparing the grant. It’s because of their exceptional teamwork that our system was awarded the L4GA literacy grant. The funds received from the grant will go a long way in helping our system to continue its focus on overall literacy improvement."

As a recipient of the Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) grant, Thomas County Schools will focus on creating plans for children from birth to 12th grade. Additionally, the school will partner with the community to support early literacy for all local children.

In July, the Thomas County School Board approved administrative personnel changes for the new school year upon the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams.

Brecca Pope has been named Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. In her new role, she will continue to support the district with a primary focus on human resources.  

Pope has worked with the Thomas County School System since 1999.  She served in Thomas County as a Speech Language Pathologist at Cross Creek, as assistant principal at Hand-In-Hand Primary School, and as assistant principal at Cross Creek before joining the district office administrative team. Pope is currently working on her doctorate degree in educational leadership.

The Thomas County Board of Education has tentatively approved a rollback millage rate of 13.804 mills for 2021, a 2.4% reduction from the 2020 millage rate.

The proposed millage rate marks the ninth year in a row that the county board of education has reduced the school property tax rate. Thomas County School’s 2020 millage rate of 14.139 was the 34th lowest out of 180 school districts that can levy a tax, placing it in the bottom 19% of districts in the state.  The state average school property tax rate for 2020 was 16.14 mills.  Since school districts are in the process of adopting millage rates, comparison rates for 2021 are not yet available, but the school system’s proposed roll back rate is expected to once again be among the lowest property tax rates in the state.

Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement program excelled in its 2020-2021 end-of-course exams and overall course success rates.

TCCHS had 146 students test. Of the 243 exams given, the school has the scores for 235 of them currently. To pass an AP exam, one must score a 3 or higher. TCCHS students earned this ranking in 186, or 79.1 percent of its tests: 84 3s, 69 4s, and 33 5s. Also, 39 students achieved AP Scholar status.

“AP scores are a huge hit this year,” Assistant Principal Jim Rehberg, who supervises the school’s AP program, said. “The teachers and students really hit a home run.”

According to the College Board, which creates and coordinates AP content, scores declined last year due to COVID-19 restrictions that impacted instruction. However, despite the rumblings of negative outcomes worldwide, Rehberg said TCCHS defied the odds. For example, the College Board’s AP Score Report lists the global average pass rate for AP Psychology at 53.9 percent and the Georgia pass rate only a few points higher at 56.4 percent; however, the TCCHS pass rate was 88 percent, more than 30 points higher than the world and state averages.

Aubrey Palmer, a TCCHS Class of 2020 member, recently learned she achieved the American FFA Degree.

Thomas County Central High School senior Claire Pope videoed her way to a special scholarship during this summer’s annual Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, otherwise known as the Washington Youth Tour.

Thomas County Central High School student Bishop Jackson earned a world ranking at this summer’s 2021 Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference and Competition. A sophomore when he began advancing through the competition ranks, Jackson achieved 10^th place in Coding & Programming.

PINES Library Access for Youth (PLAY) is brought to you through a collaboration between the Thomas County School System, Georgia Library PINES, and the Thomas County Public Library System. 

Thomas County School System student ID numbers will now act as a library card number for your public library! The public library provides free access to books and online resources to help your child succeed in school, as well as fun resources that help develop a lifelong love of reading.

Click below for more information.

PLAY - PINES Library Access for Youth

 Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement program excelled in its 2020-2021 end-of-course exams and overall course success rates.

Welcome Back-to-School Letter from the Superintendent 

Back-to-School Information 

DRESS CODE
2021-2022

The following types of clothing are considered inappropriate at Thomas County Central:

(Click Read More to see the list.)

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines and a list of eBook resources.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at your school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2022-2023 school year.

Summer Reading Challenge Website

The School-Based Health Center, located at the Thomas County Middle School, has released the summer schedule. There are some days and weeks when the center is open, but not for sick visits. During those times, there will be no provider on site so only COVID tests and vaccines will be administered. Call 229-227-2936 for questions or appointments.

At the regular April meeting, the Thomas County Board of Education accepted Charles Evans' resignation as the District 3 Board representative. According to Evans, his resignation is due to health reasons that have made it difficult to continue in his role.

For his more than 14 years of service as a board member to the children of Thomas County, Evans was honored during the meeting with a certificate of appreciation and a personalized clock showing his years of service and support to the school system.

“Serving on the board has been one of the greatest experiences in my life,” Evans said. “It has been such a part of my life that I will miss tremendously."

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams said, “The school system is very appreciative of Mr. Evans for his more than 14 years of faithful, dedicated service as a board member to the children of Thomas County. We greatly appreciate all the many ways that he has helped support our students and system. He has served District 3 and the Thomas County community well and even though his time as a board member has ended, he will forever be a member of our Yellow Jacket family.”

The Board also approved the appointment of Ken Harper to fill the vacant District 3 board seat for the remainder of the current term.
 

Attention parents!  Please take a moment to complete our Parent Survey which will provide us with valuable information about our schools and will help with future improvement strategies.  Your feedback makes a difference!

Humility, intelligence, compassion, positivity, and tenacity are connecting qualities that illuminate Thomas County Central High School senior Alex Marquez’s character. Shining brightly, he just earned the TCCHS Class of 2021 STAR Student honor.

The Thomas County Central Audio-Video Technology and Film Department, also known as Broadcasting, was recently awarded top-prizes at the statewide SkillsUSA competition with a gold and silver medal performance in two areas, broadcast news and audio/radio production respectively.
 

Despite a truncated schedule, social distancing, and quarantines that limit rehearsal time, Thomas County Central High School Bands program upholds the highest standards. Whether through performances, instruction, or scholarships, its youth musicians prove a pandemic’s caesura, or grand pause, cannot keep them from their musical aspirations.

The Thomas County School System recently held the spring Parent Advisory Council meeting. Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams presented an overview of the systems’ plans for Federal CARES and funding and reviewed projects planned for successful E-SPLOST V funding. Assistive Technology Technician Alison Parker provided an update on the assistive technology resources and supports provided by the school system. Dr. Bob Dechman, Assistant Superintendent for Federal Programs and Accountability, presented the system’s policy on Family Engagement and asked participants to complete a survey to provide suggestions for plan revision. Each school principal reviewed progress on their School Improvement Plans to date and asked parents to complete a survey to make suggestions for next year’s plan.

We invite you to watch the recording of the meeting and provide your input as well. If you have questions or input, you may contact Dr. Bob Dechman by email bdechman@tcjackets.net or contact the parent involvement coordinator at your child’s school.

ZOOM Meeting Recording

You may also share your input by completing the following surveys:

District Family Engagement Policy: https://forms.gle/9cJp73gXCBqK4L8C6

School SIP survey: https://forms.gle/M6yXUwZSEZRVtLk96

This is a reminder that Friday, March 26, is a teacher workday. There will be no school for students!

 February was Black History Month. To celebrate, students in Thomas County Central High School Visual Composition III and IV classes had an opportunity to learn about its importance through local figures.

Thomas County Central High School students took the top two spots in their virtual ABAC Regional Science Fair division.

For the first time since the 2003-2004 season, Thomas County Central High School Drama program’s one act play won the Georgia High School Association Region 1-4A One Act competition. The TC Masquers took the top prize at the annual event held at Westover High School in Albany.

Please click below for information on our "Finish Strong" plan:
"Finish Strong" Video

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At its February meeting, the Thomas County Board of Education endorsed a series of proposals recommended by the curriculum department to support students and teachers through the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

The “Finish Strong” plan calls for the return of more students to in-person learning and aims to reduce the number of teachers who have to simultaneously teach both in-person and on-line classes. To provide time for teachers, counselors, and administrators to plan for these adjustments, three teacher work days have been added to the school calendar.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter is the Georgia FBLA Region 1 champion for the 10^th consecutive year.

The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Charles Evans declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Nancy Hiers made a motion that Kay Streets be elected chair and that Mark NeSmith be elected vice chair. Leah Smith seconded Hiers’ motion.  Evans called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Streets and NeSmith were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.

More than a holiday chill filled the air when Thomas County Central High School Bands program held its annual Christmas concert. The school’s Gold and Blue bands, Jazz Ensemble and Dazzlers performed at the Donald Dalton Agriculture Pavilion located on campus Tuesday, Dec. 15.

TCCHS senior Anna James earned school and state High School Heisman honors for her exemplary achievements both on and off the athletic field.

Thomas County Schools is pleased to announce that Joey Holland, SFO, Deputy Superintendent for Finance, has earned the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations® (SFO®) by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). School business professionals who earn the SFO certification have proven that they have the required knowledge, expertise, and fiscal credibility to lead their school district and effectively manage the district’s finances.

“Even though I’m going into my twentieth year in school finance for Thomas County Schools, I wanted reassurance that I had the knowledge and professional competencies to lead the school district in not only finance, but other areas of school operations,” Holland said.  “I was also eager to find out if my finance and operations knowledge was on par with other school finance officials across the country.”

ASBO International’s SFO certification is an internationally recognized standardized assessment for school business officials.

Thomas County Central High School FFA chapter’s Meats Evaluation Career Development Event team processed its way to state competition.

The Thomas County School system recently held its annual Fall Parent Advisory Council meeting via zoom. Each school was represented by parents and stakeholders. The meeting is designed to inform stakeholders of system initiatives and request feedback on future planning. A link to the recording and follow up survey are posted below and on the Federal Programs page. If you have questions or input, you may contact Dr. Bob Dechman by email bdechman@tcjackets.net or contact the parent involvement coordinator at your child’s school.

Zoom link

Survey link

We celebrated National Parent Involvement Day giving us the opportunity to recognize the many contributions parents and caregivers provide on a daily basis. We appreciate your continued support of our school system!

https://youtu.be/HiFMuwKMsLg

Offered by the Thomasville Center for the Arts, the guest artist and workshop facilitator was John Doyle, a digital storyteller who founded Arts Integration LLC. Doyle’s primary goal was to provide students a safe space and opportunity to process and express their experiences from the prior seven months.

Academic excellence and exemplary conduct shone brightly when Thomas County Central High School National Honor Society chapter inducted 98 members Monday, Oct. 26.

The Thomas County School System decided to "GO GOLD" during the last week of September which was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Faculty, staff and students wore gold or yellow on Friday, September 25, to share awareness and show support for kids and families impacted by childhood cancer. 

Each school in the system also participated in Caps for CURE by paying one dollar to wear a hat on Friday. Thomas County Schools raised a total of $2,178.61. Each school showed their support by donating the following: Hand-In-Hand, $241.23; Garrison-Pilcher, $412.30; Cross Creek, $634.08; TCMS, $351; TCCHS, $500; and Bishop Hall, $40.

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams said, "I am very appreciative of the compassion that our students, staff, and parents have demonstrated in their support of Childhood Cancer Awareness and Research as shown through their actions and contributions. Together, we were able to make a difference for such a worthy cause." 

The money raised was donated to CURE Childhood Cancer. Sharon Johnson and Kathy Pipkin visited the school system recently to accept the check on behalf of CURE. 

“‘Caps for CURE’ was started by my family's friend, Sarah Barr, from Locust Grove," said Johnson. "Her idea to encourage students to raise awareness and funding for childhood cancer continues today.  Sarah fought Ewing’s sarcoma for seven years and passed away just before her 20th birthday. We appreciate the continuing support of ‘Caps for CURE.’”

Thomas County Central High School PREP Academy Automotive Technology pathway is a recipient of training engines from the Ford Automotive Career Exploration, or ACE, program.

When school begins on Tuesday, September 8 all students will be required to have a temperature check upon entering the building. To make this easier, drop off and entry locations will be limited.

Earlier this year, Thomas County Central High School musician Brandon Allen earned placement in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. His chosen field of study was music, his specific area of study jazz trumpet.

Due to the delay in the start of this school year, our 20-21 school calendar had to be revised. Please make note of the changes. Fall break has been eliminated, Thanksgiving break was shortened, and the end of the school year has been extended one week with the last day of school on Friday, May 28. We are looking forward to our students starting back to school on Tuesday, September 8, either traditionally, through our remote classrooms, or our virtual school option. We are greatly missing our students and are counting down the days until we are able to see them again soon. Please continue to monitor the system and school websites and social media pages for continued updates.

2020-2021 School Calendar

This fall, Thomas County Central High School students seeking new academic challenges have expanded Advanced Placement opportunities. 

Dear Thomas County Schools Families,

After many recent discussions with the local and regional health departments regarding Thomas County's current COVID-19 data, along with Archbold's announcements of rising COVID-19 case numbers, and the Governor's announced recommendation for systems to reopen after Labor Day, the start date for pre-planning has been moved to August 17 with students scheduled to return on September 8. The changes in dates will cause some changes to our 20-21 school calendar, which will be shared once it has been revised.

The postponement of school reopening will allow further development of our remote learning plans, computing device deployment for our digital learners, teacher preparation, continued discussions with health and local officials, and to ensure that our families and employees are fully prepared to start school in a successful manner.

We realize that the delay may not be the ideal solution for everyone, but please know that we did not make this decision lightly. The health and wellbeing of all of our students, staff, and families are vitally important to us. We are all eager to get back to traditional learning in our schools because that is where the majority of our students and staff thrive.

Our remote classroom and virtual school options will continue to be available for families who are not ready to have their child return to traditional learning.

Open house dates will be communicated to families through their child's school.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we work to provide the safest learning environment for our students and staff.

Please continue to monitor our district website and social media pages for system updates.

Survey results are in, and parents' voices have been heard so now it's time to choose the best learning opportunity for your student! You will be choosing between the Traditional Option, the Remote Classroom Option or the Virtual School Option. Click below to access a flyer that contains more information and the necessary links such as the Superintendent's Letter, the Registration Form, and Frequently Asked Questions. Please complete the registration form by Friday, July 17.

Time to Make a Choice - Registration Form 

Please call our Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234 for more information.

6/24/2020

Dear Thomas County Schools Families,

We only have a few weeks before school is scheduled to start back. I realize that this Back to School season is weighing heavily on your minds, as it is ours. Please rest assured that the leadership of our system has been working hard to stay current with agency guidelines related to the safe operation of schools. We are continuing to use the guidelines received from the Georgia Department of Education, Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare for the reopening of our schools.  One of the most challenging aspects of this work is that the guidelines and restrictions continue to evolve. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this time as we continue to plan for a safe re-entry for all students and staff.

We are planning for our schools to reopen for in-person instruction for our students as scheduled on August 3rd.

We hope that the majority of our families will feel safe returning to a fairly traditional school setting with health screening and enhanced hygiene measures in place. Thomas County Schools will be implementing additional measures to address COVID-19 concerns and to keep our students and staff as safe as possible within the school environment.

Click on READ MORE to see other options and access survey

The School-Based Health Center on the TCMS campus reopened June 1.  In light of COVID 19, and PCSG’s desire to keep our patients and staff safe, patient appointments will be limited to two per hour.  PSCG is working with the School’s Athletic Director and Archbold Medical Group in providing the community-wide sports physicals (dates to be determined).  If you are unable to make those dates, PCSG will provide sports physicals in the clinic for $10. 

The clinic will be open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday. In addition to offering in-clinic appointments, PCSG offers telehealth visits.   

To help maintain physical distancing rules, all appointments must be scheduled in advance.  To schedule your appointment, please call  229-227-2936.

For the safety of our patients and staff:

1.      Before entering the clinic everyone must be screened.
2.      Only one person may accompany a minor for a visit.
3.      All patients and accompanying adult must wear a mask.
4.      PCSG staff will be wearing a mask as well as other protective equipment.
5.      PCSG will limit the number of individuals in the clinic at any one time.   

GARRISON-PILCHER

Chromebook Drop-Off
May 26 - 29 - Hall Road side of Cross Creek
Tuesday, May 26 -  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 - 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, May 29 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Yearbook Pick-Up
Wednesday, May 13 – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on sidewalk outside PLC

*Teachers have already collected needed work packets & dispersed student belongings. Questions concerning packets should be discussed with teachers.

CROSS CREEK

Chromebook/Work Packet Collection
May 26 - May 29 – Clark Road side
Tuesday, May 26 -  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 - 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, May 29 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Recently, the Georgia Department of Education EL Language Programs announced its Spring 2020 Exemplary English Learner and Exemplary ESOL Teacher recipients. Thomas County Schools has two honorees.

Because we always want the very best for our students, Thomas County Schools has found a way to provide meals during the month of June. The new program will deliver meals to your doorstep for free. This program is called Emergency Meals-to-You, and students who attend Thomas County Schools are eligible to participate in the program. However, you must enroll your student in the Meals-to-You program in order to have meals shipped to your home during the month of June.

All you have to do is fill out and submit an online form.

Please hurry because the enrollment period ends at midnight on May 18.

Even if you enroll in the Emergency Meals-to-You program, please remember that our local meal distribution will still take place every Wednesday through May 27. 

Thomas County Schools and Google linked this academic year to pilot a program offering Google Student Certification to Thomas County Central High School business pupils.

Twenty Thomas County Central High School FBLA chapter members placed with four qualifying to contend in this summer’s 2020 FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition (see below).

Thomas County Schools is distributing meals for the week and the weekend. Pick up breakfast and lunch for seven days! Distribution for meals is ONLY on Wednesday of this week. Students no longer have to be present. Visit TCMS from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. or our various community locations from 11:00 - 12 noon. We are still here for you! Please call the Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234 for questions or information.

​

SECOND HARVEST PROVIDING MEALS MONDAY & WEDNESDAY

Please don’t forget to stop by Hand-In-Hand tomorrow, Monday, April 6, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. to pick up meals. Students do NOT have to be present during the meal pick-up. We are very appreciative of Second Harvest’s willingness to help feed our families during spring break.

We will be distributing ready-to-eat meals ONLY on Tuesday & Thursday starting this week (Tuesday, March 31 & Thursday, April 2). NO meals will be distributed during spring break (week of April 6 - 10). Please visit our main location at the Thomas County Middle School during the limited times below. The time for community distribution sites will remain the same.

Meal Distribution Schedule Week of March 30 - April 3

For the week of March 23-27: Meal Boxes (10 meals) are available for distribution on MONDAY ONLY.  A snack and a meal provided by Second Harvest will be available on WEDNESDAY. Our meal distribution sites will remain the same.

Meal Updates:  This week we will only be able to provide the meal boxes containing 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches on Monday (3/23). Please plan to pick up a box with your child(ren) on Monday. We want to ensure that all of our students receive a box of food for the entire week. A snack and a meal provided by Second Harvest will be available on Wednesday. Our meal distribution sites will remain the same.  

See schedule below:

Monday & Wednesday
TCMS - 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.*
Bus deliveries - 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon
*On Wednesday while supplies last

Please continue to monitor the district’s web page and Facebook daily for important updates. We are here for our families. For assistance, call the Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234. 

As a result of the school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Thomas County School System plans to distribute items needed to provide instruction to our students in a variety of formats. Chromebooks will be provided  for any student in grades 2-12 who needs a device to complete digital learning assignments. 

A distribution site will be located at each of our schools during the times below:  

Monday, March 16: 1:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 17: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Parents and Guardians,

The Thomas County School System is working diligently to provide services to your children in order to minimize, as much as possible, disruptions in your child’s education due to the school system closure.

To help us better serve your child, we have developed a short on-line survey.

Please complete the survey at the following link as soon as possible: Thomas County Schools Closure Survey 
Spanish version of survey: Thomas County Schools Encuesta de Necesidades de Cierre

Please continue to check our website and/or Facebook page daily for updates regarding services that will be available to your child during the closure.

The Thomas County School System is in the initial phase of the system's strategic planning process. We value the input of our stakeholders and want to take into consideration the thoughts, ideas, wishes, and dreams of those who are invested in our system. Your input will help establish the system's goals and priorities, which will guide the system over the next five years. If you were unable to attend the Community Engagement Session on Thursday, February 20, to provide your input, please complete the short survey below by 11:45 p.m. on March 5. Thank you for your time, and we greatly appreciate your feedback. 

English survey:    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE20-Thomas

Spanish survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE20-Thomas-Spanish

Those who need translation may email Emily Ross eross@tcjackets.net for assistance.

Thomas County Schools will be closed Thursday, February 6, due to the threat of high winds and inclement weather. The safety of our students, teachers, and staff is very important to us.

A passion for science and willingness to challenge oneself has led one high school student to shine brightly. Senior Joshua Stephens is the Thomas County Central High School Class of 2020 STAR Student.

The Thomas County School System is initiating a strategic planning process and invites you to participate! It is vital that we hear from our stakeholders on the future direction of the school district before the plan is developed.

When:  February 20, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where:  Thomas County Central High School   

Who:  All Thomas County School System employees, parents, senior citizens, businessmen and women, civic leaders and residents. High school students are also encouraged to attend.

What:  A Community Engagement Session to gather input from parents, citizens, district employees and students. Everyone is invited: parents, all district employees, high school students and community members. No special experience or knowledge is required. We will present information on the district, the strategic planning process and then break into small groups for discussion.

NOTE: Sandwiches and beverages will be served at the event. Please RSVP using the link below to help us plan how much food to prepare.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CommunityEngagementEvent                                                              

Thomas County Central High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy chapter embraced giving to others and spreading holiday cheer with its Do Good December service project.

The Thomas County School System is offering an anxiety seminar entitled, "Beyond Survival: Helping Families Cope with Anxiety." The hour-long seminar will be held in the Thomas County School Board Auditorium on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:00 p.m. 

We hope that each of you had a wonderful break and enjoyed special time with friends and family. We look forward to our staff and students returning next week. As a reminder, Monday, January 6, is a teacher workday and a student holiday. Our students are scheduled to return on Tuesday, January 7. Happy New Year!

The annual Thomas County Central High School Science Fair occurred Thursday, Dec. 12. It featured approximately 75 projects encompassing students from grades 9-11.

Thomas County Central High School’s fifth annual Job Shadowing Day is quickly approaching. Organizers are seeking local businesses to collaborate with them to allow students to observe various career environments. 

Commonly held around Groundhog Day, Job Shadowing Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to educating high school students on working life after graduation. Students spend the day observing fields such as healthcare, automotive and welding. This allows participants to see how skills acquired in high school can make transferring to a job easier.

“By giving kids this opportunity, it really helps them determine what field they want to pursue after high school,” TCCHS Work-Based Learning Coordinator Brandi Miranda said. 

After last year’s event, partakers had many positive comments. Past participant Destiny Cole recommended the experience to students.

“...You will learn a lot and have an awesome time,” she said. 

Student Mya Cooney encouraged her peers to participate because she benefited from the experience. She shadowed at New Hire Solutions and observed how its staff helps others find careers that suit them.

“My job shadowing experience gave me a chance to see how impactful I can be in a person’s life without being their psychiatrist,” she said. 

The year’s shadow day is Feb. 4, 2020. The deadline for businesses to register as a host site is Jan. 17. Students have until Jan. 24 to sign up as a participant.

For more information or to sign up, please email Brandi Miranda at bmiranda@tcjackets.net.

It's National Computer Science Education Week, but in Thomas County, we are proud to have computer science as a part of our curriculum all year long! Cross Creek Elementary School was featured in this video from the Georgia Department of Education about Computational Thinking. Take time to watch this short video!
https://youtu.be/BAxW5vzREr8

The TCCHS CTAE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2019-2020 school year for the Automotive and Welding courses/pathways. The TCCHS social studies department is also reviewing a textbook for use during the 2020-2021 school year for the AP Psychology course. Samples of these texts will be on display in the TCCHS Media Center. Parents are invited to stop by during normal school hours (from December 3-9) to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Shop with a Yellow Jacket, better known as SWAYJ, is set for Saturday, Dec. 14. This year’s theme is “Merry & Bright.” The annual event brings together students from Thomas County Schools to make Christmas a little brighter for the system’s in-need families. And it gives the big kids a chance to shine.

The push to drive academics to the end zone continues within Thomas County Central High School’s football program.

The Thomas County School System's BEE Partners of the Quarter were recognized for the first nine weeks. These businesses and industries support the school system in so many ways, and their support is very appreciated.
Hand-In-Hand -Dawson Street Baptist Church WMU
Garrison-Pilcher - Barnett's Creek Baptist Church
Cross Creek - Dog World
Thomas County Middle School - McDonalds
Thomas County Central High School - Thomasville Dental Center (Dr. Sanders)
Bishop Hall - Donathan Photography
If a business or industry is interested in partnering with Thomas County Schools, please contact Erin Rehberg for more information. See pictures of our Partners of the Quarter by clicking the link below.

Thomas County Central High School International Travel Program has announced scholarship recipients for its fifth annual trip. This summer 2021 voyage is to Japan.

Thomas County Central High School youth thespians donned the colorful wardrobe and lovable personas of the Peanuts gang for the TC Masquers’ staging of “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" as its annual one-act play and competition entry.

Hand-In-Hand Primary School is competing for a $2000 Envision grant that will allow the school to further develop their "Beecoming Your Best" program through social and emotional learning. The school made it to the top nine, and we want them to be in the top 3! See details below about voting.

How to Vote:
Share with your family, friends, and coworkers and encourage them to cast their vote. Come back and vote once per day. Voting ends November 11! To vote, visit the link below. Simply click on the video frame or the circular button in the top left corner of the video to select your choice, enter your email at the bottom of the page, then click the "Vote" button.

www.EnvisionCU.com/VOTE   

This year, Thomas County Schools purchased a set of virtual reality goggles and expeditions for TCCHS students to explore topics in academic and vocational platforms the school currently offers.

 Learning the values and tools of positive leadership and promoting doing good for others were main agenda items on a field trip checklist for Thomas County Central High School’s chapter of the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy.

Thomas County Central High School youth musicians hit the perfect notes to earn chairs on the Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Jazz Ensemble. TCCHS students comprise almost one-third of the 19-member group.

 Thomas County Central High School has introduced an incentive-based program to reward students who consistently perform well academically and behaviorally.

Chasing one’s dreams, no matter how crazy or seemingly unattainable, was at the heart of a special appearance to Thomas County Central High School students by best-selling author Dr. Delia Owens.

 Climate change and preserving the environment were the green button topics at Thomas County Central High School this week. Members of the school’s environmental ambassadors’ organization promoted a Climate Action Week.

Thomas County Central High School youth interested in teaching future generations recently received an introduction to the social-emotional learning practice known as Conscious Discipline. Early Childhood Education I students took part in an interactive lesson presented by Hand-In-Hand Primary School counselor Whitney Robertson.

A federal grant is providing fresh fruits and vegetables to Thomas County students.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program that provides all children in participating schools with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. The FFVP also encourages schools to develop partnerships at the state and local levels for support in implementing and operating the program.
 

The Thomas County School System’s MERIT program is providing daily afternoon writing workshops to prepare MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) for the rigors of Advanced Placement (AP) classes and to support MERIT students at Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS) who are enrolled in AP classes.

Thomas County’s MERIT program spans grades 5 through 12 and includes students from both Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School. The workshop is part of an initiative to bridge the MERIT program between the two schools.

Students in Thomas County Central High School agricultural education teacher Nikki Smith’s classes took part in The Great Georgia Pollinator Census Friday, Aug. 23.

Arts education and learning the power of storytelling took center stage in a recent outreach experience. Thomasville Center for the Arts joined forces with Phoenix Theatre to host a theatre workshop at Thomas County Central High School Thursday, Aug. 22.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter members left their mark at this summer’s 2019 FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition.

It was the summer of jazz, improved improvisation and growth for Thomas County Central High School senior Joshua Stephens.

 It was the summer of jazz, improved improvisation and growth for Thomas County Central High School senior Joshua Stephens.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams has appointed Dr. Lauren Duplantis to serve as the district’s health and wellness coordinator.

Duplantis will chair the system’s wellness committee and will help market the school-based health center as an option for parents who do not have a primary-care provider.

The Thomas County School Board has approved administrative personnel changes for the 2019-2020 school year upon the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams.

Richard Potter has been named principal of the Renaissance Center for Academic and Career Development. The Renaissance Center is Thomas County’s alternative school, serving students in grades 5-12 whose home schools are Thomas County Middle School, Thomas County Central High School, or Bishop Hall Charter School.

Dr. Dale Graham who returned to the Thomas County School System in 2018 as the district’s math coordinator was named District-wide Director for the MERIT Program last fall and is rolling out several initiatives for the new school year.

MERIT, short for Maximizing Education to Realize Intellectual Transformation, provides a rigorous curriculum and enrichment opportunities for gifted and academically high-achieving students in grades 5-12. The program spans both Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School. 

Under the new structure, the program has a middle grades coordinator, Dana Studdard, and a high school coordinator, Erin White.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams has appointed Michele Dechman instructional coordinator of Bishop Hall Charter School.

Dechman joined the faculty of Thomas County Schools in 1999 where she has taught elementary education, special education, gifted education, and computer coding.  She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and an educational specialist degree from Valdosta State University.
 

The Thomas County School System is pleased to announce the introduction of a string orchestra program for the 2019-2020 school year serving students in grades 4 -12.

Dr. Boyan Bonev has joined the faculty of Thomas County Schools and will lead the formation of the string orchestra program with classes held during both the school day and after school.

The Thomas County School System is always seeking ways to meet the needs and interests of our students. Several parents have requested that the school system consider starting a string orchestra program for grades 5 through 12. In order to gauge the level of interest in such a program, the school system is conducting a survey. Please complete the survey found using the link below.

http://bit.ly/tcstringsinterest

The survey will close June 25.

Thank you for your support of our school system and for taking time to complete this quick survey.

In order to recognize the teachers who have gone above and beyond with implementing the effective use of technology in classroom instruction, this year the Thomas County School System named the second annual Digital Learning All-Star Teacher at each school and for the district. Daphney King, a fourth grade teacher Cross Creek Elementary School, was selected as the district winner.

“The Thomas County School System has made a significant investment in technology for our students and teachers as a result of having E-SPLOST funds and receiving other grants," said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. "It is important to reward those teachers who have used the technology provided to them to effectively transform the learning process in their classrooms.  Not only do all of our Digital Learning All-Star Teachers effectively use technology with their students, they are also known for helping their peers with various technology tools.”

Each school held a nomination process with the winner for each school completing an application in order to compete for the district title. This year, the district winner was awarded a Google Chromebook courtesy of Firefly Computers and will be able to attend an educational technology conference in the fall.  

Head coach Ashley Henderson says everyone involved in the football program takes it very seriously and wants to put the same level of care into academics as in strength and conditioning, nutrition and skill development. This gives them a chance to know students on a more personal level and talk to players about topics other than just ball.

Begun in the 2012-2013 school year, the program has expanded to the middle and elementary school levels as well. Its mission is to improve STEM education while providing an opportunity for students to develop their critical thinking.

Thomas County Central High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy recently hosted its second annual Dodgeball Tournament as part of its end-of-year Impact Project, with proceeds benefiting a local service organization. This year’s recipient is Fountain of Life Rescue, who will soon be opening a local shelter for homeless individuals.

TCCHS held its annual Honors Night ceremony Thursday, May 16. The event, which took place in the school’s gym, traditionally occurs the night before seniors’ last day of high school. It recognizes impending graduates for academic and elective achievements and bestows various scholarships to deserving recipients.

Student Google accounts will be disabled from June 17 - August 2, 2019. If a student needs account access during this time, he or she should complete the form below.   Please allow 24 hours for access to be granted. Student accounts will continue to be monitored for inappropriate usage during the summer months.  Questions should be directed to Erin Rehberg at erehberg@tcjackets.net.

Student Account Request Form

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at each school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2019-2020 school year.

Guidelines for all schools

Click here for information about programs at the Thomas County Public Library this summer!

Free eBooks are provided for all students this summer -- Click here for more information

Tips to avoid the summer reading slump

Thomas County Central High School has announced its Class of 2019 valedictorian, salutatorian and honor graduates.

A Thomas County Central High School freshman has earned an esteemed honor within the Georgia Future Business Leaders of America organization. Alyssa Barlow, 14, is a Region 1 officer for the 2019-2020 year.

Thomas County Central High School has implemented a plan to help its students best prepare for their exams. All teachers organize their students for the upcoming tests, but for two weeks the school held special “boot camp” sessions in specific testing areas to refresh students’ memory and ensure they understand the material expected to be on their exams.

On April 13, the team of Megan Clark, Cameron Parker, Aubrey Miller and Stephen Sykes earned first place in group performance at the Georgia National History Day competition in LaGrange. They advance to this summer’s national championship.

Thomas County School System officials have named Jill Grimes, first grade teacher at Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School, as the District Teacher of the Year.

“Being named Teacher of the Year for the Thomas County School System is such an honor,” Mrs. Grimes said. “I am incredibly grateful to work with the most amazing and supportive colleagues. Our system is composed of phenomenal people on every level. The support of my coworkers, family, and friends is what has shaped me into the educator I am today. To represent our system at state will be a privilege.” 

Grimes has been a teacher for three years with Thomas County Schools. She began her teaching career in Mitchell County in 2008 first as a fifth grade teacher in math, science and social studies, and then as a Pre-K teacher at Mitchell County Elementary School where she taught for eight years.

Due to the threat of high winds and inclement weather, the Thomas County School System will be closed Friday, April 19.

The Georgia Milestones End-of-Course testing is quickly approaching. Thomas County Central High School
will begin testing on Monday, May 6, and we would like you to be aware of some important dates.

The testing schedule is as follows:
Monday, May 6 -  Geometry  Algebra Part I
Tuesday, May 7 -  Geometry & Algebra Part II
Wednesday, May 8 -  9th English Literature and American Lit Part I
Thursday, May 9 -  9th English Literature and American Lit Parts II & III
Tuesday, May 14 -  Biology, Physical Science, Economics
Thursday, May 16 -  US History

Make up testing is scheduled the day after each regularly scheduled test.

A passion for making memorable music has led two Thomas County Central High School students to final recognition by an esteemed summer workshop, the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter presented a strong showing at the 2019 Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference. Numerous students have advanced to this summer’s national competition.

Every year, thousands of high school students participate in the Georgia Rotary Clubs’ Laws of Life Essay Contest. This contest showcases the developing writing skills of students while allowing them to share their experiences.

Thomas County Central High School Future Georgia Educators chapter members took part in the recent 2019 Future Georgia Educators State Competition. Several students and teams placed in their respective events.

Though spring has sprung, there’s still a little chill in the air. But volunteerism is one way Thomas County Central High School students are spreading warmth.

Please see READ MORE...  to review information concerning the implementation of our new safety protocol effective April 8, 2019.

History, humanitarianism and leadership are at the heart of a special accolade earned by one Thomas County Central High School senior. Brooklyn Reese is a recipient of the Billy Michal Student Leadership Award presented by the National World War II Museum.

Amy Ponder is Thomas County Central High School 2019 Teacher of the Year. She is a first-time honoree.

A Thomas County Central High School freshman has earned a 2018-2019 Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Honorable Mention. The project was among the top 10 percent of all those submitted for this year’s competition.

Toshiba and the NSTA announced recognitions Tuesday, March 7. Cason Dennard, 14, earned the award for his work toward creating a sensor to detect objects in the water.

The Thomas County School System's financial system was recently targeted by criminals who sought to steal funds from a school system account. Security procedures that the school system and its banking partner have in place prevented the loss of any funds. Click on the link below for more information. 

IMPORTANT SECURITY AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION NOTIFICATION

Thomas County Central High School sent 19 students into the area’s career space Thursday, Feb. 28 with its annual Job Shadow Day. Twenty-one businesses were involved. Fields ranged from youth development to accounting and welding to the military.

In light of the recent news stories concerning hacking on YouTube and other websites that provide children's programming, we urge parents to monitor what their children are viewing by way of Internet connections. The Internet can be a wonderful educational tool, but the online world can also be dangerous. Please protect your children by supervising their Internet exposure.

The Thomas County School System has services that monitor all student web searches, email messages and storage of files for inappropriate or dangerous content. We are diligent in protecting students while they are using accounts and devices provided by the district whether they are at school or off-campus. We urge parents to monitor their students’ use of all Internet connections, especially those that occur outside of the school system’s monitored network.

Please feel free to contact your child’s school or the school district if you ever have concerns about Internet content that your child accesses by way of a school system owned device or connection.

 Thomas County Central High School recently shot hoops to promote healthy hearts. The school held a student/faculty basketball game to raise funds for the American Heart Association.

The Thomas County Central High School Career Fair took place Thursday, Feb. 14 in the school’s gym. The event is held every other year.

On Feb. 1, select Thomas County Central High School French and art students traveled to Savannah to explore culture and put their fine arts studies to the test. Those in Kelly Arno’s French club and advanced French classes, as well as art teacher Shelby Young’s upper-level students and AP art pupils, were invited to attend.

It was a chance to showcase how positive outcomes can arise from adverse events as Thomas County Central High School held its annual National History Day competition Friday, Feb. 1.

Seventeen Thomas County Central High School musicians are named to the Georgia Music Educators Association 2019 Region Honor Bands.

Ben Wilhelm is the 2019 Thomas County Central High School STAR Student.

For the ninth consecutive year, Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter has earned the Georgia FBLA Region 1 Sweepstakes trophy.

Hand-In-Hand Primary School is holding Pre-K and Kindergarten registration for the 2019-2020 school year on Monday, February 4, and Tuesday, February 5, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. both days. Registration will take place on the Board of Education campus in the Professional Learning Center. For Pre-K, your child must be 4 or 5 years old ON or BEFORE September 1, 2019. All eligible students signed up for Pre-K on these days will be guaranteed a slot. Click on the link below for more information.

Hand-In-Hand Pre-K/K Registration

TCCHS has partnered with the Halcyon Home and Fountain of Life Homeless Shelter to collect new or gently used coats and blankets for those in need in Thomas County. Students may bring their donations to Mrs. Laura Parkerson in room A-11 and receive a voucher to be used in our school store. Donations may also be made at our first home soccer game on January 29. Donors will be rewarded with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Let's show our Jacket spirit and share the warmth. Donations will be accepted through January 29.

Thomas County Central High School Work-Based Learning program’s annual Job Shadow Day is almost here. Businesses/industries who want to help out by allowing students to observe their employees in action are needed.

For the second consecutive year, Thomas County Central High School seniors Eric Webb and Caleb Moore have earned seats in the esteemed Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band.

The holiday season is universally acknowledged as a magical time of year filled with unexpected gifts. Thomas County Central High School alumnus James Kirk Beckham is on the receiving end of such a present.

We are pleased to announce that the Thomas County Health Department will be coming to your child's school during the month of January to offer the flu vaccine. There will be no out-of-pocket cost for your child to receive the vaccine given during the school flu clinics. If you would like for your child to get vaccinated at the school flu clinic, please click on the link below for more information and to access the consent form: 

Flu Packet to return by January 15, 2018

Thomas County Central High School Bands program student musicians continue to impress Georgia Music Educator Association District 2 Honor Band judges.

The Thomas County School System has been named a Google Reference District. In order to become a reference district, Google must recognize the work being done by a district with G Suite for Education and send an application to the system.  

Thomas County Schools began using G Suite for Education in 2015. Since that time, the district has adopted Google Chromebooks at a rate of one device per student in grades 2-12.  Students in grades 9-12 are allowed to check out a Chromebook for use both at home and at school.

“Adding G Suite tools and Chromebooks in our district has allowed our teachers to do many things that they have never been able to do in the past,” said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning and Media Services Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. “Technology truly has the power to transform learning by allowing students to easily collaborate, communicate, and create.  Being named a Google Reference District is confirmation that our teachers are using technology to help prepare Thomas County students for their futures.”

The Thomas County Central High School Debate team has been contending in various tournaments across the state for several months with the hope of advancing to state competitions. Several students on the team have succeeded in qualifying.

Thomas County Central High School has announced its Governor’s Honors Program nominees for the 2019 session.

Thomas County Central High School Science Fair took place Dec. 7 in the school’s media center. Out of almost 60 entries, six students earned first place honors, six students received second place designations and seven students garnered third place recognition.

The City of Thomasville Charity Board made a generous donation to Thomas County Central High School’s annual Shop with a Yellow Jacket, or SWAYJ, event fund Tuesday, Dec. 4. Pictured are (left to right) City of Thomasville Charity Board member Melissa Creel, who presented the check, TCCHS Principal Trista Jones and Leonard Guyton, TCCHS assistant principal and SWAYJ coordinator.

Thomas County Central High School is seeking vendor participants for its upcoming Career Fair. Approximately 50 spots are available. Anyone interested in being part of the fair should contact Brandi Miranda by phone at (229) 225-5050 ext. 192 or email bmiranda@tcjackets.net.

Thomas County Central High School held a holiday canned food drive Nov. 5-16. With the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and the holidays almost here, the local food bank is in need of nonperishable food items, drive cosponsor and TCCHS teacher Leigh Barwick explains. Donations were collected in first period classes. The drive’s goal was at least three canned food items per individual. The items will go to Thomas County Food Bank, located across the street from First United Methodist Church in downtown Thomasville. Food bank representatives brought a truck to TCCHS Friday, Nov. 16 to pick up the donations. Approximately 1,500 items were donated.

Thomas County Central High School Environmental Ambassadors celebrated America Recycles Day Thursday, Nov. 15. Two activities were chosen to help encourage recycling: a student created poster contest and the selling of America Recycles Day T-shirts.

Even Hurricane Michael couldn’t keep the Exchange Club of Thomasville’s Deep South Fair Youth Art Show from anointing a new crop of winners.

A Thomas County Central High School Class of 2018 graduate is already building upon the agricultural knowledge foundation he gained from his time as a Career Technical Agricultural Education student.

  Thomas County Central High School Athletic Boosters held a special drive to raise donations for Bainbridge families affected by Hurricane Michael. Bainbridge took a direct hit. The boosters expanded the drive to Thomas County Central High School students, faculty and staff. The school responded and brought in numerous items. These included deodorant, ramen noodles, bleach, space heaters, clothing and canned goods. The boxed items, along with a check from the boosters, were presented to Bainbridge High School personnel on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The Yellow Jackets’ final game of the season was against the Bainbridge Bearcats Friday, Nov. 2.

The curtain fell on Thomas County Central High School’s TC Masquers region performance with several accolades waiting in the wings. The group placed third at Region 5A One Act Competition Oct. 22. TC Masquers performed “Digging up the Boys” by Laura Lundgren Smith. The story is about three men trapped in a collapsed mine and the women aboveground who love them and are trying to rescue them.

After Hurricane Michael made its way through Thomasville, yards were filled with debris. And not every resident affected could clean up without assistance. Enter Thomas County Central High School Service Learning Coordinator Lt. Col. Stann McLeod, who was contacted by system personnel and asked if he could round up some student volunteers to aid storm cleanup efforts. His answer was yes and he proceeded to contact potential volunteers for this service learning opportunity.

Thomas County Central High School took part in Barberitos’ Pink Chip Day, held in honor of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Thomas County Central High School Cool 2 Be Kind Club sponsored a “Unity Day” Wednesday, Oct. 24 in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month. Club members sold orange “Unity Day” T-shirts that promoted the day’s mission in advance, and students and staff wore their shirts on the day. Anyone who did not purchase a shirt could still participate in the day by wearing orange. Students and teachers also purchased Cool 2 Be Kind glow in the dark bracelets. This “Unity Day” is one of many activities the club is sponsoring throughout the month, all with the goal to bring awareness to bullying and encourage prevention of it within schools. 

The TCCHS CTAE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2018-2019 school year for the following course:  Veterinary Science. A sample of this text is on display in the TCCHS Media Center. Parents are invited to stop by during normal school hours (during the week of October 16-19) to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

TC Masquers will debut their One Act production of “Digging Up the Boys” Tuesday, Oct. 23. The show is 6:30 p.m. at the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium, located at 200 N. Pinetree Blvd.

Thomas County Central High School has scored the most student musician chairs of any participating school on the 2018 Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Jazz Band.

A drive-thru flu shot clinic scheduled for Monday, October 15 at Thomas County Central High School has been canceled until further notice.  

A selection of students from the Thomas County Central High School Work-Based Learning program recently had the opportunity to inhale both the sweet smell of success and the aroma of freshly baked goods. The group toured Flowers Baking Co. of Thomasville, LLC Thursday, Sept. 27.

Students across the state are getting more and more involved in their community, including those at Thomas County Central High School.

Thomas County Central FFA members attended the Area 5 Career Development Event competition at Brooks County High School on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The chapter had several teams and individuals participate. One individual student advanced to the next leg of area competition and one team advanced to state competition, both to be held this November.

A group of Thomas County Central High School FFA members celebrated the chapter’s new year by attending a special kickoff event.

 Thomas County Central High School is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program.

Thomas County Central High School has inducted new members into its chapter of the National Honor Society organization.

Thomas County Central High School recently held an election for freshman class officers. Those named to office include: president, Frederick Diggs; vice president, Emma Mitchell; secretary, Kariana Coloń; treasurer, Molly Grace White; inspirational leader, Natalie Black; and, parliamentarian, John Adam Singleton.

Three Thomas County Central High School musicians have been invited to audition for a prestigious international showcase. (left to right) Caleb Moore, Megan Schminky and Kaleb Ward each received a letter from Honors Performance Series congratulating them upon being automatically nominated to apply for the High School Honors Performance Series. Moore was selected for his inclusion in the 2018 Georgia All-State Symphonic Band; Schminky and Ward were nominated for their participation in the 2018 Georgia All-State Chorus. 

Thomas County Central High School held its annual PROBE Fair Tuesday, Sept. 4. The event took place in the school’s cafeteria. Representatives from more than 40 colleges and universities were in attendance. Students from TCCHS and neighboring schools were invited to attend. Students and their families could peruse the various booths and ask questions about topics important to college acceptance, including applications and financial aid options. The fair is an important tool to aid students in determining which colleges and universities in the state and region might best suit their post-secondary plans. The TCCHS Guidance Department is in charge of the yearly event.  The hope is that students will leave the fair with a clearer understanding of what they need and the colleges to which they may wish to apply.

Parents...Are you familiar with vault apps? Do you have questions about cyberbullying and dangerous social media trends? Thomas County Schools is sponsoring a FREE Cyber-Safety Seminar with nationally recognized speaker, Sgt. Jesse Hambrick of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.  Please make plans to attend on September 11 at 6:00 PM at the Thomas County Board of Education.

 Thomas County Central High School alumnus Brian Siceloff recently returned to his alma mater to talk with students in the Audio Video Technology and Film pathway.

Senior Brooklyn Reese, her parents, and her chosen history teacher were treated to a once in a lifetime guided tour to some of France’s World War I historic battlefields and locations. Reese won the trip as part of the Georgia World War I Centennial Commission special award she earned during National History Day Georgia competition in April.

For the 2017-2018 school year, according to data compiled by AP program officials, 80 percent of TCCHS AP students who took AP exams earned a score of 3 or higher on each exam taken. This is an increase of one percent from last year; however, it is also 19 percent higher than both the state and global average of 61 percent.

Senior Langley Wooten, 16, has been chosen to serve as this year’s Georgia Youth Assembly’s lieutenant governor. The position is an unexpected honor to Wooten: Jeremy Austin, state program director for Georgia Youth Assembly through Georgia YMCA, contacted her directly and asked she fill the spot.

Senior Zachary Sharpe, 17, attended this year’s Governor’s Honors Program at Berry College. Sharpe was selected from thousands of students nominated throughout the state. His chosen field was social studies.

Bret Hendricks, 17, a member of the Thomas County Central High School Class of 2018, has been named a National AP Scholar.

Please click "...Read More" for all open house dates and times.  

The Thomas County Elementary Schools supplies/wish list is now available. The Thomas County School System has not made any changes to the bookbag/backpack policy. For questions, please contact the Thomas County Board of Education at 229-225-4380.

Thomas County Elementary Schools Supplies/Wish List

Save the date for the annual Back to School Blitz! This year's event will take place in the gym at Thomasville High School on Saturday, August 4, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM.

In order to recognize the teachers who have gone above and beyond with implementing the effective use of technology in classroom instruction, this year the Thomas County School System named the first ever Digital Learning All-Star Teacher at each school and for the district.

“With the help of local E-SPLOST funds as well as several grants received over the past several years, the Thomas County School System has made a significant investment in technology for our students and teachers," said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. "This year we thought it would be very beneficial to reward those teachers who have used the technology provided to them to effectively transform the learning process in their classrooms. Not only do all of our Digital Learning All-Star Teachers effectively use technology with their students, they are also known for helping their peers with various technology tools.”  

Each school held a nomination process with the winner for each school completing an application in order to compete for the district title. This year, the district winner was awarded a laptop computer courtesy of ByteSpeed Computers and will be able to attend an educational technology conference in the fall.  

Thomas County School System officials have named Lacey Howard, fourth grade special education teacher at Cross Creek Elementary School, as the District Teacher of the Year.

“I was very surprised and felt very honored to be named Teacher of the Year,” Howard said. “There are always so many wonderful things happening in the Thomas County School System. To be given the opportunity to represent our amazing system is such a privilege.” 

Graduating Thomas County Central High School seniors were recently treated to a special ceremony honoring their years of hard work and effort in numerous pursuits.

Thomas County Central High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Dodgeball Tournament held in April raised approximately $3,600. The money was donated to the Honor Flight Tallahassee program. The tournament exceeded its goal to raise enough money to send three veterans on a life-changing trip. Enough was raised to fund six trips. This Saturday, May 19, several area veterans will take part in that day’s flight to Washington, D.C.

Outstanding year-long effort by underclassmen in a variety of fields was recently recognized in a special ceremony.

For high school seniors, graduation season comes with plenty of life changes attached. But for me, Thomas County Central High School exchange student, this change includes a 6,000-mile trip. I am leaving one home, family and friends to return to another home, family and friends.

Future Educator Signing Day was held Tuesday, May 8. Twenty-seven Thomas County Central High School students signed on the line to commit to a career in education.

Student Google accounts will be disabled from June 15 - August 3, 2018. If a student needs account access during this time, he or she should complete the form below.   Please allow 24 hours for access to be granted. Student accounts will continue to be monitored for inappropriate usage during the summer months.  Questions should be directed to Erin Rehberg at erehberg@tcjackets.net.

Student Account Request Form

Three Thomas County Central High School seniors have been named Georgia Scholars by the Georgia Department of Education.

Thomas County Central High School Bands program brought its own brand of musical magic to one of the most enchanted places on Earth.

Sheldon Ellis, Tavares Jimerson, JingLei Horchler and Sedrick Lamons have won laptops in the Georgia High School High Tech competition.

Early Thursday morning, the Thomas County School System’s Maintenance Department was notified that employees and students at Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School were complaining about the odor of diesel fuel in some parts of the building.  A few students and teachers complained of headaches that they believed to be associated with the odor.  The maintenance department investigated the odor and found diesel fuel in a ditch near the school.

Years spent pursuing the highest academic achievement has paid off for a group of Thomas County Central High School seniors. The school has announced its class of 2018 salutatorian and valedictorian as well as honor graduates. Celia “C’lee” Kornegay has won the top spot in her graduating class with Huntley Rodgers earning the second highest spot and the salutatorian mantle.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter members have proven their skills in state competition. Some will be taking those skills to the national stage this summer.

Thomas County Central High School Future Georgia Educators organization ended its season with a proud showing at state competition. Select members, based on their performance at region, participated in the Georgia FGE Competition, held March 14 at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville. Three teams and one individual placed in the event.

A group of TCCHS students competed in the 70^th Georgia Science and Engineering Fair held March 22-24 at the University of Georgia. Two individual students and one duo earned special awards or commendations.

"We accomplished being first in the region and third in the state,” sponsor Amy Ponder says. “This is a first for Thomas County quiz bowl. Our team has been practicing twice a week every week this year, expanding their knowledge and building areas of strength.”

The Thomas County Central High School Envirothon team finished fifth at the Georgia Envirothon competition. The event was held Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27-28, at Camp Rutledge in Hard Labor Creek State Park. Team members are (left to right) James Gay, C’lee Kornegay, Alysa Yates, Hailey Ferrel and Bret Hendricks. Students placed second in rangeland management and fifth in both aquatics and forestry.

Spring Break is Monday, April 2, through Friday, April 6. Students will return on Monday, April 9. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday and a very Happy Easter!

WHAT:  Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Military & First Responder Dodgeball Tournament

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 14

WHERE: Thomas County Central High School gymnasium

ADMISSION: $5 for adults; $3 for students; free for children age three and under

INFO: Lt. Col. Stann McLeod at smcleod@tcjackets.net or (229) 225-5050 ext. 114.

WHAT: Thomas County Masquers present “She Loves Me”

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. March 22-24

WHERE: Thomas County Board of Education auditorium, 200 N. Pinetree Blvd.

TICKETS: $6 for Thomas County Schools’ students (who must present a current student ID for the discount) and system employees; $12 for all other general admission

Laura Kornegay has been named the 2018 Thomas County Central High School Teacher of the Year. This is her second such award: she also earned the title in 2004. The recognition was a surprise, Kornegay says.

Thomas County Central High School Envirothon team has qualified for state competition. The team placed second in forestry and fourth overall at the South Regional competition held at High Falls State Park in Jackson on March 8. Team members are Hailey Ferrel, James Gay, Bret Hendricks, C'lee Kornegay and Alysa Yates.

Thomas County Central High School Literary team took part in region 5A competition March 2 in Columbus. The team finished in third place, just five points behind the second placing team. Several students placed in their individual event. Two students placed first and advanced to state competition: Riley Jones in essay, personal topic and Matthew Edmonds in boys solo.

Random Acts of Kindness Day was Feb 17. For their HOSA project, four Thomas County Central High School students -- Tosha Tinney, Shivani Patel, Megan Butler and Emily Curry -- decided to incorporate the goals of the day into a project with a message that will persist for the remainder of the school year.

Thomas County Central High School art students participated in the Thomasville Center for the Arts Youth Arts Show Competition & Exhibition.

Thomas County Central High School Mock Trial team has completed its third competition season.

Kelley Eckels Currie, United States representative on the United Nations Economic and Social Council, visited Thomas County Central High School Tuesday, Feb. 20. Currie, a 1987 graduate of Central High School (and her class’ STAR student), returned to her alma matter to share her experience and insight with current students.

Thomas County Central High School Robotics program teams have completed their competition season.

Thomas County Central High School’s baseball field has earned a home run endorsement. The field has been selected as one of the state’s best by the Georgia Dugout Club.

Thomas County Central High School Science Olympiad students recently competed in the Middle Georgia State University Region Science Olympiad tournament. Several pupils earned ribbons and two groups placed in their events.

A group of Thomas County Central High School students put their academic acumen to the test in a recent competition. These students took part in the annual Andrew College Academic Competition Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Thomas County Central High School held its National History Day competition Tuesday, Feb. 6. Winners were selected in a variety of categories and special awards were presented to specific projects.

Thomas County Central High School’s 2018 prom is Saturday, March 17. The “Roaring 20s” themed event will be held at the Old Central High School Gym from 8 to 11:30 p.m.

A small contingent from Thomas County Central High School took part in the second annual Advanced Placement Legislative Day held Thursday, Jan. 25 at the Georgia State Capitol. Delegates were students Celia “C’lee” Kornegay, Hailey Ferrel, Bret Hendricks and Joshua Stephens along with AP teacher Amy Ponder and assistant principal James Rehberg, who coordinates the TCCHS AP program.

Sierra Stephens, 17, has been named the Thomas County Central High School Class of 2018 STAR student.

On Thursday, Feb 1 the TCCHS Fine Arts Department is hosting an event known as Fine Arts Night. Programs involved are art, band, chorus, drama and dance. The purpose of this event is to highlight the school’s fine arts classes and to showcase students’ skills.

Due to the drastic increase in flu cases throughout the nation and state, the Thomas County Health Department has agreed to return to our system to provide flu vaccines to our students. The Health Department will have flu vaccine clinic sites at TCMS and GP on Jan. 31. The school system will transport the participating students to the flu clinic sites on Jan. 31 to obtain their flu shot.

Participating students from HnH, TCMS, TCCHS, and BH will obtain their vaccinations between 7:30–10:00 AM at TCMS on Jan. 31. GP and CC participating students will receive their flu shots at GP between 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM on Jan. 31.

If you would like to sign your child up to receive a flu vaccine on Jan. 31, you will need to complete the Parental Vaccine Consent Form linked below and return the form to your child’s school by Friday, Jan. 26. If the vaccine consent form is not signed and returned by Friday, Jan. 26, your child will not be able to participate in the flu vaccine clinic on Jan. 31.

Flu Vaccine Consent Form - Students

Flu Vaccine Sign-up Form - Staff 

Flu Vaccine Administration Record, Flu Vaccine Info, Privacy Notice 

Thomas County Central High School band students Meredith Hurst, Caleb Moore and Eric Webb earned seats on the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band.

Thomas County School System officials have been closely monitoring the weather forecast for tomorrow and have been in communications with Thomas County Emergency Managment Services. Unless there is a change in the forecast, Thomas County Schools will be open tomorrow, Wednesday, January 17. If there is a change in conditions, announcements will be made on our website, social media pages, and by way of our phone messaging system and local media outlets. 

The Thomas County Board of Education has approved the hiring of Ashley Henderson as Thomas County Central High School’s head football coach. Henderson will officially begin work on Thursday, February 1.

Henderson comes to the Thomas County School System from Valwood School in Hahira, Georgia, where he served as head coach for six years. While a coach at Valwood, he led the team to state championships three times, and celebrated being region champs five times.

Thomas County Central High School’s Advanced Placement program has experienced a Renaissance in its content with the return of AP Art History to its offered courses.

Thomas County Central High School students in Cindy Carnes’ Early Childhood Education classes visited Hand-In-Hand Primary School Thursday, Dec. 7. They read books, handed out special snacks, and spent quality time with the wee yellow jackets.

Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Honor Band auditions have been held and numerous youth musicians from Thomas County Central High School made the cut.

Thomas County Central High School held its annual science fair Dec. 8. There were 10 winners each for first, second and third places.

Thomas County Central High School has taken the first step toward a select group of its students being included in a prominent summer education program. The school held a special reception to recognize its 2018 Governor’s Honors Program nominees Monday, Dec. 11.

Thomas County Central High School’s chorus department, Thomas County Chorale, hosted its winter concert titled “Noel” Thursday, Dec. 7. Five choirs totaling more than 100 singers – including several soloists – performed in their formal attire. The concert was held at the Thomas County Board of Education auditorium. The concert opened with a rousing piece called “Joy: Medley of Carols” and ended with a somber reminder of peace and unity, “Ukuthula.” Community members in attendance enjoyed the sing-along portions led by student director, Matthew Edmonds. Several members of the community group Thomasville Singers joined the school’s StINGERS group for "And He Shall Purify" from Handel's “Messiah.” Program director Nicole Davis calls the performance “a joyous opening of the holiday season.”

December 4-10 is Computer Science Education Week in America.  According to csedweek.org, there are currently 486,686 open computing jobs nationwide.  Last year, only 42,969 computer science students graduated into the workforce.  Students in the Thomas County School System are participating in a variety of coding and computer science activities this week in order to foster an interest in computer science and expand upon computational thinking practices. In addition to the activities this week, students in our system have the opportunity to be a part of a comprehensive computer science education program that spans from grades K-12.  Check out this video from Mrs. Michele Dechman's coding class at Cross Creek Elementary School!

A community listening session will be held Monday evening, December 11, at 6:00 p.m. in the Thomas County Central High School cafeteria.

Students and faculty members in Thomas County Schools sing and play their favorite Christmas songs on "A Yellow Jacket Christmas 4," on sale in the TCCHS front office and school store and at most Thomas County Schools for only $10. 

All proceeds are donated to fund Shop With A Yellow Jacket teams! 

All selections are recorded & produced in Yellow Jacket Studios within the TCCHS Broadcasting/Video/Audio Production department!

Click on the picture above to hear previews of the songs.

Thomas County Central High School Robotics teams finished their second tournament of the year with big wins and valuable experience gained.

Thomas County Central High School students and staff are dedicating feathers to a “naked” turkey. These helpings of gracious gratitude are building a special creation called the “Thankful Turkey,” just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

A group of Thomas County Central High School Student Council members attended the Georgia Association of Student Councils Leadership Summit 2017 in Atlanta Nov. 6. TCCHS participants were JHarre Bush, Tommy Piland, Caleb Moore, Michael Cress, Christin Connelly, Edjenee Corbin, Auburne Mobley and Sierra Hadley.

Thomas County Central High School Chorus students volunteered at the recent Thomas Grady Service Center Fall Festival. The group was invited to assist with the event by leading games and activities for the center’s consumers – community members with special needs.

Several students from Thomas County Central High School and Thomas County Middle School have been awarded scholarships to attend the summer 2019 “Splendors of the Mediterranean” trip to Italy and Greece.

Thomas County Central High School students took a trip to the corporate headquarters of Chick-fil-A. Lead by Service Learning Coordinator of Thomas County Schools Stanley McLeod, the members of the TCCHS Chick-fil-A Leader Academy chapter went to discover the rich history of the famous restaurant chain and learn a few of its secrets to success.

The Red Nose Run is being held on Saturday, December 16, at Thomas University. The half marathon and 5K run/walk will begin at 8:00 a.m., and the fun run (12 & under) will begin at 9:00 a.m. The event is sponsored by Thomasville Junior Service League and Thomasville National Bank. Proceeds from the event will benefit Thomas County's children's charities. Register before December 1 to ensure t-shirt availability! Click on the link below for the registration form:

JSL/TNB Red Nose Run Registration Form

Thomas County Central High School Future Georgia Educators organization took home first place overall in the Future Georgia Educators Region Conference, held Oct. 26 at the University of North Georgia in Gainesville. Three student groups and three individuals placed first in their respective categories. Another student group placed second in its category.

A hometown is the best place to start any journey.

This is one of the messages director Michael Carney shared with his audience during the local premiere of his film, “Same Kind of Different as Me.” Thomas County Central High School Broadcasting Department students were invited to attend the red carpet event, which was part of the Covey Film Festival, held Oct. 26 at Gateway Cinemas.

Thomas County Central High School students Stephen Sykes and Emily Brooks were named to the Region 1 AAAAA All Star Cast for their performances in the Georgia High School Association Region 1 AAAAA One Act Competition. The event was held Thursday, Oct. 26 at Harris County High School in Hamilton.

More than 20 Thomas County Central High School art students earned awards during the 2017 Deep South Fair Youth Art Show held earlier this month. There were two divisions and various categories within each one that TCCHS students could enter: 9th/10th and 11th/12th divisions and categories such as ink, paper sculpture, printmaking and watercolor.

Thomas County Central High School participated in “Caps for CURE” Friday, Sept. 22. For a $1 donation (anyone could give more), students and faculty were allowed to wear caps inside the school throughout the day.

Thomas County Central High School FFA members, Danielle Fletcher and Peyton Greene, recently attended the 3^rd Annual South Region Leadership Rally held at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture formally known as the Agrirama in Tifton, GA. The South Region FFA Leadership Rally is designed to spark the interest of FFA members in the South Region and motivate member involvement in their local FFA Chapter for the coming school year.

More than 50 students were invited to join the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society organization. The induction ceremony for those students who accepted the invite was held Monday, Sept. 18 in the TCCHS gym. The ceremony was postponed a week due to Hurricane Irma.

The Covey Film Festival is offering an opportunity to view the movie, "Hidden Figures," at no charge on Monday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. The movie will be shown in the Thomas County School System's Auditorium at 200 North Pinetree Boulevard. Click on the link below to see the flyer for details!

Covey Film Festival Hidden Figures

Jonathan Mills, now a senior, earned ninth place out of the entire country in his division, Marine Service Technology. National competition was held this summer in Louisville, Ky.

Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement students who successfully completed AP courses the previous school year were invited to a special luncheon Thursday, Aug. 31. Students were treated to lunch at Ruby Tuesday by Principal Trista Jones as a reward for their academic successes in last year’s courses.

Of all the unique sights I could witness, I didn’t expect to see one on a school day. On Monday, Aug. 21, both students and teachers of Thomas County Central High School observed a partial solar eclipse. Despite not being in the path of totality, it was still a sight to behold.

The Thomas County School system is monitoring Hurricane Irma very closely. We are working with Thomas County EMS and the National Weather Service to determine the best plan for school closures. Please stay up-to-date by tuning in to the local news, checking our website, and following us on social media including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. It is important to ensure that we have your current contact information because we will be sending out alerts through our notification systems. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Class of 2017 graduates Ellen Ponder and Ansley Jones earned third place in their category during the FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition, held this past summer in Anaheim, Calif. The competition featured entrants from the U.S. and numerous other countries, including China and Haiti.

Plans are underway for a phenomenal day in Thomas County Schools as students, teachers, and staff observe “The Great American Solar Eclipse” on August 21. To allow students to fully appreciate the experience, the school day in Thomas County Schools will be extended by 30 minutes on the day of the eclipse.

While Thomas County will not see a total eclipse, expectations are that the moon will cover approximately 90% of the sun for a brief period, enough to create a dramatic effect and illustrate the phenomena of an eclipse.

Click here to access the Solar Eclipse Opt Out Form.  

Thomas County Central High School senior Celia “C’lee” Kornegay had a “humbling” experience this summer. Kornegay, as a junior, was selected to attend the prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, held this year at Berry College.

The Thomas County Health Department will be open for a back-to-school immunization clinic on Saturday, August 12, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Click on the link below for more information!

Don't Be Late... Vaccinate!

Search for Thomas County Schools in your app store to get our new app. Click the link below for more information.

Thomas County Schools App

Join us at the Thomas County Central High School gym for the Back-to-School Blitz this Saturday, July 29!

Please take time to read the latest issue of Thomas County Central High School's We Are Central Magazine which highlights some of the exciting events from this past school year. Click on the image below to open the publication:

The Thomas County Board of Education has named Associate Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams as its sole candidate to succeed Dr. Dusty Kornegay as superintendent of the county school system upon his retirement which will be effective June 1, 2018.

Kornegay informed the school board in January that he plans to retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year, and he provided official notice of his retirement in a letter to the board in June.

Click "More" to read entire press release

A Thomas County Central High School Future Farmers of America chapter member has earned a position on the organization’s area board.

Brentley Odom, a rising senior, has been selected to serve as the 2017-2018 Area 5 Treasurer. The announcement was made May 15 during the Georgia FFA Area 5 awards ceremony at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

A Thomas County Central High School junior got to flex his mathematical muscle against some of the nation’s strongest minds.

Bret Hendricks earned the opportunity to attend the MathCON 2017 finals in Chicago this April. Hendricks took an online assessment and was the sixth-highest scoring junior in the southeast region, as well as the number one highest-scoring junior in Georgia.

Having an article published in a national journal is an accomplishment Paul Johns, Thomas County Central High School’s Assistant Band Director, can now add to his list of achievements.

Johns co-authored an article that was published in The Journal of Research in Music Education by the National Association for Music Education. Titled “The Development of a Secondary-Level Solo Wind Instrument Performance Rubric Using the Multifaceted Rasch Partial Credit Measurement Model,” the article is a study on the use of a rubric to grade middle and high school band members. The “Multifaceted Rasch Partial Credit Measurement Model” refers to the specific type of statistics used to develop the rubric.

Thomas County Central High School students in all grade levels had their hard work recognized in two special, end-of-year awards ceremonies.

Thomas County Central High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter members have proved their agricultural knowledge at state competition.

Thomas County Central High School students recently competed in the Laws of Life essay contest. Winners were announced in April.

Your participation matters! Please click on the link below to complete our annual parent survey. The survey will be open until Saturday, May 20. 

PARENT SURVEY

Graduation will be held on Saturday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Everyone attending the graduation ceremony must have a ticket.

Click Read More for graduate attire information.

Ryan Strickland has been named the Thomas County Central High School Teacher of the Year for 2017. He is a member of the school’s science department and coaching staff (baseball).

Young artists at Thomas County Central High School have contributed to an effort to help bring some healing, through color, into the lives of local abuse survivors.

Students from Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School recently attended the National History Day State Competition at Mercer University. Seven students from Thomas County Schools qualified for the NHD National Contest and will attend the competition in June at the University of Maryland.

Five Thomas County Central High School students earned recognition at the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair, held March 30-April 1 at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Junior Celia “C’lee” Kornegay, 16, has earned a slot in this year’s Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

Thomas County Central High School students in the Future Georgia Educators club have brought home awards from recent region and state competitions.

TCCHS received word Thursday that Lindsey “MiKayla” Jordan has earned the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship for the University of Georgia. She is the first TCCHS student to receive this award.

Thomas County Central High School had one student and one team place in the recent SkillsUSA state competition.

Five years of hard work and dedication paid off with the achievement of an important goal for a Career Technical Agricultural Education Pathway at Thomas County Central High School PREP Academy.

The Early Childhood Education program recently earned its industry-certification from the Georgia Early Childhood Education Foundation. It received $10,000 to be used toward program equipment and resources.

Recently, Thomas County Central High School sophomore Jada Moore won first place in the Booth Western Art Museum’s annual Writing Through Art Literary Competition in the Narrative Poetry category. The competition was held statewide with 150 of its entries from TCCHS students.

Dr. Caitlin Dooley, Georgia Department of Education (DOE) Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, recently visited Thomas County Schools to learn more about what is needed to ensure all students in Georgia – in rural, suburban, and urban schools – have access to high quality Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education including computer science across all grades in K12.

Dr. Dooley’s visit started at the Thomas County Board of Education where she met with school principals and administrators. The group interacted as Dr. Dooley asked questions about Thomas County’s intensive computer science program that starts in Pre-K and continues through twelfth grade.

“Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing students in Thomas County while visiting several school districts in South Georgia,” Dr. Dooley said. “The county is a leader and innovator as it incorporates computer science education throughout elementary, middle, and high school.”

CLICK HERE to view flyer.

March 27, 2017: The Thomas County School System became aware early this morning of a very vague threat to an individual student at one of our schools. The student is safe, and the threat is not deemed to be credible. Contrary to social media rumors, no weapons have been found on any of our school campuses nor have there been any incidents of violence on our campuses.  We have determined that it is safe for our schools to continue with a normal day. Out of an abundance of caution, in cooperation with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, we have increased security at our schools.

Three Thomas County Central High School student organizations have joined forces to throw color on an important cause. The Spectrum Run: A Color Run for Autism Awareness will be held at Thomas County Middle School on April 15.  The event includes a one-mile fun run for kids and a 5K adult run.

On Friday, March 3 my French III class and members of the Thomas County Central High School French club went on a day trip to the city of Savannah. To incorporate a bit of the French language curriculum into our schedule for the day, Mrs. (Kelly) Arno, our teacher, found a French café where we ate lunch. We enjoyed baguette and croissant sandwiches, as well as coffee and macarons for dessert.

Get ready for a tale of community unity as Thomas County Central High School Drama Department presents its spring musical, a production of “Godspell.”

The show is 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium.

Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods recently named Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS) an Advanced Placement (AP) Honor School.  Woods recognized TCCHS in three areas of distinction including “AP STEM,” “AP STEM Achievement,” and “AP Humanities.”

TCCHS was the only high school in the Southwest Georgia region to be named an “AP Humanities School,” meaning that the school has a robust advanced placement program in language arts, at least two social science courses, at least one fine arts course, and at least one world language course.

Six of its entries in the 2017 Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference and Competition, held March 12-14 in Athens, placed fourth or higher in their category and advanced to this summer’s FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition.

Prodigies in Thomas County Central High School chorus and band programs indulged their musical passions at recent state conferences.

Recently, Thomas County Central High School took a day to celebrate some of the rigorous classes on its roster and the students serious about academics who take them. Friday, Feb. 24, was AP Day. In honor of the day, TCCHS held a special breakfast for current AP students and shadow opportunities for potential AP students. 

Thomas County Central High School Science Olympiad team placed in 19 of 23 events at the Georgia Perimeter College Region Competition.

Students got their groove on and traveled back to the 1950s for an unforgettable event at Thomas County Central High School.

Several Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets participated in a recent MVP football camp held in Valdosta.

Thomas County Central High School’s second annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day was held Thursday, Feb. 2. Organizers said the event was “a huge success.” Nineteen students participated, and three returned to school with job offers.

Eleven Thomas County Central High School students placed in individual categories and the school’s quiz bowl team won first place during the Andrew College Academic Competition.

The Thomas County Central High School honoree of an annual program that recognizes one of the brightest lights in each graduating class has been announced. Lindsey “MiKayla” Jordan, 17, has been named the TCCHS Class of 2017 STAR Student.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, or STAR, program is sponsored by PAGE, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.

Twenty-seven young musicians within the Thomas County Schools system outplayed the majority to earn seats in a program that honors the region’s most promising talent.

Thomas County Central High School Bands program had 22 musicians and Thomas County Middle School Bands program had five musicians accepted into Georgia Music Educators Association All South Region Honor Bands.

Read all of the latest news in the Buzz newsletter! Click the link below:

Jan/Feb 2017 Buzz

Members of Thomas County Central High School’s ​FFA Livestock Evaluation team proved they know their stuff during the South Region Livestock Judging Career Development Event.

The team placed second overall in the event, held in Ocilla on Nov. 15, and advanced to state competition; member Tori Stringer was named the second-highest scorer in the entire event.

One club at Thomas County Central High School is working to inspire its students to be successful in their academic careers.

I.N.S.P.I.R.E. stands for “Illuminating and Navigating Successfully Propelling Ingenuity through Real world Experiences.” The club is focused on first generation high school and college graduates.

The best homegrown young talent shone brighter than the midway lights at the 2016 Deep South Fair Youth Art Show.

TCCHS Drama students recently competed against other schools in GHSA Region 1-AAAAA One Act Competition with their one act play, “These Shining Lives” by Melanie Marnich. The play ranked fourth in the competition, which took place Oct. 29. Two seniors, Kendra Anderson and Lillie Horton, were selected as All Star Cast members.

WHAT: Thomas County Central High School Fall Festival and Yard Sale Extravaganza

WHEN: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

WHERE: TCCHS student parking lot

ADMISSION: Free, but bring money for concessions and booths

Thomas County Central High School rallied to show its enthusiasm and support of the TCCHS Yellow Jackets Football team as it prepared to take one step closer to the region championship.

Thomas County Central High School Athletics program served up a new sport this year. Girls’ volleyball is now an option for any girl interested in playing, especially those girls for whom other sports might not spike excitement. "There was a lot of interest from the girls to start a team,” Coach Hannah Shierling said. “They did research and presented a proposal to the school board.”

Young artists at Thomas County Central High School recently had an opportunity to interpret the importance of ecological preservation through visual format. Five art students won or placed in the inaugural One Book Thomas County art contest. The contest was open to local students in grades second through 12^th.

Thomas County Central High School took part in a fun and unique homecoming week earlier this year. Each day had a different theme: tacky tourist, college, dress for success, and blue and gold. Numerous faculty and staff showed their school spirit by dressing up for each theme. Different costumes and outfits drew positive attention and brought the school together.

Thomas County Central High School student Baily Green recently attended the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders. The congress, held in Boston this June, brought some of the most prestigious current minds in science and technology together with some of their fields’ most promising students. “Going to the conference opened me up to new ideas and concepts,” Green said.

Thomas County Central High School wants to share positive education news with its community. Teacher Ryan Strickland is coordinating a new announcement system during home football games. These “Jacket Point of Pride” announcements will showcase the many accomplishments of TCCHS students, clubs, staff, and teams.

Five Thomas County Central High School students recently attended the International Environmental Youth Symposium. They competed against high school and college students from four continents, and all five students brought home awards.

In the poster presentation category, junior C’lee Kornegay won first place in “Water Degradation” for her research on the effect of silver nanoparticles on algae growth. In the essay competition, senior Eli Kosciw placed first in the category of “Protecting the Atmosphere.”

Seniors Maggie Martin placed second with her essay in the “Preventing Air and Water Pollution” category, and Vince Wynn placed second in the category of “Promoting Safe Management of Solid and Toxic Wastes.” Junior Hailey Ferrel placed third in the poster presentation category for her research on soil erosion.

Thomas County Central High School has added two Advanced Placement classes to its growing roster of rigorous education options: Computer Science A and U.S. Government. TCCHS Assistant Principal Dr. James Rehberg said the school is “constantly seeking new challenges” for its students and “providing opportunities for them to master.”

It could be said that Thomas County Central High School put a ring on it Aug. 25. Juniors were given their class rings during a ceremony held in the school’s gymnasium.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods has appointed sixteen new parents to serve on his 2016-2017 Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Allen Thornhill, a Hand-In-Hand Primary School representative on the Thomas County School District’s Parent Advisory Council, was chosen as one of the members. 

Thornhill, who is one of only 24 parents serving on the State PAC, was nominated by the Thomas County School District at the beginning of this school year. New members are selected each year by representatives of the Georgia Department of Education based on the applicants’ responses to questions on engaging parents to ensure their children’s success at school and the local school superintendent’s recommendation. Thornhill will serve a two-year term on the council.

Click More Information to Read Full Story

Patriot Day is a day to remember a tragic event in American history and reflect upon how the world still found light in the darkness.

The rivalry between Thomasville High School and Thomas County Central High School came to a head on Aug. 26. However, in preparation for the big game, TCCHS held a few days of events full of school spirit.

Thomas County Central High School is introducing some enhanced opportunities for its special need students this school year. Over the summer break upgrades were made to two classrooms housing the school’s special education program in order to provide more opportunities for students to learn important life skills. The projects were funded through E-SPLOST.

The Thomas County Central High School foreign language department is seeking six more students to accompany them on their trip to Europe in 2017. The trip is expected to be from May 29-June 7, and students will be visiting London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; and Barcelona, Spain. Three foreign language teachers will be accompanying the trip: Kelly Arno, Anthony Paulino, and Erika Wyatt.

The Thomas County School System will be closed Friday, September 2, due to the threat of inclement weather. The schools will have normal dismissal today (Thursday).

CANCELLED
Also, the Parent Volunteer Orientation meeting that was scheduled for today (9/1) at 5:30 p.m. has been cancelled. Please contact the parent involvement coordinator at your child's school about ways to volunteer. He or she will be able provide you with volunteer opportunities.

Please help to ensure that we have current contact information and phone numbers on file for your child(ren) at all times. You can access and update this information through your Parent Portal account.  If you do not have a Parent Portal account, please sign-up for one today. The process only takes a few minutes of your time and you will also gain access to your child(ren)'s grades, attendance, and schedule(s).  Please click on the link below to access the Parent Portal Instruction Guide and the Parent Portal Registration Link. 

Parent Portal Instruction Guide and Registration Link  

The volunteer orientation scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 1 has been cancelled due to the weather.  

Twenty-seven kids, two adults, one Ruby Tuesday’s. That was the scene Wednesday, Aug. 10 at Thomas County Central High School’s AP Luncheon.

One local student has scored a point in her school’s history book. Senior Lauren Pearson, 17, is Thomas County Central High School’s first female football player. Her position is place kicker. Her responsibility on the team is to make points after touchdowns and field goals. The athlete, who has a soccer background, always has been interested in kicking and thought kicking a football “looked fun” and would be a chance to try something different. “It seemed like a great opportunity because I’ve wanted to kick ever since I saw the Chick-fil-A half-time extra point competition in seventh grade,” Pearson said. “I became really intrigued (with the idea) when I heard about the female kicker who tried out for the NFL.”

There are two new ways to stay connected to what is going on in the Thomas County School System.  

Thomas County Schools now has an app! In the App Store or Google Play, search for "School Pointe" and then locate the Thomas County School System the first time you open the app. The app allows you to find contact information for schools and staff, as well as see current news articles and information.  

We are also on Instagram!  Follow us by searching for @thomascountyschools.  

This past school year, TCCHS had nine students named as AP Scholars, three students named as AP Scholars with Honor, and seven named as AP Scholars with Distinction. An AP Scholar is a student who scores a three or higher on three or more AP exams; an AP Scholar with Honor is a student who scores a three or higher on four or more AP exams; and, an AP Scholar with Distinction is a student who receives an average score of 3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and a three or higher on five or more exams.

Current senior Christina Maggitas attended the Governor’s Honors Program, held on the Valdosta State University campus. Her selected field of study was dance. “My experience at GHP was incredible,” Maggitas said. “Every day was filled with different challenges and activities that pushed me not only as a dancer but also as a person. GHP was a wonderful and fun experience that has taught me so many valuable skills and will always be very special to me.”

Tyler Williamson has been selected as this year’s Georgia Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, Region 1 president. The honor was bestowed by Georgia FBLA Executive Director Monty Rhodes and the region consists of 26 counties. “I had the desire to become a Georgia FBLA Region 1 officer through the growing love and passion I have for FBLA,” she said. “I saw it as a unique opportunity to not only serve my chapter but my school and all of Georgia FBLA.”

This is a reminder that ALL Thomas County Schools will re-open for students Monday morning.

It is normal for traffic to be heavy around our schools the first few days of the school year, so please allow a little extra time on your morning commute this week.

Children throughout the county will gather at bus stops, so please watch out for the children and exercise caution around bus stops. Please keep a safe distance from all school buses, especially while they are loading and unloading students.     

Best wishes for a great school year.

As always, thank you for supporting Thomas County Schools.

Recently, Conley Wilhelm, Mason Lawing and Abby Hurst have been named Dale Earnhardt Jr. High School Scholar Athlete of the Week winners. Bobby Latmore, of 97.9 ESPN Radio Tallahassee, presented the awards, $1,000 each, to the recipients at TCCHS Thursday.

A new crop of leaders has been selected by their peers to guide their classes for the 2016-2017 school year. Elections for next year’s Thomas County Central High School Student Council class officers were held during first period on May 13. Elections were held for rising seniors, juniors, and sophomores.

Thomas County Central High School recently recognized members of its senior class for their achievements. Honors Night occurred 6 p.m. Thursday, May 5, in the TCCHS gym. Students received medals, certificates, stoles, cords and scholarships for their accomplishments in a variety of academic and elective areas. " Dr. James Rehberg, TCCHS assistant principal said. "The students recognized tonight are a great group of well-deserving kids with a very bright future."

Thomas County Central High School Bands, The Best of the Nest, swept trophies and awards during Festival Disney. The festival was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., the last weekend in April and was a national competition. TCCHS Bands earned a total of eight awards, including three superiors and one excellent. “Everyone was very excited and the staff and parents were, of course, really proud of the bands’ performances,” director Michael Thomas said.

Students in the Thomas County Central High School Chorale program recently participated in the Georgia High School Association State Literary Competition. Zion Jackson, Logan Leik, Matthew Edmonds, and Marc Rountree placed fourth in Boys Quartet during the event, held March 12.

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and the State Health Officer, has requested that we share important information with our school families about protecting against mosquito bites and preventing the spread of Zika virus in Georgia.

Please click on the link below to view the information. 

Zika Virus Information

Thomas County Central High School Bands students “rocked” their recent performance evaluation. The TCCHS Gold and Blue concert bands each received Superior ratings in their Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Large Group Performance Evaluation. The event was held last week at Cairo High School. “Simply put, our TCC band students rocked,” director Michael Thomas said. “Both concert bands earned solid Superior ratings. In fact they have surpassed the goal, earning the awards with notable achievement.”

Art students at Thomas County Central High School made a positive first impression in an inaugural showcase. Some of the school’s young artists won six of the eight high school awards in the maiden Thomasville Kiwanis Club Art & Music Showcase. The school placed in each of the four grade divisions, sweeping two.

Thomas County Central High School has announced its winners and honorable mentions in the school’s portion of the annual Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest.

Thomas County Central High School had three students place or receive scholarships in the Georgia Educational Technology Fair. Seniors Richard Lewis and Paul Edwards each won a $250 scholarship for Game Design. Senior Hayes Nelson placed third in Animation and received a medal.

Sophie Anderson, a senior at Thomas County Central High School, won first place in the 2016 Congressional Art Competition, held by U.S. Rep. Austin Scott. The winners were announced during a special ceremony and reception held March 13 at the Colquitt County Arts Center in Moultrie. “Being honored by this award is a definite confidence boost and reassures me that an art-related career is the right choice for me,” Anderson said.

Thomas County Central High School Drama program will roll the dice this Friday and Saturday in its spring musical, “Guys and Dolls.” “It’s about romance and gambling,” Camille Sowell, who plays Adelaide, said. Costar Kaleb Goss adds, “…and guys who trade romance for gambling.” The musical’s plot is based on short stories by writer Damon Runyon and the book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Music and lyrics are by Frank Loessner.

TCCHS FFA is holding their annual plant sale March 28 - April 1. CLICK HERE for more information.
 

Brianna Thomas, a Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Flowers Foods through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named the WBL Student of the Month for February 2016. “She has demonstrated excellent work ethics throughout her employment with Flowers Foods maintaining integrity, dependability, motivation, and showing a tremendous amount of responsibility,” Thomas’s Work-Based Learning coordinator, Michelle Ausley, said.

Recently, four young men at Thomas County Central High School won the hearts of their peers for a special cause. TCCHS held the King of Hearts competition, one way the school recognized and supported the American Heart Association and its mission to promote awareness of heart disease during February, which was American Heart Month.

“I could not be more proud of the students and their hard work,” TCCHS FBLA Advisor Nick Haskin said. “This was the most competitive SLC (State Leadership Conference) I've seen in my 10 years of advising FBLA.”

Thomas County Central High School art students created, painted, sculpted, and drew their way into the ranks of a local youth arts show. Students were awarded honors and recognitions in the Thomasville Center for the Arts Youth Arts Show, Competition and Exhibition. TCCHS students earned 10 out of 22 awards (see below). “Overall, the students' works from TCCHS are a fine representation of the variety of media, subjects and techniques that they explored in their visual arts classes,” TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. 

Thomas County Central High School is wrapping up its project to box support for the nation’s troops. TCCHS Key Club wanted to find ways to thank members of the military by meeting their everyday needs. Operation Shoebox is a way to do that, one that gets the TCCHS community involved in honoring the nation’s troops. “Operation Shoebox is the perfect project for Key club because it is in the spirit of the club to give back however we can,” club secretary Hailey Bryan said. “Giving to our troops who are deployed is one of the highest honors for us.”

The Region 1 AAAA portion of the Georgia High School Association Literary Competition was held March 1 at Cairo High School. Ten schools competed. TCCHS finished third overall, with placements in all but three events and only four points shy of the first place winner. TCCHS placed first in three categories and these students will advance to state competition. “I am always proud of our students,” TCCHS Literary Coach Cary Riggs said. “This time we came in just four points behind the winner. TCCHS continues to hone our skills and competition levels. It is a pleasure to see our students take on the extra work and stress of academic competition. As literary coach, I get to see our students endeavor to increase their abilities and talents.”

The District Honor Band event was held Thursday-Saturday, Feb.  18- 20 in Norman Park. Musicians from TCCHS were selected from earlier auditions to perform in both bands: one for freshmen and sophomores, the other for juniors and seniors. “The weekend was fantastic,” ninth-grader Michaela Gandy said. “It was a great experience.”

The Thomas County School System will be closed Wednesday, February 24, due to the threat of inclement weather.

MEETING POSTPONED 

Medical In-service

Provided for School Staff and Parents
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thomas County Board of Education
Professional Learning Center
(across from Wendy’s)

Sponsored by Thomas County Schools

Round River Drive, a band put together by Thomas County Central High School seniors Austin Yeomans, Cole Donovan, Connor Mathis and graduate Matthew Butler will play a fundraiser concert for the TCCHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members going to state competition.

Students from Thomas County Middle School visited Thomas County Central High School in honor of AP Day. AP stands for Advanced Placement. The day, declared by the Georgia General Assembly, recognizes AP classes taught in Georgia public high schools. TCMS students audited AP classes taught at TCCHS. TCCHS Assistant Principal and AP Coordinator Jim Rehberg said AP Day is “a great opportunity” for the school to promote its Advanced Placement program and share what happens within its AP classrooms. “These students are the future of our program so it’s never too early to pique their interests,” he said.

Saleen Beckett, Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Thomas County Schools through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named the WBL Student of the Month for January. “Saleen has done such an awesome job this year,” Work-Based Learning coordinator Michelle Ausley said. “She is a model student and a very special young lady. She completes all assignments that are asked of her and takes the extra mile to make the assignments shine with excellence.” Stephanie Morris, Beckett’s supervisor at Cross Creek Elementary School, praised the student’s performance and interest in her job.

The SkillsUSA Regional Competition was held Friday, Feb. 5, at Southern Regional Technical College in Moultrie. The TCCHS students placed in welding and automotive categories, with one student advancing to state competition.? "Our students always work hard to prepare for competition," Beth Adams, director of CTAE programs at TCCHS said.  "It's exciting to see all of their hard work pay off as they demonstrate their skills outside the classroom." In welding, a team including Matt Mancil, Brian Beckwith, Cade Hebron, and Eddie Mitchell placed third in the Welding Fabrication Team category.

Thomas County Central High School held its National History Day competition on Tuesday, Feb. 9. More than 20 students placed or were awarded honorable mentions (see box). Of these, 20 will advance to state competition. “TCCHS has gained a reputation of succeeding at both the state and national level,” NHD sponsor and World History teacher Christine Patton said. “This year’s entries seem poised to continue that tradition.”

TCCHS hosted a Career Café event on Tuesday, Feb. 2, during its C Lunch period. Representatives from Vereen Rehabilitation Center spoke with students about their job as athletic trainers and what they do at TCCHS. “Students can come in and talk with us about our job and our experiences,” athletic trainer Tyler Johnston said. “It gives them exposure to the job in high school.”

Two of Thomas County Central High School’s Robotics teams advanced to state level competition at the Circuit Runners FIRST Tech Challenger (FTC) Qualifier recently held in Marietta. The CyberStingers Green team #8433 advanced because of their robot performance, and the CyberStingers Gold team #6988 advanced because of the detail and thought put into their engineering notebook. “I was very proud of all of our teams,” Coach Laura Kornegay said. “The teams worked hard in preparation for this last qualifier and it’s rewarding for them to see their hard work pay off.”

The Georgia Parent Survey is also modeled after the student survey and contains 24 questions. Parents may complete the survey using their personal computer, smartphones or tablet.  For parents that do not have access to the Internet, school administrators should consider scheduling dates and times to allow parents to complete the Georgia Parent Survey at school.  All parents should be encouraged to participate in the Georgia Parent Survey because the data will be used as part of the calculation of the School Climate Star Rating. Survey responses are anonymous and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis.  Individual data results from the Georgia Parent Survey will not be available to the public and will not be posted online.  The URL address for the Georgia Parent Survey is posted below.

Georgia Parent Survey:

http://apps.gadoe.org/schoolclimate/parents.nsf/Survey.xsp

TCCHS will be hosting “Live at the Hive” at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb 11. The event will be held at the TCCHS baseball field during the baseball team’s season opening scrimmage against Berrien County. “Live at the Hive is an event that will highlight the winter and spring student athletes at TCCHS,” Kyle Shaver, TCCHS Booster Club president said. “We wanted to be able to generate some excitement for the upcoming seasons and recognize the student athletes that participate.”

The Thomas County Central High School Wrestling team has made positive improvement this wrestling season. This season, team members agree they have improved from last year. This year, in almost every match the team was close to being tied or won. At the beginning of the season, the team struggled with finding wrestlers for the lower weight classes of 106 and 113, but Head Coach Bill Wilhelm recruited two football players to help out the team. “I’m just putting them through the basics, trying to teach them good base moves and techniques,” Wilhelm said.

Thomas County Central High School Bands members have earned more positions than any other school in the district in the 2016 South Region Honor Band Competition. Auditions were held in Cordele on Dec. 12. Musicians selected for the band were announced this month, and 16 TCCHS students were selected. “It feels so good to win after all the hard work we have put in,” honoree Drucilla Thomas said.

Shop With a Yellow Jacket, or SWAYJ, is an annual Thomas County Schools project where students from Thomas County Central High School take children specially selected from the system’s elementary schools Christmas shopping. Preparations are currently ongoing for this year’s event, to be held Saturday, Dec. 19; however, donations are needed to make the day a success.

TCCHS earned the “Superior School Art Award” for the third year in a row at the 26^th annual Georgia National Fair “Youth Art Competition and Exhibition” in Perry.  Students scored the most first place blue ribbons (14) along with four Best-In-Categories. The school received a plaque and $400 was awarded to its art program. “I couldn’t be more proud of our Yellow Jacket artists and the many excellent artworks created this year,” TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. “Earning ribbons is always a wonderful surprise for each student, as it validates their level of craftsmanship, especially when compared to the many talented youths across our state.”

Parents, please complete the Georgia Parent Survey. We appreciate your feedback.

http://apps.gadoe.org/schoolclimate/parents.nsf/Survey.xsp 

Ephraim Harper, a Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Clanton-Malphus- Hodges Veterinary Hospital through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named the WBL Student of the Month for October 2015.

The Thomas County School System has announced the schedule of patriotic events honoring veterans for Veterans Day. Every campus will be participating. Click below for details. 

“We are very proud of our students’ work and their awards earned,” TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. Senior Sophie Anderson won Best of Show in 9-12^th grades for her watercolor, “Girl with Purple Shadows.” Anderson, who won Best of Show at the same event last year, said she didn’t expect to win again. “I was surprised,” she said.

Thomas County Central sent six students to the International Youth Symposium hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Juniors Jordan Bush, Anna Jense, Logan Herring, and Tyler Williamson, along with sophomores Haley Ferrell and C’lee Kornegay traveled to Atlanta with their teacher Laura Kornegay for the symposium.

TCCHS had numerous young artists place in the annual Deep South Fair Youth Art Show, held during the Thomasville Exchange Club Deep South Fair. The school’s young talent garnered 65 awards at this year’s event, including Best of Show. “I am very proud of the students and the dedication that went behind every art project submitted to the competition,” TCCHS Art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. “It simply is a lot of fun for students to earn a beautiful satin ribbon and be validated for dedication to craftsmanship.”

Drew Maxwell, Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Mayhaw Plantation through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named the WBL Student of the Month for September 2015.

Monday: Team Day - Wear your favorite college or professional team's gear.

Tuesday: Twin Day - Twinning is winning!

Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday - Wear a costume or wacky outfit (cannot cover or paint face).

Thursday: Dress for Success - Wear your business and professional attire.

Friday: Blue & Gold Day - Time to show your school spirit!

Thomas County Central High School band and broadcasting departments have joined talented forces to improve a football season tradition. Band director Michael Thomas felt it important to update the band’s presentation. One way to do this is to improve the sound quality for the front of field ensemble. “Just as the music we listen to changes, the front ensemble is changing,” Thomas said. “Time is changing and technology is upgrading music performances.”

Students in TCCHS fine arts classes were invited to experience shows by Bronkar Lee, an innovative and multi-talented performer known for his juggling and beatboxing skills, as well as his infectious energy and charm.

Five Thomas County Central High School students competed in the local chapter of Omega Psi Phi’s 32^nd annual Talent Hunt, held Sept. 12. Sophomore JHarre Bush sang his way to the win with what TCCHS Choral Director Nicole Davis called a “stirring rendition” of “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” “I participated in the talent hunt because I wanted to perform somewhere other than church,” Bush said. “I also wanted to win a scholarship to help pay for my schooling. I felt that my performance went extremely well, better than I thought it was going to be.”

On Aug. 27, the Class of 2017 and their families gathered in the TCCHS gym for the class ring ceremony.

Thomas County Central High School held a blood drive on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Approximately 92 students participated. “I feel normal physically, but emotionally I feel like a great person being able to help out others in need,” 11^th grader Tireshia Anderson said of her donation.

The Thomas County School System is happy to partner with the Thomas County Health Department in offering flu vaccines to our students at no cost this fall.  An information packet was sent home with Garrison-Pilcher, Cross Creek, Thomas County Middle, and Thomas County Central High School students regarding the vaccine. For these students, the HIPPA acknowledgement and vaccine consent forms are due back on Monday, September 28. Click here to find out more and download the information sheets and the acknowledgement and consent forms. 

Endless possibilities await students at Thomas County Schools for the 2015-2016 school year.  Thomas County Schools offer academic excellence, career preparation, and unmatched opportunity.  Please click on the link below to imagine the possibilities:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpva66Rhpg4&feature=youtu.be

Schedules are available to view on Infinite Campus. Students may also stop by the front office to pick up a copy of their schedule or receive it at Open House on Thursday, July 30, 2015 from 6:00 - 7:30. Students who would like to request a schedule change may stop by the front office and pick up a Schedule Change form. Forms will be accepted until Monday, August 10. If you would like to speak with a counselor, please call to schedule an appointment.

Parking Information packets are ready to pick up in the front office. Parking Contracts must be signed by a parent. Students must present a current driver's license and proof of insurance coverage (make sure the insurance card has not expired).

Permits are $20 and will be sold as follows:
Seniors Only: July 23-24
Seniors & Juniors: July 27-28
Seniors, Juniors, & Sophomores: July 29

The TCMS/TCCHS Cross Country teams are holding a 5K/Fun Run event on Saturday, August 15th. The 5K will begin at 8:00 AM followed by the Fun Run at 9:00 AM. This event will benefit the cross country teams when purchasing uniforms, attending cross country meets, and meeting other monetary demands during the season. The runs will take place at the Hand-in-Hand and TCMS campuses. We look forward to your support and hope to see you on the 15th!

Click here for the registration form!

Please view this attachment to see the proper attire for graduation.

2015 TCCHS Graduation Attire Reminders 

Thomas County Central High School students who made all A’s for the third nine weeks of the school year were rewarded for their good grades with a special lunch trip. Thirty-two students attended the last All-A Luncheon of the year on Friday, April 17. They had the option of eating at local restaurants Longhorn, Zaxby’s, Whataburger, IHOP, or El Paso.

Thomas County Central High School Forestry teams swept a recent skills competition, taking first place in both divisions. Teams competed in the Area V Forestry Career Development Event, or CDE, held April 14 at Reed Bingham State Park. Both the TCCHS Junior and Senior teams placed first in their divisions. “These are competitive contests where students demonstrate the knowledge they have learned in the classroom,” teams advisor and TCCHS Forestry and Wildlife teacher Jerry Stone said. This event was the region face-off with the top two teams per division advancing to state competition. The junior team scored 728 and the senior team scored 709.

Thomas County Central High School Forensics Team worked its way past the yellow tape and earned a place on the podium in a recent skills competition. The team placed third in Crime Scene Investigation during the SkillsUSA conference held in Atlanta. This is the first time in TCCHS Forensics program history a team has made it to the podium in this event.

One Thomas County Central High School student has been selected to participate in a national science collaborative and several others placed or received special recognition during the 2015 Georgia Science & Engineering Fair. The fair was held March 26-28 at the University of Georgia. All students placed first in the ABAC Region Science & Engineering Fair in order to advance to state competition.

Justin Knapp, a Thomas County Central High School senior has been named not only the school’s STAR student, but also the STAR student for Thomas County. He recently competed for the Region 9 STAR Student honor in Americus. “Being selected as STAR Student is such an honor because it is a testament not only to my own work but also to how well my school has prepared me,” Knapp said. “I’m humbled to be able to represent my school in this way.” The teacher Knapp selected as STAR Teacher is Cary Riggs, who has taught Knapp in Latin I, Latin II and Advanced Placement Art History classes.

The TCCHS Boys' soccer team will host a camp for boys and girls ages K - 4th grades on March 28, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Cost is $40.00 per camper. Campers will receive fundamental instruction, a camp t-shirt, water bottle and will be given a ticket to the varsity soccer game against Cook County on April 2 where they will play a short game during halftime of the boys' game. Registration deadline is March 23.

CLICK HERE for registration Form

On Tuesday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m., George Rishfeld will tell his story of survival at the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium.  Sponsored by the Thomas County Board of Education in conjunction with the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, the event is free and open to the public. 

Click 'More Information' below for more details.

Students from Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School along with Ms. Danna Cooper and Ms. Selina Bell traveled to Macon to compete at the state level in the Georgia Educational Technology Fair last Saturday.  All of these students placed first in the regional level fair in January to earn their spot in the state level competition.  There are numerous technology categories in which students may compete including, but not limited to, 3D Modeling, Web 2.0 Applications, Digital Photography, Digital Video Production, and Programming.  Click 'More Information' below for more details.

Expanding the possibilities and testing the limits of science took front and center for Thomas County Central High School’s Science Olympiad team. The team competed recently in a Science Olympiad Tournament held at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston. Students placed/medaled in several events.

History continues to motivate young minds at Thomas County Central High School. Eighteen projects and 28 students from TCCHS are advancing to National History Day State Competition. These projects qualified after students placed first, second or third in the region competition held Friday, Feb. 27.

Youth Leadership 2015 has concluded, and 21 Thomas County Central High School students have completed the program.

TCCHS had two young artists place in the Valdosta State University Regional High School Art Competition: Sophie Anderson and Asia Gurulé. The exhibit opened Sunday at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta. Sophie Anderson, 16, won Best of Show for her ink, plaster, and acrylic called “Girl with Koi Fish.”

Two TCCHS Odyssey of the Mind teams have qualified for the State Finals to be held in Columbus, Ga at the end of March. The Pandora’s Box (top) team advanced to state finals during a region competition held in Flowery Branch on February 28. Team members are Katricia Fann, Sarah Buckley, Chelcie Nix, Kelcie Allen, Daniel Winchester, and Drucilla Thomas. The Balsa Wood team (bottom) advanced to state competition earlier in February. Teams members are Richard Salter, Ian Mathew, Johnny Williams, Nick Brinson and Amber Jackson.

Thomas County Central High School hosted a Special Needs Dance Friday, Feb. 20.  The theme was “The Roaring Twenties.” The dance is for area special needs programs, and approximately nine different districts came for a turnout of more than 400 participants, organizers said. This is Thomas County’s eighth year of hosting the dance, and several local businesses and individuals donated to help make the dance a success.

Forty-four students from Thomas County Central High School participated in District Jazz and District Honor bands recently at Norman Park.

Keisley Spence, a Thomas County Central High School senior employed by BellaMoon Boutique through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named WBL Student of the Month for February.

Attention Class of 2019!
You're invited to
Thomas County Central High School's
9th Grade Open House!

Monday, February 9
6:00 p.m.

Open to all rising 9th graders... you do not have to be enrolled in Thomas County Schools.  For more information, call 229-225-5050.

Coach Chad Parkerson was asked to speak during the Georgia Dugout Club’s annual baseball clinic, held during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend at the Crowne Plaza in Atlanta. “It was a definite surprise, humbling would be a better term, to be asked to speak in front of all the high school and college coaches that are members of the dugout club,” Parkerson said. “I look up to a lot of the guys in the coaching circles all around the state.

Congratulations to our robotics teams who brought home two trophies and several other awards from the recent CircuitRunners qualifier held at Wheeler High School this past weekend. The Gold team finished qualifying rounds in fourth place.  Unfortunately, they fell to the winning team in semifinals.  The Gold team also brought home the trophy for the Motivate Award.  They were also finalists for the Innovate Award and finished third for the Inspire Award. The Green team was a finalist for the Connect Award and brought home the trophy for the Think Award.

Thomas County Central High School has received a new American flag. A representative for Modern Woodmen of America visited TCCHS Wednesday to deliver the flag. The school has a flag pole on the front lawn of the campus and daily flies an American flag. The flag presented was a replacement for the one previously flown and donated by the organization.

Devan Drew, a Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Chandler’s through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named WBL Student of the Month for January. “He has demonstrated excellent work ethics throughout his employment with Chandler’s maintaining honesty, showing responsibility and dependability,” Drew’s Work-Based Learning coordinator, Michelle Ausley, said.

Thomas County Central High School’s swim team is finishing up its regular season and gearing up for region competition.

TCCHS defended their FBLA region title, against 32 other schools, for the 4th year in a row.  These students are testing against over 20,000 FBLA students state wide.  Many of our students are ranked in the top 10 in their events, statewide, and we even have a few ranked number 1 after region...this is with 200-500 competitors in their event! 

Thomas County Central students brought home nine first place medals, two second place medals, and a quiz bowl award from the 11th Annual Academic Competition held at Andrew College in Cuthbert. The quiz bowl team placed second in the competition.  The quiz bowl team was made up of Noah Harris, Justin Knapp, Logan Potter, Cole Donovan, Maggie Martin, and Jason Weeks.  The competition consisted of four rounds of questions related to art, history, literature, mathematics, science and social science.

Positive encouragement and recognition for a job well done was recently given to students at TCCHS. The event was called “Pops from Pop.” “We are very proud of all the students who maintain passing grades and discussed different ways to reward them at our leadership team meeting this summer,” said Principal Trista Jones.  “We thought this would be a great way to make a personal contact with each student and to encourage them to keep up the good work.”

TCCHS students continue to strive to be the best by maintaining jobs that will benefit them in the future. Eight students have joined the Work-Based Learning program as Youth Apprentices focusing in the area of education, where they work with three-year-olds and learn the routine of a teacher at Hand-In-Hand Primary School.

WHAT: Thomas County Central High School’s “Best of the Nest” Christmas Concert
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18
WHERE: TCCHS Gym

HOW MUCH: Free and open to the public

This Christmas season at TCCHS teachers are lending a helping hand in a unique way: by sharing their voices. A group of teachers came together to record a CD in order to raise funds for the annual Shop with a Yellow Jacket (SWAYJ) project. The CD is titled “It’s a Yellow Jacket Christmas 2014” and CDs are $10 apiece.

Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leader of America club members traveled to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain Nov. 23. Each year, Callaway puts on “Fantasy in Lights,” a display of Christmas lights that cars can drive through. FBLA members walked the eight-mile path in support of the March of Dimes.

The Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America leadership team participated in the Fall Leadership conference Nov. 18-19 in Athens.

Members of Thomas County Central High School’s Student Council recently attended the Georgia Association of Student Councils Leadership Summit 2014.

Each Thursday afternoon students at Thomas County Central High School take time to assemble food packages. These packages are distributed on Fridays to high school students who are at risk of not having food over the weekend and during school breaks through the Backpack Buddies program.

The TCCHS robotics team, CyberStingers Gold, members are Jameson Smith, A.J. Rowell, Austin Ridley, Chris Geer, and Steven Tran. The team won the Finalist Alliance trophy at the FTC qualifier sponsored by L.E.D. Robotics at Southern Polytechnic State University the weekend of December 6.

Thomas County Central High School students have helped stock the shelves of a local relief organization this holiday season. TCCHS students participated in The Can Food Challenge, a three week drive to help The Salvation Army. The drive was organized by school club Divas of Tomorrow. “I think the can drive is a very good idea because we are fulfilling a need in the community,” freshman Divas member Kordae’ Bowden said.

TCCHS will host an informational meeting on Monday, November 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria about the new Georgia Milestones test. This test will replace the current End of Course Test (EOCT). All parents and students are encouraged to attend.

The new TCCHS assistant band director, Paul Johns, has a passion for teaching music.

Thomas County Central High School freshmen literature students are studying Greek Mythology and learning how those stories are still relevant in today’s world.

Thomas County Central High School is emphasizing personal fitness by putting its Physical Education students through their paces. New state standards require each student in a high school P.E. class to participate in the Pacer Test, which measures cardiorespiratory endurance.

A group of teachers at Thomas County Central High School attended Advanced Placement training during the summer in order to either improve or teach AP classes this school year. These teachers are Brett James, Teresa Carver, Laura Kornegay and Nicole Davis.

Parents and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend a meeting in the high school conference room on Monday, September 15 at 9:00 a.m. to give input on the TCCHS self-study for SACS accreditation. Your feedback is important as we work through this process. Please contact Beth Adams at 229-225-5050 ext 193 if you have any questions.

Pregame general admission ticket sales will be Thursday and Friday  8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at TCCHS or TCMS. Tickets are: Adults - $7.00 and Students - $5.00. All tickets are $8.00 at the gate Friday night.

There are still reserved seats available which will also be sold Thursday and Friday. Reserved seat tickets are $10.00 for bench seats and $12.00 for backed seats.

Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS) earned the highest score among high schools in Southwest Georgia on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), based on data released by the Georgia Department of Education. The CCRPI Index is regarded as a state report card for schools in Georgia. TCCHS scored an 83 on the 100-point scale, which is in the top tier of high schools statewide.

Five students from Thomas County Central High School's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter joined more than 11,000 other members and advisers for the 2014 FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition in Nashville, Tenn., on June 28, 2014.

Parking application packets are now available and may be picked up in the bookkeeping office. To purchase a parking permit, please return the completed packet along with a current driver's license and valid proof of insurance. Cost for a year long permit is $20.00. Any outstanding fees and/or lunch debts must be paid before a permit can be purchased. Applications will be accepted on the following dates from 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.:

Seniors Only: July 24-25

Seniors & Juniors: July 28-29

Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores: July 30

Permits are sold on a first come first served basis and may also be purchased throughout the school year.

Click here to get the information you need as you prepare to send your children back to school. Open House dates, supply lists, and dress code information are provided for your convenience.

Students from Thomas County Central High, Thomas County Middle, and Thomas County Upper Elementary attended the National History Day State Competition April 26, 2014 at Mercer University. National History Day allows students to choose their own topic and presentation style while learning about a specific historical time period and meeting Common Core literacy and GPS social studies standards. This year's theme is "Rights and Responsibilities" - this required students to use balanced research from primary and secondary sources to prove their thesis.  Click More Information below to see results.

Congratulations to sophomore Asia Gurulé for her first place entry in the High School Division (9th – 12th) of the Georgia School Nutrition Association (GSNA) poster contest.  Her first place artwork earned $50, a certificate, and a color copy of the work.  Gurulé previously placed first at the county and district high school levels for her work illustrating this year’s slogan, “GSNA - We Are School Nutrition.” She earned an additional $50 at those levels.

On April 3, 2014, twenty-eight TCCHS students and teachers enbarked on the journey of a lifetime. Traveling through EF Tours, the group met up with other students from Crete, Illinois in London, England and later traveled to Paris, France. See More Information for the full story.

The TCCHS Odyssey of the Mind team that solved the problem “The Driver’s Test” has qualified for World Finals. The team is made up of Alexis Bergozza, Addison Frasch, Bobby Hancock , Mallorie Johnson, Chelcie Nix, Beth Sharpe, and Terrance Smith. See More Information for the full story and Photo Galleries for pictures.

Congratulations to Hakeem Stevens who won 2nd Place and a $300 scholarship at the state level for the “Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week (“MAW”)” art poster contest. Hakeem is unique in that he also won 1st Place in this event as a seventh grader. He will go with representatives from Southwest Georgia Technical Institute, who sponsored the regional contest, and receive his award at the luncheon on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at the Georgia National Convention Center.

Congratulations to Thomas County Central art students who earned awards at the recent Thomasville Center for the Arts Annual High School Youth Arts Show. Senior Lyndsae Madden received the Artists' Guild Scholarship Award of $1,000.00. See More Information for a list of all winners.

Pictured left to right:  Emily Kornegay, Garrett Castleman, William McCray, and Kacy Jones.

Thomas County robotics teams competed at the RoBugs FTC qualifier this past weekend.  The CyberStinger Blue team brought home the Connect Award.  This award was given to the team for its involvement in helping the community understand FIRST® and FTC.  The team conducted several outreach events during the year, volunteered during science camp, and participated in the Thomasville Christmas parade.

Congratulations to the following students for placing in the Andrew College Academic Competition:
Social Studies
Maggie Martin—1st place, 9th grade
Logan Potter—2nd place, 11th grade

Math
Emily Kornegay—1st place, 11th grade

Science
Chandler Watson—1st place, 9th grade
Mikayla Jordan—2nd place, 9th grade
Noah Harris—1st place, 11th grade
Justin Knapp—1st place, 11th grade
Brian West—1st place, 12th grade
Cole Donovan - 2nd place, 10th grade (not pictured)
 

Taylor Collins state winning entry in the "Plains, Peanuts & a President" annual postcard contest.

Congratulations to Taylor Collins the 1st Place state winner in the 12^th Grade Division for “Plains, Peanuts & a President” annual postcard contest held in Plains, Georgia. 

On Thursday, September 26, the Class of 2014 won their third straight Powder Puff Championship. The Powder Puff game is sponsored annually by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). All four classes form teams and coaching staffs and compete against each other in 15 minute games. This year's senior class is the first class in TCCHS Powder Puff history to play in the championship game all four years. They were victorious in three of those years, also setting a new TCCHS record for most wins. FCA meets every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. in the conference room. All students are invited to attend these meetings. For pictures from the game see Photo Galleries.

TCCHS quarterback Adam Choice made a verbal commitment on Wednesday, May 22 to officially become a Clemson Tiger on national singing day in February, 2014. See the story from the Thomasville-Times Enterprise by clicking MORE INFORMATION.

Six Thomas County Central High School seniors’ dedication to academics and community have them shining brightly amongst their peers with the announcement of the 2023 Georgia Scholars.

The Georgia Department of Education partners with local school districts/schools to coordinate the Georgia Scholar program. It identifies and commends graduating high school seniors who shine in school and within their community. According to the official press release, only 154 graduating seniors in Georgia earned this distinction. TCCHS students who received the honor are Caleb Kinneer, Bishop Jackson, Jackson McCorkle, Gavin Melnick, Riley Scoggins and Jay Campbell Smith.

Assistant Principal Dr. Erin Rehberg expressed pride in TCCHS and these students’ accomplishments.

“You have to meet some difficult standards to make this list, including high scores on standardized testing, a nearly perfect GPA, dynamic leadership and community involvement,” she said. “These six students have worked extremely hard throughout their high school careers and deserve recognition for their commitment to excellence.”

Riley Scoggins, 18, said she’s honored to receive the Georgia Scholar title.

“Earning the distinction of Georgia Scholar feels incredible,” she said. “It is such a prestigious designation that not everyone has the chance to get.”

Furthermore, Scoggins, who learned of the program this year, is the only female student at TCCHS to receive a 2023 designation.

Thomas County Central High School Advanced Placement program continues its mission to promote academic excellence and college readiness. TCCHS had 64 students receive AP Scholar status for the 2021-2222 school year.

The Thomas County Health Department and Thomas County Schools are teaming up to fight the influenza (flu) virus again this year by providing immunizations in our schools. 

Flu registration packets are being sent home with students. If you need another copy, the forms and other additional information can be accessed by clicking on the links below. Flu registration packets must be completed and returned to the school on or before Tuesday, October 6, 2020. You can also fax the forms to the health department by dialing 229-379-3521. 

2020 Parent Letter - Flu

2021-2022 Student Consent Form

Adult Vaccine Consent Form

Influenza Inactive VIS 2021-22

Privacy Notice

Fans of the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets will be able to watch the action of the 2020 football season live from the comfort of their own home through a new live streaming service that will be offered by the school.

“We felt an obligation to our supporters to offer something for them that would be as close as possible to them being inside the stadiums we play in,” said Central athletic director Sam Holland about the live stream, which will be offered through the Sport Scope company. “We looked at all of the available options out there and felt like this was the best choice of combining quality of service and benefit for our sports programs.”

With Covid-19 social distancing mandates in place in most stadiums across Georgia, it is anticipated that attendance with most games will be limited to 25-30% capacity. That was the key motivating factor in developing the live stream option for fans.

An in-person graduation ceremony for the Thomas County Central High School Class of 2020 will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 9:00 a.m. at the Jackets’ Nest Stadium.  As with all decisions made during this challenging time, we are working diligently to honor and celebrate the Class of 2020 while also ensuring the safety of everyone involved.

We are extremely pleased to provide our 2020 graduates with a traditional type of graduation ceremony which they have earned and so greatly deserve. Finding a way to celebrate their accomplishments in-person and in the company of their family, despite the necessary restrictions that are in place as the result of the pandemic, has been a focus of our work over the past few weeks.

To ensure the health and safety of the graduates, school personnel, and guests, the following measures are in effect for this year’s graduation ceremony:

Thomas County Schools will be offering meal distribution every Wednesday starting April 22 through May 27. Each box will contain breakfast and lunch for seven days. Thomas County Middle School will be the main location, and we will continue to deliver to the outlying areas. Times will also remain the same with it being from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at TCMS and from 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon at the other sites. We are happy to still be here for you! Please call 229-413-1234 if you have any questions.

The Thomas County School System is conducting a Parent Survey.  We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!

2019 Parent Survey

The inaugural Tri-County Honor Choir convened September 29-30, for two days of rehearsal followed by an afternoon performance. The participating counties from District 2 were Decatur, Grady and Thomas. Participating schools were Cairo High School, Bainbridge High School, Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge, and Thomas County Central High School.

Thomas County Schools will welcome staff and students back for a normal day tomorrow, September 13. We do not expect any significant changes to bus routes, and all of our schools will be open for the regular schedule.

Student Google accounts will be disabled from June 16-August 1, 2017. If a student needs account access during this time, he or she should complete the form below.   Please allow 24 hours for access to be granted. Student accounts will continue to be monitored for inappropriate usage during the summer months.  

Student Account Request Form

TCCHS hosted an orientation for students who will be in the 9th grade in the 2017-2018 school year. Click below to view the video showing the presentation and our elective course offerings.

TCCHS will soon be providing every student a Chromebook to use at home and school. Before students can receive a Chromebook, a parent or guardian must attend a meeting to receive information on expectations for use and care. Please see the flyer for more information on dates, times, and location of these meetings. Parents/guardians must only attend one of the meetings offered.

Chromebook Parent Meeting Flyer

I.N.S.P.I.R.E. will be hosting Thomas County Central’s first annual Fall Festival and Yard Sale on November 12, 2016 at Thomas County Central High School from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  But in order for this event to be successful, we need your help.

Please participate in this important online survey! We need your feedback and suggestions to revise our School Improvement Plans. This survey is available now through Saturday, May 21, 2016.  Click on the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/parentsurveyFY16

TCCHS held its annual Special Needs Dance on Friday, Feb. 19. The dance is an opportunity for these students to gather in the gym to socialize and enjoy dancing with one another.

“I’m very pleased on how our team performed at the region meet, even though they fell a little short of winning the championship this year,” Coach Todd Wilson said. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of swimmers. They worked very hard all season long. All of our swimmers dropped time throughout the season and many earned their best times ever in their event.” 

Thomas County Central High School is preparing for Groundhog Job Shadow Day and local organizers are seeking the community’s involvement.

The national event, scheduled for Feb. 2, 2016, will be a chance for students all over the country to shadow workers in a vast variety of professions. To help make the event a success on the local level, TCCHS is currently seeking businesses/industries who want to help out by allowing students to shadow their employees.

“We are looking for businesses and industries interested in helping TCCHS students make a difference in their lives by giving them a new vision for their future,” Work-Based Learning Coordinator Michelle Ausley said.

Professions anticipated to be shadowed on the day include scientists, firefighters, graphic designers, mechanics, doctors, architects, teachers, government employees, and potentially hundreds more.

For more information or to sign up to participate, contact Melissa Rodgers, TCCHS senior guidance counselor, at (229) 225-5050, ext. 168 or Michelle Ausley at (229) 225-5050, ext. 192.

The deadline to register is Jan. 15, 2016.

Each year, the local Thomas County Special Olympics is put on by the Thomasville YMCA and the Thomas County Special Olympics Advisory Committee. “They serve more than 150 special need students from kindergarten to 12^th grade from area schools in Thomas County that participate in Special Olympic sports,” TCCHS Special Education teacher Todd Wilson said. “Every year the Special Olympics become more visible throughout our communities.  This is a great way for people in Thomasville to see the importance of this program in the lives of our special need athletes.”

To prepare for Milestone score reports going home with students, we will host a parent information meeting on Thursday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Conference Room.  This meeting will provide parents an opportunity to learn more about the Milestone End-of-Course Assessments and the score reports.

Two Thomas County Central High School art students placed in the annual Plains, Peanuts and a President postcard contest. Sophomore Savannah Rosales won first place in the 10^th grade division, and freshman Jada Moore won second place in the ninth grade division. “I feel proud of being placed in first,” Savannah Rosales said. “It means the absolute world to me to win and be congratulated.”

Brentley Odom, 15, and a sophomore at Thomas County Central High School, is the current South Region president. The TCCHS FFA chapter is a part of this region and Odom was recently elected to the office. “This was my first year running for a senior office and I was so young,” Odom said of his election. “I was super surprised. I was not expecting president at all. I am happy I did get president and I feel like I can fulfill the duties that I need to.”

Congratulations to our Thomas County Central High School Class of 2015!  Endless possibilities await the 286 graduates who will be looking toward a future full of new challenges.  Valedictorian Emily Kornegay and Salutatorian Noah Harris both shared words of wisdom with their fellow classmates.  Click below to read their speeches.

Todd Wilson, Special Education teacher, has been named Thomas County Central High School “Teacher of the Year” for the 2014-2015 school year. “If you want to change the world go into teaching,” he said. “If you want to make a difference, go into Special Education.”

Seven Thomas County Central High School students have earned places at a state science competition. The students advancing to state placed first in their category at region competition. These students are: Kaleb Carter, Jonathan Castillo, Jacob Hancock, Noah Harris, C’lee Kornegay, Emily Kornegay, and Ashlynn Quattlebaum.

Anne-Marie Holland, a Thomas County Central High School senior employed by Thomas County Board of Education through the Work-Based Learning program, has been named the WBL Student of the Month for December.

The most wonderful day of the year is currently in the works at Thomas County Central High School. Shop with a Yellow Jacket, also known as SWAYJ, is being prepared for community kids this Christmas. “Students and teachers come together to help the less fortunate,” Renae Moore, TCCHS teacher and a SWAYJ coordinator, said. “It’s a time where we come together and show what it means to be a true Yellow Jacket.”

Barberitos teams up annually with the TCCHS yearbook staff to raise both funds and awareness for local breast cancer survivors by selling pink chips and breast cancer awareness T-shirts.

School Bus Safety Week reminds students, parents and
motorists of their important role in school bus safety

Georgia celebrates National School Bus Safety Week on October 20 - 24, 2014, and Georgia School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Monday, October 20.  Schools and safety advocates throughout the Peach State are using the week as an opportunity to highlight the importance of school bus safety.  The 2014 theme for the week, Be Smart - Be Seen, I wait in a safe place, reminds students, parents and motorists of the important role each plays in ensuring student safety at the school bus stop.  One key factor in protecting Georgia’s students rests with motorists obeying the law and stopping for Georgia’s school buses as they board and exit. But, drivers should also be reminded that obeying the law is just not enough.  Children are unpredictable… motorists must have an overall heightened safety awareness and expect the unexpected as children wait at bus stops and as they get on and off their school bus.

TCCHS student Dwayne Harrell presents Thomas County Schools Transportation Director Robert Young with 85 handwritten thank you notes. These notes are for the system's bus drivers and thank them for safely transporting students. Harrell wrote the notes on behalf of the TCCHS Key Club, sponsored by Amy Ponder (also pictured). The club also gave the bus drivers a basket of goodies.

General Admission tickets will be on sale in the front lobby ticket booth on Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All tickets are $10.00. Kick off is 8:00 p.m.

The TCCHS Social Studies Department would like to announce the winners of our 1st National History Day competition. These students will advance to the state competition at Mercer University at the end of April. Please see More Information below for a list of winners.

Seven Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets signed letters of intent to play football on the college level on National Signing Day. See More Information below for a list of players and colleges and see Photo Galleries for pictures from the signing event.

TCCHS students (left to right) Addison Frasch, Noah Harris, and Justin Knapp received perfect scores on the Georgia High School Writing Test, or the GHSWT. All received a score of 350. The test is administered as 100 minutes on a persuasive writing topic and is graded in four areas: style, conventions, ideas and organization. Justin Knapp also received a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT. Great job, guys!

Artwork in the Plantation Wildlife Festival Junior Art Contest had to be based on the “Game Birds in Flight” theme. A maximum of 50 entries, from grades 7-12 were accepted for exhibition. TCCHS had eight works selected this year. The overall “Best of Show” winner was Central’s Sophomore Sophie Anderson for her “Wild Pheasant” in watercolor, ink, and acrylic. See more information for pictures of the winning pieces of artwork.

More than just Thomas County Central High School’s 2023 yearbook will laud late educator Marvel Renae Moore and her dedication to inspiring young minds.

To honor Moore and her irreplaceable contributions, TCCHS English Language Arts Department and a committee created the INSPIRED by Moore scholarship, a reworking of the original I.N.S.P.I.R.E. scholarship, a club for which Moore was a cofounder.

Moore, who spent 18 years at TCCHS, died in September 2022. She taught English Language Arts, primarily American Literature, but had recently begun working as the school’s digital technology specialist.

Assistant Principal Dr. Erin Rehberg said TCCHS reciprocated Moore’s affection.

“We loved her, too,” Rehberg said. “She was such an asset to this school, and we have all missed her so much this year. It is so appropriate that her colleagues saw it fitting to honor her memory with this scholarship. She loved to give out the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. scholarship every year, so it feels very appropriate to keep the scholarship going in her name.”

Son Caleb Moore, a TCCHS graduate, said the family’s speechless and honored by this scholarship’s creation. He said to know his mother – who was kind, patient, and passionate about everything she touched – was to know love, compassion and Jesus Christ.

“My mother had a love for the underserved everywhere, but especially Thomas County Schools,” Caleb said. “Her mission was to ensure that this group of people felt heard, seen, and equipped to do anything they set their minds toward. This scholarship is something that my mother dreamed of; she often spoke of her vision of expanding the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. scholarship and being able to help those in need.”

Thomas County Central High School senior Bishop Jackson took a week-long leadership sojourn to the nation’s capital this summer. Grady Electric Membership Corp., known as Grady EMC, selected Jackson as its Thomas County representative on the 2022 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, commonly called the Washington Youth Tour. 

“For more than 50 years, electric cooperatives across the state have recognized outstanding high schoolers through the Washington Youth Tour program, and we were thrilled to return to Washington, D.C. this summer,” Grady EMC Senior Communications Specialist Beth McMillan said. 

“Georgia’s EMCs are firmly committed to developing our state’s most precious resource—our youth—and we take great pride in providing this valuable leadership experience for exceptional teens like Bishop.”

Jackson described the tour as comprehensive.

“Even though the experience was just one week, I did so many activities and met lots of people during the trip,” he said. “The trip was more fast-paced than I thought it would be. Before receiving the trip's itinerary, I had no idea we would be visiting five or six places in one day. Even though I had been to D.C. before, I still went to places I hadn't seen before.”

The group visited various museums and monuments, including the Smithsonian Museums, the White House, Mount Vernon, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, Pentagon Memorial and the national World War II Memorial. 

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines and a list of eBook resources.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at your school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2020-2021 school year.

Summer Reading Challenge Website

We have 18 free WiFi hotspots available at various locations throughout the county to help those without internet access at home. Please email us at techsupport@tcjackets.net or call 229-413-1234 for assistance or if you are having any trouble accessing the free WiFi.

*NOTE - We request that people don't park directly in front of the garage doors at the fire department locations. There should be plenty of space to park at these sites without blocking the doors. Thank you!

Thomas County WiFi Map