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. 

Bishop Hall Charter School faculty recently hosted their first “Family Literacy Night” for the 2023-2024 school year. With more than 100 people in attendance, parents and students learned the importance of literacy, how to understand Lexile scores, how to keep track of student progress, and how literacy is addressed across Bishop Hall.

Bishop Hall teachers Dr. Retha Lee and Paul McMullen organized the event. 

Lee said, “The turnout was incredible. We had a full house and a line out the door with parents and students waiting to get in.”

McMullen was also happy with the high attendance, saying, “It is exciting and invigorating to see such interest from both parents and students. I hope it continues on our next Literacy Night in February.” 

Principal Dr. Wiggins was thankful for those who attended the event. All of the teachers were pleased by the support of parents and the staff members who made the event successful. The next Literacy Night at Bishop Hall is planned for Thursday, February 22.

Thomas County first and second graders at Garrison Pilcher Elementary School are Plains Festival Postcard Contest Winners among 2,263 entries from students all over the state. Each winner will visit Plains, Georgia on the weekend of September 23 along with their families where they will receive an award and walk down Main Street as a participant in the 25^th Annual Plains Peanut Festival Parade. Principal Robin Binion and Assistant Principal Chad Parkerson are pictured with the winners: First Grade 1st place Pierce Shaver, 2nd place Willa Gilligan, and 3rd place Steele Dean; and Second Grade 2nd place J.B. Palacios and 3rd place Charlotte Broome.  

Students in Renee Brooks' classes recently blasted off into space in their 6th-grade year by learning about galaxies, planets, and now various space rocks. Through hands-on learning experiences and classroom discussions, students have been super-engaged in their own learning. During a recent lab activity, students had the opportunity to experience a fun and tangible way of learning about comets, which are known to scientists as dirty snowballs. Students used dry ice, coal, and various soil particles to represent the basic foundations of a comet. Students then applied heat in two ways; by breathing and from the heat of the sun. The project made it possible for the students to witness the gas tail that comes off of a comet as it moves closer to the sun.

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.