Lowndes County Schools

Students across all Lowndes County elementary schools came together last week for the annual 5th Grade Math Competition at Valdosta State University —and they brought their A-game! Each elementary school selected 10 top-performing students to represent their campus, forming teams built on skill, strategy, and teamwork. After practicing together, these students competed in both individual and team challenges, tackling rigorous problems and showing off their math power under pressure. 🏆 Team Winners: 🥇 Westside Elementary School Crimson Team 🥈 Westside Elementary School Silver Team 🥉 Pine Grove Elementary School Crimson Team 🏅 Top Individual Performers: 1st – Gavin Tidwell - Westside Elementary School 2nd – E.J. Justice - Hahira Elementary School 3rd – Jefferson Bailey - Westside Elementary School 4th – Eli Fleck - Pine Grove Elementary School 5th – Daniel Moorefield - Westside Elementary School Beyond the competition, students had the opportunity to explore the VSU campus—getting a glimpse into their future as college students! This annual event, started by the Lowndes High Mu Alpha Theta Math Club, continues to be a favorite tradition that celebrates academic excellence, teamwork, and a love of learning. Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, and organizers who make this experience possible for our students each year!

⭐Congratulations to Aarin Dave, Lowndes High School’s 2026 STAR Student, and Gina Tindall, his selected STAR Teacher!⭐

The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia’s highest-achieving seniors based on SAT performance and academic excellence. Aarin earned an incredible 1510 on the SAT, just 90 points shy of a perfect score!

From taking the SAT eight times and adapting to the digital format, to leading FBLA as president and developing innovative app projects that solve real-world problems, Aarin has truly combined brilliance with purpose.
He credits Mrs. Tindall, Business & Computer Science Instructor and FBLA Advisor, as a major influence in his journey. What began in an Introduction to Software Technology class turned into a passion for AP Computer Science, leadership, and using technology to serve others.

Mrs. Tindall describes Aarin as structured, focused, and always willing to help others succeed, a true servant leader. Being chosen as his STAR Teacher was an honor, she says she will always cherish.
Aarin plans to major in computer science before attending medical school to become a neurosurgeon, with hopes of returning to South Georgia to give back to the community that invested in him.

Read more here: https://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/article/2722915

Congratulations to Lowndes High School brothers Aarin Dave (senior) and Aarav Dave (sophomore)! The brothers earned first place in Georgia’s 18th Congressional District Congressional App Challenge, marking their fourth win and fifth top-two finish in five years. Their winning app, Inform ER, focuses on improving communication and efficiency in emergency rooms through real-time digital signage. Aarin and Aarav will represent the district in Washington, D.C., this April, where their app will be showcased to members of Congress and displayed at the U.S. Capitol.

Community leaders recently joined Valdosta City Schools and Lowndes County Schools to recognize I ❤️ Public Schools Day, celebrated nationwide on January 14. The joint proclamation highlights the strong partnership between schools and local leadership and the shared commitment to student success.

91% of students in Lowndes County choose public schools, a powerful reflection of the trust our community places in public education. ❤️🏫

Viking Families, it is not too late to secure meals for your child! While supplies are officially out at Lowndes Middle School and Pine Grove Middle School, nearly 1,000 meals remain at the Valdosta City Schools distribution site at Valdosta High School (4590 Inner Perimeter Road). Food will be distributed until 1:00pm. Lowndes families are welcome to attend. Thank you, Wildcats! We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity!

Over the past few days, we have been proud to recognize SIX Lowndes County Schools eighth graders as REACH Georgia Scholars! by a signing ceremony among their peers, LCS district leaders, family members, and a giant $10,000 check with their names Students were surprised with a signing ceremony amongst their peers, LCS district leaders, their family members, and a GIANT $10,000 CHECK with their name on it! Congratulations to our very deserving REACH Scholars, Ryleigh Brogdon - Hahira Middle School Briel Deters - Pine Grove Middle School Carmela Enciso - Hahira Middle School Allison Garcia - Lowndes Middle School Jada McCoy - Lowndes Middle School Isabella Zeigler - Pine Grove Middle School REACH, an acronym for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen, is a mentorship and college scholarship program. It provides promising students the support to graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success. We are proud to bring this opportunity to our deserving students! #OneLowndes #BetterTogether

We love seeing our schools collaborate in creative and meaningful ways! #BetterTogether

Mrs. Penland’s third-grade class (Pine Grove Elementary School) partnered with Mrs. Taylor’s Ceramics I students (Lowndes High School) for a special project celebrating adjectives and artistry. The Ceramics 1 students were tasked with sketching and designing, building, and painting MONSTERS to illustrate the adjectives the elementary students shared!

On Friday before Thanksgiving break, the two classes had a Google Meet for the reveal of the monsters and to celebrate their Monster Adoption Day! All students had the best time getting to meet virtually and build community between our two schools! We hope to see these third-graders taki

Hahira Elementary School welcomed Veterans and Vikings alike for their annual Veterans Day Program, presented by the fifth grade! Students shared patriotic songs, heartfelt tributes, and even broke down the true meaning behind traditions like the Pledge of Allegiance. 💙❤️ At the close of the program, students personally thanked Veterans from every branch of service with hand-delivered notes and treats; a small gesture of gratitude for their tremendous service and sacrifice. #OneLowndes #BetterTogether

✖️📚✈️ They’ve got their math facts cleared for takeoff! Dewar Elementary School and Hahira Elementary School fourth graders recently completed the Top Math program, mastering their multiplication facts with speed, accuracy, and precision! Inspired by Top Gun, this annual challenge turns learning into a high-flying competition, ending with a special visit from Airmen at Moody Air Force Base who show how math powers their missions every day. #OneLowndes #OneMission

Our Vikings are #BetterTogether! Every Friday, Lowndes High School's life skills class comes to hang the Lowndes Football jerseys in the players' lockers. The team sure does appreciate their help! #OneLowndes

Winnersville Week is off to a great start!
Our students and staff have already:
• Wrangled the Wildcats in their best western wear 🤠
• Won the Battle by dressing as superheroes 🦸‍♂️
Today, we’re Wrecking the Cats in our construction gear 👷‍♀️,
tomorrow we’ll wear RED to show that we are Drug Free for Red Ribbon Week ❤️, and we’ll cap off the week by showcasing our unmatched Viking Spirit!
What a week to be a Viking!

🎓 Lowndes County Schools’ Graduation rate rises to 94.1%! 🎓 This is a significant increase from last year's 92.8% and reflects the district's continued commitment to academic achievement. LCS also outperformed the state average of 87.2%, continuing its tradition of excellence and commitment to preparing graduates for success in college, career, and life. The district’s sustained growth in graduation rates underscores the “One Lowndes, One Mission of working Better Together” to serve the whole child and ensure that every student has the resources, relationships, and opportunities needed to succeed in life.

Last week, students across the district marked Constitution Day with creative and engaging activities. High schoolers explored possible new amendments and created promotional materials to share their ideas. Middle schoolers rewrote the Constitution in their own words, tested their knowledge through games and challenges, and even practiced their “John Hancock” signatures. Our youngest Vikings took part by writing classroom constitutions, practicing cursive with words from the document, and enjoying hands-on lessons about citizenship.
Across every grade level, Constitution Day was a chance to bring history to life while connecting timeless lessons to today. 💡📖

We can't stop thinking about Georgia Reads Day! 📚
Across our schools, students dove into engaging activities, enjoyed book buddy reading, took part in DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read!), and welcomed guest readers who shared their favorite stories.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the day unforgettable and reminded our students why reading matters! ❤️ #OneLowndes #OneMission

Viking Family, We are aware that some families are having issues signing into the One Lowndes app. We are working diligently with the app developer to resolve the problem. Thank you for your patience.

We are proud to announce that Dewar Elementary School has been honored as a 2025 Military Flagship School by the Georgia Department of Education—one of only 25 schools in the state to receive this recognition! With over 230 military-connected students, Dewar stands out for its year-round commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment. From Deployment Club Breakfasts and personalized check-ins to signature events like Purple Up Spirit Week and the Veterans Day Parade, DES goes above and beyond for our military families.

📢 Viking Parents! Don't miss this FREE workshop! 🌐💡💻 Learn how to create a tech ready home with the help of Protect Young Eyes! 📅 Tuesday, March 25 ⏰ 6:00 PM 📍 LHS Performing Arts Center. 🔗 Register here: bit.ly/PYELCS

📢 Viking Parents! Don't miss this FREE workshop! While we can’t eliminate all digital risks, we can create a home that is confident and prepared for today’s online world. 🌐💡💻 Learn how to create a tech ready home with the help of Protect Young Eyes! 📅 Tuesday, March 25 ⏰ 6:00 PM 📍 Lowndes High School Performing Arts Center. 🔗 Register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/protectyoungeyes/1620771

Good Afternoon, Viking Family, We hope that you have stayed safe and warm and enjoyed the snow the past two days! We’ve been closely monitoring weather and road conditions following the winter storm and remaining in contact with Lowndes EMA, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and other local officials. As the snow and ice have began to melt from the roads and conditions have improved, we will be reopening all schools and system offices tomorrow, Friday, January 24th. We look forward to welcoming your student back to school tomorrow!

Good morning, This is Sandra Wilcher, Superintendent of Lowndes County Schools. The safety of our staff and students is always our top priority. With the current forecast and road conditions, we do not consider it safe for buses and vehicles to be on the road Thursday morning. According to Lowndes EMA, the forecasted temperature at noon is 32 degrees. Between Noon and 1 PM, the temperature is expected to rise above freezing and peak at 36 degrees around 4 PM., dropping back to freezing at 7 PM. The wind chill factor will stay below freezing all day. This gives us only about 6 hours of above-freezing temperatures. Six hours will not be enough time to allow all the snow and ice to melt and dry out. The hazard could be increased if the snow melts and the freezing results in black ice, which is less visible, creating a false sense of security; ice creates more dangerous driving conditions than snow. Lowndes County EMA and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office continue to encourage residents to stay off the roads until icy conditions dissipate, which is likely to be Thursday afternoon or later. Follow Lowndes EMA for updates. In the meantime, enjoy Winterland and stay safe and warm! We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!