Lowndes County Schools

Viking Family, As we recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene, we want to do everything we can to be mindful of the needs of our ONELowndes family. We are all ready to get back to school and back to our normal routines. We also want to be respectful of what each of you are living through as it relates to storm recovery. If you’ve been displaced, we will make arrangements for you to stay enrolled at your home school if at all possible! We thank you for taking a few minutes to let us know your situation, so we can make informed decisions on returning to school and support you as we return to school. The community has many resources available, and information can be found on the EMA Lowndes Facebook page. We will also share resources on our social media as we become aware of those available. Please only complete ONE survey per household. This does not replace the requested community Crisis Track website reporting requested by EMA. https://forms.gle/2xwM4DVSD5L4DkkT7

Good afternoon Viking family, Our community has just experienced the largest disaster ever known to us. As our community begins the lengthy recovery process, I am mindful of the devastating losses experienced by many of you and how hard teams are working to clear roads and restore power in our area. We have been in constant communication with the true heroes of our community to include both power companies, first responders, and Lowndes EMA. We have started the assessment process of our buildings and our entire county as we are mindful that even once our buildings can open we have to be able to safely transport children to school. Knowing that safety is our top priority, Lowndes County Schools will be closed next week. At Gov Kemp’s press conference today, he shared his commitment to supporting our community and discussed the massive amount of resources already deployed to our area. We will continually assess where we are with our facilities and community to determine when our schools can reasonably reopen. I consider our schools a vital part of this community with our students relying on schools for not only academics but connections with peers, hot meals and a sense of belonging. I assure you as we continue the recovery process, and as soon as it is safe to do so we will reopen and look forward to seeing our One Lowndes family back together. Please follow EMA Lowndes on social media, and we will continue to share resources on our social media pages as well. I’m thankful for a community that rallies together. We are South Georgia Strong and we are Better Together. Sandra Wilcher, Superintendent Lowndes County Schools

Viking Family, As a follow up to our return plan, we are excited to share that the first day of school for students for the 2024-2025 school year will be this Friday, August 9th. We look forward to seeing your student soon!

Viking Family, We are excited to get the school year underway following our weather-related delay. We understand the challenges and disruptions this delay may have caused, and we appreciate your patience and understanding! Our teachers and staff will return to work tomorrow, August 7th. Elementary, Journey, and Middle School Open Houses will be moved to Thursday, August 8th, at the same time previously scheduled. Lowndes High School Ignite will be a drop-in event for 9th graders and new students on Thursday from 3:30 - 5:30 pm. The Lowndes County Schools Work Session is canceled, our regular Board Meeting is still scheduled for August 12th at 6:00 p.m. All schedule changes will be posted on our social media for your convenience.

Welcome to the #OneLowndes Family! Over the past two days, all new Lowndes County Schools Employees came together for orientation where they became acquainted with everything they need to know as a Viking. We are thrilled to welcome over 100 newcomers to our team and look forward to kicking off a new school year with them.

Congratulations to the newly named 2024-2025 Miss and Mr. LHS, Rebecca Keown and Cason Hasty! 🏆 🎉 Miss and Mr. LHS serve as ambassadors for Lowndes High School, and we know that these two exceptional students will represent our school well! We also extend our congratulations to the other finalists: Ryan Bellflowers, Jayden DiTomasso, Jonah Kim, and Nicole Taylor. Being selected as one of the six finalists from a pool of over 3,000 students is truly an honor! #OneLowndes

Morale was high at Moulton-Branch Elementary School yesterday afternoon as students gathered for an exciting pep rally to encourage them for the Georgia Milestones testing that began today! Students competed against teachers, performed a proficiency dance, and cheered each other on as each class ran through a sign to signify BUSTING THAT TEST! 💥💯👊

Celebrating #PurpleUp for military kids! 💜 Hahira Elementary School welcomed military students and their families yesterday morning for a special celebration. After enjoying breakfast, families were invited to place a pin on a map in the front of the school showcasing everywhere the military has taken them. Everyone was excited to see the unique places their classmates have lived before calling Moody and Lowndes County Schools home! 📍 🗺️ 💜

HAPPY WELCOME WEDNESDAY! Lowndes County School Board members Robert McGeehan, Erin Price, Eddie Smith, and Fred Wetherington lined the halls of Lowndes High School this morning, joining in on the weekly Welcome Wednesday fun, greeting students and staff as they entered. High fives, handshakes, and warm welcomes were the best way to start our day!

Paraprofessionals make it possible! 👏 🌟 Molly Carter from our Human Resources team made rounds across the system today to say, “THANK YOU!” to our paraprofessionals for their invaluable support to students and teachers! With Paraprofessionals Day coinciding with spring break, we've eagerly awaited our return to acknowledge their hard work! #OneLowndes #SupportPublicEducation #ParaprofessionalsDay

Communication is key when it comes to leadership! 🗣️💡 This week, Superintendent Sandra Wilcher visited our Aspiring Leaders, a group led by Dr. Tenry Berry, Director of Teacher and Leader Quality. She shared insight on effective and impactful communication techniques and facilitated a dynamic puzzle activity fostering teamwork and communication among participants. We look forward to seeing these future leaders continue to learn and grow! #OneLowndes

Happy Georgia Agriculture Week! 🚜🌾🌱 This week-long celebration pays tribute to the unwavering dedication of Georgia’s farmers and farm families, who serve as the backbone of the state's #1 industry - agriculture. Lowndes County Schools has invested in agriculture, from elementary programs to nationally recognized FFA groups, to implementing new greenhouses, and beyond. We are committed to the agricultural community here in Lowndes County! #gaagweek2024

🌟👩‍🏫🏅Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Gatzemeier, 8th-grade teacher at Pine Grove Middle School, for being recognized as the FIRST professional teacher in the state to earn the entire GaLEADS Professional Teacher Series and Professional Leadership Pathway Badge! GaLEADS is designed to reimagine evaluation to a system that truly "elevates" educators through targeted developments and customized support. Debra Lightsey, Georgia Department of Education Educator Support Specialist, joined Superintendent Sandra Wilcher, Director of Teacher & Leadership Quality Tenry Berry, and school administrators for a surprise celebration yesterday, complete with balloons and Dr. Gatzemeier's favorite lunch... Surcheros! Way to LEAD the way, Dr. Gatz! #OneLowndes #SupportPublicEducaiton

The CTAE Month celebration continues! 💼 ⚙️💻🚜 The Lowndes High School Career Technical Agricultural Education program is proud to provide students interdisciplinary and technical skills in a variety of unique pathways. Check out some of the faces of your future workforce! #OneLowndes #supportpubliceducation #CTAE

What a great day of learning and collaborating between our newest #OneLowndes educators! 🍎📝🌟 On Tuesday, induction-level teachers met in the collaboration space at Lowndes High School for a time of professional development.

Celebrating CTAE Month and Mr. and Miss CTAE! 🌟💼💻⚙️🚜 Lowndes County Schools proudly recognizes February as Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education Month. At Monday night's board meeting, Superintendent Sandra Wilcher read the Georgia Department of Education's proclamation, passing it on to Dr. Cloise Williams, the system's CTAE Director. Williams and Wilcher recognized several students involved in CTAE Programs, starting with Lowndes High School's Mr. and Miss CTAE, Daniel Thompson, and Lena Sumner.

Congratulations to Vicki Campolo, this month's #OneLowndes Spotlight Award recipient! Vicki is an administrative assistant at Parker Mathis Learning Center and is the first face you see when you enter the door. She plays a vital role in helping to calm parents bringing their students to PMLC for the first time, which can sometimes be difficult or emotional. Vicki is never hesitant to perform any task that may not be in her job description and is willing to go above and beyond for the faculty and staff at PMLC. She builds relationships with the faculty and students who play an important part in the daily operations and is always willing to step in to assist if needed. “Vicki has made a huge, positive impact on the overall atmosphere at PMLC from her first day on campus,” says PMLC Site Administrator Sean Alligood. Many have complimented her welcoming approach each day. Congratulations, Vicki!

🚗🔑 The Safe Driving Summit at Lowndes High School brought together nearly 1,000 students for an important cause! Hosted by the Georgia Department of Transportation in partnership with the Lutzie 43 Foundation, it was a day dedicated to educating students on the dangers of distracted, impaired, and unsafe driving and how to make safe choices behind the wheel.

Happy New Year, Vikings! We are sure this is going to be the best year yet for our staff, students, and #OneLowndes families! 🎉

Matter is more fun when it is tasty! Check out these PGE scientists! 🧪🔬 #OneLowndes