CCPS October Newsletter

Dear Catoosa County Families and Community,

On Tuesday, we hosted one of my favorite and most inspiring events of the entire school year: the CCPS Teacher of the Year Luncheon.

In Catoosa County Public Schools, we are exceptionally blessed to have some of the most dedicated, skillful, and compassionate educators in the State of Georgia. During the luncheon, I shared that receiving the CCPS Teacher of the Year award is a lot like winning college football’s Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Trophy is made of about $150 worth of bronze. If it were cast in solid gold, it would be worth around $1.5 million! Yet, no recipient ever cares about the value of the metal. What makes that trophy priceless is what it symbolizes. 

The Teacher of the Year award is certainly not about the value of the plaque; it is about the profound dedication behind it.

We are living through one of the most challenging times in history for educators. Right on the heels of navigating a global pandemic, teachers are facing the challenges posed by student cell phones, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI), and how these impact students in their classrooms. However, day in and day out, our teachers show up in the classroom with unwavering dedication to our students, because that's where the magic happens.

I left the luncheon thinking, what if we designed our own Heisman-style trophy, not of a football player evading a tackle, but of a teacher leaning in to help a student. That would be pretty cool. If we were to do that, which one of your past teachers do you picture on that trophy? Right now, I have one clearly in my mind.

Watching each principal stand up to introduce and brag on their school’s Teacher of the Year recipient is a memory I will always carry with me. I hope you will take some time out of your schedule today to send a text, write a quick email, or call a teacher who made an impact on your life. These things really do make a teacher's day.

To our 2026–2027 Teachers of the Year and to every educator across our district: THANK YOU. You are our heroes every day, without exception!

We are beyond proud to announce that Tiger Creek Elementary has been officially named a Title I Reward School! What does this mean? Title I Reward Schools represent the top 5% of Title I schools in the entire state making the most progress in improving student performance! Being named to this elite list is a remarkable achievement that reflects the hard work, dedication, and heart of our entire school community.

Ms. Camp goes above and beyond every single day to help others. Although she does not have students at HMS, she has claimed us as her home school and consistently goes out of her way to support our staff and school community. She is always looking for ways to serve, help, and make someone else's day a little easier. If she sees something that needs to be done, she simply steps in and does it with a smile and without ever expecting recognition. Her willingness to serve others, positive attitude, and genuine care for our school makes her someone who truly exemplifies what it means to go above and beyond. is an example of a sentence to begin a paragraph.

CCPS is excited to begin the 2026-2027 school year. CCPS offers a bus-tracking app called Traversa MyRide K-12. Please scan the QR code shown in this article with your smartphone's camera to download and sign up for our new CCPS Bus app.

Traversa offers a more advanced and user-friendly platform designed to improve the safety and efficiency of our student transportation. Key benefits include:

Improved Efficiency: Streamlined processes and real-time updates.

After scanning the QR code, you will be directed to download the app and create an account using your student ID.

We encourage all CCPS Bus rider families to participate in the new bus app program. We are particularly interested in your comments regarding the accuracy of bus pick-up and drop-off times displayed in the app. You will be able to track your student 30 minutes prior to and post pick-up time.

Please share your thoughts and suggestions with:

Mrs. Mary Lanham, CCPS Transportation Manager: mlanham@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Or call our Transportation Office @ 706-965-2913

All comments are welcomed and appreciated. We look forward to our new MyRide K-12 Program and all it can offer by way of accuracy. We look forward to partnering with you to make our transportation system the best it can be.

We value your input. If you would like to ask us a question, please use the email address provided below in our contact information.

Email: questions@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Website: www.catoosa.k12.ga.us