Evans County Schools

🍪 Gingerbread Fun in Ms. Thigpen & Ms. Melissa’s Class! 🍪

Our class has been busy learning all about The Gingerbread Man, and we had the sweetest week exploring this classic story in hands-on ways!

✨ We made our very own gingerbread ornaments to take home.
✨ Built festive (and very creative!) gingerbread houses.
✨ Tasted gingerbread cookies.
✨ Read different versions of The Gingerbread Man and voted on our favorite.
✨ Even turned into scientists with a gingerbread + water experiment to see what happens when a cookie meets liquid!

The students had a blast learning, exploring, and creating. What a magical way to kick off the holiday season! 🎄💛

🎄 Ag Mech Students Building Holiday Cheer! 🚂
Mr. Turner's Ag Mech 1 class students are hard at work, applying their skills to build a special wooden train for Christmas!

This project is a great way for students to master essential skills, including woodworking techniques, effective communication for collaboration, and the importance of using proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to ensure safety.

Great job blending craftsmanship with holiday spirit! 🖤💛

#TheDEN #AgMech1 #Woodworking #CTAE #ShopClass #ChristmasProject #SafetyFirst 🛠️

🐯 Claxton Tiger Athletics – Week of December 15–20, 2025 🐯

Tiger Family, here’s what’s ahead for Claxton Tiger Athletics this week! We have three HOME games and two AWAY games as we wrap up our final week of competition before Christmas Break. Let’s finish strong and show up to support our student-athletes as they proudly represent our school!

We also want to wish all of our Tiger Family a safe, warm, and wonderful holiday break 🎄

📅 Weekly Schedule:

Monday | December 15, 2025
🏀 CMS Basketball @ Jenkins County — AWAY
• 4:00 PM – Girls
• 5:30 PM – Boys

Tuesday | December 16, 2025
🏀 CHS Basketball vs. Portal — HOME
• 4:15 PM – JV Girls
• 6:00 PM – Varsity

Thursday | December 18, 2025
🏀 CMS Basketball vs. ECI — HOME
• 4:00 PM – Girls
• 5:30 PM – Boys
🎓 1st Semester Honor Roll Night

Friday | December 19, 2025
🏀 CHS Basketball @ Vidalia — AWAY
• 3:15 PM – JV
• 6:00 PM – Varsity

Saturday | December 20, 2025
🏀 CHS Basketball vs. Swainsboro — HOME
• 2:00 PM – JV
• 5:00 PM – Varsity

❄️ Stay warm, but if you’re able, come out and cheer on our Tigers! Let’s show them how proud we are of their hard work and dedication.

🖤💛 Let’s Go Tigers! 💛🖤

#ClaxtonTigerAthletics #RestoreTheRoar #ClaxtonBasketball

🎄✨ Fourth Grade Party Planners! ✨🎄

Students in Ms. Driggers’ 4th grade math classes took on a fun real-world challenge — planning a Christmas party for the entire fourth grade!

They brainstormed activities and food, then used multiplication to calculate the total cost of their party plans. Some groups dreamed big (like a full day at an amusement park!) but quickly discovered that budgeting brings real math lessons — and that things can cost more than they expected! 😄💰

Such a fun and practical way to learn! 🎉📚

🌱 Digging In: Onion Planting Day!
Mr. Turner’s Horticulture class is getting their hands dirty and growing some future flavor! 🧅🪴 Students mastered the art of planting onions, turning classroom lessons into real-world gardening skills. It was a fantastic day of hands-on learning, teamwork, and sustainable agriculture! We can't wait to watch these little sprouts grow. Future farmers and botanists in the making! 🧑‍🌾🔬

#HorticultureClass #GardenProject #OnionPlanting #AgEducation #GrowingSkills #HighSchoolGarden #HandsOnLearning #TheDen

Parents can request that their child not participate in the Georgia School Climate Survey. The Georgia School Climate Student Survey is an anonymous, statewide survey instrument that identifies school climate issues that impact student achievement.

For Grades 3-5, the survey includes 27 questions. It should take students approximately 10 minutes to complete. For Grades 6-12, the survey includes 73 questions. It should take students approximately 25 minutes to complete. The data will help leaders improve the school.

If you do not wish for your child to participate in the Georgia School Climate Student Survey, please click the Google Form link below that represents your preferred language and complete that Google Form:
English Version - https://tinyurl.com/5ds4whjf
Spanish Version - https://tinyurl.com/8sb56bhz
Haitian Creole Version - https://tinyurl.com/ykdc6taz

If you complete the survey linked above, your child will be given an opt-out form by the school by December 15, 2025. Parents will need to sign the Parent Request for Student to Opt-Out of Georgia School Climate Student Survey form and return that signed copy to the school by Friday, December 19, 2025.

📣✨ Morning Announcement Stars! ✨📣

A huge shout-out to Ava Williams, Tamara McLeod, and Dumonni Rogers for helping with our morning announcements this week! 🎤🌟

Their confidence, teamwork, and bright energy helped start each day on a positive note. We’re so proud of these awesome students! 💛👏

Great job, Ava, Tamara, and Dumonni!

#CMSProud #StudentLeaders #MorningAnnouncements

🎄✨ CES is loving the 12 Days of Christmas! ✨🎄
We’ve had such a great time celebrating so far—lots of smiles, festive fun, and holiday cheer filling our halls each day! ❤️🎅

We can’t wait to see what the rest of the 12 Days brings. Thank you to everyone for helping make CES such a joyful place this season! 🎁❄️

🎉 Evans County Schools Night with the Savannah Ghost Pirates! 🎉

Mark your calendars for MLK Weekend — January 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM!
Come out and enjoy an afternoon of hockey and fun as the Savannah Ghost Pirates host a special night just for Evans County Schools! 🏒💚

🎟 Tickets purchased through the link below send proceeds directly back to our schools, supporting students and programs right here in Evans County!

💥 Plus — there will be exclusive opportunities for ECS participants during the game!
🎁 And with the holiday season around the corner, Ghost Pirates tickets make a GREAT Christmas gift!

➡️ Purchase here: https://www.gofevo.com/event/EvansCountySchools251

Let’s pack the arena and show our Tiger Pride! 🐅💛🖤

🌟 Congratulations to Miss Lavette Mikell! 🌟
She is the recipient of our November Sunshine Basket, and we couldn’t imagine a more deserving winner!

Our students love going to her drama class and are so thankful for all she does for them and the CES family. Her bright smile brings a ray of sunshine to our halls every single day. ☀️💛

We are truly grateful to have Miss Mikell as part of our CES team! 💙💛✨

Yesterday, Evans County Schools was honored to host a Christmas Luncheon celebrating our retired teachers and Board of Education members! It was a joyful time of fellowship, memories, and appreciation for those who have dedicated so many years to educating and supporting our students.

Thank you to all who attended and to everyone who helped make this event so special. Once a part of Evans County Schools, always a part of our family!

🌟 FFA Skills in Action! 🚜🔧
Shout out to Freshman FFA member Henry Haire (9th grade) for recently competing in the Central Region Lawnmower Operation Career Development Event (CDE) held at West Laurens High School! Henry demonstrated precision and skill in this practical event. Keep up the excellent work, Henry! Your dedication to mastering these valuable skills is inspiring. 👏

#TheDEN #ClaxtonFFA #LawnmowerCDE #CareerSkills #FreshmanSuccess #AgMechanics 🖤💛

🎉📸 Congratulations, Alex Cody! 📸🎉

We’re excited to announce that Alex Cody is the winner of the CMS Photo Booth drawing!

All students were invited to stop by the media center, have their picture made in the festive photo booth, and place their name in a basket for a chance to win. One lucky name was drawn—and Alex was our big winner! 🎁✨

She received a gift card from the office as her prize.

Great job, Alex, and thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and shared their holiday spirit!

#CMSProud #PhotoBoothFun #WinnerCircle #CongratsAlex

✨ Mrs. Hallman’s second graders have been reaching for the stars! 🌟 In science, students learned how stars form patterns called constellations and used modeling clay and toothpicks to recreate well-known constellations from the night sky. Their creativity and excitement truly shined bright! 😎

🎄🍬 Congratulations, Markees'! 🍬🎄

Markees guessed the exact number of candy canes in the jar — 120! 🎉👏

Our silly elf was so impressed that he had a special bag of peppermints ready and waiting for him this morning at school. 😄🧝‍♂️🍬

Way to go, Markees'! Enjoy your sweet victory!

#CandyCaneCount #HolidayFun #CMSProud #SweetSuccess

📚✨ Our enrichment team has been working hard to incorporate more ELA into our classes, and this week our Ag lesson took a fun literacy twist! After reading I Wanna Iguana, students used Ziggy, our class bearded dragon, as the inspiration for their opinion writing finale.
They wrote persuasive pieces explaining whether they should or should not be allowed to take Ziggy home—and let me tell you, their arguments were impressive, creative, and sometimes downright hilarious! 🦎✏️

We ended with a sweet class photo holding up their writing, Ziggy, and the book. Loving this mix of agriculture, literacy, and student voice! 💛🐯 #EnrichmentELA #OpinionWriting #AgInTheClassroom #ZiggyTheDragon

🎬✨ Reminder: MOVIE NIGHT — Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 PM! ✨🎬

Join us in the Claxton Elementary Gym for a festive family night featuring Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (Rated PG)! 💚🎄

🍿 $3 per person
🛌 Pajamas encouraged — come cozy!
🥤 Concessions available — everything is just $1!
🪪 ID required at check-in
🪑 Bring your blankets, camp chairs, or comfy seating to enjoy the show!

All proceeds support our 5th Grade Fundraiser!
We can’t wait to spend this fun holiday evening with our school families! ❤️💛

Claxton Middle School Shines at the 2025 Georgia BETA Convention

Claxton Middle School proudly represented Evans County at the annual Georgia BETA Convention, held December 4–6, 2025. Thirty-three hardworking students participated in a wide range of competitions, from online academic assessments to visual arts and talent-based events. Their dedication, leadership, and academic excellence were on full display throughout the convention.

This year, three CMS 6th graders earned state-level awards, securing their place at the National BETA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, coming June 2026:

Rhett Barnicoat – 2nd Place, U.S. History

Aylin Mendez-Cerro – 4th Place, Spanish

Kason Pack – 5th Place, English Language Arts

These outstanding achievements highlight the strong academic foundation and work ethic of CMS students.

As a nationally recognized academic honor society, BETA provides rigorous, standards-aligned learning experiences that extend beyond the traditional classroom. Competitions such as U.S. History, English Language Arts, Spanish, engineering, robotics, and visual arts require students to apply reading, writing, research, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills that directly support Georgia's instructional standards. Participation in BETA is not merely an extracurricular activity; it is an extension of academic learning that builds leadership, strengthens mastery of core content, and boosts college and career readiness. Experiences such as the BETA Convention advance the school’s instructional goals and provide students with meaningful opportunities to excel.

In addition to academic content, students gain essential real-world skills as they prepare for competitions. Project development teaches time management, planning, and perseverance. Students must analyze information, revise their work, collaborate when needed, and communicate ideas clearly and confidently. Creative competitions strengthen technical skills, artistic expression, and innovation, while academic events reinforce content knowledge and test-taking strategies. Presenting or competing in front of judges builds public-speaking confidence, professionalism, and resilience under pressure. Together, these experiences prepare students not only for academic success but for future careers and leadership roles.

Claxton Middle School celebrates all students who attended and competed with pride and determination:

6th-grade students
Rhett Barnicoat
Alexis Braly
Yazmine Gonzalez
Aylin Mendez-Cerro
John Pack
Carter Perrin
William Tucker
Josue Vicente Ajtun
Grayson Bickford
Beau Blizzard
Yunue Maldonado
Kaleb Tidwell
Jayson Saylor
Samuel Fleurmont
Daisy Reyes Tepetate
Jaden Robinson
Bryanna Lopez
Brielle Hernandez
Desmond Mikell

7th-grade students
Javier Flores Sontay
Liam Ikner
MP
Jahcier Williams
Wyatt Castle
Kelvin Vicente-Ajtun
Reagan Lovett

8th-grade students
Zachery Valentine
Allison Minis
Matthew Griffin
Rylee Lane
Jaylen Allen
Madisun Hodges
Ka'Marianna Palmer

Sponsors attending and supporting our students were:
Mrs. Myers, Mrs. Sefers, Mrs. Ikner, and Mr. Sapp. Their guidance, encouragement, and leadership helped make this year’s convention a success.

Claxton Middle School is incredibly proud of these students and their outstanding efforts. We congratulate our state winners and look forward to cheering them on as they prepare for Nationals in Nashville!

Mrs. Phillips’ 2nd graders have been busy extending and creating patterns using shapes, colors, and numbers! 🎨🔢 Their creativity is really shining! ✨🧠

🌟 CHS Beta Club is Wired for National Success! 🌟
We are bursting with pride for our Claxton High School Beta Students who attended the State Beta Convention in Savannah, GA! The students worked incredibly hard on projects centered around the theme, "Wired for Success." Their creativity, dedication, and teamwork paid off! 🖤💛

We are thrilled to announce that the following students earned a spot to compete at the National Beta Convention in Nashville, TN, in June 2026!

First Place National Qualifiers:
Ramon Soto Dentil (12th Grade Spanish)

Allison Martinez (Fiber Arts - Division 1)

Amy Allende-Muthe (Onsite Cake Decorating - Division 1)

Joselin Baltazar-Venagas (Hand Drawn Anime - Division 2)

Other National Qualifiers:
2nd Place: Gabriel Trejo Samano (11th Grade Spanish)

4th Place: Gaby Francis (3D Design)

5th Place: Hannah Hendrix (12th Grade Health/Physical Education)

Congratulations to all our qualifiers! Your hard work is an inspiration. Nashville, here we come! 🚀

#CHSBeta #NationalQualifiers #BetaConvention #WiredForSuccess #StudentAchievement 🏆