The Ware County Health Department will be offering flu shots to students and staff in October. Flu forms are due October 5th. Please contact the health department for more information. Forms will be sent home with students, but English and Spanish versions are also available at the link below.

English Newsletter

Spanish Newsletter

All schools in the Ware County School District will resume a regular operating schedule on Monday, September 18th. Students will not be required to make up the lost days resulting from Hurricane Irma; however, all staff members will be required to make up the missed days to meet the terms of their contracts. All scheduled holidays will remain intact for students and staff members at this time. We look forward to seeing  all students and staff members on Monday, September 18th. 

We would like to take a moment to thank the community for their support during this difficult week. The hospitality you showed to evacuees and the unified spirit we felt as everyone pulled together is proof that we live in a fine community. Thank you!

Mrs. Guess and Mrs. Corbitt’s class had fun performing a STEM activity after reading the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The students were placed into cooperative learning groups and built a coconut tree with Legos and craft sticks. Next, they were given magnetic letters and had to predict how many letters they could put on top of the coconut tree before those letters fell off. They learned about prediction, weight, and balance while having lots of fun. Picture L-R:  Jasiyah Y. and Colton D.

Nationally recognized speaker Sgt. Jesse Hambrick of the Douglas Co. Georgia's Sheriff's Office will provide a FREE seminar at Ware County Middle School's auditorium on October 19, 2017 at 5:30pm. Sgt. Hambrick will share what every adult and student needs to know to stay safe in a digital world during the 90-minute event. Seminar content will include helping adults learn to recognize vault apps and other dangerous online/social media practices common to students, such as cyberbullying, sexting (audience appropriate), and making good choices with digital footprints. Please share this message with anyone in the southeast Georgia area who you think would be interested in attending. The public is invited to attend.

All Ware County Schools will be closed for students the remainder of the week. Staff members who are able should report to school at 9:00am both days.

‪The Ware Co. vs Northside football game scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15 has been moved to Friday, Sept. 22, 2017 at 7:30pm‬. Additional information will be released once power has been restored. Please help us spread the word, and stay safe! 

GOOOOO GATORS!

The American Red Cross will open a shelter at Ware County High School on Friday, September 8th at 5:00pm for families and individuals seeking relief from Hurricane Irma. The school, which is located at 700 Victory Drive in Waycross, GA, will have 500 cots available for use.

Evacuees must bring medications, bedding (pillow and blanket), towels, hygiene items, and clothing. Service animals are permitted within the shelter, but evacuees should make other arrangements for pets. We anticipate that the Okefenokee Fair Grounds will open as a shelter for pets and will post more information on Facebook and our website when it becomes available.

Click "READ MORE" for details.

Ware County School System officials are working closely with Emergency Management Agency officials to monitor the status of Hurricane Irma. We are studying forecast track models as they are released several times daily to determine what effect the storm may have on our area so that any decisions affecting Ware County students and employees, as well as the greater community, can be made as soon as possible with the most accurate information available.

We will advise all stakeholders via One Call, social media, school/system websites, radio, and television should a decision be made to cancel or alter school services.

The latest briefing from the National Weather Service for the Jacksonville, FL area can be found at this link: http://www.weather.gov/media/jax/briefings/nws-jax-briefing.pdf.

The WCHS Softball Team is partnering with Campground Clothing Company and Mattie's Mission to help strike out cancer. Come support the Lady Gators as they take on Appling Co. and enjoy the festivities during the game on September 5th. JV game starts at 4:00pm, and the Varsity game begins at 6:00pm, with Opening Ceremony scheduled for 5:40pm.

There will be activities for the whole family, including Camp Rock painting, a raffle, "In Memory Of" balloons, Butterfly Release, and the opportunity to purchase Campground Clothing shirts or Mattie's Mission shirts. Please like and share to help us get the word out. #gogold #CampgroundClothing #MattiesMission #strikeoutcancer

Ware County Schools has unveiled a new slogan this school year: We are Team Ware!

Team Ware members believe that involved parents make a substantial difference in the academic life of their children and in our school and community. Every staff member, parent, and community stakeholder plays an important role in supporting parental engagement in our schools. No one can do it alone. Team Ware is in the game to win, and the reward is our children's success!

Parents set the foundation for a child's success in school. So, use your home for the home field advantage! Check out these four tips to get in the game. #teamware #getinthegame

In her nomination letter, Principal Donna Solomon shared this information with board members:

"To the Ware County board of education, superintendent, members and visitors, it is my absolute pleasure to recommend Andrea Scotton as the Golden Achievement winner for the month of August 2017. Mrs. Scotton is truly one of Ruskin's most valuable assets. She is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. In addition to those impressive qualities, she is an outstanding leader and role model for our faculty, staff, and students. 

Currently, she works within our Special Education department, where her belief is that all students are able to succeed. It is more than empty words. It is the force that drives her to 'Rise Up' and make a difference in their lives. Along with her undeniable love and compassion for our students, she is a true team player with a positive attitude that invokes the best in all of us at Ruskin. Without a doubt, Mrs. Andrea Scotton is honored by her peers and is most deserving of this most esteemed award."

Congratulations, Mrs. Scotton!

Click the image to read the inaugural edition of the CTAE Gator Futures newsletter!

Dr. Michael Schecter, an optometrist in the Columbus, OH area, urges all spectators to enjoy the coming eclipse from the safety of the television rather than viewing it live. Click "Read More" to hear what he has to say.

Our friends at Prevent Blindness have created a helpful fact sheet about the upcoming total solar eclipse event. Click on the link to check it out!

http://www.ware.k12.ga.us/docs/district/News%20Files/FS110_SolarEclipse.pdf

August 21st Schedule for Dismissal:

Daffodil Pre-K: 10:30 AM
Elementary/WCLC: 11:00 AM
Middle Schools: 11:45 AM
High School: 12:15 PM

Read more at the link!

Ware County Schools is unveiling a new slogan this school year: We are Team Ware!

We believe our children succeed when we work together as a team - staff, parents, and the community. We're all in the game to win, and the reward is our children's success. We need YOU on the team! The big game kicks off Tuesday, August 1st at Open House. Come meet your child's teachers and get to know the other players on the team.

Team Ware starts with Team meetings! Meeting and communicating with teachers and administrators can have an enormous impact on your child's attitude toward school, learning, and success in the classroom. Check out these 5 tips to get in the game!

Click on the image below for the 2017 Tax Digest and 5 Year History of Levy

Ware County teachers are "gearing" up for a great school year! See you on August 3rd!

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and school bells will be ringing across the district in a few short weeks. Click through to find out what you need to know to be prepared.

When: July 25th

Time: 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Where: Waycross Middle School

Information: We want to invite all the upcoming 6th Graders to attend our Bulldog Camp at Waycross Middle School. Bulldog Camp will give students an opportunity to meet staff and get familiar with our building before the first day of school!  Students can fill out a registration form ahead of time or on the morning of.

Contact Coach Alesia Gibson at (912) 550-1296 for more info.

Tonight's graduation ceremony, which will be at 7:00pm at Memorial Stadium, will be streamed live for the convenience of our community and the friends and family of our graduates.

Please visit http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/ware-county-high-school-waycross-ga to watch online beginning at 6:30pm.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017! Dream big, and then go make it happen!

It's time to get your summer reading on. See the info in the graphic to learn how to access thousands of books - for FREE!

The Ware County High School Shoe Drive will continue through May 31 and into the next school year. Please place each matching pair in grocery bags that are tied off to eliminate the need to re-sort shoes into matching pairs. Donations can be dropped off at Ware County High School's main entrance.

The Ware County School System's School Nutrition staff is gearing up for our summer meal program that will begin on Tuesday, May 30th and conclude on Friday, July 14th. If you have a camp, summer school, church mission project, or VBS that feeds children, we would LOVE to HELP you! We can provide breakfast and/or lunch FREE to children 18 years and younger. For more information regarding the program or site applications, please call the School Nutrition office at 912.287.2304.

.

Athletic Physicals have been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 12th at Waycross Middle School. Free physicals will be offered to student athletes who have been prescreened at their respective schools.

Parents of Special Education or Early Intervention Program students are invited to take a Georgia Department of Education survey by clicking on the link:

http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Pages/Parent-Survey.aspx

Thank you for your valuable feedback!

A picture is circulating on social media channels depicting a Ware County High School student pointing what appears to be a weapon at the camera. A full investigation has been conducted by Ware County High School administrators and the Waycross Police Department. It has been determined that the item in question is not a firearm. At no time was any staff member or student in danger. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken with the student.

Registration form

Click here to download the School Choice application for 2017-18

In compliance with the Individual Disabilities Act (IDEA), The Georgia Records Act, and the Ware County School System local procedure regarding destruction of data collected, maintained or used in the provision of a free and appropriate public education of students with disabilities in the Ware County Schools, the Records Department announces it’s intention to destroy special education records during the month of May 2017.

Records on students who were enrolled in a special education program in the Ware County School System who were born between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 1989 and were twenty-seven (27) years of age as of January 1, 2017 are no longer needed for educational purposes.

The student or parent may need these records for Social Security or other reasons. If you, as a former special education student or a parent of a former special education student, wish to obtain these records prior to destruction, you should contact the Special Education Records Department, Ware County Board of Education, 1301 Bailey Street, Waycross, Georgia. Positive identification will be required before the records can be released to the individual.

For more information, contact the Special Education Records Department at 287-2306 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You may also visit our website at www.ware.k12.ga.us to view this notice.

Deanna Johnson, reigning Miss Georgia USA, recently visited Memorial Drive Elementary to encourage students to work hard, show respect for teachers, and do their best on the upcoming Georgia Milestones assessments. She also read books to several classes. Miss Johnson was previously a contestant on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ and will be competing in the Miss USA Competition this summer. Dr. Wendy Good is principal at Memorial Drive Elementary.

Mattie Goble's life and brave cancer fight remembered through fundraiser for Mattie's Mission

Students are on the hunt to solve the mystery of, "Who Kidnapped our Principal?"

Ruskin hosts Grandparents Day event for special guests