02.21 APS Weekly News Tip Sheet (Week of February 21, 2022)

ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of Communications and Public Engagement
130 Trinity Avenue SW | Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Seth Coleman, Director of Media Relations & Television Broadcast
404-802-2891, office
404-406-5570, cell
seth.coleman@atlanta.k12.ga.us

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                
February 21, 2021

Atlanta Public Schools Weekly News Tip Sheet
(February 21 - 26)

Editors/Producers/Reporters: The following is a list of events, programs, accomplishments and/or initiatives occurring in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) this week. Please use it as a guide as you develop your coverage plans.

Members of the media are invited to attend all events on the Weekly APS News Tip Sheet. If you have an interest in these stories, please contact Seth Coleman, Media Relations Director. Thank you for your interest in Atlanta Public Schools!


(Tuesday, February 22 | 10:15 AM) John Lewis Invictus Academy to Honor Namesake with New Student, Community Service Center

John Lewis Invictus Academy (JLIA) will celebrate Black History Month by honoring the school’s namesake with the launch of a new, school-based Student and Community Service Center, Tuesday at 10:15 a.m.

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and U.S. Congresswoman Nikema Williams will all be in attendance to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Center. Rep. Williams represents Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, the seat formerly held by the legendary politician and Civil Rights leader. Congressman Lewis passed away in 2020 after serving 33 years in office.

The Center’s tag line is “Lifting barriers that block hope.” As such, it will provide the following for students and families at JLIA, a middle school serving grades 6-8 located at 1890 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, NW:

  • Individual and family mental health counseling (on-site for students)
  • Free clothing closet for students 
  • Monthly food distributions in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank--beginning February 21st 
  • Free school supply store – Supported by Communities In Schools (CIS)
  • Mentorship for identified At Promise students, w/a focus on improving academic, attendance, and behavior 
  • Mediation – Students participate in mediation in lieu of suspension 
  • Connection to resources such as housing, employment, gas cards, etc.
  • Connection to healthcare, emergency funds for utilities 

The Center will be supported by a team of professionals (school social worker, student support specialist, school counselors, school psychologist, Social Emotional Learning/mediation coach) and community partner organizations, such as Communities In Schools, Family Ties, Inc., and the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

__________


APS Athletic Director Jasper Jewell Selected to Board of New Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame

Atlanta Public Schools Athletic Director Jasper Jewell has been tapped be a board member for the newly established Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

The 21-member board is made up of school administrators, Georgia High School Association administrators, former and current coaches, media members and business leaders. The board will establish the eligibility requirements and selection process for the GHSFHOF, which is scheduled to induct its inaugural class this fall that could include as many as 35 former players.

The GHSFHOF is the brainchild of sports marketing executive I.J. Rosenberg, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports writer who covered the Atlanta Braves for several seasons in the 1990s and sat on two committees for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

__________


Graduation Schedule for the APS Class of 2022

Atlanta Public Schools will host 11 graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2022 at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology, May 24-27.

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, May 24
Business Engineering Science Technology (B.E.S.T.) Academy/Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (CSKYWLA), 4 p.m.
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 25
Midtown High School, 11 a.m.
Frederick Douglass High School, 3 p.m.
Booker T. Washington High School, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 26
Benjamin E. Mays High School, 11 a.m.
George Washington Carver (STEAM and Early College) High School, 3 p.m.
South Atlanta High School, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 27
North Atlanta High School, 11 a.m.
Maynard H. Jackson High School, 3 p.m.
Daniel M. Therrell High School, 7 p.m.

__________

 

Window is Open for GO Team Candidates

In Atlanta Public Schools, local School Governance Teams (GO Teams) represent each school and have decision-making authority over the school’s strategic plan, budget approval, school-based solution flexibility requests, and more.

Over 700 parents, educators and community members are actively governing each of our schools via GO Teams. The window to apply for GO Team candidacy is now open.

Individuals may now declare their interest in running for a two-year seat on a GO Team. Candidate declarations are open until Monday, Feb.28. Voting will take place in April.

Qualifications changed slightly with the 2021 APS Charter System Renewal:

  1. Parent/Guardian: Parent/Legal guardian must have a child enrolled at the school for at least 1 year of the 2-year term. Parent/Legal guardian may not be on staff at the school where they wish to serve in a Parent/Guardian seat.
  2. Non-supervisory Instructional Staff: Must be a full-time employee at the school where you are seeking a GO Team seat. Must also be in a non-supervisory instructional position.

No experience is needed. Tools and training will be provided. Learn more and declare your candidacy today: apsstrongschools.com. #GOTeamsAPS

__________


APS Pre-K Program Lottery Now Open for the 2022-2023 School Year

The APS Pre-K Program lottery is now open for the 2022-2023 school year.

APS Pre-K is a free, full-day program that prepares 4-year-olds for kindergarten and provides an early path to college and career. Applications will be accepted through March 11, 2022.

Seats will be filled through a random electronic lottery drawing. Visit www.enrollearlyatl.com to learn more and apply.

__________


APS Charter School Applications Are Now Open for the 2022-2023 School Year

Charter school applications for the 2022-2023 school year are now open.

Families can find information for all Atlanta Public Schools charter schools and apply to multiple charter schools with just one application here. Apply APS Charter provides families a centralized system, allows for more equitable access to school choice options for families, and makes the whole process of charter school enrollment in APS more efficient and transparent. For a full list of participating schools, click here.

# # #

About Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 51,000 students across 87 schools and five programs. The District is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 64 traditional schools, 19 charter schools, six partner schools, two alternative schools and five alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.