Coweta County schools welcomed 101 new teachers to the school system on Monday, and thousands of veteran teachers back to classrooms throughout the week, as they prepare to start the new school year on Aug. 6.
Coweta banks and teachers associations sponsored a breakfast and welcoming orientation for new teachers at the school system’s Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. The new teachers – who are joining the faculties of nearly all of Coweta County’s 31 public schools – represented every grade from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade, in disciplines including elementary grades, media specialists, Math, Music, English, Special Education, Gifted Education, Physical Education and Science.
Coweta County Superintendent Dr. Steve Barker and the seven members of the Coweta Board of Education welcomed the new educators to the school system. Barker described the Coweta County School System’s expectations of educational excellence, sense of tradition, innovative practices, and strong parent and community partnerships. He noted the sponsorship of local businesses for the Monday breakfast as an example of community support.
“You are truly in the best community in the state of Georgia,” said Barker. “You have the support of great veteran teachers and administrators in your schools and throughout the system… and you have the support of this community. We work together as a community and we innovate together.”
Barker told the new teachers that the school system’s vision “is to ensure the success of each of our students… so that every student who walks through our doors, it is our job to ensure that they have a great educational experience, that they graduate, and that they are successful.”
Coweta County students in grades Pre-K through 12 go back to school for the 2014-15 school year on Wednesday, August 6.
Parents and students will be able to visit their school on the day before the start of the new year, Aug. 5.
Teachers will not be available for formal conferences during the Aug. 5 Orientation Day. During orientation, representatives from the school system’s transportation department will be available at all schools for information about bus schedules, and representatives from the school system’s after-school program will be available to register students.
Orientation times on Tuesday, August 5 will be:
Middle Schools: 10 a.m. to noon (all middle schools)
Elementary Schools: noon to 2 p.m. (all elementary schools)
High Schools: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (all high schools)
School bus routes for the new year are posted on the school system’s website. A representative of the transportation department will be available at each school on Aug. 5 and on the first day of school on Aug. 6 to provide information on bus routes for the new school year.
Parents who wish to sign their children up for the school system’s tuition-based After School Program will be able to do so on Aug. 4 and 5 at their child’s schools, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on a space-available basis.
Parents who need to register their children for school can do so before the start of the new school year at the school system’s Central Registration Center – located at 167 Werz Industrial Drive in Newnan.
The Central Registration Center is open during the summer, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 167 Werz Industrial Drive in Newnan, off the Millard Farmer Industrial Boulevard / Ga. Highway 34 bypass near Bullsboro Drive. Parents can call the Center at 770-254-5551 to discuss what documents are needed for registration.
Parents who have not yet registered their child for school are urged to do so as soon as possible before the start of the new school year on Aug. 6. Students do not have to be present at the time of registration.
More information about registration and printable registration forms can be found online at www.cowetaschools.org/registration.
Georgia law requires that students must be five years old by September 1 in order to enroll in Kindergarten and six years old by Sept. 1 to enroll in first grade.
Students must attend the school for which their home is districted. To find out what elementary, middle and high school districts serve an address, call the Coweta County School System Transportation Department at 770-254-2820.
To enroll a new student in school, parents will need to provide the following items to assist in expediting the registration process:
Student’s Birth Certificate, Passport or other document which establishes the age of the student.
• Social Security Card, Income Tax Return showing social security number of student, or Social Security Number Waiver Form (Waiver form may be completed during the registration process)
• Proof of Residence – two items from the following list are required for address verification:
Property tax records which indicate the location of the residence;
Mortgage documents or a security deed which indicates the location of the residence;
Apartment or home lease or rent receipt indicating the current address;
Current electrical bill or application for electrical service showing the current address (please bring the entire bill, to show electrical service and address);
Voter precinct identification card or other voter documentation indicating the current address.
If the parent/guardian resides in the home or apartment of another person, that person will need to be present with photo ID and two of the items listed above to complete a Two Party Affidavit of Residency.
• State ID, Government ID, Drivers License, Passport or other document reflecting proof of identity – Must be current. Students may only be registered by biological parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Proof of custody/guardianship is required if registering adult is not the birth parent.
• Custody papers (if relevant) – Custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) must live in the appropriate school district.
• Last report card/withdrawal/transfer form with grades if available – Due at registration to facilitate records requests and class placement.
• Immunization Certificate or Immunization Waiver – Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) immunization certificate form 3231 or a signed 30-day waiver. (Immunization waiver may be completed during the registration process).
• Hearing-Dental-Vision Certificate or Waiver on Georgia Form 3300 or a signed 90 day waiver. (Hearing, Dental, Vision waiver may be completed during the registration process).
• Authorization for release of Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or student records – This is required if a student is receiving Special Education or Gifted services. If an IEP or other information that establishes eligibility for services is not presented at the time of registration, services in the Coweta County School System may be delayed until the records are received by the school.
• Emergency contact information – Students must have a contact name and number on file at the school by the first day of attendance.
NOTE: Exceptions will be made for above requests where appropriate. No document will be required that would cause or result in discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or immigration status.
Students already enrolled in a Coweta County school – including in a pre-Kindergarten class during the 2013-14 school year – do not need to register again. Parents can call the Central Registration Center at 770-254-5551 to get more information.
Immunization and Hearing-Dental-Vision certificates can be obtained from the Coweta County Health Department at 770-254-7400, or from a family physician.
Students transferring from another Georgia school should already have the certificates available from their previous school. Short-term waivers may be requested during registration to allow parents time to obtain the certificates, but students may be withdrawn if the certificates are not filed by the end of the waiver period.
Since punctual and regular school attendance at all grade levels is important to a child’s educational success, all parents are urged to make sure that their child begins class at the start of the new school year on Aug. 6.
Coweta County high schools operate on a block schedule system, which allows students to complete a full course earning one Carnegie Unit in one semester. Therefore, missed classes at any point during the semester will result in significant lapses in instructional time, which can seriously jeopardize a student’s success.
