Habersham school board to hear mentor, communication updates

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — The Habersham County Board of Education will receive updates on student mentoring, school facilities, classroom cellphone policies and a new parent communication platform during its work session Thursday afternoon.

The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Habersham County Schools Administrative Office. Board members are scheduled to hear four presentations before entering executive session to discuss personnel and real estate matters.

The first presentation will come from HUB of Habersham Executive Director Todd Colwell, who will provide an update on the organization’s mentoring partnership with the school district. The faith-based nonprofit works to connect students with trained adult mentors through its Teach One to Lead One program and other initiatives designed to reduce youth isolation and build positive relationships. The organization serves more than 300 students annually in Habersham County through school-based mentoring and leadership programs.

Assistant Superintendent David Leenman, Director of Operations Staci Newsome and Facilities Coordinator Denise Gunn will then present the district’s facilities report. While the agenda does not provide additional details, the report is expected to update the board on school buildings and ongoing maintenance or capital projects.

The board will also receive a presentation on “Distraction Free Learning” from Vickie Martin, Donna Scott, Maria Waters and Dr. Adam Bagwell. The discussion is expected to focus on the district’s implementation of Georgia’s new restrictions on personal electronic devices during the school day as schools prepare to welcome students back for the new academic year.

Leenman will conclude the public portion of the meeting with a presentation on ParentSquare, a school-to-home communication platform used by districts nationwide. The platform allows schools to communicate with families through text messages, emails, phone calls, mobile app notifications and two-way messaging in multiple languages, providing a single hub for district, school and classroom communications.