Education
Thomasville City Schools
The Thomasville City School System provides innovative and strategically planned instruction to more than 3,000 students through six outstanding schools, including one pre-kindergarten school, three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.
Balfour School for Young Children is a model pre-kindergarten recognized by Bright from the Start as an “all exceeds” program. The three elementary schools serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Thomasville elementary schools are the only SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredited elementary schools in the community.
MacIntyre Park Middle School serves sixth through eighth grades, and offers extracurricular programs - including Beta Club, a Science Academy, band and chorus.
Thomasville High School’s comprehensive academic program provides vocational and college-preparatory instruction to students grades 9-12. Course offerings extend from college preparatory courses (such as advanced-placement English, biology, history and calculus) to vocational courses (such as welding, nursing, construction and technology). Post-secondary options are also available to eligible high school students.
The Thomasville Scholars Academy is a college preparatory program for grades 6-12 offering students the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree from college by high school graduation. This partnership with Thomas University is for high achieving students with an interest in completing middle and high school in a collegiate environment. This has been recognized by the State Superintendent of Schools as a “Model Program.” Organized as a school within a school program, it is affiliated with MacIntyre Park Middle School and Thomasville High School.
The award-winning literary, music and athletic programs of Thomasville City Schools provide extracurricular activities to many students. Students may participate in award-winning band programs from grades 5-12. Small class sizes at every level provide greater opportunities for teachers to address individual student needs. Students with disabilities are actively involved in the regular education curriculum with support to ensure that they are receiving quality instruction. The student services department provides support to students and their families through individual casework, group work and external agency collaboration(s).
Building and nurturing a community of learners is accomplished through the recruitment and retention of outstanding educators. Education is central to providing teachers with the research-based skills that guarantee students the very best learning opportunities available anywhere.
Thomas County School System
The Thomas County School System, home of the Yellow Jackets, is committed to academic excellence. Through the dedication of an elected seven-member board, the superintendent and a professional team of faculty and staff members, the school system truly exemplifies its vision of ensuring that every child is challenged, prepared and successful.
With six schools, challenging academics, strong vocational training, innovative reading and writing programs, a comprehensive special education curriculum, a Business Education Exchange initiative and a special purpose tax for facility improvements, the system offers first-class educational opportunities to more than 5,600 students. Support staff includes nurses and counselors at every school, math and literacy coaches for every two grades Pre-K through eighth, and graduation coaches for the middle and high schools. Additionally, a nutritious breakfast is available for every student every day at no charge, and the system maintains a nationally recognized wellness policy.
Because of the high number of consecutive years maintaining Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the two elementary schools and the middle school have been named Title I Distinguished Schools by the Georgia Department of Education. Hand-in-Hand Primary has been selected by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education as a stop on the 16th Annual Bus Trip Across Georgia in order to showcase educational best practices utilized with Hand-in-Hand’s young students. Thomas County Central High School (accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) has earned recognition in several areas – from academics to sports. The band and chorus consistently earn superior ratings in festival performances. The Yellow Jacket football team dominated the 1990s with five State Championship titles and continues to be a strong contender in regional and state competition. Other recent region championships include baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and track.
With the recent openings of state-of-the-art Freshman FOCUS Academy and sophomore SOAR Academy, and the opening of the PREP Academy in the fall of 2009, Thomas County Central High provides a well-rounded comprehensive program with opportunities in academic, career and technical studies. Students have the opportunity to prepare for career pathways and earn college credits while still in high school. Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered, and ACCEL classes are available through Bainbridge College, Southwest Georgia Technical College and Thomas University.
The Bishop Hall Charter School was established in 1999 to offer students a curriculum that responds to their needs through small group instruction as well as individualized attention. The charter school continues to excel in working with their student population.
The BEE (Business Education Exchange) has also contributed to putting Thomas County Schools in a class of their own. BEE has successfully built relationships between the schools and area businesses. The collaborative partnerships, including more than 300 business partners, are designed to impact the development of the future workforce as well as provide opportunities for community service. The six areas of focus include achievement, attendance, work ethics, communication, career awareness and strengthening the link between schools and community. In all aspects of the BEE program, students reap the most rewards.
Additional information regarding the system and links to each school can be accessed at www.thomas.k12.ga.us.
Private Schools:
Brookwood School
Brookwood School, located on 41 acres, offers an exceptional educational experience that encourages each student to develop good character as well as good grades. A co-ed, independent school that offers pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Brookwood was founded in 1970 by parents who—in their own words —“dreamed of a fine school for boys and girls where they could get the best education possible in bright classrooms with a limited number of students and the best equipment.”
Today, Brookwood flourishes with an enrollment of 475 students in Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. Our students come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, but at Brookwood they and their parents become part of the Brookwood family. About 20 percent of our current students are the second generation of their family to attend Brookwood. Half of our faculty has children enrolled at the school, and about a third of our families have more than one child enrolled in the school.
Brookwood’s core values are wisdom, honor, achievement and citizenship, while striving to motivate all students to reach their potential and to do their best. Perhaps the strongest testimony to our honor system is the fact that our students do not use locks on their lockers. Our honor system is a student-run system with the aim of having a school community where students do not lie, cheat or steal.
As a college preparatory school, Brookwood focuses on preparing its students to be successful in college courses, not just to be successful in gaining admission. As testimony to its program, 75 percent of our students who have HOPE scholarships as freshmen are eligible to retain the scholarships in their sophomore year (demonstrated over a five year period). Brookwood offers a number of Advanced Placement courses each year. Between half and three-fourths of our juniors and seniors take AP courses, and we find that at least 70 percent of our students who take the courses score a grade of three or higher. Colleges and universities recognize the merit of our graduates.
Brookwood offers students opportunities to develop their artistic and performing talents. Brookwood’s literary teams have won four straight region championships and three state team championships over the past four years, producing 13 individual state champions. Brookwood debate team won the region championship and was state runner-ups in 2008. Brookwood speakers won the best overall speaker award in the state, and the third and fourth best speaker awards in state competition in 2008. Brookwood performers consistently win superior ratings in One Act play state competitions. Every year, over 100 Brookwood students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade produce a Broadway musical.
Athletics plays an important role in the Brookwood approach to education. Students are offered a wide range of sports, and they take advantage of the opportunities to participate. The school’s football and boys basketball teams both won state titles in 2008, while the girls basketball team returned to the final four for the second year in a row.
Brookwood School offers parents excellent quality for a relatively low tuition because the Board of Directors has always sought to make the school accessible to families who seek a superior education for their children. Strong support from the community has built an endowment that enables Brookwood to make educational decisions based on quality.
Brookwood is, as our bumper sticker says, “the best for our children.”
Favor Christian Academy
Favor Christian Academy believes in the limitless potential of every young person. The school’s vision is to be an effective partner with the family by creating a safe and challenging environment as the child grows in their walk with Christ. The Academy offers excellence in academics and in religious training students from age 2 through the 12th grade. The school uses the A-Beka Book Christian Curriculum, which includes Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Fine Arts, Drama and Music. There is a special emphasis on the arts including drama, dance and music lessons for piano and violin. Computer, Bible and Spanish classes are extracurricular opportunities offered to students. The school also has an on campus residence and welcomes out of town students.
Thomasville Christian School
The mission of Thomasville Christian School is to glorify God by serving Christian parents and the church through imparting a Christian world and life view to children of believers, emphasizing academic excellence and the unchanging truth of God’s Word. Thomasville Christian School is unique because students are challenged to grow spiritually, academically and socially in an environment that encourages Christian character development. Subjects are presented from a Biblical perspective. Many of the classes are taught with a multi-sensory approach to accommodate different learning styles. The maximum number of students per class is 18. The school’s long-range plans include adding a grade each year through eighth grade. The school is open to Christian families of all denominations who want a Christ-centered, biblically-based education for their children.
Continuing a Tradition of Excellence:
Southwest Georgia Technical College
Southwest Georgia Technical College (SWGTC) is truly an asset to the communities of Thomas, Grady and Mitchell counties, and the reason is simple – SWGTC has a reputation for providing business and industry with highly skilled graduates who are exceptionally trained, technically skilled and ready to work on state-of-the-art equipment. “Business, industrial and medical communities rely on SWGTC to produce the employees their businesses depend upon, and we’ve successfully met that mission for more than sixty years,” said Dr. Glenn Deibert, President.
“At SWGTC we serve the community by providing the best in technical training and through educating highly skilled and experienced workers to fill positions with businesses and companies within our region,” said Dr. Deibert. “The superior training we provide results in graduates who are qualified to work in a variety of fields, such as nursing, automotive technicians, computer information specialists and welders just to name a few.”
SWGTC, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, offers more than 80 diploma, certificate and degree programs in allied health, business and computer technology, technical and industrial education, and professional services. The College offers a wide variety of program options – including criminal justice technology, welding and joining, nursing and business administrative technology. SWGTC also provides training for many of the most in-demand careers in the country. These are the jobs that are projected to grow in both availability and in pay.
Students appreciate SWGTC’s smaller class sizes and the convenience of flexible hours and online courses. The Online Education program offers a solution for busy students balancing educational goals with work and personal commitments. They can log on at the time most convenient for them and complete course assignments, proving that an SWGTC education is both convenient and flexible.
Once students have graduated and secured employment with area businesses, the services from SWGTC do not end. The College is the continuing education provider of choice for our area, and affords individuals and businesses the opportunity to obtain advanced training in a variety of areas. SWGTC also provides free testing for the Georgia Work Ready program, which seeks to assist job applicants in determining their strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps them determine what jobs they are best suited to perform.
High school students can look to SWGTC for technical education through dual enrollment initiatives offered in each of the service area’s high schools. High school students receive technical training while completing their high school education, making it possible to graduate with a technical certificate of credit and a high school diploma at the same time. Through this partnership, opportunities will be offered in both academic and career and technical studies. This educational combination is expected to increase academic achievement, promote post-secondary options and prepare TCCHS students for work-readiness.
Higher Education:
Thomas University
Thomas University is a private, fully-accredited institution offering associate, bachelor and graduate degrees in more than 23 academic areas. Located in Thomasville, this institution was established in 1950 as Birdwood Junior College, and has since earned designation as a university, serving students mainly from Southwest Georgia and North Florida areas. As an independent, not-for-profit institution of higher learning, Thomas University specializes in preparing students for successful careers and responsible citizenship in a rapidly changing and complex world.
Since its inception in 1950, more than 3,000 students have earned degrees at the University. Approximately 70 percent of these alumni live and work in the Southwest Georgia Region, in diverse fields such as education, health care, law enforcement, finance and social work, to name a few. Last year, alumni contributed to TU in many ways with their time, talents and dollars. A recent economic impact study indicates that Thomas University alumni contribute more than $7 million in increased earnings, as well as nearly $6 million in social benefits due to positive lifestyle choices, to the economy of Southwest Georgia. These figures are the main contributors to an overall $18.6-million impact TU has on this region.
Other major findings in the study show that a total of $5.97 million was spent in Southwest Georgia by the University community. Thomas University employs approximately 100 full-time faculty and staff members, with a payroll of $4.3 million. Most of the income of these employees, after taxes, went into the local economy. University students who came from outside the region contributed $589,000 to local and area economies – money that would not be spent here if those students did not choose to attend Thomas University.
TU has 42 full-time faculty members, 24 of which hold doctorate degrees, six of which have earned ABD (all but dissertation) status, and four who are currently enrolled in doctoral programs. Each faculty member holds at least a master’s degree. The University also has 30 part-time or adjunct faculty members, four of which hold doctorate degrees and many who are specialists in their respective fields.
The University’s athletics program was established in the fall of 1994, and now includes baseball, softball, soccer and golf. In the 12-year history of Night Hawk Athletics, TU has produced more than 60 NAIA Scholar Athletes, more than a dozen NAIA All-Americans, a Region Baseball Player of the Year, two Region Softball Players of the Year, and the 2005 National Softball Player of the Year. Various TU teams have seen action in regional and national championship tournaments, and in 2004, the TU Women’s Softball Team captured the NAIA National Championship.
Community service has always been stressed in TU athletics. For the past five years, student athletes have averaged more than 600 hours of community service per year (4,200 volunteer hours were logged by TU faculty and staff) with organizations such as Hands on Thomas County and TASA, and in programs at local elementary schools. In August 2007, TU welcomed 90 athletes from all over the world. Of those athletes, 25 are from the local area (Thomasville, Cairo, Tallahassee and other surrounding areas); 34 are from Florida; nine are from other parts of Georgia; eight are from other parts of the U.S.; nine are from Europe; two are from Canada; one is from Latin America; one is from the Middle East; and one is from Africa.
Thomas County’s Outstanding Public Library System
Public libraries meet community needs. Thomas County has every reason to be proud of its public library system. With a history that dates back to the Young Men’s Debating Club, the Thomas County Public Library System-TCPLS-has evolved into a focal point of education, entertainment and meeting place in each community it serves.
TCPLS is a unique educational and social resource for Thomas County, serving all residents of all ages. It consists of the headquarters library in Thomasville and five neighborhood libraries, in Boston, Coolidge, Meigs, Ochlocknee and Pavo. The library’s services are available free to all community residents from pre-K through seniors. Visitors are welcomed to use the facilities.
Resources...TCPLS maintains a collection of over 100,000 books, videos/DVDs, audiobooks/CDs, Playaways (contains one book: the size of a deck of cards which can be used while walking, exercising, etc), downloadable books and reference titles for children and adults. Library users also have free access to more than 8.5 million items from 270 public libraries across Georgia through the PINES network.
Services...The library’s services are available to all community residents from pre-K through seniors. Visitors are welcomed to use the facilities.
Computers and Internet…The main library and all branch locations have computers with Internet access for public use and offer free computer classes for seniors, adults and children. TCLPS computers can link anyone to GALILEO, Georgia’s “virtual library” that offers access to databases such as Encyclopedia Britannica, Georgia Government Publications and the Digital Library of Georgia.
Children’s programs…TCPLS is a special place for children. During the school year, teachers bring classes daily to introduce youngsters to the scope and diversity of library information and to encourage them to become “readers for pleasure.” The library offers weekly story times for preschoolers and toddlers. During the summer, the library leaps into action to keep young minds growing with a wide variety of special activities, including a featured Vacation Reading Program. During the summer and throughout the year, the library introduces special storytellers, magicians, puppeteers and educational exhibitions.
For adults…New and old residents will find valuable information at the library—from voter registration and tax forms to genealogical materials. Business professionals benefit from the library’s reference department, which can provide statistics and research services and offers Value-line and other business reference materials.
Meeting place…The Thomasville library’s Henry O. Flipper Room is a place for non-profit meetings, conferences, author’s readings, special programs and displays that are open to the public, free of charge. The Flipper Room can accommodate up to 80 persons and can meet the specific requirements of the presenters and their audience. The Flipper Room was named for a Thomasville native who was the first black graduate of West Point.
The “people’s university”...Many residents call the Thomas County Public Library System the “people’s university” because of its wide and varied materials, information and services it offers—at no charge—to all those who live and work in Thomas County.
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