You're invited — Robots in Action! 🤖
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us at Bainbridge Middle School for the FIRST LEGO League Southern Regional Qualifier Tournament — Saturday, December 13, 2025, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM. The theme is Archaeology and students have been "digging in" to develop innovative solutions, showcase their engineering design skills, and dazzle us with their autonomous robots on the tables.
Bainbridge Middle School
3130 Thomasville Road, Bainbridge, GA 39819
Saturday, December 13 — 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Highlights:
🤖Live robot rounds in the GYM (9:30–11:30 & 12:00–1:15) — free for the public to watch
🤖Teams competing include Decatur County’s 66302–Techno Treasures & 66305–Sand Stormers
🤖Students will present innovation projects and autonomous robots on the competition tables
🤖Robot PITS will feature interactive activities and team Innovation Project and Robot Design displays
🤖Hutto Elementary students will host a Robot Expo in the lobby showcasing projects as they prepare for the GA STC competition
🥤🍫 Concessions available all day from Bainbridge High School’s Buddy & Bella’s (specialty drinks $3.50; Pepsi & Gatorade $2.50; snacks $1–$3) — all proceeds benefit the BHS Entrepreneurship Program and 🍕LUNCH will also be for sale in the cafeteria with all proceeds benefiting the BMS Drama Club
Seating for family and spectators in the bleachers; follow ENTER/EXIT signage via Thomasville Road
Come cheer on our local teams, explore innovation projects, try interactive pit activities, and support student programs — see you there! 🎉
Here’s a quick look at important dates as we head into the holiday season!
📆 Thursday, December 18, 2025
➡️ Early Release (More details on early release times for individual schools to follow.)
📆 Friday, December 19, 2025
➡️ Teacher In-Service — Professional Development Day
📆 Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026
➡️ Christmas Break — Student Holiday
📆 Monday, January 5, 2026 – Tuesday, January 6, 2026
➡️ Teacher In-Service — Professional Development Days
📆 Wednesday, January 7, 2026
➡️ First Day Back for Students
We hope everyone has a safe, restful, and joyful holiday season! 🎁✨
Come celebrate the season with our 3rd & 4th graders!
• 3rd Grade — "Starbucks: The Musical"
• 3B — 10:00 AM
• 3A — 11:00 AM
• 4th Grade — "Cold Snap: Celebrating the Winter Holidays with a World of Friends"
• 4B — 8:15 AM
• 4A — 9:00 AM
📍 Hutto Elementary Gymnasium
Bring family & friends! See you there! ✨
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAAAC2DA7FBCE9-60421743-connecting#/
🎉 Hutto Elementary School – November Student & Staff of the Month! 🎉
We are proud to honor the exceptional leaders who helped make November a remarkable month at HES!
🌟 Students of the Month
Congratulations to our outstanding scholars who consistently demonstrate excellence, kindness, and a positive attitude. Your dedication to learning and leadership inspires everyone around you. Keep shining—your future is bright! ✨📚
🌟 Staff of the Month
A special round of applause to our incredible staff honorees! Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our students and for creating an environment where learning and success thrive. Your impact is felt throughout our school community!
Join us in celebrating these shining stars of our HES Learning Community! 🎉
#HuttoStrong #StudentOfTheMonth #StaffOfTheMonth #ExcellenceStartsHere
Our students spoke — and family won! ❤️
Last week in the Media Hub, students participated in a thankfulness poll and the majority voted family as what they're most grateful for. It's clear our students and staff cherish their loved ones — and we are thankful for you being part of our Hutto Tiger family. Wishing everyone a warm, joy-filled Thanksgiving break full of FAMILY time! 🦃🍂
Click here to see the video! https://youtu.be/6vBnahD2d_k
Our 3A students kicked off Thanksgiving week with an exciting STEAM + ELA adventure inspired by Balloons Over Broadway! After listening to the story of Tony Sarg—the creative puppeteer behind the giant Macy’s Parade balloons—students were challenged to design their own New York–style cityscape. 🏙️🎨
Through this hands-on project, students incorporated key ELA skills like main idea, key details, cause and effect, and sequence of events. They also used math to build their cityscape buildings, designing arrays to create window patterns.
Beyond academics, this lesson encouraged problem-solving, engineering thinking, artistic innovation, and creativity. And the best part? The students loved it. Their imaginations soared just as high as the parade balloons Tony Sarg once dreamed up! 🦃
We’re so proud of their hard work and can’t wait to see where their creativity takes them next! 💛
#DirectToDiscovery #BearcatWay #STEM #AerospaceLearning
🎓 Progress Reports Coming Soon! 🎓
Decatur County Schools students’ progress reports will be released on November 20th.
📊 Don’t wait to stay informed!
Parents and guardians can check grades, attendance, and more anytime through the Parent Portal (Infinite Campus):
👉 https://campus.dcboe.com/campus/portal/decaturco.jsp
#BearcatPride #DecaturCountySchools #TheBearcatWay
Huge congratulations to the students at HES for an outstanding showing at Saturday’s 4‑H Project Achievement Contest! Their hard work, confidence, and passion truly shone through — from polished presentations to thoughtful project displays. A big thank‑you to all the volunteers, parents, and teachers who supported our youth and helped make the day such a success. We’re so proud of every student who participated — keep up the amazing work! 🎉🌟👏
Frankie Doss – 3rd place - Earth and Space Sciences
Grayson Vetter – 1st place - International
Owen Smith – 2nd place - Health
Malia Strong – 1st place – Environmental Sciences
J’Myra Davis – 4th place – Horse
Taylor Williams – 1st place – Entomology
Peter Alvarez – 3rd place – General Recreation
Iren Thomas – 2nd place – Historic People
River Zorn – 2nd place – Physical Science
Adella Kirbo – 3rd place – Individual Sports
Samuel Bryant – 2nd place – Engineering and Mechanics
Cohen Williams – 2nd place – Target Sports
Holden Jones – 1st place – Veterinarian Science
Perry Wade – 2nd place – Ag Awareness
Savannah Neuman – 1st place – Poultry
Naomi Scott – 4th place – Individual Sports
Jaxen McCoy – 1st place – Human Development
Noah Bodiford – 3rd place – Outdoor Recreation
Kyson Reffitt – 1st place – Physical Science
Our 1st 9 weeks reading incentive mission was a hit! Students who met their literacy project goals became official Secret Agents and attended the Secret Treat Mission Event.
Agents:
- scanned their hands to gain entry
- listened closely to the mission briefing
- climbed through “laser” beams without setting off alarms
- cracked codes around the media hub to collect letters
- deciphered the message to unlock the secret candy code
Each agent received spy glasses, a spy pen, and a ring pop. At the end of the mission they discovered that Dr. Peterson was the mastermind who hid the candy in the secret vault. Throughout the event students practiced teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity.
Way to go, secret agents — your skills saved the candy! 🎉🔐👏
https://youtu.be/6aH9P-EFAIM
Get into the holiday spirit with the Boy Scouts! Join them for their annual Christmas Tree Sale — choose from fresh, beautiful trees and support local scouts while decorating your home for the season. Also, check out the holiday events they have going on!
Schools will be closed Friday, Nov. 21 – Friday, Nov. 28.
(Teacher Professional Development Day – Nov. 21)
We hope everyone enjoys a safe and restful Thanksgiving break!
Join us at Hutto Media Hub for National Code Day — a cozy morning where parents and students swap roles to explore Sphero robots, block coding, and animation projects over hot cocoa ☕🤖. Coding builds critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and future-ready digital skills while boosting confidence 💡🧠✨. Bring your child and make memories as they guide you through hands-on activities 🤝🎉. Parents: use the QR code or the link to sign up for the Connecting with Coding and Cocoa event 📲🔗!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAAAC2DA7FBCE9-60421743-connecting
🎉 Hutto Elementary School – October Student & Staff of the Month! 🎉
We are excited to celebrate the incredible learners & leaders who made October outstanding at HES!
🌟 Student of the Month
Congratulations to our amazing learners who consistently model excellence, kindness, and a positive attitude. Your hard work, determination, and leadership brighten our school every single day! Keep shining—your future is bright! ✨📚
🌟 Educators of the Month
A huge shoutout to our exceptional staff honorees! Thank you for going above and beyond and supporting our learners. Your commitment and heart make a lasting impact on our entire school community.
Join us in celebrating these outstanding members of our HES family! 🎉
Drop a comment below to show them some love! 👇💙
#StudentOfTheMonth #StaffOfTheMonth #ExcellenceStartsHere
We’re proud to celebrate Samantha Palmer, Media Specialist & Instructional Technology Coach at Hutto Elementary School, who has been recognized as a 2025 GaETC Rising Star! 🌟
In her recent podcast interview, Samantha shares how she’s transforming the media center into a vibrant hub of learning — blending literacy, technology, and student choice to spark curiosity and creativity among students.
🎙️ Samantha also recently presented at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference (GaETC), showcasing her innovative approach to integrating technology and literacy in the classroom. Her passion for student engagement and instructional excellence is a shining example of the talent and dedication she brings to our system.
🎧 Listen to her inspiring story here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/gaetc25-rising-star-samantha-palmer--68229669
Samantha’s recognition and leadership highlight what it means to live The Bearcat Way -- Way to Go Mrs. Palmer! 💜💛
#BearcatWay #BearcatPride #DCBOE #GaETC25 #RisingStar #EducationInnovation #MediaSpecialist #HuttoElementary
🎉 Hutto Elementary Canned Food Drive! 🥫
Tiger Families, We’re wrapping up our Canned Food Drive to help families in our community this holiday season. Let’s show how kindness can go a long way — one can at a time!
🗓 Ends November 14th
📍 Drop-off Location: Front Office or your classroom collection box
Every can counts! We encourage learners to bring in items like soups, veggies, pasta, and beans to help fill the shelves of our local food pantry. Let’s see which grade level can collect the most cans of kindness!
💛 Remember — when we give together, we grow together.
Be kind. Be generous. Be a helper!
