Spend a little time with PJHS Principal Dr. Kanyon Petti, and you’ll hear her talk about two things, showing up for students and making sure they know they matter.
Every morning, Dr. Petti shares the previous day’s attendance rate on the announcements. PJHS is working toward having at least 95% of students at school each day. If the school averages 95% for the month, students get ice cream at lunch. Students with perfect attendance are also entered into a drawing for gift cards and Owala cups. It’s a fun way to keep everyone focused on being there and ready to learn.
That work is paying off in the classroom, too. PJHS saw growth on the Georgia Milestones last year. Teachers meet regularly to look at student progress and plan extra help or new challenges. Students are setting their own academic goals and can talk confidently about what they’re working toward. Dr. Petti is especially proud of seeing her staff lead and learn from one another through their new PL Pathways.
But there’s something Dr. Petti wishes the community could see for itself, and that’s the work her staff puts in every day to make sure students are safe, supported, educated, and loved. Middle school is such a pivotal time, and she sees PJHS staff go above and beyond for students. “It takes a special person to teach and work in a middle school,” she says.
Families can catch up on all that’s happening through Dr. Petti’s weekly Facebook video updates. She says a typical day at PJHS has far more smiles and laughter than people might expect. In the hallways, students and staff are encouraged to greet each other or offer a kind word as they pass. We think that says a lot about the people who make PJHS what it is and about Dr. Petti’s leadership.
Every morning, Dr. Petti shares the previous day’s attendance rate on the announcements. PJHS is working toward having at least 95% of students at school each day. If the school averages 95% for the month, students get ice cream at lunch. Students with perfect attendance are also entered into a drawing for gift cards and Owala cups. It’s a fun way to keep everyone focused on being there and ready to learn.
That work is paying off in the classroom, too. PJHS saw growth on the Georgia Milestones last year. Teachers meet regularly to look at student progress and plan extra help or new challenges. Students are setting their own academic goals and can talk confidently about what they’re working toward. Dr. Petti is especially proud of seeing her staff lead and learn from one another through their new PL Pathways.
But there’s something Dr. Petti wishes the community could see for itself, and that’s the work her staff puts in every day to make sure students are safe, supported, educated, and loved. Middle school is such a pivotal time, and she sees PJHS staff go above and beyond for students. “It takes a special person to teach and work in a middle school,” she says.
Families can catch up on all that’s happening through Dr. Petti’s weekly Facebook video updates. She says a typical day at PJHS has far more smiles and laughter than people might expect. In the hallways, students and staff are encouraged to greet each other or offer a kind word as they pass. We think that says a lot about the people who make PJHS what it is and about Dr. Petti’s leadership.
This morning, the Pickens Sheriff’s Office was notified of an online threat directed at Pickens County High School. School officials placed the campus in a soft lockdown while deputies investigated. Deputies worked with state and federal partners and determined that the threat was made online from out of state. Our partners confirmed that similar threats have recently been made to other schools. Based on the investigation, there is no viable threat to students or the school. Additional deputies will remain on campus for the remainder of the day as a precaution. We appreciate the cooperation of school officials, students, and families. Anyone with information relevant to the threat should contact the Pickens Sheriff’s Office. We will share further information if needed.
A BIG thank you to United Community Bank for sponsoring this year's student attendance awards at Pickens Junior High School!
As one of our Partners in Education, United Community Bank is helping PJHS celebrate students who show up and make each school day count. We appreciate their support of our students!
As one of our Partners in Education, United Community Bank is helping PJHS celebrate students who show up and make each school day count. We appreciate their support of our students!
Pickens County School District’s 4-year graduation rate tops the state average once again. For the class of 2026, the state’s 4-year graduation rate was 88.5%. The graduation rate for Pickens High Class of 2026 measured 95.6%, slightly higher than the 95.4% mark for the PHS Class of 2025.
We are incredibly proud to announce that Tate Elementary School and Hill City Elementary School have been named 2026 Title I Reward Schools!
Title I Reward Schools are identified as the top 5% of Title I schools in Georgia making the most progress in improving the performance of all students. This recognition is based on a comparison of content mastery scores from the most recent two years of reported statewide assessment data.
This remarkable achievement reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment of our educators, students and families. It is a testament to the strong teaching and leadership happening every day at both schools.
Congratulations to the students, staff and families of Tate Elementary and Hill City Elementary!
We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and the continued progress of our students.
Together, we make a difference.
Title I Reward Schools are identified as the top 5% of Title I schools in Georgia making the most progress in improving the performance of all students. This recognition is based on a comparison of content mastery scores from the most recent two years of reported statewide assessment data.
This remarkable achievement reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment of our educators, students and families. It is a testament to the strong teaching and leadership happening every day at both schools.
Congratulations to the students, staff and families of Tate Elementary and Hill City Elementary!
We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and the continued progress of our students.
Together, we make a difference.
What makes Pickens County School District a great place to work? How can we make it even better?
These are the questions that guided our Superintendent Recruitment and Retention team meeting last week. These team members shared what they value most, from the relationships they build with students to the close-knit community that makes PCSD feel like home. They also offered honest ideas for improving training, mentoring, and day-to-day support.
Thank you to our team members for sharing your experiences and ideas! This meeting helps us better support the people who are showing up for our students every day.
These are the questions that guided our Superintendent Recruitment and Retention team meeting last week. These team members shared what they value most, from the relationships they build with students to the close-knit community that makes PCSD feel like home. They also offered honest ideas for improving training, mentoring, and day-to-day support.
Thank you to our team members for sharing your experiences and ideas! This meeting helps us better support the people who are showing up for our students every day.
REMINDER! We hope to see everyone out tonight for our State Champs monument reveal!
Reminder, Dragon families! This Friday, September 25, is a teacher workday, so students will not have school. Our teachers will be busy planning and preparing for the weeks ahead. Enjoy the long weekend!
Join us as we celebrate the Pickens High School Baseball State Champions with the unveiling of a monument honoring their championship season.
These Dragons gave our community a season we’ll never forget, and now their accomplishment will have a permanent place to be remembered for years to come.
Join us Tuesday Sept. 22nd at 5:30 at Perrow Park for the unveiling.
These Dragons gave our community a season we’ll never forget, and now their accomplishment will have a permanent place to be remembered for years to come.
Join us Tuesday Sept. 22nd at 5:30 at Perrow Park for the unveiling.
Our school technology specialists have been hard at work completing the rollout of new teacher laptops across all 6 of our schools. This major technology refresh happens about once every five years and includes everything from preparing and distributing devices to troubleshooting and supporting teachers along the way. We are very thankful for our techs and the hard work they do to keep our classrooms and teachers connected!
Friday night lights bring our Pickens County community together, but the most important play happens on Monday morning: showing up! Help your Dragon start the week strong by arriving at school on time and ready to learn. Every school day matters!
Congratulations to Hill City for winning Best Student Attendance for August! It was a tight race, with all 6 of our schools being very close!
Thank you to our families for the early mornings and all you do to get your students to school ready to learn. When they’re well, every day counts. Let’s ELEVATE attendance together. Which school will take the banner next?
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
At the board meeting last week, we recognized our Instructional and Literacy Coaches. This team works tirelessly with our teachers to strengthen learning in all of our classrooms. They support teachers by providing resource support, instructional guidance, and model lessons in classrooms. They are dedicated to growing our teachers in each of our schools. This year, Dr. Thomas challenged us to ELEVATE and these coaches are helping our teachers and students do just that! Please join us in thanking them for the work they do across PCSD. Pictured left to right are Ashley Smith, Brittany Gaddis, Dr. Thomas, Sue Finley (vice-chair), Kim Caron, Rhonda Lane, Lauren Wilke, Jamie Morgan, and Rachel Evans. Not pictured: Beth LaFond-Nash.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Jasper Middle School staff showed up and took Best Staff Attendance for August. We were excited to get to celebrate them at the board meeting. Way to go JMS!
Congratulations to Hill City Elementary School's Matthew Bearden for winning the Staff Dragon Award for August!
Congratulations to Elizabeth George, 3rd-grade teacher at Harmony Elementary School, for winning the Teacher Dragon Award for August!
Congratulations to PHS student Josh Arispe for being our Student Dragon Award winner for August. Thank you to Southeast Outdoor Solutions for sponsoring our Dragon Awards this year.
Some teachers are remembered for the subject they taught. Others are remembered for the way they made students feel. For many Pickens County students, Mrs. Kaye Chastain is remembered for both.
A member of the Pickens High School Class of 1965, Mrs. Chastain spent 27 years teaching in Pickens County before retiring in 2007. She believes teaching was simply the gift she was given. “God gives everyone gifts. My gift was teaching.”
Early in her career, Mrs. Chastain learned a lesson that would shape the kind of teacher she became: students respond best when they know their teacher genuinely cares about them. “The best way to get them to respond is to love them,” she said. That didn't mean Mrs. Chastain's classroom didn't have rules. She expected respect, didn't tolerate talking back and believed students needed structure. But she also wanted every student who entered her room to know they were welcome and loved. And she wanted them to learn lessons that had nothing to do with English. Be respectful. Be kind. Stand up for others. “It doesn't cost anything to be kind.”
One of Mrs. Chastain's most meaningful traditions came during students' senior year. Every year, she created a book for her seniors filled with life lessons, quotes and “food for thought.” Inside was something even more personal: an individual letter written to every student.
Years later, a former student told her that during a difficult time in college, he pulled out that book and read it again. That meant a great deal to her to hear. At Christmas, students received apple ornaments from Mrs. Chastain, with seniors receiving special gold apples.
We asked Mrs. Chastain what she would want to experience if she could walk back into her classroom for one day, and her answer isn't a particular lesson. She would want another lightbulb moment. That moment when a student who has struggled suddenly understands. “They mastered it. They understood it. They got it.”
Her AP students might also remember gathering at her house for a pizza party before their big test. For Mrs. Chastain, teaching was always about more than delivering a lesson. She explained it perfectly: “I am passionate about my students' learning. I am not passionate about teaching. There is a difference.”
Throughout her time at PHS, other teachers helped shape her career too. Mrs. Chastain remembers Sandra Payne as a wonderful, soft-spoken teacher whose techniques she used in her classroom. And then there was Karen Sewell, the friend who could always make her laugh. The two apparently learned they probably shouldn't sit together during faculty meetings.
Some of the greatest evidence of Mrs. Chastain's impact came years after students left her classroom. She remembers seeing former student Keith Petty working at Dairy Queen and telling him he needed to go to college. He did, and eventually became an educator in Pickens County himself. Another time, while eating at Ably Asian, someone handed her an envelope. Inside was a $100 gift card and a note containing only a few words: “Honors English, 9th Grade.” Those moments help explain why former students still bring up Mrs. Chastain's name decades later.
Today, she and her husband, Jerry, have been married for 57 years after meeting in 8th grade and being together since they were 16. They have two sons, Colby and John, both physicians, and three grandsons.
When asked what she hopes people will remember when they hear the name Kaye Chastain, her answer says it best: “I hope they remember a lady who found her niche in the world of education and made a career of it and loved every minute of it.”
And perhaps former students will also hear the words Mrs. Chastain sent them out the door with: “Don't speed. Wear your seatbelt. Always remember that I love you.”
Were you one of Mrs. Chastain's students or colleagues? Share your memories of her with us. We'd love to hear it!
