CHS to highlight talent, foster fellowship with community

To foster fellowship with the community and allow them to see all the positive happenings and talent throughout the school system, Clinton City Schools will soon host its 3rd Annual CCS Showcase Expo.

“Basically, it’s a time for Clinton City Schools to showcase the greatness and the great things that we’re doing here in our school system,” said Sheila Peterson, executive director of Human Resources. “It’s a time where our stakeholders, parents, students, community, leaders and our community members can come out and fellowship with us, and see all the things that we’re doing here in Clinton City Schools.”

The event itself is April 25 and is set to run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Clinton High’s football stadium. Peterson did mention that if bad weather is present, the event will be moved inside of the high school. The showcase is completely free to the public and features an assortment of activities along with more than a dozen food trucks planned for attendance.

“We plan to have 15 food trucks that will be available,” Peterson said. “We are showcasing our students’ art, as well as our students’ other various talents. Our students and some of our staff members will wow us with the greatness that they have, as far as talent is concerned.”

“It’s just a great time to come out and join the school system and fellowship with one another,” she added. “It’s free to get in, but, of course, the food trucks will have their pricing there, but all the entertainment is free.”

As part of the event, CCS will be giving away free items through tables that will be stationed throughout the event and apparel will also be available for purchase.

“We will also be giving away freebies; there’ll be tables set up per each school, apparel will be up for sale as well and we have a variety of foods for any palate,” Peterson noted. “We have our community businesses coming out as well, along with our fire and law departments and the library — J.C. Holiday — plus Parks and Rec will be there.

“It’s a big thing for us, last year it rained so we had to move it from outside on the football field to indoors at Clinton High School. Hopefully this year, we’ll be able to have it on the football field, or in the stadium rather.”

The CCS Showcase Expo isn’t a new event, Peterson pointed out, but was one they used to host in the early 2000’s, which lost traction. Since its return, it hasn’t slowed down, being held at the Agri-Exposition Center previously before returning to the CCS campus following the event’s vision from Superintendent Dr. Wesley Johnson.

“I hope everyone will come out and join us and see what we’re dealing with,” Peterson said. “This is the third annual, but we used to do this years ago, back in the early 2000s, and then it kind of tapered off. It was at the civic center at that time, but now, Dr. Johnson had the vision that it’s about us so it needed to be on campus. He wants it to be outside where we’re all in one place.

Because of last year’s weather, we were in the auditorium, the atrium and then the two gyms, so we really weren’t as one — which of course, ‘We’re One Dark Horse’ so we need to be together. So assuming the sun will shine, we will be in the stadium and we’re looking forward to it.”