Every season brings its own kind of renewal, and this one feels especially meaningful for us in Jasper County Schools. You’re holding a new issue of FlyTogether—and, if you’ve noticed, a new design as well. The magazine has a fresh face, one that mirrors the energy and optimism of the educators, students, and community members featured in these pages. While the layout may have changed, the heartbeat behind it remains the same: people doing extraordinary things in ordinary places.

Inside, you’ll meet teachers and staff whose stories reflect what’s best about our schools. You’ll read about Amy Allen, who discovered that teaching wasn’t something she chose so much as something that chose her, and Scott Kocher, who returned home to the classroom after years in administration to rediscover the joy of direct connection with students. You’ll find Shandy Holmes, building a safe foundation for kindergartners at St. Marie, and Amy Tewell, who proves that math and compassion are not opposites but partners in growth.

There are stories of coming full circle—like Emily Ross, who once walked our halls as a student and now leads others through them—and stories of new beginnings, from Callie Probst’s portrait of possibility to Brooklyn Dial’s sense of belonging. Others, like Ryan Meinhart’s journey from Thailand to Jasper County, remind us that the path to finding “home” sometimes travels the globe.

Across these pages, a single thread connects everyone: a quiet determination to make school not just a place of learning, but a place of belonging. The same can be said for FlyTogether itself—it’s our collective story, told with pride, compassion, and purpose.

As we continue to evolve as a district, this refreshed magazine is both a reflection of who we are and a promise of where we’re going. The faces may be new, the design may be updated, but the heart of Jasper County—its care, its courage, its community—beats just as strongly as ever.

With Eagle Pride,
Joe Sornberger, Superintendent