The year 2008 will go down in history as a year full of highs and lows for the Newton County School System. Although faced with the challenge this year of bringing several schools up to standards after failing Adequate Yearly Progress as a district, NCSS still has much to celebrate, from being named a ‘quality school system' by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) to approving two new theme schools, which will begin operating in the fall. For the first time this year, NCSS did not meet AYP as a district after nine out of