SUMMER 2016

A quarterly newsletter sharing the successes of students and employees in the Cherokee County School District

Dr. Hightower Named to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who” List

Dr. Brian V. Hightower

Class of 2016 Ready to Make Its Mark on the World!

Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower has been

named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who” in Education. The Chroni-

cle’s list features the 100 most influential education leaders in metro Atlanta from

all levels of the field, including universities, as well as both elected and appointed

officials.

The profile on Dr. Hightower notes his appointment as Superintendent of Schools

in February following 30 years of experience as an educator, rising from a class-

room teacher to a school administrator and then a District administrator. It also

details his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees and notes his leadership roles

including current chairman of the Cherokee YMCA annual campaign and current

term on the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.

The Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2016 Valedictorians and Salutatorians

are, from left to right, front row: Woodstock HS Salutatorian Kendall Alsup, Sequoyah

HS Salutatorian Madison Evans, River Ridge HS Salutatorian Alex Rautio, Etowah HS

Salutatorian Sarah Autry, Creekview HS Salutatorian Peyton Heath, Cherokee HS

Salutatorian Conner Stevens; back row: Woodstock HS Valedictorian Michael Gus-

tafson, Sequoyah HS Valedictorian Mackenzie Joy, River Ridge HS Valedictorian Mat-

thew Wang, Etowah HS Valedictorian Sara Kate Brockmeier, Creekview HS Valedic-

torian Claire Roop and Cherokee HS Valedictorian Joshua Freeman.

CCSD graduated 2,616 members of

the Class of 2016 in ceremonies held

May 26-28, and the top graduates

from each high school were recog-

nized at the annual Scholar’s Ban-

quet on May 26. School Superinten-

dent Dr. Brian V. Hightower and

School Board Members congratulat-

ed the valedictorian and salutatorian

from each high school, who shared

their plans for college and future ca-

reer fields. Each student also select-

ed a teacher who was especially in-

fluential on his or her high school

career to honor at the banquet.

Each student received an iPad, $50

gift card and plaque. Each teacher

received a plaque and $100 gift

card. The dinner and gifts were

made possible by donations from

sponsors: Platinum: EF Tours, KRH

Architects Inc., Manley, Spangler &

Smith, Northside Hospital-Cherokee,

Poole’s Insulation Co. and Wood-

mont Golf & Country Club; Gold:

Brown & Brown Insurance of

Georgia, NOVA Engineering, Sea-

sonal Designs Landscaping and

Traditions Turf Management Inc.;

and Silver: Floorcare Specialists,

The Travel Store Inc. and True

Natural Gas.

“Tap into your ‘Why?’” Dr. High-

tower told the Scholars at the

banquet’s conclusion. “Know

why you want to do what you

want to do, and it will all fall into

place. We’re so proud of you

and all you have accomplished.”

2

All six Cherokee County School District high schools were named to the Washington Post’s “Most Challenging

High Schools” list in April, and two schools also were named to U.S. News and World Report’s “Best High

Schools in America” list.

Washington Post: Cherokee HS, Creekview HS, Etowah HS, River Ridge HS, Sequoyah HS and Woodstock HS

“America’s Most Challenging High Schools” ranks schools through an index formula that includes the number of

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests

given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year. A ratio of 1.000 means

the school had as many tests as graduates. Only 10 percent of the approximately 22,000 U.S. public high

schools managed to earn placement on the list.

U.S. News and World Report: Etowah HS and Sequoyah HS

Etowah High School and Sequoyah High School earned silver medals under the magazine’s ranking methodolo-

gy for “Best High Schools in America,” which awards gold, silver or bronze medals based on multiple factors,

including AP exam results and performance of disadvantaged students. Sequoyah HS has made the list each of

the last five years. Data for the rankings is based upon the 2013-14 school year, according to the publica-

tion. Out of the 50 states, Georgia ranked 21st nationally according to the percentage of medals earned by pub-

lic high schools. The annual “Best High Schools” list is released each spring.

CCSD High Schools Earn National Rigor & Achievement Honors

The District-level winners of the Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition were recently honored at the June 16 School Board meeting. The annual writing contest is open to students in grades kindergarten through 12 and provides an opportunity for schools to encourage writing in a variety of genres. Each CCSD school submitted a top entry for each grade level to compete at the District level. District judges then selected a first-place winner for each grade level; the winners are:

Kindergarten: Hugh Landreth, Macedonia ES for “My Snow Adventure”

Grade 1: Audrey Hopkins, Macedonia ES for “The Unicorn Without a Horn”

Grade 2: Maile Rowley, Macedonia ES for “Owlets”

Grade 3: Kelly Manke, Liberty ES for “Imagine”

Grade 4: Laura Hand, Free Home ES for “Extraordinary”

Grade 5: Alyssa Rudolph, Woodstock ES for “The Long Shot”

Grade 6: Cadence Harvey, Indian Knoll ES for “Silent Thoughts”

Grade 7: Gabby Christian, Creekland MS for “Opposite World”

Grade 8: Jamila Reeves‐Miller, Mill Creek MS for “What Lurks in the Dark”

Grade 9: Savannah Clack, Etowah HS for “A Deathly Hope”

Grade 10: Katelynn Basford, Woodstock HS for “All That Blooms”

Grade 11: Special Davis, Etowah HS for “Monsters”

Grade 12: Yeseul Heo, Sequoyah HS for “Metamorphosis”

Top School District Young Authors Recognized by School Board

3

Each of CCSD’s six traditional high schools earned

recognition from the State this spring as an 2016 Ad-

vanced Placement (AP) Honor School for outstanding

student performance and participation on AP ex-

ams. CCSD’s high schools have been named to the

AP Honor List each of the last six years. Schools can

earn recognition in as many as six categories; CCSD

high schools earned recognition in all four categories

for which its schools were eligible, including three

schools winning a place on the Merit School list.

AP Merit Schools: Cherokee HS, Creekview HS

and River Ridge HS. AP Merit Schools are those

with at least 20 percent of the student popula-

tion taking AP exams and at least 50 percent of

all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

AP STEM Schools: Cherokee HS, Creekview HS,

Etowah HS, River Ridge HS, Sequoyah HS and

Woodstock HS. AP STEM Schools are those with

students testing in at least two AP math courses

and two AP science courses.

AP STEM Achievement Schools: Cherokee HS,

Creekview HS, Etowah HS, River Ridge HS, Se-

quoyah HS and Woodstock HS. AP STEM

Achievement Schools are those with students

testing in at least two AP math courses and two

AP science courses, and at least 40 percent of

the exam scores on AP math and AP science ex-

ams earning scores of 3 or higher.

CCSD High Schools Lauded for AP Exam Excellence

National AP Distinction

CCSD was one of six school districts in Georgia

named to the national AP District Honor Roll in

2015, its third consecutive year to earn national

distinction for its AP participation and achieve-

ment. CCSD had the third-highest AP exam pas-

sage rate in Georgia in 2015, when more than

2,200 students in CCSD took more than 4,100

AP exams across 26 subjects.

AP Humanities Schools: Cherokee HS, Etowah

HS, River Ridge HS and Sequoyah HS. AP Hu-

manities Schools are those with students testing

in all of the following AP courses: at least one

ELA course, two social sciences courses, one fine

arts course and one world language course.

“We are extremely proud of our AP students and

teachers,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V.

Hightower said. “These students challenge them-

selves to take the highest level of academic course-

work available, and our AP teachers go the extra

mile to ensure their students are prepared to suc-

ceed on rigorous AP exams and earn the college

credit they’ve worked hard for all year.”

CCSD’s high schools also won a 2016 AP Teacher

Training Grant for the training of AP teachers at AP

Summer Institutes, totaling over $7,800.

Sequoyah High School Class of 2016 graduate Mackenzie R. Joy earned a National

Merit Scholarship. Mackenzie, who was named her Class Valedictorian for the high-

est GPA and STAR Student for the highest SAT score, was selected for a National

Merit University of Georgia Scholarship. She plans to study astrophysics and science

at UGA to pursue a career as a physicist.

In her junior year at Sequoyah HS, Mackenzie earned a perfect score of 36 on the

ACT… less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earns this top

composite score. Mackenzie is one of only 3,000 winners nationwide of National

Merit Scholarships financed by a college or university.

Sequoyah HS Graduate Named A National Merit Scholar

Mackenzie Joy

4

The Cherokee County School District continued its Georgia School Bell Award-winning streak with Bas-comb Elementary School earning the prestigious honor for 2016.

The distinguished Georgia School Bell Award is pre-sented to 10 schools in Georgia each year in recogni-tion of outstanding curriculum and organizational leadership initiatives… this is the sixth consecutive year that at least one CCSD school has earned the award.

Bascomb ES, led by Principal Kathleen Chandler, has won the award presented by the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals for her program, “Keeping It Real.” The selection committee chooses exemplary programs that show positive results and reflect significant involvement of staff, students, par-ents and community.

“Keeping It Real” is a school-wide initiative to bring Georgia Performance Standards “to life” by planning interactive, hands-on activities that give students the opportunity to experience lessons in another way in addition to textbook and online learning. Examples of these activities include fifth-grade Civil War Day and fourth-grade Colonial Day, which feature historic demonstrations and re-enactments, guest speakers from the community, costumes and crafts; and Sci-ence Day, which is presented for all grades with PTA

Bascomb ES Wins School Bell Award for ‘Keeping It Real’ support and offers science ex-periments ranging from launch-ing balloon rockets to dissecting owl pellets to creating flying smoke rings.

“Students make connections to the real world!,” Principal Chan-dler said, noting that activities are differentiated to meet the learning needs of all stu-dents. “We know that these ex-periences create lasting knowledge, which is evident in our school’s outstand-ing test scores year after year.”

“We are so proud of Bascomb Elementary School and Principal Kathleen Chandler not only for this award, but also for the creativity in the classroom that led to this recognition,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bri-an V. Hightower said. “Congratulations and thank you to everyone in the Bascomb community who helped make this outstanding accomplishment possi-ble!”

Recent past CCSD Georgia School Bell winners are: 2015, Holly Springs ES STEM Academy and Wood-stock ES; 2014, Canton ES STEM Academy; 2013, Free Home ES; 2012, Liberty ES; and 2011, Oak Grove ES.

Kathleen Chandler

Woodstock High School recently rec-ognized 25 work-based learning stu-dents who earned GeorgiaBEST (Business Ethics Student Training) cer-tificates for successfully completing the workforce education program. The students were required to earn at least 25 out of 30 possible points to receive the certification from the Georgia Departments of Labor and Education.

The Departments designed the program to teach stu-dents the top 10 “soft skills” needed in the workplace, as identified by Georgia businesses. GeorgiaBEST al-lows for leadership development, critical and creative thinking, decision-making, problem solving, teamwork and work-based learning experience. Guest speakers from the business community, mock job interviews and résumé critiques round out the program.

Woodstock HS students who earned the certificates

are: Alyssa Alfano, Kailey Austin, Olivia Barnes, Marina Buromskikh, Christian Bur-rell, Megan Cooney, Stephanie De La Cruz, Natalie Foster, Jessica Frasor, Rasheed Gib-son, Daniella Gonzalez-Espinoza, Julianne Karnes, McKenzie Keeton, Jordan Kendall,

Megan Moore, Paige Morrison, Antonette O’Gorman, Taylor Parks, Mandi Rocker, Dyemond Steed, Ashley Stephens, Ashley Van De Ryt and Stephanie Velez.

“Many students have a hard time understanding the difference in hard, tangible skills versus soft skills,” said teacher Olivia Steele, who oversees Woodstock High’s work-based learning program. “Soft skills are more impactful and big contributor of a successful employee or team member. After completing the program, students were able to grasp how the ‘small things’ you do on a job outperforms any skills learned using equipment or technology devices.”

Work-Based Learning Students Earn GeorgiaBEST Certification at WHS

5

Two CCSD Schools Recognized

for ‘Greatest Gains’ on CCRPI

Two Cherokee County School District schools

were honored by Gov. Nathan Deal for making ac-

ademic gains. Sequoyah High School has received

a Gold Award and Woodstock Middle School has

received a Bronze Award for “Greatest Gains.”

To earn these “Greatest Gains” awards, schools

must earn a three-year average CCRPI (College

and Career Ready Performance Index) Progress

Score that ranks in at least the 93rd percen-

tile. Only 127 schools in the State received a

“Greatest Gains” award, and only 37 earned Gold

Awards. Winners received a certificate to display

at their school.

“I want to congratulate all of the award-winning

schools across our State, as well as the students

and teachers who have worked tirelessly toward

these accomplishments,” Deal said.

Creekland MS Academic Bowl

Team Places Fourth in Nation

Creekland Middle School’s Academic Bowl team’s sixth-graders placed fourth in the Nation, and one student individually placed sixth!

The team completed at its second National individ-ual and team championships in Arlington, Va. earli-er in May, where its Sixth-Grade team placed fourth in the National Elementary Division. Sixth-grader Justin Bolsen placed sixth in the Nation in the individual science competition and ninth in the Academic Bee. Justin’s success follows his recent fourth-place win at the National Academic Quiz Tournament recently held in Atlanta.

Sixth-graders and twins Jordan Moyal placed ninth and Er’el Moyal placed 14th in the Nation in the Humanities Bee held as part of the Nationals event in Arlington.

Pictured above— Creekland MS Academic Bowl team members, from left to right, front row: sixth-graders, Hampton Barrineau, Cal Pace, Jordan Moyal, Justin Bolsen, Er'el Moyal; back row: Coach Dr. Mark Nazemzadeh, Jack Eno, Joseph Satter-field, Mathew Thompson, Susannah Currie and Coach Eli Rollman.

Pictured right, Creekland MS Aca-demic Bowl Coach Dr. Mark Nazemza-deh congratulates Justin Bolsen on his success at Na-

tionals.

Two Cherokee County School District teachers were recently named Georgia Science Ambassadors.

Cherokee High School teacher Clyde Lowery and Clark Creek Elementary School STEM academy teacher Karen Garland have been selected by the Georgia Department of Education to participate in its Science Ambassador Program.

The program increases the leadership capacity of sci-ence educators across the state by providing target-ed training to select science teachers and other sci-ence educators to support professional development for their local school districts. All travel, lodging and substitute teacher costs are reimbursed by the De-partment of Education.

Mr. Lowery teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Phys-ics and Honors Physics and serves as the school’s Science Department Head. Ms. Garland teaches Grades K-5 science in the school’s science lab and serves as the Georgia Science Teacher Association’s elementary grades representative for the State of Georgia.

CCSD Teachers Named Georgia

Science Ambassadors for 2016

6

A Cherokee County School District leader was named to a National advisory committee in May. Bobby Blount, Assistant Superintendent of Accountability, Technology and Strategic Planning, is a member of the 2016 RTM National K-12 Advisory Committee.

RTM Education events are made up of school system senior administrators and superintendents responsi-ble for making decision for the operations, technolo-gy and instruction at the District level. Assistant Su-perintendent Blount was one of 20 K-12 education professionals (who included chief information offic-ers, chief technology officers and superintendents) invited to attend the 2016 RTM National K-12 Advi-sory Committee meeting in New York City earlier this month. The RTM Business Group paid the travel and lodging costs for participants.

“It’s refreshing to gain a national perspective on not only technology trends, but also how technology is

Assistant Superintendent for Technology Named to National Committee

CCSD Students Win State, Region Honors from Positive Athlete Georgia

transforming the classroom through the adoption of digital content, and to hear how differ-ent districts are approaching this movement,” said Mr. Blount, who has served in CCSD’s Technology Depart-ment for 18 years.

“Our District is recognized na-tionally as a leader in effective technology use, integration and innovation, and the Cherokee County community, along with the Board of Education, have been vital in supporting the Education SPLOST, which com-pletely funds the technology infrastructure our stu-dents and teachers utilize daily in the classroom.”

Cherokee, Cobb and DeKalb counties represented Georgia at the conference.

Bobby Blount

A Cherokee County School District student is a Geor-

gia Positive Athlete Award winner— and nine CCSD

students won region honors. Woodstock High School

sophomore Katie Beckham is one of only 28 student

athletes to receive the statewide honor sponsored by

Positive Athlete Georgia, a subsidiary of Celebrate

Positive LLC, which promotes the benefits of positivity

to young athletes around the world. In addition to

Katie's state honor, CCSD had nine region winners:

• Connor Bourn, Alternative (rodeo), Cherokee HS

• Kyle Wilkie, Baseball, Creekview HS

• Alex Burgess, Golf- boys, Woodstock HS

• Erin Peters, Golf- girls, Sequoyah HS (also winner of

the Life University “Life-Changer Award”)

• Bella Thomas, Gymnastics, Creekview HS (also win-

ner of the LGE Credit Union “Extra Credit Award”)

• Daniel Zimny, Lacrosse- boys, Etowah HS

• Timothy Johnson, Soccer- boys, River Ridge HS

• Ivie Uwaifo, Soccer- girls, River Ridge HS

• Natalie Lucco, Volleyball, Etowah HS (also winner of

the Chattahoochee Technical College “Academic Ex-

cellence Award”)

The Third Annual Georgia Positive Athlete Awards

ceremony was presented by The College Football

Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-a Fan Experience on

June 7 in Atlanta. Katie was selected as the Volley-

ball honoree for the State.

More than 3,400 students were nominated by

coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers and

parents. In addition to excellence on the field, each

nominated Positive Athlete was required to show

characteristics such as an optimistic attitude, team-

mate encouragement, servant leadership, heart for

others, ability to admit imperfections, giving 100

percent all the time, and realizing the team as more

important than the individual.

7

The Canton and Woodstock Lions Clubs each spring

honor Cherokee County School District students and

teachers at their annual STAR Student and STAR

Teacher Recognition Ceremony.

The STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recogni-

tion, Student honor is awarded to the student from

each Cherokee County public and private high school

with the highest SAT score.

Each honored student is invited to select his or her

favorite teacher to be named that school’s STAR

Teacher.

The CCSD 2016 Honorees are:

Cherokee HS

Student: Dalton Hutchinson

Teacher: Charley Ingham

Creekview HS

Student: Brian Dunn

Teacher: Peggy Corbett

2016 STAR Students Honored by Lions for Highest SAT Scores

The River Ridge High School Academic Bowl team placed second at the Georgia Academic Team Asso-ciation’s State Championships in March.

Team members are Julia Boll, Josh Carver, Leah Choi Garrett Johnston, Mukthi Kaup, Bethany Norman and Simon Yang; the team’s coach is teacher Wiliam Norman. Leading up to the State championships, the team recently placed first at Kennesaw Moun-tain High School’s March Madness event; they beat Collins Hill HS twice to sweep through the finals.

River Ridge Academic Bowl Team

Places Second at State Competition

Etowah HS

Student: J.P. Shaw

Teacher: Rebecca Schwartz

River Ridge HS

Student: Katie Carlsen

Teacher: Kendra Nayman

Sequoyah HS

Student: Mackenzie Joy

Teacher: Brian Carnes

Woodstock HS

Student: Paula Ruiz

Teacher: Andy Hall

From left: Katie Carlsen of River Ridge HS, J.P. Shaw of

Etowah HS, Dalton Hutchinson of Cherokee HS, Paula Ruiz of

Woodstock HS, Mackenzie Joy of Sequoyah HS and Brian

Dunn of Creekview HS; behind each is the STAR Teacher they

selected to honor: Kendra Nayman, Rebecca Schwartz, Char-

ley Ingham, Andy Hall, Brian Carnes and Peggy Corbett

Six Cherokee County School District high school seniors were named 2016 Georgia Scholars. Through the Georgia Scholar program, the Georgia Department of Education identifies and honors high school seniors who have achieved excellence in all phases of school and community life including carrying “exemplary course loads” and excelling in all courses, successfully participating in inter-scholastic and extra-curricular activities. Only 151 graduating seniors from schools across Georgia will receive the honor, which includes a seal for his or her diploma. The CCSD honorees are: from Chero-kee HS, Jessica Wenclawiak; from Creekview HS, Alex Francoletti, Alyssa Powell and David Wang; from Etowah HS, Madeline Gilmer; and from River Ridge HS, Laura Triana.

“I offer my sincere congratulations to each of our 2016 Georgia Scholars,” State School Superinten-dent Richard Woods. “These students have worked extremely hard and have engaged with all aspects of the educational process, with the result that they are truly ready to learn, ready to live, and ready to lead.”

Six CCSD Seniors Named Georgia

Scholars for Academics and Leadership

8

The Cherokee County School District annually recog-

nizes outstanding high school juniors as Superinten-

dent’s Key Scholars, and a record number of students

earned the distinction this year by scoring at the

90th percentile or above on the Grade 11 PSAT/

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

During the 11th Annual Superintendent’s Key Schol-

ar Recognition Ceremony held on March 22 at River

Ridge High School, 327 students were recognized for

their PSAT scores achieved in October, which ranked

them in the top 10% of the nation. Each student re-

ceived a letter jacket patch that reads

“Superintendent’s Key Scholar” and will also be hon-

ored at their school’s year-end awards ceremony as a

Superintendent’s Key Scholar. These students also

will have a special embossment on their high school

diploma.

"As academic leaders, you have the potential to con-

tinue distinguishing yourselves as high school sen-

iors, in your college pursuits and, eventually, in your

chosen careers," said Dr. Brian V. Hightower, Super-

intendent of Schools, in his remarks to the students.

"We also extend our congratulations this evening to

all of the individuals who stand behind and support

their efforts, including: parents, grandparents, teach-

ers, school administrators and all others who have

made and continue to make an impact on their edu-

cation and their lives."

Record Number of Key Scholars

Honored for PSAT Excellence

Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower hands Makaila Wood of Cherokee HS her Key Scholar patch.

The Cherokee County School District for the 11th

time has been named one of the top 10 large

school systems nationwide for its effective use of

technology in education. The honor is a result of

the annual Digital School Districts Survey conduct-

ed by the Center for Digital Education and the Na-

tional School Boards Association (NSBA). The sur-

vey compares public school districts from across

the Nation and awards Top 10 rankings to those

that fully integrate technology into the classroom,

and throughout their system as a whole. With this

year’s recognition, CCSD has made its 11th appear-

ance in the Top 10 since 2004.

“To be successful in the world of today and tomor-

row, each one of our students needs to understand

technology and how to use it to succeed,” Superin-

tendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower

said. “This importance is why we’ve made technol-

ogy a major system priority, and we use technology

not only to improve teaching and learning, but to

make every facet of our operations more efficient

and to continuously improve communications with

our community.”

The survey evaluates areas of digital and emerging

technologies, including: integration of mobile de-

vices and technology into curriculum; technology

leadership and transparency in school board poli-

cies and meetings; strategic planning, data manage-

ment and safety, as well as instructional strategies.

School District Ranked in Top 10

for Technology Use, Integration

Cherokee County School District high school juniors recently pre-

sented their ideas for improving metro Atlanta to the Atlanta Re-

gional Commission (ARC) Board. The five CCSD students had the

opportunity as participants in the ARC’s Model Atlanta Regional

Commission (MARC), a six-month youth leadership program fo-

cused on regional issues and challenges. Etowah HS juniors Aubrey

Gerber, Olivia Klingler and Sydney Miracle, River Ridge HS junior Jordan Mason and Woodstock HS junior

Kurt Mueller were among the 50 students selected from a pool of applicants representing the 10-county

metro region. “I am so impressed with the innovative ideas that these young leaders have developed,” ARC

Board Chair Kerry Armstrong said of the students’ ideas. “These resolutions have the potential to help im-

prove quality of life throughout the region. They deserve our careful review.”

9

Ridge Ridge High School Counselor Brittany Voltner

is a “ray of sunshine” for students and staff, accord-

ing to her Principal.

Her dedication to their successes, enthusiasm for

their new ideas and support for them when they

struggle is why she was honored this spring as the

Cherokee County School District 2016 Counselor of

the Year. She will represent CCSD in the Georgia

Counselor of the Year competition. Superintendent

of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower surprised Ms.

Voltner with the news at a faculty meeting in front

of her peers, who gave her a standing ovation. The

CCSD winner is selected by a panel of community

leaders.

“I was impressed with the things you said about her

more than what she said about herself,” Dr. High-

tower told the audience of her colleagues. “She’s

humble… but it’s clear that she’s vital to the success

you see in your classrooms. We’re so proud of her.”

Ms. Voltner, who began her career as a school coun-

selor at River Ridge HS in 2013 after graduating

from Columbus State University with a Master of

Education in School Counseling degree, was quick to

thank her fellow educators for their support.

“I could not do it without you all,” she said, noting

the faculty’s support of her counseling initiatives in-

cluding the Mentor Program to assist students at risk

of not graduating on time… one of the ways she has

contributed to increasing the school’s on-time gradu-

River Ridge High School’s Counselor Selected as Tops in District

Brittany Voltner, left, is congratulated by Superintendent Dr.

Brian Hightower.

ation rate to an impressive 92%. “You want to make

your students better.”

Among her many duties at River Ridge, Ms. Voltner

also serves as assistant coach for the varsity football

and competition cheerleading teams and sponsors

the Infinity Standing Strong Club, a peer support

program for students with severe emotional needs

that also organizes suicide prevention and aware-

ness activities.

“I have found that meeting students’ emotional

needs is important in helping them to get academi-

cally on track, and this club attempts to do just that,”

Ms. Voltner said.

“You really do bring a ray of sunshine to us and a lot

of help,” Principal Darrell Herring said in his re-

marks.

CCSD Juniors Study Regional Issues on Model ARC Board

10

Etowah High School's Audio-Video Technology and Film (AVTF) pro-

gram earned industry certification this spring. According to the State

Department of Education, when a program has become industry certi-

fied, “it received a ‘stamp of excellence,’ which represents the apex of

program quality. Only those programs that have successfully under-

gone rigorous reviews by leaders from business and industry are rec-

ognized with this distinction.”

The AVTF certification team visited Etowah HS in April to review the

program, noting in its report: “The team found Etowah’s AVTF pro-

gram to be strong and a recommended model for other schools to fol-

low. Overall excellent program. The content of the courses is de-

tailed, comprehensive and aligned with industry. The instructor’s hard

work and dedication to the program, not only at her school but others

as well, is remarkable.”

Linda Yunker, the AVTF instructor at Etowah HS, teaches four levels

of the class, which prepares students for a career in AVTF or for post-

secondary study in the field. Students in her classes learn about video

production from initial writing to final editing, as well as camera opera-

tions, commonly used software (Photoshop, Garage Band, Adobe

AfterEffects, Final Cut, Motion and others), industry ethics and career

opportunities. They produce segments for Etowah High’s weekly

news show and also have the opportunity to film sporting events and

assist in operating the Jumbotron in the Etowah HS football stadium.

AVTF is a Career Pathway offered at all CCSD high schools. For more information on Industry Certification

and Career, Technical, Agricultural Education, see the DOE’s website here.

Etowah HS Video and Film Program Earns Industry Certification

From left to right, Arayna Goodman, Kami

Westgate, Sofia Weckerle and teacher

Linda Yunker watch the action as Sarah

Podstata is filming.

Three Cherokee County School District high schools

won approval for Georgia’s International Skills diplo-

ma seal. Cherokee HS, Etowah HS and Woodstock

HS successfully applied to the Georgia Department

of Education for authorization to issue the seal to

eligible graduating seniors beginning with the Class

of 2016. The State DOE’s Global Skills Committee

members stated they were impressed with the

schools’ applications, which were approved in the

first round of school reviews by the DOE.

The State designed the program to encourage and

recognize students who complete an “international

education curriculum and engage in extracurricular

activities and experiences that foster the achieve-

ment of global competencies… it is a signal to em-

Three CCSD High Schools Approved for International Skills Diploma Seal

ployers and higher education institutions that a stu-

dent is prepared to participate in the global econo-

my.” To earn the designation, students must com-

plete at least three credits in the same world language

and/or English for Speakers of Other Languages; at

least four credits in courses determined to have an

international focus (e.g., international economics,

world/non-US history, world geography, etc.), at least

four extracurricular activities and experiences with

global themes and/or in global contexts (e.g., ex-

change programs, international and language clubs,

travel abroad), 20 hours of community service involv-

ing a global/cross-cultural public service project and a

capstone presentation on the knowledge gained in

the courses and activities listed above.

Woodstock ES Assistant

Principal Named Best in GA

11

Free Home ES Principal Wins

‘Distinguished’ Honor for State

Woodstock Elementary School Assistant Principal

Rachel Wasserman was surprised May 24 with the

announcement that she is the Georgia 2016 Nation-

al Distinguished Assistant Principal.

Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals

Executive Director Hal Beaver made the presenta-

tion, which includes a $500 award, to Ms. Wasser-

man in front of a gym full of cheering students and

teachers.

“You have been chosen by your peers because you

exemplify educational leadership of the highest

quality,” he said, noting the award is presented to

only one Assistant Principal in Georgia each year.

Ms. Wasserman has served in her current role for

two years following success as a classroom teacher

beginning in 2006, including being named the

school’s 2013-14 Teacher of the Year. She earned

her master’s in early childhood education and spe-

cialist in educational leadership degrees from

Kennesaw State University

Principal Kim Montalbano describes Ms. Wasserman

as a “cheerleader for children.”

“She is positive, innovative and a true professional,”

Principal Montalbano said. “She strives to maintain

an extraordinarily positive school climate that ulti-

mately promotes student learning.”

Free Home Elementary School Principal Karen Carl

has been named a 2016 Georgia Distinguished Prin-

cipal, which includes a $1,000 award, from the Geor-

gia Association of Elementary School Principals at its

fall conference.

The prestigious recognition is awarded to one Princi-

pal in each of the Association’s regional districts, and

winners are selected by their peers based on exem-

plary educational leadership.

“The Free Home community is very passionate about

its school, and Principal Carl has exceeded its high

expectations by valuing traditions, while also engag-

ing families and partners in new initiatives to expand

opportunities for students,” Superintendent of

Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.

Dr. Hightower praised the school’s successful efforts

to increase student literacy and achievement, as well

as its focus on character education and community

through projects such as the Rocket Pantry for fami-

lies in need.

Ms. Carl was praised by the Association for her dual

focus on new innovations in teaching and traditional

lessons of ethics and good citizenship. Ms. Carl

joined Free Home ES in 2012 after starting her ca-

reer with CCSD in 2006 as an assistant principal at

Hickory Flat Elementary School followed by three

years in the same role at Sixes Elementary

School. She previously worked in the Cobb County

School District for 19 years as a teacher and instruc-

tional lead teacher.

From left, Principal Kim Montalbano, Deputy Supt. Trey Olson,

Director of School Operations Dr. Nicole Holmes, GAESP Execu-

tive Director Hal Beavers, Assistant Principal Rachel Wasserman,

and Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower.

Free Home ES Principal Karen Carl, left, is congratulated by

GAESP Executive Director Hal Beavers, Superintendent Dr. Bri-

an Hightower, Connie Brown of Mentoring Minds, and Deputy

Superintendent Trey Olson.

12

Macedonia ES Media Specialist Honored as District Winner

Jennifer Rice

When Macedonia Elementary School Media Specialist

Jennifer Rice wanted to “change up” what she was

doing as a classroom teacher, she didn’t envision that

it would lead to her true calling.

Instead of moving from one grade level to another,

she moved from a traditional classroom to the media

center. And in March, she was surprised in the media

center that she now calls her classroom by the Super-

intendent of Schools, family and colleagues, who sur-

prised her with the announcement that she had been

named the 2016 Cherokee County School District

Media Specialist of the Year. She now will represent

CCSD in the State-level competition.

“If you would have asked me what my dream career

was, I would have said three: media specialist, event

planner or prop builder,” she said, and then gestured

around the media center, which was decked out for a

Read Across America event with plenty of colorful

props. “I really feel like this is the place I’m supposed

to be.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower in

making the presentation praised Ms. Rice for the en-

ergy and passion that she brings to her work.

“I believe in passionate educators,” he said. “You

don’t just need a passionate educator in the class-

room, you need them in the cafeteria, the front office,

the media center – and Jennifer, you embody that.”

He went on to detail for the crowd of well-wishers

the way that Ms. Rice has transformed the cen-

ter. She not only has increased the annual circulation

numbers from 30,000 to more than 70,000, but creat-

ed a “cabin” reading room for reading “camp-outs” and

increased PTA involvement. As she accepted her

award, parent and student volunteers quietly worked

their way up and down aisles, shelving books and cre-

ating displays. A new project she’s embarking on,

Books on the Bus, will bring a mobile library to low-

income students who receive free lunches delivered

to their neighborhoods during the summer break.

“You empower people and you engage kids… to me,

this is what media specialist is all about in the 21st

Century,” Dr. Hightower said.

A graduate of Georgia College & State University,

where she earned bachelor’s, master’s and specialist

degrees in education, Ms. Rice, in addition to her

traditional media specialist responsibilities, also or-

ganizes the school’s reading bowl team, spelling bee

and student news team. She recently was named

to the Georgia Children’s Picturebook Award Com-

mittee for a three-year appointment.

The 2016 Chick-fil-A 5K & Fun Run will be

held Aug. 6 at Etowah River Park in Canton

benefitting the Cherokee County Education-

al Foundation and Cherokee County Special

Olympics. CCSD schools are competing for

a $1,000 prize for the school with the most

participation; this year, there also will be a

$500 prize for runner-up. The course is USA

Track and Field certified and serves as a

Peachtree Road Race qualifier. A Family

FunZone for children under 12 will be open

from 7 am—10 am with free activities and

inflatables. To register, go to:

http://cfaraceseries.com/races/191/

Chick-fil-A 5K Set for August 6

13

A Woodstock High School teacher has been selected

to serve on the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Com-

mittee.

Karen Zayance was tapped for the Committee,

which is charged with reviewing the Governor’s Edu-

cation Reform Commission’s recommendations “that

specifically relate to teachers such as teacher re-

cruitment and retention, the implementation of

competency-based education, and the elements dis-

tricts should consider including as they transition to

new compensation models,” according to the Gover-

nor’s Office.

The Governor’s Office said it solicited educational

leaders and legislators statewide for nominations of

teachers to serve on the committee.

Teachers are asked to attend at least one meeting in

person, as well as two conference calls and one

webinar; the State will reim-

burse teachers for traveling

to the in-person meeting.

Ms. Zayance, who teaches

Engineering Technology Ca-

reer Pathway classes includ-

ing AP Computer Science, is

the Career, Technical and

Agricultural Education De-

partment Chair for Wood-

stock HS.

She recently was recognized as the Class of 2015

Woodstock HS Valedictorian’s Teacher Honoree at

CCSD’s Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet, and,

with a Woodstock HS colleague, won a 2015 Public

Education Leadership Community of PPG Aerospace

Grant for collaborative STEM activities.

Woodstock HS Teacher Tapped for Governor’s Advisory Committee

Karen Zayance

Etowah HS, River Ridge HS Win Region Sportsmanship Awards

Two CCSD High Schools won the GEMC Cooperative Spirit Sportsman-ship Award for their respective regions for 2015-16.

Etowah HS won the Region 5-AAAAAA award, and River Ridge HS won for Region 7AAAAA.

The prestigious Georgia High School Association (GHSA) honor is spon-sored by Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, and awards are pre-sented annually to one GHSA-member high school in each region in all classifications.

Introduced in 2006, the awards promote sportsmanship and reinforce GHSA’s philosophy: “Student athletes, coaches, spectators, and all others associated with high school activities programs should adhere to the fun-damental values of respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility.”

According to GHSA, the program honors student-athletes along with fel-low students, school staff, parents and game spectators, making the award not only a school honor, but also a community honor.

The awards were presented to Principal Keith Ball and Athletic Director/Assistant Principal Bob Van Alstyne for Etowah HS and to Principal Dar-rell Herring and Athletic Director/Assistant Principal Scott Krug for River Ridge HS.

14

CCSD Students Among First to Receive State Honor as ESOL Stars Three CCSD students and two of their teachers were

honored with a new Georgia Department of Educa-

tion recognition this spring. The Georgia ESOL Star

Learner program honors students who speak English

as a second language; CCSD nominated students

with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, extra-curricular involve-

ment and outstanding attendance and conduct.

Only 27 students statewide were selected for the

honor, including Class of 2016 graduating seniors

Lucas Barros and Kathy Keodouangdy of Etowah

High School and Brian Quintana-Guzman of River

Ridge High School.

Each Georgia ESOL Star Learner had the opportunity

to nominate a Georgia ESOL Star Teacher, and they

chose Pamela Holman of Etowah HS and Autumn

Hamilton of River Ridge HS.

Lucas, who has a 3.25 GPA and currently is enrolled

in AP Physics, played two years on the school soccer

team and designed and created a bicycle-powered

energy source to charge a cell phone.

“In class, he was always asking questions, helping

others and desiring feedback on ways he could im-

prove his speaking and writing,” Ms. Holman

said. “He never backed down from anything hard

and overcame any language barrier in order to meet

standards in his classes.”

Lucas said Ms. Holman’s ESOL classes did more than

improve his reading, speaking and writing skills.

“It changed my life because I learned how to com-

municate better to other people and assimilate in the

American culture,” he said.

Kathy, who has a 3.5 GPA and also works part-time

in retail fashion, plans to study fashion design after

graduation… her senior project was creating a dress

of her own design.

“I have had the pleasure of watching her blossom

from a shy girl from Laos to an outgoing, thriving

young woman with a future in college and a bright

career in fashion design,” Ms. Holman said. “She has

a happy disposition all of the time and has built a

community for herself where she is beloved and re-

spected by her teachers and friends.”

Kathy sees Ms. Holman as part of that special com-

munity.

“She was the one who actually noticed me, pushed

me forward, and forced me to realize that I was ac-

tually a somebody, and not just anybody, someone

who would someday make a difference,” Kathy said

of her teacher.

Brian, who has a 3.5 GPA, plays soccer and tennis

and volunteers at school and church, including as a

mentor to newcomers at River Ridge HS.

“Often I would sit with Brian and help him work

through the ‘How you say?’ conundrum that often

plagues our newcomers,” Ms. Hamilton said. “Even

at times when he was frustrated, he kept a con-

structive, optimistic attitude. He knew he had to

keep working if he was going to make it.”

Brian said Ms. Hamilton’s support went beyond

teaching him English.

“Living in the United States as a foreign student is

the hardest challenge I have ever faced in my

life. But with the help of Mrs. Hamilton, I have been

able to go through this challenge,” he said. “In the

beginning, like any other kid, I had trouble learning

the language and also making friends, but Mrs.

Hamilton never gave up on me.”

L. Barros K. Keodouangdy B. Quintana-Guzman

P. Holman A. Hamilton

15

Sequoyah High School’s Automotive program stu-

dents competed in the Summit Motorama at Atlanta

Motor Speedway, which involves deconstructing a V

-8 engine and reassembling it to the manufacturer’s

specifications. The team is competitively timed on

how quickly they disassemble and reassemble the

engine in its entirety. They are timed for accuracy,

and penalties are added in the form of extra time.

In only their second competition, they earned a time

that ranked them 32nd in the Nation.

“They have been working very hard to improve their

time and errors, and it shows in their competition

rankings,” said automobile maintenance and light

repair teacher Chuck Wilson, who coaches the team.

Pictured, from left: Instructor Charles Wilson and

students Hunter Richardson, Kenny Robinson, Cam-

eron Denton, Spencer Mann and Gage Reamy.

Sequoyah HS Automotive Team

Ranks Nationally in Competition

Creekview HS Rocketry Team

Earns Return Trip to Nationals

Creekview High School’s Aeronautics Team again

advanced to the National finals of the world’s larg-

est rocket contest, earning a slot at the competi-

tion for the fourth consecutive year. The team

qualified to compete in the 14th Annual Team

America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) in May, at

which they faced 99 of the top rocketry teams

from across the country. While the team did not

repeat its national victory effort of 2014,

Creekview HS was the only team from Georgia to

qualify for the prestigious event.

Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Associa-

tion, the National Association of Rocketry and

more than 20 industry partners, TARC is the

world’s largest rocket contest.

This year’s Creekview HS team includes Team

Captain Andrew White, a senior; seniors Nicholas

Dimos, Christian Ingram and Nicholas Garcia and

freshmen Nathan Hall and Noah Tetpon. Both An-

drew White and Nicholas Dimos were members of

the 2014 National Championship Team. The

Creekview HS program began in 2008 under the

direction of Todd Sharrock and Tim Smyrl, both

science faculty members at the school. In 2014, a

Creekview HS team won the national competition

and went on to represent the United States in the

International Rocketry Competition in London,

England, earning the title of World Runner-Up.

“I am so proud of the team this year,” Mr. Sharrock

said. “This year presented some very unique chal-

lenges, and these students once again proved that

they could rise to the occasion.”

TARC is the aerospace and defense industry’s flag-

ship program designed to encourage students to

pursue study and careers in STEM fields. The

competition challenges middle and high school

students to design, build and fly a rocket that

meets specific altitude and flight duration parame-

ters. This year's rules require a rocket carrying

two raw eggs to reach 850 feet before returning

the eggs to Earth, uncracked, all within 44 to 46

seconds.

2016-17 School Year Begins

Monday, Aug. 1

Open House/Walk Throughs

July 27-29

School Offices reopen July 19

See your school’s website for details!

16

CCSD Celebrates 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Pre-K in Schools

Woodstock Middle School

teacher Georgia Heard was

selected for the 2016 Na-

tional Food and Drug Admin-

istration (FDA) Professional

Development Program in

Food Science.

She will join middle and high

school science and family

and consumer science edu-

cators from across the coun-

try this summer at an all-

expenses paid week-long

workshop in Washington, D.C.

Participants learn best practices for teaching topically

relevant lessons in food science to their stu-

dents. The program, sponsored by the FDA and the

National Science Teachers Association, is in its 17th

year. Classes are conducted by a leadership team of

master teachers and representatives of FDA and the

Graduate School USA.

Georgia Heard

Woodstock MS Teacher Selected for

National FDA Food Science Program

Golden Apple honorees are, from left to right, front row: Nancy Walker (Clayton ES),

Todd Sharrock (Creekview HS), Connie Garrison (Hickory Flat ES), Bailey Burks

(Scholarship Recipient from Etowah HS), Julie Youmans (Clark Creek ES STEM

Academy) and Riva Newton (Mill Creek MS); back row: Gamma Eta President Elaine

Daniel, Melissa Riddle (Little River ES), Rebecca Heard (Hasty ES Fine Arts Acade-

my), Karina Bailey (Holly Springs ES STEM Academy), Katrina Haas (Dean Rusk

MS), Rena Ehlers (Boston ES), Janelle Haysman (Freedom MS), Jeff Hester (Liberty

ES) and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower. Not pictured: Karen Mervis

(Carmel ES) and Rebecca Coury (Cherokee HS).

Gamma Eta Chapter Honors 2016 Golden Apple Award Winners The Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta

Kappa Gamma Society Interna-

tional honored 14 Cherokee

County School District teachers

and one graduating high school

senior at its annual Golden Apple

Ceremony.

Honorees are selected by their

peers. Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Brian V. Hightower participat-

ed in the event to recognize

these outstanding teachers.

Additionally, each year Gamma

Eta awards a $1,000 college

scholarship to a graduating,

CCSD female student who plans

to pursue a degree in education,

and this year’s honoree is Bailey

Burks of Etowah High School.

The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutri-

tion Association won the prestigious Georgia Gold

Scroll Award, it was announced in May.

The award was presented to Association President

Ramona Pruitt at the Georgia School Nutrition Asso-

ciation Conference recently held in Savannah.

The award recognizes ongoing excellence in school

food service and commitment to Georgia’s children,

according to the Association.

“There is a great deal of work that goes into this

award,” CCSD School Nutrition Supervisor Susan

Turner said. “I am so proud of our local Association

and the work everyone has accomplished.”

Ms. Pruitt is the School Nutrition Manager at Creek-

land MS.

School Nutrition Association Wins

Gold Scroll Award for Excellence

17

Carmel Elementary School

STEM enrichment specialist

Merry Willis has been se-

lected by the U.S. Depart-

ment of State and the J.

William Fulbright Foreign

Scholarship Board for a Ful-

bright Distinguished

Awards in Teaching grant

to study in New Zealand.

Recipients are selected

based on their academic

and professional achieve-

ment and demonstrated

leadership potential; Ms. Willis is one of only 45 U.S.

citizens named Fulbright Distinguished Awards in

Teaching grant winners for 2016-17. She will visit

Wellington, New Zealand from February to June of

2017 and observe how technology impacts student

learning throughout the country. Ms. Willis will fo-

cus on developing classroom resources, collabora-

tive relationships and cross-cultural professional de-

velopment for teachers in New Zealand and the U.S.

Ms. Willis has received numerous honors in her edu-

cation career, which she began in 2004 at Carmel ES

and where she previously has taught Grades 3–

5. Recent honors include being named a 2015-16

Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert and

2015 Master Trainer, Museum of Aviation National

STEM Academy’s STEM Teacher of the Year for

2015-15, Pitsco National Teacher of the Year for

2013-14, 2011 Emerging International Society for

Technology in Education Leader, 2011 Carmel ES

Teacher of the Year and 2009 National Mickelson

ExxonMobil Teacher's Academy participant.

Ms. Willis, who has Gifted teaching and Teach 21

technology endorsements, earned her Bachelor of

Science in Early Childhood Education degree from

Kennesaw State University and Master’s Degree in

Educational Technology and Educational Specialist

Degree in Technology Management and Administra-

tion from Nova Southeastern University.

Carmel ES Teacher Named

Fulbright Award Winner

Merry Willis

The Sequoyah High Schools Speech and Debate

team finished its season by winning the Georgia Fo-

rensic Coaches Association’s Philip Wertz School of

Excellence Award.

The Award is presented to schools with 1,500 to

2,000 students that qualified the most number of

students in its division for the Varsity Speech and

Debate State Championship Tournament. The Se-

quoyah HS team qualified 18 students for the Tour-

nament held earlier this month in Duluth: Mary Beth

Dicks, Ashley Hendel, Megan Evans, Julianne Clark,

Chris Harkins, Donavan Giardina, Caleb Crayton,

Josh Nieves, Nyla Crayton, Gabby Filkins, Rebecca

Choe, Nieves Ristuccia, Ellie Agler, and Nic Fricia, in

Public Forum and Lincoln Douglass debates; Rebek-

ah Carnes competed in Humorous Interpretation;

Caitlin Franchini in Program of Oral Interpretation;

and Maddie Doerr in Dramatic Interpretation and

Impromptu. Yeseul Heo qualified in Dramatic Inter-

pretation, but was unable to compete.

Finalists at the State competition included Mary

Beth Dicks and Ashley Hendel and Chris Harkins

and Donovan Giardina; Ellie Agler was an finalist in

Lincoln Douglass debate, and Caitlin Franchini

placed eighth in Program of Oral Interpretation.

More than 50 students participated on the team this

year, which is the only one of its kind in the Chero-

kee County School District. The team is ranked in

the top 10 percent nationwide by the National Fo-

rensic League and is coached by teachers Matt Bar-

tula and Katie Maher.

Sequoyah HS Speech and Debate

Team Wins State Excellence Award

18

Sixteen Cherokee County School District stu-

dents earned top honors at the Georgia Educa-

tional Technology Fair.

The School District entered 59 projects into the

State Fair based on students’ outstanding perfor-

mance at the Regional competition coordinated

by River Ridge HS teacher Judi Haggerty. The 16

students who placed at State competed there

against 1,200 other students in a range of cate-

gories such as robotics, animation and project

programming.

First-place winners at State were: Christian

Deneka of E.T. Booth MS, Bryce Jones of Wood-

stock ES, Josh Minter of Etowah HS, Jack Sapere

of E.T. Booth MS and Kathryn Stapleton of

Etowah HS; second-place winners were: Cress

Howard and Ryan Moniz of River Ridge HS, Xavi-

er Owens and Mason Davis of Etowah HS, Alice

Pelton of Indian Knoll ES and Lucy Watkins of

Holly Springs ES STEM Academy; third-place

winners were Isabella Bryant and Sarah Oburu of

E.T. Booth MS, Brittany Gunter of Woodstock

HS, Reagan Pastor of Macedonia ES and Mia Ter-

rado of Carmel ES.

CCSD Students Take First Place

Honors at State Technology Fair Seventeen Cherokee County School District students

placed in the 2015-16 Georgia PTA Reflections fine

arts contest, with three winning first-place awards.

The annual contest gives students in all grades and

abilities the opportunity to create original works of art

in the categories of dance choreog-

raphy, film production, literature,

music composition, photography

and visual arts for the opportunity

to earn recognition at the School,

County, State and National levels.

This year’s theme was “Let Your

Imagination Fly.” More than 1,900

entries were submitted by CCSD

students for the school level of the

competition, and 500 moved on to the county level of

competition.

Winners at the State level are:

Dance Choreography

Second place: Hadley Duplantis, Bascomb ES, Grade 4

Second place: Dakota Smith, Sequoyah HS, Grade 9

Second place: Amber Woodhull, Sequoyah HS, Grade 11

Film/Video Production

First place: Sidney Samuel, Hickory Flat ES, Grade 4

Second place: Jake Krumrey, Woodstock HS, Grade 10

Third place: Emma Gunter, Indian Knoll ES, Grade 1

Music: Composition

Third place: Emma Violet Hagle, Avery ES, Grade 2

Literature

First place: Halley Jurnack, Clark Creek ES STEM Acade-

my, Kindergarten

Second place: Brayden Wallace, Bascomb ES, Grade 4

Third place: Marissa Henager, River Ridge HS, Grade 10

Photography

First place: Joseph Marshall, Cherokee HS, Grade 10

Third place: Kayla Lambert, ET Booth MS, Grade 8

Third place: Emmy Young, Etowah HS, Grade 10

Third place: Logan Miller, Free Home ES, Grade 1

Visual Arts:

Second place: Evelyn Andrews, Avery ES, Grade 3

Innovator Awards 2D/3D (new this year)

Katherine Hunt, Macedonia ES – Visual Arts

Julia Smith, Sequoyah HS – Visual Arts

State Reflections Winners Named in

Annual State PTA Arts Contest

Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy was

featured on the national “Red Nose Day” telethon

May 26 on NBC. The school was selected because

its Red Hawk Pantry, which provides bags of food to

students in need to take home in their backpacks, is

supported by a nonprofit that benefits from the “Red

Nose Day” telethon fundraiser.

The segment shows a visit by entertainer Ludacris to

the food pantry and his interaction with students, an

interview with a mom whose family is helped by the

program, along with comments from Principal Dr.

Jennifer Scrivner. More information about Red

Nose Day is at rednoseday.org

Clark Creek ES Featured on National

Telethon for Red Hawk Pantry Project

19

Johnston Elementary School Principal Amy Graham has been named as a 2016 “Top 10 in 10: Young Professionals to Watch” Award winner. The acco-lade, which honors young professionals for profes-sional achievements, awards and volunteer and community activities, was presented by the Chero-kee County Chamber of Commerce at its June “Good Morning Cherokee” breakfast.

Co-sponsored by Enjoy! Cherokee Magazine, the awards are presented annually to 10 young profes-sionals between the ages of 20 and 40, who are se-lected based on nominations from the community, and a subsequent application from nominees and letters of recommendation.

Principal Graham, who joined CCSD 13 years ago, was appointed to her current role in 2015, after serving as an Assistant Principal at Teasley Middle School and Creekland Middle School and as an in-termediate and middle school teacher. She was one of four finalists statewide for the Georgia 2013 As-sistant Principal of the Year Award presented by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.

“Ms. Graham is not only dedicated to her profession as an educator and administrator, but she also is a team player who accepts new challenges and re-sponsibilities with ease, as she has in her new role as Principal at Johnston ES,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.

She is an Honorary Member of the Cherokee Coun-ty Service League, having completed her 10 years of

volunteer ser-vice; and a mem-ber of Canton First United Methodist Church. Princi-pal Graham was joined at the recognition cere-mony by her husband, Frank, a Mountain Road Elementary School teacher; their two chil-dren and her parents. Amy Graham

Johnston ES Principal Among County’s

2016 ‘Young Professionals to Watch’

The Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame as part

of its recent annual banquet recognized a male and

a female Outstanding High School Senior Athlete

from each of the Cherokee County School Dis-

trict’s high schools.

The students are, from left to right, front row: Ana

Albertson of Etowah HS, Bailee Gilbreath of Cher-

okee HS, Ashton Sutton of Woodstock HS, Saman-

tha Ann Rolka of Creekview HS), Brooke DeSantis

of River Ridge HS, Kelley Hartman of Sequoyah

HS; back row: Bronson Rechsteiner of Etowah HS,

Michael E. Gustafson of Woodstock HS, Ryan

Camp of Creekview HS, Luke Berryhill of River

Ridge HS, Derrion Rakestraw of Sequoyah HS and

Brittain Brown of Cherokee HS.

Sports Hall of Fame Recognizes

Senior Athletes for 2015-16

The Creekview High School FFA Chapter is one of

only four in the State to win a National FFA grant.

The school’s FFA agricultural education program has

been awarded $2,500 as part of the FFA: Food For

All program. The Creekview FFA chapter will fight

hunger by growing fresh fruits and vegetables to do-

nate to the community, as well as raising tilapia that

they will filet and donate to families in need. In addi-

tion to food donations, the FFA members and volun-

teers will conduct four educational seminars for the

community on growing your own food.

Creekview FFA Chapter Wins

National Grant to Fight Hunger

20

dren’s garden project, and Liberty ES was honored

for its “Have a Heart for Seniors” program,

through which students prepared gifts for

seniors in a local nursing and rehabilitation

center.

This is the second Promising Practices honor

for Carmel ES, which also was recognized in

2014. Liberty ES Assistant Principal Dr. Pam Green,

who previously served in the same role at Carmel

ES, led that initiative and the successful effort for

Carmel ES to be named a National School of Charac-

ter.

Liberty ES Principal Doug Knott said he and Dr.

Green now are focused on earning the National

School of Character designation there as well.

“Our students are getting firsthand experience in the

importance of service learning and how they can

positively impact their community,” Principal Knott

said of the Promising Practices award.

Two CCSD schools have won international awards

recognizing their effective strategies to develop

positive character in their students.

Carmel Elementary School and Liberty Ele-

mentary School are among the 326 winners

worldwide of Character.org Promising Practic-

es awards. They are two of only four schools

from Georgia to win the honor bestowed on schools

and youth-serving organizations from across the

United States, as well as from Canada, China, Co-

lombia, and Mexico.

“These great ideas really highlight the creative

efforts of amazing teachers all across America ---

and the world,” Promising Practices Program Direc-

tor Dr. Dave Keller said. “These practices represent

practical, effective ways to develop empathy, en-

hance conflict resolution skills, and inspire good citi-

zenship.”

Carmel ES was recognizing for its community chil-

Two CCSD Elementary Schools Noted for Character Education Programs

Three Etowah High School students are part of a team that earned the 8th Regional District Chair-man's Award at the FIRST Robotics Competition and advanced to International competition.

Etowah High’s Joshua Minter, Noah Minter and Gwenevere Wrye, along with a group of Cobb Coun-ty high school students, make up the team that re-cently won the Chairman’s Award, which is consid-ered the most important and highest-ranking award in FIRST. As a result, they advanced to the Interna-tional Championship Chairman's Award, which was held in St. Louis in May. The team will be presenting at a conference in Washington, D.C. in June, and in Memphis this summer as well.

This success was the culmination of eight years of progressive improvement and work in advancing STEM education and represents tens of thousands of hours of work by students and mentors, according to Ed Barker, Assistant Director of Advanced Compu-ting Services, Research Technology and High Perfor-mance Computing at Kennesaw State University, a team coach and mentor.

Etowah HS Students Advance to

International Robotics Competition

Twenty CCSD teachers and technology instruc-tors recently completed an exclusive Apple Van-guard Program for extended professional learn-ing on iPads led by Apple Foundations Trainer and CCSD Technology Specialist Carol Dicker-son. The 20 members were selected from across all six CCSD Innovation Zones to serve as inter-nal resources to their peers. Members attended 24 hours of class time instruction to receive their Apple Vanguard Certificate and will have an addi-tional 12 hours assisting in the delivery of classes and small group coaching to become Vanguard Coaches.

CCSD Graduates Inaugural Class

from Apple Vanguard Program

21

Accolades is published quarterly by the Cherokee

County School District Office of Public Information,

Communications and Partnerships.

CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Carrie McGowan, Coordinator

Community Relations and Publications

Barbara Jacoby, Director

Public Information, Communications and Partnerships

Dr. Brian V. Hightower, Superintendent of Schools

www.cherokee.k12.ga.us

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Twitter: @CherokeeSchools

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