Cherokee County School District Announcements Woodstock ES Student Wins Youth Entrepreneur AwardFifth-grader Eli Fox received the 2023 Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. The award recognized the outstanding business plan he created and then carried out for the Chamber’s Lemonade Day Cherokee County entrepreneurship program.Through the program, students in grades 3-5 were invited to learn about business by creating their own lemonade stand. For his “Eli’s Hero Lemonade” stand, Eli developed a business plan that included investors and paid employees. He sold several varieties of lemonade as well as frozen lemonade, Arnold Palmers (lemonade with sweet tea) and snacks at his stand. He raised more than $500 through sales at his stand, which he set up at The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstock. Grant Award Funds Rowing Addition for PE ProgramsThe Concept2, Inc. Erg Ed grant, valued at $45,000, was awarded to CCSD by the George Pocock Rowing Foundation through a competitive application process. Only two school districts nationwide were selected for the award, which includes a set of 20 Concept2 rowing machines and adaptive equipment, curriculum, and teacher training.As a result of the grant, all CCSD middle schools and ACE Academy will add a two-week rowing unit to their PE classes this school year. Erg Ed is a classroom-based indoor rowing education program that teaches students rowing fundamentals on Concept2 RowErg machines. The curriculum emphasizes not only rowing but also goal setting and teamwork. This past summer, teachers began participating in Learn to Row training, offered locally by the Allatoona Rowing Association, which is partnering with CCSD on the new initiative.JROTC Instructors Win Top Honors Etowah HS Air Force JROTC program lead instructor Lt. Col. (retired) Stephen Bergey (below) and instructor Technical Sgt. (retired) Ciarra Malto (right) have earned 2023 AFJROTC Outstanding Instructor Awards, which honor top AFJROTC teachers who are considered the “Best of the Blue” for their success in teaching and engaging their cadets in community service.Last school year, Lt. Col. Bergey earned the 2022 Overall AFJROTC Instructor of the Year award out of more than 1,900 AFJROTC instructors worldwide. The program also recently earned an overall unit assessment score of Exceeds Standards, the highest rating available and which ranks it in the top 12% worldwide. Career Pathway Program for Teaching Profession Expanded CCSD has earned a competitive Cultivating Teachers grant from the Georgia Department of Education. It is one of 38 school districts selected statewide, and it earned the highest level of award at $10,000.The funding will help the district with its plan to add a Career Pathway program in Teaching as a Profession at Etowah HS for the 2024-25 school year. CCSD offers 38 Career Pathway programs districtwide to prepare students for a wide variety of vocations including offering industry certifications (more information is available at CherokeeK12.net/career-technical-agriculture-education). The Teaching as a Profession program is offered at Creekview, River Ridge, and Sequoyah High Schools, and the related Early Childhood Education program is offered at Cherokee and Woodstock High Schools. The new program will fill the gap at Etowah HS to ensure its students interested in careers in teaching and education also have a Career Pathway option. Upon successful completion of one of the two teaching Pathways, passage of the End of Pathway exam, and submission of an appropriate portfolio of work, students are awarded three college credit hours by the University System of Georgia and guaranteed an interview with CCSD upon graduating from college and earning professional certification. Sequoyah Student Wins National Video Production ScholarshipJunior Noah Popp earned a $5,000 Student Scoreboard Scholarship from Formetco Sports in recognition of his success using the company’s video LED scoreboard technology to make school football games and other events more engaging. He also was tapped to advise the company this school year as its high school student engagement manager. Popp is a third-year student in Sequoyah’s Career Pathway program for AV, Technology, and Film led by teacher Brad Mann.
New Reinhardt University President Announced Reinhardt’s Board of Trustees recently appointed Mark A. Roberts, Ph.D., as the 21st president of Reinhardt University. Roberts assumed his role on April 7.“The Board of Trustees embodies a strong sense of purpose and is deeply committed to the ideals of private higher education and the mission of Reinhardt University,” said Chairman of Reinhardt’s Board of Trustees Ken White. “We are pleased to announce Dr. Mark A. Roberts as our 21st president, a leader who will uphold the values of Reinhardt and who, with great care, will impact the lives of our students and the entire Reinhardt community. Throughout Dr. Roberts’s distinguished career, and during the past several years as Reinhardt’s provost, executive vice president, and interim president, Dr. Roberts has proven to be a highly respected and effective leader.”Roberts’s tenure at Reinhardt has been one of expanding opportunity and leading growth. Since 2013, he worked collegially with faculty and staff to secure grants in support of academic excellence, including grants from the Goizueta Foundation, National Science Foundation, Department of Justice, and National Endowment for the Humanities. In collaboration with faculty, Roberts strengthened and launched the Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences, the Etowah Valley Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, the Master of Science in Sport Administration and Leadership, and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (CITEL). Through CITEL and its Goizueta Foundation funding, Roberts approved the development of the Lightboard Studio, enabling faculty to record visually appealing video lessons.“My goal for the university in the short-term is to steer the university through the challenges imposed by the global pandemic while remaining true to our higher education mission. I am a big picture thinker. When I think about Reinhardt, I imagine what the institution should look like in 2033, at its seminal 150 years of existence. I have my own ideas of how it should grow into its full potential, but I also need the input of the good people who constitute the fullness of Reinhardt’s essence — its students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends, and board members. I am eager to begin defining and then shaping that vision,” said Dr. Roberts.Dr. Roberts’ inauguration will take place in fall 2021.
Over $145,000 Raised for CCSD High Schools Through Jeep Raffle Cherokee County School District (CCSD) high schools raised more than $145,000 this year selling $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 2021 Jeep Wrangler, donated by Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Canton. After the high schools sold more than 29,000 tickets to hopeful future Jeep owners, Lynn Cole of Ball Ground was the lucky winner!For the past four years, Shottenkirk has donated a Jeep Wrangler to raise money for athletics and fine arts programs. All raffle proceeds go directly to the schools. Of the six CCSD high schools, River Ridge sold the most tickets this year — 6,923, raising more than $34,000 for its programs. In addition to donating a new vehicle for the annual fundraiser raffle, Shottenkirk also provides the CCSD Teacher of the Year with a one-year lease on the vehicle of his/her choice. In all, Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has raised or donated more than $1 million for CCSD schools.
CCSD Names 2021 Partner and Volunteer of the Year The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) recently named the winners of its eighth annual CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Awards.Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower surprised the winners, both from Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy. It was the first time in the history of these awards that both winners were from the same school. Mary Ann Laughlin was named the CCSD 2021 Volunteer of the Year, and Revolution Church was named the CCSD 2021 Partner of the Year.“We deeply appreciate all of our partners and volunteers, especially over the past year, as they’ve worked to find ways to support us and serve even though they could not be in our classrooms or at special events. We’re not just a school district, we’re a community and a family, and we’re better thanks to the service of our volunteers and partners,” Dr. Hightower said. “Revolution Church and Mary are outstanding examples of servant leadership. Knowing the pandemic would affect their usual roles, they were quick to ask how they could change their service to best meet our needs, and then they pivoted and delivered with joy.”
Cherokee Chamber Announces 2021 Teen Leadership Class Seventeen high school sophomores were recently selected as members of Cherokee Chamber’s 20th annual Teen Leadership Cherokee (TLC). The students, all of whom live in Cherokee County, were asked to submit an in-depth application that included their school and community involvement as well as a video answering the question “Why should I be selected for Teen Leadership Cherokee?” Local business leaders reviewed the applications and videos before selecting the class. TLC students are Bethany Akinola, North Cobb Christian; Nandita Bipin, River Ridge; Ryan Britt, Sequoyah; Lilly Carter, Creekview; Eli Cook, Creekview; Miriam Cousin, Woodstock; Madison Hawthorne, Cherokee; Isaac Martin, Creekview; Jay McCord, River Ridge; Summer McCoy, Cherokee; Deesha Panchal, Etowah; Ila Prabhuram, Etowah; Haley Roberson, Cherokee; Andrew Solano, Cherokee; Clay Tucker, Sequoyah; Jack Tucker, Sequoyah; and Milan Yadav, Woodstock. After being named to the class, students attended an orientation with their parents followed by a retreat. Over the course of two months, the students participate in four sessions and complete an individual project that addresses topics such as community involvement, economic and educational responsibility, personal development, and team building. At the conclusion of the program, the class is honored at a graduation ceremony.
CCSD Students Continue To Top National, State Averages on AP Exams For the 11th consecutive year, Cherokee County School District (CCSD) high schools have earned top honors for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs and performance that continues to exceed national and state averages.All CCSD high schools were named Georgia 2021 AP Honor Schools for exceptional student performance and participation on AP exams, which offer students more challenging coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit. Overall, CCSD students who took the exam earned passing scores of three or higher on 72% of the 4,640 tests administered last school year, as compared to 61% for Georgia and 59% nationwide. In looking specifically at the Class of 2020, including those who did not take AP courses or exams, 32% of all CCSD graduates scored at least a three or higher on one exam or more, as compared to 23% for Georgia and 24% nationwide. Assuming each passing AP exam equals one college course, these students save significantly on the cost of college, translating to an overall $4.4 million savings in Georgia in-state college tuition.“Despite the obstacles faced during their final weeks of school last spring, our high school students triumphed on their AP exams. We’re so proud of their success and the dedication of their teachers who rose to the challenges of teaching them remotely last spring,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “Offering our college-bound students a wide variety of AP courses is an important preparation for their future success, and these results affirm the value of our community’s investment.”
Creekland MS Student Successes Creekland MS sixth-grader Abbie Rickert won the Daughters of the American Revolution’s American history essay contest at the Hightower Trail Chapter, Northwest Georgia District level, and at the state level. The annual essay contest is for students in fifth through eighth grades. This year’s essay theme was “The Boston Massacre,” commemorating the 250th anniversary of this event. As the state winner for her grade level, Rickert’s essay has been forwarded to the Daughters of the American Revolution’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., for judging at the national level. “Congratulations to Abbie on this impressive achievement through a truly excellent essay,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “It’s well-researched and well written and shows the reader what it was like to experience the historical event through the eyes of a girl Abbie’s own age. We wish her the best in the national competition!” Creekland MS seventh-grader Abigail Moore won third place at the National Humanities Bee, which was held virtually this year. The academic bowl-style event tests middle and elementary school students’ knowledge in literature, art history and technique, music history and theory, dance, film, religion, mythology, and philosophy.Moore twice qualified for the national competition by finishing first and third in two consecutive tournaments. She is an outstanding student, who excels in all her classes and has expanded her humanities knowledge not only through English and social studies classes, but also through electives in French and art as well as plenty of reading. “We’re so proud of Abigail for her dedication to furthering her knowledge and for earning this national honor. We know this love of learning will serve her well in her future studies and successes,” Hightower said. “While so much of our conversation about education today focuses on STEM, we must continue to strongly value literature, languages, history, and the arts. This knowledge expands our minds, connects us to our past and the world around us today, and enriches our lives.”
Sequoyah HS Band Honored With Regional Invitation The Sequoyah High School Symphony Band has been selected to perform at the University of Alabama High School Honor Band Festival to be held February 4-7, 2021. This is the third regional invitation the band has received in the past five years. The band’s 2020 Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) Large Group Performance Evaluation Concert recording was submitted for consideration and selected from band programs auditioning from across the Southeast. That GMEA performance marked the 30th consecutive Superior Rating earned by the band in the past 10 years. Director of Bands and Orchestra Casey Eubanks has led the Sequoyah High School program for the past 10 years.
CCSD Superintendent Presents Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower recently presented the first of four annual Game Changer Awards, which recognize excellence in instruction. The Game Changer award for Instructional Support was awarded posthumously to the late Dr. Rouel Belleza and was accepted by his wife, Ellie. Dr. Belleza passed away in November after a two-year battle with gastric cancer. He served as CCSD’s first supervisor of student services in the Office of School Operations and, in this role, laid the groundwork for a future Virtual Academy program. He was also the architect of the CCSD’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative. “Rouel recognized early on that, while our primary mission is teaching and learning, effective instruction can’t happen if we neglect the mental health and well-being of our students and staff,” Dr. Hightower said. “His work has saved the lives of at-risk students, and that’s a legacy that will live on for generations.”
CCSD Recognizes 2020 Volunteer of the Year Cherokee County School District (CCSD) recently presented the 7th annual district-wide Volunteer of the Year award to Brian Tomalavage. Tomalavage is an active volunteer at Free Home ES, where he established a Watch DOGS program to encourage more dads, grandfathers, and other male family members to become involved in school activities. Through the program, which he chaired while also serving as president of the School Council, he engaged parents in car-rider duty, campus improvement projects, and manning the book fair and other events. In recognition of this dedication, Free Home HS named him school Volunteer of the Year. The District established this award program to recognize outstanding school volunteers. Through this program, every CCSD school selects a Volunteer of the Year. From that pool, a committee of retired educators and community leaders selects a district-wide person to honor. While the traditional recognition ceremony could not be held this year, plaques are being delivered to all school-level winners, thanks to the continuing sponsorship of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation. Every week, a different school Volunteer of the Year is featured on CCSD social media platforms. “We could never repay our outstanding volunteers for their dedicated service, but these awards are a way to recognize them and thank them. They are making a positive difference in the lives of our students,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower.