Cherokee Countys 2015-16 Teachers of the Year The Cherokee County School District announces the school-level winners of its Teacher of the Year program that recognizes its most outstanding teachers. The county winner is entered as the School Districts nominee for Georgia Teacher of the Year award, which is announced in the spring. The CCSD and school-level winners are honored at the annual CCSD Teacher of the Year Banquet in December, which is sponsored by Northside Hospital-Cherokee and Credit Union of Georgia. Congratulations to the 2015-16 Teachers of the Year! ACE Academy: Mark CorsonAvery ES: Trayce WilliamsBall Ground ES STEM Academy: Cortnie FreemanCCSD Preschool Centers: Lori RichCanton ES STEM Academy: Pam DavisCherokee HS: Robin RoperClayton ES: Sandy McPhersonCreekland MS: Denise ShawCreekview HS: Stephanie NorrisDean Rusk MS: Stacy W. KennedyFree Home ES: Cindy SatterfieldFreedom MS: Rollins CaglioniHasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Sarah WeissHickory Flat ES: Amanda CollinsHolly Springs ES STEM Academy: Kimberly ForresterIndian Knoll ES: Mollie GuyKnox ES: Sandra MooreLiberty ES: Brandy ThierryMacedonia ES: Laura LathemR.M. Moore ES: Allison EvansSequoyah HS: Christy FlynnSixes ES: Tracy CavallaroTeasley MS: Jeremy Law
2 Cherokee County Schools Win Bell Award The distinguished Georgia School Bell Award is presented to 10 schools in Georgia each year in recognition of outstanding curriculum and organizational leadership initiatives. This year, the Cherokee County School District can claim two of the honors! Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy, led by Principal Dr. Dianne Steinbeck, and Woodstock Elementary School, led by Principal Kim Montalbano, both have won the 2015 School Bell Award, presented by the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals. Holly Springs STEM Academy was selected for this honor based on its outstanding initiative, Microsoft Innovative Educators Certification, and Woodstock ES was honored for its successful Camp Learnalotta program.
4 CCSD Schools Named STEM Education Award Finalists The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) today announced that Canton Elementary School STEM Academy, Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy, Teasley Middle School and Creekview High School have been named as finalists for the 2015 Georgia STEM Education Awards. The Georgia STEM Education Awards recognize schools, programs, and companies for outstanding efforts and achievements in supporting and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education in Georgia. The four finalist schools from CCSD all have received recent attention for special STEM-related initiatives and successes including, but not limited to: Canton ES STEM Academy is home to CCSDs first aquaponics lab, an innovative project funded through grants from educational organizations and community partners, including the Rotary Club of Canton. Clark Creek ES STEM Academy is CCSDs first school to undergo the rigorous review to earn the prestigious State STEM Certification, with the official certification visit scheduled for Sept. 16. Teasley Middle School is home to several of CCSDs pilot technology programs including the one-to-one laptop initiative, mediascape centers and the Virtual Vortex 3-D STEM lab. Creekview High School is home to the 2014 Team America Rocketry Challenge National championship-winning and internationally competitive aeronautics program.
Captain Planet to the Rescue! Students at Cherokee Charter Academy kept the schools Learning Garden in tip-top shape, thanks to help from an environmental superhero. CCA students, with help from a Captain Planet emissary, Cherokee Master Gardeners and the schools new teachers, enjoyed a garden scavenger hunt and a cooking demonstration using fresh produce plucked from CCAs Learning Garden. A Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden grant provided Cherokee Charter with hands-on training, lesson kits, a fully-equipped garden cooking cart and summer garden management support. Captain Planets message: Gardens can provide a context for multidisciplinary learning, ranging from nutrition and science, to social studies, math and language arts!
Ten CCSD Students Receive Cindy Richards Woody Awards Ten Cherokee County School District students have been recognized with Cindy Richards Woody Awards. The annual awards are presented by the Canton Kroger supermarket and the family of the late Ms. Woody, who lived with Cystic Fibrosis until her death at age 24 in 1995, after fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. She was known for her strong will and love of life and graduated sixth in her class at Cherokee HS. She also earned an academic and softball scholarship to college, graduated from Shorter College with top honors and began working as a teacher at Sixes ES in 1993. One student is selected from each participating school to receive the honor, and of all the honorees, one overall winner is selected. Students in Grades 3 to 6 are eligible for the award; nominations are made by teachers. This years overall winner is Greer Unterreiner of Sixes ES. The school winners are: Avery ES: Ella Walker Canton ES STEM Academy: Madison Bonitatibus Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Riley Crawford Hickory Flat ES: Hannah Rivers Holly Springs ES STEM Academy: Katherine Vansword Indian Knoll ES: Megan Kirby Knox ES: Stella Belfield Liberty ES: Emily Beasley Macedonia ES: Addison Spell Sixes ES: Greer Unterreiner We select students who we feel best fit the life that Cindy portrayed. These nominees are expected to excel in academics, sports, morals and citizenship, said Kathryn Laird of the Canton Kroger. All of the honorees receive an engraved plaque; the county winner also receives a gift basket, and a trophy is displayed at his or her school for a year.
Wendy Cope is CCSDs 2015 Media Specialist of the Year Cherokee County School Districts 2015 Media Specialist of the Year has been named the regional winner! Woodstock Middle School Media Specialist, Wendy Cope, in March was surprised with the CCSD award the first time the honor was presented by the District. She was notified this week by the Georgia Library Media Association that she is the regional winner for North Central Georgia and now will be considered for the statewide Georgia Media Specialist of the Year award to be announced in October. Ms. Cope and other regional winners will be recognized at an award luncheon this fall at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Ms. Cope earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Master of Education degree, both from the University of Georgia, and a specialist degree in Library Media and Information Technology from University of West Georgia. She previously served as a classroom teacher at Woodstock Middle School and River Ridge High School.
Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Cherokee Students Cherokee High School and a local businesses have partnered for a statewide initiative to increase work-based learning opportunities for students. Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education and the Governors Office of Workforce Development, the Teachers in Industry projects goal is to give teachers on-site experience with employers where their students might be placed for work-based learning experiences. All Cherokee County School District high schools offer work-based learning opportunities for students, who earn elective credit for employment in jobs relevant to their plans for post-secondary study and future careers. Students are also given schedule flexibility to exit school early in order to do this work. Teacher, Susanne McCardle, the Career Pathway Facilitator at Cherokee High School, recently partnered with D & D Manufacturing Co., Inc. in Canton as part of the program. During her 20-hour, onsite work experience, Ms. McCardle assisted in the office, met with company officers, explored the welding shop and learned about the companys history. D & D Manufacturing Co., Inc. is a locally owned and operated metal fabrication shop, established in 1963, that provides experienced service in fabrication, laser cutting, welding and machining. Ms. McCardle said this inside look into the industry will be helpful to her when advising students about Career Pathway and work-based learning opportunities. While there, she also observed a work-based learning student from Cherokee High School, senior Rolando Raymundo, who recently was hired to work part-time, processing purchase requests. Rolando, she said, is learning to estimate costs and provide formal quotes to customers. She also saw two, recent Cherokee High School graduates at work for the company as welders. The companys support of Cherokee High School, Ms. McCardle noted, also includes participating in its new, annual job fair and offering students work-based learning and post-graduation employment opportunities.
Students Become Teachers for a Day Clark Creek STEM Academy Student Council students had the opportunity to become Teachers for a Day. They traveled to Little River Pre-School to teach a lesson on 2D and 3D shapes. Clark Creek students created their plans following the Engineering Design Loop to work with the very special 4-5 year old students of Little River. The lesson included learning about and building 2D and 3D shapes. Students at Little River Preschool worked extremely hard and listened very attentively.
American Legion Recognizes Students Knox ES students Noah Matos and Julia Williams were honored by the American Legion for showing courage, honor, leadership, patriotism, scholarship, and service in their school and community. The ceremony recognized these outstanding young people in front of their families, teachers, veterans, and community members.
Rewriting Fable Using Equations & Graphs Creekland Middle School students were challenged by their teacher, Ron Schwarzman, to rewrite and solve the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare using systems to come to a new conclusion. Students solved the problem using equations and graphs and then used their creative abilities to entertain their classmates with their stories, which combined their writing skills with their math skills.