Higgins Named Wrestling Manager of the Year Creekview High School senior Lindsay Higgins has been named Manager of the Year by Wrestling USA magazine for her role with the school's wrestling team. In her role with the team, Lindsay kept track of team scores and each wrestler's statistics and organized schedules including tournaments. For her senior project, she also produced a video to train team managers on how to keep score during matches. In addition to serving as team manager, Lindsay also played varsity and club volleyball.
Cherokee High Students Earn Rotary Scholarships The Rotary Club of Canton honored four Cherokee High School (CHS) students with scholarships and awards during the club's recent weekly luncheon. Seniors Erin Missroon and Miguel Tuberquia each were awarded the Canton Rotary Principal Debra Murdock Scholarship a $2,000 scholarship named in honor of CHS Principal Murdock, the 2014 Georgia High School Principal of the Year. Erin plans to study English and psychology at LaGrange College. Miguel, class salutatorian and drum major, will study biology and music at the University of Georgia. "These are two of the most amazing students I've ever known and I've known a lot," Principal Murdock said, noting, "Erin has so much potential" and "Miguel believes better than anyone."
CCSD Educators Win Georgia PTA District 13 Awards Local educators were among those honored by the Georgia PTA for District 13 during its annual awards ceremony, held recently at Sequoyah High School. The organization represents the PTA units and councils of Cherokee, Forsyth, Gordon and Whitfield counties. Cherokee County School District (CCSD) educators receiving awards include: Sequoyah High School Principal Elliott Berman, Lifetime Achievement Award; Gwen Freeman of Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy, Visionary Award; and Scott Barber and Jason Bermudez of Indian Knoll Elementary School, Outstanding Educators Award. The winners also were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at a recent board meeting.
Cherokee High Student Celebrates Milestone Achievement Mateo Andres-Loarca marked a significant achievement for himself and his family when he graduated from Cherokee High School on May 29. Mateo, 19, and the father of two young children, is the first in his family to earn a high school diploma. Mateo worked hard to overcome various challenges in his journey, including working full-time at night to support his family and attending classes during the day with very little sleep in between. He completed the final credits last December, earning a perfect score of 100 on his senior project. Mateo worked with Judy Withey, a graduation coach in the Cherokee County School District who helps many students like Mateo, as he completed the coursework required for a high school diploma. "Having a dedicated graduation coach is a much-needed resource for students like Mateo," said Principal Debra Murdock. "Mateo knew that he had someone he could turn to when he had questions or needed help, and that she was working hard to clear obstacles for him. It was not an easy journey for Mateo, but he never quit. Mateo is very special to us, and we're celebrating this great achievement with him."
Avery Elementary Teacher Selected to Teachers Academy Victoria "Tori" Sinco, a fifth-grade mathematics teacher at Avery Elementary School, has been selected for the 2014 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. She is one of only 150 teachers selected nationwide from more than 1,000 applicants. The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy offers third- through fifth-grade teachers the opportunity to master innovative ways to teach math and science. Teachers are selected based on their experience and enthusiasm. In addition to being selected to the academy, Sinco was one of only seven educators statewide to win a Georgia Innovation in Teaching Competition award this year. She also was named her school's Teacher of the Year in 2008. The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is scheduled for July 20-25 in New Jersey.
Sequoyah High Equestrian Club Advances to Nationals Three members of Sequoyah High School's Equestrian Club competed in the Riders Interscholastic Federation North America (RIFNA) National Championships, held recently at In Your Dreams Farm in Alpharetta. Ashley Bates, Caitlin Miles and Emma Pennell qualified for the RIFNA National Championships after competing in the RIFNA Georgia State Finals. The team's wins at the state finals were in the following categories: Hunter Flat, Hunter Over Fences, Individual Dressage, Team Dressage, Three Person Dressage, Western Horsemanship, and Western Trail. This was the second year for the Sequoyah High School Equestrian Club, sponsored by teachers Merriam Freeman, Emily Helf and Wendy Roberts. Results of the RIFNA National Championships were not available at press time.
Students Launch Talk Show at Hasty Elementary Laney Cline, a third-grader at Hasty Elementary School, launched the school's first student talk show recently after talking with Principal Izell McGruder during lunch. Principal McGruder has lunch with students every day to interact with them on a more personal level and gain insight into their interests, talents and backgrounds. Recently during lunch, Laney shared her ideas about starting a student talk show, "The Mysteries of Life with Laney Cline." Laney is the granddaughter of Marguerite Cline, former mayor of Waleska; former superintendent of Cherokee County School District; and who hosted her own TV talk show for many years. Laney and her friends were given the go-ahead to create the show, which airs after the school's morning news program. The girls created scripts, a theme song, backdrops and sets. The first episode aired April 25, and the topic was, "What Happens in the Teachers' Lounge?" Laney served as host and interviewed her teacher, Mandy Koch. The other girls served as producers, musical arrangers and writers. Principal McGruder said the show is just one example of the creativity he has seen sparked in students since the school was named a Fine Arts Academy at the start of the 2012-13 school year.
Local Seniors Named 2014 Georgia Scholars Kristin Andreassen, Lori Estes and Caitlyn McCord, all seniors of Creekview High School, were selected as 2014 Georgia Scholars by the Georgia Dept. of Education. Only 116 students statewide were selected as Georgia Scholars for 2014. According to the Georgia Dept. of Education, the honor recognizes students who have "exhibited excellence in all phases of school life, in community activities, and in the home; carried exemplary course loads during the four years of high school; performed excellently in all courses; successfully participated in interscholastic events at their schools and in their communities; and assumed active roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their schools." John Barge, school superintendent for the State of Georgia, said, "There is only one thing I can say about our 116 Georgia Scholars, and that is: I am so proud to call each of you a student in the state of Georgia. I know this honor is, for each of you, the result of many years of hard work, perseverance and dedication. Again, all of us at the Department are proud of each one of you and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors." The 2014 Georgia Scholars will receive a special seal for their diplomas.
Creekview High Aeronautics Team Qualifies for International Rocketry Competition A Creekview High School Aeronautics team has qualified to compete at an international aerospace show in London after winning the National Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), held recently at the Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. In addition to the team's cash prize of $10,500, plus $1,000 for the school, the team will travel to London in July as the guests of the Raytheon Company to compete against top student teams from the United Kingdom, France and Japan at the Farnborough Air Show, the biggest aerospace show and exhibition in the world. To win the national competition, the Creekview High team outscored 712 teams made up of more than 5,000 students from across the country. TARC is the world's largest student rocket contest; teams design and build a model rocket that can travel to exactly 825 feet and back within 48-50 seconds while carrying two raw eggs that must return safely to the ground undamaged. Members of Creekview's winning team are student captain Amanda Semler, Austin Bralick, Nick Dimos, Bailey Robertson and Andrew White. Creekview High School's Aeronautics Team program is sponsored by teachers Todd Sharrock and Tim Smyrl. A second Creekview High team, led by student captain Josh Whitley, placed 49th in the national competition. The students and their teachers were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and superintendent at a recent board meeting. Creekview High School Aeronautics Team program members are: Miranda Bourdeau, Ryan Bowman, Austin Bralick, Zach Chester, Nick Dimos, Cody Edwards, Rafael Escamilla, Bryan Garriques, Dakota Gravley, Walter Grogan, Jesse Halverson, Michael Hoffman, Maddie Holman, Chris Hoover, Parker McMahan, Lee Marble, Brady Neilson, Joey Nelson, Nathan Olivares, Dalton Parrott, Bailey Robertson, Christian Schaefer, Amanda Semler, Jacob Sokolove, Jeremiah Stewart, Josh Terry, Liam Vincent, Emma Vosika, David Wang and Josh Whitley. The team is seeking corporate sponsors and donations to cover the cost for the families of the winning students to travel to London with them for the international competition. For information, please contact Todd Sharrock at 770-720-7600 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Does Fast Food Make You Fat? By Anna Sokolove, Creekview High School senior As a young lady growing up in society today, I feel constantly bombarded by advertisers whose commercials showcase a distorted body image, and I constantly feel the pressure to be thin. Unfortunately, the word "healthy" is never used enough in such advertisements. Americans today are unhealthier than ever, and blame is running rampant. As a senior at Creekview High School, I participate in discussions regarding the future and freshman year of college, which is quickly approaching. Included in what major, what school, where to live, is the inevitable discussion of the dreaded "freshman 15." In Healthcare Science, we study disease management and the growing problem of obesity. I realize my schedule in college will be hectic and that meal planning will be secondary to making it to class on time. For most college freshmen, fast food is a quick and easy way to eat on the run. Unfortunately, this choice, along with other factors, often is to blame for the "freshmen 15." During a discussion in class recently, we began to theorize about the "freshmen 15." With today's economy and the limited resources of college students and other Americans, fast food has become a staple in the American diet. Unjustly, the fast food industry has gotten a bad rap and has been vilified by mass media as the root cause of obesity. In discussing the situation, we developed a theory about obesity and lifestyle choices. Americans have become obese because of their lack of understanding that weight loss and weight gain are mostly influenced by their "choices." They also fail to realize that weight loss is a simple matter of calories burned versus calories consumed. Our hypothesis was if an individual makes good choices and the calories out were more than calories in, then the individual would lose weight. Rachel Boulineau, Jessica Mitchell, and I created a study that involved four moderately healthy adults two males and two females to participate in "The Chick-fil-A Challenge." During this challenge, we, "the dieticians," outlined a weekly meal plan for each participant according to his/her weight loss goals. Kevin Williams, owner of two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Canton, and his staff prepared all the meals for our participants, donating approximately $4,500 worth of food throughout the project. Using the Chick-fil-A menu, we developed a meal plan tailored to each participant's individual needs and goals. After a 10-week period, the goal was for each participant to see a 10 percent decrease in his/her overall weight, BMI, and body fat. The following results were after a 10-week period: Name % of Weight Loss % of Body Fat Loss % of BMI Change Jesse Pudio 10.64 16.67 20.30 Larry Peacock 15.63 15.71 28.78 Jennifer Whitfield Jenny Hopkins 8.85 8.50 8.85 8.50 22.84 34.68 After 10 weeks of moderate exercise, eating Chick-fil-A six days a week (with moderation on Sundays), each participant saw a reduction in his/her overall percentages, including weight loss. Of course, such food consumption goes against everything society tells people about the consequences of eating fast food. The results were all accomplished by eating a fast-food diet six days a week. The choices made by the participants made all the difference. Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken, salads, light dressings, low-carb and high-protein choices allowed the participants to control their calorie intake while also feeling satisfied. And, by choosing to participate in some form of moderate exercise on a daily basis, participants ensured that they were achieving more calories out than more calories in. This study in food and exercise choices proved our hypothesis true: If calories out are more than calories in, the type of food even what can be considered fast food is irrelevant; the outcome is weight loss.