FSA Middle School Science Olympiad Team Makes School History at State Championship The Fulton Science Academy Science Olympiad Team recently won its first state championship in school history, beating perennial rival Dodgen Middle School by a commanding 53 points as well as 29 other teams from across Georgia. Head coaches Gloria Stathos and Pam Walsh are ecstatic about the teams success. This was my 15th State Tournament with FSA, and this is truly a dream come true, said Stathos. This will be the schools ninth trip to Nationals, but their first as State Champions.The team concentrated on improving weaker events while still trying to advance their strongest events. This victory was truly a team effort, remarked Walsh. Every student won at least one medal in their events.The team will travel to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY for the National Tournament on May 30-June 1.
North Fulton Community Charities Welcomes New Director of Assistance Services North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) recently welcomed Carol Swan as the director of assistance services. In her new role, Swan will lead a team focused on providing emergency assistance to individuals and families in need in north Fulton. Prior to joining NFCC, Swan spent seven years as the program director at HomeStretch. While at HomeStretch, Swan was responsible for full implementation of the programs including recruiting and training mentors, life skills education, and reporting performance outcomes. HomeStretch guides working homeless families toward increased self-reliance and stability through housing and programs that equip working families to regain and sustain permanent housing. HomeStretch, like NFCC, is part of the North Fulton Housing Continuum of Care. Swan serves on the North Fulton Poverty Task Force and is a graduate and mentor for Leadership North Fulton through the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. I am thrilled to serve NFCC in this role, said Swan. Its such a fantastic opportunity to be part of a great agency that has such an impact on the community. The staff and volunteers have been so welcoming. I am proud to be part of this dedicated team.
Roswell Announces Grand Opening of Gardens at Mimosa Hall The City of Roswell and the Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens recently celebrated the opening of the grounds at Mimosa Hall (127 Bulloch Avenue, Roswell) with a ribbon cutting as part of the 5th Annual Roswell Azalea Festival.The 9-acre property surrounds Mimosa Hall, a Greek Revival mansion built in 1841 for John Dunwody, one of the founders of Roswell. In 1918, renowned Atlanta architect J. Neel Reid (1885-1926) bought the home and made substantial changes to the landscape. He transformed five of the acres into formal gardens. Of the 15 garden rooms Reid created on the property, 13 survive today. The City of Roswell purchased Mimosa Hall & Gardens in 2017. The Department of Recreation, Parks, Historic, and Cultural Affairs, which oversees the property, worked to renovate the gardens for the public opening. The City of Roswell earmarked $150,000 from the 2019 budget for work on the grounds. This project has involved pruning boxwood, removing hazardous trees, levelling uneven spaces on the lawn, and installing handrails on stone steps around the property. Our team has done an amazing job on this property, explains Katie Troline, community and facility services manager with the City of Roswell. With the boxwood pruned, the grounds are looking gorgeous, and for the first time in years, people can get a clear view of the house from Bulloch Avenue. The City is supported by the Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that formed in 2017 to help with the interpretation, restoration, and maintenance of the property. Last year, the Friends group received a grant from the Garden Club of Georgia to restore Reids Reflecting Pool Garden. The Friends group will also be installing a solar roof on Mimosa Hall. The new roof will provide 100 percent of Mimosa Halls energy needs, saving the City of Roswell about $5000 annually in energy bills and removing 61 tons of greenhouse gas from the atmosphere every year. Future projects include the restoration of Mimosa Hall. For more information regarding Mimosa Hall, please contact Katie Troline at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Roswells Annual Drinking Water Festival Returns The City of Roswells Water Utility Division will give citizens an opportunity to explore the process for safe drinking water at its annual Drinking Water Festival on Saturday, May 4. This free event will be held at the Roswell Water Treatment Plant at 100 Dobbs Drive from 10:00am-1:00pm. The Citys Drinking Water Festival is a great time to focus on learning more about how we maintain a safe and sustainable supply of drinking water to protect our communities health and vitality, said Vicki Culbreth, environmental education coordinator and Keep Roswell Beautiful executive director. The event will give guests the opportunity to tour the water plant and learn more about the source of drinking water and how it is treated. Participants can also enjoy a free cookout, childrens activities and giveaways, learn about water conservation, and sign up for the AquaHawk water monitoring system. This event kicks off the National Safe Drinking Water Week, May 5-11, 2019. For more information, contact Vicki Culbreth at 770-641-3742 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Sunshine on a Ranney Day Gives Local Disabled Teen a Dream Bedroom Makeover Sunshine on a Ranney Day (SOARD), with support from the Roswell community, recently unveiled its 95th makeover project for 13-year-old Gabrielle. About 100 friends and family attended the reveal of her new dream bedroom and bathroom makeover.Gabrielle was diagnosed with Schizencephaly, which makes her unable to walk. Her parents are in their 60s and have been carrying her up and down the stairs and lifting her into the tub for her baths. SOARD, with help from sponsors and donors, renovated her bathroom to be wheelchair accessible and gave her a dream bedroom and lounge area, allowing Gabrielle to move around independently.SOARD partnered with local Roswell businesses and donors for Gabrielles makeover. Roswell residents Jimmy and Helen Carlos donated additional uncovered costs. SOARD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Atlanta. Their vision is to renovate homes for children with special needs at no cost to families. For more information or to donate, visit SunshineOnARanneyDay.com.
iCan Bike Seeks Volunteers for 2019 Camp The iCan Bike program camp teaches children and adults with disabilities how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle without the need for adaptive devices. In other words, they can learn to ride a bicycle just like anyone else. Alpharetta Police Departments Bike Patrol Unit has been involved with the iCan Bike program for the past eight years and has had the pleasure of hosting it for the past four years. The camp fills up every year (with a maximum of 40 children) and usually has a waiting list around the same size. Participants often travel from many states away to get the chance to learn to ride. Riding is not guaranteed, but the camps success rate has historically been around 95 percent. For this program to be a success, it takes a small army of volunteers usually numbering the hundreds. The camp, which takes place July 22-26, is broken into five time slots or sessions on each of the five days. The session times are 8:30-9:45am, 10:05-11:20am, 11:40am-12:55pm, 2:00-3:15pm, and 3:35-4:50pm.Riders and volunteers sign up for the time slot (or multiple slots if you are a volunteer) and only attend those sessions, Monday through Friday. First-time volunteers need to attend a brief training session on July 21 at Alpharetta City Hall at 4:00pm. Volunteers main responsibility is spotting the cyclers as they learn to ride. It is easy and very rewarding to be a part of teaching a child to do something that they never thought was possible.Please visit Facebook.com/ICanBikeAlpharetta to see videos and photos of past camps.
Roswells Music on the Hill Free Outdoor Concert Series Returns in May Spread out a blanket, lift your glass, uncork a bottle, and unwind from the week while listening to Music on the Hill. Music on the Hill is a free outdoor concert series that debuted last September and is back for a full second season, with bands scheduled the second Friday of the month, May through October, 7:00-9:00pm, on the City Hall lawn, 38 Hill Street, Roswell. 2019 Artist ScheduleMay 10 Toni Byrd and Her Big BandJune 14 The Douglas Cameron OrchestraJuly 12 Joe Gransden & His Big BandAugust 9 Jeff Pike & A1ASeptember 13 Karla HarrisOctober 11 Bumpin the MangoHosted by the City of Roswell, with musical production provided by Atlanta Plays it Forward, Music on the Hill invites concertgoers to a enjoy a casual BYO environment where they can dine alfresco under the trees on City Hall grounds. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase on-site. Free parking is at City Hall, and free trolley service is provided by Roswell Trolley. Trolley routes and maps are available at RoswellTrolley.com. Music on the Hill offers unique opportunities for sponsors to showcase their services and commitment to providing engaging cultural and artistic experiences within Roswells historic district. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. For additional information about Music on the Hill, contact Christine Ward, special events manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 770-594-6271.
Eco Canopy Walk Now Open at Chattahoochee Nature Center The Chattahoochee Nature Centers Eco Canopy Walk is now open. A great addition to their 127 acres, the Eco Canopy Walk offers zipline obstacle courses for all ages, perfect for birthday parties, corporate team building exercises, or fun family outings. Participants can expect to learn about the different species of plants, animals, and insects that live in the surrounding nature of the course. You can even zipline over the lake, which is the only opportunity to zipline over water in metro Atlanta.Open Monday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm and Sunday 12:00-5:00pmThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 770-992-2055 x2809135 Willeo Road, Roswell
Roswell High School Junior Earns Perfect ACT Score Roswell High School junior Robbie Vrolijk scored 36 on his ACT, which is a perfect composite score. He took the ACT once on December 8, 2018, though he previously took the PSAT and SAT several times each. A score of 36 on the ACT is rare and highly impressive, explained Vrolijks school counselor, Jennifer Miner. It is a testament to Robbies hard work and dedication to his studies. He should be honored for this achievement, and I am thrilled for him! According to the ACT, Only around two-tenths of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2018, only 2,760 out of more than 2 million graduates who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36. We are so very proud of Robbie and his achievement, said RHS Principal Dr. Robert Shaw. He has worked hard and taken advantage of the opportunities available to him. While a great ACT score is only one part of gaining admittance and being successful in college, there is no doubt this will open doors for him. Vrolijk is the son of Allison and Coen Vrolijk of Roswell. He has twin freshman brothers, Alex and Steven, who also attend Roswell High School. He is the vice president of the Mathematics National Honor Society and is a member of the Competitive Math Team and the National Honor Society. He plays alto saxophone in the marching band. Vrolijk plans to study biochemistry or biochemical engineering in college.
Summer Jobs Available at City of Roswell The City of Roswell is now accepting applications for more than 200 summer positions. A summer job with the City of Roswell is not only the perfect way to obtain meaningful work experience and build your resume, but also a great way to make new friends and give back to your community. These summer jobs may even inspire a career path in Recreation and Parks as has been the case with many of the Citys full-time employees who started out as summer workers as teenagers.A wide variety of positions are available, including camp counselors, lifeguards and aquatics coaches, sprayground attendants, and athletics and arts instructors. Positions are open to applicants ages 16+, including high school students, college students, teachers, and retirees. To see a full list of current summer openings, visit RoswellGov.com/summerjobs.For more information, contact Laura Woodliff in the Citys Recreation, Parks, Historic, and Cultural Affairs Department at 770-641-3705 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..