Sequoyah High Alum Named Etowah Soccer Coach Emily Dover, a 2008 graduate of Sequoyah High School and former University of North Georgia All-American, has been selected as the coach of Etowah Eagles' Varsity Girls' Soccer. While playing at Sequoyah High School, Dover was a two-time Cherokee County Player of the Year (2007, 2008) and the county's all-time leader in goals in a season (41) and career (92). She also was Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, All-American team and Scholar All-American while playing for the University of North Georgia. After college, Dover played for the Atlanta Silverbacks Women's semi-professional soccer team. Most recently, she was assistant varsity coach at Mill Creek High School. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mill Creek; however, I really wanted to be back working and living in Cherokee County," Dover said. "I am more than excited to have such an amazing opportunity of coaching and teaching at Etowah High School."
Cherokee Christian Seniors Honored at Annual Banquet Cherokee Christian High School honored outstanding students recently at the school's annual Junior/Senior Banquet. Special awards were given to seniors Keegan Murphey, Ruth Award, based on Romans 12:4-8, for the senior who has consistently and lovingly supported peers and the school; Emily Dokken, Paul Award, based on 2 Timothy 4:7, for the senior whose diligence best mirrors that of the apostle; and Jacob Light, Augustine Award, based on Ecclesiastes 12:9-11, for the senior who has demonstrated excellence in scholarship and depth of thought over the years.
WHS Seniors Earn National Merit Scholarships Four students from Woodstock High School Class of 2014 each have been awarded a National Merit Scholarship. Madison Adams won a National Merit Scholarship by Auburn University, where she plans to study economics; Briana Francois won a $2,500 National Merit Achievement Scholarship; Samuel Mixon, valedictorian, earned a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship Corp. scholarship; and Rachel Steppe, salutatorian, earned a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship funded by The UPS Foundation. The four WHS graduates are among only 2,500 students nationwide selected for National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools across the U.S. entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2012 PSAT. Last fall, approximately 16,000 semi-finalists were selected based on earning the highest scores in their state. Scholarship winners then were selected based on a detailed application that shows an outstanding academic record and SAT score; extracurricular activities; awards and leadership positions; essay; and a recommendation from a high school official.
Etowah High Student Wins Travel Award Katherine Morawa, a junior at Etowah High School, has won the 2014 Junior Travel Award for her achievement on the National Spanish Examination and for her excellent skills in the Spanish language. The award is valued at more than $3,000, and is only awarded to 16 students from across the United States from among the 160,000 students who take the exam each year. The award provides eligible students the opportunity to travel and experience the culture of a Spanish-speaking country. It includes round-trip transportation from the student's home airport to Spain, transportation and guided excursions while in Spain, hotel stays and most meals. Katherine will travel to Spain in July with the other 15 winners.
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. Cherokee County School District (CCSD) educators receiving awards include: Sequoyah High School Principal Elliott Berman, Lifetime Achievement Award; River Ridge HS Principal Darrell Herring, High School Principal of the Year; Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy Principal Jennifer Scrivner, Elementary School Principal of the Year; and Jeff Bennett of River Ridge High School, Outstanding Educator Award. The winners also were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at a recent board meeting.
River Ridge High Recognizes New JROTC Unit Commander Cadet Major Kaitlyn Andraschko has been selected as the new unit commander for the River Ridge High School Junior ROTC Program Corps of Cadets. Kaitlyn will serve in the student leadership role and will be responsible for leading and managing more than 100 cadets in the program. Kaitlyn hopes to attend West Point or Norwich University. She will be joined in Corps leadership by Vice Commander Cadet Capt. Javier Alvarenga and Executive Officer Cadet 2nd Lt. Trace Mackay.
Woodstocks Parth Patel Selected for National Conference Parth Patel, a junior at Woodstock High School, is one of only 50 students from the United States and two other countries chosen to attend the Henry Clay Statesmanship Student Congress this summer at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. Students are selected based on: excellent academic performance; participation in relevant coursework and extra-curricular activities; a record of integrity, service and leadership; strong writing skills; and an endorsement from his or her high school. Named for the The Great Compromiser statesman, who served in state and national elected offices and as U.S. Secretary of State (1825-1829), the week-long event promotes public leadership by educating students about Clay and how issues of today could be resolved through compromise, consensus building and conflict resolution. Students also will attend a debate in the Kentucky State Capitol, tour Ashland Estate (Henry Clays Estate), visit Three Chimneys Farm, and enjoy a tour and dinner at the Governors Mansion. All expenses are paid by The Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship.
RRHS Selected to March in London 2016 New Years Parade The River Ridge High School Marching Knights have been invited to perform in the largest New Year's Day parade in the world, in London, on January 1, 2016. The former Lord Mayor of Westminster, Duncan Sandys, and Robert Bone, executive director of London's New Year's Day Parade, visited the school recently to extend the formal invitation to the band members. Lord Mayor Sandys, whose great-grandfather is the famous former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, presented River Ridge High School Principal Darrell Herring with a coat of arms from the City of Westminster, along with a pair of cufflinks. Band Director Gray received a crystal paperweight and cufflinks, and drum majors Mia Cellino and Leanza Baccala received commemorative pins. The school presented the London dignitaries with gift baskets of Georgia products such as peanuts and Coca-Cola, Service League of Cherokee County cookbooks, as well as River Ridge HS items. The London New Year's Day Parade boasts more than 9,000 participants twice the size of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, held annually in New York. More than 640,000 people assembled along the parade route last year, while more than 300 million watched the parade on television. The 2016 parade will mark the parade's 30th anniversary. Students will be fundraising to cover the cost of the trip, which will include an educational tour of London.
Woodstock Senior Wins VFW Speech Competition Woodstock High School senior Madison Tank is the Georgia winner of the 2013-14 Voice of Democracy speech and essay scholarship contest. The annual competition is conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Madison represents VFW Post 5262 in Canton and was recently honored in Macon during the VFW's mid-winter meeting. Approximately 50,000 students in grades 9-12 nationwide entered the contest. Contestants were required to record a three- to five-minute speech about this year's theme, "Why I'm Optimistic about Our Nation's Future." In addition to state honors, Madison is the fourth-place winner in the 2014 National Voice of Democracy Program and recipient of the $7,000 Leroy Moorhead Memorial Scholarship Award, provided by former Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Foreman in memory of his father. She also received more than $1,500 in scholarships for her success at the VFW Post, district and state levels.
Local Elementary Students Win Grants Two local elementary students each won a grant by Northside Hospital as part of the hospitals Partners in Education program that encourages community service. Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy fifth-grader Taylor Boysen won a $300 grant for her project, Bottle Cap Art. For her project, students will create artwork using recycled plastic bottle caps and lids to be displayed on the school grounds. Taylor said the project encourages recycling and allows the schools graduating fifth-graders to leave a legacy of recycling and learning behind for future students to follow. Woodstock Elementary School third-grader Isabelle Izzy LeClair won a $130 service project grant from Northside Hospital to benefit the fight against multiple sclerosis. She worked with teacher Kristen Giemzik and a group of students to make and sell bracelets as a fundraiser for the cause.