Good News from the Cherokee Zone

Check out the latest good news from schools in the Cherokee Innovation Zone (Cherokee High, Freedom and Teasley Middle and Clayton, Canton STEM, Hasty Fine Arts, Liberty, Knox, Sixes and R.M. Moore Elementary Schools)…

Cherokee High School
Cherokee High School senior Jessica Simmons has won the inaugural Oak Leaf Church Scholarship of $1,000.
One of the Cherokee County School District’s Major System Priorities is increasing parental and community involvement through public engagement policies and practices that treat parents, businesses, community-based organizations and agencies, local institutions of higher learning and other public entities as true partners in the educational process. 
Accordingly, the recently established Partnership Agreement with Oak Leaf Church specifies that at least one scholarship per year in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to a senior attending Cherokee High School.  As such, applications were solicited via the high school counseling staff, CCSD website and through local media, and were forwarded to the Oak Leaf Church Scholarship Committee for consideration.  This committee, consisting of Oak Leaf Church and CCSD representatives, reviewed and scored the applications and named Jessica the recipient. 
Jessica was recognized by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board at their May 16, 2013 meeting for winning the scholarship.

Cherokee High School students Jessica Simmons and Taylor Wilson have been named 2013 Georgia Scholars by the Georgia Department of Education.
To be selected as a Georgia Scholar, a student must be a graduating high school senior who exhibits excellence in all phases of school life, in community activities, and in the home.  The student must present evidence of having carried an exemplary course load in the four years of high school; performed excellently in all courses; successfully participated in interscholastic events of the school or community; and assumed an active role in extracurricular activities sponsored by the school.
The criteria are extremely strict, such that only 115 seniors in the entire state have qualified for this honor.  Each Georgia Scholar receives a seal for his or her diploma.  The School District’s 2013 Georgia Scholars were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on May 16, 2013. 

Cherokee High student Adaiah Ludy has been selected for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program to study Spanish.
The prestigious residential summer program is open to select gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors from across the state.  Nearly 3,000 students from across the state were interviewed and auditioned over three weekends in January and February, and from those nominees 690 finalists were chosen to participate in the 2013 program.  Since the Georgia Department of Education program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly, there is no charge for students to attend.
Students will arrive on the campus of Valdosta State University on Sunday, June 23, 2013.  For four weeks, students will spend the morning in their major area of nomination, exploring topics not usually found in the regular high school classroom.  During the afternoons, students choose one of the other areas in which to study. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts and performances.
“Governor’s Honors Program is such a competitive program that even being nominated is an accomplishment” Program Director Dale Lyles said, adding that many, if not most, of the Program’s past participants regard it as one of the most life-changing events in their lives.  “I congratulate the students of Cherokee County School District and look forward to meeting them and their parents in June.” 

The Cherokee County School District annually recognizes outstanding high school juniors as Superintendent’s Key Scholars, and 134 students earned his honor for the 2012-13 School Year – a 9-percent increase from last school year.
Each of these outstanding students has scored at the 90th percentile or above on the Grade 11 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. 
Cherokee High School honorees are: Brandon Best, Victoria Caudill, Olivia Cotone, Trevor Coward, Nicholas Fuchs, Cody Grant, John Hultquist, Abigail Lennox, Adaiah Ludy, Erica Lundak, Gabriela Medina, Olivia Nechvatal, Rachel Nipp, Aaron Powell, Alec Riggins, Emmanuel Scott, Nick Seyler, Samuel Smith, Jacob Storey and Rachel Whitman.
During the Eighth Annual Superintendent’s Key Scholar Recognition Ceremony held recently at Sequoyah High School, they received a School District Certificate of Achievement and a letter jacket patch that reads “Superintendent’s Key Scholar.”  Each student also was honored at their school’s year-end awards ceremony as a Superintendent’s Key Scholar. “Our Key Scholars represent the top 10% of all students in the Nation who took the PSAT exam in October, and that’s a major accomplishment for which each of them and their families should be very proud,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said.  “As academic leaders, these outstanding students have the potential to continue distinguishing themselves as high school seniors and in their college pursuits and chosen careers.”
The Key Scholar Program is a District-wide academic recognition plan that begins in elementary schools with students qualifying for the nationally recognized Duke University Talent Identification Program (or TIP). 
The top award in the Key Scholar Program goes to seniors who qualify as National Merit Scholars.  Over the past eight years, these academically outstanding students have led their classes as they marched across the stage at graduation wearing a special gold medallion. 

Cherokee High School students Jordan Helton and Brent Masci recently earned Bronze Awards in the communication contest for Cherokee County deaf and hard-of-hearing students held by the Woodstock Optimist Club.

Cherokee County School District teachers selected as 11Alive Class Act Teachers during this school year, including Cherokee High School teacher Jay Huller, recently were honored by the TV station at a reception and breakfast.

Freedom Middle School
Cherokee County School District schools, staff and volunteers recently were recognized with District 13 PTA Awards.
Outstanding Local Unit – Middle School
1st place – Freedom MS PTSA

Cherokee County School District teachers selected as 11Alive Class Act Teachers during this school year, including four Freedom Middle School teachers, recently were honored by the TV station at a reception and breakfast.

 
Teasley Middle School
Teasley Middle School students placed in the communication contest for Cherokee County deaf and hard-of-hearing students recently held by the Woodstock Optimist Club.
Korie Duc and Kobi Sims both placed at the Gold level, and advance to the District competition on April 20, 2013 in Warner Robbins for a chance at a college scholarship.
James Cather placed at the Silver level; and Bronze level honors were won by Tania Ojeda, Yordy Santana and Nevin Zeigler.

Clayton Elementary School
Clayton Elementary School won an Academic Bowl sponsored by Liberty Elementary School and recently held at Freedom Middle School. 
Students from Clayton, Carmel, Knox, Liberty and Woodstock Elementary Schools competed in the event. 
Clayton Elementary won first; Liberty Elementary won second; and Woodstock Elementary won third.

Children’s book illustrator Michael P. White recently visited Clayton Elementary School.  Students in kindergarten through sixth grade enjoyed interacting with the Georgia illustrator, whose work includes “The Library Dragon” and “The Return of the Library Dragon,” by Carmen Agra Deedy. 

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy
Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy attacked the GCRCT with superhero strength -- the school’s theme for this year’s testing.  The fun kicked off with students and staff dressing as their favorite superhero.. or they could create their own.  The festivities continued with a school-wide parade of characters and an assembly in the gym where testing strategies were reviewed and encouraged. 

Liberty Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School students have raised $618.45 for the Cherokee County Animal Shelter.  The shelter is participating in the 2013 ASPCA Rachel Ray $100K Challenge.  To win the Challenge, the Shelter must save the lives of 300 homeless pets during the months of June, July and August.  Each $23.53 that is received by the shelter aids in the adoption fee of one dog or cat.  Liberty Elementary’s donations saved the lives of 26 pets.  Teachers Stacy Yawn and Julie Robbins will be starting a new Homeless Pet Club at the school in the fall. 

Liberty Elementary School’s administrators and AIM gifted program teachers recently sponsored an Academic Bowl that was held at Freedom Middle School.  Liberty Elementary students were joined in the competition by teams from Clayton, Carmel, Knox and Woodstock Elementary Schools.  Clayton Elementary won first; Liberty Elementary won second; and Woodstock Elementary won third.  Liberty Elementary team members are: Zack Caskey, Tyler Carthron, Abby Franklin, Ryan Hughes, Isabella Murphree, Cassie Olsen, Matthew Scarpetti, Caleb Struchtemeyer, Braden Webb and Crew Whitmer.

Sixes Elementary School
Sixes Elementary School has raised more than $3,725 for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life event.  The school’s most recent fundraiser for the cause was the Second Annual Colors for Cancer Day.  Students and staff were encouraged to dress in Relay for Life attire or wear the color associated with a particular cancer that’s close to their heart.  Additionally, students could get their hair sprayed with temporary paint at a cost of 50 cents per color.  The Cherokee County Relay for Life overnight walkathon begins at 6 p.m. on Friday at Sequoyah High School.  All Cherokee County School District schools are supporting Relay for Life through fundraising, and many School District employees will be walking in the event.  For more information about Cherokee County Relay for Life, see the website at http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=52727&pg=entry

The Sixes Elementary School community participated in the school’s annual MUST Ministries Food Drive from April 29 through May 3.  The school’s Junior Beta Club members assisted with the daily collection from classrooms.  The club also assisted MUST Ministries volunteers who came to the school to pick up of the 10 boxes of donations. 

Cherokee County School District schools, staff and volunteers recently were recognized with District 13 PTA Awards.  The Sixes Elementary School PTA won second place for Outstanding Local Unit – 751 and above.