Marquis de Lafayette Day Proclaimed by County Commissioners

Pictured (l-r) are Fayette County Commissioners Eric Maxwell, Herb Frady, Lee Hearn, James Waldrop Chapter DAR Vice Regent Linda Robinson, James Waldrop Chapter DAR Commemorative Chairman Susan Sloan, and Robert Horgan.

At the recent Fayette County Board of Commissioners meeting, September 6 was proclaimed Marquis de Lafayette Day in Fayette County.

The French Marquis was one of America's early champions for the fight for independence and liberty.  Offering his services to the Continental Congress in 1777, Lafayette was instrumental in obtaining the entry of France into the war on the side of the Americans.

His devotion to the American causes of freedom and liberty was summed up in his speech to congress in 1825 when he said, "I have stayed faithful to the American Principle of liberty, equality, true social order to which I have been devoted since my youth, and which til my last breath will be a sacred duty to me."

Receiving the proclamation were members of the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.  The James Waldrop Chapter DAR celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Paris and Lafayette's  September 6th birthday each year with a Lafayette Dinner.  The James Waldrop Chapter DAR is chartered in Fayetteville.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Never Too Young or Too Old To Learn About the Constitution

Taking a closer look at a children's book held by City of Fayetteville Library Assistant Charlotte Stargell are Heather and Kirsten Siegerdt.

"Have you read the Constitution lately?" asks the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Week display at the City of Fayetteville Library.

The Constitution of the United States is 223 years old, the oldest surviving of its kind in the world, and defines our government, rights, and responsibilities as citizens.

In 1956, President Eisenhower signed Public Bill 915 which established the nationwide annual observance of Constitution Week as September 17-23.  The aim of this celebration is to encourage our citizens to read the Constitution so we may protect and defend it, and to study the historical events surrounding its signing.

The James Waldrop Chapter DAR of Fayetteville encourages all citizens  to read the Constitution during this time of our nation's celebration. 

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Free Love and Logic Seminar Starts September 14

Both parents and educators often view the disciplining of children to be one of the most challenging issues they face.

This fall, parents and teachers of the Fayette County Public School System are invited to attend a free seven-week Love and Logic® workshop on Tuesdays September 14, 21, 28, and October 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Robert J. Burch Elementary. While the workshop is free, there is a $10 book fee. CARE, Children at Risk in Education, is sponsoring the workshop.

Parents can download a registration form from the FCBOE website, www.fcboe.org. Click on “Instructional and Education Programs” and then the “Student Assistance Services (CARE)” link. The completed form should be returned to the child’s school counselor.

Participants will learn practical solutions to some of the most common challenges facing parents, teachers, and anybody who cares for kids. Easy-to-learn strategies will be presented, for children of any age, that:
• Help them feel great about themselves
• Up the odds of them making wise decisions and resisting peer pressure
• Put an end to arguing, back talk, and power struggles
• Gain cooperation through the use of choices within limits
• Guide children to own and solve their own problems

Love and Logic techniques are based on five principals that include preserving children’s self concept, teaching children to solve problems that they have created, sharing decision-making along with control, providing empathy and warmth along with consequences, and building adult-child relationships.

For parents and educators who cannot make the fall session, another workshop is being planned for the spring.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

CARE Presents Workshops for Parents and Educators

The CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program of the Fayette County Public School System is offering a free four-part workshop series for both parents and educators.

The series is designed to assist adults in addressing the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of students so that they can achieve academically at their highest potential. The workshops are free.

Parents and community members can sign up by calling the CARE office, 770-460-3990, ext. 264. School system employees can register online using PDExpress on the FCBOE intranet site.

The schedule for the 2010-2011 workshop series is listed below. All workshops will be held in the media center (building “A”) of the LaFayette Educational Center, located at 205 LaFayette Avenue in Fayetteville, from 4-6:30 p.m.

(Part I) Parent and Teacher Conferences that Engage and Inspire, September 2, 2010.
(Part II) Motivating Underachievers, November 18, 2010
(Part III) Cyberspace: Bullying, Sexting and Texting, January 13, 2011
(Part IV) Deescalating Aggressive Behavior, March 31, 2011

Call the CARE office for more information about any of the workshops.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Time for 6th Annual GreekFest at St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church, PTC

St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church of Peachtree City invites you to its 6th Annual Building Fundraiser, GreekFest 2010 , on Saturday, Sept. 18th at the Seymour Hangar, Falcon Field Airport in Peachtree City. Live Music, dancing, Greek Dance lessons, and an ‘all you can eat and drink’ menu of Greek delicacies and adult beverages.. Event begins at 6:30pm Contact Costas or Tammy at 770-487-1004 Or 404-625-4663.

GFP Note: This is a FUN time! Great food, great fun, lots to do and loads of things to try (like dancing ;-). Be sure to grab your tickets now.

Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing Cancelled

The Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing scheduled for September 27, 2010 has been cancelled due to the lack of applications.

Source:  www.fayettecountyga.gov/

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

College PROBE Fair at Sandy Creek Set for September 30

The annual Fayette County PROBE College Fair will be held at Sandy Creek High September 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

More than 100 institutions will be present to talk with parents and students about admissions, scholarships, housing and other areas of college life.

Sandy Creek High is located at 360 Jenkins Road in Tyrone. There is no charge to attend.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting school counselor Kelly Floyd at Sandy Creek High, 770-969-2843, or visit www.gaprobe.org.

------
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Another Award-Winning Year for Sandy Creek’s ROTC

Cadets show off their awards from Summer Leadership School. From top left: Cadet Major John Downing (Cadre Leadership Award), Cadet 1st Lieutenant Nereida Duran (Outstanding Flight Cadre), Cadet 1st Lieutenant Aleeia Marcelo (Outstanding Flight Cadre), Cadet Major Dustin Gonzalez (Cadre Leadership Award), Cadet Senior Airman Trevor Mercer (Honor Graduate), and Cadet Senior Airman Jacob Renie (Honor Graduate). From bottom left: Cadet Major Megan Shuford (Outstanding Flight Cadre), Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kaycee Hall (Cadre Leadership Award), and Cadet 1st Lieutenant Katie McKennon (Outstanding Flight Cadre). All cadre award winners also received a national award, eagle trophy, the outstanding cadet ribbon and co-curricular activities ribbon.

The Air Force Junior ROTC program at Sandy Creek High is celebrating the start of a new school year with the addition of several prestigious awards earned by cadets this summer.

Top honors for outstanding efforts in leadership and academics were received by nine of the 23 cadets attending the Summer Leadership School at Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. Sandy Creek walked away with the most awards earned by the 27 schools and 297 cadets attending. The school provides realistic training for leadership, fitness, group interaction, and team building.

The unit also earned the 2009-10 Air Force Junior ROTC Outstanding Organization Award. The award is earned based on cadet developed goals for the school year and through completion of those goals. It recognizes units that have performed above normal expectations and have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force Junior ROTC mission of producing better citizens for America. The unit was one of 207 in the nation to receive the award.

The objectives of the Junior ROTC program are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill responsibility, character, and self-discipline through character education; and to provide instruction in air and space fundamentals. Enrollment is open to all students who are in the ninth grade and higher, physically fit, and are citizens or nationals of the United States.

Air Force Junior ROTC is in 884 high schools across the United States and at selected schools in Europe, the Pacific and Puerto Rico. Junior ROTC enrollment includes more than 110,000 cadets.
For more information about the Air Force Junior ROTC program at Sandy Creek, contact Colonel Pearson or Chief Davidson at 770-969-2840, ext. 278.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Upcoming Chamber Expo Features Plenty of "Competitive" Opportunity!

While we may often think of "competition" as a negative word, when it comes to the upcoming 2010 Fayette Chamber of Commerce's COMMUNITY EXPO, "competition" is all about fun, the future, Fayette youth and yummy food! "There is pretty much something for everyone!" according to Virginia Gibbs, Fayette Chamber president. "This EXPO is by the Fayette community and for the Fayette community."

Junior Entrepreneur 2030 Competition

In conjunction with the 2010 Fayette Chamber’s Community Expo, the Young Professionals of Fayette County are hosting the first annual high school Junior Entrepreneur Competition in Fayette County. Winners of this exciting competition will be awarded prizes worth working for.

Sponsored by The Southern Federal Credit Union, the purpose of this competition is to encourage and recognize students who want to start their own businesses and improve the future of Fayette County. Students will create a business plan for a new business that would thrive in the year 2030. Participants will develop a structured business plan, as well as innovative ideas to launch and support such a business.

"This competition will give Fayette students an outlet to express their entrepreneurial and transformational ideas, organize them into a valid business plan, and help them learn the process involved in creating a successful start-up business," says, Sarah Smith of YP Fayette."

The drama of this competition is that students are required to challenge traditional business fundamentals and develop new ideas appropriate for a different kind of future. Student teams of one to three members will submit plans and also do an oral presentation. Submissions are due to the Chamber by September 1. Resources are available for participating students and further information is available via the Chamber's website.

Future Fayette—2030 Arts &Science Contest

Another exciting future-forward competition being held in conjunction with the Fayette Chamber Community Expo, and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Peachtree City, is a technology, arts and science contest for high schoolers. "Creating a Community Where Technology, Arts, Sciences and Social Innovation Connect" is the theme. High school students are challenged to portray a future-focused "smart community" via a project that is visionary and innovative in transforming Fayette County into a sustainable global, multi-cultural community.

Students may choose from categories such as Transportation, Energy, Water, Food, Technology, Quality of Life or Health. Up to five members may participate on a team. Many forms of media may be used to portray and explain this new type of Fayette community environment. Winning schools will receive $500. Each student on the Future Fayette 2030 Arts & Science overall winning team will receive a netbook computer. Category winners will receive recognition ribbons/certificates. Winning entries will be exhibited at the Community Expo and also at the Rotary Club's Dragon Boat Races and International Festival in September.

Wii Competition for Young and Old

Games2U is sponsoring a Wii competition for youth ages 5-18, seniors age 60 and above, and Fayette Chamber member company employees of any age. Get your game on for sixteen two-member teams that will duke it out in a single elimination competition of twenty minute game segments and a championship round. A grand prize and runner up prizes will be awarded. All competitions will take place at New Hope Baptist Church, North Campus, in Fayetteville during the Community Expo.

Best Booth and Platinum Plate

Traditional Fayette Community Expo competitions include an award for the exhibitor with the “Best Booth” and a “Platinum Plate” award presented by Dolce Atlanta Peachtree Conference Center for the Fayette business that presents the tastiest entries in the three categories of Small Bites, Drinks, and Desserts.

So, let’s see: Whether you’re young, old, smart, a great chef, business savvy, an entrepreneur, futuristic, artistic, techwise, a Wii buff, or most anything else, there’s pretty much every reason to visit the Fayette Chamber website so you won’t miss out on any registration dates for these worthy competitions. Visit www.FayetteChamber.org and click on the EXPO photo tab. And, mark down September 14 from 3pm to 7pm to be sure you don’t miss the Fayette Community Expo. In the spirit of healthy competition, let’s race each other to the calendar!---

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Peachtree City Patriot Day & Freedom Walk Scheduled for September 11

Peachtree City will remember the lives of nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001, a day that is emblazoned in the minds of Americans and peace loving people around the world.

The Patriot Day event will be held at Atlanta Regional Airport, Falcon Field on Saturday, September 11th starting at 9:30 a.m. with the “America Supports You Freedom Walk,” followed at 10 a.m. with a formal program. The public is invited to participate in the walk, which is less than one mile and all on airport grounds. In fair weather the formal program will be held at the Veterans Memorial at Falcon Field. It will be held at the Commemorative Air Force hangar there in the event of inclement weather.

Nine years has not dimmed the horrific memories that the world witnessed on that day, when Islamic extremists used commercial aircraft as weapons of mass destruction in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, killing and injuring thousands.

In order to ensure Remembrance of the lives tragically lost, Patriot Day was declared by Presidential proclamation to be a national day to remember those who died or were injured and their families.

U.S. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407-0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day." President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89). Initially, the day was called the Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001. It was actually on September 4, 2002, that President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed September 11, 2002 as Patriot Day.

The Freedom Walk started as a commemorative effort by employees in the Pentagon to honor those who were killed there. From there it spread and has become a national tradition that calls on people to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, remember those who responded, honor our first responders and veterans past and present, and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country. Hundreds of walks are now staged across the country. This will be the 4th annual walk in Peachtree City.

Peachtree City’s event will feature honors to the flag including the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. A commemorative wreath will also be presented. The guest speaker will be Mr. Bob McCubbins, president of the General Raymond Davis chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association.




-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Fayette is a Top Performer on ACT

Just released 2010 ACT test scores show that Fayette County’s high school seniors are among the most prepared for college-level coursework in the state and nation.

Among the school systems whose scores have been published (Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Marietta City), Fayette posted the highest composite score of 22.6, up from 22.5 last year. In comparison to state and national composite scores, state schools scored 20.7 and schools nationwide scored 21.0. That puts Fayette 1.9 points ahead of the state composite and 1.6 points ahead of the nation.

The ACT consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, mathematics, reading and science designed to measure the skills needed for success in the first year of college coursework.

Most students in Fayette take the SAT, the other college entrance exam. The ACT is the primary college admissions test for schools in some other parts of the country.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Fayette County BOE Proclaims Sept 17-23 as Constitution Week

At the recent Fayette County Board of Education meeting, the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution was presented with a proclamation declaring September 17-23, 2010, as Constitution Week in the Fayette County Schools.  This is the fourth year the Board of Education has presented the proclamation to the DAR. 

The DAR visits several of the county's elementary schools in September to teach the children about the history of the United States Constitution. Constitution Week Vice Chairman Ann Eldredge stated, "The ladies of the DAR practice what we preach.  We love to teach the children about the origins of the Constitution.  Over the last three years, our members have spoken to over 1300 4th and 5th graders in Fayette County.  Each year, we dress in clothing which represents the time frame of the American Revolution and try to bring the Constitution to life.  The children learn about how the Constitution was framed and about some of the men who represented the state of Georgia. The younger children are given bookmarks with the preamble to the Constitution while the older students are given booklets of the Constitution.  We wouldn't be able to provide these booklets without the continuing support of our Georgia Congressmen and Senators."

Betty Harrah, Regent of the James Waldrop Chapter DAR, also presented a certificate of appreciation to the BOE for the ongoing support of the Constitution.

The James Waldrop Chapter DAR is chartered in Fayetteville, GA.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Education Foundation Offers Sub Saver Card

Get 32 free Subway sandwiches (a $150 value) and support Fayette’s public school teachers, all for just $10.

The Fayette County Education Foundation is offering Sub Saver cards featuring 32 free six -inch subs with the purchase of a six-inch sub and medium drink. The cards are good for one year with $5 from each card benefitting the foundation.

The proceeds will help fund teacher-driven classroom projects for which no other monetary resource is available. The foundation has given nearly $180,000 to Fayette’s public classroom teachers during its eight-year history.

The cards are being sold at the Fayette County Board of Education office located at 210 Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville during regular business hours, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Each card is $10.

The Fayette County Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization and is a cooperative effort between the school system and the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the foundation or the Sub Saver cards, contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, public information specialist for Fayette County Schools, 770-460-3535.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Honor Flight Fayette Presents Flag to Sheriff’s Department

 Pictured left to right:  Sergeant Doug Hardy, Investigator Brent Lonkert, Investigator Chad Wallace, Captain Brian Eubanks, Sheriff Wayne Hannah, Honor Flight vice president Mark Buckner and Honor Flight Fayette president Gail Sparrow

On each flight Honor Flight Fayette makes, one or two United States flags make the trip with the veterans to the World War II memorial and back to Fayetteville. After they return, the board makes the sometimes difficult decision as to which group that has helped HFF should receive the flag. The difficulty is due to the fact that so many individuals and groups have helped make these trips possible.

If you took a literal count of each person who has helped Honor Flight Fayette, it would number in the hundreds, maybe even a thousand. That includes each person who donated time, money, ideas and each and every effort – no matter how small or large. Groups like the Patriot Guard, VFW and American Legion posts, schools and others have contributed. Then there have been individuals who donated large and small amounts of money to help, or donated their time and talents. It would take a very long article to list the many ways people in Fayette county have made this huge project so successful.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s department has been there for each and every trip Honor Flight Fayette has made to D.C. Assisted by Fayetteville and Peachtree City police, they escort the buses of World War II veterans to the airport very early in the morning and back to Fayetteville late that same day. The veterans are always in awe of the traffic that is stopped so they can make this trip quickly and safely. Without the Sheriff’s office, this would not be possible. This is one of the reasons they were chosen to receive a flag at a reception held for the veterans and guardians who made the trip in May.

September 15th will mark the 7th and final trip by Honor Flight Fayette to D.C. with a group of about 70 veterans. This will make a total of almost 500 vets that have made this trip since the first one in 2008.

Honor Flight Fayette would like to encourage anyone who can to line the streets with their flags on September 15th and give this last group the send off they deserve. The buses will leave Fayetteville First United Methodist Church at 6:30 a.m. and will travel Hwy 54 west, turn right on Hwy 85 north and then north on Hwy 314 to the airport. And, of course, the Fayette County Sheriff’s office will be there again to help.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Enjoy Free Pizza, Free Oil Change and Other Back-to-School Savings

“Free” is everyone’s favorite price, particularly when it’s time for back-to-school.

Get a free Papa John’s medium, one topping pizza and a free Firestone Complete Auto Care standard oil change, no purchase necessary at either location, when you buy an Enjoy the City coupon book for $10; that’s half off the cover price.

The Fayette County Education Foundation is selling the coupon books at the school system’s board of education office, located at 210 Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville. The proceeds will help fund teacher-driven classroom projects for which no other monetary resource is available. The foundation has given nearly $180,000 to Fayette’s public classroom teachers during its eight-year history.

A very limited quantity is available at this special $10 price. The coupon books feature a number of “buy one, get one free” deals and discounts from local restaurants and businesses such as Johnny’s New York Style Pizza, La Hacienda, Sonic, LaParrilla, and many others. The coupons are good until December 31, 2010.

Families can also enjoy savings on entertainment like “buy one, get one free” Atlanta Braves game tickets and free general admission to Zoo Atlanta with the purchase of a ticket. There are many discounts on services such as car rentals, dry cleaning and hair care.

These are tough financial times for everyone. The foundation wants to help the community save money on food and services while also helping the county’s teachers get what they need to continue offering their students the best educational experiences possible.

The Fayette County Education Foundation is nonprofit organization and is a cooperative effort between the school system and the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the foundation or Enjoy the City coupon books, contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, public information specialist for Fayette County Schools, 770-460-3535.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Fayette Chamber Launches New Logo, Tagline, Website and Kicks Off “Total Resource Campaign” to Connect Fayette Business and Community!

Fayette County Chamber 2010 Chairman of the Board with Vice Chairmen of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Total Resource Campaign.  Pictured (l-r) are Mark Gray, Irene Edwards, Jim Fulton, Pam Young and Joe Domaleski


Virginia Gibbs, president of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, announced August 11 the formal unveiling and launch of the Chamber’s new logoobrand identity, tagline, website, and Total Resource Campaign (TRC)—all designed to forge stronger ties between Fayette County businesses and the community in the months and years ahead.

“Our Board of Directors and staff undertook the important process of updating our logo and brand identity beginning early this year,” said Gibbs at a special luncheon held Wednesday, August 11 at Whitewater Country Club. “With the help and expertise of McRae Communications, we held intensive meetings with a variety of stakeholders, including small and large businesses, community organizations, young professionals, and others, to discern our number one key value as an organization.”

The outcome of that intense process is an attractive new logo and compelling tagline, “Where Business and Community Connect.” This new branding was officially presented during the Total Resource Campaign kickoff luncheon, with the general Chamber membership and the public able to preview the new branding later that day via the Fayette County Chamber’s new website, www.FayetteChamber.org.


“We decided to launch the new brand simultaneously with the kickoff of our TRC membership and sponsorship drive,” said Gibbs, “because both efforts are indeed all about connecting—connecting Fayette County people, businesses, and community through the Fayette Chamber of Commerce.”

The Chamber’s new website enhances these “connections” as a comprehensive site bringing together in one place all the resources available to the Chamber’s key constituents, including Chamber members, all businesses serving Fayette County, all citizens of the community, as well as visitors to our area.

“The website is designed to be a simple, engaging, and easy to navigate portal offering many easy to find tools and resources for all Fayette citizens,” Gibbs explained. “Our goal is to connect business and community in Fayette County in a transparent, effective, and highly-useable way so that all may find great benefit in these exciting and dramatic new additions to the Chamber’s offerings.”

Total Resource Campaign

The Fayette Chamber of Commerce’s first Total Resource Campaign was kicked off at the Whitewater luncheon. This effort will provide leadership and financial resources to equip the Chamber for the future, as it continues its renewed focus to connect business and community.

The TRC is an all-volunteer effort to gain new members, generate program and event sponsorships, offer advertising opportunities in Chamber publications, and raise awareness of the Fayette Chamber throughout the area. Funds received during the August to October campaign will be used to finance both new and existing Chamber programs.

Darrell Cutts, Piedmont Fayette Hospital, will serve as chairman of the Total Resource Campaign. Campaign vice-chairs are Irene Edwards, Bank of North Georgia, Jim Fulton, Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty, Mark Gray, Mark Gray State Farm Insurance, and Pam Young, Southern Conservation Trust.

During the campaign, volunteers will introduce Fayette businesses to the value of membership in the Chamber, and will urge current members to utilize the multiple benefits their membership provides, helping them to grow their business, boost their bottom line and connect with the community.

Fayette Chamber Board Chairman, Joe Domaleski, spoke at an earlier meeting of volunteers, recounting, “The Chamber meant everything to me when I moved here and started into business. Membership was a significant, even essential, key to my success. With the Chamber’s new logo, tagline, website, and Total Resource Campaign, we can ensure that Chamber programs for members and the community are not only sustained, but expanded to encompass all aspects of business development, community improvement, and member services of the high quality for which the Fayette Chamber of Commerce is recognized.”

At the Total Resource Campaign Kickoff Luncheon, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce honored nine Fayette community leaders and visionaries who have dedicated their time and effort tot he Chamber over the years.  Shown (l-r) are Virginia Gibbs, Darrell Cutts, Jack Smith, Carolyn Cary, Ed Travis, Shelby Travis, Hollis Harris, Marion Wells, Jim Webb, Ron Duffey, Joe Domaleski and Joel Cowan

A Continuation of More Than Forty Years of Success

In 2007, the Fayette Chamber celebrated its Fortieth Anniversary. Today, it is around 700 members strong. Chamber members represent a wide spectrum of dynamic businesses, ranging from entrepreneurs and small home-based businesses to large, international corporations.

According to one long time member, Pam Young of the Southern Conservation Trust, “Our Chamber is a strong, vibrant network of businesses and organizations working together to promote economic prosperity and strengthen our community. The new tagline of ‘Where Business and Community Connect’ says it all. Through the Chamber important connections are made that provide the framework for our community to grow and prosper.”

“The Chamber has certainly provided tools and resources to help our business connect and grow,” said Bob Reeves of Accounting Resources after the TRC kickoff luncheon. “Being a member is essential, as it helps Fayette create new jobs, improve economic opportunities, and leverage our member’s talents and resources to make a difference in our home community.”

Focused on the future, business growth, leadership development, entrepreneurship, and community enhancement, the Fayette Chamber of Commerce is now poised, with its new logo, tagline, website, and Total Resource Campaign to bring together leadership from business, government, non-profits, and education to address the needs and issues of Fayette County now and in the near and long-term future.
Anyone interested in further information is welcome to contact the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce.—





-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

National Math and Science Award Finalists Announced

Three of the five educators selected as Georgia finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are Fayette County teachers.

Catherine Douthard at Cleveland Elementary is one of two teachers selected as a math finalist, and Gail Frantz and Nancy Boyle, both of Peeples Elementary, are two of three teachers selected as science finalists.

Fayette has had four teachers win the PAEMST for Georgia since 1990, all of them in K-6 mathematics. If Frantz or Boyle wins in science, they will make history for the county. Both say they are honored to have the opportunity to represent Georgia and Fayette County.

“It is an honor to be selected as a finalist for this award. Developing a love for science in my students has always been my passion, and I am grateful for the acknowledgement I have received. If chosen as the state winner, I would be proud to represent Fayette County Schools and the state of Georgia,” says Frantz.

Like Frantz, Boyle is excited about being chosen as a finalist and added, “I love to incorporate science into all areas of our curriculum. By preparing young children to think, use, and develop basic scientific vocabulary we set the stage for future scientific learning. Being scientifically literate has become more and more critical to our nation’s future work force.”

Douthard is also proud to represent Fayette in the competition and hopes to join the past mathematics recipients when the National Science Foundation announces the 2010 winners in several months. Fayette won its last K-6 mathematics award in 2001.

Each awardee receives a citation signed by the President of the United States, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, and gifts from a broad range of donors. Awardees and their guests are honored during events that take place in Washington, DC. These events include an award ceremony, celebratory receptions, professional development programs, and discussions with policy-makers on how to improve mathematics and science education.

The PAEMST is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1983, this program authorizes the President to bestow up to 108 awards each year. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions: Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; Department of Defense Schools; and the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The teachers are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science.

In addition to honoring individual achievement, the goal of the award program is to exemplify the highest standards of mathematics and science teaching. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Parents Learn How to Plug Into Their Power at Workshop

As students return to the classroom, so do their parents.

Next Thursday, August 19, the Fayette County Public School System’s Exceptional Children’s Services Department will present its first parent workshop of the year, “Parent Power: Plug Into Your Power as a Parent.” The workshop will begin at 6 p.m. at Rivers Elementary, 461 Sandy Creek Road.

Parents of exceptional Children are invited to learn how to get the new school year off to a great start with tips on establishing routines, cutting down on chaos, and organizing their children’s paperwork.

Kathryn Clemens, behavior support teacher for Exceptional Children’s Services, will be the special guest.
Light refreshments will be served along with door prize drawings. The workshop is free, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made through August 18 by calling parent mentor Allison Stevenson, 770-460-3911, ext. 239 (office), 770-668-6314 (cell), or via email at stevenson.allison@mail.fcboe.org.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Fayette’s Students are Head of Class in Math I and II

When it comes to math, Fayette County’s students know how to crunch numbers. So much so, that they outperformed every school district in Georgia, except Forsyth, on the End of Course Test (EOCT) for Math I and Math II.

Approximately 800 students statewide failed the exam in Math I and Math II in May. Those students who passed did so by earning C’s and D’s, but Fayette’s students did better by earning the equivalent of B’s on both tests.

For Math I, 59 percent of Fayette’s students tested at the performance level, 27 percent exceeded it and only 14 percent did not meet performance standards. In Math II, 54 percent met performance standards, 25 percent exceeded and 21 percent failed.

Compared to state percentages, 52 percent met standards in Math I, 13 percent exceeded and 36 percent failed. Math II scores show 43 percent met standards, 9 percent exceeded and 48 percent failed.

The more challenging curriculum is faster paced and introduces the complex math concepts of algebra, geometry and statistics to students sooner than before. In the standards based math classrooms, teachers talk less, spending less time “telling” and more time facilitating student conversations about the current math concept. Students become doers of math with the teacher coaching and assisting them in developing their own understanding.

Math Coordinator Lynn Ridgeway says Fayette’s high EOCT scores is attributed to teacher training that took place one year before implementation of the standards, and total teacher buy-in.

“Instead of looking for ways around this curriculum, we viewed it as an opportunity for us to become better at the teaching and learning of mathematics,” says Greg Mason, the math department chair at McIntosh High.

Everyday, Fayette’s teachers teach, reflect and revise. Math I and Math II teachers meet weekly to discuss content to be taught, appropriate instructional strategies to be used and develop common assessments.

The school system also helps students with mastery of the new standards through electives for Math I and II. These courses allow students to be concurrently enrolled in their Math I or II courses and in the matching math elective. The elective provides a preview of upcoming math vocabulary and skills in their math course and a review of prior skills that a student is still struggling to master.

“Our middle and high school math faculties have put in countless hours of preparation and independent professional learning. They have worked extremely hard to implement this new curriculum. Many of our high school math teachers have remarked that students are coming from our middle schools with a rich math vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the middle school math standards. This prior knowledge has contributed to the successful learning of the Math I and Math II content that is reflected in the EOCT scores,” says Ridgeway.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Teachers Get Ready for the New Year

Teachers at Spring Hill Elementary spent last week getting ready to welcome students back on Monday by participating in The Leader in Me™ elementary program.

The all day training session, based on Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and Edwards Deming’s “Profound Knowledge,” was lead by Muriel Summers, principal of AB Combs Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The school, which enrolls students from more than 58 countries, is recognized as the first leadership elementary school in the nation, and 97 percent of the students are performing at or above their grade levels based on statewide assessments.

The goal of The Leader in Me™ process is to help develop essential life skills and characteristics students need to be successful in the 21st century. Its principles are integrated into the school’s core curriculum and focus on building self-confidence, decreasing discipline referrals, leadership training, improving academic performance, and raising levels of accountability and engagement among both parents and students.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

UGA announces 2010 Charter Scholarship recipients

Editor's Notes:  Super kudos to the following Fayette County graduates who received this honor from UGA!

Laura Eckhardt / Peachtree City / Starr’s Mill High School
Sadie Mason / Peachtree City / McIntosh High School
Elliott Tanner / Peachtree City / Starr’s Mill High School
Matthew Winn / Peachtree City / McIntosh High School

University of Georgia incoming freshmen have been selected to receive the Charter Scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Charter Scholarship, named to reflect the university’s distinction as the nation’s first state-chartered public university, recognizes first-year students with stellar academic records, leadership and community involvement, and a respect for and commitment to intellectual, social and cultural diversity. The Charter Scholarship is funded by the University of Georgia Foundation.

In-state students receive $1,000 per year in addition to the HOPE Scholarship. Out-of-state recipients are given full or partial non-resident tuition differential waivers with their $1,000 annual scholarships.

The average SAT score of this year’s Charter Scholars exceeded 1400 and their average high school GPA exceeded 4.0.Usually the top six to eight percent of incoming freshmen are recognized as Charter Scholars.

The award is renewable for an additional three years if the recipients maintain certain academic standards.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Farm to Table, Event Featuring Local Food and Chefs Benefits Land Conservation

Pam Young with Southern Conservation Trust and Twila Dove of Two Doves Farm at the farm outside Fayetteville.

Southern Conservation Trust is hosting “Farm to Table, A Celebration of Land, Local Farmers and Fresh Food”, on Thursday evening August 26th at the Whitewater Creek Community Clubhouse in Fayetteville.

The Trust is partnering with the farmers of the Fresh South Market, a farmers’ market open Wednesdays and Saturdays in Peachtree City. Local farms, including Two Doves Farm, Minter’s Farm and Country Gardens, will provide natural meat and locally grown produce. Chefs representing Pascal’s Bistro, Georgia Shrimp Company, My Chef Nancy and others will turn the local harvest into mouth-watering dishes.

Buying and enjoying local food, also known as “slow food” is a growing movement across the world that supports local farmers and promotes healthier eating. Trust Executive Director Abby Jordan said, “Local food uses fewer chemicals so our streams are less polluted, uses less energy to transport so our air is cleaner, is more nutritious, and helps keep our community farmland in production. Local agriculture continues the historic farming tradition in the Southern Crescent.”

“Farm to Table will feature stations of locally grown food prepared by our favorite local chefs, Georgia wines and Terrapin Beer brewed in Athens. Business sponsors include Synovus, Bank of North Georgia, Brent Scarbrough Fund, Brown Nelms & Co, Sanderson Law, The Complete Insurance Store, Senior Helpers and Charter Bank. Farms and chefs are donating their goods and time, and proceeds from ticket sales and an auction will support the Trust’s conservation work,” explained Pam Young of the Trust.

Southern Conservation Trust is a Fayette County-based conservation nonprofit that owns, manages and protects 1400 acres of farms, forests and environmentally sensitive land in the Southern Crescent. The Trust hosts environmental programs and enhances its three public preserves in Fayette County with trails, overlooks and re-introduction of native species. As a regional land trust the Trust works with willing landowners to permanently protect open space that benefits the community and can offer tax benefits for the landowner.

Farm to Table takes place Thursday, August 26th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Whitewater Creek Community Clubhouse off Redwine Road in Fayetteville. Ticket price is $75. More information is available at www.sctlandtrust.org or by calling the Trust office 770-486-7774.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Photo:

Fayette County Real Estate Agency Donates Book Bags, Back-to School Supplies

Real estate agents Melissa Wallace, Dot Bosworth, Cheryl M. Green, and Cecilia Taylor, along with CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler, load the book bags on a cart at the LaFayette Educational Center.

Local Keller Williams Realty agents, through the company’s Cares for Kids program, donated 250 book bags filled with school supplies to help students and their parents prepare for back-to-school.

Agents spent the day on August 3 visiting schools around Fayette County delivering book bags filled with paper, pencils, crayons, folders and other supplies that will be distributed to children whose families need assistance with providing classroom materials for the new school year.

About 110 of the book bags were given to the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program that will oversee distribution to children throughout the school system who are in need. Karen Spangler, the program’s coordinator, says this is the first year she can remember where parents started calling before school started to request assistance with supplies.

“Many of these parents didn’t need help last year, but because of the economy they need help now. This donation couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Spangler.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage