Fayette’s STARS Are Announced

The Fayette County Public School System congratulates the following high school seniors and their selected teachers for being named to the 2011 STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program.

Fayette County High, Mary Grace Ernst (student), Jan Daniel (teacher); McIntosh High, Brahma Natarajan (student and regional winner), Mary Wilde (retired J.C. Booth Middle science teacher); Sandy Creek High, Poonim Daya (student), Monica Dorner (teacher); Starr’s Mill High, Justin Buchanan (student), Dr. Stephen Clark (teacher); and Whitewater High, Kaitlyn Chapman (student), Cathy Nix (teacher).

The STAR program honors Georgia's outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. During the past 53 years, the STAR Program has honored more than 22,000 high school seniors.

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, Inc. was selected in 1994 by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to coordinate the state STAR program in association with the Chamber and the Georgia Department of Education.

All STAR students and their teachers will be honored at the PAGE STAR Banquet on April 18 in Atlanta.

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National Winners Get Thousands

Whitewater High DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) students and their advisor, Krystin Glover, will collect nearly $4,000 in award money at the DECA International Career Development Conference in April.

DECA is an organization that prepares students for careers in marketing, management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Thousands of entries poured in from across the country in pursuit of one of the national awards. The school’s award recipients will be recognized on stage in Orlando, Florida for the following achievements: Five-Star Business Award, Whitewater High School Store, $1,000; Otis Spunkmeyer Student Award, Mikayla Stewart, $1,000; Publix Supermarkets Student Award, Erin Mahlbacher, $1,000; and Otis Spunkmeyer Advisor Award, Krystin Glover, $800.

The DECA International Career Development Conference is the highlight of the DECA year. Fourteen thousand high school students, advisors, businesspersons and alumni gather for several days of DECA excitement. In addition to competitive events, many students and advisors participate in a variety of leadership and career advancing academies.

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Fayette Students Nominated for Governor’s Honors

A total of 54 students from Fayette’s five high schools were selected for statewide interviews for the 2011 Governor’s Honors Program.

Results of the interviews will determine the finalists who will participate in the four-week program this summer on the campus of Valdosta State University. Students interviewed in the following disciplines: communicative arts, mathematics, biology, physics, social studies, Spanish, French, German, dance, theatre, visual arts, music/voice, music/brass, music/strings, music/woodwinds, executive management, and technology.

The Governor’s Honors Program provides intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year. Activities give participants opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners.

The selection process is lengthy and begins in the fall when teachers from each high school nominate students for outstanding performance in particular areas of study. The nominated students advance to county-level interviews where those for state consideration are selected.

Statewide interviews are now complete; students who are chosen to participate in the program will be announced on March 25.

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Fayette Dominates Regional Math Competition

With nine placements up for grabs, Fayette’s math students seized six of them in the 2011 High School Math Contest sponsored by Griffin RESA.

Sandy Creek, Fayette County, McIntosh, Starr’s Mill and Whitewater high schools all secured wins in the regional competition that featured over 14 schools from Butts, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties.

Sandy Creek and Fayette County High took second and third place, respectively, in Division I (smaller schools); McIntosh High took first place in Division II (larger schools); Starr’s Mill and Whitewater High tied for second.

Overall individual winners from the competition were Yuta Inaba of McIntosh High who took first place, and Ji-Shoo Shin, also of McIntosh, who placed third.

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Students Headed to Literacy Days Festival

From Poetry recitation, writing, and dramatic performance, Fayette’s middle school students will show off their talents during Griffin RESA’s Literacy Days Festival on February 3.

A total of 16 students took first place in their grade levels at the Fayette County Recitation Festival last week, earning a spot in the district competition that will showcase students from school systems in Butts, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties.

Contestants in the poetry recitation are Aubrey Bennett, sixth grade, Rising Starr Middle; Simone Jones, seventh grade, Fayette Middle; and Ellie Klarl, eighth grade, Flat Rock Middle.

Ready Writers representing Fayette are all from Rising Starr Middle. The students are Ethan Roland, sixth grade; Elizabeth Jowers, seventh grade; and Emma Wernecke, eighth grade.

The drama team from Fayette Middle will compete in the drama portion of the event. Students on the team are Dominque Boudreaux, Montavia Caudle, Haley Kakis, Saleena Davani, Sumvia Evans, Anna Franklin, Kezia Houston, TaNia Nash, Ashley Orta, and Cecilla Robinson. They will present “A True Princess,” an original piece written by the team.

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Georgia Recognizes 13 Fayette Schools for High Academic Performance

Nearly 50 percent of Fayette’s public schools have been recognized by the state for promoting excellence in student achievement.

Out of the county’s 28 schools, nine elementary, one middle and three high schools received award designations of platinum, gold, silver or bronze based on their performance on state curriculum exams and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status.

The state awards were given in two categories: greatest gain, for schools that showed the greatest improvement in scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) or the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT), and highest performance, for schools that demonstrated the highest achievement on the CRCT or GHSGT.

All awards received by Fayette County Public Schools were in the highest performance category. These awards make up three percent of the 345 awards given statewide, and are part of the release of the state’s annual K-12 Public Schools Report Card.

Platinum award: Peachtree City Elementary, Peeples Elementary, and Starr’s Mill High. These schools made AYP for three consecutive years with a minimum of 35 percent of students exceeding standards, and 98 percent or more meeting and exceeding standards.

Gold award: Braelinn Elementary, Crabapple Lane Elementary, Kedron Elementary, McIntosh High, and Tyrone Elementary. These schools made AYP for two consecutive years with a minimum of 30 percent of students exceeding standards, and 97 percent or more meeting and exceeding standards.

Silver award: Huddleston Elementary. This school made AYP for two consecutive years with a minimum of 25 of students exceeding standards, and 96 percent or more meeting and exceeding standards.

Bronze award winners: Cleveland Elementary, Rising Starr Middle, Spring Hill Elementary, and Whitewater High. These schools made AYP with a minimum of 20 percent of students exceeding standards, and 95 percent or more meeting and exceeding standards.

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Fayette County Students Graduation Test Results Remain High

Fayette County high school students continue to post high pass rates on the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT), even on the social studies section that was aligned to the new Georgia Performance Standards this year.

In fact, more students scored in the “advanced proficiency” category in the English and science portions, up 2 points to 49 percent and up 1 point to 46 percent, respectively, over 2009. The social studies pass rate dropped 5 points from last year to 89 percent, reflecting the change from the old curriculum to the new, but school officials expect the score to rise next year after teachers and students have had more time to adapt.

The county continues to show much higher pass rates than the state in all subjects: English Language Arts, 95 percent (Fayette) and 87 percent (state); mathematics, 96 percent (Fayette) and 89 percent (state); science, 95 percent (Fayette) and 87 percent (state); social studies, 89 percent (Fayette) and 75 percent (state).

The Hispanic subgroup showed an increase in the percentage of students performing above basic proficiency in nearly all subjects. In English/language arts, those performing at the advanced level increased 10 percent and performance at the honors level increased six percent. In mathematics, advanced proficiency increased three percent; in science, advanced proficiency increased seven percent and honors proficiency increased three percent. Even with the test being aligned to the new social studies curriculum for the first time; the pass rate for Hispanic students increased two percent.

The GHSGT is given to high school students for the first time in the spring of their junior year. All four portions of the test, plus the Georgia High School Writing Test, must be passed in order for a student to receive a full diploma from a Georgia public school. Students can retake the GHSGT as many times as they like if they do not pass specific exams.

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Sandy Creek Students Meet French Ambassador

French students at Sandy Creek High had the honor of meeting and talking with French and German ambassadors during a discussion about the growing importance of European-U.S. relations on the campus of Georgia Tech January 28.

A total of 30 students from Stephane Allagnon’s French 3, 4 and 5 classes had the privilege of being among the capacity crowd that got to hear the discussion between His Excellency Ambassador Pierre Vimont of France and His Excellency Ambassador Klaush Scharioth of Germany about the growing need for greater understanding of European-American relations and the expanding reach of the European Union. The students also learned about the world of diplomacy and the lives and duties of two very important diplomats.

Following the two-hour discussion, the students were invited to a semi-private celebration at the Georgia State Capitol where 10 World War II veterans from the Southeast received the French Medal of Honor called La Légion d’ Honneur, the highest recognition awarded by the French government. The students talked to the veterans who shared their experiences and heroic actions that lead to them receiving the honor. They also took advantage of the opportunity to converse with the French ambassador in his native tongue.

“His Excellency congratulated their ability to speak fluent French,” says Allagnon. “We are very grateful to the administration at Sandy Creek and the French Consulate for allowing us to participate in such culturally enriching and relevant events.”

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Fayette County Student Art Selected for Exhibition in Kennesaw

Casey Mill (left) and Caleb Brown show off their artwork that was accepted into the All State Art Symposium while visual art teacher Pamela Woodworth-Watkins looks on.

Two Fayette County High art students will have their work featured in the All State Art Symposium at Kennesaw State University February 7-27.

Casey Mill and Caleb Brown are among a select group of artists chosen from schools throughout Georgia to exhibit their work and compete for awards. Mill’s work, titled “Look Back,” is a 18 X 24 pen and ink drawing created in response to an investigation into the work of M.C. Escher. “Self Portrait” by Brown is also in ink, but features a technique called stippling (thousands of tiny dots) to create a range of values.

The purpose of the All State Art Symposium, which is open to all high school students, is to provide cultural opportunities, develop advanced studio skills and cultivate aesthetic appreciation in art and design. Awards for the show will be announced February 27.
Both students are under the instruction of Fayette County High visual art teacher Pamela Woodworth-Watkins.

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Workshop for College Bound Students with Disabilities Set for February 9

Fayette County students with disabilities in grades 9-12, and their parents and educators, are invited to attend a workshop, Transition to Post-Secondary Options, on February 9 at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City from 7-9 p.m.

The workshop, designed to help students make the transition from high school to college, provides an opportunity for attendees to learn about the Georgia college/university application process for students with disabilities. During the workshop, participants will review the application process, discuss criteria and support for accommodations, as well as receive resources on post-secondary options and address concerns and issues. A portion of the workshop will be devoted to discussing assistive technology that students are able to access at college.

The Regents Center for Learning Disorders and the Metro South Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) are sponsors of the workshop. For more information, call Fayette County counselor Amor Kok, 770-900-1110.

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Fayette Student Comics Win Awards at Competition

Being funny paid off big for one French student at Sandy Creek High.

Michelle Melear, along with 33 fellow French students from the school, participated in a cartoon competition sponsored by the French Consulate, Alliance Francaise and the American Association of Teachers of French, Georgia chapter. Melear finished second in the high school category and won several prizes including a full scholarship to attend a French Immersion Camp that will take place in February.

Two other Sandy Creek students also finished in the top 20. Meggie Foulk placed 18th and James Morgan 19th. High school students across six states submitted a total of 97 comic strips for the competition.

The comics were judged on text and quality of French, originality of the theme, storyline, quality of drawing, and use of color.

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Whitewater Students’ Warm Hearts Help Others Ward Off Cold

Students Will Drummond and Michael Johnson display the hand-made quilts donated by the school’s eighth grade home economics classes while assistant principal Kim Lhota and school counselors Natalie Grubbs and Eve Hanie look on.

With cold weather now hitting the metro Atlanta area, students at Whitewater Middle wanted to make sure others are staying warm this winter.

The entire school pitched in and collected over 100 blankets and more than 300 hats, scarves and gloves that were donated to the Atlanta Union Mission.

Two special hand-made quilts were also donated to the mission by the school’s eighth grade home economics classes. The students included a patch on each quilt with the date it was made, the school’s name and the signatures of those who worked on it.

Whitewater Middle’s assistant principal Kim Lhota and school counselors Natalie Grubbs and Eve Hanie organized the school-wide drive.

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Fayette County Students Finish Strong in Foreign Language Competition

Foreign language students brought home 52 awards last month from the 37th annual Declamation Contest held at Clemson University.

A total of 71 students from all of Fayette County's five high schools competed in the following languages: French, German, Latin and Spanish. Contestants were required to recite two poems from memory using their chosen language. Judges rated each recitation on pronunciation, interpretation of text, smoothness of delivery and textural accuracy.

Fayette’s results were strong with 73 percent of the students earning first, second and third place prizes. All totaled, the students won 19 first place awards, 17 second and 16 third.

The following students placed first in their foreign language category:
(Fayette County High) Marina Lopes, Spanish 3; Samira Issa-Boube, French 2; Zahra Manji, French 3; (McIntosh High) Kathleen Newman, French 1; Molly Cook, French 4; Shelby Coffey, French 4; Nathan Pearson, Latin 2; Natalia Cuestas, Latin 3; Scott Lauderdale, Spanish 4; (Sandy Creek High) Courtney Henfield, German 3 native; Lyssa Beck, German 4 native; Broderick Sims, German 1 native; (Starr’s Mill High) Anika Noorali, French2; Michelle Perez, French 3; Katherine DelleDonne, French 4; Travis Richardson, German 4; Leslie A. Perez, Spanish 2; and (Whitewater High) Ayana Graham, Spanish 3; Cameron Green, Spanish 4.

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North Fayette Surpasses Pennies for Patients Goal

Proudly displaying the check representing the money the school collected is (L-R) Abraham Respert, Andre Teague, school counselor Heather Sherwood, Nadia Martinez and Sanathan Mercer.

Students at North Fayette Elementary in Fayetteville are helping one of their classmates fight against cancer as they raise money for research and education one penny at a time.

Throughout October, students donated their pennies and other spare change to the Pennies for Patients campaign benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The school decided to set an ambitious fundraising goal of $1,000 but surpassed it by collecting a total of $1,268.87.

“The students became very passionate about this cause when they learned that one of the school’s students had been diagnosed with cancer. All of the pennies really added up,” says school counselor Heather Sherwood.

The students learned that even a small effort could make a difference in the lives of others. The money they raised will be used by the society to research cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, as well as fund programs to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

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Fayette County Student Named to State School Superintendent’s Advisory Council

Sandy Creek High’s Quannaires Streeter is among the 53 students from around Georgia selected to serve on the 2009-2010 Student Advisory Council to State School Superintendent Kathy Cox.

Members of the council will meet three times throughout the school year to advise Cox on how state policies are having an impact in the classroom. The Student Advisory Council will also discuss other education-related issues and will serve as the superintendent’s ambassadors in their respective schools.

More than 550 students from 108 districts applied to be a member of the Student Advisory Council by filling out an application and answering essay questions. Students were chosen based on the strength of their essay.

The first meeting of the council will be held November 9 at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

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Lunch and Learn in Fayette County for Surrogate Parent Training

A lunch and learn session for persons interested in becoming surrogate parents to students with disabilities in the educational process will be held November 9 in the media center of Rivers Elementary beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The Fayette County Public Schools Exceptional Children’s Department will provide training for those interested in becoming surrogates for students whose parents cannot be identified or located, and the responsibilities are strictly limited to the special education portion of the child’s education. Duties include attending and participating in the child’s annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting and providing consent for evaluation or placement.

Foster parents, retired teachers and persons who would like to act as a parent in these special education decisions are encouraged to come to this training. Rosie Gwin, exceptional children’s services coordinator for the school system, will lead the training.

“Acting as a surrogate parent is a wonderful opportunity to serve a child when he or she needs it the most,” says Allison Stevenson, the school system’s parent mentor.

Participants are invited to bring their own lunch. Drinks and dessert will be served.
The training is free but reservations are required. Contact Allison Stevenson at stevenson.allison@mail.fcboe.org or call770-460-3911, ext. 239 to reserve a seat.

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Fayette County Schools Invite Community to Go Red for Red Ribbon Week

Fayette County students and teachers will join millions nationwide in wearing red ribbons to support healthy lifestyles during Red Ribbon Week October 26-30.

This national celebration has become a major force for raising public awareness and mobilizing communities to combat drug use and underage drinking among youth. Research shows that early drug use is associated with negative consequences such as higher school dropout rates and a greater likelihood of violence and using weapons.

The community can help fight drug and alcohol use among youth during Red Ribbon Week by wearing a red ribbon during October 26-30 to show support, encouraging their workplaces to support Red Ribbon Week and getting involved in Red Ribbon Week events at schools throughout the county. Many schools have planned activities for each day of the week including contests, spirit days and special assemblies.

One special event is taking place at Whitewater High and Sandy Creek High on October 26. Dr. Tim Elmore will present his book, “Habitudes,” which emphasizes finding the leader in every student. According to his website, sociologists report that the most introverted of people will influence 10,000 others in an average lifetime. His presentation will help students focus on how they influence others, how to make a positive difference in their world and how to intentionally add value to the people in their lives.

Although Red Ribbon Week came about following the death of a Drug Enforcement Agent in 1985, CARE (Children at Risk in Education) Coordinator Karen Spangler says she wants Fayette’s program to focus on more than drug prevention.

“The world has changed a great deal since Red Ribbon began. I want our program to be as much about making good decisions and choices as about alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention,” she says.

Red Ribbon Week is an opportune time for families, communities and educators to unite in their efforts to help shape a strong community among our youth. Please contact the school in your area to learn how you can get involved in Red Ribbon Week celebrations.

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Community Awareness Seminar Offered by Fayette County School System and Local Law Enforcement

The Fayette County Public School System, local law enforcement agencies and District Attorney Scott Ballard have collaborated again this year to offer another Community Awareness Seminar this month.

The free seminar offers participants an opportunity to learn more about safety and legal issues affecting Fayette’ County's students. Seminar topics have been generated by students and will include the new “Romeo and Juliet” law, drug and alcohol issues, Minor in Possession (MIP) and how it affects teens and their records, legal age of becoming an adult and texting while driving. Discussions will be lead by local law enforcement representatives with knowledge and experience in the areas presented.

The seminar is scheduled for October 27 at 7 p.m. in the McIntosh High School auditorium. All high school and middle school eighth grade students and their parents are invited to attend. No preregistration is required. A question and answer session with the seminar panel will follow the presentations.

The purpose of the event is to help parents and students become better informed about serious issues affecting youth in Fayette. This marks the third year local law enforcement personnel have partnered with the school system to offer Community Awareness Seminars.

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Fayette County Students Earn AP Scholar Awards

A total of 169 Fayette County students have earned Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar awards based on scores of AP tests taken last spring. This total represents 1.5 percent of all of the students in Georgia who received awards.

Award winners are among the 18 percent of the nearly 1.7 million high school students worldwide who scored high enough on their AP exams to earn an AP Scholar award from the College Board.

Students take the exams after completing college-level courses as high school students. Those with a score of three or better can earn college credit.

Although there is no monetary award in addition to receiving a recognition certificate, this achievement is acknowledged on any grade report that is sent to colleges the following fall.
The criteria for each award and the total number of Fayette County students earning them are as follows:

• National AP Scholar Award: Students earned an average grade of four or higher on a five-point scale on all AP exams taken and grades of four or higher on eight or more exams.

Winners: 4

• AP Scholar with Distinction Award: Students earned an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of three or higher on five or more of the exams.

Winners: 50

• AP Scholar with Honor: Students received an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of three or higher on four or more of the exams.

Winners: 28

• AP Scholar Award: Students completed three or more AP exams with grades three or higher.

Winners: 87

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Fayette Students Named Semifinalists in National Achievement Scholarship Program

Two local students are among the 1,600 semifinalists nationwide vying for scholarships in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Program, a competition for African American high school students.

Helen Agha of Fayette County High and Ifeanyi Awachie of Sandy Creek High were selected as semifinalists from more than 160,000 students from all parts of the U.S. who requested consideration in the program when they took the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors.

To advance to the finalist level, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, earn SAT scores that confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance and write a self-descriptive essay. The semifinalist and a school official must also complete a scholarship application in which they provide information about the student’s participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and educational goals.

Approximately 1,300 semifinalists are expected to fulfill additional requirements and advance to the finalist level in the 2010 competition. Finalists will compete for one of 700 one-time National Achievement $2,500 scholarships as well as 100 Achievement Scholarship awards for those who meet criteria set by the grantor.

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