Science Projects Advance to State/International Competition

Ninety-nine percent of the Fayette County projects that advanced to the Griffin RESA Regional Science and Engineering Fair earned placements, and one of them was selected to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

A total of 25 of the 31 projects that were selected for the regional fair brought home first place honors. The first place winners are eligible to attend the State Science and Engineering Fair April 1-2 at the University of Georgia.

Middle school first place winners include (Bennett’s Mill) Laura Phillipp; Dale Chapman; Nicholas Powell; Matthew Harmon; Michael Koenig, Matthew Melatti, Hudson Huber; Ian Belwood, Tiana Sherman; (J.C. Booth) Jonathan Ciecka; Amelia Traylor; Benjamin Naber; (Flat Rock) Ellie Klarl; Preston Earle; (Rising Starr) Annefloor de Groot, Brooke Wade; and (Whitewater) Sarah Chapman, Stephanie Johnson.

High school first place winners include: (Fayette County) Areesha Ikram, Nageen Merchant, Donna Pham; Menaka Reddy; Omar Martinez-Uribe, Dae Kim; Sarika Reddy, Malika Reddy; (McIntosh) Hannah Mason, Leslie Sellers; (Starr’s Mill) Jessica Richey; Vivian Nguyen, Mynah Holloway; Rebekah Livingston; Morgan Caola; and (Whitewater) Drew Halbert, Tommy Erbe; Austin Dill.

Other placements include: (Bennett’s Mill Middle) Jamie DeCicco, Jordan Watson, second place; (J.C. Booth Middle) Lianna Arcelay, second place; (Fayette Middle) Anna Franklin, second place; (Rising Starr Middle) Emilia Ruzicka, third place; and (Sandy Creek High) Helen Davidson, second place.
The science fair judges selected first place winners Mynah Holloway and Vivian Nguyen from Starr’s Mill High to automatically advance to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California May 8-13.

Special awards from various organizations and institutions were also given to the following teams and individuals: (Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association) Ellie Klarl, Flat Rock Middle, and Areesha Ikram, Nageen Merchant, Donna Pham, Fayette County High; (Association for Women Geoscientists) Jessica Richey, Starr's Mill High; (Genius Olympiad) Areesha Ikram, Nageen Merchant, Donna Pham, Fayette County High; (Georgia BioGENEius Challenge) Meneka Reddy, Fayette County High; (I-Sweep-Outstanding Sustainability Award) Hannah Mason, Leslie Sellers, McIntosh High; (I-Sweep-Recognition Award) Areesha Ikram, Nageen Merchant, Donna Pham, Fayette County High; (Mu Alpha Theta) Mynah Holloway, Vivian Nguyen, Starr's Mill High; (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Sarah Chapman, Whitewater Middle; (National Society of Professional Engineers) Tommy Erbe, Drew Halbert, Whitewater High; (U. S. Army) Morgan Caola , and Mynah Holloway, Vivian Nguyen, Starr's Mill High; (U.S. Air Force) Rebekah Livingston, and Mynah Holloway, Vivian Nguyen, Starr's Mill High; and Areesha Ikram, Nageen Merchant, Donna Pham, Fayette County High; (U.S. Navy/ U.S. Marine Corps) Ellie Klarl, Flat Rock Middle, and Mynah Holloway, Vivian Nguyen, Starr's Mill High.

The Griffin RESA Regional Science and Engineering Fair is a regional competition among middle and high schools in the Griffin RESA region that consists of Butts, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties.

-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG @FayetteFP

Counselors Host Career Fair in Honor of National School Counseling Week

Over 1,700 eighth graders from the county’s five public middle schools will participate in the largest career fair held within the Fayette County Public School System.

Middle school counselors have organized the seventh annual 8th Grade Career Fair, slated for February 3-4 at Heritage Christian Church, in honor of National School Counseling week February 7-11. This special week honors school counselors for the important role they play in helping students examine their talents, strengths, abilities and interests.

The fair will showcase a diversity of career options for students to consider after high school graduation. By combining their efforts into one centralized fair, the eighth grade counselors are able to expose students to a larger variety of career fields than they would by organizing individual fairs at their schools. Each school was responsible for inviting members from the community to take part.

This year’s National School Counseling Week theme is “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach New Heights.”

Fayette’s school counselors make a positive difference in the lives of students everyday by providing a number of important services including character education, academic advisement, and programs designed to develop personal and social skills. Their affect on the county’s educational program is evidenced by the high academic achievements, awards and honors earned by students throughout the school system.

“We are pleased and thankful for the efforts that our counselors make everyday. They are a vital support to our educational program here in Fayette,” says Barbara Serapion, director of pupil personnel services.

Schools throughout the county will celebrate the week with various activities. Community members are invited to express their appreciation for school counselors February 7-11. Ideas on how to honor counselors can be found on the American School Counselor Association website, www.schoolcounselor.org. The site features several free downloads, including an appreciation certificate.

-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG @FayetteFP

Over 30 Science Projects Headed for Regional Contest

What’s the most natural light bulb for cosmetic purposes? Do electric golf carts leave a smaller carbon footprint than gas ones? Does the color of the greenhouse affect plant growth? And what about tomato plants, can hydrogen peroxide affect their growth?

These are just a few of the questions raised by student science projects that took first place at the 2011 Fayette County Science and Engineering Fair. A total of 31 high and middle school projects earned first place honors.

The projects are now heading to the Griffin RESA Regional Science and Engineering Fair that will be held in Griffin on February 28. Below are the students who will participate; they compete individually or as a team.

High School First Place Winners

Fayette County High: Nageen Merchant, Areesha Ikram, Donna Pham; Omar Martinez-Uribe and Dae Kim; Sarika Reddy and Malika Reddy.

McIntosh High: Hannah Mason and Leslie Sellers.

Sandy Creek High: Helen Davidson.

Starr’s Mill High: Vivian Nguyen and Mynah Holloway; Morgan Caola; Rebekah Livingston; Jessica Richey.

Whitewater High: Tommy Erbe and Drew Halbert; Austin Dill.

Middle School First Place Winners

Bennett’s Mill Middle: Tiana Sherman and Ian Belwood; Jamie DeCicco and Jordan Watson; Michael Koenig, Matthew Melatti, and Hudson Huber; Matthew Harmon; Nicholas Powell; Dale Chapman; Laura Phillipp.

J.C. Booth Middle: Lianna Arcelay; Jonathan Ciecka; Amelia Traylor; Benjamin Naber.
Fayette Middle: Anna Franklin.

Flat Rock Middle: MarcJamal LaGrande; Preston Earle; Ellie Klarl.

Rising Starr Middle: Annefloor de Groot and Brooke Wade; Emilia Ruzicka.

Whitewater Middle: Sarah Chapman; Stephanie Johnson.

Special awards were also given at the competition. Both Jessica Richey (Starr’s Mill High) and Sarah Chapman (Whitewater Middle) received the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association Award; Lionel Jones (Bennett’s Mill Middle) received the Institute for Environmental Insight Award; Jenny Ritter (Bennett’s Mill Middle) received the Capital Microscope Teacher Award.

Additionally, the following students received the Fayette County Association of Educators Special Recognition Award: Nageen Merchant, Areesha Ikram, and Donna Pham (Fayette County High); Vivian Nguyen and Mynah Holloway (Starr’s Mill High); Morgan Caola (Starr’s Mill High); Nicholas Powell (Bennett’s Mill Middle); Laura Phillipp (Bennett’s Mill Middle); Preston Earle (Flat Rock Middle).

-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG @FayetteFP

Transition Fair for Students with Disabilities

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a time of anticipation, excitement, confusion and anxiety for students of all backgrounds and abilities. These emotions are often amplified for families of students with disabilities.

Students with exceptionalities and their families sometimes face challenges in identifying resources in the community that can help them meet their needs and achieve their goals after graduation. That is why the Fayette County School System’s Exceptional Children’s Department and ExceptionalOps are hosting a Transition Fair called “Building Alliances” at Rivers Elementary on January 11 from 7-9 p.m. Admission to the fair is free.

The purpose of the fair is to provide information about services that are available in the community. Local organizations that provide services for students with disabilities, whether they are still in school or transitioning out, will be on hand to discuss the assistance they offer and how they can help meet the various needs of disabled students and adults. Support and advocacy groups, employment preparation, vocational rehabilitation, supported living agencies, tutoring, private schools and recreation are a few examples of the services that will be exhibited.

For more information about the fair, contact Linda Williams, Fayette County Public Schools Exceptional Children’s Services, 678-796-5695.

------
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG @FayetteFP

Building Alliances Resource Fair Set for January 12

There are a number of resources to assist families of children with special needs, but finding them is not always simple. That is why the Fayette County Public School System’s Exceptional Children’s Services department and ExceptionalOPS are sponsoring a resource fair called “Building Alliances.”

The fair, taking place in the McIntosh High gym on January 12 from 7-9 p.m., brings parents and local service providers together in one convenient location for the dissemination of information about programs and services geared toward children with special needs.

Parents will learn about recreational opportunities, tutoring services, support groups, the PALS program, Community Service Board programs, benefits navigators, Hope House (Respite Care) services, and Georgia Learning Resources System opportunities.

Attendance is free. The fair is open to parents, teachers, administrators and service providers of children with special needs.

Contact Linda Williams in the school system’s Exceptional Children’s Services department for more information, 770-460-3911, or Janet Smola, executive director of ExceptionalOPS, 770-639-9169.

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

College PROBE Fair Set for September 17

Fayette County high school students and their parents can explore the numerous post-secondary options available in Georgia at the annual PROBE College Fair being held on September 17 at Sandy Creek High School from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Representatives from various nonprofit colleges, universities and technical schools will be present to talk with parents and students about admissions, scholarships, housing and other areas of college life.

Admission is free. For more information, contact Kelly Floyd, counselor, at Sandy Creek High, 770-969-2840. Sandy Creek is located at 360 Jenkins Road in Tyrone.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia