Cherokee County School District Announcements Educators, Volunteers Earn Statewide Honors From PTAThe annual Georgia PTA awards program recognizes outstanding PTA volunteers and educators, with honors recently presented at the educational advocacy organization’s statewide convention.CCSD Winners Include:School nurse Betty Miller of Arnold Mill ES was honored as the Georgia PTA Outstanding Nurse Award winner.Matthew May who was principal at Mill Creek MS last year and is now the principal at Creekland MS was honored as the Georgia PTA Middle School Principal of the Year. Principal Mark Smith was honored as the Georgia PTA High School Principal of the Year. He leads ACTIVE Academies, which includes ACE Academy, Cherokee College & Career Academy, i-Grad Virtual Academy, and Transition Academy. School PTA units were recognized with various awards, with two earning the state’s top honor, Outstanding Local Unit, which celebrates success in all areas.Mill Creek MS was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Middle School. Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of Co-Presidents Will Egwu and Scott Steinbrenner; Vice Presidents Felicia Hayes, Gail Peel, and Samantha Bowman; Treasurer Lori Harrison, Recording Secretary Brittany Hamlin, Corresponding Secretary Michele Sanchez, and Parliamentarian Paige Todd.ACTIVE Academies was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit High School. Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of President Sara Samson; Vice Presidents Brenda Page, Christina Brown, and Mandi Fishback; Secretary Jory Cannon; and Treasurer Lynn Beilfuss. Ten CCSD PTA units earned Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Merit Awards: Arnold Mill ES, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Bascomb ES, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, E.T. Booth MS, Johnston ES, Little River ES, River Ridge HS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, and Teasley MS.Three CCSD units earned state-level Hearst Family–School Partnership Awards for excellence in bringing the school and community together to support student success: Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Liberty ES, and Teasley MS. State-level membership and partnership awards also were presented: Oaktree (100% PTA membership among school staff); Community Partners (more than 30 community partners by the end of the first quarter); Visionary (more than 400 members by Aug. 31), Pace Setters (more than 300 members by Aug. 31) and Early Bird (more than 200 members by Sept. 30).Oaktree winners are ACTIVE Academies, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Free Home ES, Little River ES, River Ridge HS, and Teasley MS.Community Partner winners are Bascomb ES, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS, and Teasley MS.Visionary winners are Arnold Mill ES, Bascomb ES, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS, River Ridge HS, and Woodstock ES. Pace Setters winners include Visionary winners and Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, and Johnston ES. Early Bird winners include Visionary and Pace Setters winners and Creekland MS, Indian Knoll ES, and Knox ES STEM Academy.Teachers Earn National Recognition Including Top AwardCherokee HS Air Force JROTC instructors Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Jeffrey Bise and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Jody Van Ostrand and Etowah HS AFJROTC instructors Lt. Col. (Ret.) Stephen Bergey and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Ciarra Malto all have achieved 2024 Outstanding Instructor Awards from the U.S. Air Force, an honor earned by only 258 of the more than 1,900 Air Force and Space Force JROTC instructors worldwide.“We know that instructors go above and beyond each day. The ones we recognize with this award represent the ‘Best of the Best,’” U.S. Air Force Director Col. Johnny R. McGonigal said. “Through this award, we honor their exemplary contributions and impact on their cadets, school, and community. I extend my deepest appreciation to all winners for their dedication, hard work, and investment they have put into our AF/SF JROTC program and into our cadets. They represent the highest example of our core values, which are crucial to the success of our mission.”Lt. Col. Bergey advanced in the awards program to be named the regional winner, and now has been named one of only two 2024 Overall Outstanding Instructors of the Year, the highest honor for AF/SF JROTC teachers worldwide. This is the second time he has earned this top honor, as he also achieved the prestigious recognition in 2022. These educators’ individual recognitions follow the recent announcement that their programs earned top awards from the U.S. Air Force.Cherokee HS’s program earned the 2024 Distinguished Unit Award With Merit, one of only 147 AFJROTC programs worldwide to achieve this honor; Etowah’s program earned the Distinguished Unit Award, one of only 244 to achieve this honor. The Cherokee HS program additionally earned the Silver Star Community Service With Excellence Award, the highest unit award achievable and awarded to only 45 programs, the top 5%, worldwide.Three CCSD Schools Earn National Awards for Character Education Indian Knoll ES, Liberty ES, and Sixes ES have been honored with Promising Practices Awards by Character.org, a national nonprofit organization that promotes developing positive character among students. They are among only 155 schools honored nationwide and three of only five in Georgia.Sixes ES earned two awards: one for its “Five Flights, One Mission: Reach for the STARS!” initiative, and the other for “A Community Circle of Stars.”The “Five Flights One Mission: Reach for the Stars” initiative incorporates the school’s four STAR Matrix core values — Safety, Teamwork, Attitude, and Respect — into school operations and activities encouraging positive character. Examples of the ways student positive behavior in these four areas is recognized include “Positive Office Referrals” for students and monthly “Red Wagon” shoutouts. “A Community Circle of Stars” encompasses Sixes Elementary’s use of “restorative circle” classroom meetings to create community and promote the STAR Matrix core values. This practice encourages student active listening, empathy, and understanding, allowing students to articulate their feelings, resolve conflict, and build positive relationships.Indian Knoll ES earned the honor for its “Caring Collaboration Within the Community” service-learning project. Led by the school’s instructional lead strategist, Lauren Abrams, the Positive Behavior and Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program project focused on supporting local senior citizens. Students are assigned to one of six “Birdhouse” groups for the PBIS program. For this project, each Birdhouse sponsored a holiday and provided special treats for the seniors for that holiday.Liberty ES achieved the award for its “Liberty Elementary Thanksgiving Basket” service-learning project. Parent Kristie Duncan in partnership with Liberty’s Student Leadership team, which is led by teacher Stacy Campbell, put together this project to provide Thanksgiving meals to Liberty students in need and their families. The initiative has since grown into a collective service project between Liberty ES, Freedom MS, and Cherokee HS that has extended beyond the school communities to engage local businesses and individual community donors.
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