Cherokee County School District Announcements (2) Little River ES Honored by National PTALittle River ES has been named a winner of the National PTA School of Excellence award. The two-year title recognizes successful partnerships between local PTAs and schools to help make schools more welcoming to all families and to offer more opportunities for families to support students.Led by Principal Joni Adams, Little River ES is among only 319 schools nationwide, and only 16 schools from Georgia, honored with this recognition. To be considered for this honor, a school and its PTA unit must commit to working together to set and meet year-long goals for improving family engagement.The designations were earned through efforts over the past year by the PTA and school leadership. Last year’s PTA leadership team was Co-Presidents Susan Byberg and Magida Habib-Gonzalez, Vice Presidents Kristina Gambino and Vivian Gaviria, Secretary Christina Albertus, and Treasurer Kristin Winzeler. The co-presidents, secretary, and treasurer are continuing in the same roles this school year, joined by new Vice Presidents Kajal Zechariah and Jennifer Ugolick and Corresponding Secretary Kelsey Geist.Last school year, the PTA board surveyed parents to identify the needs of Little River ES families. Several events emerged from the survey results including a Coffee Talk with Principals, Multicultural Night, and summer break resources. Principal Adams said the survey was again sent to parents at the end of the school year “to ensure a strengthened partnership between the school and families.”—————————————————Woodstock HS Student's Research Published in Science JournalJunior Manasa Shankar authored “The Harmful Effects of Chronic Stress on the Development of Cancer and The Strategies That Can Be Used to Mitigate It,” which went on to be published in the Journal of Student Research’s high school edition. Her work was supported by three advisors, Wayne State University professor Prahlad Parajuli, Jothsna Kethar of the Gifted Gabber academic program, and University of Southeastern Philippines professor Virgil Torremocha. It is posted online at JSR.org/hs/index.php/path/article/view/6703.Manasa is a third-year student in Woodstock HS’s scientific research program led by teacher Sarah Brennan.In the spring, Manasa was selected to compete at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair with her project “The Effect of Coding to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: Gene Editing Kanamycin-Resistant Plasmids” in the Computational Biology & Bioinformatics category. She earned a Cobb EMC/Gas South prize for her work. Brennan served as Manasa’s teacher advisor.—————————————————2024-25 Student Advisor and Delegates to the School Board NamedThe School Board has included a student advisor position on its board since 1999, and, for the past 14 years, a student delegate from each high school has also been selected. These outstanding seniors serve for one year to give input and feedback to the School Board and the superintendent of schools and her senior staff. A delegate from i-Grad Virtual Academy, CCSD’s online high school, was also added this year. Etowah HS’s Samantha “Sam” Stahler holds this year’s student advisor role, which is rotated among CCSD's high schools. The student delegates are Cherokee HS’s Will Rusbridge, Creekview HS’s Andrew Hammond, i-Grad Virtual Academy’s Alex Johnson, River Ridge HS’s Lavanya Shankar, Sequoyah HS’s Zahira Ambriz-Villela, and Woodstock HS’s Sophia Foisy.The delegates attend all School Board meetings as student representatives, and throughout the year, they advise the superintendent's senior staff on important issues that range from the code of conduct and student support services to technology resources and new entree planning by School Nutrition. The delegate selection process is determined by each school. Students interested in the opportunity are encouraged to speak with their principal.—————————————————Etowah HS Student Selected as Statewide Student Council Member Senior Laika Olwana is one of only 10 high school students statewide selected to serve on the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Youth Advisory Council. Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis recently met with Olwana to hear feedback about her experience as a CCSD student and what she has learned so far through her GSBA service.The GSBA program allows outstanding Georgia high school students to provide meaningful input to school board members from across the state. Council members attend a summer retreat, participate in monthly meetings, and speak on behalf of their fellow students as part of panels at the association’s annual conference. The application process opens every March to students statewide. For more information, visit GSBA.com/youth-advisory-council.—————————————————Student Honored by National Down Syndrome SocietyCreekview HS sophomore Aniya Grace Symone Lott is among 500 children, teens, and adults selected from across the country to be highlighted in the organization’s video presentation in New York City’s Times Square. The featured photo of Lott was selected from nearly 3,000 entries. Her family shared that the photo of her was taken in Seaside, Florida, while she was holding balloons to celebrate her adoption day.The Times Square video presentation kicked off the New York City Buddy Walk in Central Park. More than 150 Buddy Walk events are held across the country and around the world each year. For more information, visit NDSS.org.—————————————————Creekview HS Career Education Program Earns National AwardThe Creekview HS chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) agricultural education program has been named a 2024 3-Star Chapter by the National FFA Organization, which recognizes outstanding FFA chapters nationwide. Three-Star is the highest rating awarded. Honored chapters demonstrate success in providing educational experiences for all members, growing student leaders, participating in community service, and raising awareness about the importance of agriculture. —————————————————The FFA program at Creekview is led by teachers Chloe Lynch and Wyatt Wilkie. “During the application process, students create goals and plans and track the progress of 15 different events that we host throughout the year. Out of the 15, our three highest-scoring events were hosting an FFA Fall Festival and Tractor Show with over 60 vendors, donating over 600 pounds of produce from our gardens and over 500 pounds of nonperishable items to local food banks, and hosting a school-wide FFA Animal Awareness Day. We’re incredibly proud of our members and all we’ve accomplished together!” said Lynch. Last school year’s officers involved in the award-winning work include President Jamie West, Vice President Kallie Reynolds, Treasurer MollyClaire Barber, Reporter Kristen Lively, Sentinel Sarah Hill, Historian Will Childers, Student Advisor Ryan Bearden, and Parliamentarian Charles Young.The Creekview HS FFA chapter will be recognized at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo this month.This school year’s officer team includes President Kallie Reynolds, Vice President Charles Young, Secretary Sarah Hill, Treasurer MollyClaire Barber, and Reporter Nolan Hendrix.
to your business!