CCSD Wins National Awards for Communications

The National School Public Relations Association annually honors the best publications and electronic media produced by school districts nationwide as part of their communications efforts. The district earned a Merit Award for Focus on the Future, its first course catalog solely focused on high school Career Pathways, which was distributed to all eighth-grade students to use with their parents, as they review elective options for high school. The district also earned Honorable Mention awards for Class Act, its annual magazine published at the start of the school year, and Excellence in Writing for its annual Teacher of the Year finalist announcement. 

The Office of Communications is made up of Chief Communications Officer Barbara Jacoby, Director Carrie McGowan, Coordinator Penny Dempsey, and Administrative Assistant Anne Reed.

School Board Approves Budget With Teacher Raises, No Millage Increase

The Cherokee County School Board recently approved a budget for this school year that improves teacher and support staff compensation and keeps class sizes low without a millage rate increase.

The general fund budget for day-to-day operating costs was approved at $538 million, which includes $20 million to increase salaries for teachers and support staff and fund a recruitment and retention bonus. The total budget, which also includes construction projects such as the new replacement Cherokee HS and Free Home ES, debt service, and a strong emergency reserve, was approved at $832.8 million.

The full budget is posted online at CherokeeK12.net/open-ccsd, as is CCSD’s Financial Facts report, which explains the budget through short articles and infographics. 

The millage rate was approved to remain at 17.95 mills, which is the same as last year when the rate decreased significantly by 1.5 mills. Some property owners will see increased tax bills due to higher property assessments caused by increasing home and land prices. The school board does not determine property value.

Cherokee HS Student Ranked Nationally for French Proficiency

Senior Eylianis Gomez-Culbert earned the gold medal for French 2 and is ranked sixth in Georgia and seventh in the nation after earning an impressive score on her national world language exam. Her teacher is Dr. Claire L. Bell. 

Sixes ES Wins Prestigious School Bell Award

The Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals presents the School Bell Award to no more than 10 schools in Georgia each year in recognition of outstanding curriculum and organizational leadership initiatives. Sixes ES, led by Principal Dr. Ashley Kennerly, earned the award for its Teacher Toolbox professional development program, which is for all the school’s teachers and is designed to “add additional instructional tools to their toolbox so that as they recognize needs among students in their class, they have a diverse repertoire and materials necessary to address individualized learning needs,” 

Dr. Kennerly said. 

Indian Knoll ES Teacher Receives International Technology Education Award

Technology lab teacher Kristen Brooks was recognized by the International Society for Technology in Education as an ISTE 20 to Watch winner. The award recognizes 20 rising leaders in technology education worldwide. Honorees are selected based on their successful use of technology to improve education, and their dedication to improving the teaching profession through technology. 

Two Graduates Earn National Merit College Awarded Scholarships

Cherokee HS’s Griffen Bon and Sequoyah HS’s Paige Falcomata are among the top 3,000 Class of 2023 graduates nationwide to win National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The awards provide up to $2,000 annually for as long as four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. Both Bon and Falcomata earned National Merit University of Alabama Scholarships. Bon plans to study computer science, and Falcomata plans to study accounting and statistics. National Merit Scholars are selected based on their high school accomplishments and potential for college success. 

Etowah HS Students Place at International Career Competition

Seniors Samantha Durst, Temilola Oloruntoba, Katie Shay, and Hannah Stack earned Excellence Awards and seventh place overall in the public service announcement contest at the recent HOSA Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference held in Dallas, Texas. It’s the first time the school’s chapter has earned a top 10 international ranking.

The students, who are members of Etowah’s HOSA chapter, created a PSA focused on mental health awareness for the competition. The video earned first place in the state HOSA competition, which qualified the team to compete at internationals. The school’s HOSA advisors are Career Pathway healthcare science teachers Megan King and Amber Thayer.

Scholarship Awarded to i-Grad Virtual Academy Graduate 

ABM Industry Groups, LLC, which provides custodial services for CCSD schools, each year awards a $1,000 scholarship to one graduating senior from each of CCSD’s traditional high schools. This year, the company announced it would expand its donation to include a winner from i-Grad, CCSD’s online high school. The inaugural winner is Class of 2023 i-Grad Virtual Academy graduate Kaliyah Thompson, who will be attending Georgia State University to study nursing.

ABM scholarship winners are selected by a committee of retired CCSD educators and ABM representatives based on a student’s involvement in school and community activities and service, personal essays, 

and references. 

Thompson is a member of the Kennesaw State University-sponsored Black Student Union organization, volunteers with the Just Coding Consultants computer coding group, and works for her family’s catering business and at a local Torrid store.

Cherokee County Recreation and Parks hosted its first countywide Recreation Summit since the 2008 parks bond discussion. The summit brought together municipalities and community organizations to discuss the future of recreation and parks across the county. 

“The goal of this summit is for everyone to come together, collaborate, educate, and have fun while discussing current and future park projects,” said Cherokee County Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley.

Cherokee County Community Services Agency Director Bryan Reynolds provided updates on the county’s capital park projects. 

“Since the parks bond program ended in 2018, the county has started using funding from the Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program and Impacts Fees to pay for parks projects,” said Reynolds.

The county’s current capital park projects include park design and development plans for the Long Swamp Recreation Area in Ball Ground and the phase one design and development plans for both the Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area and trails located on Yellow Creek Road and for the Southwest Cherokee Community Park in Acworth. Also included is a master plan development for the future Hickory Flat Area Park located on East Cherokee Drive in Canton. 

Additionally, attendees heard park project updates from representatives with the cities of Ball Ground, Canton, Holly Springs, and Woodstock. Those updates included numerous trail extension plans, improvements to playground equipment, and the future construction of pickleball courts.

An update was also given on the SPLOST 2024 program, which will include $36.5 million for recreation and parks projects. Funding from the SPLOST 2024 program, with support from recreation impact fees, will fund the future conversion of natural grass fields to artificial turf for several county parks, the construction of a new baseball/softball complex at Cherokee Veterans Park, construction of the E.W. & Edith Cochran Park in the Free Home community, the future construction of a recreation/senior center at the SW Cherokee Park, and several other minor park improvements around the county. 

Reynolds closed the summit by announcing that the county is working with cities to develop a countywide trails plan that will include establishing future goals, trails that connect to additional trails, and establishing Memorandums of Understanding between cities and the county.

At an awards banquet held in Libertyville, Illinois, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) presented officials from Cherokee Recreation and Parks with the 2023 NACPRO Award in the Park and Recreation Program – Class II category. The awards banquet is an annual event that recognizes and honors excellence in parks and recreation at the county, regional, and special districts levels throughout the nation. 

“This award recognizes a NACPRO member agency that has provided an exceptional program, activity, or event, which serves to inspire other agencies,” said Cherokee Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley. “The Class II Award is a category based on a population size of 150,001 to 275,000. There are four population categories in all, and Cherokee Youth Basketball has been recognized as the best program in the country for our population category.”

Cherokee Youth Basketball is a local recreational basketball league that is open to all eligible Cherokee County youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through partnerships with the Cherokee County School District, players in kindergarten through fifth grade play on teams that represent their current elementary school, while middle and high school players represent one of the county’s six local high schools in which the player is districted or is currently attending. Teams are provided a practice space and time at their local school for practices and games. Each player is given a complete uniform along with an eight-game regular season schedule beginning the first weekend in December.

“In only its 11th season of operation, Cherokee Youth Basketball has grown to 556 teams with over 4,000 kids playing basketball in Cherokee County,” said Cherokee Recreation and Parks Athletic Director Shawn Schumacher. “The program provides a safe and competitive learning environment for recreational players of all abilities as well as helping them to develop character, sportsmanship, and teamwork.” 

Additional information and program details for Cherokee Youth Basketball can be found at PlayCherokee.org.

In less than a year since Special Olympics DanceSport was declared an official sport in Georgia, the first Georgia Special Olympics DanceSport team from Cherokee County, the Warrior Cats, performed at the Opening Ceremonies at this year’s Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games. 

The Cherokee County Special Olympics Warrior Cats DanceSport athletes are Michelle Aikala, Devon Bledsoe, Cora Browning (captain), Lindsay Deane, Ryan Ellis, Nicole Fox, Caleb Guy, Shelby Hart, Meghan Kern, Kristin King, Jason Page, Jeremy Page, Jenna Pierce, Erica Revalski, Reed Rogers, Justin Swantek, and Leah Weatherby.

The Warrior Cats unified partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) who train and compete as teammates alongside Special Olympics athletes include Gigi, Stella, and Sofia Alfieri, and Nina Grace Barbaree.

The coaches for the Warrior Cats are Shelly Boss-Barbaree, Mollie Guy, Katie Lockett, Head Coach Laura Mikszan, Lee Ann Revalski, Jarron Scurry, and Susan Weatherby.

The City of Canton recently celebrated the grand opening of Heritage Park’s new playground as well as a new mural on the basketball court at Boling Park entitled UNITE.

Heritage Park covers 48 acres, which, in addition to its new turf-based playground, also features a one-mile concrete walking trail connecting to Etowah River Trail and Etowah River Park as well as recreational field space used for soccer.

At the ribbon cutting for UNITE, artist Rob Walker-Bunda shared his vision and design for the mural, as well as the work and collaboration that went into painting on the challenging surface of a basketball court. Canton City Councilor Brooke Schmidt also detailed the importance of public art in communities.

"A collaboration between CHS student Emily Hamilton, a nonprofit called Art in the Paint, and the expertise of talented local artist Rob Walker-Bunda, this large artwork represents unity in Canton and serves to create connection and inspire happiness,” said Schmidt.

During its recent “changing of the guard” dinner, outgoing President Nicole Lawson Doll shared highlights of the club’s accomplishments over the past year, including achieving the prestigious Rotary Gold Club Award, and passed the gavel to the club’s new president, Francisco Lozano. Rotary District Governor Brandy Swanson administered the presidential oath to Lozano. 

Lozano will be joined in leadership over the next year by President-Elect Marcie Smith, Secretary Rebekah Gibson, Treasurer Shane Burr, Sergeant-at-Arms: Marianne Butler and Nicole Lawson Doll, as past president. Also serving on the Club’s Board of Directors for this year: Lynn Epps, Rebecca Johnston, Billy Peppers, Rommel RitaRita, Joe Smith, and JoEllen Wilson.

Additionally, the Rotarian of the Year Award, also known as the Coxe Award, was presented to Rebecca Johnston. She was recognized for her longtime dedication to the club including her roles during the past Rotary year as program chair, House of Friendship chair, and Women in Leadership panel moderator. 

Past District Governor Kay Miller, a former Canton Rotarian and past president, who in 2001 was the first woman to serve in the regional role for north Georgia, was also honored. 

In a separate meeting, the club also announced its annual Public Service Award winners. This year’s winner of the Lamar Haley Award, which honors exceptional community service, is Lori Baker, founder and executive director of Next Step Ministries. This year’s Jean Harris Award, which honors a non-Rotarian for outstanding “Service Above Self,” was presented to Kendall Jones, community liaison for MUST Ministries.

Canton Rotary Club meets at noon on Tuesdays at the Cherokee Conference Center at The Bluffs or at offsite locations for community service projects, and residents interested in joining the club are invited to visit. For more information, visit TheRotaryClubOfCantonGa.org. 

Be Pro Be Proud Georgia and the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative, an initiative of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development that includes Cherokee County School District (CCSD), local businesses, and industries and colleges, recently presented the annual Skilled Professions Signing Day event. During the event, 36 graduating CCSD seniors with plans to pursue skilled professions careers signed those plans with employers or colleges and were celebrated by family, friends, teachers, and community leaders.

“Congratulations to each of these students on making the choice to build a better future for our community through skilled professions,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “We’re proud of these students and grateful for our Career Pathways educators who have prepared them for this next step. Thank you to Be Pro Be Proud Georgia and the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative for your partnership and support of our students.”

The school district offers a wide catalog of Career Pathway programs at every high school, which provide CCSD students opportunities to not only master specific job skills as well as soft skills helpful to all careers, but also to earn industry certifications. For more information, visit Cherokeek12net.finalsite.com.

Congratulations to the following students:

Cherokee HS

Henry Alcon – Construction, Alcon Remodeling

Jacob Anderson – Welding

Blake Byess – Welding, Georgia Trade School

Christian Cagle – Welding, Northwest Mississippi Community College

Lucas Juan Cristobal – Welding, Georgia Trade School

Kahseim Fisher – Audio & Video Technology & Film

Carter Goodrow – Welding, Raydeo

Braden Iovino – Welding

Keaton Kimball – Welding

Ethan Mann – Welding

Kyarah Maxey – Nursing, Reinhardt University

Joseph O’Kon – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College

Michael Pugachow – Welding

Edi Ramirez – Construction, heavy equipment 

Ismael Carrillo Raymundo – Welding

Bryan Sanchez – Welding, Tulsa Welding School

Skyler Woodward – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College

Creekview HS

Kevin Abarca – Machinery/line press, Universal Alloy Corporation

Norman Alexander Ball – Welding, Georgia Trade School

Connor Billish – Electrician, International Electrotechnical Commission

Noah Brooks – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College and Mr. Clean Drain Plumbing Co.

Hayden Eberhardt-Salinas – Welding, Universal Alloy Corporation

Cesar Garcia – Electrician, H&H Electrical

Brody Jones – Plumbing, Chattahoochee Technical College

Gabriel Peterman – Welding

Emma Sailors – Cosmetology, Gwinnett Technical College

Jarrett McArthur – Diesel tech training (advanced manufacturing), Chattahoochee Technical College

Milon Lee McCleskey – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College

Etowah HS

Amy Carol Castro – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College

Alondra Porcayo – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College

Sarah Vanvoorhis – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College

River Ridge HS

Ethan Barrentine – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College

Billy Culberg – Wrecker driver/recovery specialist, Ryder Towing & Transport 

Sequoyah HS

Will Scott – Electrical line worker, North Georgia Technical College

Woodstock HS

Kristian Colina – HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration), Chattahoochee Technical College

Laila Hutchinson – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College

The Office of the Governor Brian P. Kemp recently announced recipients of, “preliminary grant awards totaling more than $225 million for 142 qualified projects that improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access in communities all across the state disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Awarded American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds go to eligible nonprofits and local governments to utilize in improving or maintaining recreational facilities in Qualified Census Tracts or for repair or maintenance needs due to significantly greater use of public facilities during the pandemic. The City of Canton was awarded $4.4M for two projects that include pedestrian bridge/sidewalk improvements at Canton Creek and funds for assisting with the development of South Canton Park — specifically its accessible playground equipment and a much-anticipated dog park. The maximum grant award was $2.2M, and the City of Canton was one of only three municipal governments to receive multiple maximum grant awards.

These state grants coincide with other recent grant awards including over $600,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a pedestrian bridge connecting the current expansion of the Etowah River Trail System back to the award-winning Mill on Etowah and Atlanta Regional Commission transportation funding for improvements on State Route 140 from Riverstone Parkway to Reinhardt College Parkway.

Cherokee 

• Valedictorian Braden Reece Flournoy will attend Georgia Tech to study computer science and plans to work in computer devices and artificial intelligence.

• Salutatorian Riley Oliver will attend Georgia Tech to study computer science and plans to work in programming or hardware development.

Creekview 

• Valedictorian Kylie Buchanan will attend the University of Alabama to study science and business.

• Salutatorian Carson Heath will attend Georgia Tech to study mechanical engineering and plans to work as a biomechanical engineer focused on designing prosthetics.

Etowah 

• Valedictorian Gracye Lamb will attend Georgia Tech to study aerospace engineering.

• Salutatorian Ty Phillips will attend the University of Georgia to study biology and then plans to apply to medical school.

i-Grad Virtual Academy

• Valedictorian Jackson Wesley Deas plans to enter the workforce.

• Salutatorian Elijah J. Jordan will attend Chattahoochee Technical College to study electrical engineering.

River Ridge 

• Co-Valedictorian Sofia Guadalupe de Lira will attend Notre Dame University to study political science and prelaw.

• Co-Valedictorian Emily Anna Paulson will attend the University of Georgia to study economics.

• Salutatorian Karla Monserrat Cortes will attend Yale University to study ethics, politics, and economics.

Sequoyah 

• Valedictorian Julia Allene Sick will attend the University of Alabama to study accounting.

• Salutatorian Paige Lee Falcomata will attend the University of Alabama to study accounting and statistics.

Woodstock 

• Valedictorian Casen Stiber will spend a gap year teaching in El Salvador, after which he will attend the University of Georgia to study pure mathematics and philosophy. After college, he plans to serve in the Peace Corps and then teach and conduct math research.

• Salutatorian Salman Aziz will attend Georgia Tech to study neuroscience and then plans to apply to medical school.

Award Named for Longtime Fire Safety Pioneer 

At this year’s Georgia Fire Safety Symposium, the Georgia Public Safety Educators Association (GPSEA) named their Educator of the Year award after longtime Cherokee County firefighter and fire safety educator, Captain Ann Segers.

Segers began working for the fire department on August 22, 1988, and was also one of the original Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department members when they started in the early 70s. She was the first person in Georgia to obtain the credentials as an NPQ Fire Safety Educator and received her Basic Firefighting Certification in 1990. After retiring from CCFES in 2005, she continued to volunteer with the department at prevention and education events until her passing in May of 2022.

The first Ann Segers Educator of the Year Award will be awarded at the 2024 Georgia Fire Safety Symposium. For more information about the GPSEA or the Georgia Safety Educators Association, visit GPSEACRR.com.

EMS Wing Dedicated to Retired Medical Director

For more than 20 years, Dr. Jill Mabley has dedicated her time to the growth and success of emergency services for Cherokee County. Her name will forever live on at the Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) Training Center, since the EMS Wing has been dedicated as the Jill Ann Mabley, M.D., FACEP EMS Wing.

Dr. Mabley joined Cherokee County in 2000, a time when the fire department was continuing its transition from a volunteer model to a career organization, and when ambulance transports were handled by a third-party vendor. An invitation to join a safety committee turned into more than two decades of training personnel, developing policy, building programs, and being a source for well-researched advice for those who needed it.

In her years as medical director for CCFES, Dr. Mabley, at 57 years old, became the first (and only at the time) medical director to earn firefighter certification in Georgia. 

“She earned a National Professional Qualification as a firefighter, and she earned state certification as a firefighter in the state of Georgia,” Chief Eddie Robinson said, adding that she also was responsible for implementing the Narcan program with law enforcement, allowing public safety to better combat the opioid epidemic and save lives.

Earlier this year, Dr. Mabley was honored with the Dr. Paul Nassour Lifetime Achievement Award at the Northwest Georgia – Region 1 EMS Awards Banquet.

Fire Station 7 Dedicated to Retired Fire Chief

For more than 40 years, Ret. Fire Chief and District 2 Commissioner Raymond Gunnin has served the public with integrity, honesty, and a desire to improve the lives of Cherokee County citizens. His legacy will forever be remembered, as Fire Station 7 has been dedicated in his honor. 

In December 2020, a resolution and proclamation were signed by Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Harry Johnston, recognizing Chief Gunnin’s dedication by naming Cherokee County Fire Station 7 in his honor. Now, a plaque memorializing this honor has been unveiled 

at the station.    

Gunnin joined Cherokee County as a volunteer firefighter in 1977 and became a full-time firefighter in 1980. Working his way through the ranks, he became fire chief in 2005 and continued to serve in that role until his retirement in 2011.