Cherokee HS Debate Team Excels at State Competition The Cherokee High School Speech and Debate Team competed in Valdosta at the Varsity State Competition and took home a School of Excellence award for the second year in a row for qualifying the most students to state competition. English teacher, Jamie Wills, won debate Coach of the Year, and John Peterson, a senior at CHS, won State Champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
CCSD Celebrates Partners and Volunteers of the Year at Recognition Ceremony The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) celebrated outstanding school community partners and volunteers at its sixth annual recognition ceremony.Former CCSD Superintendent Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo recognized a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center. The evening also included the surprise announcement of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year selected from that pool of 79 honorees.Ball Ground Police Department, the Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy Partner of the Year, was named the CCSD 2019 Partner of the Year, and Francisco Quintana, the Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy Volunteer of the Year, was named the CCSD 2019 Volunteer of the Year.It takes a community to make great schools. Our school district is a family, and outstanding partners and volunteers are an important part of our family, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. Recognizing dedicated partners and volunteers is just one way we encourage these important relationships. The time, treasure, and talent they share is valuable beyond measure.In his Partner of the Year nomination letter, Principal Dr. Christian Kirby shared a story of how, due to the strong relationship the school had built with the Ball Ground Police Department, a student sought out a police officer for help when he couldnt find his parents at the schools fall festival. CCSD Volunteer of the Year, Francisco Quintana, volunteers daily from 9:30am-2:00pm at Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy, even though he doesnt have children attending that school. In August, when his wife began working as the schools lunchroom manager, she told him about the needs of the children and staff. Knowing that he could make a difference, Quintana offered to be a volunteer, and now volunteers every day.
CCSD Honors Support Staff Employees of the Year The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) celebrated the important role of support staff at its inaugural Support Staff Employee of the Year Awards.The celebration honored one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSDs schools, centers, and central office divisions. All 46 honorees were recognized. At the conclusion of the evening, surprise presentations were made to one overall winner in each division (school, center, and central office). The Elementary School winner was Carmel Elementary School kindergarten paraprofessional Sharon Borg; Middle School/High School/Centers winner was Woodstock High School principals secretary Carol Pontius; and Central Office winner was CCSD Payroll Clerk Tammie Collis. A committee of retired educators and community leaders selected these overall winners. When we announced the creation of these awards, I referred to them as long-overdue, which is very true. Theyre also very well deserved, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said to the audience of honorees and their guests. For those who dont know our school district as well as we all do, they may think it just takes teachers and principals to run a successful school. But, as we all know, our support staff makes up half of our CCSD family. Your work is important. You are important. We value you.
Sequoyah HS DECA Students Advance to International Competition Three Sequoyah High School students who competed in the DECA State Career Development Conference in Atlanta are advancing to the marketing student associations international competition. Three students qualified to compete at this months internationals in Orlando: Hanna Palmer, who placed first in Job Interview; Emily Duke, who placed fifth in Principles of Hospitality; and Tyler Price, who placed sixth in Professional Selling. Austyn Tressler also competed in the three-day event and placed ninth in Apparel & Accessories Marketing. Sequoyah students Max Frye, Dylan Poulsen, and Victoria Ergle have earned the opportunity to advance to internationals as well by placing in the Top 10 on the State DECA test last fall.Additionally, the Sequoyah DECA Club was named as the 13th largest chapter in the state. DECAs industry-validated competitive events are aligned with National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. Marketing teacher Kari Palmer is the clubs sponsor.
WellStar Kennestone Receives National Recognition WellStar Kennestone Hospital recently received another national distinction as one of HealthGrades Americas 250 Best Hospitals. Hospitals on this list are chosen solely for their clinical quality outcomes for 32 conditions and procedures.
CCSD Named Finalist for National School Spirit Awards The Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards celebrate schools, organizations, and individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to build school pride, student engagement, and community spirit. The Spirit of St. Jude award honors schools and school districts that engage students in fundraising for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which is a major recipient of Varsity Brands philanthropy. Its humbling to be recognized for having the Spirit of St. Jude. Kids are what were all about, and when kids are hurting, we all hurt. Visiting St. Judes and meeting those kids moves your heart, and so does seeing our own students put their ice cream money in a jar to help, said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower.CCSD is one of eight finalists nationwide for the award. Dr. Debra Murdock, CCSDs executive director of administrative leadership for middle and high schools, leads the district-wide fundraising efforts, which include activities like hat days and penny wars at individual schools as well as gate donations from Senior Series athletic events. Last school years fundraising for St. Jude topped $55,000. Dr. Hightower is also personally committed to supporting St. Jude. His contributions rose to a new level this past December with his participation as a runner in the charitys annual Marathon Weekend in Memphis.Varsity Brands is made up of BSN Sports, Varsity Spirit, and Herff Jones, with products including athletic equipment and uniforms, cheerleading camps and competitions, graduation products, class rings, and yearbooks. Winners will be announced at the companys School Spirit Awards Show in Orlando on May 11.
Ben and Vicki Cagle Lead Young Farmer Committee Cherokee County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chairman Ben Cagle and his wife, Vicki, are serving a second year as chairs of the 2019 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. The Cagles raise cattle and welcome the public to their farm near Ball Ground, where they provide a variety of agritourism experiences and host special events. Theyre also developing a commercial sheep operation. On the committee, the Cagles represent the GFB 1st District, which includes farm bureaus in Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, Walker, and Whitfield counties.The committee oversees GFBs young farmer and rancher activities, including the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference on Jekyll Island in July, the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet, Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture competitive events, the Picture Georgia in Agriculture photo contest, and the Harvest for All campaign. The GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers program provides leadership development as well as educational and social opportunities for farmers between the ages of 18 and 35. With 158 county offices, the GFB is the states largest general farm organization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, state, and national activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors.
Canton Farmers Market Seeks Vendors Are you interested in applying to be a vendor at the 2019 Canton Farmers Market? Visit CantonGa.gov to view rules and download an application. The 2019 season begins May 11 in Cannon Park in downtown Canton and runs through October 12. Hours are 9:00am-1:00pm. The Canton Farmers Market accepts only locally grown (Georgia) quality products and handmade crafts, including the following items: Fruits, vegetables, and herbs Fresh eggs Baked goods (fresh baked) Meats, seafood, and cheese Honey Specialty foods, oils, vinegars, and spices Canned items Pasta Locally grown plants and fresh-cut field and garden flowers Georgia arts and handmade crafts Gardening and cookbooks Canton Farmers Market promotes local farmers and artisans. All produce is Georgia grown and mostly organic. The market features cooking demonstrations, kids activities, and music. For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Canton Welcomes New Downtown Development Manager Velinda Hardy was recently announced as the City of Cantons first ever downtown development manager. Her first official day with the City was March 20. She will be focused on serving downtown Canton as an ambassador and relationship builder to improve economic growth and development.Hardy is charged with working directly with Cantons Main Street Board and Downtown Development Authority, guiding downtown development growth through the Main Street Approach, relying on concentrated efforts in raising awareness of the central business district, building opportunities for investment by private partners, seeking ways to expand job growth and retail offerings for the community, working with other City staff in developing events and activities that showcase downtown Canton, and positioning Canton for quality growth.Im excited about the opportunity to join the team in Canton, said Hardy. In each community Ive served, my focus has always been how to grow and strengthen the people and economy, and I cannot wait to hit the ground running for downtown Canton.With a background of 14 years in Main Street, working with tourism and Chambers of Commerce, Hardy has a strong track record as an advocate for businesses and entrepreneurs.
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Receives 2018 Optimas Awards Cherokee County Board of Commissioners recently received two Workforce magazine Optimas Awards. The Board achieved the Gold Award in Benefits and the Silver Award in Business Impact. The prestigious awards program, now in its 28th year, recognizes companies that achieve successful measurable business outcomes through visionary and impactful human resources initiatives. Thirty-one companies were named winners from this years pool of nominees. For over 28 years, weve seen companies place increasing importance on human resources initiatives, realizing the potential a strong HR department can have on business growth, said Rick Bell, editorial director of Workforce magazine. This years finalists stand out in an ever-expanding field of qualified nominees, and were pleased to see so many organizations using innovative HR practices to improve their business.For more information on the 2018 Optimas Award recipients, visit Workforce.com/2018/10/22/2018-optimas-awards/.
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