BOC Lowers Millage Rate The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners (BOC) unanimously lowered the overall BOC-controlled millage rate from the 2022 rates.At its August 1 meeting, the Board approved (5-0) setting the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) rate at 4.954 mills, the Fire District rate at 2.764 mills, and the Parks Bond at 0.319 mills for a total BOC-controlled rate of 8.037 mills. District 1 Commissioner Steve West made the motion, which was seconded by District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter.The approval also included ratifying the rates set by the Board of Education, which were 16.45 mills for the School Board M&O rate and 1.5 mills for the School Board Bond rate.More than 60% of residential property owners in Cherokee County will see lower tax bills this fall due to lower BOC-controlled rates and a one-time state rebate. In addition to the $5,000 standard homestead exemptions, homestead property values are frozen for the county (M&O) tax when homestead applications are filed. The State of Georgia is using excess funds in state coffers to provide property tax relief to homestead qualifying property owners, equaling a reduction of $18,000 on the property’s assessed value.
Cherokee County School District Announcements Woodstock ES Student Wins Youth Entrepreneur AwardFifth-grader Eli Fox received the 2023 Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. The award recognized the outstanding business plan he created and then carried out for the Chamber’s Lemonade Day Cherokee County entrepreneurship program.Through the program, students in grades 3-5 were invited to learn about business by creating their own lemonade stand. For his “Eli’s Hero Lemonade” stand, Eli developed a business plan that included investors and paid employees. He sold several varieties of lemonade as well as frozen lemonade, Arnold Palmers (lemonade with sweet tea) and snacks at his stand. He raised more than $500 through sales at his stand, which he set up at The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstock. Grant Award Funds Rowing Addition for PE ProgramsThe Concept2, Inc. Erg Ed grant, valued at $45,000, was awarded to CCSD by the George Pocock Rowing Foundation through a competitive application process. Only two school districts nationwide were selected for the award, which includes a set of 20 Concept2 rowing machines and adaptive equipment, curriculum, and teacher training.As a result of the grant, all CCSD middle schools and ACE Academy will add a two-week rowing unit to their PE classes this school year. Erg Ed is a classroom-based indoor rowing education program that teaches students rowing fundamentals on Concept2 RowErg machines. The curriculum emphasizes not only rowing but also goal setting and teamwork. This past summer, teachers began participating in Learn to Row training, offered locally by the Allatoona Rowing Association, which is partnering with CCSD on the new initiative.JROTC Instructors Win Top Honors Etowah HS Air Force JROTC program lead instructor Lt. Col. (retired) Stephen Bergey (below) and instructor Technical Sgt. (retired) Ciarra Malto (right) have earned 2023 AFJROTC Outstanding Instructor Awards, which honor top AFJROTC teachers who are considered the “Best of the Blue” for their success in teaching and engaging their cadets in community service.Last school year, Lt. Col. Bergey earned the 2022 Overall AFJROTC Instructor of the Year award out of more than 1,900 AFJROTC instructors worldwide. The program also recently earned an overall unit assessment score of Exceeds Standards, the highest rating available and which ranks it in the top 12% worldwide. Career Pathway Program for Teaching Profession Expanded CCSD has earned a competitive Cultivating Teachers grant from the Georgia Department of Education. It is one of 38 school districts selected statewide, and it earned the highest level of award at $10,000.The funding will help the district with its plan to add a Career Pathway program in Teaching as a Profession at Etowah HS for the 2024-25 school year. CCSD offers 38 Career Pathway programs districtwide to prepare students for a wide variety of vocations including offering industry certifications (more information is available at CherokeeK12.net/career-technical-agriculture-education). The Teaching as a Profession program is offered at Creekview, River Ridge, and Sequoyah High Schools, and the related Early Childhood Education program is offered at Cherokee and Woodstock High Schools. The new program will fill the gap at Etowah HS to ensure its students interested in careers in teaching and education also have a Career Pathway option. Upon successful completion of one of the two teaching Pathways, passage of the End of Pathway exam, and submission of an appropriate portfolio of work, students are awarded three college credit hours by the University System of Georgia and guaranteed an interview with CCSD upon graduating from college and earning professional certification. Sequoyah Student Wins National Video Production ScholarshipJunior Noah Popp earned a $5,000 Student Scoreboard Scholarship from Formetco Sports in recognition of his success using the company’s video LED scoreboard technology to make school football games and other events more engaging. He also was tapped to advise the company this school year as its high school student engagement manager. Popp is a third-year student in Sequoyah’s Career Pathway program for AV, Technology, and Film led by teacher Brad Mann.
Over $145,000 Raised for CCSD High Schools Through Jeep Raffle Cherokee County School District (CCSD) high schools raised more than $145,000 this year selling $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 2021 Jeep Wrangler, donated by Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Canton. After the high schools sold more than 29,000 tickets to hopeful future Jeep owners, Lynn Cole of Ball Ground was the lucky winner!For the past four years, Shottenkirk has donated a Jeep Wrangler to raise money for athletics and fine arts programs. All raffle proceeds go directly to the schools. Of the six CCSD high schools, River Ridge sold the most tickets this year — 6,923, raising more than $34,000 for its programs. In addition to donating a new vehicle for the annual fundraiser raffle, Shottenkirk also provides the CCSD Teacher of the Year with a one-year lease on the vehicle of his/her choice. In all, Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has raised or donated more than $1 million for CCSD schools.
Cherokee Chamber Announces 2021 Teen Leadership Class Seventeen high school sophomores were recently selected as members of Cherokee Chamber’s 20th annual Teen Leadership Cherokee (TLC). The students, all of whom live in Cherokee County, were asked to submit an in-depth application that included their school and community involvement as well as a video answering the question “Why should I be selected for Teen Leadership Cherokee?” Local business leaders reviewed the applications and videos before selecting the class. TLC students are Bethany Akinola, North Cobb Christian; Nandita Bipin, River Ridge; Ryan Britt, Sequoyah; Lilly Carter, Creekview; Eli Cook, Creekview; Miriam Cousin, Woodstock; Madison Hawthorne, Cherokee; Isaac Martin, Creekview; Jay McCord, River Ridge; Summer McCoy, Cherokee; Deesha Panchal, Etowah; Ila Prabhuram, Etowah; Haley Roberson, Cherokee; Andrew Solano, Cherokee; Clay Tucker, Sequoyah; Jack Tucker, Sequoyah; and Milan Yadav, Woodstock. After being named to the class, students attended an orientation with their parents followed by a retreat. Over the course of two months, the students participate in four sessions and complete an individual project that addresses topics such as community involvement, economic and educational responsibility, personal development, and team building. At the conclusion of the program, the class is honored at a graduation ceremony.
CCSD Students Continue To Top National, State Averages on AP Exams (2) For the 11th consecutive year, Cherokee County School District (CCSD) high schools have earned top honors for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs and performance that continues to exceed national and state averages.All CCSD high schools were named Georgia 2021 AP Honor Schools for exceptional student performance and participation on AP exams, which offer students more challenging coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit. Overall, CCSD students who took the exam earned passing scores of three or higher on 72% of the 4,640 tests administered last school year, as compared to 61% for Georgia and 59% nationwide. In looking specifically at the Class of 2020, including those who did not take AP courses or exams, 32% of all CCSD graduates scored at least a three or higher on one exam or more, as compared to 23% for Georgia and 24% nationwide. Assuming each passing AP exam equals one college course, these students save significantly on the cost of college, translating to an overall $4.4 million savings in Georgia in-state college tuition.“Despite the obstacles faced during their final weeks of school last spring, our high school students triumphed on their AP exams. We’re so proud of their success and the dedication of their teachers who rose to the challenges of teaching them remotely last spring,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “Offering our college-bound students a wide variety of AP courses is an important preparation for their future success, and these results affirm the value of our community’s investment.”
River Ridge HS Student Wins State Science Poster Contest River Ridge HS senior Riley Herrick earned top honors in the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts’ competition to promote conservation education.The annual contest, which is open to all Georgia students in kindergarten through 12th grade, is part of the organization’s Stewardship Program that teaches students how to best protect and support natural resources. The theme was “Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?” with a goal of educating students and the community about the importance of pollinators. Herrick’s award-winning poster, which highlights facts about bees in a mixed-media design, will now advance to the National Association of Conservation Districts’ competition.
E.T. Booth MS Educator Wins CCSD Media Specialist of the Year Award E.T. Booth MS media specialist Amanda Graves doesn’t wait for students to visit her library. She dons a biker vest and peddles a custom tricycle down the school’s halls to deliver books to them as the “Book Biker.” She stocks a vending machine inside the school with books, instead of snacks, to feed their hunger for knowledge. She fills a Little Free Lending Library on the school’s campus with books students can borrow at any hour. She surprises them by appearing in costume — an inflatable T-Rex among the most memorable — to promote books’ power to spark imagination and joy.“She is one of the most creative individuals I have had the pleasure of working with,” Principal Todd Sharrock said. “There is never a dull moment with Mrs. Graves at the helm.”Her incredible enthusiasm for literacy and dedication to the learning of her students and colleagues alike led to the recent announcement that she is the Cherokee County School District’s (CCSD) 2021 Media Specialist of the Year. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower made the surprise presentation to Graves, who now advances to represent CCSD in the regional competition, from which she could move on to the state contest. “Amanda is a dreamer and a doer,” Dr. Hightower said. “She not only embeds creativity in all she does, but she also backs it up with knowledge gained from her years of experience and studies in her field. This honor comes as no surprise to me, as it is much deserved and overdue.” Graves was selected from a pool of outstanding nominees by a judging committee of retired educators and community leaders.“I believe that student engagement is more than walking between the bookshelves,” Graves said. “It is my vision that media specialists and media centers have the ability to be a true change agent within their schools.”
Nine CCSD Graduates Earn Business Association Scholarships The Towne Lake Business Association awarded $500 scholarships to students from high schools in its membership area. Students were honored for success in Entrepreneurial, Leadership, and Work Based Learning. The honorees are: Etowah HS Rachel Hugenberg - EntrepreneurialJenna Doran - LeadershipMelissa Alvarenga - Work Based Learning River Ridge HS Madison Todle - EntrepreneurialDylan Gallien - LeadershipEleyna Gonzalez - Work Based Learning Woodstock HS Andrew Mune - EntrepreneurialVincent Palmese - LeadershipDJ Henderson Jr. - Work Based Learning
CCSD Superintendent Presents Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower recently presented the first of four annual Game Changer Awards, which recognize excellence in instruction. The Game Changer award for Instructional Support was awarded posthumously to the late Dr. Rouel Belleza and was accepted by his wife, Ellie. Dr. Belleza passed away in November after a two-year battle with gastric cancer. He served as CCSD’s first supervisor of student services in the Office of School Operations and, in this role, laid the groundwork for a future Virtual Academy program. He was also the architect of the CCSD’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative. “Rouel recognized early on that, while our primary mission is teaching and learning, effective instruction can’t happen if we neglect the mental health and well-being of our students and staff,” Dr. Hightower said. “His work has saved the lives of at-risk students, and that’s a legacy that will live on for generations.”
Cherokee County Educational Foundation Awards $56K in Grants The Cherokee County Educational Foundation (CCEF) kicked off the new school year by presenting teachers and support staff with $56,000 in grants. Since its 2012 formation, CCEF has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to support Cherokee County School District (CCSD) teachers, programs, and schools. “The Cherokee County Educational Foundation makes teachers’ dream projects a reality, and we’re incredibly grateful for the Foundation board, executive director, volunteers, sponsors, and donors who make its fundraising successful,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. The Foundation also supports initiatives including credit recovery scholarships for high school students, STEM learning, and the Teacher of the Year recognition program. These funds are raised through events as well as direct donations, which can be made online at CherokeeCountyEducationalFoundation.org.