Cherokee Students Celebrate The Holidays, Give Back To Less Fortunate

Editor’s note: the following information was submitted by the Cherokee County School District

Students at schools throughout the Cherokee County School District recently participated in the Hour of Code, getting an introduction into the basics of computer science -- and learning about a possible career choice. Students could choose from game-based activities like Angry Birds or one featuring Anna and Elsa from the movie “Frozen,” or learn Java or drawing codes.

“I am really excited that so many of our students are being introduced to computer coding this week,” said Bobby Blount, CCSD Assistant Superintendent for Accountability, Technology and Strategic Planning. “Technology is so pervasive in every aspect of our daily lives, and it’s all driven by creative, innovative and visionary programming professionals. The industry is hungry for these individuals and if just a fraction of our students follow this career path, they will find a lucrative field filled with opportunity.”

Students in more than 180 countries participated in coding activities as part of the international event, learning about how computers do what we want them to do, when we want them to do it.

Photo 1: Knox Elementary School third- through fifth-graders learned the basics of computer coding by solving Angry Bird puzzles using block coding. From left to right, front table: Emily Geer, Lillie Cate Ergle, Eli Jones, Nicole Brown; back table: Landon Luster, Thomas Dragoone, Sarah Liebert and Liana Radchuck

Boston Elementary School

Boston Elementary School third-graders in teacher Paige Galbraith’s class celebrated the holiday season by listening to several versions of ‘The Gingerbread Boy’ story. The students then created their own gingerbread characters, including The Gingerbread Snowman, The Gingerbread Elf, The Gingerbread Penguin, and even The Gingerbread Cheerleader!

Photo 2: from left to right, front row: Holly Nazaroff, Holden McFate, Aidan Poole, Calvin Tribble, Jack Kennard; back row: Kiley Bowling, Bricen Peloquin, Jacob Taylor, Cayden Garner, Jeffery Meadows and Autumn Herrin.

Ball Ground Elementary School

Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy celebrated the holiday season with a school-wide assembly to mark the end of its successful Toys for Tots toy drive and canned food drive for families in need. The Giving Tree assembly included the display of the half-ton of food and 650 presents including bikes and scooters that were collected for charity, as well as a sing-a-long. Fifth-grader Mark Duncan called the 104.7 FM The Fish radio station during the drive to ask for the community’s help… and Heritage Plumbing heard the request and decided to help. Tommy and Lindsey Phillips, owners of the local business, contributed $300 to the drive.

Photo 3: Principal Dr. Keith Ingram and fifth-grader Mark Duncan tell students about the drive’s success.

Creekland Middle School

Creekland Middle School student groups spread the holiday spirit throughout the community this month with service-learning projects. The Student Council held a food drive to benefit MUST Ministries, with more than 22 boxes collected. The Junior Beta Club collected donations and made holiday cards for the children being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta during the holiday season. The Student Council also made holiday cards for the seniors living at Emeritus at Riverstone, and then delivered the cards and led a game of bingo at the assisted living center.

Photo 4: Students, from left to right, Aiden Ferreira, Wyatt Higgins and Kyle Johnston with a truckload of donations for MUST Ministries.

Woodstock Elementary School

Woodstock Elementary School recently received a donation of $1,625 in gift cards from Target to benefit students in need and their families.

“The school is appreciative to have organizations that come forward to help our students who might otherwise not have gifts this holiday season,” Principal Kim Montalbano said. “We are overwhelmed by the generosity and the spirit of giving which has been so openly displayed this holiday season at the school.”

Andy Triplitt, Store Team Leader in Smyrna, and Anthony Embrey, District Team Leader, recently presented the gift cards to the school’s front office staff for distribution to the families.

Photo 5: School Secretary Summer Fleming and Principal Kim Montalbano, Target Smyrna Team Store Leader Andy Triplitt and District Team Leader Anthony Embrey, and school Counselor Crista Sycks

Woodstock High School

Woodstock High School recently hosted a “Technology Smack Down” event in the media center for interested students and teachers to learn more about new instructional technology available for their use.

Cherokee County School District Instructional Technology Specialists taught some of the latest applications available including Pow Toon, Voicethread, Kahoot, Office Mix and Sway and OAS.

Photo 6: CCSD Instructional Technology Specialist Suzy Lolley teaches students about Kahoot!, an interactive quiz system.

Sequoyah High School

​The Sequoyah Innovation Zone’s annual MUST Ministries Thanksgiving Food Drive and Program collected enough donations to complete 269 holiday food boxes, with another eight large boxes of assorted non-perishable food donations. Boxes were donated by clubs, students and families from Sequoyah High School and its feeder middle and elementary schools.

The Sequoyah HS Junior ROTC program and teacher John Futral coordinated the packing and distribution of the food boxes. Sixty-two cadets donated 798 hours over three days to complete the work, which included manning distribution stations that were visited by 925 families (totaling more than 3,700 individuals). Each family was provided with a holiday food box, a turkey, bread and a pie.

Photo 7: Sequoyah HS Junior ROTC Cadets, from left to right, David Miller, Jamie Davis and Nicholas Gentile peek over some of the donations as they’re prepared for distribution.

Optimist Club Recognizes Students

Cherokee County School District students and employees recently were recognized at the South Cherokee Optimist Club’s Annual Youth Appreciation Awards Breakfast. The event recognizes high school students with disabilities with awards in several categories; two CCSD employees also are recognized with special awards. The Club honors middle school students with disabilities in the spring. Letitia Cline, who recently retired as Assistant Superintendent for Educational Programs, Student Support and Professional Development from CCSD after 30 years of service, was honored with the Excellence in Leadership Award. Creekview High School special education teacher Michelle Abdinoor was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Education Award.

The honored students are:

• Cherokee High School — Most Improved: Brayton Hunter
• Etowah High School — Most Improved: Kelsey Phillips
• River Ridge High School — Outstanding Achievement: Matthew Blalock
• Sequoyah High School — Most Improved: Victoria Wooldridge
• Tippens Educational Center — Positive Attitude and Most Improved: Ashley Reddick
• Transition Academy at Cherokee High School — Outstanding Achievement: David Gracia
• Transition Academy at Woodstock High School — Most Improved: Austin Garrett
• Woodstock High School — Positive Attitude and Outstanding Achievement: Ryan Hamburg

Woodstock Elementary School

Woodstock Elementary School’s Student Council recently conducted a holiday canned food drive, which collected more than 1,000 cans. The donations will be given to Mt. Zion Church Food Bank in Cherokee County for distribution to local families in need. Student Council members Catolina Larrotta and Karson Martin agreed to take pie in the face if their classmates met the goal of collecting 1,000 cans; the event will be taped and aired on the Wildcat student morning news show.

Photo 8: Student Council members Karson Martin, left, and Catolina Larrotta agreed to take pie in the face if their classmates met the goal of collecting 1,000 cans. They are shown here with principal Kim Montalbano.

31 Projects Head To Social Studies Fair

The Cherokee County School District’s 2014 Social Studies Fair attracted 116 projects, with 31 selected to advance to the Northwest Regional Social Studies Fair.

The Northwest Regional Fair, sponsored by the Georgia Council for the Social Studies, will be held on Feb. 28 at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw.

“This year’s quality projects were a reflection of the exciting student exploration of social studies in the areas of Sociology/Psychology, History, Anthropology, Economics, Geography and political Science,” said Jackie Miller, CCSD Supervisor for Professional/Staff Development. “Students presented projects, shared research and were interviewed by judges. They are to be commended for their excellent work!”

CCSD’s 2014 Social Studies Fair participants are listed by school in the attached chart; those projects advancing to the Regional Fair are noted with an “X.”

Photo 9: Yesoul Heo of Sequoyah HS placed first and earned a spot at the Regional Fair for ‘Story of Two Idoma.’

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy

Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo was the latest guest on “Mysteries of Life with Laney,” the popular student talk show at Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy.

The morning show, which is in its second year of production, is hosted by fourth-grader Laney Cline.

The Superintendent answered questions related to his childhood, his decision to become an educator, and his day-to-day work as Superintendent… including the popular question among students of when and how the decision is made to cancel school due to inclement weather. The Superintendent responded that safety is the top priority when making this decision.

The show’s next episode will air in the spring as part of the celebration of the school’s 10th anniversary.

Photo 10: Laney Cline interviews Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo.