School District Honors Partners, Volunteers of the Year

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CANTON, GA -- On Tuesday, the Cherokee County School District celebrated its top school community partners and volunteers at the third annual CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony.

The ceremony, held at Creekview High School, recognized a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center and then made the surprise announcement of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year selected from that pool of candidates.

The Rotary Club of Canton, the Canton Elementary School STEM Academy Partner of the Year, was named the district's 2016 Partner of the Year, and Danielle Sones, the Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy Volunteer of the Year, was named the system's 2016 Volunteer of the Year.

“We would not be the nationally renowned, award-winning organization that we are today without your support,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower told the crowd of 75 honorees and their guests. “When I was a classroom teacher, seeing the support of partners and volunteers made a difference to me. As I became a school administrator, a district administrator and today, as superintendent of schools, the value of that support has grown even more meaningful. We receive tens of thousands of volunteer hours, just as many dollars through fundraisers and likely just as many cookies and casseroles, because you care. I see what you do, I appreciate what you do and I thank you.”

Tuesday’s recognition ceremony was sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to raise funds and awareness for CCSD that has already awarded more than $120,000 in grants.

Following the surprise announcements of Partner and Volunteer of the Year award recipients, excerpts were read from the nomination letters submitted by the principals of the schools that they support.

The Rotary Club of Canton was praised for its eager willingness to volunteer and to raise funds for grants to the school so far totaling $12,000, which have provided monies for field trips, the creation of an aquaponics lab and, this year, the construction of a MakerSpace.

“We are so blessed by the time they devote to our students, as well as innovative projects at Canton Elementary School STEM Academy,” Canton ES STEM Academy Principal Beth Long said of the Club. “Peter Gleichman remains in constant communication and is always asking, ‘What can we do?’ ‘What do you need?’ ‘How can we help?’ He is always the first person we think of if we need volunteers for an activity of event. The Club is always on hand at Read for the Record in October and Read Across America in March. Several members serve weekly during the Reading Buddies program we offer to our most at-risk students each morning. The Rotary Club of Canton continually goes above and beyond to spend valuable time with our students, but they also provide monetary donations in the form of grants to allow us to bring the latest and greatest innovation projects to our children. These donations bring the world to our doorstep and allow our students to have real-life experiences that they may not otherwise have.”

PTA Co-President Danielle Sones chose Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy for her children, so they could experience a diverse school family. She volunteers to ensure that the school and its teachers have as much support as possible to meet all the challenges they face serving a school with higher populations of students in need.

“Mrs. Sones truly inspires those who work alongside her,” Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Izell McGruder said of Ms. Sones. “She is a passionate leader who spreads the passion ‘to work’ to others. She is not afraid of challenges, understanding the many that Title I schools face. She is a motivator, teaches others and knows how to effectively delegate. She takes risks by trying new things. If it doesn’t work, she simply regroups and tries again. She demonstrates a sense of urgency around advocacy for at-risk kids and has the courage to protect our community from misconceptions and untruths. Mrs. Sones would tell you that she is just an ordinary person with a heart for service. We at Hasty feels that she may be an ordinary person, but one who is doing extraordinary things.”

CCSD 2015-16 SCHOOL PARTNERS OF THE YEAR

Arnold Mill ES: Woodstock Walmart Supercenter; Avery ES: Adams Sports Instructions; Ball Ground ES STEM Academy: Ball Ground Business and Community Association; Bascomb ES: Publix at Rose Creek Shopping Center; Boston ES: Cobb EMC; Canton ES STEM Academy: The Rotary Club of Canton; Carmel ES: Family Eye Clinic at Towne Lake; CCSD Preschool Centers: Joseph Daniel Howard Foundation; Cherokee HS: Chart Industries; Clark Creek ES STEM Academy: Dairy Queen of Acworth; Clayton ES: Reinhardt University; Creekland MS: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at RiverStone Plaza; Creekview HS: Chick-fil-A of Canton; Dean Rusk MS: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at RiverStone Plaza; ET Booth MS: Chick-fil-A of Towne Lake; Etowah HS: Seasonal Designs Landscaping; Free Home ES: Cherokee Shrine Club; Freedom MS: Cherokee County Water & Sewerage Authority; Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Heritage Baptist Church; Hickory Flat ES: Huntington Learning Center; Holly Springs ES STEM Academy: Holly Springs Walmart; Indian Knoll ES: Johnny’s New York Style Pizza of Hickory Flat; Johnston ES: Chick-fil-A Dwarf House of Woodstock; Knox ES: Northside Hospital-Cherokee; Liberty ES: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at RiverStone Plaza; Little River ES: Woodstock Walmart Supercenter; Macedonia ES: Moss Family Chiropractic; Mill Creek MS: Woodstock Walmart Supercenter; Mountain Road ES: Domino’s of Hickory Flat; Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy: Hillcrest Baptist Church; R.M. Moore ES: Reinhardt University; River Ridge HS: Superior Plumbing; Sequoyah HS: Tenacious Tea, Alpharetta Beverage Company; Sixes ES: Hopewell Baptist Church; Teasley MS: Publix at RiverStone Plaza; Woodstock ES: Sojourn Church; Woodstock HS: The Premier Group, Keller Williams Realty Partners; and Woodstock MS: Chick-fil-A of Towne Lake

CCSD 2015-16 SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Arnold Mill ES: Barbara Graves; Avery ES: Carrie Gilliam; Ball Ground ES STEM Academy: Carolyn Timcoe; Bascomb ES: Matt Mascuch; Boston ES: Amy Keeton; Canton ES STEM Academy: Clara Mae and Gus Van Brink; Carmel ES: Gillian Mims; CCSD Preschool Centers: Toby Sklar; Cherokee HS: April Luth; Clark Creek ES STEM Academy: Cassandra Hazelwood; Clayton ES: Teresa Dangar; Creekland MS: Jimmy Wilson; Dean Rusk MS: Monica Orrico; ET Booth MS: Kelly Covington; Etowah HS: Shannon Bates; Free Home ES: Ken Lightsey; Freedom MS: Clara Mae Van Brink; Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Danielle Sones; Hickory Flat ES: Suzy Griffes; Holly Springs ES STEM Academy: Darci Turnage; Indian Knoll ES: Mary Robinson; Johnston ES: Natalie Dean; Knox ES: Amy Stegos; Liberty ES: Lauren Cook; Little River ES: Lelok Bessada; Macedonia ES: Tara Fuentes; Mill Creek MS: Gina Schmidt; Mountain Road ES: Cheryl Kunik; Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy: Peggy Davis; R.M. Moore ES: Karri Manning; River Ridge HS: Robert Houk; Sequoyah HS: Cassan Henley; Sixes ES: Greg Moffitt; Woodstock ES: Abby Wooten; Woodstock HS: Aimee Masters; and Woodstock MS: Margret O’Meara.

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Photo 1: Celebrating the Rotary Club of Canton as the Cherokee County School District 2015-16 Partner of the Year are, from left to right, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, Rotary Club of Canton Youth Services Chair Peter Gleichman, Canton ES STEM Academy Principal Beth Long and School Board Member Kelly Poole.
Photo 2: Celebrating Danielle Sones as the Cherokee County School District 2015-16 Volunteer of the Year are, from left to right, School Board Member Kelly Poole, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower, School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, Ms. Sones, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Izell McGruder and Parent Involvement Facilitator Gwen Freeman.
Photo 3: Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Izell McGruder hugs volunteer Danielle Sones after she is surprised with the news that she is the CCSD 2015-16 Volunteer of the Year.
Photo 4: Jenny Brooks, owner of Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at RiverStone Plaza, left, which was named the Partner of the Year for three CCSD schools, is congratulated by School Board Chair Kyla Cromer.
Photo 5: Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower speaks during the ceremony as School Board Member Kelly Poole, center, and Chair Kyla Cromer listen.
Photo 6: The Creekview High School JROTC presents the colors at the start of the ceremony.
Photo credits: Cherokee County School District