The Atlanta Educator Fall 2009 — 21
Elementary schools Bolton Academy
Superintendent Kathy Cox also recognized Jackson for academic achievement and improved performance on state standardized tests.
Physical education and Spanish teacher Julio Blanco of Bucaramanga, Colombia, returns to the award-winning Homework Hotline (678-553-3029) for a second year. Blanco helps students with questions on everything from math and social studies to, of course, Spanish.
E. Rivers
Boyd
Scott
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception kicked off Boyd’s partnership with Target’s Buckhead South location.
Teacher Lorrae Walker spent her summer in Dominica with Carter G. Woodson Elementary teacher Charon Kirkland, where they studied ecology and tropical conservation through Fund for Teachers.
Morris Brandon Crossing guard Courtney Turner and Brandon students were featured in WXIA/11Alive education reporter Donna Lowry’s “Class Notes” segment celebrating International Walk to School Day. The event celebrates exercising and walking to school. Students also created “Bee a Walker” posters.
Garden Hills Garden Hills hosted a Jumpstart Read for the Record event, highlighted by Principal Amy Wilson reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.
Grove Park Parents of K-5 students attended math “Make and Take” workshops in October. Teachers provided hands-on activities to help parents assist with math homework assignments that address Georgia Performance Standards.
Jackson Jackson was one of six APS elementary schools to make 80-89 percent of their district performance targets during 2008-09. Georgia Schools
Teacher Terri Dunson spent the summer working on wildlife conservation in China through a fellowship from Fund for Teachers. Here at home, Rivers’ Culinary Garden Club was featured in the Atlanta JournalConstitution with APS parent and acclaimed chef Linton Hopkins.
ATLANTA SRT-4
Middle Schools Pettis read to pre-kindergarteners, while kindergarten teachers and Media Specialist Allaenna Williams developed a special presentation for students.
Usher/Collier Heights
Sarah Smith Performance artist and success coach MK Mueller, aka “The Gratitude Guru,” read her latest book, 8 to Great: The Powerful Process for Positive Change to students. Mueller, author of Taking Care of Me: The Habits of Happiness, inspired students, teachers and parents during her visit.
F.L. Stanton Fourth-graders hopped aboard Georgia State University’s BioBus for a session on “Water in the Environment.” The program provides hands-on activities about the importance of water. Stanton also is home to several academic clubs. Secondthrough fifth-grade students in the Breakfast Club discuss literature, while the History Club allows thirdthrough fifth-grade students to conduct research, create media presentations, reenact historical events and take field trips to historical sites.
Towns More than 360 students participated in the October Jumpstart Read for the Record campaign. Principal Carla
size, geography or demographics, all students can achieve at high levels.” Woodson joins other APS winners, including F.L. Stanton and Venetian Hills Elementary.
Usher/Collier Heights was featured in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story about APS wellness and nutrition programs. “Two years ago, I was making more pizzas,” cafeteria manager Katrina Church said in the article, which noted that students select healthy options when they are available. “Now I’m making more salads and turkey sandwiches.”
White Benita Edwards received $1,000 in school supplies during a surprise visit from OfficeMax employees. The donation was part of the company’s “A Day Made Better” program. The fifth-grade reading and English/Language Arts teacher also has received Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox’s award for improvement in fifth-grade reading scores on the CriterionReferenced Competency Tests (CRCTs).
Carter G. Woodson Woodson is the latest APS institution recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said Woodson and other Georgia winners “are outstanding examples of how high expectations and hard work can lead to outstanding student achievement. These schools show that, regardless of a school’s
of the Atlanta Police Department and a school detective for Atlanta Public Schools for more than 16 years, designed and created a photography club for students. He also provided students with a memorable experience, sponsoring a limousine ride to the first-annual Caring for Others gala at the Fox Theatre.
Sutton
B.E.S.T. Academy During a monthly Meeting of the Minds assembly, school administrators and members of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta recognized September’s outstanding students: Mykael Riley, Melvin Gullatt, Sherrod Brackins, Joel Osley, Marcell Freeman, DeShawn Waller, Frederick Williams, Brandon Neely, Crispus Hendrix, Tabias Wimby, Mykeal Davis, Bernard Brown, Kaleb Anderson, Alec Robinson, Marcus Strickland, Christopher Wright, Monterrius Brown, John Rogers, Tocorius Rose, Stormy Jenkins, Nathaniel Colbert and Amadou Bah. Also, the Atlanta Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women celebrated eighth-grade history teacher Patia Odom-Mitchell for her work as an “Unsung Heroine.” Odom-Mitchell founded Dreams, a mentoring program that provides cultural outings and volunteer opportunities from middle school through a student’s junior year in college.
Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Margot James Copeland, vice president of The Links, Inc., served as the first guest speaker of the school year. Copeland encouraged students to do their best, remain focused on their education and develop lifelong relationships. As a community partner to CSKYWLA, The Links works to further its mission of enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans.
Harper-Archer Officer V. Campbell, a 17-year veteran
Sutton launched its No Place For Hate campaign with an assembly on Sept. 30. Sponsored by the AntiDefamation League, the campaign helps students, faculty and staff focus on eliminating bias and bullying. Teachers nominated 12 students to serve as event hosts on the Positive Action Committee.
Turner Turner was the only APS middle school to meet 80 to 89 percent of its district performance targets. Next year, faculty and staff plan to aim higher — meeting 90 to 99 percent of Turener’s performance targets.
High Schools Douglass Douglass Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing (HTM) teacher Tonya Fulton and Academy Leader Stephanie Bailey will create a “HTM Career Laboratory,” with $30,000 from the Michael Jordan Grant Foundation. The career lab will help students compete for positions in the tourism industry, while offering skills aligned with Georgia Performance Standards.
North Atlanta Reginald Colbert, coordinator of the Center for the Arts, and his wife, Sutton Middle School teacher Natalie Colbert, attended the Verbier Festival in the Swiss Alps through a Fund for Teachers grant. The dynamic duo studied ways to incorporate master classes into their schools’ curriculum.
TALK UP APS: SHARE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE DISTRICT BY DAVID LEE SIMMONS Atlanta Public Schools’ journey to excellence is being built on a path of singular accomplishments, high honors and teachable moments. Here are a few more reasons to be proud of APS. Please share the good news. Celebrating an icon: The Rev. Dr. Joseph L. Lowery celebrated his 88th birthday with his annual lecture series in October after being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom over the summer. Lowery welcomed keynote speaker Judge Penny Brown Reynolds and senior-high students from APS. Top team: APS’ Special Olympics master’s level softball team won the state championship held in early October in Statesboro. The winning team was comprised of student athletes from North Atlanta and Mays high schools, and the Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI). The team coaches are Patricia Merkerson from BDI, Lisa Oglesby and Mike Slack from North Atlanta High, and pitching coach Wendell Hale from Washington High School, who was an integral part of the team’s success. Student chaperones included Dondra Perkins, Natalie Jefferson and Mike Sullivan. The APS Program for Exceptional Children Special Olympics is under the direction of Regina Gennaro.
GET CONNECTED
APS’ communications department launched a series of new-media initiatives.The department became the second in the metro Atlanta area to set up a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/apsupdate), and followed that by transforming its district newsletter — Talk Up APS — into a blog that is updated hourly and can be found at www.TalkUpAPS.com. APS now has 500 followers on Twitter and an average of 250 daily page views on TalkUpAPS.com.
High-performing district: APS students continued to demonstrate academic growth as 80 percent of the district’s schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the federal benchmark under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Also, 92 percent of the elementary schools and 88 percent of the middle schools made AYP. According to the Georgia Department of Education, APS is closing the gap with the state.
Dr. Hall discusses journey to excellence: Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall participated in a panel discussion on “Achieving Teacher and Principal Excellence: Are We Making the Grade?” hosted by The Philanthropy Roundtable and the Southeast Council of Foundations at the Loudermilk Center in September.
It’s time to Be There: Dr. Hall also joined 13 other Georgia school district leaders for the launch of Be There. This national multimedia campaign inspires parents/guardians to become more involved in their children’s education. World-class educators: Three APS educators — Dr. Shirlene B. Carter, principal at Maynard H. Jackson High School; Dr. Tonya Saunders, former principal of Toomer Elementary; and Dr. Lisa West, model teacher leader with the Office of High Schools — joined a delegation of 400 who traveled to China this summer to expand Chinese-language programs in U.S. schools. The Chinese Bridge Delegation trip was sponsored by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters in partnership with The College Board. Jumpstart to Success: Incoming freshmen at APS got a sneak preview of their high school experience during the “Jumpstart to Success” Summer Academy at the district’s high schools and small learning communities. Jumpstart to Success allows APS students to meet administrators and teachers who will work with them during the new school year, become familiar with the physical layout of their high school campus, take core courses and gain tips on effective study habits.