Cherokee County Educational Foundation Annual Report 2022-23 [Georgia]

CHEROKEE COUNTY

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

2022-23 Annual Report

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

Colleagues and Friends,

board president

Offering a quality education for all students in the Cherokee County School District is the single most important path to a strong and prosperous future for our community. The Cherokee County Educational Foundation is a nonprofit group of committed volunteers who partner with our public schools to provide critical resources needed to continue delivering excellence in education for our students.

As president of our board of directors, I want to thank each of our donors and volunteers for their continued support and financial contributions, which make our work possible. Through that support, the Educational Foundation is able to award impact grants to our teachers and staff for ideas to educate, innovate, and celebrate our students. We are able to support professional development, as well as standards-based arts, science, mathematics, and special education programs. The Educational Foundation also provides grants to support Cherokee County’s Teacher of the Year, Partner of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year recognition programs.

I am honored to have served on the board of directors since 2012 and thankful I work for Northside Hospital Cherokee, an organization that values education as much as I do. Please join me in continuing to support a strong education for all students and to support our teachers and educators in the work they do. Our future working together is bright.

Sincerely,

Billy Hayes Northside Hospital Cherokee, CEO Cherokee County Educational Foundation, Board President

Billy Hayes, President, Northside HospitalCherokee Kevin Williams, Vice President, Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator Candler Howell, Treasurer, CCSD Retired Assistant Superintendent for Finance Kathy Strom, Secretary, Community Volunteer Brian Albrecht, President/Chief Executive Officer, Credit Union of Georgia Shuntel Beach, Community Volunteer Zach Blend, Goshen Valley Foundation Lori Burton, CCSD Parent

board of directors

Kyla Cromer, CCSD School Board Chair

Mike McGowan, CCSD Chief of Staff

Jennifer Davis, Cherokee County Juvenile Court Judge

Shawn Meade, Partner/Private Wealth Manager, Creative Planning

Arlene Dickerson, Technical Resource Solutions Randy Hall, President/CEO, Batson-Cook Construction

Peggy Moore, McClure Family Foundation Geoff Morton, Cherokee County Manager Kenneth Owen, CCSD Chief Financial Officer

Lisa-Marie Haygood, CCEF Executive Director

Abby Roach, Roach, Caudill & Frost, LLP

Dr. Brian V. Hightower, CCSD Superintendent of Schools

Jenny Spain, CCSD Retired Educator

Rebecca Johnston, Retired Editor, Cherokee Tribune Audrey Legrand, Cherokee County Council PTA President

Whitney Spear, Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations, Reinhardt University Dr. Gary Sullenger, Community Volunteer

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation (CCEF), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit private charity, is dedicated to supporting the students and staff of Cherokee County School District (CCSD) by promoting teaching, learning, and celebrating achievements.

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

how we

impact our schools

CCEF is dedicated to supporting the students and staff of the Cherokee County School District. Our goal is to provide opportunities for growth and innovation, while giving teachers and students the tools they need to make learning exciting. This happens through our Grant Program via a Rapid Grant or a Classroom Impact Grant.

The RAPID GRANT Program, available for up to $500, is open to all Cherokee County School District faculty and can be applied for throughout the year.

The CLASSROOM IMPACT GRANT Program, which occurs annually in the spring, awards Cherokee County School District teachers up to $2,500 for various classroom projects or items.

Thirty-five CCSD teachers were awarded Classroom Impact Grants in 2022-2023.

impact

The CCEF Grant program has funded a wide variety of needs including STEM projects, sensory equipment for special needs students, in-class field trips, and outdoor classrooms and gardens. Grants have also helped fund virtual reality headsets, theatrical rights for plays and productions, kindergarten transition packets, English language learning games, and a variety of other needs and projects.

by the numbers $146,904

2022–2023

A RECORD SETTING YEAR FOR FUNDRAISING, DONATIONS, AND GIVING

impact grants district wide

ccsd grants

$194,000 $36,444 $44,500

rapid grants legacy giving

2022–2023

$545,063 TOTAL REVENUE

INCOME OVERVIEW

$459,965

FUNDRAISING & EVENTS INCOME

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

#educate

(verb): give intellectual, moral, and social instruction to someone, especially a child, typically at a school or university

educate

GRANTS used to help educate our students and staff have included recycling, books for teachers to improve student reading and writing skills, HVAC training materials, musical instruments, items to create positive areas at school, items for school nurse support, and book bags of supplies for kindergartners to get ready for first grade over the summer.

#educate

A classroom Impact Grant was awarded to teacher Ty Casteel of Etowah High school to begin a career class for HVAC Training. Pictured with the newly funded brazing equipment are Level 3 students Chase Evans and Louis Ford.

Congratulations, Jami Stefano! Her Rapid Grant was approved to support our district wide nursing staff. Her grant will help support nurse appreciation, therefore maintaining job satisfaction and continuity of care for students and staff!

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

#innovate

(verb): make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products GRANTS used to help innovate have included R.M. Moore STEM Academy Dash & Lego Robots.

innovate

“Since receiving our new robotics equipment from our CCEF Impact Grant, our students are so intrigued by math and the various ways that it can control their creations.”

– David Cornn, R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy

#innovate

“Great way to start a Thursday this morning finding out I was awarded a $500 CCEF grant I applied for tech for students!!! #CCSD #CCEF #WildcatNation #macedoniaelementary” —Cody Thomas Congratulations to Mr. Furstenberg of Free Home Elementary! Mr. Furstenberg is a recipient of a #RapidGrant, where he will be using awarded funding to propel the STEM club to new heights!

Indian Knoll’s Marissa Williams won a CCEF grant to purchase a new 3D printer! Students will use the 3D printer to design and print their own 3D models as part of the culminating activities for some of our rigorous curriculum design English/Language Arts units.

Tina Plousis of Hickory Flat Elementary School has been granted funding for her request to provide code-learning tools for over 750 elementary students. The purpose of this grant is to help increase rigor in the curriculum and enhance problem solving skills, as well as teach the bright, young minds of CCSD about computer coding.

Ms. Deneka received a CCEF grant for her plan to create a paperless learning environment in her STEM curriculum. Her goal is to transform from STEM to STEAM by increasing the use of technology in her classes through Digital Drawing tablets. #BoothSTEM #FalconsFly

“Congratulations to Ms. Salvino on receiving a CCEF Grant for the Falcon Fuel Cart! We would also like to thank CCEF for all the foundation does for our school as well as our district.”

—E.T. Booth Middle School

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

#celebrate

celebrate

(verb): acknowledge a significant or happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity GRANTS that celebrate include:

•

Teacher of the Year

•

Support Staff of the Year

•

Partner/Volunteer of the Year

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School Bus Driver of the Year

•

School Nutrition Team of the Year

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Retirement Recognition Event

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Educators Hall of Fame

•

Scholars Banquet

•

Employee Milestones Recognition

•

Principals Meeting Breakfast

•

Student Advisor & Delegates Appreciation

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Academic Bowls

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Reading Bowl

•

ELL Students

•

Leadership Symposium

•

New Teacher Recruitment

#celebrate

#EducateInnovateCelebrate

community impacts the schools

legacy giving

how our

REACH GEORGIA SCHOLARS REACH Georgia is the state of Georgia’s first needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program. REACH directly addresses this critical need, generating opportunities for more Georgia students to enter the postsecondary education pipeline, and subsequently, for more college graduates to enter the diversified workforce of the future. An eighth-grader from each CCSD middle school has been selected as one of CCSD’s first REACH Georgia scholars.

DON STEVENS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP The Don Stevens Memorial Scholarship supports Cherokee County High School students who are pursuing their private pilot’s license. Mr. Stevens was a retired captain for Delta Airlines and the longtime chairman of the Cherokee County Airport Authority.

His family created the scholarship, with the assistance of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, to both honor his memory and help students with the expenses of training and obtaining their private pilot’s licenses.

fundraising & events

Chick-fil-A 5K Road Race

CCEF Golf Classic

CCEF Sporting Clays Classic

Celebration of Education Gala

Celebration of Education Gala

Education First Fund Realty Team

CCEF Pickleball Classic

T-shirt Contest & Sales

Chick-fil-A 5K Road Race

•

The Chick-fil-A 5K Road Race is held in August every year and is the largest 5K Peachtree qualifier in North Georgia!

•

Each October, CCEF hosts its fall fundraiser including the Golf Classic, Pickleball Classic, and Tennis Classic, all held on the same day.

•

The CCEF Annual T-Shirt Campaign offers some of the coolest spiritwear in town that is the perfect look for jean days for CCSD staff members.

•

Our annual Celebration of Education Gala, held in March every year, allows us to honor the CCSD Alumni of the Year, bring together 400 of our finest dressed friends including local celebrities, and raise funds for educational needs.

•

The CCEF Sporting Clays Classic brings together our outdoor enthusiasts for a day of summer clay pigeon throwing.

•

CCEF is also fortunate to be the beneficiary of events! EF2, the Education First Fund Realty Team, is a local real estate group that hosts an annual golf tournament to help raise funds for CCEF.

executive director

Dear Supporters,

CCEF was founded in 2012 to ensure that the students, teachers, and staff of the Cherokee County School District would always have access to the resources and innovation that would ensure excellence in our public schools.

Strong public schools are part of the very backbone that makes our Cherokee County community such a desirable place for children to live, learn, and grow. Great schools attract strong businesses, desirable job opportunities, better infrastructure like parks and roads, and in turn better access to medical care, entertainment, and strong home and property values.

I have had the opportunity to serve this Foundation as Executive Director now for six years, and the support and growth we have enjoyed from this community has been both exciting and humbling. Our events have grown in size and impact year over year, and our ability to support our schools has also continued to grow.

leadership

Since the beginning of this school year, we have already awarded more than 35 Rapid Grants, and funded more than sixty-five thousand dollars for district wide school initiatives like Support Staff of the Year, New Teacher Recruitment, as well as Elementary and Middle School Academic Bowls.

New to us this year, the Foundation has committed to annually funding the Georgia REACH Scholars Program for Cherokee County that identifies bright and talented students in middle school grades that often would be the first in their family to attend college. Each middle school will have a scholar identified, and that student will receive a mentor to facilitate their academic and personal success. The program supports their success through high school graduation and leads them on to secondary studies in a public college or university in Georgia with a fully funded academic scholarship.

We are extremely excited about the growth and demand we are seeing for our events, grants, and outreach. We are thankful for the continued support of this community, and welcome you to share your time, talents, and resources with us to continue ensuring the excellence of our CCSD schools.

Sincerely,

Lisa-Marie Haygood CCEF Executive Director

r

corporate/organizations

supporters

1885 Grill A-1 Hydration Station ABM Allegro Business Products, LLC Amie Chambers Real Estate Art Plumbing Company Batchelor & Kimball Batson-Cook Construction Big Door Vineyards Blue Ribbon Builders Bruce Swanson, Keller Williams C & K Paving Contractors, Inc. Capture Every Moment Photography Carriage Kia Carroll Daniel Construction Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners Cherokee Floor Covering Chick-fil-A Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta City of Canton, GA Cobb EMC Community Foundation Corporate Office Furniture Credit Union of Georgia Croft and Associates, Inc. Dean Woodall Homes

individuals 10,000+ Dr. Toby Carmichael 5,000+ Keith Stevens Lila Stevens 2,000+ Brandon Beach Zack Bobo Barbara & Brent Coleman Kyla & Randy Cromer Randy Gravley Art Guilfoil Wanda & Billy Hayes Garry Haygood

Delta 1 Land Surveying Dick’s Sporting Goods Donnelly Custom Homes EF2 Realty Team El Ranchero Family Life Publishing Georgia Chiropractic & Massage Georgia Platinum Mortgage Georgia Power Co. Georgia Specialty Contractors Golf Carts of Canton Goodwin Investment Advisory Goshen Valley Foundation Guaranteed Seamless Gutters Heart & Hands Therapy Services HRD Architects Inglett and Stubbs Ivy Brook Academy Jason T. Dickerson Family Foundation Karen Lance, Better Home & Gardens Realty Knox Bridge Dental Care LGE Community Credit Union Mallory and Evans Manley, Spangler & Smith Architects McClure Family Foundation

Dr. Brian V. Hightower Sue & Dr. Brian V. Hightower Windy Korn Karen Lance Kelly Poole Cameron Whaley Gwen & Kevin Williams Chelsea Winters 1,000+ Lindsey & Brian Albrecht Armetrice Cabine Jerry Cooper Jennifer Davis James Drinkard Michelle & Travis Durham

Kristi Estes Laura & Donald French Janet & Randy Hall Mike Hennessy Shelly & Candler Howell Rebecca & Harry Johnston Shanie & Victor McCarty Nicole & Shawn Meade Linda & Jim Perry Sally Sims Whitney Spear Cristal & Steve Stancil Michelle & Roger Weyant Coy Williams 500+ Charlice & Mike Byrd

MSSA-PBK Newcomb Boyd N.J. Wilbanks Construction Group North Georgia CPA Northside Heart & Vascular Northside Hospital-Cherokee O’Brien Productions Orange Theory Perkins and Will Architects Pinnacle Orthopedics Pope & Howard Law Firm Pope High School Prestige Medical Group Reinhardt University Roach, Caudill & Gunn, LLP Searched Marketing Silverton Mortgage Southeast Restoration Group Summit Surgical Partners Technical Resource Solutions, LLC Thomas and Brown, LLC Universal Alloy Corporation USB Woodstock CDJR

Robb Epstein Don Hausfield Scott Manwaring Diana Ruslin

Lisa-Marie Haygood Amanda Huet Audrey Legrand Mike McGowan Peggy Moore

200+ Shuntel Beach Zach Blend Lori Burton Amie Chambers Dr. Norman Colby Jennifer Davis Arlene Dickerson Dr. Ollie Evans Rebekah & Mike Gibson Sarah & Todd Hayes

Geoff Morton Kenneth Owen Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison Larry Singleton Jenny Spain Kathy Strom Dr. Gary Sullenger Harriet Sutton Susan Treadway Patricia Wallace

mission & purpose The Cherokee County Educational Foundation was created to raise funds and awareness to support continued excellence in all classrooms and schools of the Cherokee County School District. We fund innovative and creative learning opportunities and celebrate the achievements of the students and staff of our award-winning school district.

CHEROKEE COUNTY

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION P.O. Box 4754, Canton, GA 30114 | (770) 704-4213 | ccefga.org