Cobb school board candidates event slated for Mt. Bethel ES

After last week’s last-minute cancellation of a Cobb school board candidates forum, the Mt. Bethel Elementary School PTA has sent word that it has organized an event with the Post 6 competitors on Tuesday.Charisse Davis

That will be held from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the media center of Mt. Bethel ES (1210 Johnson Ferry Road).

The candidates are Scott Sweeney, a Republican incumbent from East Cobb who is completing his second term in office, and Democrat Charisse Davis, a first-time candidate from the Smyrna-Vinings area.

More about them, including links to their campaign websites, in a previous post hereScott Sweeney, Cobb school calendars

The Wheeler PTSA event that was to have taken place Thursday was called off due to a previously scheduled orchestral concert at East Cobb Middle School. Thursday also was Wheeler’s homecoming parade.

Post 6 includes all of the Walton and Wheeler high school attendance zones as well as some of the Campbell area.

The Mt. Bethel ES PTA is calling this a “meet and greet” event and not a formal forum. Light refreshments will be provided.

 

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Lassiter back stadium parking lot closing due to gym construction

Starting on Sunday, the Lassiter back stadium parking lot will be closed because of the start of construction for a new primary gymnasium.New Lassiter High School gym, Lassiter back stadium parking lot

Students were notified Thursday of the closure, which will affect more than student parking.

That lot is where student dropoffs and pickups also have taken place.

School officials said in their notice Thursday that all car riders must now be dropped off and picked up in front of the school.

Carpooling vehicles should “expect heavy delays” and those students being dropped off in the morning should allow for extra time to be on time for the start of the school day at 8:20 a.m.

As for student drivers, here’s more information that’s been shared about that:

  • Only park with decal;
  • Do not park in neighborhoods or area businesses;
  • Plan on heavy traffic delays. Leave at least 30 minutes earlier in the morning;
  • Only seniors should be parking in the school lots. All juniors must park at Harrison Park with a decal;
  • Any cars without decals may be ticketed and/or towed.

Construction updates are being provided on the Lassiter homepage.

The new gym, whose funding was approved last month by the Cobb Board of Education, is expected to be completed by next November.

The $15.66 million facility will include a capacity for 3,000 and will meet other specifications for new gyms in Cobb, similar to those recently opened at Pope and underway at Walton.

 

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Cobb Marching Band Exhibition kicks off next week

Walton band, Cobb marching band exhibition

All county high schools will be represented at the Cobb Marching Band Exhibition, starting next Monday, Oct. 8, and continuing the following Monday, Oct. 15.

The performances will all be at Walter Cantrell Stadium McEachern High School (2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs), and will start at 7 p.m. each time.

On Oct. 8, the East Cobb schools that will perform are from Pope, Kell and Lassiter High Schools.

On Oct. 15, the Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler bands will be in action.

In addition, bands from Kennesaw State University and Auburn University will perform.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.

The event is organized by the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools. For information, contact Stacy Levy, CCSD Fine Arts Assistant or Chris Ferrell, Supervisor of Instrumental Music at (770) 426-3404.

 

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Update: Cobb school board candidates forum at East Cobb MS cancelled

Following up a story we posted last week about the Post 6 Cobb school board candidates forum at East Cobb Middle School, that was scheduled for Thursday:

It’s been called off.Cobb school board candidates forum

No reason has been given by the Wheeler PTSA, which had organized the event.

The candidates are Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney, who told us yesterday he’d been notified via text message, and Democratic challenger Charisse Davis, who’s been informing her supporters of the cancellation as well.

Sweeney also told us there is no other scheduled event for the candidates in that race before the Nov. 6 election.

Post 6 includes the Walton, Wheeler and part of the Campbell attendance zones.

On Thursday the League of Women Voters of Marietta/Cobb is holding a candidates forum for District 3 Cobb Commission candidates and those running for state senate, including District 32 in East Cobb.

 

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East Cobb traffic alert: Holt Road closure Thursday for Wheeler homecoming parade

Wheeler homecoming parade

If you use the top end of Holt Road in the late afternoons, Thursday is going to be a no-go for you, because of the Wheeler homecoming parade.

That’s because it will be closed, from the intersection of Robinson Road to the Wheeler High School area, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Wheeler PTSA is sending out a message that if you’re going to be a parade-watcher, you should park in the Wheeler bus lanes.

The parade starts at 6 p.m.

After the parade, there will be food trucks, games and other activities across the street in the old East Cobb Middle School parking lot.

The Wildcats’ game on Friday with region rival Newnan, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. is special for more than just homecoming purposes.

Coach Mike Collins’ team is 5-0 on the season and is No. 9 this week in the GeorgiaSports Writers Association Class 7A state rankings.

 

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Mt. Bethel Christian Academy named a National Blue Ribbon School

On Monday U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos named Mt. Bethel Christian Academy of East Cobb a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School, the only in Cobb County to earn that designation this year.Mt. Bethel Christian Acedemy

Mt. Bethel, which has an enrollment of more than 600 students in K-12, is one of around 350 schools (and 49 private schools) to make this year’s list.

Here’s more of what Mt. Bethel headmaster Jim Callis has been sharing with the school community:

Specifically, Mt. Bethel was recognized in the category of Exemplary High Performing Schools. Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. MBCA was recognized in this category for its many years of sustained academic excellence.

“I’m pleased to celebrate with you as your school is named a National Blue Ribbon School,” said Secretary DeVos in a video message. “We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and meaningful lives. Congratulations on your students’ accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs.”

Mr. Callis shared news of this achievement today at a surprise-filled, all-school assembly. Special guests included Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and Cobb County Commissioner Bob Ott. We are grateful for the support from local leadership as we strive to grow God’s kingdom and prepare our students to be leaders themselves.

The 2018 National Blue Ribbon School designation makes a powerful statement about the Academy’s commitment to developing and nurturing students who will succeed mightily in college and beyond. MBCA students are led and supported by the very best faculty, ready to be a force for good in the world.

 

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Simpson principal wins Cobb middle school leadership award

Dr. Ashley Daniel, Simpson principal

From Cobb school board member David Banks comes word (and photo) that Simpson principal Dr. Ansley Daniel recently was presented with the first Cobb County School District “Middle School Leadership Award.”

Here’s more from him about how it came about:

This award represents not only her leadership, but also the hard work and dedication from the entire staff at Simpson Middle School.

This award was based on overall increases in test scores, the significant reduction in our discipline data, and beautification of our school.

When asked about the award, Dr. Daniel was quick to give credit to teachers, staff, admin, and all the wonderful students we have at Simpson.

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Pedestrian hospitalized in Northeast Cobb hit-and-run

Cobb Police said a man walking along Pete Shaw Road in Northeast Cobb Tuesday night was struck by a vehicle. Northeast Cobb hit-and-run

Officer Sarah OHara said that Kevin Scholfield, 36, of a Northeast Cobb address, was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital with injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.

She said Scholfield was walking westbound on Pete Shaw between Regas Drive and Bramblebush Trail around 10 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit from behind by a vehicle, also headed west.

O’Hara said the vehicle fled the scene, and that when officers arrived, they found Scholfield was conscious and alert. However, police said he could not provide a description of the vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

 

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Wheeler PTSA to hold Cobb school board Post 6 candidates forum

Next week the Wheeler PTSA will be holding a candidates forum for the Cobb school board Post 6 race.Scott Sweeney, Cobb school calendars

That forum is Thursday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at East Cobb Middle School (825 Terrell Mill Road).

The candidates are Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney of East Cobb and Democrat Charisse Davis of Smyrna.

Sweeney, first elected in 2010, is seeking his third term. He is an executive with InPrime Legal, which provides legal services for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Charisse Davis Davis is a first-time candidate and has children at Teasley Elementary School and Campbell Middle School.

She is a youth services librarian in the public library system and former school librarian and classroom teacher.

She supports expanding the statewide pre-K program.

Post 6 includes the Wheeler and Walton and part of the Campbell attendance zones. A map can be found here and Post 6 is indicated in pink.

Candidate websites:

 

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Three Mountain View ES students killed with mother in traffic accident

three Mountain View ES students killed

Three students who attended Mountain View Elementary School were killed along with their mother in a traffic accident on Thursday, according to information shared with the East Cobb school community.

The students were Chase, Aaniyah and A.J. Standberry and their mother was Chelsea Standberry, according to a message sent Friday morning by Principal Renee Garriss.

“They touched the lives of many students, parents and staff members,” Garriss said. “Their passing is a terrible loss to all of us.”

News reports in Beaumont, Texas said the family was traveling in a vehicle on Interstate 10 early Thursday morning when it got involved in a multi-vehicle accident that included an 18-wheeler. Some of the vehicles caught fire.

Shaundrea Woodard of Houston, Chelsea Standberry’s cousin and who is organizing a fundraising drive to help pay for funeral expenses, said three others in the car survived, including Chelsea Standberry’s husband Anthony Standberry Sr. and mother-in-law.

Mountain View staff said when contacted by East Cobb News that they could not provide more information and referred questions to the Cobb County School District.

A district spokeswoman said she “could not confirm specifics” related to students in the district. All she would say is the following:

“Our counselors and crisis response team are all well-trained to help those suffering through grief, and we offer various tools and services  in addition to in-school counseling.”

Cobb schools are out next week for a scheduled fall break. Garriss said in her message that when classes resume Oct. 1, extra counselors from the district will be available at the Mountain View campus.

“During this time of loss, we are reminded of the importance of the simple acts of sharing kindness with one another each day,” Garriss said. “In tribute to their memory, I hope to see an abundance of such acts between students, teachers and community members. Please keep their family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.”

 

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East Cobb paraprofessionals honored by Cobb County School District

Barbara Barrington, East Cobb paraprofessionals
Barbara Barrington of Rocky Mount Elementary School is greeted by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale. (Photos submitted by CCSD)

The Cobb County School District honored its classified employees of the year earlier this week, and two East Cobb paraprofessionals were included as the grade level recipients.

Classified employees are those in non-teaching roles, including parapros, librarians, administrative assistants, cafeteria workers, police officers, social workers and others.

Lisa Hamill, Pope High School

Lisa Hamill of Pope was named Cobb’s high school level classified employee of the year, and not for the first time by her school Here’s what Pope principal Tom Flugum said about Hamill, in information supplied by CCSD:

“Lisa will do everything from helping with general supervision to working a lot with kids in small groups. She is really invested in our school. She is always looking for how she can help. It’s an honor to work with Lisa.” 

Barbara Barrington, a parapro at Rocky Mount, is Cobb’s elementary school level classified employee of the year, and principal Peggy Fleming describes what she does:

“She is the right hand of the kindergarten teacher, and does such a phenomenal job. Barbara is a kind, gentle, and wonderful person, who wants to do anything that she can to help anyone in the building.” 

Recipients of classified employee of the year honors for all Cobb schools were invited to a luncheon on Tuesday at Roswell Street Baptist Church, where school board members and top staff also attended. Said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale:

“Our Classified Employees of the Year represent the departments that make it possible for our teachers to do what they do in the classroom. I can’t thank them enough. There is no other industry that we can work in where we can impact the future of not just our community, but also our county, our state, and our nation. That is very important for us to remember. We are helping to shape the future.”

 

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Lassiter High School graduation rate tops Cobb schools for 2018

Lassiter High School graduation rate

The Cobb County School District announced today its graduation rates for 2018, and Lassiter High School is tied for the best in the county.

Lassiter students graduated at 95.6 percent, the same at Harrison High School in West Cobb. Walton High School was right behind at 95.1, while Pope’s graduation rate was next, at 94.1.

Sprayberry’s graduation rate was 86.2, Kell was 83.8 and Wheeler was 77.3, according to the Georgia Department of Education, which released figures for all public high schools in the state (you can view the spreadsheet here).

Cobb schools said the overall cohort graduation rate for all 16 of its high schools is a district record of 85.18 percent, an increase of 1.7 percent from last year and above the statewide average of 81.6 percent.

In the metro Atlanta area, only Fulton County schools (86.8 percent) had a higher graduation rate than Cobb.

Sprayberry was one of several Cobb high schools that has had a significant increase in its graduation rate, up 5.3 percent since 2014.

In a release issued by Cobb schools, Sprayberry teachers Carlos Barrera and Amy Pothel said that staff recognizes the school’s diverse student body. “We provide additional support such as individualized tutoring, more opportunities to master the standards, and assistance with college applications and scholarships,” they said.

The method for calculating graduation rates is mandated by the U.S. Department of Education. It includes all students enrolled during a four-year period, even for a single day of classes.

Cobb schools said when only students enrolled in a county school were counted, the graduation figure is 90.5 percent. For those students who are enrolled in Cobb for all four years of high school, the rate rises to 97.1 percent.

The Georgia overall graduation rate of 81.6 percent is an all-time high.

Grad class size # Graduates 2018 rate 2017 rate
Kell 382 320 83.8 87.9
Lassiter 565 540 95.6 95.7
Pope 474 446 94.1 91.8
Sprayberry 435 375 86.2 85.5
Walton 675 642 95.1 94.5
Wheeler 520 402 77.3 81.1
Cobb 9,041 7,701 85.2 83.6

 

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East Cobb students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

A total of 64 East Cobb students have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.National Merit Scholarships, East Cobb students

They come from Pope, Lassiter, Wheeler and Walton, which has a total of 31 semifinalists, the second-most for any school in the state, according to the Cobb County School District.

The CCSD said 80 students from seven of its schools have made the next round of the process, including Campbell, Kennesaw Mountain and North Cobb.

Below are the names of the East Cobb semifinalists, followed by more information about the program, and how the process works, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation:

Lassiter High School
Sophia D. Babish
Eric Chow
Dennis G. Goldenberg
Peter R. Jacobson
Carter B. Johnson
Carter H. Kubes
Peyton R. Lamb
Delia K. Pung
Audrey J. Safir
Dylan Walters

Pope High School
Jacob T. Evans
Griffin W. Haarbauer
Edward C. Kokan
Maya Nambiar
Olivia D. Popovich

Walton High School
Albert Chen
David Cornell
Alison Cumberledge
Thomas DeBoer
Ava Edmunds
William Ellsworth
Eashan Gandotra
Vineet Gangireddy
Nicholas Hong
Emma Hunt
Jeffrey Key
Darren Kosen
Varun Krishnaswamy
Grace Lee
Ryan Li
Jesse Liu
Arundhati Mahendrakar
Isha Palakurthy
Anika Park
Sara Patyi
David Phillips
Varsha Ramachandra
Alice Shen
Daniel Shu
Elizabeth Sims
Albert Ting
Illahi Virani
Jayson Wu
Kevin Wu
Grace Xu
Margare Zhang

Wheeler High School 
Saman A. Bhamani
Fianko Buckle
Mariah K. Butts
Caden M. Felton
Ayush Goyal
Adith Guna
Vanessa I. Leonardo
Andrew J. Mayne
Arya N. Mevada
Shivam A. Patel
Abhinav Piplani
Shraddha Sekhar
Keshav K. Shenoy
Rebecca G. Simonson
Hanna E. Waltz
David M. Weinberg
Zachary R. Yahn

Over 1.6 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. More than 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to be named National Merit Scholar finalists in February.

To be finalists, semifinalists and their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2019. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 230 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards
for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

The 2019 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join some 338,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

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MDE School of East Cobb holding Saturday BBQ fundraiser at Red Hare

MDE School of East Cobb

Thanks to Mitchell Katz of the MDE School of East Cobb for letting us know about a fundraiser it’s holding Saturday from 7-11 p.m. at Red Hare Brewing (1998 Delk Industrial Blvd.). He tells us the private school currently serves around 50 K-12 children with varying special needs.

Here’s more from MDE on the BBQ event, which costs $35 a person:

The second annual event is a benefit for the MDE School, a non-profit, private school in East Cobb that serves K-12 children with varying special needs.The MDE School is the only school of its kind in Cobb County and provides an exceptional learning environment where students with special needs have access to academics, music, drama, adaptive PE, enrichment programs and life skills training. MDE serves students with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, communication disorders, and developmental delays.

The MDE School is entering its 10th academic year and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the sudden passing of Marc David Elkan who was the inspiration for the school. Marc loved all children and volunteered regularly with youth centered organizations.

After his passing, his wife Mrs. Mindy Elkan, was inspired to continue his legacy by establishing a school for children who learn differently. Since the inception of MDE, enrollment has increased from just 3 to 51 students from all over metro Atlanta and has served 230 children over the last 10 years. MDE is able to uniquely serve children with special needs who cannot be served in a traditional educational environment, and addresses each students’ learning, social, cognitive, and developmental goals allowing their students to maximize their potential.

The fun-filled, casual evening for adults is $35 per person for tickets. Sponsors include Honest-1 Auto Care, Alexander Blaire Financial Consulting Inc., Credit Union of Georgia, Ms. Donna Maslia, Haven Insurance Group, and Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q. Sponsorships ranging from $250-$2,500 are still available.

Evening events include music by Shadowood, BBQ, local craft beer, raffle, and a silent auction with prizes ranging from $20 to $2,000. Proceeds from the event will go towards the purchase of new school fitness equipment and will help renovate the MDE playground.

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Cobb schools 2019 graduation dates announced

Right before the Labor Day weekend Cobb schools 2019 graduation dates were announced, and here’s the schedule for the six high schools in East Cobb:

  • Kell: Tuesday, May 21, 3:30 p.m. Kell (KSU Convocation Center)
  • Wheeler: Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. (Wheeler Arena)
  • Lassiter: Thursday, May 23, 2:30 p.m. (KSU Convocation Center)
  • Walton: Friday, May 24, 10 a.m. (KSU Convocation Center)
  • Pope: Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. (KSU Convocation Center)
  • Sprayberry: Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m. (KSU Convocation Center)

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Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum features legislative races

The PTSAs at Walton High School and Dickerson Middle School have invited Georgia state house candidates to a forum on Sept. 17.cobb advance voting, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

The event takes place from 7-8 p.m. in the theater at Dickerson (855 Woodlawn Drive).

The candidates are from East Cobb-area districts in the Georgia House: State Rep. Sharon Cooper, the Republican incumbent in District 43, and her Democratic challenger, Luisa Wakeman.

The District 45 candidates also have been invited: Republican State. Rep. Matt Dollar and Essence Johnson, a Democrat who is opposing him in November.

The public is invited and anyone interested in submitting questions should send them to Amanda Moulthrop, the Dickerson PTSA legislative chair, by emailing: anmoulthrop@gmail.com.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

 

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Cobb STEM Distinguished Educator Awards include Simpson, McCleskey teachers

Press release: Simpson McCleskey teachers honored, Cobb STEM

The Cobb County School District recently presented 16 teachers with the Cobb STEM Distinguished Educator Award.

“This program is designed to recognize exceptional K-12 teachers in our district who have made a commitment to meaningfully implementing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their classrooms,” said Tania Pachuta, STEM Professional Learning Specialist for the district.

Teachers apply by submitting a portfolio of evidence documenting the various STEM experiences they have engaged in and provided for their students throughout the year. For example, Mableton Elementary School teacher Alana Davis runs the afterschool aerospace engineering club, STARBASE 1.5, that skypes with NASA engineers. Kerri Waller is a Simpson Middle School teacher who has received national recognition in Arts & Activities Magazine for her STEAM work with students. Portfolios are reviewed and points are awarded based on certain criteria. The program is modeled after the Georgia Department of Education STEM Educator Laureate Program.

Award winners receive various prizes, with the top winner earning a Sphero robot for use in the classroom, along with a trip to a Georgia educator conference of the winner’s choice. This year’s top STEM educator, Paulette Allard, teaches at Harrison High School.

“It is rewarding to have achieved such a high level of recognition for participating in the program, but I am also immensely thankful that it gave me a springboard to help my students achieve great things through their STEM experiences as well,” said Allard.

Awards are generously sponsored by nexAir, LLC, a leading distributor of atmospheric gases and welding supplies with locations across the mid-south, including Marietta.

The top five winners include Paulette Allard, Harrison High School; Alana Davis, Mableton Elementary School; Sean Splawski, Mableton Elementary School; Annette Simpson, McCleskey Middle School; and Michael Lee, McEachern High School.

More information about the program, including a full list of award winners, can be found at www.stemcobb.com.

 

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Wheeler Magnet student scores a composite score of 36 on the ACT

Alessa Cullinan, Wheeler Magnet student

Thanks to Maureen Klinkmueller, clerk for the Wheeler Magnet school, the Center for Advanced Studies, for passing along some great news about and the above photo of junior Alessa Cullinan, who has scored a composite score of 36 on the ACT.

Alessa scored 36 on the Math, Reading, and Science sections for a Composite score of 36. Maureen tells that in 2017, only 0.136% of more than 2 million test takers nationwide earned a composite ACT score of 36.

Some other news about the magnet students at Wheeler, which this time a year ago was designated the first STEAM school in the state by the Georgia Department of Education:

  • Samuel Adkins, ’19, James Briley, ’19 and Stephanie Yao, ’19, are the newest 800 Club members after scoring an 800 on the Math portion of the SAT;
  • Rebecca Simonson, ’19 for getting a 36 on the Reading and English sections of the ACT, and Zachary ElJiche, ’19, who scored a 36 on the English section;
  • Cori Mayne scored a 36 on the Reading section of the ACT;
  • 2018 Design It Digital Contest Finalists Shair Sekhar and Gareth Thompson are two of six high school finalists who will be winning a prize package. The winner of the competition will be announced at  International Woodworking Fair (IWF) Atlanta on August 22-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center;
  • Elijah Pritchett, ’19, scored an 800 on the Math portion of the SAT.

Related stories

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College admissions workshop Sunday at Emerson Unitarian congregation

For parents of college-bound students, or those who may or will be, the Emerson Universalist Unitarian congregation is holding a workshop on Sunday afternoon.Carol Lee Conchar, Emerson UU college admissions workshop

It’s titled “Beyond the Numbers: Demystifying the College Admissions Process,” and it starts at 2 p.m. Emerson UU is located at 4010 Canton Road.

The speaker is Carol Conchar, Regional Director, Undergraduate Admissions, George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Carol lives in Atlanta and serves GW throughout the Southeast and is an Emerson congregant.

Here’s more from what Emerson has sent out about the workshop, which is free and open to the public:

The goal of all admissions offices is to build a community among its student body through the careful and thorough application review process. At competitive colleges and universities, admissions committees take more than the GPA, SAT/ACT and class rank into consideration. This highly interactive session will examine how admissions decisions are made so students can identify a “good fit” and to help them have a better understanding of the college search and admissions decision process. Come and learn how that is done when admissions committees look “beyond the numbers.”

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Brumby students get vision screenings, eyeglasses in mobile clinic

Brumby students vision screenings
Musasy Ba, a first-grader at Brumby Elementary School, gets a basic eye exam from volunteer Cheryl Kefalas. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Earlier today a mobile clinic pulled up outside of Brumby Elementary School, and a table with glasses frames was being set up around the corner.

Inside the 45-foot van, volunteers with VSP Vision Care, a health insurer, and the Georgia Optometric Association were screening several dozen Brumby students (as well as those from higher grade levels) who had been selected for the exams.

Those deemed to need corrective vision were then fitted for prescription glasses, which were prepared on-site while the students waited.

The mobile van, one of three VSP Vision Care vehicles that travels the country this way, was scheduled to make stops in the Cobb County School District thanks to the Georgia Optometric Association.

Around 50-60 Brumby students were selected for the screenings, and about the same number were also examined at Smyrna Elementary School. The medical services and glasses were donated by VSP Vision Care and the optometrists’ group.

“There is a need here,” said Rita Shoneye, the parent of a Brumby fourth-grader who has glasses but was examined Wednesday for a back-up pair. She and another Brumby mom, Kirti Shukla, were asked by school leaders to volunteer to help students and their parents with the exams, which will continue on Thursday.

(The screenings are not open to the public and no walk-in patients will be accepted.)

The VSP Vision Care’s Eyes of Hope project that comes to schools aims to address eyesight problems early in the school year. Many of the Brumby students chosen for the exams come from low-income or uninsured families, and some of them have not had an eye exam.

Brumby teachers and staff have been encouraged to identify students who may be having vision problems. Brumby social worker Charlene Brisco ticked off some of the signs:

“Squinting. Saying ‘I Can’t See.’ This is helping them to look more closely” to notice if a student may be having some trouble seeing.

Dr. Rebecca Briggs Garnier collects data for Musasy Ba’s prescription.

She said another Brumby student who got glasses was in tears, as was his mother, and they were “tears of joy. We all just lost it.”

Dan Curran, a media representative for the optometrists’ group, said this is the first time the VSP Vision Care mobile van has stopped in Georgia since 2011.

The organization estimates that one in four students nationwide has an undetected vision problem. When the van rolls away, the needs for many of them will continue.

For students who require follow-up visits or additional care, Brisco said that gift certificates will provide for those services. The East Cobb Lions Club also will be coming to Brumby in October to conduct more screenings.

“Kids are getting sight,” she said.

Rita Shoneye, mother of a Brumby student, looks over the eyeglass selections.

 

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