East Cobb Schools

Wheeler, Walton students receive National Merit Scholarships

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Three students from Walton High School and two from Wheeler High School have been named recipients of National Merit Scholarships.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

Another East Cobb student attending a private school in Fulton County also is among those recipients.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation this week announced 800 more graduating seniors nationwide had been named recipients of scholarships provided by the colleges and universities of their choice.

Those awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

The local students, are listed with their high school, college choice and intended field of study:

  • Jaden Choi, Wheeler, Case Western Reserve University, biochemistry;
  • Prisha Dev, Wheeler, University of Georgia, medicine;
  • Chloe Jieun Park, Walton, Emory University, neuroscience;
  • Rishab Thiyagarajan, Walton, University of Georgia, industrial engineering;
  • Sophie Y. Wang, Fulton Science Academy, Emory University, public health;
  • Tiffany Yao, Walton, Emory University, business economics.

The NMSC said that more than 7,100 high school seniors graduating this year received scholarships totaling nearly $26 million.

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More leadership position changes made at East Cobb schools

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Following recent reports on changes within the administrative ranks at public schools in East Cobb are a few more new appointments for the coming 2025-26 Cobb County School District academic year.Campbell High School lockdown

According to minutes of the Cobb Board of Education’s June meeting, a number of appointments were made that were not announced in the open meeting. They involve the following individuals at schools in East Cobb:

  • Natasha Beemon, appointed assistant principal at Lassiter High School, from Sprayberry High School teacher, effective July 10;
  • James Case, appointed assistant principal at Walton High School, from Harrison High School teacher, effective July 10;
  • Ann Nemeck, appointed Wheeler High School assistant principal, from Sprayberry assistant principal, effective July 10;
  • Deanna Munlin, retirement from Wheeler assistant principal, effective July 1.
  • Ashley Taylor, appointed Addison Elementary School assistant principal, from Baker Elementary School teacher, effective July 10;
  • Jessica Sutton, appointed to Vaughn Elementary School assistant principal, from Mountain View Elementary School teacher, effective July 10;
  • Michael Williams, resignation from McCleskey Middle School assistant principal, effective June 9.

In May, the school board approved the appointments of new principals at Sprayberry, Wheeler and Mt. Bethel Elementary School.

New assistant principals previously were named at Bells Ferry, Sedalia Park and East Side elementary schools and Mabry and McCleskey middle schools.

More appointments could be announced at Thursday’s Cobb school board meetings.

The new school year begins Aug. 4.

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KIDS CARE seeks donations for backpacks and school supplies

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KIDS CARE seeks donations for backpacks and school supplies

Submitted information and photos:

The 5th Annual “Backing the Need” Backpack & School Supply Drive is happening Now—July 19th. KIDS CARE, a Marietta based nonprofit, and the Cobb County Police Department are seeking new donations to support local students in need. Donations of new backpacks and school supplies for students of all ages are being collected in several locations throughout the county AND on the final day of the drive—July 19th. Any donations are greatly appreciated! 

NOW – JULY 18TH: Drop off new donations at the many local business partners who are hosting a PUBLIC DONATION COLLECTION BOX. For full list & a map visit https://kids-care2018.org/where-to-donate.

Business Partners collecting donations for this drive are: The Champion Firm, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, Redbud Family Justice Center, The Credit Union of GA, LGE Community Credit Union, School of Rock West Cobb, School of Rock Woodstock, The Artful Rabbit, Sterling Estates of West Cobb, Staples (Dallas Hwy), Edward Jones Financial (Kennesaw), Burn Boot Camp Sprayberry, STV Inc., LiDL (Mableton), Kroger (Mableton), Walmart (Austell) and the Cobb County Civic Center.

JULY 19TH AT THE COBB CIVIC CENTER 9 am – 2 pm. Bring new backpacks & school supplies on this day & enjoy the following:

Meet “Rose” the Comfort Dog who will be onsite to meet and greet. Presented by the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, “Rose” and her amazing handler Angela, will be visiting with us all day. Come get a belly rub in & a cute pic with this pup! 

Watch Cobb PALS Youth Step Team Perform @11:15 & 11:45 am. Led by Officer Mitchell of the Cobb County Police Athletic League. Drop your donations off and catch their FREE performances. 

Look inside a Cobb County Police Department patrol car & meet a Police Officer. 

FREE RECYCLING & SMILES! Keep Cobb Beautiful will be onsite to help us manage our waste & will also be accepting recycling from the public. {Accepted items include: flattened cardboard, plastics, aluminum cans, food grade glass bottle/jars and hard to recycle plastics in the orange Hefty bag.}

Most Needed Items: new backpacks (all ages), spiral & composition notebooks, paper, folders, scientific & pocket calculators, USB drives, 3 ring binders, markers, glue, scissors, pencils, crayons, pens, highlighters, eraser—etc.Prefer to Shop Online? Order directly from KIDS CARE’s Amazon or Walmart Wishlist and have your donations shipped hassle-free!

Monetary Donations Welcome! 100% of funds go towards bulk purchasing of backpacks and school supplies. Every item or dollar helps! https://kids-care2018.org/donate

Thank you! In the past four years, the “Backing the Need” Backpack & School Supply Drive has donated 1,963 new backpacks & school supplies to Cobb County students in need.  Your support helps students start the school year with the essential supplies they need—and the confidence to succeed. For a list of donation recipients please visit: “Backing the Need” – RECIPIENTS

Let’s show Cobb County how much we care! For more info, visit https://kids-care2018.org/how-to-help.

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KIDS CARE seeks donations for backpacks and school supplies

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Cobb school board sets hearings on millage rate for July

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The Cobb Board of Education will hold three public hearings in July before it formally sets the property tax millage rate for the fiscal year 2026 budget, which was adopted in May.

The hearings will be held on July 10 and July 17, with the millage rate also to be set on the latter date.

In May, the school board adopted a $1.8 billion budget, which takes effect today, holding the property tax rate at 18.7 mills, and with $33 million more in spending than the FY 2025 budget.

Because the board isn’t rolling back the millage rate to reflect the FY 2025 totals, that constitutes a property tax increase under Georgia law, and public hearings must be held.

According to a notice the Cobb County School District posted last week, the “rollback” millage rate would be 18.499 mills under the state Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

School taxes comprise the largest portion of property taxes for Cobb homeowners, except for those seniors 62 and over who have received exemptions.

The public hearings on the millage rate are as follows:

  • Thursday, July 10, at 11:30 a.m. and at 6:05 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m.

The millage rate will be set at the board’s voting meeting on July 17 at 7 p.m. All meetings are in the board room of the CCSD Central Office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.

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Georgia resumes mandatory cursive instruction in grade school

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Georgia resumes mandatory cursive instuction in grade school

The Georgia Department of Education has made a major change to its English Language Arts requirements for young students—learning cursive handwriting.

The reintroduction of cursive in grades 3-5 will begin with the 2025-26 school year that begins in August, two years after the state board revised the standards.

In an era of digital media with students learning writing via computer keyboards and with content creation increasingly coming from artificial intelligence, old-school pencil-on-paper communication is making something of a comeback.

Georgia is one of several states mandating cursive instruction, but that’s still only half of the states. Many states dropped cursive following the adoption of Common Core standards in 2010 and haven’t resumed the practice.

But with literacy rates plummeting in recent years—only 31 percent of fourth-graders were considered proficient readers in a 2024 assessment—some educational institutions and agencies have been re-evaluating the value of handwriting.

The Georgia DOE calls handwriting “a basic tool for life, assists with the development of both fine motor skills and working memory skills; automatic handwriting skills facilitate active learning and efficient communications.”

The elements of a strong literacy foundation, according to the department, consist of phonological awareness, concepts of print, phonics, fluency and handwriting.

According to the new standards, the basics of cursive will be taught in third grade, and in fourth and fifth grades, “students continue cursive handwriting practice to build fluency and automaticity in handwriting to communicate effectively.”

The new standards (you can read them here) also show graphics of ideal handwriting forms that will be part of the instructional process, and offer recommendations on body posture, paper position, how to hold pencils and pens and support for left-handed writers.

The Georgia DOE guidelines, which include links to teaching resources, also include a quote from Dr. Rosemary Sassoon, a British educator and handwriting expert: “Handwriting is the imprint of the self on the page.”

The Cobb County School District also has a resource page with links to English Language Arts instruction at all grade levels.

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Cobb offices, libraries closed Thursday for Juneteenth

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Cobb offices, libraries closed Thursday for Juneteenth

Submitted information:

The Cobb County Branch of the NAACP will once again host its annual Juneteenth celebration in the heart of Marietta Square. The holiday, recognized as the most popular annual commemoration of emancipation from slavery in the United States, is a powerful day of reflection and community.

The festivities start 6 – 11 p.m. Friday, June 13, with an “all-white” block party. The cultural festival happens 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14. Enjoy a day filled with delicious food, unique merchandise, informative vendors, a valuable health fair, and captivating entertainment for all ages! Then dads will get their due 2 – 6 p.m. Sunday, June 15, with a “Salute to our Heroes: Happy Father’s Day” celebration. All events are open to the public

For more information, click here.
Juneteenth events around the county

All Cobb County Government offices will be closed Thursday, June 19, in honor of the holiday.

 

 

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Cobb schools won’t offer pouches for student cell-phone ban

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Cobb schools won't offer pouches for student cell-phone ban
“The bottom line is we’re going to be focused on having school,” Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale said.

When a student cell-phone ban takes effect in Georgia public schools in the fall of 2026, the Cobb County School District won’t be providing pouches or any other items for students to store their personal electronic devices during the school day.

They’ll have to bring their own.

What’s called the Distraction-Free Education Act becomes effective in July of 2026, and school districts must implement policies to adhere to the new state law, which covers students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

They don’t cover educational devices provided by the district or pertain to staff and teacher cell-phones, and devices for special-needs students with an Individualized Education Program.

Georgia is one of several states to enact the cell-phone bans that advocates say reduce distractions and improve the well-being of young people.

During a Cobb Board of Education meeting Thursday night, Ragsdale said that the policy must stipulate what “storage solutions” school districts will be offering to students.

“The storage place is going to be a student’s backpack, or purse, or what have you,” he said.

“The bottom line is we’re going to be focused on having school.”

Cobb has more than 100,000 students and is the second-largest school district in Georgia.

Ragsdale said the policies must be in place by January 2026, and must include punishments for violations of the ban. He said that there will be updates to the student code of conduct that will be announced when the policy has been completed.

Marietta City Schools, which has fewer than 10,000 students, enacted a comprehensive student ban on electronic devices last June, including Marietta High School.

The policy also required students at the Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and Marietta Middle School to place their devices in a Yondr pouches provided by the school district during class periods.

According to a late 2024 report, more than 4,000 school districts in the country provide the Yondr pouches, which generally retail for about $25.

“These pouches lock with a proprietary magnet, ensuring devices remain secure throughout the day,” according to the MCS policy. Teachers at those schools “understand that no assignment should require using a cellphone or access to social media.”

The policy also states that “students will keep the locked pouches with them until the end of the school day, ensuring minimal disruptions during class. Exceptions will be made for students with documented medical conditions.”

Marietta students can use their devices during lunch periods and in after-school programs.

Ragsdale didn’t indicate during his remarks at Thursday’s Cobb school board meeting whether the new Cobb policy might incorporate some of the measures in place in Marietta.

That policy will have to be approved by the Cobb school board.

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East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event

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East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event
Nassir Boukari of Wheeler High School with Gail Devers and Champ Bailey. Photos courtesy of Cobb County School District.

Three students and a coach at high schools in East Cobb were among the honorees this month at the 2024–25 Positive Athlete Georgia Awards at Piedmont Church.

According to its website, “Positive Athlete is a recognition program that celebrates high character, high school student-athletes and coaches who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities in a significant way, or just have an infectious positive attitude that makes everyone around them a better person.”

The banquet featured three-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Gail Devers and former UGA and NFL football star Champ Bailey.

The honorees include:

  • Wheeler High School’s Nassir Boukari, who was named the state’s most positive wrestler;
  • Ty Brown, a senior and four-year varsity soccer manager at Lassiter High School, the state’s Most Positive Special Olympian;
  • Elizabeth Michalek of Walton High School, who received the Northside Hospital Leadership award;
  • Chris Marcusky, Kell High School boys golf coach, who received the Most Positive Boys Coach award.

“These accolades highlight the dedication of Cobb’s student-athletes, coaches, and schools to not only athletic excellence but also to character, leadership, and community involvement,” Cobb County School District Athletic Director Don Baker said in a release.

“Positive Athlete is an outstanding program, and it is an honor to have so many of our own recognized at this banquet.”

East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event
Ty Brown of Lassiter High School with Champ Bailey.
East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event
Elizabeth Michalek of Walton High School with Positive Athlete CEO Scott Pederson.
East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event
Chris Marcusky of Kell High School being interviewed as the Most Positive Boys Coach award recipient.

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Cobb Schools Foundation board proposal would OK major donors

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Publix Cobb Schools Foundation donation
Publix presented the Cobb Schools Foundation with a donation nearing $175K in 2022 for school supply gift cards for students. CCSD photo.

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday heard a proposed change to its bylaws that would open the door for major corporate donors to sit on the board of the Cobb Schools Foundation.

The latter is a non-profit the Cobb County School District operates to support school families in need with learning interventions, food distribution and scholarship assistance.

The district, which operates the foundation, currently requires that board members live in Cobb County. The proposed bylaw change, which was discussed at a school board work session Thursday, would require board members to meet one of three criteria.

They would include having a student in the district, being a graduate of the district or working for a business in Cobb County.

Board chairman David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb said that the all-volunteer foundation board of trustees asked for the change. Trustees are volunteers who are appointed by the school board, superintendent and the trustees themselves (here’s a list of the current foundation board).

“Think of the large corporations for the most part, part of Cobb County, and imagine having an officer or a manager who wanted to serve—and I would like to think would want to write a big check—and if they don’t live in Cobb County they’re eliminated from being considered,” Chastain said.

But board member Nichelle Davis of Post 6 in Smyrna said that under the proposal, she wouldn’t qualify, and wanted to amend it to keep residency as a qualifier.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale responded that “that would defeat the whole purpose of the amendment, because you’re saying you’d keep it as is.”

Davis said she meant to keep residency as an “additional”qualifier if someone didn’t meet the other three.

Board member Tre’ Hutchins of Post 3 in South Cobb welcomed the proposal, using Six Flags of Georgia and Wellstar as examples of Cobb businesses that might have potential board members, but also asked to keep the residency option.

Chastain and Ragsdale mentioned Publix, the Florida-based supermarket chain that has donated nearly $350,000 over the last two years to the Cobb Schools Foundation.

“That’s who we’re looking for,” Chastain said.

He said the foundation board members do “actual work” interviewing potential scholarship recipients and performing other tasks.

“It’s not a thing where you show up once a month and take a vote and go home. . . . You’ve got to find the person who really wants to do it.”

Board member Becky Sayler of Post 2 in Smyrna asked for the proposal to be tabled to sort through the residency issue, saying it could be unintentionally exclusive. “Maybe it was a typo in the way that it was prepared, it seemed kind of unusual.”

School board attorney Suzann Wilcox said the proposal, which was not written by her, wouldn’t exclude a parent of a student in the Cobb school district.

“What you could do, if you wanted to, is go back and ask questions of the foundation, and postpone it,” she said.

Chastain withdrew the bylaw proposal, with the intent of having it come back to the school board in July.

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Cobb Schools Foundation amendment on school board agenda

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Cobb Schools Foundation amendment on school board agenda
Cobb school board chairman David Chastain.

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday will be presented with an amendment to bylaws involving the Cobb County School District’s partnership with the Cobb Schools Foundation.

But there’s no information on the board’s meeting agenda on what the amendment is about, and board chairman David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb said that details will be presented at a work session starting at 3 p.m.

“The Board will be briefed at the meeting. It’s a normal procedure,” he told East Cobb News on Wednesday. “I am not going to brief the media before I brief my colleagues. That’s why we have a working session.”

The agenda item to be presented by Chastain states that the amendment to the bylaws is “for potential action.”

The monthly school board meetings also include a voting session at 7 p.m. and an executive session in between.

All meetings take place in the board room of the CCSD Central Office, at 514 Glover St. in Marietta. An executive session will follow the work session.

You can read through the agenda details for the meetings at this link; and you can watch the public meetings on a livestream on the district’s Boxcast Channel.

The Cobb Schools Foundation (formally known as the Cobb County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit the district operates that provides support for school families in need with learning interventions, food distribution and scholarship assistance.

Most recently, CSF created a “Fan of the Game” program to invite “community partners” to promote their businesses and organizations by becoming sponsors of athletic programs within the district.

The funding would be used for equipment, coaching development, scholarships, wellness and safety initiatives and uniforms and warmups.

Extracurricular activities are not funded directly by the district, as we noted in April about a new video scoreboard at Walton High School that was paid with private funds, but that board had to formally approve.

The board also will be asked to vote on a measure to approve a permanent utility easement at Sprayberry High School for an existing cell tower.

Georgia Power is requesting the easement due to a new location for a power transformer and power pole providing power to the cell tower.

At the Thursday night meeting, recognitions include the district’s financial services division and its strategy and accountability division.

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More East Cobb school administrative changes for 2025-26

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While school teachers and administrators are on summer vacation, the Cobb County School District continues to make staffing changes for the 2025-26 school year, which begins in early August. Campbell High School lockdown

We noted last month the schools in East Cobb that will be getting new principals, and the district also has announced a number of changes with assistant principals.

Seven of those changes involve schools in East Cobb, and these new assignments will become effective on July 10:

  • Melissa Paige Guthrie, reassignment to Assistant Principal, Bells Ferry Elementary School from Assistant Principal, Bullard Elementary School;
  • Lashonda Smith, reassignment to Assistant Principal, Sedalia Park Elementary School from Assistant Principal, Pitner Elementary School;
  • Kris Teller, reassignment to Assistant Principal, East Side Elementary School from Assistant Principal, Hayes Elementary School;
  • Lynzee Courtney, reassignment to Assistant Principal, Mabry Middle School from Assistant Principal, Griffin Middle School;
  • Christopher Marshall, reassignment to Assistant Principal, McCleskey Middle School from Assistant Principal, Daniell Middle School;
  • Kendrick Kirkland, reassignment to Assistant Principal, Kennesaw Mountain High School from Assistant Principal, Wheeler High School.

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14 more East Cobb students earn National Merit Scholarships

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Fourteen recent high school graduates from East Cobb have been named recipients of National Merit Scholarships that are given out by the university or college of the student’s choice.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced more than 2,000 recipients nationwide this week, and they are awards that provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

The scholarships are awarded based on a number of factors, including test scores and grade-point averages, essay and information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions.

The students from East Cobb attended six different public and private high schools and will be enrolled at nine different universities in the fall.

Most have declared intended fields of study in engineering fields, but they also include business, education, the arts and marine biology.

  • Ella Arnett, Lassiter: University of Georgia (project management)
  • Maksymilian Bardwell, North Cobb: University of Georgia (education)
  • Adam W. Bethea, Walton: University of Alabama (computer engineering)
  • Samuel J. Garrow, Lassiter: American University (software engineering)
  • John Hovsepian, Wheeler:  Texas A & M (chemical engineering)
  • Sean Shangrui Jiao, Walton: Indiana University (musical performance)
  • Owen Murphy, Walton: Florida State (law)
  • Connor Park, Walton: University of Georgia (biochemical engineering)
  • Carter Ray, Walton: University of Georgia (political science)
  • Dylan S. Song, The Westminster Schools: Tufts University (medicine)
  • Ella Tse, Walton: University of Georgia (mechanical engineering)
  • Anna Claire Wright, Pope: Auburn University (marine biology)
  • Jack Hansen, Lassiter: Brigham Young University (business administration)
  • Caroline Young, Lassiter: University of Georgia, biochemical engineering

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Cobb school district taps longtime deputy as police chief

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Cobb school district taps longtime deputy as police chief
CCSD photo

The Cobb County School District has named Wayne Pickett as its new chief of police.

Pickett, who has been the district’s deputy chief, succeeds Ron Storey, who died in April.

Pickett, whose appointment was approved by the Cobb Board of Education, was sworn in on May 16, according to the Cobb school district.

The district’s police department has around 80 staffers and sworn officers, many of them assigned to schools as resource officers.

Pickett is a former officer with the Cobb County Police Department and has 41 years of law enforcement experience.

The Cobb school district is undertaking a variety of safety initiatives in the wake of a deadly shooting last year at Apalachee High School.

In October the district hired a private security firm with former intelligence and military officials to provide what it calls proactive solutions to address not only potential active-shooter situations but also gang activity, cyberviolence and other safety threats.

Canine detection teams also will be employed, with another security firm training CCSD officers to work with the dogs who can identify “person-worn or concealed-carried explosives and firearms.”

But the district has provided few specifics on some of those measures, and in April, when the weapons-sniffing dog purchase came up, district officials would not indicate how many animals and trainers were included.

The AJC reported last week that the Cobb school district has paid Servius, the private security firm, $2.6 million, mostly from a state security grant, but neither party would explain the details of what services are being provided.

That includes the kind of data Servius is collecting on students to anticipate potential trouble, as well as security assessments of the more than 100 campuses in the Cobb school district.

Nor has the district explained how Servius would work with the district’s police department on those safety initiatives.

The AJC report noted that the Cobb school board did not approve the Servius contract, including a $1.1 million check in April for the school security assessment work.

Servius was to have been involved in a school safety town hall meeting at Hillgrove High School in April, but the Cobb school district canceled it for security reasons, days after a contentious town hall in Acworth by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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Wheeler graduates urged to ‘find something that you love’

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Wheeler seniors listen to remarks from outgoing principal Paul Gillihan. CCSD screengrabs.

As the awaited getting their diplomas Saturday, some Wheeler High School seniors danced. Or waved to family members.

One insisted on having a selfie taken with Principal Paul Gillihan.

The Wheeler Class of 2025 gathered for the final time at the KSU Convocation Center brimming with smiles, joy and the satisfaction of completing an important part of their lives.

In delivering some words of wisdom, Valedictorian Declan Amerault encouraged his classmates not to take any opportunity they have, nor the time they have, for granted.

He said it took him until his senior year to finally commit to something, and participating in robotics, which he said he absolutely “loved.”

“I was just going through the motions,” said Amerault, who’s heading to Georgia Tech to study mathematics.

“Find something that you love and put everything you have into it. Now is the time to take charge of you life and figure out who you are.

He made several references to Wikipedia, including warnings from teachers as a freshman not to rely too much on the Internet encyclopedia.

“You can find anything on Wikipedia,” Amerault said, “but you’ll never find out what makes you tick, and what makes you smile, and what makes you unique.

“You will not have a Wikipedia page . . . and that is a good thing. At this point in our lives, we are the writers, not the readers, of our own Wikipedia page.”

Gillihan, who is leaving Wheeler after six years to become principal at Campbell High School, told the graduates to “go forward, make good choices and do the right thing and you will have a great life.”

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Golden K Kiwanis Club presents 2025 Silver Pen Award

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Golden K Kiwanis Club presents 2025 Silver Pen Award
L to R: John Kone, past president KCMGK; Rosie Teague, KCMGK; Aailyah Reeves, Powers Ferry ES Silver Pen award winner; Jim Perry, past president KCMGK and Philip Gold, VP KCMGK

Submitted information and photo:

Over 30 years ago, Jack Boone of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K launched a Signature Project for the Club called the Silver Pen Award. This program is now a Georgia District of Kiwanis Program available to fourth grades statewide. We invited local schools to have their fourth grade classes compete for a school-wide Silver Pen Award by completing a writing assignment submitted by the Club. 

The title of the essay this year was “The Person I Admire Most.” Each classroom submitted their top two entries to the School Administration, who submitted one from each classroom to the Silver Pen Coordinator for Kiwanis. A panel of professionals and former educators then evaluated the remaining submissions and chose the school winner.

This year Acworth Elementary School, Addison Elementary School, Powers Ferry Elementary School, and Rocky Mount Elementary School accepted our invitation to have their students compete. 

The winning 4th grade recipients were: ACWORTH ES – Keyden Kanau; ADDISON ES –  Evoleht Haddock; POWERS FERRY ES – Aaliyah Reeves and ROCKY MOUNT ES – Rachael Wilson. Jim Perry, Past President and Silver Pen Coordinator, along with a group of leaders from the Club, presented the awards to the winners in each school during the morning broadcast, so all students could witness the presentation in their  respective schools.

“Each winner received a Silver Pen in a velvet sleeve, a Kiwanis Club Pen, 25 golden commemorative, uncirculated one-dollar coins from the U.S. Mint, and an engraved plaque. We enjoyed many great essays from the students this year and congratulate each winner for a job well done. Each classroom winner received a Silver Pen and a Kiwanis Club Pen,” explained Jim Perry, the Silver Pen award presenter.

We are very grateful to the schools for their cooperation in continuing to support this writing program. The Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K looks forward to presenting the Silver Pen award again next year and we wholeheartedly extend our congratulations to each award winner.

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Pope graduates told: Have ‘attitude that makes a difference’

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Pope graduates told: Have 'attitude that makes a difference'
Pope seniors listen to speakers before receiving their diplomas. CCSD screengrabs.

The mood was festive and the spirit was buoyant at the KSU Convocation Center Friday morning as Pope High School’s Class of 2025 took their turn to celebrate graduation.

Principal Matt Bradford told them in his remarks to try to take that feeling with them as they head out into the world, no matter what their immediate or future plans may be.

He said that “there is a bond that no one else can take from you” as a Pope graduate, but as individuals they will be tested as they move into adulthood.

“Attitude is one of the most powerful choices you can make in your life,” Bradford said. “Your attitude is contagious.”

He said that successful and happy adults possess positive attitudes that help them through adversity, and he implored the graduates to carry “an attitude that makes a difference.”

Pope salutatorian Aanchal Acharya didn’t join her classmates until the 10th grade, when her family moved to East Cobb from Michigan.

The Georgia Tech-bound aspiring neuroscientist congratulated them “for our hard work, dedication and perseverance in getting through high school.

“Every step of the journey has made us more confident as we’ve become the best version of ourselves. We have laughed, loved, cried and felt about every emotion imaginable.

“Each emotion, each experience has brought us to this moment.”

Her parting words came from a quote from Christopher Robin of Winnie the Pooh fame:

“You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe, and smarter than you think.”

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Walton graduates told to ‘appreciate what you get to do’

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Walton High School graduation
Walton’s 698-member senior class is the largest in the Cobb County School District in the last decade. CCSD screengrabs.

An eventful senior year for the Walton High School Class of 2025 went off without a hitch on Thursday during graduation ceremonies at the KSU Convocation Center.

The class made of up 698 seniors—the largest in the Cobb County School District this year and the largest in the last decade—includes 563 who will be getting HOPE Scholarship financial assistance to go to college.

“It’s who breathe life into Walton,” senior class president Joel Bishara said. “You make Walton a home for anyone.”

He noted that the school year started out with a small fire on campus, and included tuberculosis testing and a bomb threat that was not considered an active threat.

“It’s hard to believe we made it this far,” Bishara joked.

He told his classmates that “no matter where you are or what you do, we will always be connected. Once a Raider, always a Raider.”

The Class of 2025 was the first for Dr. Stephanie Santoro as principal. She’s been a teacher and administrator at Walton for 23 years, and said she had a learning curve to master in her new job.

They include many more obligations, including meetings and e-mails, but “I’ve had the time of my life.”

She thanked the seniors for “the memories you have provided and the legacy that you are leaving behind.”

The school year was marked with a 50th anniversary celebration, as well as the first-ever Senior Sunset last Friday at Raider Valley.

“There will be many more things that you will have to do,” Santoro said. “But be sure to appreciate the things you get to do.”

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Lassiter graduates encouraged to ‘find your community’

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Lassiter High School graduation
Lassiter’s Class of 2025 gathers together for the final time. CCSD screengrabs.

Before he and his classmates scatter in their post-high school stage, Obadiah Cao wanted to hold on to them just a little bit longer.

Lassiter High School’s 2025 valedictorian came to Cobb as a sophomore from Boston, and wasn’t sure what to expect when he arrived.

What he found is something he said he’ll cherish forever, as he said during Wednesday’s commencement ceremony at the KSU Convocation Center.

“I found my community in the student body at Lassiter and especially in this graduating class,” he said. “And I implore you to find your community.”

It’s a process he and his fellow seniors will have to undertake once again. For Cao, it means leaving the area. He will be attending Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he’ll study computer science.

But he urged his classmates to “remember the impact the communities here have had on you. Don’t be afraid to seek out more opportunities .”

Lassiter principal Chris Richie echoed that theme, saying that “what stands out the most to me is not where you’re going or what you’re doing after graduation, but who you’ve become as leaders in your four years at Lassiter.”

He noted that this year’s seniors have logged more than 21,000 hours of community service that also adds to their legacy.

“I hope your memories of Lassiter are something you will carry with pride,” Richie said. “The foundation that you built at Lassiter will serve you for a lifetime.”

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Kell graduates asked to ‘never forget where you came from’

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Kell High School graduation
Kell seniors assemble at the KSU Convocation Center before getting their diplomas Wednesday. CCSD screengrabs.

Kell High School’s seniors got a stirring message from one of their classmates during Wednesday’s graduation ceremony at the KSU Convocation Center.

Austin Killebrew is one of the most accomplished members of the Longhorns’ Class of 2025, having been named salutatorian, among other honors. He’ll be attending Georgia Tech in the fall, planning on studying chemical engineering.

But in giving his first public speech, Killebrew shared his origin story that served as inspiration to those like him, who are departing to many places for the next stage of their lives.

When Killebrew was a baby in China, he was adopted by American parents who brought him back to Northeast Cobb in 2009.

He asked his classmates “to reflect on when you last gave someone a chance. When you take a moment to invest in someone else, you’re not just giving them your time, you’re giving them a reason to believe in themselves.

“Never forget where you came from,” Killebrew said. “Because in the end, it won’t be trophies or titles that we hold onto. It’ll be the people who believed in us when no one else did—the people who gave us a chance.”

Principal Peter Giles told the Kell seniors that “where you are going is not where you are right now.” He urged them to “take the time to be the very best that you can become, and don’t be afraid of failure.

“Failure is success in disguise, and it’s how we learn. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself along the way.”

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Projecting school enrollment in East Cobb through 2033

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Projecting school enrollment in East Cobb through 2032
The East Cobb area won’t be growing that much over the next-quarter century. Education Planners presentation.

At last week’s Cobb Board of Education presentation on long-term enrollment projections, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s comments on apartments and transience got most of the attention.

But the demographic forecast by Education Planners, a private company that provides the Cobb County School District with detailed metrics, continues a pattern in regards to enrollment at East Cobb schools.

There’s been little to no growth for several years, and what has increased is very slight. According to school-by-school forecasts (see tables below), most public schools in the East Cobb area will be at or under capacity between now and 2033.

And overall projections for the district are expected to remain steady during that period, from 105,738 currently, to 106,013 in 2028 and 105,932 by 2033.

“We are growing, but we are growing in pockets,” James Wilson, Education Planners president, told the Cobb school board.

Most of the overcrowding and enrollment growth continues in the Cumberland-Smyrna area, where a new middle school—Betty Gray Middle School—opened in recent years.

In addition, capacity has increased at Campbell High School, which has the largest enrollment in the district with around 3,000 students.

And while Osborne High School got a new campus in 2020 built for 2,300 students, it’s still well over capacity, to nearly 2,800 students.

The demographics at schools in East Cobb are different, including the two biggest high schools, Walton, which is just under capacity.

However, Wheeler High School and its feeder, East Cobb Middle School, are projected to remain above capacity over the next few years.

That’s the only attendance cluster in the East Cobb area that contains a significant number of apartment complexes.

Brumby Elementary School, also in the Wheeler cluster, is below capacity after being overcrowded in its former location on Powers Ferry Road.

East Side and Sope Creek elementary schools, both in the Walton cluster, are expected to remain close to their four-figure capacities, as are Dickerson and Dodgen middle schools (Walton) and Lassiter High School.

Education Planners takes data from the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb building permits, live birth numbers and other sources to project long-term enrollment to help Cobb school district officials plan for school construction needs.

A rebuild of the Sprayberry High School classroom building is underway and will be completed next year, and there are classroom additions at other schools in East Cobb.

Bells Ferry Elementary School also is getting a replacement facility that is slated to open in 2027.

Additional district-wide dem0graphic data from Wilson’s presentation is included the East Cobb enrollment projections. Click the middle button to view the slideshow.

Elementary Schools

[wptg_comparison_table id="61"]

Middle Schools

[wptg_comparison_table id=”62″]

High Schools

[wptg_comparison_table id=”63″]

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