‘Dodgen Through the Decades’ event marks school’s 50th year

On Thursday all current, former and future Dodgen Middle School students, parents and teachers are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school’s opening.

“Dodgen Through the Decades” takes place from 6-8 p.m. at the school (1725 Bill Murdock Road).

The festivities include a student-led STEM Night to “highlight innovations through the years. Our fine arts programs will be featured with an art exhibit and musical vignettes,” according to social media messages posted by the school.

Dodgen opened in the fall of 1975, just as Walton High School did down the street, as residential growth in East Cobb was skyrocketing.

It’s one of two middle schools that feed into Walton, and has been honored various times for its combination of academic and extracurricular achievements.

Dodgen was named a Georgia School of Excellence in 2013 by the Georgia Department of Education and in 2017 was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Dodgen students won state Science Olympiad competitions between 2015-18 and the Dodgen Orchestra won the National Orchestra Festival’s middle school competition in 2017.

The school also has had several Cobb County School District teachers of the year, most recently the late Fred Veeder in 2018.