Easter egg hunters by the thousands turned out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Sprayberry High School stadium for the 9th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop.
An estimated 100,000 colored plastic eggs were “dropped” from helicopters and otherwise placed on the stadium grounds for several age-group egg hunts, and plenty of candy also was distributed to kids.
There were also plenty of other fun activities and games for kids, and a chance to have their pictures taken with the Easter bunny, as well as a Kids Zone.
The main sponsor of the Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop was Superior Plumbing. Event proceeds benefitted Shop with a Yellow Jacket and Shop with a Longhorn programs at Sprayberry and Kell. Proceeds from food and concession sales will benefit the Sprayberry Booster Club.
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At the end of winter break week, Sprayberry High School is once again sponsoring a Dr. Seuss Storytimes session Saturday at the Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Road).
It’s part of the Read Across America program sponsored by the National Education Association, and the Sprayberry community has been taking part for 20 years. Here’s more about the program from the Cobb County Public Library System:
The high school students visit local elementary schools-this year adding our local library branch–and read their favorite children’s literature with the children. Families will then enjoy a special craft activity to do with the children that connects to the book they shared. The SHS students remember when they were read to on Read Across America Day when they were little, and they love passing that experience on!
Saturday’s events at Gritters are grade-specific for pre=schoolers through fifth graders according to the following schedule:
1:20-1:45 p.m.: Toddlers and Pre-K;
2-2:30 p.m.: Grades K-1;
2:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Grades 2-3;
3:30-4 p.m.: Grades 4-5.
You’ll need to register by calling the Gritters Library at 770-528-2524.
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When former Sprayberry football star Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 55-yard field goal for the Georgia Bulldogs near the end of the first half on New Year’s Day against Oklahoma, it did more than set a Rose Bowl record.
Those points helped the Bulldogs recover from a 17-point deficit as they defeated the Sooners 54-48 in double overtime in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
It was a game, as one sportswriter covering the came called it, “flat-out bonkers,” and Blankenship played a vital role.
In the national championship game next Monday against Alabama, Blankenship and UGA will be playing very close to home, at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.
Blankenship, who also starred for the Yellow Jackets in soccer during his days at Sprayberry, was an all-county and all-state placekicker and punter under former coach Billy Shackelford.
But he initially was a walk-on at Georgia, and finally was awarded a full athletic scholarship earlier this season, after he kicked the decisive field goal for the Bulldogs in a 20-19 win over Notre Dame.
A sophomore, Blankenship’s previous longest field goal was from 49 yards out this season against Mississippi State. His longest field goal in high school was a 56-yarder.
He’s also become something of a cult figure on social media, notable for the thick, nerdy-looking glasses he wears under his helmet while playing.
The Twitter account for Men in Blazers, a national soccer TV program hosted by two sardonic British expatriates, posted several times during the game and included photos of Blankenship playing soccer for Sprayberry (also while wearing glasses):
On his personal website, Blankenship has included soccer information while he was at Sprayberry. He graduated in 2015 and enrolled at UGA, redshirting that year, and was an all-freshman SEC team selection last year.
This season, he has made 16 of 19 field goal attempts, including the Rose Bowl, and was voted one of the most improved UGA players on special teams.
After the Rose Bowl, Blankenship talked about his record-setting kick and Georgia’s memorable win:
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The results of the 2017 Scholastic Aptitude Test, one of the major guideposts for college admissions, were released on Tuesday. East Cobb SAT scores were among the highest in Georgia.
Walton High School’s mean score of 1,242 was second in all of Georgia, trailing only the Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology (1,315). But three other East Cobb schools also placed high in the statewide mean scores as well: Lassiter was 7th at 1,189; Pope was 15th at 1,164; and Wheeler was 22nd at 1,153.
Kell finished just above the Cobb County School District mean of 1,088 with a score of 1,091, while Sprayberry’s mean score is 1,049.
The SAT is administered by the College Board, and tests students in two cluster subject areas: Math and ERW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing). The score grading is from 400 to 1,600.
This is a change that was made in the last year, with the previous maximum score 2,400. The redesigned test includes questions about history, science and social studies (more comparable to the ACT); whereas the previous test focused on math and English.
Three Walton students earned perfect scores of 1,600 in the 2017 testing period.
“Our teachers are doing a great job focusing on literacy in the classroom. This focus has had a positive impact on all of the state and national measurements,” Walton principal Judy McNeill said in a statement issued by the Cobb County School District. “We thank the faculty, students, and community for making Walton such a positive learning environment. We have students that really want to do well.”
The Georgia Department of Education offered this summary of the statewide results, which also include links to district and school-level databases. Here are the six East Cobb high school scores, as well as the Cobb, Georgia and national results.
More than 200 riders took off from Sprayberry High School Saturday morning in honor of the late Marine Lance Cpl. Skip Wells and to raise money for the Jr. ROTC and band at his alma mater.
Wells, a 2012 Sprayberry graduate, was one of five military personnel killed in a terrorist attack in 2015 at the Chattanooga Naval Marine Reserve Center. The Lcpl Skip Wells Foundation was formed in the wake of his death, and the funds raised from the ride and other events benefit the Sprayberry JROTC and band, both of which Wells belonged to.
Saturday’s ride was organized by the Cherokee Wingmen Club and traveled along a route to Cartersville, escorted by the Cobb and Bartow sheriff’s departments. After the ride, the participants, who came mostly from Georgia and surrounding states, gathered at the Cherokee Wingmen Clubhouse in Canton.
On Monday, the U.S. Post Office at 2886 Sandy Plains Road, just up the road from Sprayberry, will be dedicated in honor of Skip Wells. That event begins at 11 a.m.
