Good News from the Sequoyah Zone

Check out the latest good news from schools in the Sequoyah Innovation Zone…

Sequoyah High School
Three Sequoyah High School students have been selected as finalists for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.
The prestigious residential summer program is open to select gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors from across the state.  Nearly 3,000 students from across the state were interviewed and auditioned over three weekends in January and February, and from those nominees 690 finalists were chosen to participate in the 2013 program.  Since the Georgia Department of Education program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly, there is no charge for students to attend.
Students will arrive on the campus of Valdosta State University on Sunday, June 23, 2013.  For four weeks, students will spend the morning in their major area of nomination, exploring topics not usually found in the regular high school classroom.  During the afternoons, students choose one of the other areas in which to study. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts and performances.
The Sequoyah High students and their areas of study are: Travis Gore, Music/Voice (Tenor); Devon Higgins, Music/Voice (Alto); and Augustina Horlava, Visual Arts.
 “Governor’s Honors Program is such a competitive program that even being nominated is an accomplishment” Program Director Dale Lyles said, adding that many, if not most, of the Program’s past participants regard it as one of the most life-changing events in their lives.  “I congratulate the students of Cherokee County School District and look forward to meeting them and their parents in June.” 

Sequoyah High student-athletes were recognized during a ceremony on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Conference Center in Canton for signing scholarship commitment letters to compete at the college level. 
Sponsored by Credit Union of Georgia and coordinated by the School District’s Office of School Operations, the Cherokee County School District’s NCAA Signing Day brunch honored the student-athletes, along with their parents, coaches, athletic directors and principals. 
The Sequoyah High students honored and their sport and college are: Colin Dozier, Football, Cumberland University; Blake Ingleton, Football, Shorter University; Kierra Smith, Basketball, West Georgia Technical College; and Nick Vogel, Golf, Reinhardt University.
“All of us in Cherokee County should be proud that our high school students not only are outstanding scholars, earning the highest SAT scores in the State, but also are talented athletes, whose success in both arenas earns them college scholarships,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo said.  “Offering a wide and growing variety of athletic opportunities for students is a priority for our community, and we’re seeing the benefits, especially today, with so many students headed to college on scholarships, including four for lacrosse -- one of the newest sports in our School District.”
CCSD students were recognized for commitments to play baseball, football, basketball, softball, golf, soccer, swimming, lacrosse, and track and cross-country.  Two signing events are held each year to honor CCSD student athletes; additional students were honored at a signing event earlier this school year.
 

Indian Knoll Elementary
Indian Knoll ES Media Specialist Jennifer Lewis has won a first-place 2012 Teacher Innovator Award presented by PBS and The Henry Ford.  As a Top 10 winner in the national competition, she has been invited to participate in an all-expenses-paid, week-long "Innovation Immersion Experience" at The Henry Ford this summer in Michigan and will receive other prizes.  

Mountain Road Elementary
A Mountain Road Elementary School team placed first at the Cherokee County Elementary Science Olympiad.
The Olympiad recently was held at Creekview High School and is sponsored by Cobb EMC.
More than 700 elementary students from 38 teams participated in the events, which require knowledge of science facts, concepts, processes, skills and applications.  The 18 events and activities selected were chosen for their strong relationship to existing elementary science curriculum. 
More than 100 awards were presented to individual students. 
The winning teams plan to participate at the Georgia Elementary Science Olympiad at Kennesaw State University on Saturday, May 18, 2013.
Winning team members are: Michael Agler, Lettie Barber, Alphonso Bradham, Noah Campbell, Joey Canale, Madison Ehmig, Hayden Gardner, Bradley Gordon, Emma Grant, Riley Hartman, Ethan Keeney, Dalton Luedke, Abbey Morrison, Gabrielle Orrico, Austin Perales, Mitchell Perales, Kavya Suryadevara, Alex Trujilo, Sam Vance, Will Vance and Carlee Webb and team sponsor, teacher Frank Graham.

Mountain Road Elementary third-grade AIM gifted program students recently presented a revised version of the play "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe.  Students revised, directed and acted out the play for parents and fellow students.  

Students include: Joseph Courchene, Connor Cloud, Sam Vance, Riley Hartman, Mitchell Perales, Connor Phillips, Casey Meeks, Powell Gordon, Vickie Alden, Mary Ellen Martin, Nicole Tuvell, Virginia Corbett, Ashlyn Bolduc, Michelle, Crumley, Peyton Gill, Suzanne Cook, Skyler Garman, McKenzie Reynolds and Bella Nardelli. Their teacher is Kathleen Zackery.