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PREVIEW THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING |
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First National Bank held its 27th Annual Outstanding Student Banquet to honor Griffin High and Spalding High School juniors and seniors with a 90 or higher grade point average.
The STAR students from both schools each received a $1,000 unrestricted cash scholarship. From left to right: Chuck Copeland, President of First National Bank, Emily Lamb, Griffin High School STAR Student, and Elizabeth Turner, Spalding High School STAR Student. |
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| Where do your thoughts turn this time of year? |
a message from Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones
I imagine some of you are thinking about Easter weekend and its sunrise services, the seasonal change of spring, and the pollen that is sure to fall. And, because of upcoming testing, I bet others consider just leaping over spring into summer.
I also think of another thing. I think about students who have spring fever. They want to get outside and play. They're looking forward to spring break.
It would be nice to let students be on their own on the playground, but the playground is also a classroom. It's where students learn social skills and learn to interact with one another. It's also a place where they can say and do harmful things to each other.
We are responsible for our students on the playground, in our classrooms, on our buses.
Most recently, I've been alarmed by the rash of news stories about bullying in schools. Our state legislature is passing a law allowing bullied students to remain in their schools and making those that did the bullying transfer. That's a change from current law.
There's also a proposed provision which suggests teachers and administrators be held accountable if a student is bullied in the school and do not take appropriate action.
I'm not convinced that we are all in agreement of the definition of bullying, but this legislation is going to impact us.
We've had students who felt bullied and when frustrated have left school without permission. If a student is not present in class, we need to try to account for the missing student. Our emergency action procedures provide the steps to take when a student is missing from elementary school, middle school, or high school.
We must act appropriately. Parents trust us to supervise their students when they are with us and that's an awesome responsibility.
Weapons legislation proposed
There is additional legislation that has to do with weapons. It says that people may carry concealed weapons onto school grounds without notifying the school office of their concealed weapon.
How will students and parents feel knowing that when a child brings a knife to school it's a felony, and yet, if an adult brings a weapon to school, it's a misdemeanor?
I'm convinced that having any weapons on school grounds and also within 1000 feet of a school building is not something we want.
What happens if a parent is upset with a faculty member during a parent conference?
We need to be aware of legislation being considered by our state legislators and we need to let our elected officials know what we think. I think the laws we currently have are better.
So, my thoughts this week are about our serious responsibility to properly supervise our students and ensure that we're providing the care that parents expect.
9 times out of 10 we all do the right thing. It's that one time that causes a lot of difficulty and leads to new legislation.
As you celebrate Easter this weekend, enjoy the season. Remember why it's significant for so many in our country and around the world. But also continue to think about the effects of spring fever in our schools.
I thank you very much as always, and I continue to dare you to do better.
Happy Easter! |
| Middle School students show improvement on Eighth Grade Writing Assessment |
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Griffin-Spalding results for the 2010 Georgia 8th grade writing test show marked improvement in students' performance.
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A gain of 11 percentage points for all students who met and/or exceeded standards. (From 63% in 2009 to 74% in 2010)
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A gain of 11 percentage points for regular education students who met and/or exceeded standards. (From 68% in 2009 to 79% in 2010)
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A gain of 3 percentage points for special education students who met and/or exceeded standards. (From 22% in 2009 to 25% in 2010)
Across the state, 79% of all students tested met and/or exceeded grade level standards for the assessment. Griffin-Spalding 8th graders scored five points below the state's performance level.
"We are very pleased with these results. Our students have shown great improvement in writing. These results indicate our teachers are committed to educating students, and our students are responding," said Dr. Cynthia Anderson, Director of Middle School Curriculum.
In the test, students are randomly assigned writing prompts and given a designated format (either persuasive or expository) in which to respond to the prompt. They then have 100 minutes to write their essays.
In preparation for the 2010 writing test, teachers engaged in professional learning on the 6+1 Writing Traits facilitated by a specialist from Griffin RESA.
Additionally, all schools administered mock writing tests, used the Georgia Department of Education rubric to score the mock assessments, analyzed the results, provided students clear commentary on their performance, and adjusted instruction to address the learning needs of the students. |
| Griffin Spalding Education Foundation awards scholarships to teachers |
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Ten teachers from the Griffin-Spalding County School System who are in graduate school have received $1000 scholarships from the Griffin Spalding Education Foundation.
These scholarships are reimbursement for their monies spent while pursuing their graduate degree.
Anna Burns, Director of School & Community Services for the school system, said, "The school system is fortunate to have a foundation that supports the educational advancement of our teachers. This year we had a great group of applicants whose applications were evaluated by a Griffin Spalding Education Foundation committee. To determine the recipients, the committee singled out exemplary responses to questions and strong references. Committee members also looked at the kinds of graduate degrees the applicants are pursuing."
This year's recipients of the $1,000 scholarships for tuition reimbursement are:
Tanika Akins -Atkinson Elementary
M.Ed. In Early Childhood Education with a Reading Endorsement
Mercer University
Jhondra Anderson Barnes -Elementary Enrichment Center
Doctorate In Curriculum Studies
Georgia Southern University
Mandy Center - Jordan Hill Elementary
M.Ed. In Early Childhood Education with a Reading Endorsement
Mercer University
Amy Echols - Atkinson Elementary
M.Ed. In Curriculum and Instruction
American College of Education
Eva Feldt - Jordan Hill Elementary
M.Ed. In Accomplished Teaching
Valdosta State University
Nicki J. Gore - Moreland Road Elementary
M.Ed. In Early Childhood Education
Mercer University
Deborah Handcock -
Cowan Road Elementary
Masters in Mathematics Education
The University of Georgia
Susan Hardwick - Atkinson Elementary
Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
American College of Education
Alicia Stratton - Jackson Road Elementary
Ed.S. in School Library Media
University of West Georgia
Tiandria N. Wright - Anne Street Elementary
Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with Technology
University of Phoenix |
| Georgia Department of Community Health encourages Georgians to get H1N1 vaccine |
(This news release is from the Georgia Department of Community Health and was orignally released on March 24, 2010.)
ATLANTA - Now is not the time to drop our guard on H1N1 vaccinations, said state officials from the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) at a press conference [on March 24] at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Hospital.
There have been a total of 1,012 H1N1 hospitalizations and 72 influenza associated deaths in Georgia since April 2009.
Children are one of the most vulnerable populations affected by H1N1, and it is vitally important that some of them receive the required two doses of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
"We are concerned that a significant number of Georgians have not received the H1N1 vaccine and especially children between the ages of six months and nine years of age that should be receiving two doses of the vaccine," said Dr. M. Rony Francois, MD, MSPH, PhD, Director of DCH's Division of Public Health.
"We are asking all Georgians to remain vigilant about the H1N1 virus and its complications. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you and your loved ones from the flu."
Currently, Georgia is one of five states that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list with regional influenza activity.
While seasonal flu usually runs from October through May, H1N1 is still circulating and may continue for many months. Georgia experienced its first wave last spring and peaked with a second wave in September.
"We aren't 100 percent sure that a third wave is occurring or will occur, but if there is a third wave it may happen in our state first," said Dr. Patrick O'Neal, Director of DCH's Division of Emergency Preparedness & Response.
"What we do know is that residents need to continue taking precautions against the flu and seek vaccination if they haven't been vaccinated."
Pharmacies and doctor's offices across the state still have a good supply of the vaccine, and people are encouraged to find a provider near them and to get vaccinated. It is highly recommended for children between the ages of six months and nine years of age.
Other high risk groups are:
- Pregnant women
- Health care and emergency medical personnel with direct patient contact
- People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months
- Anyone from 6 months to 24 years of age
- Seniors and anyone with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for flu-related complications
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| What changes in our State Health Benefit Plan will we see because of federal healthcare reform? |
There will be no immediate impacts on the State Health Benefit Plan.
No changes regarding the plan or eligibility will occur during 2010 as a result of health care reform.
Beginning January 1, 2011:
More details about the 2011 changes will be available when Implementary Regulations are released by the federal government.
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