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CCSD Educators, Volunteers Earn Statewide Honors from PTA

CCSD Educators, Volunteers Earn Statewide Honors from PTA

Cherokee County School District educators and volunteers have been honored by the Georgia PTA with its top statewide awards!

The annual awards program recognizes outstanding PTA volunteers and educators, with honors recently presented at the educational advocacy organization’s statewide convention.

School nurse Betty Miller of Arnold Mill Elementary School is the Georgia PTA Outstanding Nurse Award winner!  The honor recognizes school nurses who go above and beyond.  She was honored earlier this year as the District 13 PTA winner for Elementary School, less than 750 students. 

The Outstanding Principal Award recognizes principals or assistant principals for outstanding contributions to education, and two CCSD leaders won statewide awards. 

Principal Matthew May was honored as the Georgia PTA Middle School Principal of the Year!  Principal May, who most recently led Mill Creek Middle School and earned the honor for his service there, will lead Creekland Middle School next school year.  

Principal Mark Smith was honored as the Georgia PTA High School Principal of the Year!  Principal Smith leads ACTIVE Academies, which includes ACE Academy, Cherokee College & Career Academy, i-Grad Virtual Academy and Transition Academy.  Each had been honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards.

School PTA units were recognized with various awards, with two earning the state’s top honor, Outstanding Local Unit, which celebrates success in all areas.

Mill Creek Middle School was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Middle School!  Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of Co-Presidents Will Egwu and Scott Steinbrenner; Vice Presidents Felicia Hayes, Gail Peel and Samantha Bowman; Treasurer Lori Harrison, Recording Secretary Brittany Hamlin, Corresponding Secretary Michele Sanchez and Parliamentarian Paige Todd.

ACTIVE Academies was named the Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit High School!  Congratulations to all members and the 2023-24 PTSA leadership team of President Sara Samson, Vice Presidents Brenda Page, Christina Brown and Mandi Fishback; Secretary Jory Cannon and Treasurer Lynn Beilfuss.  Both units were honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards.

Ten CCSD PTA units earned Georgia PTA Outstanding Local Unit Merit Awards: Arnold Mill ES, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Bascomb ES, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, E.T. Booth MS, Johnston ES, Little River ES, River Ridge HS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy and Teasley MS.

Three CCSD units earned state-level Hearst Family–School Partnership awards for excellence in bringing the school and community together to support student success: Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Liberty ES and Teasley MS.  Each had been honored earlier this year with District 13 PTA awards.

State-level membership and partnership awards also were presented: Oaktree (100% PTA membership among school staff); Community Partners (more than 30 community partners by the end of the first quarter); Visionary (more than 400 members by Aug. 31), Pace Setters (more than 300 members by Aug. 31) and Early Bird (more than 200 members by Sept. 30).

Oaktree winners are: ACTIVE Academies, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Free Home ES, Little River ES, River Ridge HS and Teasley MS.

Community Partner winners are: Bascomb ES, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS and Teasley MS.

Visionary winners are: Arnold Mill ES, Bascomb ES, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS, River Ridge HS and Woodstock ES.  Pace Setters winners include Visionary winners and Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy and Johnston ES.  Early Bird winners include Visionary and Pace Setters winners and Creekland MS, Indian Knoll ES and Knox ES STEM Academy.

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