The January 2007 Georgia Communicator · II Magnet School, Bibb County; Dawson County High School, Dawson County; Main Elementary School, Rome City; Robert A. Cross Middle School,

Georgia CommunicatorThe

T h e G e o r g i a A s s o c i a t i o n o f E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l P r i n c i p a l s

January 2007

Two Georgia Elementary SchoolsEarn National Blue Ribbon Status

Continued on page 2

Our GAESP Fall Conferencewas a terrific success with over100 attendees! During ourAwards Banquet more than 30school leaders, outstandingschool initiatives and schoolpatrons were recognized. Thework that elementary schoolstaffs are accomplishingthroughout the state of Georgiais absolutely amazing! All of usare working diligently to pro-vide high quality instructionalopportunities for all students,thus GAESP is honored to con-tinue recognizing and high-lighting our award winners. Ihope you enjoy reading thisissue of the Communicator to learn how our award winningschools are providing systemat-ic instructional interventionsthat are improving studentachievement and increasing

What’sCooking atGAESP?By Becky Maddox,

GAESP President

Continued on Page 3…

Main Elementary NamedNational Blue RibbonSchool

Main Elementary School inRome has been named a 2006 NoChild Left Behind Blue RibbonSchool by the U.S. Department ofEducation.

Main Elementary is one of sixGeorgia schools to receive thehonor. The Georgia schools wereamong a second group of hon-orees to be named Blue RibbonSchools. The first 250 schoolswere announced in September. Alist of honored schools appearson the U.S. Department ofEducation Web site.

Kedron Elementary Receives National Recognition

Kedron Elementary is one of six schools in Georgia to be recog-nized as a 2006 National Blue Ribbon School by the United StatesDepartment of Education. Kedron is the only school earning the des-ignation in the metro Atlanta area. The other schools are AlexanderII Magnet School, Bibb County; Dawson County High School,Dawson County; Main Elementary School, Rome City; Robert A.Cross Middle School, Dougherty County and Savannah ArtsAcademy, Savannah/Chatham County.

“This is truly an honor for all of us at Kedron and is a testamentto he hard work of our students, teachers, parents, staff and commu-nity. It is their dedication to a high standard of learning and excel-lence that enabled the school to achieve this national recognition,”says Principal Karen Bullock.

The last Fayette school to receive a National Blue Ribbon award

Main Elementary School principalDawn Williams (left) talks with fourth-grader Sierra Thrash after schoolThursday. Photo by Ryan Smith, RomeNews-Tribune

Continued on page 3

Message From Your ExecutiveDirectorBy Hal Beaver, GAESP Executive Director

What’s Cooking at GAESP,Continued from page 1

Page 2

community participation inour schools.

Please know that yourGAESP Board of Director’s andI always want to hear youropinions regarding how we canimprove the services and pro-fessional learning opportuni-ties offered to our members.The feedback received to dateregarding the Fall Conferenceis quite positive with manycomments regarding the excel-lent quality of our general ses-sion speakers and breakout ses-sion presenters. Attendees havenoted that the variety of profes-sional learning opportunitiesprovided was very informativeand useful, yet we want to hearfrom more of you! The evalua-tion form is still available onthe GAESP/GAEL website, soplease share your thoughts onwhat you benefited from aswell as ideas for improvements.Thanks to all GAESP members,presenters and attendees whoworked to make our 2006 FallConference a success!

I hope you all had a wonder-ful holiday season and may thisbe the best New Year!

Dear GAESP Members,

I would like to say “thank you” for what each of you do for thechildren in Georgia. For those of you who attended our FallConference, it was very successful and the topics were timely. Anadded bonus was I believe everyone enjoyed themselves. This editionof the “Communicator” features our award recipients. Please enjoyand share with your colleagues!

On a serious note, our legislators are getting ready to come backto session and, if you haven’t heard, here are some issues that will beconsidered:

l SB10 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act: this will allow publicschool students with disabilities to attend eligible private school—public school funds going to private schools - This is not a good idea.

l Health Care: for all retired and active: premiums and deductibleswill increase-all educators need to speak out on this issue

l Home School Students: there is some discussion about homeschooled students being allowed to participate in after-school func-tions and take classes.

l HB 14: this bill is recommending a return to electing local schoolsuperintendents - bad idea.

l There is some talk about reducing the salary of teachers with Ph.D.degrees in one field who are teaching in another field (if they are get-ting paid for teaching on that higher degree) - for example, having aPh.D. in administration, but teaching history and getting paid on thePh.D. level. This is considered out of field; this may not be so terrible.

l School Calendar Bill: there is some discussion that some legislatorswould like to see a two week window for the beginning date, (lateAugust/early September), GAESP’s position is that this should be alocal decision.

I am sure many more issues will surface prior to Winter GAEL.This is why it is so important that you attend and encourage yourcolleagues to attend and join our association. If you have not madeplans to attend Winter GAEL you can go on line and get the informa-tion at www.gael.org <http://www.gael.org>.

Remember, membership drives the organization, get involved!Happy New Year!

“We make a living

by what we get, we

make a life by what

we give.”Winston Churchill

GAESP

GAESP

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Main Street Elementary, Continued from page 1

Georgia state education officials confirmed the honor for theRome school.“We’re extremely pleased to have six schools in Georgia namednational Blue Ribbon Schools,” said Matt Cardoza, a spokesman forthe Georgia Department of Education. “We’re happy for Rome. Thisnational honor recognizes superior academics. It means it’s a schoolof excellence and a should be a source of pride for the community.”Cordoza said school representatives will be invited to Washington,D.C., to be honored in November.

The No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program recog-nizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achieve-ment gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schoolsare selected based on one of two criteria:

1. Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from dis-advantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve studentperformance to high levels on state tests ... or2. Schools whose students, regardless of background, achievein the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or in the caseof private schools in the top 10 percent of the nation onnationally-normed tests.

Published in the 10/12/06 Rome News Tribune

was Sandy Creek High in 2004. This latest award is added to a list ofrecent accolades for Kedron. Last year the school was named a 2006Georgia School of Excellence by the Georgia Department ofEducation and just last month received a platinum designation fromthe state for high academic performance.

The schools are nominated by the state Department of Educationand all nominated schools are given the chance to apply.

Kedron Elementary students and staff at the Blue Ribbon School.

Kedron Elementary, Continued from page 1

GAESP

GAEL WinterConference ToDraw Over700 Educators

The 2007 GAEL WinterConference provides a greatopportunity to participate instretching your potential innumerous ways.

Keynote speakers andspecial interest sessions havebeen designed with you inmind! GAEL is packing agreat amount of informationinto two days!

Peer Networking is critical.Where in the dead of wintercan you network with close to700 of your closest friends inpublic education? You will bein great company with repre-sentatives from all the schoolprincipal associations, curricu-lum and instructional direc-tors, special education directorsand local school superintend-ents.

You will also have theopportunity to learn about newproducts and services BEFOREyou plan your annual budget!Your peers and you will be ableto enjoy visiting over 80Friends of Education that havea wide array of new and proveneducational products and serv-ices. You will want to be sureto include several tours of theEXPO during your WinterConference experience.

Conference Program

The 2007 WinterConference program will fea-ture several keynote speakers

Continued on page 10

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Congratulationsto our winners!

Scenes from the GAESP Fall Conference

GAESP Board of Directors and members at the G-8 table at the Cloister.

Distinguished Service AwardRecipient - Dr. Sheila Woo, PoolerElementary (District 1)

Outstanding AssistantPrincipal - Sharon Collins, SpringHill Elementary (District 6)

Educational Patron Award(District 6)- Chick-Fil-A atFayetteville Towne Center; GAESPPresident Becky Maddox, left, andJeanie Miller.

Educational PatronAward (District 8)-Chick-Fil-A in Bruswick -nominated by TonyEthridge.

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More Awards and Honorees… Congrats to All!

Educational Patron Award(District 9)- Hall County Board ofRealtors, nominated by JoeGonsalves. Pictured is Dr. Terry Dover

Educational Patron Award and Top EducationalPatron(District 9)- Rhodia, Inc., nominated by Dr. JeanneOakley (left). Also pictured are Joe Vogt, Rhodia plant man-ager, and Assistant Principal Jackie Robinson.

Educational Patron Award (District 9)- SassBuilding, Inc./Mr. and Mrs. Lee Sass, nominated byDr. Kay DillardEducational Patron Award and Top Educational

Patron (District 10)- The Community Bank ofLoganville, nominated by Nancy Strawbridge

Top Educational PatronAwards- Rhodia Inc. andThe Community Bank ofLoganville. Pictured fromleft: Dr. Jeanne Oakley,Becky Maddox and NancyStrawbridge. GAESP Executive Director Hal Beavor speak-

ing at the GAESP Fall Conference.

School Bell Awards: Ringing With Achievement

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District 1 - “Exploring Art” - Smiley Elementary School, LongCounty; Principal Sandy Jones and Assistant Principal ChristyDunham

District 1 - “Dolch Word Color Parties” -Lanier Primary School, Bryan County; PrincipalDr. Patti Newman

District 2 - “Wild About Learning: ReachingOur Latino Families” - Funston Elementary,Colquitt County; Principal Lynn Clark. Also pic-tured are Don Willis and Earl Trussell fromHorace Mann.

District 3 - “Utilizing Technology to DriveInstruction” - Shirley Hill Elementary, HoustonCounty; Principal Traci Jackson

District 6 - “Amigos: A Unique TutoringProgram for Elementary ESOL” - ClevelandElementary School, Fayette County; PrincipalJeanie Miller

Other School Bell Award:

District 4 - “Scana Energy Homework/Learning Center” -Knollwood Elementary School, DeKalb County; Principal Dr. Cecil Clark

Awards, Continued on page 8

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School Bell Awards, Continued from page 6

GAESP gratefullyacknowledges

Horace Mann fortheir support of the School Bell Awards

program.

District 7 - “Ride the Bus” - Chatsworth Elementary School, MurrayCounty; Principal Dr. Rhonda Rowland

District 8 - “Connections” - C.B. Greer Elementary School, Glynn County;Principal Tony Ethridge. Far left is Superintendent Dr. Michael Bull.

District 9 - “Development of Program of Inquiry” - Fair StreetElementary, Hall County; Principal Dr. Merrianne Dyer

District 10 - “CampKindergarten” - LoganvilleElementary School, WaltonCounty; Principal NancyStrawbridge

Dr. Larry Johnson receives his PastPresident pin and his rockingchair.

More GAESP Awards…

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District 1 Distinguished Principal -Dayle Burns, Springfield Elementary,Effingham County

District 3 Distinguished Principal- Hilda Gillis, Linwood Elementary,Houston County

District 5 DistinguishedPrincipal - Dr. Marilyn Taylor,Bolton Academy, Atlanta City

District 6 Distinguished Principal- Angie Dillon, Samuel E. HubbardElementary, Monroe Elementary

District 7 Distinguished Principal- Dr. Rhonda Rowland, ChatsworthElementary, Murray County

District 8 Distinguished Principal- Dr. Tina Kirby, Golden IsleElementary, Glynn County

District 9 Distinguished Principal- David Culpepper, ChattahoocheeElementary, Forsyth County

National DistinguishedPrincipal - Angie Dillon, SamuelE. Hubbard Elementary, MonroeElementary

Charlie Thompson, guest speaker,provided humor and motivationfor the conference.

2006-2007 GAESP Board of Directors/Appointed Positions

President - Becky MaddoxPresident-Elect - Lynn ClarkPast President - Larry JohnsonSecretary - Kay DillardTreasurer - Angela DillonGAEL Representative - RichardBazemoreNAESP Representative -

Eddie PollardExecutive Director - Hal Beaver

New District Presidents for GAESP1st District Todd Williford2nd District Keith Adams3rd District Cindy Flesher4th District Dr. Richard Reid5th District Ronald Trussell6th District Julie Raschen7th District Rhonda Rowland8th District Tony Ethridge9th District Beth Kieffer10th District Bob Boyd

GAESP5634 Atlanta HighwaySuite 300Flowery Branch, GA 30542

Non Profit OrgUS Postage PaidGainesville, GAPermit No. 82

starting Sunday, February 4, in the afternoon and concluding atnoon on Tuesday, February 6. Here are a few highlights:

“Engaging Families In the Educational Lives of Children” - Dr. SteveConstantino, President, Family Friendly Schools

“We Will Lead the Nation in Improving Student Achievement” -Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools

“School Law Update” Sam Harben and Phil Hartley, Harben and Hartley

"Success in Action" Dan Thurmon, President, Motivation Works, Inc.

And, don’t miss the special interest sessions on topics from studentachievement to an update on state board rules.

See page 9 for registration information!

Dates for Your CalendarGAEL Winter Conference - February 4-6, 2007 (Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta)

GAEL Summer Conference - July 8-11, 2007 (Jekyll Island)

GAEL Winter Conference, Continued from page 3

GAESP

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