Parents of Mt. Bethel Elementary students got a first look at the District’s 21st Century Classroom technology during an open demonstration Nov. 29, 2007. First grade teachers Kim Osburn and Maribeth Smith exhibited the capabilities of the new interactive whiteboards for parents, explaining how the software helps teachers deliver curriculum standards to students.

Kim Osburn guided students as they played learning games that reinforce their classroom activities.

Desktop computers also are part of the 21st Century Classroom, providing students with interactive tools to learn vocabulary, test math comprehension and create digital artwork.

State-of-the-art digital projectors connect to teachers’ laptops and the interactive whiteboards, so teachers and students share an interactive workspace. Wireless broadband Internet access allows teachers to enhance lessons through online resources.

The student response systems provide each 21st Century Classroom with a complete set of response remote controls. Students use the remotes to answer questions and verify their understanding of subject matter, giving teachers instant feedback.

Teacher Maribeth Smith explains the response remote controls to her students.

Mt. Bethel is one of seven demonstration schools for the 21st Century Classroom initiative, along with Bells Ferry, Belmont Hills, Clay, and Green Acres elementary schools, Durham Middle School, and Sprayberry High School. The technology is currently being installed in 400-500 classrooms throughout the District and will be active by the beginning of second semester in January 2008. For more information, see the 21st Century Classroom section of the District Web site.

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, the Brumby Elementary staff volunteered to help serve holiday treats for our Partner In Education, Publix at Delk Spectrum. Each year Publix presents Holiday Fest, a night of holiday music and samples of holiday dishes.

To the delight of the shoppers the Brumby Chorus performed at 5:00 pm with a selection of traditional and non-traditional tunes.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus also took time out of their schedule to listen to holiday wishes.

As part of the ‘Restore the Luster’ program at Wheeler High School, the Wheeler Cheerleading Association has begun their project to improve the area they love, the football field facility. On November 18, they began the process with the help of Home Depot’s materials. The first step, clipping the overgrown hedges and painting a peeling, run-down equipment shed.
Several months ago, the Merchant’s Walk Home Depot-Store 111, responded to appeals by Wheeler High School to rehabilitate an exterior. Students’ parents wanted to give the space a little something extra, while providing a worthy spot for commemorative bricks. “Team Depot” Captain Rob Wilson was dispatched immediately and a project was born. The “Team Depot” concept harnesses the skills of Home Depot’s volunteer affiliates to execute hands-on projects within the community.

Various Wheeler student organizations, teams and clubs have rallied behind the “Adopt a Spot” projects and will work with supplies donated by The Home Depot. Team Depot and Wheeler’s community spirit are a perfect example of what business know-how and community activism can accomplish together. Physically, the 42-year-old Wheeler High School has seen better days, but the 16 organizations that have signed up (thus far) to “Adopt a Spot,” want to reclaim them.

The installation and ribbon cutting of Team Depot’s first project at Wheeler High School will be on Thursday, November 29th at 8:00 AM. Two drainage problem-areas will be re-graded, repaved and replanted with donations from Home Depot and their team partner, Pavestone. Wheeler horticulture students will be on hand to learn “hard-scaping,” from the experts. Wheeler anticipates and welcomes anyone from the community to watch and benefit from the free hands-on demonstration.

Dr. Patti Agatston, Prevention Specialist for the District’s Prevention/Intervention Center, has recently seen her book on cyber bullying cited in the national media. Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age was co-written by Dr. Agatston and two colleagues to help combat the growing problem of bullying via the Internet and mobile phone, issues that most parents never had to deal with growing up. Candace Lombardi of prominent Web site CNet covered the issue of cyber bullying and interviews Dr. Agatston for the piece.

A related article by Dr. Agatston, “Students’ Perspectives on Cyber Bullying,” was also recently published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The book is available for purchase on the Web site CyberBullyHelp.com.

Gabriella Baetti, a senior at Pope H.S. who won Superior rating for Impromptu speaking.

In celebration of National French Week, the Cobb County School District held the third annual Cobb County French Competition on Saturday, Nov. 10 on the campus of Kennesaw State University. The university’s Department of Foreign Languages and Office of International Programs and Services collaborated with the District to host the event. KSU international students from North African and Sub-Saharan African countries served as volunteers.

Dr. Bill Griffin, Chair of Foreign Languages at KSU, and Dr. Luc Gugliemi, head of the French program hosted the program for the third year and along with Julie Fournier-Angelo, Educational and Linguistic Advisor from the French Consulate, welcomed the large group of parents and students assembled in the new Social Sciences Building on the KSU campus. Teachers of Cobb County School District, former students, as well as friends of the French speaking community also made contributions as judges and volunteers. One hundred and seventy French students from fourteen different middle schools and high schools of the Cobb County system participated in a variety of categories. Another 70 students were represented in the poster competition which displayed the very best sent in by the participating schools. Competition categories included impromptu speaking, poetry recitation, dramatic reading, music (instrumental, vocal, or dance), and posters promoting this year’s theme of LA FRANCOPHONIE. All participants were awarded certificates of participation and individual award certificates for each category in which they participated along with the judge’s marks.

Dr. Greg Ewing, Supervisor of ESOL and Foreign Language Programs for Cobb County extends congratulations to our outstanding French students and thanks to all teachers, volunteers, the KSU Foreign Language Department, and to the Committee for the competition.

French Competition committee (L-R): Jennifer Wojtczak, Rachel Baker, Mary Dalton (chairperson), Svetla Dimova, and Karen Romano

Fair Oaks Elementary has hosted two recent after-school events to get families involved and support the community. On Saturday, October 20th, the school sponsored a garage sale to provide free and inexpensive winter clothing and housewares for the needy families in the school’s community. The Sanchez family (Alex, Estefany and Osvaldo, pictured above) were happy to receive their new winter coats. The Community Outreach Committee of the Executive Support Professionals of Cobb County delivered the truck load of winter jackets that were donated. Proceeds from the garage sale go to the Relay for Life organization to fight cancer.

The school hosted ‘Bingo for Books’ on Thursday, Oct. 25th, providing pizza and soft drinks for Fair Oaks families, as well as free books to students who won a bingo game. Many previous students look forward to returning to Fair Oaks each year for this PTA event with their families and younger siblings. 326 people attended this year’s event.

These are just a few of the family activities Fair Oaks hosts each year. A canned food drive, and a Thanksgiving lunch with family and friends are scheduled for November. December will include a Santa’s Secret Workshop, where students can purchase inexpensive holiday gifts for friends and family. Gifts are provided by several businesses and schools in the area, as well as Fair Oaks staff members.

Oakwood High School students Adrienne Baker, Felecia Carter, Henrietta Harris and Carrie Reynolds recently took advantage of an opportunity to meet the author whose works they’ve been studying. As part of a project in teacher Shari Atkinson’s Multicultural Literature class, these young ladies read and analyzed poems by author Judith Ortiz Cofer and posted their analyses to a blog.

With Cofer scheduled to appear at a Nov. 5 Language Arts inservice for District teachers, Language Arts supervisor Carolyn Waters extended an invitation to the Oakwood students to attend Cofer’s discussion. They met Cofer in person and their analyses were used to introduce the author to her audience.

After the event, Mrs. Atkinson asked Carrie Reynolds if meeting the author inspired her to read more of Cofer’s works. Carrie replied, “no, it makes me want to become a writer.”

The third annual Cobb County Short Movie Extravaganza was held on Nov. 3 at Hillgrove High School. Twenty-six films were submitted from eight area high schools. This competition is an extended version of the 48 Film Festival and the Apple Insomnia Film Festival where the participants are given a specific character name, prop, and line that must be used in the film. The groups then must draw blindly a genre on which to base their videos that must be planned, shot, edited, and submitted in only a week. Judges from the industry including college students, professors, actors, independent film makers, and CNN employees independently evaluate and score each film which is followed soon thereafter by the awards presentation.
The winning videos will be posted on the The Cobb County Video Production Official Blog.

This year the entries were divided into two divisions: novice and intermediate. Winners are as follows:
NOVICE DIVISION
Best Supporting Character: John-Michael Ritchey/ “Off Beat / Kennesaw Mountain HS
Best Actress: Oana Dimulescu/ “Off Beat / Kennesaw Mountain HS
Best Actor: Taylor Williams / “Sis, Boom, Boy” / Hillgrove HS
4th Place: “Lots of Hydrogen” / Kennesaw Mountain HS
3rd Place: “Lucid” / Kell HS
2nd Place: “Sis, Boom, Boy” / Hillgrove HS
1st Place: “Off Beat” / Kennesaw Mountain HS

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
Best Supporting Character: Erik Rodriguez / “The Fifth Column” / Kennesaw Mountain
Best Actress: Leah Breevoort / “The Other Me” / Kell HS
Best Actor: Taylor Sartori / “Pumkin Guts” / Walton HS
3rd Place: “Identity” / Lassiter HS
2nd Place: “The Fifth Column” / Kennesaw Mountain HS
1st Place: “Speak” / Kennesaw Mountain HS

Brown Elementary school nurse Heather Harding received a unique honor on her last day at the school Nov. 1. District 45 Representative Matt Dollar presented Harding with a resolution proclaiming Nov. 1 as Nurse Heather Harding Day at the school in honor of her service to the school and community.

Nurse Harding recently moved to Alabama and had to leave Brown after three years of service to students. The resolution speaks to Harding’s kindness and love for kids and details her passion for nursing.

Three student artists from Kell High School have been selected for the 2007-2008 Regional Scholastic Art Exhibition for Georgia. More than 1300 pieces were submitted for the exhibition this year. A panel of three judges selected artwork for Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards to be displayed during the Exhibition. The students from Kell receiving recognition are (pictured left to right):

Katie Graham, Drawing, Gold Key
Macy Smith, Drawing, Silver Key
Elena Salerno, Photogarphy, Silver Key