Campbell High School has received one of ten 2007-2008 Weyerhaeuser Excellence in School Recycling Awards.  The school will receive $ 1,000 from the Weyerhauser Company at a special event on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the Robert C. William Paper Museum at Georgia Tech.  Student body president Logan Krusac will be among representatives accepting this award on behalf of Campbell’s students.

 During the months before the holidays, Varner Elementary School, in Powder Springs, worked on sending care packages, thank you letters and holiday cards from the students to family members serving in Iraq. A very special team of staff members at the school had sent letters home to the Varner families requesting a $2.00 donation along with some items from a listing of products which is missed by soldiers serving our country far from home. 
Eleven students from the Varner School families had a family member serving overseas and requested that their loved one be sent a care package to the deployment area for the holiday.  
Many teachers at the school included the special request of letter and cards for the soldiers in their lesson plans. The school received over 400 dollars in donated funds and 12 large care packages were mailed from the Powder Springs Post Office for on time delivery from Powder Springs, Georgia, United States of America to their destination in the Middle East. The post office employees were helpful by reinforcing all the special boxes for extra care and extra tape.
The team of members who helped with collections and packaging of the care packages were dedicated to making the military members receive a great care package each and some very touching letters and cards from the students of Varner. The whole school worked together for the success of the project.  
This is the second year that Varner Elementary has collected and successfully sent care packages to the men and women serving our country overseas. 

Congratulations to the McEachern High School Beta Club, who recently won multiple awards at the Georgia Beta Club convention Jan. 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency hotel. The group were awarded trophies in the following categories:• 1st place for the club scrapbook, editor Katie Braswell (earning an invitation to nationals)
• 1st place in two philanthropy awards for their American Cancer Society Relay for Life efforts (most money raised by a club; most money raised per member)
• 2nd place in Team Poster for Georgette Eva, Katie Braswell and Hazel Sanchez
• 3rd place in English for Anna Hill (earning her an invitation to nationals)
• 3rd place in Spelling for Tanya Disney (earning her an invitation to nationals)
• 4th place in Acrylic Painting for Georgette Eva

When the McEachern High School Chapter of Becca’s Closet began collecting prom dresses four years ago, they had no idea it would lead to such an outpouring of community support. Becca’s Closet is the inspiration of Florida high school student, Rebecca Kirtman.  Noticing that fellow classmates had to miss their own prom, homecoming, and other formal events because they could not afford a gown, Becca began collecting hundreds of dresses on her own.  She literally handed gowns out of her closet to those who could not afford them.  After she was killed in a car accident, her family and friends made it their mission to carry out her acts of kindness and the organization Becca’s Closet was established. Now, with over 75 chapters operating across the world, Becca’

s Closet offers dresses to girls right here in Metro Atlanta.

The Metro Atlanta Chapter, sponsored out of McEachern High School has doubled in size over the last four years, hosting club meetings each Thursday after school.  The students plan events and host dress fittings for girls who travel from across Georgia to find a dress.  With the help of sponsors such as PromUSA in Douglasville who donated over $56, 000 in dresses, shoes, jewelry, and handbags just this year, what started as a few dresses, quickly has grown to over 600 gowns.  Town Center Mall in Kennesaw has graciously offered space for fundraisers, dress, fittings, and the group’s first ever prom fashion show this Feb 23 at 3:00p.m.  Barbizon Modeling and Talent will also be helping with the event.  Alphagraphics located in a building directly across from Town Center Mall has given the group 1200 sq. ft. of space to open a store throughout March.  Girls with appointments will be able to be fitted in a real store setting with the help of Becca’s Closet volunteer personal shoppers. 

The McEachern community has joined the clubs efforts as well, providing much of the support required make these large events happen.  The school’s drama and construction department has helped build the fashion show and store backdrop and furnishings.  The special education job training class helped size and sort the dresses on racks.  The fashion marketing class helped organize the fashion show as well as run the dress design contest in conjunction with the fashion show.  The cosmetology classes are providing the hair and make-up for the fashion show.  The band has lent space and dress racks for club dress fittings while school students have volunteered as club members or as models for the fashion show.  Truly a group effort, the idea of one student in Florida has become a cause for a community to rally around.

The club is always looking for more ways to reach the girls who need gowns.  The organization has already formed partnerships with clubs such as United Way of Metro Atlanta, Foster Care Support System, Atlanta Union Mission, Cobb DFCS, and Future Seekers. If you or a student you know needs a gown, please contact the McEachern chapter to make an appointment at 770-361-0802 or at mhsbeccascloset@yahoo.com.  Supporters can also join the group at its upcoming February 23 fashion show at 3:00 p.m. in Town Center Mall.  If you are interested in helping, the club is always in need of dresses (especially plus sizes) and accessories as well as rolling dress racks.  All donations are tax deductible.

Sprayberry High School is lucky to call sophomore Liz Braun one of its own. Liz has been swimming year-round for eight years, averaging more than 25 hours a week. Currently ranked in the top 16 nationally in the 100 and 200 butterfly , Liz swam Junior Nationals and Nationals last summer and  Short Course Nationals this past December.  In high school swimming, Liz has made state qualifying times in the following events this year alone: 500 and 200 yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly, and 100 yard backstroke. In addition to multiple state qualifying times, Liz broke a school record in 100 yard backstroke at her most recent high school meet.

Miss Braun has set a personal goal of  to place in the top four at this year’s Georgia High School Swimming State Championship. She also swims competitively for the Marietta Marlins.

Construction on Cobb’s newest schools, Allatoona High and Pickett’s Mill Elementary, is progressing on schedule. Both schools are located in northwest Cobb and will open this August. Pictured above is Pickett’s Mill, which looks more like a school and less like a construction site.

For the Jan. 7 Professional Learning Day, the Cobb County School District school nurses, consulting nurses, itinerant nurses and special education nurses including countywide and school based nurse met at the KSU Continuing Education Conference Center to attend the Diabetes Management in Schools presented by Kathy Miller, ARNP, Ph.D, Clinical Faculty in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

Dr. Miller (pictured above, between CathyJo Caputo, Area 4 Consulting Nurse and Anne Coyle, District Nursing Supervisor) presented on various aspects of diabetes, including the emotional issues, implications and responsibilities, 504 plans, individual education plans, insulin administration and insulin pumps. Sue Tocher, MS, RD, CDE, Diabetes Education Coordinator with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory presented on carbohydrate counting. All 150 nurses in attendance not only maximized their learning on the newest trends in this growing health issue, but received hands on experience with the newest diabetic equipment.

Several vendors were in attendance for information including Roche, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, American Diabetes Association, and School Health. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta was helpful in each nurse attaining 5.2 continuing education credits for the day. Each nurse received training manuals, books, calculator, a new glucometer and a diabetes kit totaling $250 in value.

Superintendent Fred Sanderson and Board of Education chair Lindsay Tippins presented a proclamation at the Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting this morning at the BOC meeting in appreciation of the great working relationship between the School district and the County. For the past two years, the two entities have met monthly to talk about projects, joint initiatives, and efforts to make things run smoothly for the citizens of Cobb County.