This summer, Brandeus Davis, junior at Kennesaw Mountain High School, participated in the 2009 Georgia Institute of Technology LEAD SEI program. The LEAD program recruits students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico to prominent engineering institutions for the summer experience including University of California, Berkeley and Georgia Institute of Technology. The LEAD SEI (Leadership, Education and Development Summer Engineering Institute) program at Georgia Tech was a three week, on-campus residency experience for select applicants.  Members of Georgia Tech’s faculty, staff and students developed the curriculum which included a competitive case study analysis presentation to engineers, professors and corporate leaders.

This year, the program focused on three distinct categories including aerial surveillance, water purification systems and solar powered refrigeration systems that could be constructed for use in underdeveloped countries or regions impacted by natural disasters.

Brandeus and his team members placed first in their category of aerial surveillance. The group constructed a helium-driven aerial surveillance system that was capable of taking digital images from a height of nearly 200 feet. The system was also capable of transporting critical supplies to remote areas impacted by natural disasters. Brandeus and his team were able to use their understanding of concepts related to physics, weather systems, chemistry and engineering in the development of their final product and presentation. Brandeus took a leadership role in the program serving as the engineer, meteorologist, scientist, financial advisor and primary presenter for the team.

Brandeus is the son of Dr. Brian and Dr. Andrea Davis of Kennesaw.

Gary Markham, the District’s music supervisor, is the first recipient of the ‘Excellence in Marching Music Education’ award from the Music Educator’s National Conference and Drum Corps International! The two organizations created the joint award to recognize people who have made a significant contribution to marching music education. Gary was presented with the award this summer at a ceremony in Washington, DC.

The award will be presented twice a year – once during music Education Week in Washington, DC and again at the Drum Corps International Championships in Indianapolis, IN.

Alexander Higgins, a rising Junior at Walton High School has known since he was a small child that he had a love for graphic arts, but he was not sure how to fully express that passion until he took Mr. Dan Campagna’s Graphic Arts class. It was there that he realized, upon the encouragement of Mr. Campagna, that he could excel at Screen Printing Technology. Alexander was very nervous to compete at the SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership and Skills Conference and he had a hard time adjusting to equipment that was different than what he had been trained on. At the conclusion of his competition, Alexander thought he had placed fourth. “There was one guy I knew I was better than, but other than that I just tried my best.”

His best paid off, as he won first place on the state level in Screen Printing Technology and received a travel sponsorship to attend the National Leadership and Skills Conference. Had it not been for the travel sponsorship Alex is not sure that he would have been able to attend, “Maybe if I had worked everyday, I could have made it here without a travel sponsorship, but then I would not have been able to practice.”

The Screen Printing Technology competition is made up of several stations from quality control check and fast print quality to the proper demonstration of tightening a screen. Alexander wanted to be ready for all possibilities, so he visited several local print shops to train on different equipment. Alexander also interns at Planet Studio, where his understanding of graphic arts has grown.
Alexander has taken an active role in his local SkillsUSA chapter and serves as the Parliamentarian. He also loves the thought of being a part of something so big, and that is recognized on a national level. SkillsUSA has helped Alexander expand his love for graphic arts, but has also given him confidence and business skills necessary for today’s workforce. Mr. Campagna has seen a change in Alex, “He tends to be a quiet, reserved young man with awesome potential.

SkillsUSA has allowed him to work around lots of other students in a competitive environment.” Alexander was rewarded for his hard work and determination receiving a gold medallion at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

Submitted by Dan Campagna, SkillsUSA adviser and Graphic Arts teacher at Walton High School.

Sally Vandenbos, CCSD Consulting Nurse  for Area 1, spoke with WXIA TV over the weekend, answering questions about flu in schools.

Mrs. Vandenbos has been with Cobb’s School Health Services since 2002. A former school nurse with Ford Elementary and a former itinerant nurse, Vandenbos is the consulting nurse for Area 1 serving Pebblebrook and South Cobb cluster schools. She is responsible for the supervision, administration and coordination of school health services in her area. She has been a member of the National Association for School Nurses for over 5 years and was named 2009 School Nurse Administrator of the Year by the Georgia Association of School Nurses in June.

ING today announced Chalker Elementary School as one of 50 recipients of a $2,000 grant to help students combat childhood obesity. Through its ING Run For Something Better School Awards Program, financial services leader ING, in partnership with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), is helping to introduce fifth- through eighth-grade students across the country to the benefits of running through school-based running programs.

Chalker Elementary School will receive $2,000 in funding to support its new ING Run For Something Better program, offering students a minimum of an eight-week running program that will conclude with a culminating running event in celebration of the students’ achievements. NASPE has developed unique running lesson plans, based on the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE, 2004), and specifically targeted for fifth- through eighth-grade students. These activity plans, coupled with other program materials such as distance logs and a running journal, will aid in the development of running skills and preparation for a culminating running event.

Simpson Middle School is one of only three schools in Georgia that won the Spirit of Green Award from the Georgia Recycling Coalition! School counselor Joy Chanin has headed the school’s  Environmental Committee for 20 years and helped the school begin paper recycling efforts in 1990. This year, the school will reach the million pound mark for pounds of paper recycled at Simpson.

Twenty Cobb elementary schools have been named Title I Distinguished Schools by the Georgia Department of Education. Schools that meet or exceed adequate yearly progress (AYP) for three or more consecutive years and have not been on the Unsafe Schools Choice Option (USCO) list within the last two years earn the designation. Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff of these 20 Cobb schools:

Acworth Intermediate
Austell Intermediate
Austell Primary
Belmont Hills Elementary
Birney Elementary
Brown Elementary
Brumby Elementary
Bryant Elementary
Clarkdale Elementary
Clay Elementary
Garrett Middle
Harmony-Leland Elementary
Mableton Elementary
Norton Park Elementary
Powers Ferry Elementary
Riverside Primary
Russell Elementary
Sanders Elementary
Sedalia Park Elementary
Sky View Elementary

Superintendents from 14 metro Atlanta school districts converged for the Be There campaign kickoff.

Superintendent Fred Sanderson joined school leaders and parents from 13 other metro Atlanta school systems at the WSB-TV studios Aug. 27 for the kickoff of the Be There parent involvement campaign. Be There is a a national campaign to inspire parents to become more involved in their children’s education. WSB general manager Bill Hoffman hosted the kickoff, which provided a great opportunity for education leaders and communications representatives to show their support for the campaign and to share ideas on increasing parent engagement.

Atlanta Public Schools, Clarke, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Floyd, Fulton, Gwinnett, Lamar, Meriwether, Newton, Rockdale, Troup and Walton counties, as well as 18 other Georgia districts outside of metro Atlanta have all committed to the Be There initiative. WSB-TV will broadcast the campaign’s public service announcement ands will produce video segments involving families from the participating school systems.

Materials for the campaign are provided by Be There at no charge to school systems.

Cobb and Marietta City schools are also partnering for the Family Engagement Summit Oct. 17 at Campbell High School, a day-long workshop for families that want to learn how to become more involved with their children’s schools. Registration is FREE and will be available at www.cobbk12.org beginning the week of Aug. 31.

Cantrell Stadium at McEachern High School

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is asking readers which is the best high school football stadium in metro Atlanta and McEachern High’s Cantrell Stadium is among the nominees!!  Click here to view the story and cast your vote!

The Cobb County School District is proud to announce the selection of Kelly Bramblett, special education teacher at Allatoona High School, as the 2009-2010 district Teacher of the Year. Superintendent Fred Sanderson and the Allatoona administrative team surprised Mrs. Bramblett with the honor during a special assembly Aug. 24, unfurling a banner before the entire student body. She now represents Cobb in the statewide program, which will announce a winner in May 2010. Mrs. Bramblett is also the high school level Teacher of the Year, which made her eligible for the district-wide merit.

Mrs. Bramblett was inspired to enter the education field by her own Cobb County teachers at Teasley Elementary, Griffin Middle and Campbell High. She felt the calling to become a special education teacher during her senior year and immediately focused her own studies on that goal. Ms. Bramblett has a passion for students with special needs, focusing on helping her pupils develop essential life skills. While teaching at Kennesaw Mountain, she and a colleague developed the ‘Serving Up Success’ program, which teaches transition, vocation and social skills to students with disabilities. The pair set up a coffee shop at the school, which students operate as part of their career preparation. Ms. Bramblett expanded the program to Allatoona in the school’s first year. Ms. Bramblett recently received the Tommy Nobis Center’s highest honor, the Governor’s Award, for her service to individuals with disabilities.

Kelly sponsors the Interact Club at Allatoona High, helping students serve their community through volunteer efforts and fundraisers for causes such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the American Sign Language Club. She is also active in her church’s service and missions efforts. “It is my desire to see students with disabilities become gainfully employed after high school and empower them to live an independent life,” said Ms. Bramblett. “If I have instilled responsibility and initiative in my students, despite their cognitive disabilities, then they will be successful, and so will I.”

Kelly Bramblett will have her Teacher of the Year handprint unveiled by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce during the annual ‘Give Our Schools a Hand’ ceremony Oct. 7 at Glover Park on Marietta Square.

Mrs. Bramblett was chosen from the three Teachers of the Year for each academic level, which also include Dr. Michaela D’Aquanni-Swift of Russell Elementary and Linda Bonstein of East Cobb Middle. Each of these talented educators is profiled on the District Web site.