The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • J4

RZJ0924OJ4FZJ0924OJ4 Gwinnett 4J 4J RR RR BlueRedYellowBlack Blue RedYellowBlack J4 Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A TWICE-WEEKLY REPORT FROM OUR SCHOOLS M. ELIZABETH NEAL, Class Notes Most schools in Gwinnett County recently selected a teacher of the year. School honorees in the Berkmar, Meadowcreek, Central Gwinnett, Grayson, Parkview, Brookwood, Shiloh and South Gwinnett school clusters are noted in column. Teachers are nominated by their colleagues.

A committee of PTA and School Council members, teachers and administrators narrows the field to three finalists. The teacher of the year is chosen in a secret ballot by certified staff at each school. Twenty semifinalists for the countywide honor will be announced later this month, with six finalists named in October. From those finalists, countywide honorees will be designated for elementary, middle and high schools. The top countywide winner will be announced at the annual teacher of the year banquet Nov.

4. Six of new schools did not select an honoree for their inaugural year. In addition, Buchanan High School of Technology and Hooper Renwick did not choose a teacher of the year. Berkmar High Mathematics teacher Michael Herring is teacher of the year. Brookwood High Social studies teacher Rick Barry is teacher of the year.

Alumni of the Fine Arts Department at Brookwood are making waves in the entertainment world. Jennifer Ferrin (class of has joined the cast of the World A native of Lawrenceville, Ferrin captured the role immediately after graduating with a degree in drama from the North Carolina School of Arts. She is no stranger to television, having recently appeared in a Hallmark Hall of Fame film. She was also a guest star on the season finale of Creek. Courtney Patterson (class of was Georgette in for and Imogen in Tale of with the Georgia Shakespeare Festival.

Last spring, she appeared at the Alliance Hertz Stage as Cass in Wonder of the Amy Robach (class of will be joining MSNBC as an afternoon news anchor. She will be moving to New York from Washington, where she was a noon news anchor on the Fox affiliate. Laura Lindahl (class of appeared as Cinderella in a California production of the and Matt Lindahl (class of was in for in Montana at Broadway in the Rockies. Eric Petz (class of continues to appear in commercials, most recently for Pella windows. The Brookwood Academic Team won both divisions of the Gwinnett County Scholars Bowl on Saturday.

The team is coached by Rick Barry Nancy Neace and Carol Case The junior varsity championship team was led by sophomore Robert Sale and included sophomores Katie Rockett Scott Moore Cameron Secord Casey Hogan Rachel Foley John-Anthony Owen and Erin Obrock The varsity champions were led by senior Joey Johnson and included seniors David Tim and Travis Mushett as well as juniors Tom Devlin Nick Rolader and Carole Miller varsity match record stands at 17 wins and 1 loss. Central Gwinnett High Tenth-grade science teacher Lisa Cole is teacher of the year. Meadowcreek High Foreign language teacher Pam Gibson is teacher of the year. Parkview High Tenth-grade science teacher Sandy Peterson is teacher of the year. Parkview High School has two winning entries in the 2003 International Student Media Festival, sponsored by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

The awards ceremony is Oct. 24 in Anaheim, Calif. The entries include: Football: The Tradition by Laura Batchelor Jennifer Butkovich Katie Johnson Martina Palatto Eric Schlageter and Samantha Sheppard and Inside the by Courtney Lankford Martha Gaskill Susan Ahls Sarah Gowland and Doug Forester Phoenix High Fine arts teacher Becky Raffalovich is teacher of the year. Shiloh High Ninth-grade language arts teacher Murla Crawford is teacher of the year. Shiloh High Onstage Students will perform Arthur My at 7 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday. The play is directed by Daniel Devlin Student Kelly Knowlton designed the set. Tickets are $6. The following Shiloh High School students have been accepted for the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra: Anna van Devender (viola), Jimmy Williams (bass), Amanda Murges (bassoon), Andrew van Devender (tuba) and Blair Cox (alternate trumpet). Shiloh High also will be represented on the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony by Kate Herrin (violin), Chelsea Bissel (viola), Brandon Brooks (principal cello), Troy Harris (bass) and Brittany Owens (alternate viola).

Home game tickets at the University of Georgia have illustrated Shiloh contributions to the Athens institution. The home game ticket for UGA vs. South Carolina featured a picture of 2001 Shiloh graduate and SEC Player of the Year David Pollack The game ticket for home opener against Middle Tennessee featured a picture of 2001 Shiloh graduate and UGA majorette Blaire Emery. PTSA officers at Shiloh High School this year are co- presidents Larry Gattis and Janet Handy vice president Dana Eggers secretary Cheryl Thompson and treasurer Jan Gattis. Members of the School Council are principal Bill Kruskamp business partners Stephen Day and Dean Robinson parents Harry McKnight and Larry Gattis and teachers Patty James and Mitch Young Junior class officers are president Ashlyn Williams vice president Malissa Thornton and Melody Rhine Senior class officers are president Samantha Hill vice president Whitney Boyd secretary Natalie Etter and treasurer Callie Chewning South Gwinnett High Science teacher William Nye is teacher of the year.

The wrestling team plans a carwash from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Chick-fil-A parking lot on U.S. 78 in Snellville. The team also is having a yard sale from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday at the old gymnasium. South Gwinnett DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) recently elected officers for the school year. They are: president Kimberley Simmons vice president Monique Swinger secretary Christina Pratt reporter Emily Seder treasurer Christine Taylor and historian Ashley Williams The South Gwinnett High Technology Education Department has announced its first schoolwide Engineering Challenge. Students are invited to participate in the Oct. 15-17 competition, designed to increase interest in post-secondary engineering opportunities.

The challenge is to design and build a remote-control device that will collect 50 paper cups and dump them in a garbage can. Winners will advance to a state competition in April. State winners will compete on the national level in Nashville. For more information, email teacher Charles Kachmar at k12.ga.us. Alton C.

Crews Middle Eighth-grade social studies teacher Chip Seidel is teacher of the year. Five Forks Middle Science teacher Colleen Ulrich is teacher of the year. J.P. McConnell Middle Special education teacher Patti Orsi is teacher of the year. J.E.

Richards Middle Eighth-grade mathematics teacher Shelly Kaufmann is teacher of the year. Snellville Middle English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher Karen Folkard is teacher of the year. Shiloh Middle Technology Education teacher Glenn Burrows is teacher of the year. Trickum Middle Media specialist Trish Biemiller is teacher of the year. Annistown Elementary Mathematics specialist Pat Buttram is teacher of the year.

Arcado Elementary Science specialist Debi Shane is teacher of the year. Benefield Elementary Second-grade teacher Nancy Johnson is teacher of the year. Bethesda Elementary Fifth-grade teacher Nettie McCoy is teacher of the year. W.C. Britt Elementary Second-grade teacher Denise Krauth is teacher of the year.

Brookwood Elementary Special education teacher Dawn Henning is teacher of the year. Camp Creek Elementary Local school technology coordinator Julie Carter is teacher of the year. Cedar Hill Elementary Fourth-grade teacher Meg Dowd is teacher of the year. The Cedar Hill Elementary School Council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Members are principal Susan White business partners David Collins and Matt Strope parents Margie Wilfley and Sherri Horstein and teachers Kimberly Atkinson and Gary Fryns The next PTA meeting will be Oct. 9 prior to Cedar math carnival, which begins at 7 p.m. Centerville Elementary Third-grade teacher Linda Taylor is teacher of the year. Craig Elementary Second-grade teacher Patricia Stephens is teacher of the year. GIVE Center Special education teacher Cindy Murphy is teacher of the year for the Gwinnett Intervention Education Center.

Grayson Elementary Fifth-grade teacher Denise Tiencken is teacher of the year. Gwin Oaks Elementary Third-grade teacher Kathy McKinzey is teacher of the year. R.D. Head Elementary First-grade teacher Joy S. Murphy is teacher of the year.

The Relay for Life Team will host its annual fall plant sale from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the school, 1801 Hewatt Road, Lilburn. Mums, pansies and bulbs will be available. All proceeds will go to the fund-raising efforts for the American Cancer Society. The fourth- and fifth-grade service learning club at the school, Mustang Miracle Makers, will be crafting bird feeders after school today.

The club, open to all fourth- and fifth- graders, will be cleaning up the school grounds and hanging bird feeders Saturday. G.H. Hopkins Elementary Fourth-grade teacher Brenda Murphy is teacher of the year. Kanoheda Elementary Mathematics specialist Bonnie Craft is teacher of the year. Kanoheda, a Title I school, is offering a wide variety of programs this year to assist its multicultural students.

Kathy kindergarten class illustrates the diversity of students at the campus in Lawrenceville, where reading and language arts skills receive high priority. Principal Terry Ann Watlington is new to Kanoheda this year. Knight Elementary Third-grade teacher Karen Rossi is teacher of the year. Lawrenceville Elementary Health teacher Priscillia Toney is teacher of the year. Lilburn Elementary Special education teacher Becky Murdoch is teacher of the year.

J.C. Magill Elementary Second-grade teacher Rose Exon is teacher of the year. Meadowcreek Elementary Kindergarten teacher Verlene Poteet is teacher of the year. Rebecca Minor Elementary Fifth-grade teacher Patty Bickell is teacher of the year. Mountain Park Elementary Kindergarten teacher Shelley Graham is teacher of the year.

Nesbit Elementary Third-grade teacher Cassandra Matthews is teacher of the year. R.L. Norton Elementary Special education teacher Sherry Smith is teacher of the year. Oakland Center Adaptive physical education teacher Ryan Lambert is teacher of the year. Henry Partee Elementary Physical education teacher Clarence Davis is teacher of the year.

Pharr Elementary Kindergarten teacher Connie LaPlume is teacher of the year. Rockbridge Elementary Kindergarten teacher Beverly DeMaeyer is teacher of the year. Rockbridge Elementary is planning its fourth annual International Fair from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 3.

All grade levels will provide activities with themes that reflect the cultures of different countries. Students will have passports to visit each The Rockbridge Honor Choir and Jump Rope Team will perform. One of the highlights is a cakewalk in the gym. Business partners, parents, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts will assist with other activities and food. Shiloh Elementary First-grade teacher Lisa Speers is teacher of the year.

Simonton Elementary First-grade reading recovery teacher Kathy Ramos is teacher of the year. Send your Class Notes news to melizabeth or telephone 770-461-7165. Please include the name of your school and which cluster it is in. Kanoheda Elementary School Kanoheda, a Title I school, is offering a wide variety of programs this year to assist its multicultural students. The kindergarten class of Kathy Ward (left) illustrates the diversity of students attending school at the campus in Lawrenceville, where reading and language arts skills receive high priority.

Principal Terry Ann Watlington is new to Kanoheda this year. LET US KNOW ELIZABETH LANDT Staff Berkmar Meadowcreek Central Gwinnett Brookwood Parkview Grayson Shiloh South Gwinnett Meadowcreek SOUTH CLUSTERS Each Wednesday, throughout the school year, The AJC Gwinnett section will publish Class Notes from the eight southern school clusters. (Each cluster includes one high school and the various middle and elementary schools that feed into it.) Each Monday, we will publish Class Notes from the six northern clusters. Schools select top teachers.