Eight Atlanta Public Schools educators have received grants from Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education, a non profit organization which supports educators. The winning educators are: Vanessa Evans and Stephanie Jones, teachers at KIPP STRIVE Academy; Erik Herndon, teacher, Young Middle School; Evelyn Mobley, principal, West End Academy; Nicole Bartig, teacher, Sarah Smith Elementary School; Brittany Beaumont, teacher, Springdale Park Elementary; Bethany Paquette, teacher, Drew Charter School and Peter McKnight, principal, South Atlanta School of Law & Social Justice. Since its inception in 2005, AFAEE has recognized outstanding teachers and school leaders, while aiming to create a platform to further award winners’ success in APS, retain motivated educators and attract like-minded individuals to the district, according to a press release. Each winner was awarded $7,500, which includes $3,500 in funding for a school project; $1,500 for professional development and a personal stipend of $2,500.

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Junior Catherine Thomson and sophomore Alex Robitaille of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Sandy Springs have been nominated by their school for this summer’s Governor’s Honors Program at Valdosta State University. Thomson and Robitaille will now go through a formal state interview and application process, and in March will learn if they have been selected to join some 2,900 students at GHP, which is funded by the Georgia Department of Education. The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program is a summer residential instructional program that provides challenging educational opportunities for intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students.

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Rachel Crozier, a color guard member at Gwinnett’s Collins Hill High School, has been chosen to be a member of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Representatives from the U.S. Army invited her to take part in an all-expense paid trip to San Antonio to be part of the band’s performance, which will be on Jan.5 at the All-American Bowl. Benjamin Horne, a senior at Fulton’s Alpharetta High School, has also been selected to take part in the All-American band.