• Spearheaded by its Student Government Association (SGA) and school administration, Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County established the "Brookwood 100K Challenge" to encourage student organizations to raise a collective $100,000 for charities during the 2014-2015 school year. Just as school the school year ended, leaders announced Brookwood has met the goal. A number of local charities benefited from the generosity. A large portion of the $100,554.52 total was allocated to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Helping Hands and Hearts, which raises money for people in the Brookwood community. Other beneficiaries included St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Amanda Riley Foundation, Gwinnett Children's Shelter, Family Promise, and a local cooperative. Nearly every organization at Brookwood High supported the effort. Clubs, teams, and staff created fundraising events and activities, classrooms participated in contests, and several groups donated money. "We've set a new standard for the school and fueled a passion for philanthropy that we hope lasts a lifetime with our students," said principal Bo Ford.
• Sally Meyer, a teacher of math and social studies at Crabapple Lane Elementary in Fayette County, has received two statewide "teacher of the year" honors for 2015. The latest is from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which named her the 2015 Georgia History Teacher of the Year. In April, the Georgia Council on Economic Education named her the 2015 Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year. Meyer is one of 53 finalists vying for the National History Teacher of the Year title, which includes a $10,000 award. The winner will be announced in the fall. As Georgia's History Teacher of the Year, Meyer will receive a $1,000 award, certificate of recognition, an archive of books and historical resources presented in her name to Crabapple Lane's media center, and an invitation to attend a 2016 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar.
• The state's highest passing score on the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Word 2013 certification exam belongs to Whitewater High student Jason Hess, who was to represent the state this month at the MOS U.S. National Championship in Orlando. Microsoft certification is offered to Georgia students through the Microsoft IT Academy program. Students can take exams in a number of MOS technologies, earning industry-recognized certifications that prepare them for college and career.
• These 13 recent Fulton County graduates have been named by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners: Centennial High School, Ryann Khalil; Chattahoochee High School, Tara Cooper, Nirav Ilango and Samuel Weinbach; Johns Creek High School, Sevda Arjomand and Rachel Kim; Milton High School, Christian Kirkup and Sibley Lyndgaard; North Springs Charter High School, Veronica Sondervan; Northview High School, Dhaumya Shah; Riverwood International Charter School, Jeffrey Hooks, Ethan Mann and Luka Marinkovic. In April and early May, National Merit announced 35 winners who received scholarships from the organization itself and underwriting corporations. Three students also were named National Achievement Scholars in a similar academic competition for African-American high school students. A final round of college-sponsored National Merit winners will be announced July 13.
• Harris Elementary School in Gwinnett County has been named one of the nation's highest performing schools by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). The NCUST announced the Gwinnett County school as a Silver Level Winner in its National Excellence in Urban Education (NEUE) Awards program. The NEUE awards are presented annually to the nation's highest-performing urban schools. Harris Elementary is the only school from Georgia and the only school in the Southeast to receive the prestigious designation. Principal Lauri Burton accepted the honor on behalf of Harris Elementary School at the recent National Excellence in Urban Education Symposium in Dallas, Texas.
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