• Karen Miranda, a student at South Cobb High School in Austell, was the only winner from Georgia in the Dupont Challenge, a national competition with more than 10,000 entries every year. The teacher who sponsored her is Paula Lawrence. Karen's science essay "The Terrifying Tarantula: From Creepy Crawler to Helpful Hero" won an honorable mention.
• The Sandy Creek High Jazz Band recently entertained visitors of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans with music from the World War II era. While on tour in New Orleans, the band performed 1940s swing and patriotic music at the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion at the museum.
• The Chamblee Middle School Bulldogs Track and Field girls team placed eighth among all competing middle schools in the 2015 Georgia Middle School State Track and Field Championships last month. Janae Profit, a sixth-grader, placed first in shot put and second in discus. The girls 4-by-800 relay team, Lauren Griggs, Sami Gudger, Sharon Huckabee and Savannah Lawrence placed fifth overall, and Tanner Duffin of the boys team placed third in shot put.
• Students from Alexander High School in Douglasville hosted a field day last month to collect school supplies for children in underserved neighborhoods surrounding the school. There were tricycle rides, dodge ball games, dunk tanks, free hot dogs and more at the event, which helped raise $800 and was attended by approximately 100 people. It was organized by students in Alexander High School's chapter of Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, a national high school leadership program. This "impact project" is supported financially by a grant from the Chick-fil-A Foundation.
• Four videos produced by Cobb County high school students won the third annual H2O in HD video challenge. H2O in HD, presented in partnership with the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) and Cobb County Water System, invited students to create a 60-second public service announcement to promote water conservation and highlight the value of water. More than 21 entries from various high schools were submitted. Winning entries from Kell High School were: grand prize: John Perkins, Andrew Johnston, Demar Earnest, Nathaniel Bush and Nicholas Brooks; second place: Kristina Rivera, Jamie Stannard, Alex Weisbeck, Kyndall Woods and Scott Ferguson; third place, Reagan Poteet, Tyler Key, Abby Shaw and Yaumeen Hill. Two teams earned honorable mention: Allatoona High School, Brittany Hulette and Erica Hulette; and Kell High School, Jackson Gropp, Chaz Darby and Matthew Springfield. The "People's Choice Award" decided by online voters went to Kell High School, Jessica Rainbow, Alli Smith and Taylor Roetzer.
• Twenty-four Fayette County high school students have been selected to attend the 2015 Governor's Honors Program at Valdosta State University June 21-July 18. The Georgia General Assembly pays for their study for four weeks in one area of concentration as and one other area of their choice. Students selected are: (Fayette County High) Martine Bartley (dance), Brandon James (social studies), Anthony Weaver (music); (McIntosh High) Rachel Anders (music), John Hamlin (social studies), Maxine Hauser (visual arts), Gordon Lai (engineering-design), Daniel "Tyler" Lane (music), Julie Lim (science), Steven Lukehart (music), Jihoon Shin (math), Audrey Landrum (theatre design); (Sandy Creek High) Phaidra Buchanan (math), Heyley Gatewood (math), Arianna Brown (visual arts); (Starr's Mill High) Maria Curry (social studies), Miguel Gonzalez (Spanish), Anna Hall (dance); (Whitewater High) Lara Barton (communicative arts), Caprice Carrington (German), Derrell Dallas (music), Amber Melton (German), Kirsten Reynolds (theatre), Benjamin Sexton (science).
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