On Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1, the choral Department of Ridgeland High School will present the musical play "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in two public performances beginning at 7:00 p.m each evening.

"Personally, this is one of my favorite musicals of all time," said award-winning director Anthony Goss.  "The characters are classic…I believe [the best aspect of this production] is the childlike humor and innocence of the storyline.  Everyone will laugh and cry," he said.

Tickets are five dollars and may be pre-purchased by calling the choir office at 706-820-9063, extension 1111, and also purchased at the door.

Construction class students try out the bus they made for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown".

Chattanooga Valley Elementary Academic Coaches Amy Ashley and Tracy Llewellyn have been selected from teachers across the country as presenters for the 2008 National Conference for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) to be held in Salt Lake City in April of 2008. 

Ashley and Llewellyn will teach a workshop entitled “Best Practices in Mathematics Education:  A Workshop Approach,” the successful math workshop model currently used in Walker County elementary schools.  Educators attending the conference will develop understanding of the three types of workshop models, learn better ways to assess students, and plan more effective lessons. 

Steve Ensley from McDonalds, Clay Martin from CJs Southern Traditions, and Rodney Dill from Wilson's Funeral Home are three of the dedicated partners for educational progress honored at North LaFayette Elementary's Annual WACOPEP (Walker County Partners for Educational Progress) breakfast. 

 

 

 

Principal Kim Cardwell, third from left, and Assistant Principal Sandra Morrison, far right, welcome business partners Lacey Black and Louis Hunt from Georgia Farm Bureau, Amy Byrd from Strandz, Dell Montgomery from The Sonic, and Carlton Wheeler from State Farm Insurance to a breakfast in their honor for supporting students and staff at North LaFayette Elementary.

Jim Ingram, right, presents a check from The Bank of LaFayette to help fifth grade students at Naomi Elementary continue their study of animals at the Atlanta Zoo.  Extended studies outside the classroom, that add real life relevance to classroom instruction, are possible only through the support of educational partners such as The Bank of LaFayette, a member of Walker County Partners for Educational Progress (WACOPEP).  Parent Involvement Specialist and WACOPEP Coordinator Gail Kinsey accepts the donation with Principal John Parker. 

STARLAB is a portable planetarium, an inflatable dome that accommodates twenty-five students and the instructor. Inside the dome, a cylinder projector recreates the night sky devoid of any light pollution and  takes eager viewers on a journey from the South Pole to the Equator and the North Pole. 

Not only may students view their whole galaxy and Solar System, they may also look deep beneath the earth's crust to see the tectonic plates and study causes and effects of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

STARLAB also serves as a vehicle for exploring different cultures.  "We can see the sky through the eyes of ancient Egyptians and Greeks, learn the legends of ancient China and Africa, and study the tales of Native Americans," said Caissie. 

Students are also exposed to Greek myths and their interpretations of the constellations.  "We lead into a discussion of the constellations based upon Greek myths such as Orion, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor," she said.

STARLAB is a portable, inflatable classroom designed to simulate a planetarium and is an economical alternative for study until the new Walker County Schools planetarium is completed at the Science and Technology Center. 

Mark McCormack, gifted teacher at Chattanooga Valley Elementary, has led his students to top positions in the Tennessee Division Stock Market game sponsored by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, First Tennessee Bank and Middle Tennessee State University. 

During the month of October, eight of his nine teams were ranked in the top 12 with nearly 600 teams participating.  His junior division teams of mostly fourth and fifth grade students even topped senior division schools such as Baylor, McCallie and GPS.

"It's really nothing I did," said McCormack.  "It is our teachers and the workshop model that have been so successful in teaching our students.  They are using their knowledge of math, economics, technology, writing, researching and analyzing in a real-life situation," he said.

Each team consists of four members with $100,000 to "invest" by making at least five transactions of $5,000 or more during the five weeks of the game.  Student teams also must hold a minimum of 100 shares.  All week, they check the progress of their choices and research other companies.  Then on Friday they boot up two computers for their trade time.  On one they make their trades while the other shows the real-time stock prices.

Joby Pickett, Kayla Hughes, and Mac Wortman share their stock market research with their instructor, Mark McCormack.

The LaFayette High School Raiders, a Special Team within the LHS Junior ROTC Rambler Battalion, has returned with top honors in all meets they have competed in this fall.  Commanded by Cadet First Sergeant James Morgan and coached by Sergeant Major Charles Heintz, LHS Army Instructor, the team of eight to ten cadets compete in challenging field events from map reading to rope bridge building and cross country runs.            
At the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe meet earlier this fall, the Raiders placed First in the Relay Race, Second in both the Knot Tying and Rope Bridge divisions and Third Place in the Map Reading Test.  At their second meet, held at LaFayette High, they took First Place in four out of five events:  the 2.5-mile Cross Country Run which included constructing a rope bridge over a hazard, the Wall Climb, the Rope Climb and the Teamwork Run.  In the fifth event, the Rope Bridge, the team came in Second Place.
          
The third meet of the year also took place at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe where the Raiders once again placed First in two of the four events:  Physical Training and the Rope Bridge. They earned the Second Place honor in Knot Tying and the Relay Races.

The LaFayette High School Raiders (left to right): Back row, Cadet First Sergeant James Morgan of Bravo Company, Cadet First Sergeant Jacob Carlock of Charlie Company and Cadet Staff Sergeant Jonathan Willis.  Front row, Cadets Abby Thompson and Andrew Copeland, Cadet First Sergeant Dakota Shrader of Alpha Company, Cadet Jonathan Fincher and Cadet Staff Sergeant Maverick Suits.  Not pictured are Cadets Chris Helton, Jessica Forester and Larry Clement.

"What you don't know can't hurt you" and "Ignorance is bliss" are old sayings we have all heard.  However, all of us who care about or have a part in the education of young people know these old sayings are absolutely not true in today's society.
 
In fact, never has the time for communication and shared knowledge been more important in our lives and the lives of our children than at this time as we address our graduation rate in a significant way in order to improve the quality of life for all of Walker County. We must all invest in communicating with each other in a meaningful way then focus on the most important goals for our young people and realistic ways to achieve them.
 
Children may make wrong choices when they don't know not to talk to strangers or that a white powder may be poison not candy. Ignorance will not protect them, but knowledge will.
 
Older students may not be aware of the changes that happen as they begin to grow and change and that risky, uninformed behavior may have life-changing consequences for their entire families. Ignorance will not protect them, but knowledge will.
 
This applies equally to parents, teachers and administrators. If we stay in our own domains—parents in the home and educators in the schools—then we will know nothing of each other. Opinions we form about each other will be based on speculation at best. When problems arise, we will each act separately, based only on what we do not know, each of us in our separate place, dealing with a problem from a perspective that may or may not bear any resemblance to what the situation actually is.
 
What you don't know can't just hurt you - it can hurt your child.
 
If we are to be successful in educating your children, our students, to graduate ready for the work force or post secondary education then we must all work together toward this end. We must get to know each other, develop mutual understanding and respect, and work together for the high achievement and well being of every child.
 
Opportunities exist at every Walker County school for you as parents and community members to know about our schools.  We welcome you and want you to know about the needs of the students, the rigor of the curriculum, strategies of the teachers, goals of the administrators, and support of the system. This focused communication creates the foundation our community can use to build better educational attainment and quality of life for Walker County citizens.
 
It is now the second quarter of the school year. Have you participated in an individual conference with a teacher or administrator? Have you attended an open house, concert or sporting event? Have you had the pleasure of participating in an author's tea, presentation of a science project, family night, parent workshop or PTO meeting? Have you visited the parent resource center or school web site? Consulted a school nurse or guidance counselor?
 
Do you know the academic or graduation coaches? What concerns and praise do school personnel have for your child? Do you help your child with homework?  Who are your child's friends? What is your child's behavior at school? Have you visited your child at school?  We welcome and encourage you to do so soon.
 
There is so much going on in our schools—what you don't know may hurt your or our very best efforts for your child. Please visit your school(s) this quarter.
 
Truly- Knowledge is Bliss!