Celebrating achievements at the Peach County Board of Education

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – After Peach County school’s spring break, the Peach County Board of Education used this month’s board meeting to recognize and celebrate the many achievements of the students and teachers of the Peach County school system. The Board met at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11. 

The Board discussed the consent agenda starting with the approval of adopting the Board Policy Criminal Background Check meaning all those employed by the Board shall be fingerprinted and be subject to a criminal background check. The Board approved the motion. 

The next item was approval for the Peach County Board of Education to join the Southern Education Retirement Consortium, which was approved by the board. The next motion was to give Superintendent Dr. Lionel Brown authority to enter into the Lease Agreement between the Peach County Board of Education and Peach County Board of Commissioners for use of Building B of the Old Peach County High School – the motion was approved. 

The next motion was to review the Georgia School Boards Association Legislative Positions by the following Thursday, which was approved. The final motion of the consent agenda was to review the GSBA Delegate and Alternate for the GSBA Delegate with Board member Alfred Ellis agreeing to be the delegate and Vice Chairman Scott Hodges agreeing to be the alternate. The motion was approved.

The majority of the board meeting had Superintendent Dr. Lionel Brown recognizing the achievements and presenting certificates to students and teachers. 

Principals from Peach County’s elementary schools stepped up to the podium to give thanks to those in the community and to recognize students. From Byron Elementary School, Principal Dr. Amanda Brantly presented Dr. Brown and those who contributed to Byron Elementary’s Fine Arts Day with a green T-shirt. Dr. Brantley also recognized student Baleigh Sego for being the Student of the Month. From Hunt Elementary School, Principal Keysha King thanked the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Gamma Pi Omega Chapter for their generous donation to the Hunt Elementary Christmas Toy Drive 2022. The donation allowed every student at Hunt Elementary to be given a new toy. The sorority is also hosting the Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack which provides students with meals and snacks over the weekends and extended breaks. King recognized student Ava Ellyson for excellence. Kay Road Elementary School Principal Dr. Brandon Hall recognized student Isaac Contreras for being a model student. Dr. Brandon also recognized and thanked the Peach County Sheriff’s Office for their involvement with Kay Road Elementary School.

The next set was for gifted appreciation, which focused on recognizing the teachers who are behind the growth and advances in the gifted programs. At the elementary school level was Nicole Kimbrough from Byron Elementary School, Melonie Osborne-Mann, from Hunt Elementary School, and Barbara Armstrong, from Kay Road Elementary School. At the middle school level were Jordan Northenor from Byron Middle School and Charvez Holmes from Fort Valley Middle School. At the high-school level was Assistant Principal for Instruction Buddy Winborne of Peach County High School.

After that, the Board recognized the district winners of the Fair Bear Creative Writing Contest. This year’s theme was ‘Fair Bear discovers the public library.’ The winners from Kay Road Elementary School were 4th-grade student Lana Gagne with collaborating teacher Sharon Moffett and 5th-grade student King Freeman with collaborating teacher Debbie Faulkner. From Byron Middle School, the winner was 6th-grade student Mariana Alcantar with collaborating teacher Kristi Green.

Next were the regional winners of the Young Georgia Authors writing competition. From Kay Road Elementary School were Layla Harris and collaborating teacher, Pamela Johnson, Gatlin Hess and collaborating teacher, Marian Ortiz. From Byron Elementary School were Brayden Davis and collaborating teacher, Ashley Wolfe, and Zachary Price and collaborating teacher, LaTonya Davis. From Peach County High School was Gisel Morales and collaborating teacher, Jennifer Martin.

The Board then recognized the Governor’s Honors Program semi-finalist, Machara Miller, a 10th-grade student from Peach County High School. Miller competed for a state slot in the area of music with a concentration of voice in Soprano.

After that was the Advanced Placement National Awards, with both students being from Peach County High School. Calee Michelson winner of the National Rural and Small Town Award and Langston Adams winner of the National Rural and Small Town Award as well as the National African American Recognition Award.

The next set of recognitions were for the Fine Arts teachers of the Peach County school system. The teachers independently applied and gained Fine Arts Grants that were awarded by the Georgia Department of Education. For the elementary schools, teachers Sarah Mayfield of Byron Elementary School received $2,992 and Keeley Dodson of Hunt Elementary School received $1,567. For Byron Middle School, teachers Jason Carter received $2,940, Elizabeth Carver received $2,665 and Elizabeth Chancellor received $3,000. For Fort Valley Middle School, teachers Judi Kilitzian received $3,000 and Gerald Lee received $2,790. For Peach County High School, teachers Cathy Heller received $3,000 and Samuel Mullinax received $2,961. Together these teachers received a total of $24,915 in grant funds.

The Peach County Board of Education and Fine Arts Department also recognized donors to the Fine arts programs; Anita Novak, Margo Carnes and David Carnes.

The final recognition was Peach County High School Coach Keith Lauritsen recognizing 12th-grade student Eli Brown for placing 3rd in the AAA State Competition for wrestling. 

Before the ceremony, Sandra Haga and Delise Knight from the Magnolia Garden Club presented Peach County High School teacher and FFA advisor, Luz Morales with a certificate of appreciation and a check for $200 for the FFA program. Last year, at Pineola Farms’ 2022 Flower Fantasy, PCHS FFA were vendors at the event. All of the ticket sales from the event went to the scholarship fund for the State Horticulture Scholarship with the Garden Clubs of Georgia. 

Haga and Knight had a short video prepared that gave a small glimpse of last year’s Flower Fantasy as well as what is being designed for this year’s upcoming Flower Fantasy. Haga and Knight expressed gratitude and excitement that the PCHS FFA is involved again this year. Haga and Knight presented those on the Board of Education with an invitation to Pineola Farms’ Preview Party from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 21.