2023-2024

July 11, 2023 (Click Here)

Georgia High School Association Class 5A Girls Golf State Champions
Greenbrier High

Head Coach: Casey Heckathorn
Assistant Coach: Daniel Jordan
Team members: Anna Wicklum, *Manuela Pacheco Gonzalez, *Zion Young, *Madilyn “Madi” Link, *Kristin McNeal, Reagan Henderson, *Avery Simpson, Adyson Lukich, *Benton Vineyard

After winning the GHSA 5A Area 1 Championship by a whopping 53 strokes, the Lady Pack faced a much stiffer field at the GHSA 5A State Championship at Fields Ferry in Calhoun, Georgia.

Greenbrier held a narrow one-shot lead over Northview High School after 18 holes. On day two, after falling behind by 9 strokes on the front nine, the Greenbrier girls rallied to not just erase the 9-stroke deficit, but pull ahead and win by 10 strokes for the Greenbrier Girls first-ever State Championship in girls golf.

Greenbrier also had two individuals earn GHSGCA All-State Honors: Freshman, Adyson Lukich, and Sophomore, Reagan Henderson.

Congratulations, Girls Golf Team players and coaches!

(Due to the recognition scheduled during the summer months when school is not in session, some team members were unable to attend.)

Thanks to members of the Greenbrier High NJROTC for leading the Pledge

August 8, 2023 (Click Here)

Georgia High School Association Class 6 A Boys Golf State Championship
Lakeside High

Former head coach Brad Powers
Coach Justin Crawford

Lakeside High School senior Barrett Loftis helped lead the school's boys golf team to remarkable success this season. His exceptional talent and competitiveness were instrumental in securing tournament championships at both the Blue Devil Shootout and the Taylor Made Adidas tournament.

In addition, Barrett played a pivotal role in leading the team to a 6A Area championship. This remarkable accomplishment demonstrates his ability to perform under pressure and contribute to the collective success of his team.

Barrett was also awarded the prestigious honor of individual runner-up.

Congratulations, Barrett!

Thanks to members of the Greenbrier High NJROTC for leading the Pledge

September 26, 2023 (Click Here)

Columbia County 4-H Northeast District Representative
Board of Directors
2023-2024
Jack Wurst - Harlem High

Jack is a junior at Harlem High School. He traveled with Columbia County 4-H to the State Congress in Atlanta this past July 2023, competing in the Dairy Foods project and Leadership in Action. He was one of the two-state winners of Leadership in Action and received a $500 grant to continue his work creating cake kits for local food banks. After having served as Vice-President on both the Junior and Senior Board of Directors Jack was also elected to the 4-H State Board of Directors as the Northeast District Representative for 2023-2024, and was installed for his term during State Congress. Jack has also earned a trip to the National 4-H Conference held in Washington, DC, on April 19-24, 2024.

Congratulations, Jack, for this accomplishment!

Georgia Department of Education Literacy Leaders Award

North Columbia, North Harlem, River Ridge and Stevens Creek Elementary Schools were a few of only 155 from across the state to earn the title of Georgia Department of Education Georgia Literacy Leader. The award aims to recognize outstanding achievement and growth in student proficiency in literacy on the Georgia Milestones Assessments. Qualifications were determined using the Georgia Milestones Reading Status indicator, which is based on the Lexile score associated with students' performance on a subset of questions on the ELA assessment.

Georgia High School Association Student-Athlete Advisory Council Member for 2023-2024

Rikki Carver - Lakeside High

The GHSA Student Advisory Council is made up of 20 Georgia student-athletes. Rikki was nominated by athletic director Derrick Myers because of her intelligence and work ethic. Her application was submitted last spring and scored by a panel based on answers to five questions. Rikki was selected as the representative for Georgia 6A. The council’s focus this year is to improve sportsmanship in schools and acknowledge good acts from student-athletes and coaches. Congratulations, Rikki!

National Beta Club National Convention Winners

The National Beta Club National Convention is the nation’s largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization in America with over 445,000 active members and more than 9,600 clubs both nationally and internationally. Students from the Lakeside Middle Beta Club recently participated and placed among the top 10 in the nation.

people smiling

Advisor: Emily Gainey

6th place in Engineering
Om Doshi, Averie Lutz, Tyler Malloy, and Erich Anne Sadang

5th place in Quilling Art
Om Doshi

The National Beta Club National Convention is one of the highest honors a member of Beta Club can participate in. These students successfully designed and built a working freestanding model of an elevator and elevator shaft out of a prescribed list of materials and fitting in a small container. With only 45 minutes to complete the task, and with no part of the project being preassembled, this was no small task. Each member of the team then co-presented their project to the judges. At the National Convention, the Lakeside Middle team competed against 54 middle school teams from across the United States and placed 6th. Students spent countless hours from October to June, even during the summer months, developing their skills in design, testing, redesigning, practicing, and competing.

Team member Om Doshi also created an art piece using the technique of paper quilling. He used the Beta Club Convention theme “The Power of Beta” to influence his artwork by creating a picture of both a dragon and a dog out of curled paper which represented how everything has the power of something bigger inside them. Om qualified to compete at the National Convention by placing in the top 5 at the National Beta Club Georgia State Convention. At the National Convention, Om competed against 32 other paper-quilling art pieces from middle schools across the United States and placed 5th.

Congratulations, students and Ms. Gainey!

Evans High School Class of 1983 Alumni Donation

The Evans High School Class of 1983 held their 40th class reunion in August, 2023. The Class of 1983 planning committee collected donations from members to host the event. Remaining funds after the reunion were donated by the class to the Columbia County School District Foundation. Members of the class' planning committee presented the donation to the Board of Education.

Members include: Tammy Shepherd, Doug Hemingway, Jan Wiggins, Jeff Dowdle, Alice Padgett, Phil Lee, Judy McLure, and Millie Kolinski (not pictured)

Thank you, alumni!

North Columbia Elementary 4-H Presidents

Thanks to these student leaders for leading the pledge.

students smiling

September 12, 2023 (Click Here)

Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year Top Five Finalists

Pictured from left: Cassandra Rodriguez - Evans High; Crystal McDowell - Greenbrier High; Brook Andrews - Stallings Island Middle; Allison Dixon - Greenbrier Elementary; Jennifer Roper - River Ridge Elementary; Dr. Steve Flynt, Superintendent.

This year’s finalists are as follows:

Brook Andrews – Stallings Island Middle School
Allison Dixon – Greenbrier Elementary School
Crystal McDowell – Greenbrier High School
Cassandra Rodriguez – Evans High School
Jennifer Roper – River Ridge Elementary School

The 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year are selected in the spring of the previous school year by peers from their respective schools. The method for selecting the Teachers of the Year is comprised of a rigorous process that includes internal and external judges. The finalists will undergo additional evaluations culminating in the selection of the Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year.

The finalists will be recognized by the Columbia County Board of Education on September 12, 2023. The Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year will be announced at the annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. The winner selected as the Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year will go on to represent the district at the state level.

For bios of the top five finalists and all school-level Teachers of the Year, click here.

Cedar Ridge Elementary - 4-H Presidents

Student leaders from Cedar Ridge Elementary led the Pledge of Allegiance during the Board Meeting. Great job, student leaders!

October 10, 2023 (Click Here)

Georgia Department of Education 2023 Distinguished Title I and Reward Schools

Euchee Creek Elementary was named a Title 1 Distinguished School, led by Principal Katy Yeargain.

Martinez Elementary School was named a Title 1 Distinguished school as well as a Reward School, led by Principal Angela Young.

Each year, the Georgia Department of Education recognizes Title 1 Distinguished schools for being the highest-performing Title I schools in Georgia, while the Reward Schools designation recognizes Title I schools making the most significant improvements.

Distinguished Schools are among the highest-performing 5% of Title I Schools statewide and Title I Targeted Assistance schools based on the combined ELA and math content mastery scores from the statewide assessments of the most recent year.

Martinez Elementary was also named a 2023 Title I Reward School. Reward Schools are among the greatest-improving 5% of Title I Schoolwide and Title I Targeted Assistance schools when comparing the content mastery scores from the most recent two years of statewide assessments.

These two schools are now eligible to apply for the 2023 National Distinguished School award.

The Georgia Art Education Association
2023 Youth Art Month Award of Merit
from the Council for Art Education and the National Art Education Association

teachers holding certificates and smiling

Ms. Tiffany Weser, art teacher at Columbia County Virtual Academy, and Ms. Gail Peake, art teacher at Lakeside High School, serve as co-chairs for the Georgia Art Education Association. This year, Ms. Weser and Ms. Peake received the Award of Merit from the Council for Art Education and the National Art Education Association. This is a national-level award for their work with the state art educator’s organization, The Georgia Art Education Association, Youth Art Month program (as known as YAM).

Youth Art Month is a nationally recognized celebration for Arts Education that highlights art activities throughout the year with culminating events in March. The coordinators from each state compile a digital report of data and images from all the events, programs, shows for the school year. This information is collected from art educators from across the state. Last year Ms. Weser and Ms. Peake's report was awarded Special Recognition. Their report for 2023 Youth Art Month has been selected for an Award of Merit. This is the third-highest award given by the CFAE and NAEA for Youth Art Month.

Award winners will be honored at the National Art Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2024. Congratulations, and thanks to these outstanding educators for all that you do for art education in the CCSD!

Martinez Elementary 4-H Presidents

Thanks to 4-H Presidents from Martinez Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the board meeting.

October 24, 2023 (Click Here)

Georgia Department of Education Student Advisory Council Representative
Ally Xu - Lakeside High

Each year, State School Superintendent Richard Woods selects Georgia students to serve on the Student Advisory Council. Congratulations, to Ally Xu, a junior at Lakeside High, for being one of only 69 students selected from across the state, for being selected to serve on the council for the 2023-2024 school year.

Throughout the year, Ally and fellow students will meet with Superintendent Woods to provide feedback on the impact of state policies in the classroom. Members of the council will also discuss other education-related issues, serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools, and participate in service projects to benefit schools and students.

This year, students selected for the Council wrote essays addressing a wide variety of issues in education, including curriculum and graduation requirements; the impact of federal- and state-mandated assessments in the classroom; the importance of teacher recruitment and retention efforts to students’ classroom experience; and access to opportunities and resources for students in rural areas. Congratulations, Ally!

Georgia High School Association State Esports Coach of the Year
Brad Williams - Harlem High

Brad Williams started the Harlem High School Esports program in the Fall of 2020 and has enjoyed consistent success, with at least one team reaching the state playoffs in five out of the six seasons in the program's short history.

Harlem High Esports has fielded teams in a variety of games over the last three years, changing each season to adapt to student interests. Coach Williams is also a founding member of the GHSA Esports Advisory Council, the PHNX Gaming Foundation, and is responsible for the implementation of an esports-specific coaching clinic that is updated every season.

Congratulations, Mr. Williams!

Columbia County School District Foundation
Board of Trustees

group photos

The Columbia County School District Foundation was formed last spring to support the district’s vision and mission. Six initial Foundation Trustees have been recruited and have volunteered to dedicate their time and expertise to govern the organization and to help with fundraising and programming efforts.

These six individuals represent a variety of backgrounds and work across many business sectors. All either have graduated from the Columbia County School District and/or have children who have graduated from the district. This is a group of people with many years of combined experience serving in similar capacities for other local organizations and nonprofits.

Trustees include the following:

Foundation Chairman - Adam Williams, Partner with The Cleveland Group.
Foundation Vice-Chairman Stan Shepherd, Regional Director with AT&T
Foundation Secretary - Megan Moye, Chief Marketing Officer with Meybohm
Jonathan Samuel, President of GIW Industries
Steve Baxter, Vice President of Pollock Company
Wendy Perry, Principal with Katalis

Additionally, several non-voting Trustees will help advise the Foundation regarding how to best support the district.

Lee Ann Meyer, Columbia County School District Board of Education representative
Dr. Steve Flynt, Columbia County School District Superintendent
Ashley Rice, Columbia County School District Foundation Coordinator, will serve as Executive Director for the Foundation
Alex Casado, Chief Financial Officer for the Columbia County School District, will serve as the Treasurer for the Foundation.

Thank you to our Trustees for the time and energy you have already spent and will spend, helping to support and grow the Foundation! For more information about the Foundation, or to make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

4-H Presidents lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Thanks to the 4-H Presidents from Brookwood Elementary for leading the Pledge at the Board of Education meeting.

November 14, 2023 (Click Here)

November 14, 2023
Columbia County Board of Education Special Recognitions

Columbia County Exchange Club 2023 First Responder of the Year Award

The Exchange Club of Columbia County recognized CCSD School Police Officer Carrie Wokutch as the Columbia County Exchange Club's “First Responder of the Year."

She was selected by the Exchange Club organization from hundreds of officers who serve the Columbia County community in Harlem, Grovetown, Columbia County Sheriff's Office, and Columbia County School District Police.

Nominations were selected for exemplary performance of duty, heroism, or other distinguished service.

Congratulations, Officer Wokutch!

4-H Student Presidents lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Thanks to the 4-H Presidents from Riverside Elementary for leading the Pledge at the Board of Education meeting. Great job, student leaders!

December 12, 2023 (Click Here)

December 14, 2023

Macy’s Great American Marching Band Honoree &
Saluting America's Band Directors Marching Band Honoree

Rutledge Boykin, (pictured left), Assistant Band Director at Greenbrier High School, and Jordan Evans, a Junior in the Greenbrier High School Band, were each selected through an application and review process to participate in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In addition to serving as the Assistant Band Director, Mr. Boykin is an alumnus of Greenbrier High School. He performed as a Tenor Saxophone player with the “Saluting America’s Band Directors Marching Band.” Mr. Boykin was one of 450 band directors featured, and one of 14 teachers from Georgia. This group also performed a memorial concert at Ground Zero.

Jordan Evans was one of 8 Sousaphone players in a band of 250 students. He had to complete both a marching and music audition to be selected to the group. This musical group was named “Macy’s Great American Marching Band.” Jordan is an All-State tuba player and also Vice President of Tri-M Music Honors Society at Greenbrier High School. Mr. Boykin serves as Chapter Advisor of Tri-M.

Congratulations, Mr. Boykin and Jordan and thanks for representing CCSD!

Science Grant Recipient Award Winner
Crystal McDowell - Greenbrier High

Crystal McDowell teaches AP Biology at Greenbrier High, and is our current Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year.

Over the past few years, Mrs. McDowell has applied for and received several grants and awards to support science education. Her influence on science extends beyond the classroom.

Voya Financial has awarded Ms. McDowell one of the $2,000 Voya Unsung Hero Awards for “STEMify the Life Science Classroom.” This grant will fund the purchase of Force Sensors, Reflex Hammer Accessories for the Force Sensors, Goniometers, all of which will be used in Human Anatomy and Physiology so students can collect and analyze data using technology.

In addition to the Voya award, Mrs. McDowell has been awarded grants from the Toshiba America Foundation totaling over $23,000 in the past 2 years to be used for “Developing STEM Literacy and Applied Science through Biotechnology,” as well as “The Da Vinci Project: Innovation Inspired by Nature and Inheritance.”

From Savannah River Nuclear Labs, she received a grant for $5,000 for “The Da Vinci Project: STEM Innovation and Career Development through Biotechnology.”

From GaDOE she received a grant for $3,000 for “Digging Deeper with Data.”

Lastly, Mrs. McDowell’s third science case study has been published and she hopes to use it with the Georgia Cancer Center in training teachers in the CSRA this summer. She also hopes to teach other educators how to write their own case studies and help them find useful ones to access.

This year she was one of three finalists for the NSTA Shell National Science Teacher Award and she is a Georgia finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Congratulations, Ms. McDowell, on these outstanding accomplishments!

Baker Place Elementary 4-H Presidents

Thanks to these 4-H Presidents from Baker Place Elementary for leading the Pledge at the Board of Education meeting. Great job, student leaders!

January 9, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

January 9, 2024

Georgia Junior Beta Club
State Competition Winners

Blue Ridge Elementary, Stevens Creek Elementary, and Lakeside Middle

Beta Club is an academic service club that emphasizes academic leadership and community service. To be considered for membership, students must be working at or above grade level, demonstrate excellent academic success, and have a good moral character. Traditionally, students are awarded membership based on their grades (GPA), or test scores and character traits. These students participated in the state competitions in Savannah on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2023.

Blue Ridge Elementary
2nd Place
Campaign Skit event

Advisors: Mendy Grant and Laura Walker
Team members include:

- - - - Anika Batra
        
        Patrick Kenny
        
        Deeba Latifi
        
        Harper Lovett
        
        McKenzie Manning
        
        Emma Palmer
        
        Reign Townsend

Stevens Creek Elementary
2nd Place for Living Literature
3rd Place for Creative Writing
Advisor: Patricia Dekle

- - - - Barrett Pankow

Lakeside Middle
3rd Place - Robotics
3rd Place - Engineering
Advisor: Emily Gainey

Robotics team members include:

- - - - Valynsia Calhoun
        
        Emma Cox
        
        Arya Doshi
        
        Peter Kenny
        
        Zavi Voigt
        
        Vash Whaley

Engineering team members include:

- - - - Adain Cox
        
        Logan Cox
        
        Arya Doshi
        
        Isabelle Pendley
        
        Zavi Voigt

In individual events:

- - - - Grace Williams - 2nd place - Recyclable Art
        
        Emery Smitherman - 3rd place - On-site Drawing
        
        Madeline Smith - was selected for the National Jr. Beta Performance Dance Team

GHSA Girls Flag Football State Champions
Greenbrier High

The Greenbrier High Girls Flag Football Division II Team defeated Lithia Springs High School to earn the GHSA State Championship in mid-December at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The team started the season with a loss against Southeast Bulloch, who is the top-ranked team in the country. They went on to win the next 18 games in a row. They had to play tough teams from Evans, Lakeside, and Grovetown multiple times, as well as many difficult non-region opponents. The offense was dominant throughout the season, scoring 469 points, led by Quarterback Kenzie Horton (Area Player of the Year), Aaliyah Silver (All Area, Atlanta Falcons Player of the Week), Presley McDermott (All Area), and Maggie Pangle (All Area). However, in the playoffs it was their defense that helped seal the deal, never allowing more than one point in any game. The pack's defense was led by Linebacker Sophie Campanaro (All Area) and rushers Alisha Mikell (State All Star) and Ari Boone. Ari was also a dominant force as a punter, averaging 40 yards per punt. In the state championship game, Maggie Pangle gave a heroic performance, coming back from injury to make the game-winning touchdown catch. The season ended with the team not only winning a State Championship in the largest Division of 91 teams but also being nationally ranked No. 2 by Max Preps.

Congratulations, Greenbrier High Girls Flag Football Team for your Division II State Championship!

Greenbrier High Girls Flag Football Team members:

- - - - Ana Laura Altamirano-Boone
        
        Arianna Altamirano-Boone
        
        Darcy Bridwell
        
        Sophie Campanaro
        
        Bailey Chauvin
        
        Maziah Driskell
        
        Kenzie Horton
        
        Finley Jones
        
        Abby Lester
        
        Greer Massey
        
        Presley McDermott
        
        Carrington Meyers
        
        Alisha Mikell
        
        Sarah Newland
        
        Maggie Pangle
        
        Mamie Cate Pangle
        
        Jai Sheffield
        
        Aaliyah Silver
        
        Avery Simpson
        
        Hailey Valentino.

Coaches:

- - - - Daniel Jordan
        
        Wes Marshall
        
        Jamie Smith
        
        Ali Collins

2023-2024 Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council Member
Julie Savina

CCSD parent Mrs. Julie Savina is one of 31 parents from across the state selected to serve as a member of the Georgia Department of Education Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council.

Parents are nominated by their school district at the beginning of each year and are selected for participation on the state Parent Advisory Council based on their capacity to lead, current levels of involvement in their child's school, and responses to application questions.

As a council member, Mrs. Savina will meet several times this year with State School Superintendent Richard Woods to discuss education issues in Georgia, with a primary focus on increasing parent and family engagement to ensure student success, as well as to provide input on new policies, projects, and materials that impact students and their families. Members will then bring back the information learned, serving as advisors and ambassadors in their respective communities.

Mrs. Savina has four children who attend Grovetown Elementary, Middle, and High. She enjoys volunteering with the schools, helping in the library, and any other behind-the-scenes assistance for teachers as needed. She has a background in teaching so she brings her experience to this state task force.

Congratulations, Mrs. Savina for being selected for the second time as a member of this very important council for a second year. We are grateful for your support of public education in Georgia and Columbia County.

Euchee Creek Elementary 4-H President

student smiling

Thanks to our 4-H Presidents from Euchee Creek Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board Meeting.

January 23, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

January 23, 2024 Special Recognitions

Georgia Thespian Honor Society Chapter State Officer
Grovetown High

State Officer - Anthony LoBianco
Advisor - Dan McGill

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the only theatre honor society for middle and high school students in the United States. Affiliation brings credibility and distinction to students, theatre programs, and schools. It is a visible, positive symbol of the quality of your theatre program. ITS recognizes, rewards, and encourages student achievement and celebrates the work of students in all aspects of theatre – performance and production. Each student is honored on a national level and gains access to opportunities and resources beyond those of their school.

The Georgia Chapter of Thespians selected Anthony LoBianco as one of only eight State Thespian Officers within Georgia. He joins the rank of an elite group of theatre leaders within our state who will represent the entire Chapter to the State Board, and will provide leadership to the annual state Thespian events, including the annual Thespian Conference at Columbus State University, where more than 6,500 theatre students from around our state gather to learn their craft from the very best professionals in the industry. We congratulate Anthony for being the first Grovetown High Thespian to ever be elected to this prestigious position.

CSRA Environmental Science Education Cooperative Competition
Greenbrier Middle and Stallings Island Middle

The CSRA Environmental Science Education Cooperative is comprised of federal, state, and private governmental agencies, businesses, and non-profits that are committed to environmental education. These member organizations volunteer their time and resources for outreach programs, teacher education efforts, and on-site education programs to further their mission.

Each year, they host the Eco-Meet, an environmental science competition for middle school students in the CSRA. This year’s competition was held at the Ruth Patrick Science Center in Aiken. Students spent the day meeting, answering questions, and completing tasks as a team in order to earn points. Congratulations, to student teams from both Greenbrier Middle and Stallings Island Middle for placing among the top three in their respective categories.

Greenbrier Middle
3rd Place
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Hydropower Station Competition
Elizabeth Carter
Pancho Mancera
Nephi Phillips
Isabelle Jones
Advisor: Allison Williams and Olivia Silvey

The Corps of Engineers' station focused on hydropower and its role in the environment. In particular, students were expected to understand the benefits and the basic function and operation of a hydropower plant. Students were expected to study the benefits and components of hydropower as well as the effects of dams and hydropower on water quality, aquatic life, terrestrial habitats, and fish migration.

group photo

Stallings Island Middle
Advisors for both teams: Brook Andrews and Kimberly Wahus
1st Place, Eco-meet overall winner
Keira Green
Srishti Gotam
Doug Andrews
Jonas Mondi

3rd Place, Eco-meet overall winner
Audrey Wang
Bela Karia
Sara Karia
Anunya Madhavaraman

The eco-meet competition consisted of six different testing stations. Each testing station had an environmental study packet and sample questions available for teams to utilize before the competition. Students spent time after school studying and preparing for each station’s unique tests and performance tasks.

South Columbia Elementary 4-H Presidents

Thanks to the 4-H Presidents from South Columbia Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the board meeting. Great job, student leaders!

February 13, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

February 13, 2024 Special Recognitions

CyberPatriot State Championship Winners
Greenbrier Middle School and Greenbrier High School

CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air and Space Forces Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future. At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation's largest cyber defense competition that puts high school and middle school students in charge of securing virtual networks.

Greenbrier Middle School
Teacher Advisor: Loradonna Schultz
Team mentors: Hank Dow and Jeffrey Fleming

First Place Team Members:
Brendan Fleming
Tristan Garrison
Jordan Jeter
Nolan Mennis
James Youmans
Advisor: Loradonna

Second Place Team Members:
Jackson Cluney
Kyan Fleming
Cade Mitchell
Carter Stone
Cayden Wamsley

This is the sixth year in a row that a team from Greenbrier Middle has placed first in the state competition. Ms. Shultz has been the Greenbrier Middle School CyberPatriot teacher advisor since the club's induction.

group photo

Greenbrier High School
Teacher Advisor: Ty Abero

Gold Tier First Place in State
Michael Agnello
Chloe Bell
Joshua Marksmeier
Jason Nistler
Peyton Phillips
Gabriel Sanders-Punke-Bendt

Platinum Tier Second Place in State
Liam Fedak
Leland Green
Bryant Hodge
Max Jaremski
Elisa Owens
Dagen Shehorn

Congratulations, Greenbrier CyberPatriot Teams!

Georgia Forensics Coaches Association Speech and Debate State Champion
Kenzie Houk - Grovetown High School

group photo

Kenzie Houk is the new state champion for the 2nd Year Public Forum debate. She is a senior and the Vice President of the Grovetown High Speech and Debate Team. Public Forum debate is a team-based event wherein two students debate against two other students from another school over a resolution that is either supported or denied based on a coin flip during a round. The tournament involves five rounds and students earn “speaker points” on how well they debate in those rounds.Across the state, approximately 30 students from 23 schools competed in this event, and the Grovetown High School Public Forum team collectively researched and crafted the debate cases. A total of seven students represented Grovetown High School, the Columbia County School District, and the CSRA. Their debate coaches are Brett Carter and Mark Epps.Congratulations, Kenzie and the Grovetown High School Debate Team.

Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA)
District Music Educator of the Year
Wendy Baggott - Evans Middle School

Georgia Music Educators Association was founded in 1938 and has been actively involved in public and private schools, colleges and universities since that time. GMEA sponsors conferences and professional growth opportunities. They host choral and band events for all age levels, including performance evaluations. The association is divided into 14 districts, each of which sponsors its own events also. Congratulations, Mrs. Baggott, on being selected as Music Educator of the Year for our state district.

Evans Elementary 4-H Presidents

Thanks to 4-H Presidents from Evans Elementary for leading the Pledge at the Board of Education Meeting. Great job, student leaders.

February 27, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

February 27, 2024 Special Recognitions

Columbia County School District Aspiring Principals Academy Completors 2023-2024

In 2019, the Columbia County School District (CCSD) established the Leadership Development Program to recruit, employ, develop, and retain quality leaders in the CCSD. This cohort recently completed its year-long program that provides an opportunity to apply what they have learned to real-world scenarios, as they learn the knowledge and tools they need to be an effective leader in a school. The group works collaboratively to analyze various situations, apply lessons learned throughout the course, and problem-solve. Scenarios included conducting school improvement plans, analyzing school data, and incorporating leadership standards while facilitating school activities that are designed to maximize student achievement and success.

The academy culminated last month with this cohort successfully presenting their final project to members of our Executive Cabinet.

Congratulations to each of these school leaders and thank you for your dedication to the students, staff and families of the CCSD.

2023- 2024 Aspiring Principals Academy Cohort

Travis Azar
Dr. Carey Anne Cushman
Dr. Jeremy Davis
Dr. Leslie Dial
Nichole Lewis
Michael Jones
Sharard Pritchett
Sean Prouty
Valery Reed
Deborah Rogers
Blake Stitcher

4-H Presidents Lead the Pledge

Special thanks to 4-H Presidents from Greenbrier Elementary School and Parkway Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the board meeting. Great job, student leaders.

March 12, 2024 (Click Here)

March 12, 2024, Special Recognitions

Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA)
All-State Band and Orchestra

Being named to the GMEA All-State Band is one of the highest honors a band student can receive in middle and high school. To qualify for All-State Band, students must successfully complete two auditions. In the first audition, they must perform a lyrical etude from a required list, play an 8-12 measure excerpt after sight-reading it for only 60 seconds, and perform four or more major scales and a chromatic scale. Those who score high enough in the first audition, go on to the 2nd Round All-State audition where they must perform their lyrical etude and a technical etude. Next, they must perform a sight-reading excerpt that demonstrates both lyrical and technical abilities. Students who score highest in the 2nd Round audition are selected for the GMEA All-State Band. Across the state, only about 400 band members out of approximately 7000 are selected for the All-State Band. The band students audition for the All-State Band, but the students who earn the highest scores in the state are placed into the more selective All-State Orchestra.

Evans Middle School

group photo

Sophia Ann Martin
Band Director - Karena Washington

Stallings Island Middle School

group photo

Selina Huang
Band Director: Tayler Norwood

Greenbrier High School

group photo

Kevin Berry
Kenneth Comette
Jordan Evans
Rigel Kotas
Eli Ly
Mason Pounds
Mason Rubano
Noah Torabi - All-State Orchestra
Band Director: Dr. Brian Toney
Assistant Band Director - Rutledge Boykin

Grovetown High School

Sebastian Blizzard
Matthew McKinney
Band Director: Steve Whitaker

Harlem High School

Palmer Bloodworth
Band Director: Curtis Carver

Lakeside High School

group photo

Luke Baker
Peyton Geigle
Nathan Oester
Steven Pang
Dawson Pope
Rand Sayno
Xinyu Su
Haichen Zhou
Cole Eichenberger - All-State Orchestra
Band Directors: Jared Best and Jonathan Witmer

Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) All-State Chorus

The GMEA All-State Chorus is one of the highest musical honors a choral student can receive in middle and high school. To qualify, students must successfully complete two auditions. In the first audition, they have to perform a solo from a required list, sight-sing three examples of four measures each, two in a major key and one in a minor key, and sing three different scales. Those chosen from the first audition must learn the music they will perform on the all-state weekend. At the second audition, they sing 12-16 measures of each selection but do not know which measures they will be tested on until they walk into the audition room. Across the state, approximately 1,200 singers out of 7,000 are selected to sing in three different choirs.

Columbia Middle School

Abigail Alwine
Addison Colson
Joy Dyer
Amyah George
Sadie Pressley
Stephanie Russell
Myla Searcy
Chorus Director: Kennedy Smith

Greenbrier Middle School

Bella Heritage
Chorus Director: Jason Bailey

Grovetown Middle School

Braylen Ferguson
Chorus Director: Victoria Alvarez

Riverside Middle School

Kevin Jiang
Ashley Swiss
Chorus Director: Erin Dibling

Stallings Island Middle School

Aaron Francis
Paige Geigle
Vivienne Kim
Shayne Lowe
Chorus Director: Rebekkah Crose

Grovetown High School

Deanthony Clarke
Willy Powell Jr
Chorus Director: Brandon Ball

Lakeside High School

Kashvi Boga
Violet Herrmann
Sunny Huo
Benjamin Teboe
Charles Terry
Chorus Director: Maggie Christine

Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) Music Technology Showcase Winner
Shelby Eshman - Columbia Virtual Academy
(Student unable to attend, so her teacher, Ms. Mary Angel Cleary, accepted the recognition on her behalf.)

The Music Technology Showcase selection is the highest state-level award a student of music technology can win. Only 10-12 students from Georgia are chosen to have their music featured at this live GMEA-sponsored showcase. To qualify for selection, a student must average in the top 10% of scores among applicants currently enrolled in music technology. Students create an original or derivative song using music editing software and submit it for adjudication by a diverse panel of college and industry professionals. This year, one of the judges was a Grammy Award Winner. Selectees are honored at a presentation at the GMEA Conference where their music is played for professional producers and a live audience at Tweed Recording Studio. Shelby's song, Neon Serenade, was selected for the 2023 Showcase in the category of derivative work.

Grovetown Elementary School 4-H Presidents

Thanks to 4-H presidents from Grovetown Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board of Education meeting. Great job, student leaders!

March 26, 2024, Special Recognitions (Click Here)

March 26, 2024, Special Recognitions

GHSA State Literary Competition winners

GHSA Literary is a Fine Arts and Academic competition. Students compete in categories like literary interpretation, essay writing, extemporaneous speaking, and music. Each of these students had to win first place at the regional level to advance to the state level.

Grovetown High School

Head Coach: Rebecca Todd
Assistant Coach: Brandon Ball

Emily Soares - State Champion
Extemporaneous Speaking

Musical Trio Performance - 3rd Place
Emma Anderson
Molly Henke
Noa Rote

Lakeside High School

Head Coach: Grace Bellmer

Assistant Coaches: Vicki Horne and Maggie Christine

Riya Makan - State Champion
Literary Analysis Competition

Jack Shaffer - State Runner-Up
Humorous Literary Interpretation

Anne Hensley Young - State Runner-Up
Personal Essay

Musical Quartet Performance - Third Place
Matthew Basila
August Bauer
Lucas Bruggeling
Benjamin Teboe

The Lakeside High School Literary team was also declared the 6A State Runner-Up, finishing only one point behind the State Champions.

Team Members:
Riya Makan
Jack Shaffer
Anne Hensley Young
Matthew Basila
August Bauer
Lucas Bruggeling
Benjamin Teboe

GHSA State Boys Swim Championship

Evans High School

To be eligible to compete in the Georgia High School Association’s state swim meet, Ben had to meet the qualifying standard time for each event. He qualified in the 200 Yard Individual Medley and the 100 Yard Backstroke. To advance to the final round, Ben had to place in the top 20. At the end of the preliminary round, Ben was 4th in the 200 Individual Medley and 5th in the 100 Backstroke. At finals, Ben placed 4th in the 200 Individual Medley and was 2nd place in the state in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 51.22 seconds.

Benjamin Hill
2nd place
100-Yard Backstroke
Head Swim Coach: Benjamin Prescott
Assistant Swim Coach: Whitney McTier

GHSA State Boys Traditional Wrestling Championship

Greenbrier High School

To qualify in the Georgia High School Association’s individual wrestling meets, wrestlers had to place in the top four in the region to advance to sectionals. Sebastian placed 1st in the Boys 5A Region 1 which moved him on to sectionals where the top six wrestlers from each weight class would advance to the traditional state tournament to compete in a twelve person bracket. Sebastian placed 1st in the GHSA Class 5A Section A at the 150 lbs weight class, which moved him into the top 12 in the state, qualifying him for the state tournament and the championship finals. Through his dedication and persistence, Sebastian represented Greenbrier High School and Columbia County with confidence and determination. By placing in the state championship again this year, Sebastian is the only Wolfpack Men’s wrestler to end his high school career as a 3-time state placer.

Sebastian Melendez
2nd place
150 lb Weight Class Division

Head Coach: Tyrone Abero
Assistant Coaches: Aaron Epstein and Derek Pollard

GHSA State Girls Wrestling Championship

Greenbrier High School

This team of wrestlers began their journey to the Georgia High School Association’s state championship by competing in the Girls Area 1 Duals where they were the defending champs. In order to qualify for state, teams had to place in the top two in their region. They met that challenge to punch their ticket to the State Duals and become back-to-back region champions. After defeating several opponents in opening rounds, they advanced to the State Championship finals against the defending champions, Carrollton High School. The ladies fought hard, but unfortunately lost a tough match to Carrollton. Although they experienced a tough finals match, they displayed great perseverance and rallied together throughout the tournament. This group of young women was more than just a group of individuals, they were a collective spirit, bonded by a shared goal and genuine camaraderie, and represented both Greenbrier High and Columbia County well at the highest level of state competition. The ladies finished the GHSA’s state tournament with a 2nd place finish, which is one place higher than the previous year when they finished third.

Head Coach: Donell Bradley

Assistant Coaches: Tyrone Abero, Aaron Epstein, and Derek Pollard

Team Members:
Danyah Ahmed
Arieana Bacon
Kynsley Buckland
Jansen Drumgoole
Journey Drumgoole
Jordan Epstein
Larissa Hitchcox
Kaylynn Hottenrott
Esperanza Huitron
Gabrielle Jefferson
Maria Kimball \
Ryan Lewis\
Liz Martinez
Josie McQuillan
Phoebe Melvin
Mya Pilger
Jalaia Ross
Emma Seiter
Abigail Sekajipo
Stella Stancoven
Jade Stephens

Arieana Bacon
1st Place
155 lbs Weight Class Division

Jordan Epstein
3rd Place
100 lbs Weight Class Division

Individual award winners Arieana Bacon and Jordan Epstein had to place in the top four in the region to advance to sectionals where the top six wrestlers from each weight class advanced to compete in a twelve person bracket. Arieana and Jordan placed 1st and 2nd at sectionals in their respective weight classes, which moved them into the top 12 in the state, qualifying them for the state tournament. Jordan and Arieana both represented Greenbrier High School and Columbia County with poise, grit, and determination.

Grovetown High School

Shaniyah McDaniel
2nd Place
115 lbs Weight Class Division

Head Coach: Bruce Zuehlke

Assistant Coach: Everette McDaniel

Shaniyah is a sophomore at Grovetown High School. She finished the season with a record of 33-3. Shaniyah finished second in Georgia High School Association’s 115 pound division this year. She also led the girl’s program at Grovetown High to their first two Championships in tournaments. She was a State qualifier last year and she is expected to compete for a State Championship again next year. Her coaches say her leadership on the team is outstanding and will be a key to their success over the next two years.

Savannah College of Art and Design Award Winners

Columbia Virtual Academy

Savannah College of Art and Design gives three Scholastic Art and Writing awards at the state level. They are the Gold Key, the Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. These awards have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the county since 1923. The competition is so fierce that your odds of winning are about one in 20.

When I call your name, please come forward. Family members here to support these students, please stand and be recognized.

Iris Holberton
Silver Key
Library Sculpture

Graysen McClary
Honorable Mention
Digital Drawing

Aunalisa Hedrick
Honorable Mention for two
Digital Drawings

Tiffany Weser
Advisor

North Harlem Elementary 4-H Presidents

Special thanks to our 4-H Presidents from North Harlem Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board of Education meeting. Great job, student leaders.

April 23, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

April 23, 2024 Board of Education Special Recognitions

2024 Advanced Placement Honor Schools

On February 27, 2024, State School Superintendent Richard Woods named 276 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools from 99 school districts across the state. We are pleased to share that all five high schools in the Columbia County School District have earned the distinction in seven out of eight categories.

The 2024 AP Honor Schools are named in eight categories based on the results of the 2023 AP courses and exams. AP courses are one of several ways Georgia students can access college-level learning at the high school level; students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam may receive college credit. In addition, The Georgia Department of Education began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008.

AP Access & Support School - Schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identified as African American and/or Hispanic and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP Expansion School - AP schools with 25% growth in AP student participation from May 2022 to May 2023 and a minimum of 25 students testing in May 2022.
AP Humanities Schools - Schools with a minimum of five students tested in each of the following AP categories: one ELA course, two social studies courses, one fine arts course, and one world language course.
AP Humanities Achievement Schools - AP Humanities schools with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP Schools of Distinction - Schools with at least 20% of the total student population taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP STEM Schools - Schools with a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles.
AP STEM Achievement Schools - AP STEM schools with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Evans High School - Principal, Wade White

AP Humanities School
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM School
AP STEM Achievement School

Greenbrier High School - Principal, Chip Fulmer

AP Humanities School
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM School
AP STEM Achievement School

Grovetown High School - Principal, Andrew Young

AP Access & Support School
AP Humanities School
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP STEM School
AP STEM Achievement School

Harlem High School - Principal, Casey Dees

AP Expansion School
AP STEM School

Lakeside High School - Principal, Juliet King

AP Humanities School
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM School
AP STEM Achievement School

2023 Congressional App Challenge

Georgia's 12th District Winners

Lakeside High School

Jerry Fan

Kunsh Sharma

Iziq Thomas

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, in whcih members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress. It should be noted that this group of students did not have an advisor. They entered this challenge all on their own. Congratulations, students, on a job well done.

Georgia State JROTC Drill Competition Winners

Grovetown High School
1st Place - Male Unarmed Platoon

Stevie Momon (Commander)
Kye Beeks
John Brown
Noah Brown
Alexander Colon
Michael May
Madden McNatt
Rafael Mendez
Wyatt Reid
Zayron Rivera
Logan Smith
Jaymin Stretch
Tyler Warner
Drill Instructors: Sgt.1st Class Anthony Williams, 1st Sgt/ Curtis Marrow
This team will be competing at the JROTC National Competitions next month.

Grovetown High School
1st Place - Female Unarmed Squad

Amaya Biyo (Commander)
Elimer Artiles-Cueto
Camille Aviles-Baez
Brianna Bill
Takiyah Momon
Jalyn Rentz
Amie Scott
Drill Instructors: Sgt.1st Class Anthony Williams, 1st Sgt. Curtis Marrow
This team will be competing at the JROTC National Competitions next month.

Evans High School
3rd Place - Armed Squad Exhibition

*Stephanie Schultz (Commander)

*Christopher Boese

*Joseph Boese

*Brandt Buchanan

*Robert Collins

Joel Howard

Ethan Lin

Drill Instructors: *Major Michael Daversa, Sergeant Major Doug Hegyi

(*not pictured)

SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Competition Winners

The SkillsUSA State Championships recognize career and technical education students who excel in their occupational areas, and spotlights leadership development activities. It is also an opportunity for prospective employers to see dedicated, motivated potential employees, in action. Hundreds of teams across Georgia compete in events across all areas of CTAE.

Greenbrier High School

Gold Medal and Overall 1st Place - High Risk Traffic Stop Competition
Jack Busby and Morgan Dabrowski
Advisor: Venning Morrison, Law & Safety Teacher

Grovetown High School

Gold Medal & Overall 1st Place - Automotive Brakes Competition
Colin Davis
Advisor - Kristopher Norris, Automotive Teacher

Bronze Medal & Overall 3rd Place - Automotive Service Technology Competition
Tristan Irvin
Advisor: Kristopher Norris, Automotive Teacher

Harlem High School

Silver Medal & Overall 2nd Place - Crime Scene Investigation Competition
Georgia Heath
Lola Lu
Naomi VanVoorhis
Advisor: Matthew Murrell, Law & Safety, Forensics Teacher

Silver Medal & Overall 2nd Place - Tactical Response Competition
Angel Hernandez
Brendan Holley
Nathan Logan
Orlando Santiago
Advisor: Matthew Murrell, Law & Safety, Forensics Teacher

Technology Students Association (TSA) State Leadership and Skills Competition

The TSA enhances personal development, leadership, and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), whereby members apply and integrate these concepts through intracurricular activities, competitions, and related programs.

Harlem High School

group photo

1st Place - Forensic Technology
Georgia Heath
Lola Lu
Advisor: Eric Rogers, Engineering/STEM Teacher & TSA Advisor

2nd Place - Technology Problem Solving
Moacir DaSilva Ratliff
Clayton Doyle
Advisor: Eric Rogers, Engineering/STEM Teacher & TSA Advisor

2nd Place - Structural Design and Engineering
Mason Cannon
Clayton Doyle
Advisor: Eric Rogers, Engineering/STEM Teacher & TSA Advisor

Lakeside High School

2nd Place - Electrical Application, Engineering & Technology
Hayden Fedak
Advisor: Christopher Wyant, Engineering Teacher

SRP 2023 Affinity Debit Card Earnings

Pictured from SRP Federal Credit Union is Mr. Josh Rhoden, Marketing Supervisor and Ms. Charmaine Finch, Community Impact Coordinator

In 2018, SRP Federal Credit Union launched the Affinity High School Debit Card program with Columbia County School District high schools.

This program was designed to be able to provide an additional funding source for local high schools. Each high school worked with SRP to develop a co-branded debit card unique to their school. Each time an SRP customer makes a transaction with their school-branded debit card, SRP makes a monetary donation to that school.

For 2023, the check amount was $47,797.80. SRP has a strong commitment to the local community and believes that giving back to the schools is an excellent way to demonstrate this commitment. Thank you, SRP Federal Credit Union, for your partnership with our school district, students, and their families.

4-H Presidents
Stevens Creek Elementary School

Thanks to our 4-H Presidents from Stevens Creek Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at this Board of Education meeting. Great job, student leaders!
Zayd Abbas
Olivia Ayers
Ruby Sue Fischer
Graham Ladomirack
Suhani Mander
Khoa Pham

May 14, 2024 Special Recognitions (Click Here)

May 14, 2024
Columbia County Board of Education Special Recognitions

Georgia CyberPatriots State Competition Champions
Lakeside High School - 1st Place, Platinum Division

Cyber Patriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association (AFA) to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future.

Team Members:

Hayden Fedak
Pearl Jimmy

Keilana McCallie

Kamsi Nwabufo

Suhaila Rashid

Cliff Russell

Advisors: Dr. Mary Davis, Clinton Mead, and Philip Plantamura

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Competition

These students were required to act as event managers and to approach a client like a school administrator, city government staff, business manager, or a community non–profit director, with a proposal to implement a new event as a project for their career pathway program. For approval, a pre-professional portfolio is created for the event organizers or sponsors. These six students also qualified for the National Competition.

group photo

Greenbrier High School
2nd Place in Event Management Level 2 (Gr. 9-10)
Vivian Diebel
Mary Hilton Eschelbach
Ryan Zgol

3rd Place in Event Management Level 3 (Gr. 11-12)
Ellen Han
Morgan Normal
Ayleigh Sirmans
Advisor for both teams: Elizabeth Davis

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Competition

Thousands of students came together to compete in the “largest Monopoly Tournament in the world.” Preliminary rounds were held in October and winners advanced to the State Leadership Competition in March. The Lakeside team competed against over 100 teams from all around Georgia with the competition lasting over three hours. They placed 3rd in the tournament.

Aarav Patel and Carter Scott (not pictured), with advisor Dr. Mary Davis (left), and Principal, Juliet King (center), with CCSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt.

Georgia Future Problem-Solving Program Competition Winners
North Columbia Elementary School

Students competed in three categories. For Global Issues, students produced a written booklet following a six-step problem-solving process in response to a future scene about the topic of Autonomous Transportation. They placed second in the Junior Division. The second competition was the Step 6 Action Plan. It is judged on the impact and effectiveness in solving the underlying problem, as well as the plan's thoroughness, creativity, and futuristic thinking. Again, students placed 2nd in the Junior Division. Their last competition was the video presentation of the action plan. All divisions, junior, middle, and senior, were judged together and North Columbia Elementary School received First place. Congratulations, students!

Team Members:
Jayce Chancey
Delaney Hardison
Avery Sutton
Sawyer Thompson
Michael Harkins
Jase Soars
Skylar Speering
Advisor: Janet Bruyninckx
Ms. Bruyninckx was also named the 2023-24 Future Problem Solving Coach of the Year and recipient of the program's Freida Thomas Memorial Award.

Georgia Department of Education Student of Excellence Award
Daniel "Quinn" Jackson
Greenbrier High School

Quinn was presented a Student of Excellence Award by the Georgia Department of Education. Teachers who recommended Quinn for this prestigious award noted that he is an extremely hard worker, pays close attention to detail, is diligent in getting assignments done promptly, and makes sure that he is prepared for any assessments that are given in class. Quinn is an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the Varsity Baseball team and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. With hopes of pursuing a career in commercial and residential construction Quinn has accepted an athletic scholarship for baseball to Columbia International University in the fall with plans to major in Construction Management

Georgia Scholar Honorees
Toby Obitayo and Ria Tamrakar
Evans High School

The Georgia Department of Education and State School Superintendent Richard Woods recognized 177 graduating seniors. Superintendent Woods stated, “These 177 students have made our state proud through their stellar efforts in the classroom and in their communities. The Georgia Scholar designation is a recognition of their leadership and diligence. I wish them great success as they continue into their futures, and know they will continue to contribute to their communities and to our state.”

Georgia Scholars carried exemplary course loads during their four years of high school, performed excellently in all courses, successfully participated in interscholastic events within their schools and communities, and assumed leadership roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their schools. Each honoree receives a seal for their diploma.

Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) State Leadership Conference Winners

HOSA’s Competitive Events Program brings health careers education to life through rigorous testing of knowledge, performance, skill, and leadership capabilities aimed at developing, encouraging, and recognizing the brightest future health professionals. HOSA provides a competitive events program to recognize students who are willing to pursue excellence by preparing for competition and having the determination to attend a conference and demonstrate the competencies gained through the healthcare science program. We are pleased to announce that students from Greenbrier and Grovetown High Schools placed in the top three in a variety of categories.

Greenbrier High School

group photo

1st Place in Physical Therapy - Owen McNear
1st Place in Pharmacy Science - Emma Morse
1st Place in Bio-technology - Allison Sidley
2nd Place in CPR/First Aid - Abigail Bias & Sydney MacDonald
2nd Place in Clinical Nursing - Emma Tang
3rd Place in Certification Skills - Maya Ferguson
3rd Place in Certification Skills - Alex Peric
3rd Place in Pathophysiology - Avery Ritz
Advisors: David Capell, Michelle Meadows, and Aimee Runner

Grovetown High School

group photo

3rd Place in Behavioral Health - Sofiya Kulyna
Advisor - Jessica Kirby

Margaret Rodgers Scholarship Award Winners

Thomas Rodgers and Dr. Eloise Hancock created this award to honor the memory of their mother, Margaret Rodgers. Mrs. Rodgers was a medical secretary for the VA Hospital in Augusta for 9 years before beginning her career as a teacher in the Columbia County School District in 1956. She retired in 1983 as the Associate Superintendent of Instruction for the Columbia County School District. We awarded the first Margaret Rodgers scholarship in 2011.

Lauren Loftis – Greenbrier Elementary School

Lauren's principal, Ms. Mary Bridges, stated, “Ms. Loftis’ work ethic inspires and encourages students and adults alike. She invests in each student and develops learning opportunities tailored to each one; her students know that she cares for them and loves them deeply. These relationships inspire them to push toward success one element at a time. With a dual major in elementary and special education, Lauren's ultimate goal is to become a certified teacher so that she might better meet the needs of her students and carry forth the vision and mission of the Columbia County School District.”

Katherine Williams – South Columbia Elementary School

Katherine's principal, Dr. Whitney Smith, stated, “Teaching is a profession that requires dedicated individuals that know how challenging it can sometimes be, but yet still show up determined to support the success of our students. Mrs. Williams acknowledges the challenges even now as a paraprofessional and yet still shows up daily and gives her absolute best plus more. Mrs. Williams' dedication to the education world is already evident and upon completing her degree, there is no question that she will be a great educator in our district. She is the epitome of what it means to be engaged, enriched, and inspired.”

Georgia Department of Education
Military Flagship School Award Winners

Each year, the Georgia Department of Education recognizes schools going above and beyond to provide a supportive environment for military-connected students and families. Winners of this prestigious award are selected for providing specific outreach to military families that recognize and accommodate their unique needs. Schools are chosen through a yearly application process that is open to every school in the state. Applications are reviewed by members of the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission. This year, State School Superintendent Richard Woods recognized 17 schools across the state as Military Flagship schools. We are proud to announce that Parkway Elementary School and Grovetown High School were selected this year. Last week, Superintendent Woods visited both schools to personally recognize them for the great job they do helping military-connected students and families.

Parkway Elementary School
Principal Stephanie Winter

group photo

Grovetown High School
Principal Andrew Young

Shepeard Community Blood Center High School Heroes Program

Blood donations have declined across the country in recent years. But students, teachers, staff, and parents in the Columbia County School District are going against the national trend, by setting a new record this year. Through several donation drives in our schools, a total of 949 individuals rolled up their sleeves to help save lives.

With the support of local hospitals, Shepeard Community Blood Center has established a High School Heroes program dedicated to educating young people about the importance of becoming a regular blood donor.

Representatives from Shepeard Community Blood Center presented a check for $18,980 to the Columbia County School District based on the collections from this year’s drives.

Representing Shepeared Community Blood Center is Jacque Clemmons, Director of Community Resources, Summer Gordon and Brenda Sharp.

2024 Columbia County School District (CCSD)
Aspiring Leaders Academy Graduates

group photo
The CCSD Aspiring Leader course is designed for teachers who are aspiring to move into the school-level assistant principal position. District teachers across all three levels are selected by the building principals and screened for participation in a yearlong course that helps prepare participants for the assistant principal role. Selected participants take part in monthly classes with expert presentations conducted by district and school leadership personnel that focus on a variety of leadership topics. Round table discussions provide participants with opportunities to think critically, analyze, and apply the focus topic. Outside of class, the application of knowledge and skills learned during the course provides real-world opportunities, and collaborative peer-to-peer conversations help participants apply critical thinking to develop and hone leadership skills. A 24-hour job-embedded clinical experience enables participants to shadow current assistant principals at different school levels. This provides participants with a glimpse into the daily life of the assistant principal and to experience the job firsthand. Participants also attend one regular board meeting, a study session, and the initial budget meeting. The course culminates with a district screening for the assistant principal candidate pool. Their instructors were Mrs. LeAnne Gregg and Dr. Brian Campbell.

Amanda Anderson - Grovetown Elementary School
Brynn Beavers - Riverside Middle School
Ashlei Bell - Lewiston Elementary School
Brittany Burg - Cedar Ridge Elementary School
Melissa Buzzell - North Columbia Elementary School
Angela Clark - Evans Elementary School
Anna Connolly - Blue Ridge Elementary School
Katie Cooper - Lakeside High School
Tiffanie Douglas - Evans High School
Andrew Durham - Lakeside High School
Jacey Faulk - Grovetown Middle School
Julie Hopkins - Evans High School
Shakeirra Kirkland - Grovetown Middle School
Michael Miller - Columbia Middle School
Elizabeth Morris - Columbia Virtual Academy
Lauren Murray-O’Neil - Cedar Ridge Elementary School
Lukeithia Porter - South Columbia Elementary School
Julie Purvis - Greenbrier High School
Heather Stefani - Euchee Creek Elementary School
Anna Trulock - Martinez Elementary School
Amber Turner - Baker Place Elementary School
Kimberly Vaughn - Greenbrier Middle School
Toni Walton - North Harlem Elementary School
Brittany Wilkerson - Riverside Middle School
Marion Wilson - Columbia Middle School

Lewiston Elementary School
4-H Presidents lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Thanks to our 4-H Presidents from Lewiston Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Great job, student leaders!

May 28, 2024 (Click Here)

May 28, 2024

Columbia County Board of Education Special Recognitions

GHSA 6A Girls Tennis State Championship
Lakeside High School - 2nd Place

The Lakeside High School girls' tennis season was very exciting, with intense matches and talented players showcasing their skills. These young athletes gave their all on the court. The girls were undefeated throughout the season with all of the starters receiving 1st Team All Region titles and their top player, Emily Bull, winning the Region Player of the Year. The Lakeside High School team was runner-up in the state competition.

Kylee Arrington
Emily Bull
Ellie Clemente
Charley Fair
Marlea Griffis
Hannah Liebel
Savanna Mills
Coaches Patricia Lozano-Nunes and David Arrington

GHSA 5A Boys and 6A Girls Track State Championship

Greenbrier High School
3rd Place

The Greenbrier High School Boys Track & Field had a great season. They won the region championship for the fourth consecutive year. They also had two students and two relay teams make the podium at state in the top 8. The boys 4x800M broke the school record with a time of 8:02 and finished third in the state, less than three seconds behind the overall champion relay team. This 5A Track Team won 3rd place in the state.

Casey Ayuk-Tabi
Jackson Musto
Nolan Parker
Taylor Simpkins
Coaches Chris Cutler, John Chaknis, Donell Bradley, and Mark Jordan

Grovetown High School
State Runner Up 6A Girls 400 Meter
Maddison Bristser

Maddison Brister has excelled as a member of the Grovetown High School track and field team, this year she continued to reshape the school records in the 100m (11.94 seconds), 200m (24.11 seconds), 400m (53.97 seconds), as well as being the anchor on the 4x100m relay team that set a new school record of 48.01 seconds. Maddison's coach is Darren Short.

Lakeside High School

group photo

The Lakeside High School girls’ team broke many school records this year along with a national record. They went on to state to medal in all of their events and place second in the state. We are incredibly proud of the performance of this team and look forward to next season as they continue to strive for success. The team won Overall Runner-Up in the state, as well as Runner-Up in 2 relay events; they placed 3rd in 300M hurdles and pole vaulting; and had 2 champions in 100M Hurdles and Long Jump.

Isabella Cardona-Mendez
Rikki Carver
Paris Coleman
Kennedy Myers
Kennedy Peacock
Suparna Suhag
Coaches Derrick Myers, Kay Roland, Taylor Gerlach, Ted Frazzetta, Chuck Baer, Antonio Henderson, and Lindsey Weidenaar

National Science Bowl Regional Championships

The Department of Energy (DOE) created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. Science Bowl is a buzzer-round competition with questions based in the six categories of mathematics, earth and space, physics, biology, chemistry, and energy. We are proud to announce that Stallings Island Middle School and Lakeside High School each earned top spots in the competition.

Stallings Island Middle School

Stallings Island Middle School (SIMS) Science Bowl team placed first to become the Georgia Regional State Champions. They qualified for the National competition in Washington D.C., sponsored by the United States Department of Energy. In the national competition, this team placed in the Top 20.

Selina Huang
Matthew Law
Jonas Mondi
Arnav Patel
MingZhe Steven Zhang
Advisor: Deborah Hundt

Lakeside High School (not pictured)

Lakeside High School had two teams compete. Teams were selected based on subject matter test scores, team buzzer play, and critical knowledge specialties. The teams studied and practiced every week throughout the year. One team won the state championship and one team was runner-up, earning them an all-expense paid trip, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, to the national competition in Washington D.C.

A Team – State Champions
Jerry Fan
Zhengyu Lu
Iziq Thomas
David Wang
George Zhou

B Team – State Runner-Ups
Eliana Benevides
Coralyn Cairns
Stephen Liu
Julia Min
Matias Riveros-Amado
Coaches: Dr. David Arrington and Dr. John Cato

Positive Athletes of Georgia State Winners

Ella Cassedy
State Cheer/Gymnastics Most Positive Athlete

Former University of Georgia football star and Super Bowl champion Hines Ward founded the Positive Athletes Organization for the states of Georgia and Pennsylvania only, per his college years at UGA and his pro years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over 6,000 student-athletes from approximately 425 Georgia high schools are nominated each year. One student from each GHSA sport is awarded the state’s most positive athlete award.

This year, the first recipient is Ella Cassedy from Harlem High School. Harlem High School's Athletic Director Rodney Holder (pictured left) shared that Ella is an amazing student-athlete who is always giving her best, both on and off the field. Ella is an example of how hard work and dedication can lead to success! Her principal is Casey Dees.

Hudson Burch
(Student was unable to attend due to a swim meet )
State Boys Swim/Dive Most Positive Athlete

Ms. Elizabeth McDaniel, a teacher at Lakeside High, said Hudson is a strong student both academically and athletically. He is also an excellent role model, whose name is associated with high academic standards and moral character. Hudson plans to continue his swimming career at Georgia Tech and study Mechanical Engineering. His principal is Juliet King.

Lakeside High School - Most Positive School Award

group photo

Lakeside High School has been awarded the State Most Positive School award. Pictured from left: Columbia County School District Athletic Director Chris Hughes; Lakeside High School Athletic Director Derrick Myers; Lakeside High School Principal Juliet King; and CCSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt.

Congratulations on being selected for this most prestigious recognition. It speaks highly of your student-athletes as they compete across the state.

4-H Presidents lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Thanks to our 4-H Presidents from River Ridge Elementary School for leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Great job, student leaders!

June 11, 2024

Columbia County Board of Education Special Recognitions

GHSA Bass Fishing State Championship

Lakeside High School - 3rd Place

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, Roper Putnam and Drew Higgins launched with their captain from the dock at Wildwood Park on Clarks Hill Lake at 6:45 a.m. during a rainstorm, they were one of 125 teams in the GHSA Bass Fishing State Tournament. The anglers were on the lake from 6:45 a.m. until weigh-in at 3:00 p.m.

The anglers were responsible for keeping all fish alive in the live well on the boat for the entire competition and return them alive to the lake after weigh-in. They are penalized for dead fish or fish that are too small. Roper and Drew caught 5 fish with a combined weight of 16lb 3oz which led them to a 3rd place finish.

Pictured from left: Lakeside High School Principal Juliet King; coach Cheryl Huff; team members Roger Putnam and Drew Higgins; and Superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt.

JROTC Cadets lead Pledge of Allegiance

Thanks to students from Grovetown High School JROTC for leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Great job, student leaders.