2026-2027

Army STEM Teacher Fellowship

 

 

2027 Georgia Art Education Association State Art Educator Award Winner

 

 

Congratulations to Ms. Tiffany Weser, Art Teacher at Columbia Virtual Academy, on being selected as the 2027 Georgia Art Education Association (GAEA) Distinguished Service Inside the Profession Award recipient!

The Distinguished Service Inside the Profession Award honors an active GAEA member who demonstrates exceptional leadership and mentorship among colleagues, volunteer commitment, advocacy for the arts, program development at the local and state levels, and meaningful contributions that strengthen the visual arts education community.

Ms. Weser’s dedication to her students, colleagues, and the field of art education exemplifies the qualities recognized by this prestigious award. As the 2027 Georgia recipient, she will represent the state of Georgia in the national round of judging.

 

 

Junior Achievement of Georgia Nineteen Under Nineteen

Congratulations to Greenbrier Middle School student Caycee Hill has been selected as a 2027 Junior Achievement of Georgia Nineteen Under Nineteen: Students to Watch honoree.

The annual program recognizes 19 outstanding young people from across Georgia who demonstrate leadership and make a positive impact in their schools and communities. Honorees participate in Junior Achievement programs that promote financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship.

Caycee was one of only two students selected from the Columbia County area. Through Junior Achievement, he was nominated by his teachers and classmates to serve as Chief Marketing Officer for JA BizTown in the Augusta area. The experience helped Caycee build confidence in communication, negotiation, strategic thinking, and collaboration.

Caycee also demonstrates leadership through his involvement in football, soccer, and lacrosse, where he encourages teammates, helps others overcome challenges, and strives to bring out the best in those around him.

As a Nineteen Under Nineteen honoree, Caycee will receive a $500 scholarship, be featured in the official JA of Georgia Nineteen Under Nineteen magazine, and be invited to the JA Greater Augusta Business Hall of Fame Gala on March 16, 2027.

Congratulations to Caycee on this well-deserved recognition!

 

 

Savannah River National Laboratory K-12 Catalyst Grants

North Columbia Elementary School, Stevens Creek Elementary School, and Greenbrier Middle School have been selected to receive a combined $15,000 in K-12 Catalyst Grants for STEM Education from Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)

SRNL awarded a total of $125,000 in grants to 26 exemplary teachers across the Central Savannah River Area. Grants of $2,500 or $5,000 will support innovative classroom projects designed to strengthen student learning and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The grants will help educators bring hands-on learning opportunities to their classrooms through projects that may include robotics, coding, environmental science, laboratory experiences, and other STEM-focused activities.

The SRNL K-12 Catalyst Grant program aims to inspire students’ curiosity and passion for STEM while providing educators with resources to turn innovative ideas into meaningful learning experiences.

North Columbia Elementary School

Raley Arnold, $5,000

Tonya Gambrell, Principal

 

Stevens Creek Elementary School
Jennifer Young, $5,000

Kelli Robertson, Principal

 

Greenbrier Middle School

 David Phillips, $5,000

Toni Cliatt, Principal

 

 

 

TechNet Augusta Capture the Flag Tournament

Greenbrier Middle School and Greenbrier High School’s cyber teams both earned top honors at the recent TechNet Augusta Capture the Flag Tournament, demonstrating their cybersecurity knowledge, problem-solving skills, and technical expertise.

The Capture the Flag competition is part of TechNet Augusta, a three-day conference focused on exploring the evolving cyber domain. Supported by the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon and industry partners, the conference brings together military, government, education, and industry professionals for networking, education, collaboration, and problem-solving.

During the competition, students tackled challenges in areas including binary exploitation, reverse engineering, web exploitation, cryptography, forensics, and security. Teams worked to identify and exploit system vulnerabilities, decrypt information, and uncover hidden “flags” designed to test their cybersecurity knowledge and technical skills.

Congratulations to our student cyber teams for their outstanding performance and commitment to developing skills in this critical and growing field!

 

Greenbrier Middle School, 3rd Place, Middle School Division

Pack Hunters Team:

Isabella Goodman

Tarik Kalelioglu

Suhrudh Medam

Dempsey Shehorn

Advisor: David Phillips

 

 

Greenbrier High School, 1st Place High School Division

Hard Drive Team:

Lucas Bew

 

Brayden Edelman

 

Chance Thompson

 

Ryan Youmans

 

 

Greenbrier High School, 2nd Place High School Division

Zif Switch Team:

Andrew Beier

Jackson Cluney

Logan Mulrain

Alejandro Pascal

 

Greenbrier High School, 3rd Place High School Division

Jump Drive Team:

Kyan Fleming

Cade Mitchell

Benjamin Park

Cayden Wamsley

Advisor: Tyrone Abero

 

 

4-H Presidents

Special thanks to the 4-H Presidents from Greenbrier Elementary School and Parkway Elementary School for leading the Pledge. Great job, student leaders!

 

This year, representing Harlem High School on the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is Anna Claire Wall.

The GSBA Youth Advisory Council brings together student leaders from public high schools across Georgia, providing them with an opportunity to share their perspectives on educational policies and practices and contribute meaningful feedback to school board members. Through their participation, students have the opportunity to provide insight that can help inform school board decision-making and the implementation of educational initiatives.

2026 National Science Bowl Winners
Lakeside High School

A Team (1st Place in State and 5th place in nationals’ bracket)
Eliana Benevides
Kareem Hassan (not pictured)
Arnav Patel
David Wang (Captain) Wong
Mingzhe (Steven) Zhang
Advisors: Dr. David Arrington and Dr. John Cato
Principal: Juliet King

Created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 1991, the National Science Bowl encourages students to excel in mathematics and science while inspiring them to pursue careers in STEM fields. The fast-paced buzzer competition challenges students with questions spanning six areas: mathematics, earth and space science, physics, biology, chemistry, and energy.

Under the guidance of coaches Dr. David Arrington and Dr. John Cato, Lakeside High School held tryouts for its Science Bowl teams in August. Students were selected based on subject-matter test scores, buzzer-play performance, and specialized areas of scientific knowledge.

Throughout the school year, team members dedicated themselves to weekly study sessions and practice competitions in preparation for the state competition held in February. Lakeside’s B Team placed 4th, while the A Team captured 1st Place, earning an all-expenses-paid trip, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, to compete at the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C.

At the national competition this past spring, Lakeside’s A Team continued to demonstrate exceptional knowledge, teamwork, and determination, finishing 5th in the Nationals bracket.

National Beta Schools of Merit & School of Distinction

The following schools have proudly earned the National Beta School of Merit designation, with some also receiving the prestigious School of Distinction honor.

Presented by the National Beta Club, these distinguished recognitions celebrate schools that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to academic excellence while embracing the four pillars of Beta: achievement, character, leadership, and service.

The School of Distinction honor recognizes schools that have demonstrated exceptional growth, including a 10% increase in membership from the previous year, reflecting their continued dedication to expanding opportunities for student involvement and leadership.

Elementary Schools of Merit and/or Distinction
Baker Place Elementary - School of Merit
Blue Ridge Elementary School - Both a school of merit and distinction
Brookwood Elementary- School of Distinction
Euchee Creek Elementary - School of Merit
Greenbrier Elementary - School of Merit
Grovetown Elementary - School of Merit and Distinction
Lewiston Elementary - School of Distinction
North Columbia Elementary - School of Distinction
North Harlem Elementary - School of Merit
Parkway Elementary - School of Merit
Riverside Elementary - School of Distinction
River Ridge Elementary - School of Distinction
Stevens Creek Elementary - School of  Merit
Westmont Elementary - School of Merit and Distinction

Middle and High Schools of Merit and/or Distinction
Columbia Middle School - School of Merit
Evans Middle - School of Merit and Distinction
Harlem Middle - School of Merit
Lakeside Middle - School of Merit
Riverside Middle - School of Merit
Stallings Island Middle - School of Merit
Evans High - School of Merit
Greenbrier High - School of Merit
Harlem High - School of Merit
Lakeside High - School of Merit

National Beta Club Convention

We are proud to recognize the outstanding students from Blue Ridge Elementary School, Stevens Creek Elementary School, and Lakeside High School who represented their schools at the National Beta Club Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, this past summer.

The National Beta Convention is the highest level of competition for National Beta members, bringing together top-performing students from across the United States. Students earn the opportunity to compete at the national level by qualifying through their respective state conventions. The convention celebrates National Beta’s four pillars achievement, character, leadership, and service through a wide range of academic, fine arts, STEM, and leadership competitions.

Blue Ridge Elementary School

Raghav Thumsi -1st Place in Spelling
Ward Walker -6th Place in Pottery

10th place in Musicology
Ward Walker, Adelie Baker, Blessing Messan, and Happiness Messan

Advisor: Laura Walker
Principal: Jessica Williams

Stevens Creek Elementary School

Vivek Raval - 1st Place in the Social Studies Academic Competition 
4th Place in the Elementary National Beta Reimagine, Recreate, and Recycle Team Exhibition:
Navtej Farmaha
Avni Makhija
Ayan Patel
Vivek Raval
Vihaan Shah
Advisor: Patricia Dekle
Principal: Kelli Robertson

Lakeside High School

Krish Patel successfully navigated these rigorous qualification rounds and went on to achieve an extraordinary accomplishment, earning 2nd Place in the Nation in 11th Grade Mathematics.

2nd Place in Mathematics: Krish Patel
Advisor: Patricia Lozano-Nunes
Principal: Juliet King

National Civics Bee Competition

We are excited to recognize two exceptional students from two of our middle schools, Hannah Leatherwood of Columbia Middle School and Charlotte Anderson of Harlem Middle School, for their outstanding participation in the National Civics Bee Competition.

The National Civics Bee is an annual, nonpartisan competition hosted in partnership with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The competition encourages middle school students to deepen their understanding of civics, become more engaged in their communities, and develop ideas for addressing issues that matter to them.

Hannah and Charlotte each submitted essays and were selected to compete in the regional competition held at Lakeside High School this past April. Charlotte earned 2nd place, while Hannah earned 3rd place, securing both students a spot in the next round of the competition hosted by the Georgia Chamber Foundation in Atlanta this past summer.

During the state competition, contestants answered 20 multiple-choice civics questions, while finalists had the opportunity to present their essay ideas to a panel of judges. Hannah and Charlotte distinguished themselves among students from across the state, both earning a place among the Top 5 Finalists at the State National Civics Bee.

Their accomplishments reflect not only their strong knowledge of civics but also their willingness to engage thoughtfully with issues affecting their communities. We are incredibly proud of the dedication, preparation, and civic mindedness demonstrated by both students.

Both Hannah Leatherwood and Charlotte Anderson are now students at Evans High School, where we look forward to seeing them continue to grow as engaged students and future community leaders.

Lakeside High School JROTC

Special thanks to the cadets of the Lakeside High School Color Guard for the presentation of the colors and leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board Meeting. 

Greenbrier High School

GHSA Girls 5A Soccer State Champions

Lakeside High School Tennis

Team Members:

Victoria Bishop
Emily Bull
Elise Clemente
Charley Fair (Team Manager)
Marlea Griffis
Genevieve Handel
Madeline Jackson
Hannah Liebel
Georgia Manolakis
Savanna Mills
Manasvi Patel
Siya Patel
Katherine Peterson (Team Manager)
Connor Trammell 

Head Coach: Patricia Lozano-Nunes
Assistant Coach: David Arrington
Athletic Director: Ben Rosier
Principal: Juliet King

 

 

National Grant for Summer Fellowship, Crystal McDowell
Greenbrier High School

 

 

We are proud to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of Greenbrier High School biology teacher Crystal McDowell, who earned a $5,000 grant through Fund for Teachers' highly competitive selection process as a 2026 National Grant for Summer Fellowship recipient. Through the fellowship, Mrs. McDowell will attend professional development programs focused on molecular biology, scientific modeling, 3D printing, and biotechnology. These experiences will help her create a course that expands real-world learning opportunities for students in AP Biology, Genetics, and Epidemiology

Mrs. McDowell is one of 337 educators nationwide awarded a share of $1.56 million in grants for self-designed learning experiences.  

 

Her achievement reflects a strong commitment to innovation. Hands-on learning and creating meaningful opportunities for students to explore the possibilities of science beyond the classroom.

 

 

Harlem High School JROTC Color Guard

 

Special thanks to the JROTC Color Guard from Harlem High School for leading the Pledge at the latest Board of Education meeting. Great job, cadets.