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BoE shares good news
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Good news abounded at the recent Board of Education meeting, where awards were distributed to a couple hundred students in the district on Thursday, Dec. 20.
The Richmond Hill High School cheerleading squad placed fourth in state finals this past season, and the 17-member team accepted awards before doing a partial performance of their routine.
“Thank you for a fine job done,” RHHS Principal Charles Spann said to the squad. “I heard nothing but good things from each place you traveled to.”
The 100-plus member RHHS band received awards from their director, Dr. Daniel Kiene, for their achievements in things like band superior, percussion superior, guard superior and drum major superior categories in the Coastal Empire Classic Marching Competition and many others. Additionally, nine students have been selected to the Winterfest Honor Band at AASU.
Schools Superintendent Dr. Sallie Brewer said she was especially grateful the band was present to play during the new school dedication for Richmond Hill Elementary School this past fall.
Major Jeffrey Odegaard, RHHS JROTC educator, brought in his team. Odegaard said the drill season for JROTC has just started, but they group created a small squad last year.
“The first drill team from last year worked hard and did well regionally. Last year, we went to the state tournament,” Odegaard said. “In our second year, we’re just getting started. Competitions will begin in February and we’re excited for another drill season.”
Richmond Hill Middle School Principal Helen Herndon was joined by RHMS football coaches Randall Boone, Michael Carter and Christopher Willis to hand out 60-something awards to their 2007 Coastal Empire Region football champions. One of the awards was presented to the school’s first female player on the team; Sarah Goolsby was the RHMS football team’s field goal kicker this past season.
In other ‘Good News,’ the Bryan County Special Education Department has been awarded as one of six districts in the state of Georgia to receive a PacesetterAward.
“If you put the right tools in the right hands, you are sure to achieve excellence,” Special Education Director Frank Williams said as he accepted the award.
The Special Education department received the Pacecetter Award for highest performance and for meeting state targets.
The requirements include: decreasing the number of special ed students who drop out; increasing the percentage of students who meet or exceed state achievement standards for math, reading and language arts; achieving a higher percentage of graduates with regular education diplomas and meeting the state target for educating children in the least restrictive environment.
Williams said they did better than they had expected.
“We are one of six to win these awards for being the best of the best in achieving the state requirements,” he said. “We are considered an example to all other school districts in the state.”
Williams thanked the board, the district’s administration, general education teachers, special education teachers and “anyone else who’s touched any of these student’s lives.”
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Groups hand out scholarships
RH theater scholarship
Richmond Hill High School senior Jacey Shanholtzer shows her Dawn Harrington Berry Spotlight Award, which was awarded by the Richmond Hill Community Theatre and includes a $500 scholarship. With her are Tom Harris, Ashlee Farris, Brett Berry and Kim Diebold. The award was created in memory of Dawn Harrington Berry, a long time RHCT member and president who died in 2016. - photo by Photo provided.

Three reports recently presented scholarships

Richmond Hill High School senior Jacey Shanholtzer received the Dawn Harrington Berry Spotlight Award, which was awarded by the Richmond Hill Community Theatre and includes a $500 scholarship. The award was created in memory of Dawn Harrington Berry, a long time RHCT member and president who died in 2016.

Garden Club

The Richmond Hill Garden Club recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Katherine Wood and a $500 scholarship to Carly Vargas, both seniors graduating from Richmond Hill High School.

The awards were presented May 8 during Honors Night at RHHS.

Wood plans to attend Green Mountain College in Vermont and major in environmental studies.

Vargas plans to attend Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee, to pursue a degree in either environmental studies or biology.

The garden club awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to a local high school senior who plans to major in a field related to environmental concerns, plants and/or gardening.

This year, due to having two exceptional candidates, the garden club awarded an additional $500 scholarship.

Exchange Club

The Exchange Club of Richmond Hill recently named Caroline Odom as its student of the year.

The club each month during the school year names a student of the month, and the student of the year is chosen from among those winners.

Awards are based on academic performance, community involvement and leadership.

Monthly winners receive $100, with the annual winner getting a $1,000 scholarship.

The Exchange Club has been recognizing students for more than 30 years.

Odom will go on to compete in the Georgia District Exchange Club against students from across the state.

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