Bryan County Board of Education featured the meeting’s ‘Good News’ from Carver Elementary School Thursday night, with Assistant Principal Crystal Morales discussing some of the positive things that have happened during the past year.
"I know we’re always interested in writing assessment scores," Morales said. "This year, we decreased our ‘did not meet’ from 11 to seven percent, students who met state standards increased from 74 to 78 percent and students who exceeded standards went from 13 to 15 percent. We are very proud of their accomplishments, exceeding their scores. We’re very proud of all of our students and teachers for all their hard work."
Morales also gave a slide show presentation with pictures of the ways in which the students have been involved with the local community throughout the year.
This past year, Carver students helped several organizations. The school helped collect 70 pints of blood for the American Red Cross in their second annual blood drive, students raised more than $19,000 for the American Heart Association with 626 students participating in the Jump Rope for Heart and they raised $12,000 in Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. The 9th annual career fair was held in February for students and roughly 120 speakers came to the school to speak to the students, Morales said.
"We had two Bright Ideas winners this year, who received grants to purchase tape recorders and other supplies to help students with their reading skills, as well as to cover the fees to participate in the spring Worldwide Stock Market Game and buy savings bonds for the student winners," she said. "Regional winners of the game were Caroline Russell, Matthew Cruz, M.J. Hall and Stephanie Stutzman. The kids really love this activity and seemed to get ahead – I don’t know why I can’t get some advice from them for my stock portfolio."
The media festival produced six CES winners who received superior ratings on the state level: Kirsten Leibfried, Cassadi DeVane, Brittany Williams, Reilly Hale, Michelle Mikell and Haley Smith.
"It is wonderful to see so many parents and students here because there are so many wonderful accomplishments that have happened this year," Superintendent Dr. Sallie Brewer said. "We have many students who do many good things."
In other Good News recognition:
- The Richmond Hill Middle School Symphonic Band received a superior performance rating from the National Adjudicators Invitational in the Atlanta Symphony Hall. "This was by initiation only and we were only one of a few middle schools asked to go," Principal Helen Herndon said.
- Jordan Real received 1st place in the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute’s 2008 Safety Belt Poster contest on the county level.
- The RHMS girls’ and boys’ soccer players were recognized as the coastal empire region champions.
- RHMS students were honored for placing in the Media Festival with superior ratings.
- The 6th graders at RHMS were the Georgia Mathematics League regional winners in the statewide competition, placing first against 14 other counties.
- Carver Elementary School students who participated in the spring Worldwide Stock Market Game were recognized.
- Winners of the Young Georgia Authors Contest were recognized, along with Georgia Cities Week art contest winners.
- Richmond Hill High School recognized their media festival winners; JROTC Georgia State Drill Competition winners; and the Odyssey of the Mind Dinostories team for placing 2nd in the state. RHHS is providing the Odyssey team with $6,000 to fund their trip to the World Finals at the University of Maryland.
- BCMS 7th grader Makayla Peny was recognized for winning the Bryan County Drug Free Coalition poster contest.