Advisor - Chris Wyant
Team Members:
Allison Park
Carly Whitehead
This team placed second out of fifty teams in the TSA Forensics Technology competition.
TSA is dedicated exclusively to students enrolled in engineering and technology education pathway programs.
The chapters prepare students to be successful inventors, designers, creative problem solvers, responsible citizens, and leaders in a technological society.
Participants take a written test of basic forensic science to qualify as semifinalists. Semi-finalist teams then examine a mock crime scene and demonstrate their knowledge of forensic science and crime scene analysis. Participants have to use proper techniques to collect evidence and prepare a detailed written analysis of the crime scene.
Smokey Bear is an international symbol for wildfire prevention. Smokey’s message, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!” encourages personal responsibility for wildfire prevention. Woodsy Owl is also an American icon for the conservation of the environment. Woodsy’s message, “Lend a Hand - Care for the Land” has helped parents and teachers inspire children to observe, explore, and care for the environment since 1972. To support and to spread the message about wildfire prevention and conservation of our environment, The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs Incorporated give students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of wildfire prevention and caring for the environment through original drawings of Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl.
To participate in the poster contest, a school must be sponsored by a local garden club. River Ridge Elementary has been sponsored by the Spade and Trowel Garden Club for over ten years.
Students submit posters of either Smokey the Bear or Woodsy Owl promoting their messages. River Ridge Elementary submitted these posters to the garden club in November and then they were judged in our local area, the Azalea District. From there the winning artwork was sent to the state-level competition. State winners were then sent on to compete at the national level.
Aashvi won first place at all three levels - state, regional, and national, for third grade.
Three Columbia County high schools and one middle school competed at The National Cyber Defense Competition, CyberPatriot XIV (14).
The National Cyber Defense Competition puts teams of high school and middle school students in the position of newly-hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company.
Through a series of online competition rounds, teams are given a set of operating systems and are charged with finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services all within a six hour time limit.
Teams form in August and competition rounds are held monthly beginning in October and ending in January. These Columbia County School District teams competed against over 2,300 teams throughout Canada and the U.S to earn a top placement in their state, region, and the nation.
Advisor - Loradonna Shultz
Team members include the following:
Kately Dietert
Leona Dykstra
Kathryn (Kit) Fagan
Tessa Killabrew
Lillian Padgett
Madelaine Shearer
Advisor - Loradonna Shultz
Team members include the following:
Ayman Abuelhaija
Bilal Afzali
Graham Musto
Connor Valentine
Liam Fedak
Connor Shehorn
This is the school's fourth consecutive year winning first place in the state.
Advisor - Steven Hahn
Team members include the following:
Jaysen Lami
Asher Lizama
Ajmal Popal
Advisor - Steven Hahn
Team members include the following:
Adam Beard
Zander Connor
Hunter Rawlins
Benjamin Smith
Claire Wilburn
Advisor - Steven Hahn
Team members include the following:
Alexis Bussey
Trinity Elliott
Abigail Rhea
Velmuel Smith
Advisor - Mary Davis
Team members include the following:
Serenity Brown
Christopher Cardullo
Adam Doick
Michael Newton
Wajiha Parveen
Suahaila Rashid
Advisor - Tyrone Abero
Team members include the following:
Leland Green
Haely Goller
Max Jaremski
Thaniel Raynack
Dagen Shehorn
Taige Wang
Each spring members of Congress sponsor a nationwide high school arts competition challenging students from across the nation to produce an original piece of artwork depicting life in their home district. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent across our nation, as well as in our congressional district. The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the district. The overall winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol.
Not only will the first-place winner Riley Flynn’s artwork be on display at the US capital for one year, but Riley also received two plane tickets to Washington, D.C. for the Congressional Art Ceremony, and is the recipient of a partial scholarship to Savannah College of Art and Design.
Mackenzi and Ashley’s artwork will be displayed in Congressman Allen’s Washington D.C. and Augusta offices.
Congratulations to these talented and creative art students and to Ms. Ellington for her support.
Pictured from left: Dr. Steven Flynt, Superintendent; Ashley Ball; and Mackenzi Park. Not pictured are first place winner Riley Flynn; and advisor Laura Ellington.
Artwork titled: "Waffle Home"
Artwork titled: "Fun at the Fair."
Advisor - Laura Ellington
Artwork titled: "Dreamscape"
Advisor - Laura Ellington
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national Career and Technical Student Organization for students in Family and Consumer Sciences in education in public and private schools through twelfth grade. FCCLA offers intra-curricular resources and opportunities for students to pursue careers that support families. Through participation in competitive events, FCCLA members gain employable skills and industry insight needed to thrive in the 21st Century. This year, two Columbia County high schools were FCCLA State Leadership Conference winners.
Pictured from left: Brinkley Vaughn, Phoebe Hughes, Lisa Davis (advisor), and Laynie Van Meter. Not pictured: Maya Nwankwo and Kadima Rogers.
Greenbrier High students, Phoebe Hughes and Brinkley Vaughn, won a gold medal in the National Programs in Action Competition and will be advancing to the National Competition in San Diego, California in July!
This team event recognizes participants who explain how the Planning Process was used to plan and implement a national program project. Students had to prepare a file folder, and oral presentation with visuals.
In addition, Maya Nwankwo, Kadima Rogers, and Laynie Van Meter, under the guidance of Lisa Davis, won a gold medal in the Nutrition and Wellness Competition. This team event recognizes participants who track food intake and physical activity for themselves, their family, or a community group and determine goals and strategies for improving their overall health. Students had to prepare a portfolio, visuals, and an oral presentation.
Evans High student Charity Brinson won a gold medal in Entrepreneurship under the direction of Sabrina Morgan.
In the Entrepreneurship competition, participants develop a plan for a small business using Family and Consumer Sciences skills and sound business practices. The business must relate to an area of Family and Consumer Sciences education or related occupations. Students must prepare a portfolio containing a written business plan, which they are not required to have implemented, and an oral presentation.
Future Georgia Educators is the state’s largest professional organization for educators. Its goal is to help identify, recruit, prepare and retain the next generation of Georgia’s teachers. The Knowledge Bowl is a competition where students must demonstrate their familiarity with and understanding of their education pathway curriculum and Georgia’s Code of Ethics for Educators. Two Columbia County schools won state recognition at the Future Georgia Educators Competition.
These Greenbrier High students earned second place in the Knowledge Bowl under the direction of their advisor, Nancy Peel.
Bethany Lillie
Myah Rodriquez
Anna Hentges
Nalanie Brown
Siara Powell
Dennis Marchesi
In addition to his win for the Knowledge Bowl, Dennis Marchesi (not pictured), also won first place in the Impromptu category for his impromptu speech titled, "Why it is important to get youth involved in the education field early."
Another Greenbrier High student, Sanah Ashna, (not pictured), won first place in the Prepared Speech category for her speech titled, "Why standardized testing should be abolished." Students entering these two competitions must demonstrate poise, self-confidence, and the ability to use effective communication skills while under pressure, as these are valuable qualities of all educators.
Pictured from left: Anna Hentges, Nancy Peel (advisor), Nalanie Brown, and Siara Powell. Not pictured, Dennis Marchesi and Sanah Ashna.
Natalie Lachman, of Greenbrier High, also placed second in Essay Competition, which provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills, as well as to express their views on a current topic in education. The topic for the 2022 Essay Competition focuses on elective courses in high school.
A team of three Lakeside High students took third place in the Knowledge Bowl under the direction of Alexandrea Williamson.
Ansley Weathersbee
Jordan Mobley
Kaitlyn Muni
The team participated in a live quiz bowl type competition at FGE Day utilizing Kahoot!, an internet-based, digital classroom response system.
Team Presentation of Action Plan - Junior Division
This program was founded in 1974 by University of Georgia Professor Emeritus Dr. Paul Torrance to help stimulate critical and creative thinking skills and to encourage students to develop a vision for the future. Students work with their coaches throughout the year to learn and practice the six-step model, then submit a solution to a problem based on this model. They can place in the following areas: Global Issues Problem Solving, Team Presentation of the Action Plan, and a written Team Action Plan. This year, we are pleased to honor winners from North Columbia Elementary School.
Emma Adams
Claire Basey
Charlotte McIntire
Wesley Shell
Under the leadership of Future Problem Solvers Coach Janet Bruyninckx (not pictured), this team won first place in the written six-step Team Presentation of Action Plan - Junior Division and second place in Global Issues Problem Solving!
One of the most popular courses of study in the Columbia County School District (CCSD) high schools is the Healthcare Science Technology Education Program. The CCSD currently has twelve Healthcare Science teachers who serve as advisors for Health Occupations Students of America, better known as HOSA. This competition consists of a multiple-choice test, and, for those who score well enough, a performance round where the competitors are judged on their use of critical thinking skills. This year we had students from four high schools place in the competition.
First Place - Sports Medicine
Second Place - Medical Assisting
Under the direction of EHS HOSA advisor, Leslie Vandenabeele, Eleanor Contant placed second in Medical Assisting, and Hunter Thompson placed first in Sports Medicine.
Third Place - Veterinary Science
Third Place - Certification Skills
Under the direction of advisors Mr. David Capell, Ms. Valeri Cushman, and Ms. Michelle Meadows, Katie Curtis placed third in Veterinary Science, and Layla Bland and Eddie Schultz placed third in Certification Skills.
Third Place - Biomedical Debate
Skylar Briggs, Daniella Forson, and Arrieanna Reyes earned third place in Biomedical Debate Team under the direction of advisor Ms. Jessica Kirby.
First Place - Dental Science
Christopher Alemar placed first in Dental Science under the direction of advisors, Ms. Lisa Olson, Ms. Pamela Gosney, and Mr. Cedric Mason.
SkillsUSA is a national membership association serving middle, high school, and college students who are preparing for further education and careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. We are pleased to recognize a number of state medalists who will go on to compete at the national level this summer.
From Evans High, under the direction of Robert McCullough, Michael Meyer, and Travis Weathers, the following students won a gold medal for Team Metal Working:
Chris Roland
Noah Smith
Colby Steptoe
William Wallace
Also from Evans High, in the category of First Aid/CPR, Esperanza Lorenzo-Martinez won a gold medal. In this competition, students must conduct first aid and CPR in five different scenarios.
In the Automotive categories, Elizabeth Stupec won a silver medal in Automotive Refinishing, and Chandler Gardner won a gold medal in Collision Repair.
From Harlem High, under the direction of Matthew Murrell, these students won a gold medal in High-Risk Traffic Stops.
Kayla Cloinger
Brianna Lee
Gabe Moore
From Greenbrier High, under the direction of Gerald Wuchte, the following team members earned a bronze medal in the category Crime Scene Investigation:
Emily Augenstein
Emily Morton
Emma Warner
Liliana Beemer of Evans Middle School is the Georgia Middle School State Track and Field Champion for her outstanding accomplishments in the 800 meter and the 1600 meter race this spring.
Liliana, a 7th grader, was recognized in October of 2021 for her first place overall win in the large school’s category at the Middle School State Cross Country Championship where she earned her title with a two-mile run in 13 minutes and 9 seconds.
With more coaching from Coach Krista Meadows, Liliana showed up again, ready to race, on April 15-16, 2022 in her division at the Middle School State Track and Field Championship. In the 1600 meter race, Liliana captured third place for the time of 5 minutes and 16 seconds, and she earned her next state championship in the 800 meter competition with a time of 2 minutes and 19.92 seconds!
The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program is a college summer residential program for gifted and talented rising juniors and seniors. Students attend classes in the mornings and afternoons in specific areas of study, then they participate in a wide variety of social and instructional opportunities every evening. Finalists and alternates are selected by way of a lengthy process which includes school-level nominations, district auditions and interviews, and state auditions, interviews, and assessments. This year, we have eleven finalists and three alternates to recognize from three Columbia County high schools. These students will attend the 2022 Governor’s Honors Program at Berry College in Rome, Georgia June 19th-July 16th.
Social Studies - Lauren Trimble
Theater Performance - Gabrielle Riley
Music Voice-Tenor/Soprano - Jonathan Stonehocker
Communicative Arts - Sarah Tropea
Chemistry - Alan Sairany, alternate
Music Brass-Tuba - John Chambers
Music Woodwind-Clarinet - Jeffery Li
Mathematics - Jerry Loo
Chemistry - Diya Singhal
Biology/Environmental Science - Nidhi Shenoy
Mathematics - Iziq Thomas
Music Woodwind-Bassoon - Clark Walker
Music Woodwind-Saxophone - Leana Elwahidi, alternate
Mathematics - Tejas Srinivasan, alternate
Exemplifying the State of Georgia’s mission of educating the whole child, the Georgia Department of Education established the Georgia Scholar Program. Georgia Scholars are students who have
Carried exemplary course loads during their four years of high school;
Performed excellently in all courses;
Successfully participated in interscholastic events at their schools and in their communities;
And have assumed active roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their schools.
Greenbrier High School Senior Jonah Weinstein is recognized as a 2022 Georgia Scholar.
Lakeside High School senior Palakpreet Kaur is recognized as a 2022 Georgia Scholar.
Congratulations to these students for this well-deserved award!
The Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, and the University System of Georgia have joined together to establish P-20 Collaboratives. These are systems of support to provide a seamless transition for pre-service educator candidates to become better prepared for their roles in the classroom. The state is divided into nine regional collaboratives which include strategic planning teams that convene twice a year to plan sessions based on the needs of their region. Each year the collaboratives nominate a person in their region to be named Mentor of the Year. Nominees are rated on the strength of “demonstrated excellence” in a variety of areas.
The Columbia County School District is proud to announce that Ms. Ashley Fryer has been chosen as East P-20 Mentor of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year. Ms. Fryer is a 1st grade teacher at Blue Ridge Elementary and also Columbia County’s Teacher of the Year!
In her nomination letter, Dr. Kristy Brown, Assistant Dean at Augusta University, wrote that, "Ms. Fryer models what it looks like to be a caring professional, her classroom is magic, and she is the best teacher that I have ever seen in my career. She is a leader of teachers and makes everyone around her better."
Congratulations, Ms. Fryer, for this honor, and thank you for all you do for pre-service teachers and for the students at Blue Ridge Elementary.
In April 2011, the family of retired Columbia County School District teacher and administrator Ms. Margaret Rodgers, created a scholarship in her honor. Mrs. Rodgers graduated from Lincolnton High School and attended Rabun Gap Junior College and Piedmont College. She graduated from Georgia State University in Milledgeville and earned a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Mrs. Rodgers began her career as a teacher in 1956. She retired in 1983 as Columbia County School District Associate Superintendent of Instruction.
In honor of Ms. Rodgers, the Margaret Rodgers Scholarship is given annually to a non-certified exemplary employee who is working full-time and currently enrolled in college pursuing a baccalaureate degree or higher. This is the eleventh year of the scholarship, and the Margaret Rodgers Scholarship recipient this year is Kaitlyn Martin from North Harlem Elementary.
When the district reached out to her about Ms. Martin's achievement, Ms. Sonya Bailey, the Principal of North Harlem Elementary, said,
"Ms. Martin feels a calling to serve our Autism special needs students. She loves the children, builds relationships and assists the teacher with anything that is needed. She takes initiative and shows that she will be a great teacher. She is going to school in the evenings to work on her degree while working full time as an autism spectrum paraprofessional in our Kindergarten and 1st grade classroom. She is someone we want to invest in because she is the type of candidate we as principals are looking for. She knows exactly what she is getting into since she is already working in an autism classroom with the students."
All of the high schools in the Columbia County School District (CCSD) have been recognized as College Board Advanced Placement Honor Schools Distinction. For the 2020-2021 school year, the Columbia County School District offered 27 AP courses across 5 high schools. A total of 1,925 students took 3,321 AP exams, and 54% earned three or higher, which tops the state average of 50 percent. Therefore, it is no surprise that our schools continue to earn state recognition, and we want to honor these schools for their hard work and success. The CCSD is so proud of the work our teachers do in the AP arena, and even more proud that our students are earning college credit and surpassing expectations in these areas.
In the category of AP Access and Support Schools, which are
Schools with at least 30% of their AP exams taken by students who identify themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic, and
With 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
In the area of AP STEM Schools, which are
Schools with students testing in at least 2 AP Math courses and 2 AP Science courses.
In the category of AP Humanities Schools, which are
Schools with students testing in all of the following AP courses:
at least 1 ELA course,
2 social science courses,
1 fine arts course, and
1 world language course.
In the category of AP Schools of Distinction, which are
Schools with at least 20% of the student population taking AP exams and
With at least 50% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
In the category of AP Humanities Achievement Schools, which are
Schools with students testing in all of the following AP courses:
at least 1 ELA course,
2 social science courses,
1 fine arts course, and
1 world language course
At least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earned scores of 3 or higher.
In the category of AP STEM Achievement Schools, which are
Schools with students testing in at least 2 AP math courses and 2 AP science courses and
With at least 50% of the exam scores on AP math and AP science exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM School
AP Access and Support School
AP Humanities School
AP STEM School
AP Humanities Schools
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM School
AP STEM Achievement School
AP STEM School
AP Humanities School
AP Humanities Achievement School
AP School of Distinction
AP STEM
AP STEM Achievement
Thank you to the 4-H Presidents from Baker Place Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Boys' Basketball State Championship is a prestigious honor. To qualify, The Warriors Boys' Basketball team finished in the top four of our region classification. Not only did the team finish in the top four, they also earned the top spot in the region’s regular season and region tournament, earning the Warriors their first Boys’ Basketball Region Championship for Grovetown High.
Several of the team members also earned individual awards from the Region 3 5A match. Frankquon Sherman was named Player of the Year. Malik Ferguson earned a spot on 1st Team. Derrion Reid, and Khaleed Heywood both earned a spot on 2nd Team. Markel Freeman, EJ Kency, and Darren Douglas earned Honorable Mentions.
The team then went on to win at each round of the state playoffs. They defeated Northside Warner Robbins High School 93 – 37, and then went on to the Sweet 16, where they defeated Alexander High School with a score of 78-54. Next, the team advanced to the Elite 8, where the Warriors triumphed over Wheeler High School, the former state champions who were ranked 34th in the nation. The Warriors then earned the school’s first trip to the Final Four, where they defeated Langston Hughes High School at the University of West Georgia. Finally, the team became state champions after defeating Buford High School 66-59 at the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia, on March 11, 2022.
Grovetown High School Basketball Coaches
Head Coach: Darren Douglas
Assistant Coach: Wes Wuchte
Assistant Coach: Deontaye Shavers
Assistant Coach: Adewale Odutayo (AKA Coach O.)
Grovetown High School 6A Boys' Basketball Team
Robert Johnson
Jose Rodriguez
Jaden Cobb
Kijuan Figgs
Darren (DJ) Douglas, Jr.
Malik Ferguson
Markel Freeman
Aaron Nomel
Khaleed Heywood
Maliq Richards
Frankquon Sherman
Erice "EJ" Kency
Kario Walker
Derrion Reid
Cameron Humphrey
Andre Brown
Chavis Johnson
Christjen Johnson
Amare Clark
The Warriors finished their season with 29 total wins, out of 32 total games, including an 18-game winning streak. Overall, these student athletes have earned the first boys' basketball state championship in the history of Grovetown High and the Columbia County School District. According to MaxPreps online, Grovetown High School now ranks No. 1 in Region 6A for boys' basketball. This team is number 7 in the state of Georgia and number 44 in the nation. In addition, team members Frankquon Sherman and Malik Ferguson were selected for the Georgia Athletic Coach’s Association’s All-State Basketball Team. The local community and Grovetown High School have had a great time celebrating the huge accomplishment of these outstanding student athletes and their coaches. We are very proud of this team's hard work and all they have accomplished. Elementary and middle school students at several of our feeder schools welcomed these student athletes and their trophy, during celebratory parades through the hallways. Thank you to the coaches for your time and dedication to these students, and thanks to the community for the tremendous support that has been shown to these outstanding students, their parents, and their coaches.
The Greenbrier High School Girls' Volleyball team placed second at the 2021 Georgia High School Association 5A Volleyball State Championship at the Lake Point Sports Complex on November 6, 2021, in Cartersville, GA. The team advanced to the final four after defeating Veterans High School in Kathleen, Georgia on October 27, and went on to defeat Woodward Academy three days later, in Perry, GA. They ended their season as second runner up to St. Pius X Catholic High School.
For the 2021-22 season, the team recorded more than 1,000 Kills, assists and digs, and 350 Aces. The team finished with 36 wins out of a 39-game season and their second consecutive region title. This was the FIRST girls’ volleyball state championship appearance in the history of the Columbia County School District. Congratulations students and coaches for this outstanding accomplishment!
Head Coach: Kevin Williams
Assistant Coach: Rachel Epting
JV Coach: Michelle Miller
9th Grade Team Coach: Trina Fann
Layla Bland
Lydia Clark
Taylor Hall
Lauren Henshaw
Leanna Joiner
Ci’erra Keys
Avery Meredith
Elena Nicholson
Brooklyn Oliver
Brighton Rinker
Kaitlyn Rogers
Elizabeth Schultz
Annabelle Smith
Emma Stanley
Kathryn “Kat” Swift
Katelyn Wood
The Greenbrier High School Girls Volleyball team has five all-region players, and three of these student athletes are all-state selections: Layla Bland, Lydia Clark, and Elizabeth Schultz.
On March 12, Grovetown High School’s weightlifting team competed at the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) State Weightlifting meet at Jefferson County High School in Louisville, Georgia. A total of 18 Grovetown High School students qualified for the state competition at the area meet, where they placed in the top 2. At the state meet, Grovetown High finished 3rd in class 6A with 67 points as a team.
Grovetown High Weightlifting Leadership
Coach: Cory Evans
Coach: Marcus Washington Sr.
Athletic Director: Marty Jackson
In the 190-Pound Weight Class, First place in the state, is Zaidon Gunn who was awarded the title of State Champion!
In the 245-pound weight class, Travis Roberts finished third place in the state.
In the 170-pound weight class, TaiJhan Towns finished third in the state, and Amari Walker finished second in the state.
In the 180-pound weight class, Marcus Washington Jr. took second place in the state.
In the 190-pound weight class, Cardelle Rudolph finished second in the state.
The Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) is the fourth largest state music education association in the United States. Each year, GMEA hosts the annual All-State Band and Orchestra membership selections and performances. About 20,000 talent-worthy band and orchestra students in grades 6-12 are judged at the school district level, as they play selected scales, part of a prepared piece, and a sight-reading exercise. Students who meet the cut score for their instrument are then invited to participate in the final audition. At the final auditions, approximately 3,000 students perform the entire audition piece and two sight-reading exercises before judges. The highest-scoring students at the final auditions are selected for membership in the All-State Bands and Orchestras.
Stallings Island Middle School
Band Director: Tayler Norwood
Peyton Geigle - Contra-Alto Clarinet, 8th Grade
Steven Pang - Soprano Clarinet, 8th Grade
Haichen Zhou - Percussion, 8th Grade
Riverside Middle School
Band Director: Geoffrey Rosche
Rigel Kotas - Bass Clarinet, 8th Grade (First Chair)
Greenbrier Middle School
Band Director: Kevin Baggot
Bria Peak - Clarinet, 8th Grade
Evans High School
Band Director: Zach Bradley
Assistant Band Director: Jared Cook
Benjamin Yu - Clarinet, 11th Grade
Daniel Lee - Percussion, 12th Grade
Greenbrier High School
Band Director: Dr. Brian Toney
Assistant Band Director: Rutledge Boykin
Mason Pounds - Alto-Saxophone, 9th Grade
Brandon Newell - Tuba, 10th Grade
Luke Frain - French Horn, 11th Grade
for the 5th year
Simon Toney - Trumpet, 11th Grade
for the 4th year
Lakeside High School
Band Director: Jared Best
Associate Band Director: Jonathon Witmer
Paula Lagasse - Flute, 10th Grade
Nathan Oester - Trombone, 10th Grade
Xinyu Su - Flute, 10th Grade
for the 2nd year
Brandon Kim - Bass Clarinet, 10th Grade
for the 2nd year
Ryan Hanling - Clarinet, 11th Grade
for the 3rd year
Jeffrey Li - Clarinet, 11th Grade
for the 4th year
Clark Walker - Bassoon, 11th Grade
for the 5th year
James Quincy Winkler - Percussion, 12th Grade
McKenzie Matthews - Trumpet, 12th Grade
for the 2nd year
Roderic Parson - Euphonium, 12th Grade
for the 4th year
Wills Kane - Trombone, 12th Grade
for the 6th year
The Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) State Honor Choir and All-State Chorus are two of the highest musical honors a choral student can receive in school.
For sixth grade students, the GMEA provides an opportunity to participate in a State Honor Choir, since they are not yet eligible for the all-state level. Students met weekly after school for an hour-long rehearsal. This year, students learned a Spanish song, as well as four other high-caliber songs.
Riverside Middle School
Choir Director: Erin Dibling
Sophi Doyle - 6th Grade
Ashley Swiss - 6th Grade
Da'Layla Thompson - 6th Grade
For students in grades 7-12, All-State Chorus qualifications include successfully completing two auditions. First, students must perform a solo from a required list. Next, they must 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 who are chosen from the first audition must learn the music they will perform on all-state weekend.
At the second audition they sing 12 – 16 measures of each of those selections, but they 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 about 7,000 are selected to sing in three different choirs.
This year, a total of 17 students from four schools represented the Columbia County School District at the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Chorus.
Evans Middle School
Director: Wendy Baggott
Lillianna Miller-Loftin
Greenbrier Middle
Director: Karen Boyd
Olivia Beasley
Carys Bodie
Hope Burcaw
Emma Ginn
Kayleigh Mae Hall
Lindsay Hayes
Bryannah Remesi
Delaney Baker
Sutton McAlister Van Lenten
Stallings Island Middle School
Director: Rebekkah Crose
Kashvee Boga
Abby Johnson
Benjamin Teboh
Violet Herrmann
Greenbrier High School
Director: Steve Hansen
Audrey Cowen
Skye Boutal
Jonathan Stonehocker
Each year, the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG) recognizes teachers who effectively strive to use various strategies, techniques, and materials to enhance student interest in, acquisition of, and proficiency in a second language. Ms. Di Johnson has been teaching Spanish at Evans High School since 1999, and she has degrees in English and Spanish from Augusta College and the University of Salamanca, Spain.
She is a member of and actively engages in several educational foreign language organizations such as:
The American Council on the Teacher of Foreign Languages
The American Association of Teacher of Spanish and Portuguese
The Foreign Language Alliance for International Rapport
Ms. Johnson has also had the opportunity to represent Columbia County at FLAG conferences where she frequently serves as a presenter. Letters of support for Ms. Johnson’s nomination state that, “Ms. Johnson is not only a teacher in her classroom, she’s an exemplary department chair and truly mentors her teachers to become advocates of their profession.” Ms. Johnson currently serves on the executive board for the AATSP – Georgia as media director, and she has served on nearly every position on the board for the past twenty years. In addition to these accomplishments, Ms. Johnson has twice been named a STAR teacher for the Columbia County School District.
Greenbrier Middle School
Harlem High School
Lakeside High School
In 2018, SRP Federal Credit Union launched the Affinity High School Debit Card program with Columbia County high schools. This program was designed to be able to provide an additional funding resource for local high schools. Each high school worked with SRP to develop a co-branded debit card design that is unique to each school. Each time an SRP customer makes a transaction with their school-branded debit card, SRP makes a monetary donation to that school. During 2021, schools received a total of $27,343.10 through this program.
Representatives for SRP and this program presented the check to the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Flynt.
Since the program began in 2018, SRP has donated over $60,000 to Columbia County High Schools and more than $750,000 to local schools. 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.
Pictured from left to right: Grace Helms, Assistant Vice-President of Community Development, Tawanaca Williams, Community Development Specialist, Woody Shuler, Interim President, and Dr. Steven Flynt, Superintendent of Schools.
The Heart of a Papa by Leila Hill
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for 2021 were presented on January 28, with the Scholastic Art Reception and certificate presentation on March 5, at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are a prestigious online competition with state and national level award winners. To enter the competition, artwork had to be submitted online and was judged by a special panel of judges selected by SCAD Savannah and Scholastics.
With guidance and support from the Columbia Virtual Academy art teacher, Ms. Tiffany Weser, Leila Hill earned the Gold Key for Art at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Leila’s artwork titled The Heart of a Papa earned the prestigious Gold Key Award, which is the highest award at the state level. She also won the Congressional Art Award from Senator Rick Allen for her artwork.
The Georgia Art Educators Association (GAEA) Youth Art Month Flag 2022 contest winners were announced on February 1, 2022, on the GAEA website. Each year the organization coordinates a state level flag design contest in recognition of Youth Art Month. For the competition, students in K-12 create artwork based on a national or state theme.
Two students at Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA), Kaitlyn Taylor and Leila Hill, earned top honors in this contest. Kaitlyn’s artwork was chosen as the high school winner for the GAEA Youth Art Month Flag 2022 contest. Her winning artwork is displayed on the right side of the flag. Kaitlyn's work was also selected for the Medical College of Georgia “Thank a Doctor” art contest in February.
Leila’s artwork entry was chosen as the overall winner for the GAEA Youth Art Month Flag 2022 contest! Leila's artwork is featured at the top left side of the flag. Both of these winning works of art will be represented on the flag, which will be on display at the GAES and NAEA convention throughout the month of March.
Thank you to the 4-H Presidents from both Martinez Elementary (left) and Grovetown Elementary (right) for leading the Pledge of Allegiance for the board meetings held on February 22 and March 8, repectively.
GACTE recognizes outstanding mentor teachers across 9 regions statewide each year. In addition to fulfilling their first obligation as educators, they also serve as mentors to the upcoming generation of Georgia teachers by modeling, coaching, instructing, and investing in their development at the highest possible levels.
Ms. Delta Casey is the media specialist for Greenbrier Middle School and has worked for the district for 23 years. Ms. Casey was nominated by Dr. Sharon Hixon, Dean of Education from Dalton State College and Dr. Loleta Sartin, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from Mercer University.
Only nine awards like this are given across the state to recognize mentor teachers who help grow the next generation of educators. Mentor teachers are vital to the growth of pre-service teachers and without the work of exemplary mentor teachers such as Ms. Casey, teacher candidates would find their jobs to be much more challenging as they begin their teaching careers. Ms. Casey's contributions in this profession and her position as a collaborative partner in educator preparation are points of great pride for the Columbia County School District.
The Greenbrier High Varsity Cheerleading team competed in the 2021-2022 GHSA Cheerleading Championship 5A State Finals. This competition was held on Saturday, November 20, in Macon, Georgia. Coaches for GHS Varsity Cheerleading team are Head Coach Christian Hattaway and Assistant Coach Linsey Price.
GHS Varsity Competition Cheerleading Team:
Taylor Garrett
Sophie Lister
Khamari Tyre
Jaylyn Gallegos
Kaelyn Harris
Gracie Fulmer
Memory Mwembeshi
Sara Schock
Kathryn Schlegel
Sims Gallagher
Isabelle Brahm
Lily O’Neal
Abby Rippy
The following students were selected for the Region 8 5A All-Region team to represent their school:
Madison Cooper
Ansley Casey
Gabby Muro
Maylani Rodriguez
Reagan Downes
Katy Panke
Ava Dhandapani
To qualify for state, teams must have placed in the top 8 of their region. Greenbrier placed first in their region competition making them the number 2 seed heading into the state championship. This team defended their Region title by becoming back-to-back Region 8, 5A champions. Greenbrier High varsity competition cheerleaders became the first in GHS history to go undefeated in their regular season out of five competitions. On the day of state finals, cheerleaders performed an amazing routine and went on to place third at the GHSA 5A State Championship. This is the highest placement in Greenbrier competition history! Go, team!
Thank you to the 4-H Presidents from Westmont Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
The annual GHSA Cross Country Championship meet was held in Carrollton, GA, this past November at Carrollton High School. Simone Rojas, a senior at Evans High School, has earned the title of Georgia High School Association Region 6A Cross Country State Champion. The Evans team is coached by Ms. Susan Brinkman and Mr. Clint Greene.
In the Girls' Division, Simone competed against 195 runners. She won first place in the 5000-meter run with a time of 18:55. She is also the first female athlete in Evans High School history to win the girls Cross Country 6A State Championship! Simone has accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Georgia where she will continue her athletic career as a member of the UGA Cross Country Team.
Two high schools in the Columbia County School District competed in the 2021 Georgia High School Association State One Act Play Championship on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Evans High School and Harlem High School both won state-level recognition for their performances in their respective classes.
Under the guidance and direction of Ms. Rebecca Brune, the Evans High Theater Department competed at the 2021 GHSA Class 6A State One Act Championship, which was held at Denmark High School in Alpharetta, GA. Students from Evans competed against 8 other region winners. After a long day of intense competition, these students placed second with their performance of “The Diviners.”
Oliver Caffee – Winner of State Best Actor and Region All-Star
Jaysen Lami – Winner of State All-Star Cast and Region Best Actor
Daylyn Knoxx – Region All-Star Cast
Angel Smith – State All-Star Cast
Sally Boese
Nayla Reese
Peyton Harris
Connor Perrine
Jacob Allen
Brandon Worth
Colton Pressley
Kate Yeargain
Victoria Watson
Christopher Williams
Erin Worth
Alexis Bussey
Sara Beth Watkins
Caty Allen
Tyler Millwood
Kaylie Birmingham
Autumn Sisk
Elayna Schluter
Summer Knox
Under the direction of Ms. Kelly Cook, the Harlem High Theater Department competed at the 2021 GHSA Class 3A State One Act Play Championship that was held at Veterans High School in Kathleen, GA. These students competed against 7 other region winners. After a day of many strong performances, Harlem High placed third in the state with their performance of “The Dining Room.”
Collin Scogin – Winner of State All-Star Cast
Talia Panowich – Winner of State All-Star Cast
Micah Smith
Eli Davis
Nadia Perez
Madelyn Baker
Alexa Alvarado
Jamie “Ace” Avila
Marlee Beverly
Kaetlyn Cripps
Emma Combs
Emily Hunt
Morgan Phillips
Daniela Ramos
Emily Rivera
Chloe Roach
Kaitlyne Veneklasen
Kaylee Williams
Thank you to the 4-H Presidents from Euchee Creek Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
With guidance and leadership from coaches Raymond Bains, William Lariscy, Brittany Leverett, and Mike Leverett, the Harlem High School Lady Dawgs Fastpitch Softball Team competed in the 2021 Georgia High School Association Fastpitch State Softball Playoffs Class AAA which was held October 28-30 at South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, GA.
The Lady Dawgs competed in the State Playoffs and finished third in the state of Georgia! Under the leadership of their coaches, this team has achieved an overall record of 29-5 and a regional record of 11-0. During the regular season, the Lady Dawgs had a winning streak of 27 games in a row. This year marks the 10th consecutive region championship for the Harlem High School Softball team.
Reagan Quattlebaum
Sydney Pressley
Mackenzie Pope
Lillian Yonce
Olivia Chen
Sage Jarrett
Caroline Clements
Emily Pressley
Savana Bibbins
Jordan Counts
Sheridan Carrier
Gracyn Gurley
Harley Hoffman
Aubrey Dent
Leeanne Franco
Simone Davis
Claire Clements
Abbigayle Hillman
Ragen Truitt
Cristin Smith
Congratulations to all of these incredibly talented student athletes and hardworking coaches!
Each November, the Georgia Art Education Association recognizes a member who has made distinguished, professional contributions to art education for students with special needs through scholarly writing, research, professional leadership, teaching, and community service.
This year, the 2022 Croy West Special Needs Art Educator of the Year Award was awarded to Ms. Tiffany Weser, art teacher at Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA). Ms. Weser was selected from 4 nominees across the state. Nominees are asked to submit a national Vita form, which includes their education, national, regional and state service within art education, local teaching accomplishments, exhibits and publications.
Ms. Weser believes community service and visual arts go hand in hand. This year, her students at CVA designed to-go boxes that TBonz Steakhouse used for their Thanksgiving dinner donation to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
Ms. Weser will be recognized by the Georgia Art Education Association this spring at their annual conference. She will represent the state of Georgia as a national nominee for the Peter J. Geisser Special Needs Art Educator of the Year Award.
Thank you to the 4-H Presidents from South Columbia Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Georgia Middle School State Cross Country Championships was held on October 16, at Bleckley County Elementary School in Cochran, Georgia. This event is the final meet for all middle school runners across the state. Seven runners represented Evans Middle this year at the state championships, two from other schools. The Evans Middle School team is coached by Mr. Clint Green and Mr. Hunter Peace.
Audrey Ashe, 7th grade, Columbia Middle
Liliana Beemer, 7th grade, Evans Middle
Anastasia Berghammer, 8th grade, Evans Middle
Estella Deal, 7th grade, Evans Middle
Anastasia Hewitt, 7th grade, Evans Middle
Paislea Jarrett, 6th grade, Evans Middle
Ella Williams, 6th grade, Stallings Island
Out of 240 female competitors, the Evans Middle School Cross Country Team won first place overall in the large school’s category.
In addition, Liliana Beemer placed first overall in the large school’s category running two miles in 13 minutes and 9 seconds!
Congratulations to all of these incredibly talented athletes!
Previously the Digital Learning Specialist in the Student Learning Department, Dr. Benton Cunningham has been approved as the new Coordinator for Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA).
Thank you to 4-H Presidents from North Columbia Elementary for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.