BE POSITIVE; IT'S HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
Recently, CVMS 7th grader Hagan Patterson (left), noticed that his lunch buddy Connor Elliott was having a tough time at lunch. Hagan stopped in the hall to listen to his friend's troubles and help reassure him that everything would be ok. It was so kind and brave!
We are proud of Hagan's ability to show kindness and support for another student. He embodies the spirit of CVMS and works every day to be a positive presence in our school community.
Hagan and Connor are pictured with CVMS principal Mr. Wade Breeden. Congratulations for this Intentional Act of Kindness!
Ms. Kelli Burning is a first-grade teacher at CRES. She has been a source of positivity for students and staff since she has been at our school. This year Ms. Bruning has a student in her room that was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. This news was devastating to this young man's family as well as his school family. Ms. Bruning leads the charge to maintain a positive environment for all her students, especially for this special young man. Ms. Bruning has made every effort to include this student in every event and celebration that goes on in the classroom while he is away undergoing treatment. She has placed a stuffed monkey that sits in his seat and the student has a monkey with him while he is away. When the student comes through the car rider line to pick up his sibling, Ms. Bruning and other teachers and students are waiting outside with signs cheering and waving to him; his smile is priceless. Ms. Bruning has gone above and beyond to make sure this student knows he is loved and a valued member of her classroom no matter where he is located. We are so thankful to have her on our CRES team! #battlelikebilly
Ms. Duble teaches health and physical education at Chattanooga Valley Middle School. She was described as "an absolute ray of sunshine" every day and is always doing her best to uplift coworkers and the students she interacts with in her classroom and throughout the building. She is admired for her passion for life and for being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Allie is one of our interns this year working at CHI-Memorial Georgia through Project Search. Her supervisor was so impressed with how she volunteered to help one of her co-workers with a task list that they could not complete. Allie graciously offered her assistance with a smile on her face and the job was completed. "It is wonderful to see our interns help one another!"
Miss Elizabeth is one of our sixth-grade students at Chattanooga Valley Middle School. She was described as a young lady with a love for learning and a zest for life. She approaches every day with a welcoming smile and a positive attitude towards school, teachers, other students. Her positivity is definitely contagious.
Educators love to see students who embrace learning and strive to do their very best. They get even more excited when students take that passion for learning and reach out to offer assistance to another student who may be struggling with a concept or portion of the learning. Joe has taken it upon himself to offer this help to a fellow student. He assists him with assignments, offers praise when he comments during class discussions, and encourages him when he is struggling with a concept or new idea. Joe has gone out of his way to make this experience positive for himself and his new friend. Joe's positivity and selflessness are very impressive and definitely contagious!
I would like to nominate Mrs. Dotson at CVE. She teaches my son. As a mom, we can all relate to dropping off our child in the carline and them getting out upset or sad. This was the case today as my son’s helicopter he built broke inside his backpack that he was bringing in to show his teacher. It broke my heart to see him get out so sad and I wondered would anyone notice and how the rest of his day would go. I sent a simple message to his teacher to let me know if she needed me! And this was her reply: “We totally used this as a teachable moment!
We got it out of his backpack and fixed it so it would spin. I told him that no one else would know that wasn’t just right. I showed the class what he had made. We told the class about how he had to follow certain steps. We just started writing “how-to” stories this week; it was perfect! He told us what materials he needed and how he made it; crisis averted!”
As a teacher myself, I was impressed by how she took something so small and tied it to the curriculum to make this a learning experience. As a mom, I was blown away by how she took my tiny issue and went above and beyond to ensure he had a positive day. By doing so, she made my day positive as well! Thanks, Mrs. Dotson for treating my son like one of your own! I know it wasn’t on the lesson plan today, but some of the most important things teachers do, never are!
Thanks for putting relationships first!
Barry Taylor has been a long-time parent of a Walker County student, but this year, after his retirement, has joined our school system as a Kindergarten Paraprofessional. This has been one of the greatest and smoothest transitions I have ever witnessed. Mr. Taylor jumped right in and started building relationships with our students. We have students arrive with all types of trauma, students that come with zero English language, and students who come loved and ready to learn. Sometimes it is hard to meet all those diverse needs; however, he is everything they need. He is consistent; he is firm, but he is so compassionate. He shows up every day with a smile on his face and unmatched positivity. It doesn't matter what kind of day we have or how many bumps we may hit during the day; he still keeps smiling and keeps on working and guiding our children. Even while his wife is battling cancer for the second time, he keeps showing up and pushing our kids to new heights while loving them unconditionally. He represents exactly what our students need, especially those who may not have that father figure in their life.
Thank you Mr. Taylor for showing up and always being positive! You are exactly what our students need and you are WHO they will remember!
Congratulations to Andrew Lemons (LHS Senior) for winning the 14th Congressional App Challenge (second year in a row)! His school and organization fundraising app, Propulsion, was selected as this year's winner. Andrew, along with his family, attended an award ceremony in Rome recently to receive the honor. Propulsion will be on display at the U.S. Capitol for one year!
Andrew is also an experienced drummer and rocked the halftime show during football season with his portion of the LHS band's performance.
Congratulations Andrew and thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Congratulations to Riley Marshall; Rambler Band, for being selected to the GEMA All-State Band recently! What an amazing accomplishment and validation of many years of hard work and personal dedication. Very proud of you!
Congratulations to the 2022 Georgia All- State Art Symposium finalists. These Ridgeland High School students were chosen as part of the top 100 artists from over 1,600 entries. What an amazing accomplishment and validation of many years of hard work and dedication. Very proud of you!
Ms. Rhonda Murphy works as our Vision Support Specialist. Along with her regular duties, she jumped in these last few weeks and substituted at Rock Spring and Chattanooga Valley Elementary Schools' Pre-K classrooms as well as at Project Search. She also volunteers to help out at Ridgeland High School with ACT testing each year. She assists one of our students by providing in-home support for the student and family in the evenings and on the weekends. She always has a smile on her face and always shares a kind word with anyone who crosses her path. She is a true unsung hero and a great example and recipient of the nomination for the Be Positive Wall of Fame. Congratulations!
Today we honored our female athletes from LaFayette and Ridgeland High Schools. They were highlighted during a ceremony at RHS and heard from former athletes as they shared stories of success after high school and the impact of team sports. We are very proud of their continued accomplishments both individually and as part of a team!
Congratulations to the representatives from each elementary and middle school as they competed in our annual spelling bee. We are so proud of each participant and alternate as they prepared for this intense competition.
Our winners today were:
1st Place-Emma Edgeworth-Saddle Ridge Elementary/Middle
2nd Place-Emma Hartline-Fairyland Elementary
Congratulations to Miss Murray on being named one of the semifinalists in the National Beta Scholarship Program! As a semifinalist, she has placed among the top 100 of over 2,900 applicants. This is a great honor and she should be commended
for this amazing achievement. She is now guaranteed at least $1,000 from the National Beta Scholarship Program but has the opportunity to vie for one of four top 5 awards ($20,000, $15,000, $10,000, $8,000 or $6,000) by completing phase 2 of the application process. Please join me in congratulating Rebekah on this accomplishment and making a positive difference.
Congratulations to Miss Mackenzie Hunter, Team Captain of the RHS Rifle Team. She became the first rifle athlete in Ridgeland High School history to qualify for the State Competition. Mackenzie shot 294 out of a possible 300 points to qualify and is now STATE BOUND! Good luck and thank you for your hard work and dedication!
Congratulations to Halen Poole; 6th-grade student at LMS and a member of Troop 1 in LaFayette. He attended the April Board Meeting working on his Communication Merit Badge as he works toward becoming an Eagle Scout.
