Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, June 18 - 24, 2015 EDUCATION
PAGE 18A
Organization
of DeKalb
Educators
awards 14
students
On May 2, the Organiza
tion of DeKalb Educators
(ODE) awarded 14 students
with the Levi A. Simon, III
Scholarship.
Chamblee Charter High
School senior Kingston
Handley was awarded the
$1,500 grand prize scholar
ship; Roshni Gurung and
Jessica Landaverde were
awarded first-place scholar
ships of $1,000. Sydney
Williams, Linda Nguyen,
Maimuna Gassama, Tale-
cia W. Cistrunk, Mykel R.
Billings, Diamond Lewis
and Tiara DeSha Brooks
received the second-place
scholarship award of $750.
Arneshia Scott, Danielle
Marshall, Kathleen S.
Askew and LaShawn Jack-
son received the third-place
scholarship award of $500.
ODE was founded in
1974 and is the local affili
ate of the Georgia Associa
tion of Educators and the
National Education Associa
tion. The organization aims
to be the leader in providing
information, training, rep
resentation and support ser
vices for students, parents,
teachers and educational
by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalb champ, com
In 2002 James Thorn
ton, a Lithonia High School
student, was a back seat pas
senger in a Honda Accord
when it clipped several trees,
smashed into an iron fence
and killed the rising senior.
In memory of their son,
Lovell and Ora Thornton
have awarded multiple me
morial scholarships for 13
years to encourage students
to think more about safety.
On May 12, Lithonia
High School senior Leonard
Simmons became the 34th
recipient of the James L.
Thornton Memorial Schol
arship.
“This scholarship has
been a part of my high
schools legacy for a very
long time. I’m proud to have
received such a prestigious
scholarship,” said Simmons.
To qualify for the schol
arship students must have
a minimum 3.0 grade point
average, possess no moving
violations and have a good
conduct record.
In addition, students
must write a 300 to 500
word essay on increasing
and improving safety in dif
ferent modes of transporta
tion.
Simmons wrote an essay
on the Georgia Department
of Drivers Services learner’s
permit knowledge exam.
He said, “When you’re
trying to get your learner’s
permit, you only need a
75 percent, what about the
other 25 percent? That 25
percent could be a life or
death situation on the road,
it’s necessary for people to
get 100 percent.”
Leonard was awarded
$2,515 for the 2014-2015
school year to assist him
with his education at Ten
nessee State University.
Lovell said his vision
for the scholarship is that it
continues to grow.
“We want children to
focus on safety. Whether
they’re boating, driving, rid
ing as a passenger, biking,
riding a bus... we want them
to take the proper precau
tions so that accidents don’t
happen.”
The scholarships are
awarded to three students a
year.
Lovell said, “Each year
we go out and request dona
tion from friends, neighbors,
associates and past recipi
ents to gather seed money.
We hope that recipients will
not forget the scholarship
and will continue to give
back to the foundation and
keep it going.”
The DeKalb School of
the Arts (DSA) is listed as
one of the top high schools
in Georgia and nationally in
the recently released rank
ings by U.S. News & World
Report. DSA is ranked No. 4
in Georgia and No. 108 na
tionally out of nearly 30,000
high schools.
In a news release, U.S.
News stated these rankings
are a “useful tool for families
trying to discern how well
schools are serving their
students in preparation for
college and careers.”
The report reviewed
data in the 2012-2013 school
year including reading and
math test results for all stu
dents on state proficiency
tests the academic perfor
support personnel in DeKalb
Public Schools,
mance of Blacks, Hispanic
and low income students
and the percentage of stu
dents taking courses such as
advanced placement classes.
“Our primary goal at
DSA is preparing students
for college, the workforce
or a career in the arts,” said
Principal Susan McCauley.
“We are very proud of our
students, faculty and staff
who strive every day for ex
cellence in the classroom.”
DSA has 364 students
with 27 percent participat
ing in the free and reduced
lunch program. Demo-
graphically, 63 percent of
the student body is Black,
30 percent are White, and 7
percent Hispanic and other.
STAND UP • SPEAK OUT
STOP CYBER BULLYING
DeKalb School of the Arts
named top Georgia school
James L Thornton’s parents and memorial scholarship founders, Ora and Lovell, with 2015 scholarship recipient Leonard Simmons.
James L. Thornton Memorial
Scholarships awarded