Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, September 27, 2023/Page 4A
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TCES Clubs Shine at Board Meeting
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
SHARING THEIR VOICES - Toombs Central Elementary School Children's Choir, directed
by Rachel Davis, performed a worship song for the Board at the beginning of the
meeting on September 14.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
LEARNING ABOUT CULTURE - Toombs Central Elemen
tary School Spanish Club Sponsor Ivone Smith told the
Board that the club focused on learning about Hispanic
foods, traditions, and flags. She highlighted the students'
involvement in a traditional Mexican "Day of the Dead"
celebration, and their sampling of several different foods
from other countries, such as Colombia, Nicaragua, and
Costa Rica.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
EXTRA MILE AWARD - L to R: Superintendent Barry Waller,
Tyler Corley, and Toombs County High School Principal
Marissa Morris.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
CHOOSING KINDNESS - During the Toombs County Board
of Education meeting on September 14, Toombs Central
Elementary School fifth grader Bentley Rollins shared that
he chose to join the Kindness Club because he wanted
to show kindness to his school and community.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
WOW AWARD - L to R: Superintendent Barry Waller, Tara
Collins, and Lyons Upper Elementary School Principal
Rhonda Stone.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The regular monthly
meeting of the Toombs
County Board of Educa
tion was filled with stu
dents on Thursday Sep
tember 14, as the Toombs
Central Elementary School
Children’s Choir, Spanish
Club, and Kindness Club
all gave presentations dur
ing the monthly Spotlight
on Student Achievement
in Schools.
Each month a school
within the Toombs Coun
ty School District is given
the opportunity to speak
on accomplishments and
activities in which the stu
dents are engaged. This
month, Toombs Central
Elementary School was
set to present, and decided
to allow the three clubs to
speak on their involvement
and activities, showcasing
the diverse options for el
ementary school students
to participate in extracur
ricular activities.
The Children’s Choir,
led by Rachel Davis, began
the presentations, as they
performed a worship song
for the Board and meet
ing attendees. The Span
ish Club followed, as Club
Sponsors Michelle Padgett
and Ivone Smith shared
that their group focused on
learning about the foods,
traditions, and flags from
each Spanish-speaking
country.
“Last year, we start
ed the Spanish Club at
Toombs Central, because
we wanted to let our stu
dents - grades two through
five - be able to learn a little
bit more about different
cultures, specifically Span
ish-speaking cultures, as a
lot of these children have
never traveled beyond the
U.S. and do not know a lot
about other places,” they
explained.
The Kindness Club
took turns speaking to
the Board about why they
chose to be a member of
the organization, citing
reasons such as desire to be
a light in their community
and school. Currently, the
Club, which was formed af
ter the discovery that a stu
dent was being bullied, has
150 members who have all
been inspired by what they
learn during meetings. One
student, Anniston Hartley,
even shared that the Club
had inspired her to create
a space at school where she
collects dental floss and
other oral health items to
give to students.
Toombs Central El
ementary School Princi
pal Destiny Levant com
mented on the clubs. “We
highlight and take pride in
our student achievement,
but at the same time, we
know that we teach stu
dents more than just read
ing, writing, and arithmetic
at schools. We teach them
how to cope, how to be,
how to live, how to sing -
so, we’re happy to highlight
some of the extra that goes
into our school,” she em
phasized.
During the meeting,
Superintendent Barry
Waller also presented the
Extra Mile and WOW
Awards, which commemo
rate a certified and noncer-
tified staff member each
month for going above and
beyond their expected du
ties.
The Extra Mile Award,
which honors certified staff
members, was presented
to Audio/Video Path
way Teacher and ESports
Coach Tyler Corley. “Mr.
Corley has taught for 9
years in the Toombs Coun
ty School District. During
that time, he has demon
strated a level of dedication
and commitment that is
truly exceptional,” Waller
read from the award nomi
nation. He went on to share
how Corley had excelled in
his work with the ESports
team, which has gained
many accolades in its three
years of existence, as well
as the school district You
Tube channel.
The WOW Award,
presented to a classified
employee each month, was
given to Lyons Upper El
ementary School Secretary
Tara Collins. Waller read
the nomination for the
award submitted on behalf
of Collins. “She goes above
and beyond for our school.
When you walk in the
school at Lyons Upper El
ementary School (LUES),
she greets you with a warm
smile and immediately will
do anything to help you.
“Mrs. Collins has
a great relationship with
students, staff, and parents.
Anytime we ask her a ques
tion or for help, she will do
whatever it takes to ensure
that she can help. She is a
very hard worker, and will
do anything for anyone in
the school or our commu
nity. We are so thankful to
have Mrs. Collins to keep
everything at LUES going,”
he shared.
The Board also of
ficially set its portion of
the Toombs County mill-
age rate at 14 mills, which
Waller said was as low as
the rate could go without
causing the district to lose
$2.3 million of federal
funding. This new rate is
rolled back from last year’s
rate of 14.37 mills, but due
to reassessment values, is
considered a tax increase
because of being 3.79%
more than the state-calcu
lated rollback rate.
Board members ap
proved allowing the
Toombs County Ag Cen
ter to be used on October
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“Yes, we should let
the government close
down. Maybe then
they will start cutting
so much wasteful
spending of our tax
payer money and
keeping us in debt.
As any good parent
knows, your children
will never grow up
and support them
selves if you keep
bailing them out."
6 and 7 for a rodeo, and on
October 18 and 19 for a
circus. They also agreed to
allow students in Toombs
Central Elementary School
to travel on two out of
state field trips - first and
second grades to Jackson
ville, Florida, on April 12,
2024; and third fourth and
fifth grades to Washing
ton, D.C., on March 21-23,
2024.
The Board consented
to a land lease agreement
for a portion of the school
district’s property on Quint
Shrine Road to be used for
the Warmouth Sands Golf
Course in exchange for
the Toombs County Mid
dle and High School golf
teams to be able to utilize
the facility.
Also, during the meet
ing, Waller informed the
“Let’s face it! The
government we have
now NEEDS to be shut
down."
“Our schools can
enforce a dress code
with rambunctious
children. But the U.S.
Congress cannot
even enforce a sim
ple dress code for its
members. No wonder
they are no good at
running the country.
ALL branches of our
government — exec
utive, legislative, and
judicial — need Age
Limits, Term Limits,
and Mental Acuity
Requirements."
“I wonder how his
tory will remember
Benedict Biden."
“Lakeview Memo
rial Gardens is a dis
grace. The grass is not
being cut, grass is
growing over the
markers, the flags are
not being replaced. It
is supposed to be a
perpetual care cem
etery but it's not be
ing done. We have
got to do better than
this."
Board that the current Spe
cial Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) collections are
3% higher than they were
at this time a year ago.
Waller reflected on the
Community Tailgate event,
which was held on Septem
ber 8, in Lyons, sharing that
several community mem
bers, school clubs, and
other organizations had
come to the Downtown
Lyons area to take part in
the event. He also stated
that there would be an as
sembly on Tuesday, Sep
tember 19, during which
Rick Gage, who led the
GoTell Crusade in Baxley
last week, would speak to
the middle and high school
students. Waller concluded
his report by reminding the
Board that Fall Break is Oc
tober 6-11.
“Vidalia, it’s time
for a new city man
ager. One from a big
ger city coming to a
smaller city."
“Gov. Kemp
blames Pres. Biden
for the cost of gaso
line. In an article in
the paper, it gave 3
reasons, omitted the
4th, which is obscene
oil company profits.
He also takes full
credit for the state's
surplus."
“So, Biden is poll
ing very poorly all
around, and the
dems and media are
subtly acknowledg
ing it, except for Kar
ine Jean-Pierre, who
said, 'Polls are polls,
right? They are going
to be all over the
place. They are go
ing to — they're go
ing to — you know,
they don't tell the
whole story, actually.
And that is just the
way a poll is.' Sounds
like Kacklin' Kamala
wrote KJP's note to
read from her binder."
TCREA SEPTEMBER MEETING — Toombs County Retired Educators Association President
Lucy Claroni welcomed three newly-retired educators who joined TCREA during the
September meeting, L, to R: Joy Collins, Tracy Adams, Angie McKie, and Lucy Claroni.