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The Upson Beacon
Thursday,
June 17, 2021
Page 4B
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Upson-Lee Elementary wins “Read Live School of the Year” Runner-Up
Read Naturally, Inc. recently
announced that Upson-Lee Ele
mentary of Thomaston-Upson
Schools has been awarded
runner-up for Read Naturally,
Inc.’s 2021 Read Live School of
the Year award.
Winners were selected based
on schools who substantially im
proved their reading skills using
Read Naturally’s Read Live pro
gram in the 2020-2021 school
year. Upson-Lee Elementary is
receiving a $500 Read Naturally
Gift Certificate.
Winning schools demon
strated:
•The school’s commitment to
using Read Live with fidelity.
•Students' growth in reading
proficiency.
•Positive changes in student
attitudes and motivation.
Upson-Lee Elementary uses
the Read Live program as a Tier
2 intervention in grades 3-5.
The teachers and staff loved each
time a new feature was released
this year, especially the ability
for students to record them
selves. Students using the pro
gram saw huge improvements in
their fluency, comprehension,
and self-confidence.
“Out of the 75 students I've
had this year, approximately 20
have returned to Tier 1 (that's al
most one-third of the students),”
said Title I teacher Debbie Bus-
bee. “The other students have all
made progress and many are
close to reading on grade level.”
The Read Live program pro
vides content for grade one
through adult and is used with
students in need of reading sup
port, including English and Spa
nish language learners, special
education students, and Title I
students.
FRA Kindergarten Graduation
Flint River Academy held its kindergarten graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 26, when
Amber Waddell and Christi Johnson proudly presented diplomas to 17 students. The year was
full of love, laughter, and lots of learning, according to FRA officials.
Front L-R: Emma Kate Bishop, Sissy Cartwright, Bexley Howard, Kelbi Mann, Daisy McCoy,
Paisley O’Hara, Lilly Phillips, and Anna Kate Vickery. Back L-R: Christi Johnson, Ware Par
ham, Grayson Hale, Artis Gulledge, Piper Wright, Anniston Strickland, Marley Wyatt, Parker
Davis, Case Cass, Cason Cartwright, and Amber Waddell
Mercer University, SCTC Sign New
Transfer Articulation Agreement
Mercer University and
Southern Crescent Tech
nical College recently
signed a new transfer ar
ticulation agreement
through 2024.
“Through the continu
ation of this second dec
ade of partnership,
Mercer and SCTC are pro
viding greater access to
education throughout the
state of Georgia and the
Metro Atlanta region. We
say, ‘At Mercer, everyone
majors in changing the
world,’ and this agree
ment will continue to as
sist our graduates in
making great strides to
improve their own lives
and their communities,”
said Dr. Penny L. Elkins,
senior vice president for
enrollment management
at Mercer.
Under the terms of the
agreement, SCTC stu
dents enrolled in eligible
associate degree pro
grams may pursue bach
elor’s degrees from
Mercer’s College of Lib
eral Arts and Sciences or
Mercer’s College of Pro
fessional Advancement in
more than a dozen differ
ent academic majors, in
cluding communication,
criminal justice leader
ship, health informatics,
healthcare leadership,
homeland security and
emergency management,
human resources admin
istration and devel
opment, human services,
information technology
and informatics, liberal
studies, organizational
leadership, psychology,
software application de
velopment and human
computer interaction, and
more.
“We have enjoyed a
longstanding partnership
with Mercer University,
and we are excited to add
this agreement to our
growing list of seamless
transfer options,” said
SCTC President Dr. Al-
vetta P. Thomas. “As we
strive to expand opportu
nities to assist our stu
dents in reaching their
educational goals, these
agreements not only
benefit our students, but
also our institution and
the communities we serve
by providing accessible
pathways for our gradu
ates who wish to continue
their studies to earn a
bachelor’s degree. This
partnership and the ex
panded education offer
ings it provides
demonstrate the commit
ment both institutions
have to creating meaning
ful educational opportuni
ties for our students. At
the end of the day, it is our
goal to create strong part
nerships in order to build
strong students, strong
careers and strong com
munities.”
The agreement also in
cludes a number of meas
ures that will strengthen
the partnership between
the institutions to support
the efficient and smooth
transition of qualified
SCTC students into bach
elor’s degree programs at
Mercer.
“Our MercerNext
pathways program was
created to facilitate our
articulation agreements
with Southern Crescent
Technical College and all
of our Technical College
System of Georgia partner
schools,” added Theo An
derson Jr., assistant vice
president of enrollment
management for Mercer’s
Atlanta campus and Re
gional Academic Centers.
“Through our Mer
cerNext pathways pro
gram, we will actively
engage students at South
ern Crescent Technical
College through events
hosted on both of our
campuses designed to
educate them on the aca
demic pathways and sup
port that is available to
them at Mercer that will
build upon their associate
degrees,” he continued.
“This is a great opportu
nity for students to
further their education,
advance in their chosen
career field and ultimately
maximize their earning
potential.”
Representatives of
Mercer and SCTC gath
ered at the University’s
Henry County Regional
Academic Center in
McDonough on May 18
for a formal signing of the
agreement.
Area Student
Achievement
Upson natives continue
to achieve academic excel
lence while furthering
their education.
Melissa Pearson gradu
ated from Georgia State
University during the
Spring 2021 semester,
earning a bachelor’s de
gree in applied linguistics.
Daniel Martins was re
cently named to the Spring
2021 President’s List at
Kennesaw State Univer
sity. Eligible students must
obtain a minimum GPA of
4.0 during the semester.
Valdosta State Univer
sity recently announced its
Spring 2021 Dean’s List.
Eligible students must
achieve a semester grade
point average of 3.5 or
higher during the se
mester. Area students
named to the list include:
Susan Armstrong
Sophie Trickel
Hannah Evans
Josie Eldridge
Andrew Martins
Tamara Hand
Marisa Bartlett
Thomaston-Upson
County School
Nutrition Program
Meal Distribution for
Summer 2021
The Thomaston-Upson
County School Nutrition
Program will hold a meal
distribution program for
this summer. Meals will be
available for children
Monday through Friday
starting June l and contin
uing until Friday, July 23.
No meals will be served
the week of July 5 through
July 9.
Daily Pickup
Locations include:
•Upson-Lee Elemen
tary School (enter at bus
ramp): 11 a.m. to 12:30
p.m.
•Greatest Generation
Park: 11-11:30 a.m.
•Lincoln Park Com
munity Center: Noon to
12:30 p.m.
•Weaver Park: 11-11:30
a.m.
•Park Street Play
ground: Noon to 12:30
p.m.
Other meal sites will
include Thomaston Gar
dens, Fairview Apart
ments, and the T-U Civic
Center.
A weekly “Tuesday
Only” pickup location will
be at the Yatesville Com
munity Center from 11:30
a.m. to noon.
Daily meals include
lunch for the day and
breakfast for the following
day and will include some
of your child’s favorite
items. Consumers are not
allowed to participate in
both daily and weekly op
tions within the same
week.
Breakfast: cereal,
breakfast bars, Pop Tarts,
pastries, fresh fruit, juice,
and milk.
Lunch: Smucker’s Un-
crustables, hamburgers
and other sandwich varie
ties, chips, fresh fruit and
vegetables, milk, and
more.
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