Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, August 8,2018
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 5B
Students report for first day of school
Photos by Jessica Brown Dawson County News
Left, RES school counselor Lance Stiffler wel
comes students back on the first day of school
Aug. 2. Above, bus riders at Robinson Elementary
School get ready to walk into school
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
A rainy day, power out
ages and traffic congestion
didn’t dampen the spirits
and smiles of the students
returning to school Aug. 2.
Despite the dreary
weather, parents and chil
dren alike were all smiles
as they waited for the
doors to open at Robinson
Elementary School Aug.
2.
But the frenzy of the
first day of school regard
less of the year can be
summed up in one word,
“chaotic,” according to
seasoned elementary
school mom, Delaine
Stewart.
“Our power was out last
night so I wasn’t able to
get anything prepared
beforehand so I had to do
everything this morning,”
Stewart said as she waited
by the front of RES with
her daughters Morgan and
Mary. “So I got up at 5
a.m. trying to make lunch
es, get dresses out and all
that fun stuff.”
An early morning and a
rush to get everything
ready for the big day
didn’t seem to faze
Morgan, 8, and Mary, 10,
who couldn’t wait to go
back to school to see their
friends.
Morgan, who is entering
third grade, wants to be a
teacher when she grows
up and hopes that this
school year will be “fun.”
Her fifth grade sister,
Mary, has big aspirations
for her careers of choice
too.
“Either a doctor at the
hospital or a dentist,” she
said. “And a marine biolo
gist.”
This year start times for
Dawson County schools
are staggered, allowing for
the elementary schools to
begin their days at 8:10
a.m. which gives parents
more leeway to drop their
older children off at the
middle school.
“It’s been really help
ful,” said RES principal
Page Amette. “Those par
ents who have middle
schoolers because it’s so
far away had more time to
get here and the junior
high and high school has
cleared out before we
start.”
But with any change in
schedule, there is a learn
ing curve for the first few
days of school as parents
learn their new routines.
“A lot of parents come
the first day regardless of
the time but we did have
more parents, a few par
ents show up way too
early and we don’t open
until 7:50 a.m.,” said
school counselor Lance
Stiffler as he directed bus
riders into the school.
Bus driver Rhonda
Edwards also saw some
adjustments on her route
that she hopes will be bet
ter by the second week of
school as the community
adjusts to the new start
times.
“I have a lot of parents
though that leave for work
at 6:20 a.m. to be down
there by 8 a.m. so they had
to rearrange their whole
morning schedule,”
Edwards said.
As with every start to a
new school year, a com
mon complaint is the traf
fic congestion but the stag
gered start times should
help to alleviate the build
up of cars in the county.
“It’s always terrible on
the first day,” said Brittany
Goss, who wasn’t fazed by
the traffic congestion as she
said goodbye to her first
grader and kindergartener.
Safe Schools
Coordinator Tony Wooten,
who was making his
rounds to the campuses,
said that it’s hard to tell on
the first day of school how
traffic will be moving for
ward.
The board of commis
sioners approved to fund
additional traffic control
officers to help traffic flow
smoothly at all seven cam
puses, rather than having
the school resource offi
cers directing traffic.
“I think what’s going to
help is we funded the traf
fic control so that the
SROs could be in the
schools in the mornings
moving forward so that
should provide a safer
environment for not only
in the schools but for traf
fic control at every loca
tion which I’m excited to
see that get installed,” said
Dawson County District 2
Commissioner Chris
Gaines as he dropped off
his three sons.
Additional security
presence in Dawson
County schools has been
of the utmost importance
for both the board of edu
cation and the sheriff’s
office who worked togeth
er to fund additional SROs
so that each campus will
have a full time officer on
site.
“We’re excited to have
SROs back in schools and
doing our best to keep
them in the schools,” said
Sheriff Jeff Johnson as he
greeted parents and chil
dren at RES. “It makes a
difference.”
Also an additional safe
ty measure installed over
the summer, the buzz-in
system, will help keep all
Dawson County campuses
more secure.
“We’re really excited
about it. It keeps our kids
safe,” said Arnette. “I
think it’s going to be a lit
tle bit of an adjustment for
parents but you know, our
parents want their kids to
be safe so I think for the
most part they’ll appreci
ate our efforts.”
FFA students get early start on shows, training
Forthe Dawson County News
Dawson High School FFA and the Dawson 4-H is in full swing for this school year's show season. Both
groups have already attended two market goat shows this show season. Both groups have been fair
ing very well in their endeavors with their market goat projects, according to FFA advisor and agricul
tural sciences teacher Keith Pankey.
Forthe Dawson County News
Dawson High School co-FFA President Cody
Byess recently attended Area 1 FFA Officer train
ing at Camp John Hope. Byess served as the Area
1 president last school year and is serving as the
Area 1 secretary this school year. Byess is highly
involved in his local FFA chapter and shows mar
ket hogs. He is the son of Joe and Selena Byess
of Dawsonville.
Dawson Events, cont.
EDUCATION
Parents of preschool
children who suspect
developmental delays
may have their children
screened by the Dawson
County School System.
The screening covers five
areas of developmental
growth including motor
skills, adaptive behavior,
social/emotional skills,
speech/language and
cognitive skills. Parents
must be residents of
Dawson County to be eli
gible. For more informa
tion or to initiate the
screening process, con
tact Early Childhood
Coordinator Shari
Chastain at (706) 216-
5812, ext. 1961.
Free English classes
are held at 7 p.m. each
Thursday night at
CrossPoint Church. For
more information, call
(706) 265-6262.
Home School
Enrichment Co-op
offers classes in art, cre
ative writing, Spanish,
band, cooking, music,
sewing and physical edu
cation. Classes will be
held at Lighthouse
Baptist Church, 329
Harmony Church Rd.,
Dawsonville. If you are
interested, contact Ginger
Haney at (678) 200-3832.
North Georgia
Homeschool Alliance
invites all area home-
schoolers to attend
"Thursday Live" events.
Students research the
month's theme and then
make their presentations
on stage, from 1 p.m. to 3
p.m. every fourth
Thursday, at Concord
Baptist Church in
Cumming. Membership
in the alliance is free to
homeschoolers. For more
information, visit www.
northgeorgiahomeschool.
com.
Boy Scout Troop 422,
chartered with the
Etowah Lodge F&AM 222,
meets at 7 p.m. each
Monday at the lodge,
located off the square in
Dawsonville. For more
information, visit www.
bsatroop422.com or call
(404) 569-5334.
Cub Scout Pack 422
meets every other
Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
at the Etowah Lodge in
Dawsonville. New boys
are welcome to join. If
interested, call (706) 265-
8054 or visit www.bsa-
troops422.com.
Daisy Girl Scouts meet
at Bethel United
Methodist Church the
second and fourth
Thursday of each month
from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Girls from all schools wel
come. Call or email troop
leader Adrienne Baker for
additional information at
(404) 944-9668 or rasbak-
er13@windstream.net.
The Dawson County
Adult Education
Center needs volunteer
teachers and tutors to
assist students of all ages
who are preparing to take
the GED test. In just two
hours each week you can
help someone who is try
ing to get a job, support
their families or enroll in
college by gaining a
diploma. For more infor
mation, call (706) 265-
1690.
A FUREVER home
Gracie and Bodhi
Grade and Bodhi are an inseparable pair looking for a
Furever home together. Gracie is a 9 year old Pointer
mix weighing 52 lbs and Bodhi is a 10 year old Beagle
mix weighing 35 lbs. Bodhi is blind and diabetic, and
Gracie is really his caretaker; she helps keep him calm
and guides him from one place to another. They are
both incredibly sweet dogs with lots of affection to
give but need to be together to feel safe and happy.
They would likely do best in a calm home with lots of
soft places to relax and get cuddles. They are looking
for a very special family that is willing to put in the
time and effort to see Bodhi's medical needs are met,
and that both of them are given the love they
deserve. Come meet this truly special pair at the
shelter today!
contact the Dawson County Humane Society
706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Road, Dawsonville
adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex
Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE benefits the
Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd. Humane Society
ANH Collision
Specialists
706-216-0992
103 Industrial Park Road,
Dawsonville
Bradley M. Maple
CPA, PC
706-216-2362
2390 Thompson Road
Suite 100 Dawsonville
Dawsonville
Veterinary
Hospital
706-265-8381