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Wednesday, December 19,2018
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 5B
Elementary schools, patrons receive state awards
Photos by Jessica Taylor Dawson County News
Riverview Elementary School Principal Julia
Mashburn tells the crowd at the board of educa
tion meeting why Brian Bliss was chosen as a
Patron Award recipient.
Robinson Elementary School Principal Page
Arnette poses with RES Patron Award recipient
Brooke Anderson, general manager of Etowah
Water and Sewer Authority.
By Jessica Taylor
jtaylor@dawsonnews.com
It was a special night
for Dawson County
Schools and its supporters
Dec. 10 as several ele
mentary schools received
awards from the Georgia
Association of
Elementary School
Principals for outstanding
programs and patrons
during the December
board of education meet
ing.
Each year the GAESP
presents the School Bell
Award to no more than 10
schools in the state to rec
ognize outstanding pro
grams in the area of cur
riculum and organization
al leadership. Both
Black’s Mill and
Riverview elementary
received a School Bell
Award for its programs.
Black's Mill
Robotics Clubs
Black’s Mill received
the award for the
Robotics Club, which
was created to encourage
and motivate critical
thinking and teamwork
through the use of Lego
models, coding and pro
graming.
The robotics club for
third through fifth graders
and the advanced robotics
club for fourth and fifth
graders meet each
Monday from 3:10 to
4:30 p.m. in the school’s
media center.
Students work in small
groups to learn mechanics
and coding skills to build
robots that work on real
life problems.
“The feedback that we
have received from our
students, parents and staff
has all been extremely
positive and encourag
ing,” BMES principal
Cindy Kinney said.
“Students are engaged.
They’re excited about
coming to school espe
cially on Monday morn
ings which is good. You
can hear them as they
enter the school talking
about what they’re going
to do in robotics club that
afternoon.”
The club relies on fund
raisers, donations and
grants to offer engaging
educational experiences.
Through a Read-A-
Thon fundraiser, the pro
gram raised $1,500. BDT
Manufacturing in
Dawsonville also provid
ed $1,500. The school
also received a Sony
Bright Ideas grant for
$1,478.
The money raised was
able to fund the program
and purchase 12 robotics
kits for the club as well as
five Lego Brainstorm kits
for the advanced club that
will help prepare students
going into the middle
school program.
“It’s more than just
learning about robotics
and coding and program
ing,” Kinney said. “It’s
learning about real life
and working together for
the future, not just the
here and now.”
Riverview PALS
Program
Riverview’s mentoring
program was also award
ed a School Bell Award
Dec. 10.
When the school first
opened, a mentoring pro
gram was strong amongst
elementary students,
however as the schools
and program grew, more
mentors focused on mid
dle school students.
With fewer volunteers,
RvES Principal Julia
Mashburn saw an oppor
tunity four years ago to
implement PALS, a men
toring program that pairs
students with a “pal.”
Students with atten
dance difficulty and disci
pline referrals are paired
with an adult in the
school who serves as
their mentor in the hopes
they will make a connec
tion that will motivate the
students to come to
school.
“It’s not necessarily
prescribed what they do.
It’s just taking time with
the students so that every
child not has their home
room teacher that they
connect with - but there
is somebody else in the
building that they can go
to,” Mashburn said.
Since the program
began, school officials
have seen an increase in
attendance and a decrease
in discipline referrals of
children enrolled in the
program. The program
currently serves 40 stu
dents.
Educational Patron
Awards
Three community
members were also hon
ored as recipients of the
2018 GAESP Educational
Patron Award.
Each of the GAESP
districts may select an
outstanding educational
supporter to receive the
award and to become a
finalist for the Georgia
Distinguished
Educational Patron
Award.
School Resource
Officer Sgt. Steven
Swofford was recognized
for his service to Black’s
Mill Elementary where he
has served as an SRO for
eight years.
Swofford has 21 years
of experience in law
enforcement, with 16 of
those as an SRO. He was
a pilot presenter for the
crime prevention program
CHAMPS that he teaches
to fifth graders. He partic
ipates in safety talks and
drills with students from
fire and tornado drills to
cyber bullying and social
media safety.
“He is a very valued
member of our Black’s
Mill family and we are
happy to have him full
time at Black’s Mill,”
Kinney said.
Brian Bliss of Liberty
Mutual Insurance
Company was recognized
for his contributions to
the school system by
Riverview Elementary.
“It’s wonderful when
you have community
sponsors that can donate
funds and help you raise
money, but they’re extra
special when they give so
much of their time,”
Mashburn said. “I think
that’s the thing that stands
out for us with Brian.”
Bliss has served on
governance counsels for
Riverview, Robinson
Elementary and Dawson
County High School. His
knowledge of school sys
tem operations and his
willingness to help and
provide research to jump-
start initiatives at the
school have been valuable
to the school, Mashburn
said.
Brooke Anderson, gen
eral manager of Etowah
Water and Sewer
Authority, was the third
recipient of the
Educational Patron Award
for his contributions to
Robinson Elementary.
Anderson has served on
the governance counsel at
Robinson and Dawson
County Junior High
School and as well as the
system-wide governance
counsel.
Through the Rotary
Club, Anderson spear
headed a donation of
large touch flat panel
screens at every school
media center. He person
ally installed the one at
Robinson.
Anderson, along with
his staff at EWSA, has
helped manage the parent
drop off line in the cold
mornings.
He was also instrumen
tal in the creation of the
Day of Wonder for fifth
grade students. The Day
of Wonder, based on the
lessons from the book
Wonder, stresses to stu
dents the importance of
being kind.
During the Day of
Wonder, all four fifth
grade homerooms found
service projects and went
outside the school to
serve the community.
Anderson and his staff
provided lunch and
T-shirts for the students
when they returned.
“He has a truly vested
interest in the students
and the community here
in Dawson County,” said
RES Principal Page
Arnette. “I’m challenged
by Brooke in a really
great way. He celebrates
with us when we’re suc
cessful. He really takes it
to heart.”
School Resource Officer Sgt. Steven Swofford is award the GAESP
Educational Patron Award from Black's Mill Elementary School Principal
Cindy Kinney Dec. 10.
King Crossword
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Lawyers' org.
© 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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