About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2023)
FAYETTE FOOTPRINTS A7 Fayette County News State School Superintendent Richard Woods presents Christy Todd, a music technology teacher at Rising Starr Middle, with a certificate naming her one of 10 finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools Christy Todd of Rising Starr Middle Finalist for Georgia Teacher of Year The Georgia Department of Education has announced that Fayette County’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, Christy Todd of Rising Starr Middle, is one of 10 finalists in the running for Georgia Teacher of the Year. Todd, a music technol ogy teacher at Rising Starr Middle, is the sixth Fayette County Teacher of the Year selected as a state finalist. She received the news in a surprise ceremony on March 3 from State School Superin tendent Richard Woods. The school system’s first- ever finalist was Dawn Bur nette of McIntosh High (2005 county winner), fol lowed by Shelly McLemore of Flat Rock Middle (2006 winner), Alexandra Vlacha- kis of Sandy Creek High (2014 winner), Suzette Weinhardt of Sandy Creek High (2016 winner), and Shaylen Dixon of Peachtree City Elementary (2017 winner). If Todd wins, she will make history as the first Fay ette County teacher selected as Georgia’s Teacher of the Year. The 10 finalists were chosen from a pool of appli cants, all of whom had been previously selected as their school district’s teacher of the year. The applications were read by a panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners and finalists, ad ministrators, community leaders, and others. The fi nalists were chosen based on the strength of their essay re sponses. The rest of the 10 final ists are named throughout the month of March. The winner will be announced June 10, 2023. The 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year will travel around the state and nation, serving as an ambas sador for the teaching pro fession. The winner will also be entered in the National Teacher of the Year competi tion. Educator Career Fair slated March 23 Anyone considering joining the team at Fayette County Public Schools should attend the virtual educator career fair sched uled Thursday, March 23. The educator career fair is open to active applicants who hold teaching certifi cation, will hold teaching certification prior to August, or hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree with a de sire to earn teaching certifi cation. This event is for pro spective new employees only and is not intended for current Fayette County edu cators who are interested in transferring to a different location. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of all Fayette County schools in a virtual setting. Schools typi cally do not conduct in- depth interviews during the career fair. Elementary schools will meet virtually from 3:15- 5:15 p.m. Middle and high schools will meet from 4-6 p.m. Pre-registration is re quired and must be com pleted by Thursday, March 16, 2023. A Google account is re quired to complete the pre registration form. To register, visit: https: //forms.gle/trMEdZo 9sDH3Tzfq7. Fayette Humane Society to Host Charity Golf Tournament FAYETTE - From puppies to kittens, the Fay ette Humane Society does its part to raise awareness for those in need of a loving home. On Friday, April 14, the organization is hosting its “Fore the Paws” charity golf tournament at Brae- linn Golf Club, starting at 10 a.m. There are seven differ ent sponsorship levels for golfers’ and sponsors’ do nations, with the platinum sponsorship being highest at $5,000, the gold spon sorship listed at $2,000, the silver sponsorship at $1,000, the team sponsor ship at $500, the hole sponsorship at $300, the individual golfer entry at $125, and the pet sponsor ship at $225. Registration infor mation can be found on the FHS website, www.fay- ettehumane.org, under the “Events” tab at the top of the web page. FHS was incorporated in 1973 and is the oldest nonprofit humane organi zation in Fayette County. It is staffed entirely by vol unteers and is supported by individual and corporate donations. The animals that the organization res cues live in temporary foster homes until they are adopted, as the organiza tion does not have a shelter of its own. FHS is dedicated to “ending the needless suf fering of unwanted pets through our aggressive spay and neuter program,” the website reads. Piedmont Fayette to Offer Nurse Camp June 5-7 Deadline to Register is May 1 FAYETTEVILLE Current high school stu dents who are interested in learning about the nurs ing field and opportunities for nursing school can apply to the Piedmont Fayette Hospital Summer Nurse Camp, slated June 5-7- This “fun, free, and in teractive camp” will allow high school students to participate in a wide vari ety of activities, including a tour of the hospital cam pus, shadowing a nurse, exploring opportunities for employment post graduation, meeting col lege faculty and exploring college options, and learn ing some new skills, ac cording to officials. “The students partici pating in the camp will learn how to check blood pressure manually, infec tion prevention and proper hand hygiene, and basic wound care and first aid treatment,” said Halea Caudill, residency coordi nator at Piedmont Fayette. The camp is open to rising juniors and seniors. It will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 5-7 at Pied mont Fayette. Students who are inter ested in attending the camp should email halea.caudill@piedmont.o rg for an application. The deadline to apply is May 1. Selected participants will be notified of their accept ance by May 15. Wednesday, March 15,2023 FCN Partners with High Schools for Newspapers in Education 9 Program Providing Free Newspapers to Students W - r ■ s Lp. jvy Leah Banks, right, reporter with the Fayette County News, delivers newspapers to members of The Prowler staff. From left are Prowler Editor Adeline Harper, Editor-in-Chief Cecilly Shaber, and Editor Drew McCarthy. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net Traditionally, the value of information that flows throughout communities, both large and small, be gins with local news papers. Whether crimes that keep citizens on the edges of their seats or football victories that bring the community together in celebration, the value of local publications allows for members of the Fay ette County community to come together and to bring to light conver sations that can span dec ades. To commemorate Newspapers in Education Week, Fayette County News is launching a pro gram to deliver papers to each of the county’s five high schools weekly, at no cost. March 6-10 was News papers in Education Week, which is a “Young Reader Development” ini tiative centered on the use of newspapers in schools for purposes of improving literacy and developing a reading culture among children. Fayette County News, the only print newspaper in the county, will offer a valuable resource for the schools, especially to the student-run media pro grams at Starr’s Mill High (The Prowler) and McIn tosh High (The Trail). In announcing the pro gram, FCN officials said, “We believe newspapers broaden horizons, expand minds, and stimulate cu riosity in and out of the classroom. Newspapers are a valuable teaching tool, they improve reading and writing skills, and cul tivate critical thinking while encouraging stu dents to become more en gaged citizens by learning about the world around them.” Starting next school year, Fayette County News plans to expand the pro gram and begin delivering to each of the five middle schools. Shelter Pets of the Week Fayette Humane Society Batman & Robin Meet Batman and Robin! The mostly white one (left) is Batman, and the mostly orange (left) is Robin. These kittens are just the sweetest ever, and that is coming from a foster mom who’s been taking in res cue babies for to years! If you’re interested in adop ting Batman and Robin, please complete a no-obligation pre adoption form at fayettehu- mane.org. For more information, email Fayette Humane Society at info@fayettehumane.org or call 770-487-1073. Royal Animal Refuge Elsie Give a warm welcome to Elsie. This sweet girl is two years old and is the most loving baby ever. She is doing great with learning her basic commands and keeps a clean kennel. She does good with other dogs and is ready to find her next best friend. Apply today to meet our sweet girl! Elsie is available for adoption at Royal Animal Refuge, located at 414 Jenkins Road in Tyrone. For more information, visit www. royalanimalr efuge. org. ake Every Da
