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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 7B
Jefferson’s AFJROTC places at state meet
DRILL TEAM PLACES FOURTH
Pictured are members of the Jefferson High School Air Force JROTC Drill Team
that finished fourth at the State Drill Meet. Shown are: Miguel Rodriguez, Lance
Wilson, Andre Gonzales, Amber Simerly, Juliann Watson, Miranda Bellew, Timmy
Warren, Mark Weaver, Maribel Rodriguez, William Baldwin, Carlos Mendoza, Derrick
Alderson, Milan Patel and Clay Gooch (team captain).
THE JEFFERSON High
School Dragon Group
competed at the Air Force
JROTC State Drill Meet at
East Paulding High School
on March 6 and came home
with three top finishes.
The Drill Team, led by
Cadet Clay Gooch, placed
fourth.
Team members are:
Miguel Rodriguez, Lance
Wilson, Andre Gonzales,
Amber Simerly, Juliann
Watson, Miranda Bellew,
Timmy Warren, Mark
Weaver, Maribel Rodriguez,
Derrick Alderson, William
Baldwin, Carlos Mendoza
and Milan Patel.”
“The Drill Team was hop
ing for a stronger finish,
but with an injury to one
of the team members the
day before the meet, there
had to be a last minute
replacement,” Major Bryan
Watson, team instructor,
said. “This hurt the team
because the replacement
member had not practiced
with this particular team,
but placing fourth dem
onstrates that these young
men and women are deter
mined to finish strong.”
Major Watson said the
surprise of the day was
when the announcement
was made for the Unarmed
Color Guard Commander
Trophy.
JHS Dragon freshman
Juliann Watson brought
home the honors as the
#1 Unarmed Color Guard
Commander for 2010.
“This is amazing that a
freshman cadet could take
home a state champion
ship,” stated Colonel Paul
Neiheisel of East Paulding
High School.
Her team of Heather
Simerly, Mark Weaver and
Cassandra Slaby brought
home third place in the
Color Guard Division.
Watson also finished fifth
out of 418 cadets in the
Individual Drill Routine
Competition.
Unlike most high school
competitions, JROTC does
not distinguish between
school sizes.
This leads to AA teams
like Jefferson, competing
against AAAAA teams.
“As you can see, we go
up against some very large
schools, but our cadets
work hard and hold their
own against these large
schools,” stated Chief
Master Sergeant Budell
Willis, team coach.
The Dragon Group will
be traveling to Macon to
compete in the Air Force
National Eastern Division
Drill Competition on March
19.
COLOR GUARD TEAM PLACES
The Jefferson High School Air Force JROTC Color
Guard Team finished third at the State Drill Meet.
Shown left to right are: Mark Weaver, Juliann Watson
(team captain), Heather Simerly and Cassandra Slaby.
SENIOR DIVISON TEAM MEMBERS
Members of the senior division team that compet
ed in the Northeast Georgia FFA Floriculture Career
Development Event include Heather Bing, Adriane
Chrisley, Kristen McFearin and Megan Tate.
JUNIOR DIVISON TEAM MEMBERS
Members of the junior division team that compet
ed in the Northeast Georgia FFA Floriculture Career
Development Event include Rachel Crabb, Erin Skinner,
Sarah Carithers and Brianna Davenport.
EJCHS FFA students compete at floriculture event
EAST JACKSON
Comprehensive High School
students in FFA were
among some of the winners
of the Northeast Georgia
FFA Floriculture Career
Development Event (CDE).
In the junior division, East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School’s FFA placed fifth.
The team includes Sarah
Carithers, Rachel Crabb,
Brianna Davenport and Erin
Skinner.
EJCHS also took home the
first place finish in the senior
division. The team includes
Heather Bing, Adriane
Chrisley, Kristen McFearin
and Megan Tate.
McFearin was the first high
individual in the contest and
Chrisley was second high
individual. They will compete
in Covington on March 20.
The FFA floriculture com
petition is a career develop
ment event connecting class
room lessons to the green
industry practices. During the
competition students identify
plants, equipment, insects,
diseases and weeds as well
as take a written knowledge
exam and complete problem
solving questions.
KBMS FCCLA ADVANCES TO STATE
Kings Bridge Middle School students recently partici
pated in the FCCLA Regional STAR Events Competitions
at Youth Middle School in Loganville. Brea Davis and
Courtney Mull received gold medals in FCCLA National
Programs in the Action category. The program they pre
sented was Family Acting for Community Traffic Safety
(FACTS). They focused on school bus safety and texting
while driving. Tyler Lang and Ganevia Garth received
silver medals in the Chapter Service Project Manual cat
egory. Their project involved sewing for charity, which
included breast cancer survivors, pediatric patients, mili
tary soldiers, neonatal infants and animals in shelters.
WINNERS FROM WJMS
The medalists for the STAR event competition from
the West Jackson Middle School Family, Career, and
Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) are: Anna
Carron, silver in the applied technology category;
Ally Jamison, silver in the recycle and redesign
category; and Samantha Larkins, Nicki Aguilar and
Megan Corradi, silver in the focus on the children
category. The students competed against eight
other middle schools from around the area. Anna
Carron and Ally Jamison will go onto the state level
to represent WJMS. State competitions will be held
on March 20 in Athens.
JCCHS STUDENTS PERFORM
WITH HONOR BAND
Nine band students from Jackson County
Comprehensive High School performed recently with
the Reinhardt College Honor Band. Shown are: (front
row, L-R) Samantha Kennett, French horn, and Alexa
Watts, clarinet; (second row, L-R) Holly Hilton, flute, and
Julia Turgeon, flute; (third row, L-R) Sara Tully, percus
sion, and Clare Nunley, flute; and (fourth row, L-R) Caleb
Boswell, percussion, Bobby Butler, trombone, and Lex
Moseley, percussion. Students were chosen based on
their past honors and accomplishments in band. They
performed with other outstanding high school band
students from throughout northeast Georgia. The band
was conducted by Robert W. Smith, a nationally known
composer and director of Bands at Troy University in
Troy, Ala. Students also heard performances by the
Reinhardt College Concert Band and Jazz Band. Miles
and Helen Adams are band directors for JCCHS.
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PARENT VOLUNTEER REGONIZED
Benton Elementary School recently honored parent
volunteer, Teresa Gibbons, for all of her dedication
and hard work. Gibbons is shown with principal Pam
Shields.
PIRATES AT WJPS
Karen Taylor’s first grade class weaved the love of
pirates into math, science, reading, social studies and
activities at West Jackson Primary School. The first
day of their studies, “White Beard the Pirate” (played
by Ron Vedder) came in to introduce the theme for
Taylor’s class. He was accompanied by his faithful
parrot, “Crackers”! The students learned to sing the
song, “Pieces of Eight.” They also learned how to
count “pieces of eight,” how to use a compass and
read a map. They learned which geographical regions
in which certain pirates practiced their trade. Vedder
and “Crackers” are shown as they teach the class.
JCCHS STUDENTS RECOGNIZED
Jackson County Comprehensive High School students,
Colton Standridge, Corbin Nichols and Joseph Skelton,
placed in the Georgia Career Student Association
Region 3 Competition which was held at East Jackson
Comprehensive High School on February 24. Colton
received first place in CPR and first aid, Corbin won sec
ond place in mathematical concepts and Joseph placed
first in auto collision repair. Each of these students will
advance to the State Leadership Conference at Jekyll
Island in April.