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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 2. 2008 - PAGE 11A
Research At UGA
Benton Elementary School fifth graders
worked with the University of Georgia main
and science libraries on conducting research
for their Learning Interest Projects. Students
have chosen either social studies or sci
ence topics they want to learn more about.
Monica Perriera and Nadine Cohen from UGA
coordinated this activity with Benton’s teach
ers, Laura Becker and Angie Wood. Pictured
are Jordan Maddox, Kaleb Sosbee, Dalton
Anthony, Miguel Sangalang, Tyler Williams,
Adam Reynolds and Christopher Robinson.
Complete Weather Study
Cynthia Gregg and Beth McWilliams’ kinder- nals, painted clouds, made “rain sticks” and
garten class at Commerce Primary School has tornadoes in a bottle. Pictured are the children
learned about the different kinds of weather, holding their “rain sticks.” The week ended
The children read stories, wrote in their jour- with a kite day.
Learn Their
Sight Words
These kinder
garten students
at Commerce
Primary School
have learned all
260 sight words.
Pictured with
the principal,
Kim Savage, are
Maggie Jiang,
Sarah Herrin,
Haley Horne, Abby
Fitzpatrick and
Bryce Owensby,
all wearing the
sight word T-shirts
awarded for their
accomplishments.
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New Curriculum
Concerns Local
Parents, Educators
By Kerri Testement
Georgia’s new curriculum —
and implementing the latest
math concepts in classrooms — is
a top concern for local parents,
teachers and administrators.
Georgia board of education
member Brian Burdette listened
to the concerns of a small group
of parents, teachers and admin
istrators during a public hearing
Thursday at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School.
Burdette represents the 10th
Congressional District, which
includes Jackson County and 20
other counties in Georgia.
The state is in the process of
implementing its new curricu
lum, the Georgia Performance
Standards (GPS). The curriculum
started being implemented in
classrooms during the 2004-2005
school year.
Starting next school year, a
new set of math standards will be
implemented in the ninth grade.
Changes in the high school math
curriculum will continue through
the 2011-2012 school year for
12th grade students.
Burdette said the Georgia De
partment of Education’s goal is
to get its students more competi
tive with other students across
the country and the world.
“We’ve got a way to go. And the
bar has been set high. But we can
hit it,’’ he said.
Several parents expressed con
cerns that the curriculum isn’t
challenging enough for students.
Burdette said the GPS sets the
minimum standards for students,
while local school systems can
Commerce Primary School
has set kindergarten registration
for Wednesday, April 30, for the
2008-09 school year.
Parents must make an appoint
ment before that day to bring in
their child. Appointments can
be made by calling the school at
706-335-5587 between April 14
and April 25 between the hours
of 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
On registration day, parents
will need a certified copy of the
require a more demanding cur
riculum.
Dr. Shannon Adams, superin
tendent for the Jackson County
School System, expressed con
cerns about teachers implement
ing the new math curriculum in
classrooms.
Stephen Pruitt, director of aca
demic standards for the Georgia
DOE, said the new math con
cepts being implemented in the
curriculum balance “skill and
drill’’ methods of learning math
formulas and “higher-level think
ing’’ skills.
“When you read the research,
we’re definitely headed in the
right direction,’’ said Pruitt, who
lives in Jackson County.
Dr. Todd McGhee, JCCHS
principal, said the rigor of the
new curriculum hasn’t been an
issue, but its implementation
may limit a student’s academic
schedule.
Jackson County associate
superintendent April Howard
said while the school system is
implementing the GPS, the state
hasn’t provided extra funds for
teacher training.
Pruitt said every math teacher
in the state will be given a text
book for the new standards and
students will be given “coach
books’’ with practice problems
for assessments. Online re
sources will also be available, he
added.
Burdette admitted that while
the new GPS are tougher, the
changes must be made.
“The bar has been raised across
the state,’’ he said.
child’s birth certificate, a Social
Security number and the immu
nization certificate.
All out-of-city residents will be
required to fill out an out-of-dis-
trict form. Classes will be open
to all city residents first, so regis
tration does not guarantee place
ment in a kindergarten class.
Placement for out-of-district
students may be determined as
late as the first day of school in
August.
Learns All The
Sight Words
Kayla Graham, a kinder
garten student in Myra Hill’s
class at Commerce Primary
School, recently earned a
sight word T-shirt for learn
ing all of her sight word
lists. She is pictured with
principal Kim Savage.
Local Students
Honored At GSU
Several local students were
named to either the president’s
list or dean’s list for fall semes
ter at Georgia College and State
University in Milledgeville.
Named to the dean’s list were
Sybil Zimmerman, Commerce;
Jeffrey Creasy, Homer; Heidi
Jackson, Homer; and Scott
Schimmel, Nicholson.
Kathryn Wilbanks, Com
merce, was named to the presi
dent’s list.
Three Earn
Honors At ABAC
Three Commerce students
have qualified for honor student
status at Abraham Baldwin Ag
ricultural College, Tifton, and
will be recognized during a
honors day ceremony April 11.
The students are Andrew M.
Shirley, Benjamin J. Shirley and
Briceson F. Wilson.
Students receiving the rec
ognition are those who have
completed a minimum of 15 se
mester hours with a cumulative
grade point average between
3.2 and 3.74 on a 4.0 scale.
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
Plan To Make Appointment
For Kindergarten Registration
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