Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 7B
School News
BCHS graduate
competed in
nationwide
livestock judging
Keenan Earl Pendley, Homer suc
cessfully competed at nationwide
livestock judging contests during
the 2007-2008 season while attend
ing Redlands Community College
in El Reno, Okla.
Pendley traveled to such places
as Denver, Colo., and Kansas City,
Mo., and has represented RCC at
Tulsa State Fair, State Fair of Texas,
Louisiana State Fair, New Mexico
State Fair and other competitions.
While competing, he was 15th high
individual in the Novice Division at
State Fair of Texas and third high
individual in Reasons and Cattle at
Louisiana State Fair.
“As members of the RCC live
stock judging team, students have
the opportunity to travel to some
of the premier livestock shows in
the nation and make lifelong con
nections with leaders in the agricul
ture industry,” said Dr. Clay Elliott,
RCC livestock judging team coach.
“Students learn to identify quality
livestock based upon key criteria,
including structure, muscling and
reproductive soundness. Judgers
also practice their communication
skills by perfecting the art of prepar
ing oral reasons. At RCC, livestock
judgers are given the tools they need
to be successful at both judging
competitions and in the classroom.”
RCC is located approximately 30
minutes west of Oklahoma City, and
is home to one of the state’s larg
est agriculture programs. RCC’s
three campuses include amenities
such as high tech computer labs,
three indoor arenas and state of
the art production agriculture facili
ties. Students can earn an associate
of science degree with options in
animal science, general agriculture,
farm and ranch management and
agriculture communications.
Besides participating on the
Livestock Judging Team, Cox has
been a member of the RCC Aggie
Club. The Aggie Club is a Student
Organization whose main goal is to
promote western heritage through
activities involving competition and
participation in agriculture-related
events. RCC’s Aggie Club assists
at local fairs and has many fund
raisers to contribute towards their
scholarship program and their end
of year trip.
“Redlands Community College
has been a major asset to my future
plans of pursuing a master’s or doc
torate in animal science and finding
a successful career in the cattle
industry,” said Pendley. “This expe
rience will truly help in my future
endeavors.”
Upon graduation from RCC,
Pendley plans to attend Texas Tech
University or Texas A&M University
and major in animal science or vet
erinary medicine. He has a career
goal of becoming an embryologist
or working in the cattle industry.
Got a news tip?
Call 367-2490.
BRASELTON TILE
FACTORY
Tile • Supplies • Installation • Design
#1 in Customer Service
9907 Davis Street • Braselton, GA
(at the corner of Hwy. 53 & Hwy. 124)
706-654-0819 • 770-962-1254
Open Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,
Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 3 p.m.
STATE EVENT
Banks County High School FCCLA members Cristina Monreal,
Autumn Martin, Elizabeth Rutan and Brittany Smith recently
competed at the state STAR competition in Athens. The group
earned a Silver Award.
BCHS FCCLA members win silver
awards in state competition
Cristina Monreal, Autumn Martin,
Elizabeth Rutan and Brittany Smith
competed in the FCCLA state STAR
Events competition at the Classic
Center in Athens, Georgia April 18
capturing the Silver Award.
Family, Career, and Community
Leaders of America (FCCLA)
members from across Georgia gath
ered to take part in this STAR
Events (Students Taking Action for
Recognition) competition.
Martin and Monreal, both juniors
at BCHS, competed in the Senior
Division of Illustrated Talk. Their
topic was STOP the Violence, an
FCCLA National Project.
Rutan and Smith, both sopho
mores, competed in the Senior
Division of Applied Technology.
Their topic was Families First, also
an FCCLA National project.
The students participated in a
weekend of competitions and ses
sions that challenged, informed and
motivated them with the state theme
“Leadership Revolution!”
Competitions were held in
14 STAR Event areas showcas
ing the proficiency and achieve
ment of FCCLA members from
across Georgia. The “Leadership
Revolution” theme was reinforced
by the powerful Opening General
Session, where meeting attendees
experienced a dramatic multi-media
presentation with key note speaker
Joel Caldwell, member of the Power
Team. Caldwell challenged mem
bers and advisers to take advantage
of their opportunities as a individual
and as a team leader.
Regional meeting were held featur
ing speeches by candidate for state
office and recognition of chapters
and members. The Banks County
High School FCCLA Chapter was
recognized again at the state level
for an increase in its membership.
School officials said the BCHS
students are to be commended for
their hard work and leadership par
ticipation in planning, implement
ing and evaluating their selected
competitive projects.
“They have exhibited outstand
ing leadership abilities, enthusiasm,
and a positive attitude. They have
committed to make a difference not
only in their lives, but the lives of
others in their school, community
and family,” officials said.
Kindergarten registration to be held
Kindergarten registration
will be held on May 8-9, Banks
County School System officials
said. Registration will be between
8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on
Thursday, May 8, and 8:30 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9.
If your child will be 5 years of age by
Sept. 1, 2008, bring your child and
the following documents to Banks
County Primary School to register:
•Social Security card
•Immunization Record (GA form
3231)
•Birth certificate
•Proof of residency to include
major utility bill with physical 911
address (light or water bill) or rental/
lease agreement with physical 911
address. If you reside with a rela
tive, you must present a notarized
letter stating that you are current
ly living at that location. We also
need a major utility bill in the rela
tive’s name. A driver’s license is
not acceptable as proof of residency.
Please bring your child with you.
Teachers will administer a readiness
test while you complete the registra
tion papers.
FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH,
YOU CAN LIST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS!
Let your members know when your group is meeting!
Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in...
• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
rpfi VETERANS OF
FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Mike Buffington, Commander
Phone 706-335-6532 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. • (706) 367-1400
Mark Bradley, President
260
UNITY LODGE
F & A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwight Wier • 706-367-5882
Borders St. behind Tabo's 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. • (706) 654-2237
Clay Eubanks, President
260
A COMMERCE
W AMERICAN LEGION
Commerce Rec. Dept. Post 93
Carson Street - 1st Mon. night
Each Month, 7:30 p.m.
335-6400
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
IIP AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 310
White Plains Baptist Church Pd02/09
Faith Bible Class meets every Sunday morning
at 10:00 a.m. It is a place where strangers
become friends and friends become family.
706-367-5650
White Plains Baptist Church
3650 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson, GA 30549
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pd.05/08
rfifc BANKS COUNTY
®|I AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/08
THIRD GRADERS VISIT HELEN
Recently, the third graders from Athens Christian School spent the day in Helen. While there,
they visited the Black Forest Bear Museum and Anna Ruby Falls. Students from Madison County,
Commerce and Banks County are: Cade Beard, Ivan Campbell, Travis Kellogg, Cody Lee, Amber
Sale, Jake Skelton, Mackenzie Carpenter, Donna Davis, Braxton Legg, Chandler Pethel and
Joanna Varghese.
Banks County School System opens Sensory Integration Gym
In keeping with school system
goals and mission statements,
Banks County Schools has opened
a Sensory Integration Gym, located
at Banks County Primary School.
Developed by Heather Cotton, an
occupational therapist from Global
Rehabilitation Services, the SI Gym
serves students in kindergarten
through fifth grade. Though sensory
gyms have been available to school
systems for several years, cost fac
tors and availability of knowledge
able personnel have prohibited more
rural counties from the benefits of
this technology.
Banks County Schools now has the
first such gym outside of the metro
Atlanta area. Through research
and resource development, Cotton
was able to develop the Sensory
Gym at a small fraction of the cost
of comparable sensory rooms,
which can be upwards of $25,000.
Sensory Integration is a neurological
process that organizes input received
from the senses at the same time
to create a response. Senses being
organized include sight, taste, smell,
touch, hearing, and proprioceptive
(perception of pressure on joints and
muscles) and vestibular (perception
of gravity and position in space).
Most students are able to receive
sensory messages and organize them
into correct behaviors without effort.
But for some, the sensory signals are
not easily organized into appropriate
reactions which lead to a disruption
of activities and being. With consis
tent failure to organize information,
problems will occur in other areas.
This disorganization can lead to dis
traction in the classroom, over and
under reactions to items in the envi
ronment, social inabilities, learning
challenges, and motor opportunities.
The sensory gym, with tactile,
auditory, visual, and motor oppor
tunities, will facilitate the devel
opment of the nervous system’s
ability to process sensory input
in a more appropriate way. The
increased awareness achieved will
lend to positive behaviors, lan
guage development, improved
motor planning abilities, eye-hand
coordination and a happier child.
The SI Gym is the size of a small
classroom, and it is outfitted with
“sensory stations” that stimulate
specific senses. Thus, all sessions
are unique to each student’s indi
vidualized sensory needs to benefit
his or her own learning continuum.
The SI Gym can offer a calming
effect to students easily over stim
ulated or heighten the awareness
of students who require additional
stimulus to participate appropriately
in the school environment. Stations
include the following:
•Tactile station
•Auditory station
•Sight station
•Smell station
•Vestibular station
•Proprioceptive station
Gross and fine motor skills
along with balance and coordina
tion development are some of the
other many benefits of the gym.
Mrs. Cotton has held training ses
sions with school staff so that the
Occupational, Physical, and Speech
therapists, along with the classroom
teachers and paraprofessionals, can
utilize the room with selected stu
dents.
The ultimate goal of the SI Gym
is to provide specific students with
sensory input to benefit functioning
in the classroom and school setting.
Consistent experiences in the room
can assist the students in develop
ing more appropriate responses to
sensory stimuli that can be carried
over into various environments to
achieve maximum academic and
social potential. At Banks County
Schools, the SI Gym is helping pre
pare the body and brain to learn.