Twenty-eight Cherokee County School District schools have been honored at the state level for excellence in health and PE programs.
The schools all earned recognition on the Governor’s SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Honor Roll, which rewards outstanding commitment to the health and well-being of Georgia’s students through fitness and nutrition.
“We want all of our students to be successful and happy in school and in life, and to guide them along this path, we can’t overlook the importance of their physical health,” Superintendent Brian Hightower said. “Our PE and health teachers emphasize this in the classroom and gym, as well as through the extra-curricular clubs and teams they lead and coach. We appreciate all of their efforts and congratulate them on this honor.”
The Honor Roll program recognizes and rewards the schools, students and teachers who demonstrate excellence on measures of SHAPE participation, data reporting, and student wellness. The governor's SHAPE initiative is a statewide program merging governmental, philanthropic and academic and business communities to address childhood obesity.
Schools also receive additional prizes from the SHAPE program ranging from banners to sports equipment based on the medal level they achieved.
The CCSD schools and their PE and health teachers who made the honors possible will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Hightower at the school board’s meeting Thursday. They are:
PLATINUM (12 of 64 honorees statewide – 19%)
Avery Elementary School: Chance Cain, Jason Fitts and Katherine Wallace
Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy: Jennie Allen
Bascomb Elementary School: Stephanie Cockrell, Ed Koschewa and Barry Stafford
Boston Elementary School: Rena Ehlers and Scott Lambert
Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy: Michael Bergeron and Chris Sears
Clayton Elementary School: Anne Cross
Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy:
Knox Elementary School STEM Academy: James Adams, Melanie Beavers and Steve McGowan
Little River Elementary School: Pam Davis, Reggie Kimball and Joshua Sams
Macedonia Elementary School: J.J. Cantrell and Brooke Hopkins
Sixes Elementary School: Hunter Bruce and Shona Roberts
Mill Creek Middle School: Jim Elder, Thomas Fountain, Eliot Galyean, Jana Redman, Donna Ross and Dana Townsend (now at Freedom MS)
GOLD (5 of 18 honorees statewide – 28%)
Free Home Elementary School: Keith Furstenberg
Creekland Middle School: Ray Catlett, Jacob Cheshire, Keith Fountain, Julie McRae, Stacy Rich and Matt Rumble
Dean Rusk Middle School: Douglas Elliott, Jake Hester, Syretha Marble, Steve McGowan (now at Knox ES), Janet Roach, Paul Singer and Julie Swanson
Freedom Middle School: Patty Bonk, Laura Dunlap, Brad Duvall, Lee Lamb and Amanda Whitmire
Teasley Middle School: Don Deaton, Paige English, Connie Gaddis and Brian Puckett
SILVER (10 of 42 honorees statewide – 24%)
Arnold Mill Elementary School: Pat Neder and Allyson Phillips
Hickory Flat Elementary School: Corinne Snow and Josh Cantrell
Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy: Amanda Anderson and Phil Dutko
Johnston Elementary SchoolS: Michael L’Esperance and Josh Philpot
R.M. Moore Elementary School STEM Academy: Katie Manley and Amberly Brown
Woodstock Elementary School: Scott Fortes and Chas Pardue
E.T. Booth Middle School: Amanda Candelario, Julie Crowe, Bill Elliott, Trip Holton, Bryan Jones, Deborah Krug, Leigh Anne Shaw and Edward Williams
Etowah High School: Lindsey Alexander, Brandon Chester, Rob Graner, Courtney Hatchett, Ron Jankovich, Chris Pack, Brian Pierson, Kim Robertson, Greg Robinson and William Szpor
River Ridge High School: Scott Bradley, Mike Collins, Greg Dirst, Sarah Goodbread, Tyler Jones, Barry Lakes, Cecil Phillips, Julie Winfield
Woodstock High School: Kelly Audia, Jeff Brown, Brent Budde, Casey Clouse, Carolyn Edwards, Alex Gray, Bernard Walker, Josh Pierce, Mike Powell
BRONZE (1 of 14 honorees statewide – 7%)
Mountain Road Elementary School: Kristy Reidy
