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Harris County Board highlights student achievements across arts, STEM and leadership programs
Summary
At its May 8 meeting the Harris County Board of Education heard awards and program updates from teachers and coaches recognizing student achievements in theater, band, choir, visual arts, Science Olympiad, Academic Bowl and a new aspiring leaders cohort.
The Harris County Board of Education on May 8 heard a string of recognitions celebrating student accomplishments in fine arts, academics and a new district leadership cohort.
Teachers and coaches from Harris County Middle School, Harris County Carver Middle School and Harris County High School presented honors ranging from top placements at state and regional art fairs to district- and state-level music and theater awards. Sarah Slappy, HCCMS theater teacher, told the board the school sent more than 30 students to the Georgia Junior Thespian Conference and noted several superior-ranked “thespie” performances were chosen among the top submissions to perform in front of the full conference. “Thank you for your continued support of HCCMS theater,” Slappy said.
Why it matters: the presentations documented extracurricular success across the district and highlighted programs district leaders say help build student skills and community engagement.
Among the specific recognitions the board heard: the HCCMS theater group performed Seussical Junior selections at a statewide conference; 10 students entered thespies competitive events and multiple entries received superior ratings. The HCCMS band launched a basketball pep band in addition to its football pep band, and 12 students auditioned for the District 3 honor band; six were selected and four named alternates. The middle-school band also earned an overall superior rating at this year’s large-group performance evaluation.
Gina Hunt, a middle school art teacher, listed regional and statewide awards including a first-place watercolor and multiple drawing and photography placements. Kate Barnett, the high-school visual arts teacher, said students exhibited in the state Capitol and won local competitions, including a first-place and best-in-show prize at the Reynolds County Strawberry Art Contest.
Choir and chorus teachers reported growth and state-level picks: Kenneth Vojken, chorus teacher and fine-arts department chair for CTAE, said the middle-school choir grew from 17 students four years ago to a projected 100 students for next year. Choir director Antoine Bray described recent festivals and performance evaluations and said four students advanced to the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Chorus. “Music is alive and well in Harris County,” Bray said.
Academic teams and leadership programs were also recognized. Assistant principal Jeff Willis said the high school’s Science Olympiad team reached regionals for the first time and placed in the top three in the region, and the Academic Bowl team qualified for the national tournament, with the national competition scheduled for the weekend of May 23. Superintendent Justin Finney introduced the district’s first cohort of 12 aspiring leaders — a yearlong program for teacher-leaders and prospective assistant principals — and praised participants for completing training in school law, operations, curriculum and other district functions. “Leadership is key to the success of our schools,” Finney said.
The presentations constituted informational recognitions on the agenda; no policy decisions or votes were taken on the programs during the recognitions portion of the meeting.
Board members and the superintendent commended students and staff and invited the public to upcoming concerts and competitions referenced by presenters.
