Education

Local student represents Georgia at American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation

Published

2 years ago

July 26, 2021

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

ALA Girls Nation 2021 visits Washington Veterans Memorial. Photo from facebook page.

Emma Fass of Peachtree Corners is one of 94 young women selected to attend the 74^th American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls Nation session July 24-31 in Washington, D.C. As part of the premier ALA program, two outstanding high school seniors are selected to represent their respective state as “senators” at ALA Girls Nation after participating in one of 47 ALA Girls State sessions held across the country. ALA Girls Nation is a seven-day leadership conference that provides aspiring young women leaders with practical insight into how the federal government operates, instills a sense of pride in our country, and promotes youth civic engagement. Many participants of the program go on to have careers in public service at the local, state, and national levels.

Fass, a rising senior at Norcross High School was active in many ways during her week at ALA Georgia Girls State. She also participates in many activities in her school and community.

At ALA Girls Nation, Fass will participate in mock senate sessions complete with caucuses and debating bills that range from personal to political interests. Other activities on the agenda include a visit to Arlington National Cemetery where they will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a community service project, and a tour of the D.C. monuments.

“ALA Girls Nation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our nation’s future leaders to learn about the inner workings of the federal government before they are of voting age,” said Wendy Riggle, ALA Girls Nation Committee chairman. “After attending their local ALA Girls State program and then ALA Girls Nation, the girls return home ready to be engaged citizens at all levels of government.”

The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) is a community of volunteers serving veterans, military, and their families. . Founded in 1919, the ALA is one of the oldest patriotic membership organizations in the U.S.A. To learn more and to volunteer, join, and donate, visit ALAforVeterans.org.

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Education

Norcross High School Student Lisa Van Ness named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Published

3 days ago

September 28, 2023

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of 56 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) semifinalists considered for the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

One of these semifinalists is Lisa Van Ness, a senior at Norcross High School. Van Ness excels in all academic areas but really enjoys her STEM classes.

Besides her success in the classroom, Van Ness is a member of the school’s color guard for the marching band and has spent three years on the cheer team.

She is also an accomplished pianist and enjoys dancing, reading and baking in her free time.

Over 1.3 million juniors from 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Van Ness is among 16,000 semifinalists from across the nation competing for National Merit Scholarships worth almost $28 million and offered next spring.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and the high school must submit a detailed scholarship application.

They must provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards.

A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, a recommendation by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July 2024.

Education

Mayor Mason Visits BIA Charter School for Mayor’s Reading Program

Published

3 weeks ago

September 12, 2023

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

On Friday, September 8, Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason visited the BIA Charter School to read to the kindergarten class of Meredith Huxtable.

The mayor visited BIA as part of the Mayor’s Reading Club. Launched in August, the program is designed to support literacy skills and early reading success for children in Georgia cities.

During his visit, the mayor read “Georgia Caroline Visits City Hall,” and answered student questions. Following his reading of the book, the mayor took part in an interview conducted by the school’s morning news team, that was broadcast to the entire school.

The Mayor’s Reading Club was developed by Georgia City Solutions and is designed to foster partnerships between the city, county, local nonprofits, schools, libraries and businesses. Other elected officials, city staff, youth and community members can participate in the program as guest readers.

Education

Four Wesleyan School Faculty Members Named GISA Master Teachers

Published

3 weeks ago

September 10, 2023

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Top Row from left, Juliette Ball, Paige Glass, bottom row from left, Suzanne Ragains and Laura Riester (Photo courtesy of Wesleyan School.

The Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) recently named four Wesleyan School faculty members GISA Master Teachers.

After completing a comprehensive application process through GISA this past spring, the following teachers were honored:

Juliette Ball, lower school lead teacher;
Paige Glass, lower school lead teacher;
Suzanne Ragains, a high school modern and classical languages teacher and
Laura Riester, middle school math teacher.

To be accepted into GISA’s Master Teacher program, candidates must submit a portfolio featuring three examples of outstanding work related to the classroom and collaborating with other educators.

The final part of the application is an unedited video of the candidate’s classroom teaching as well as five letters of recommendation from colleagues, administrators, parents and students.

“We are delighted that GISA has acknowledged the hard work of these committed educators through the Master Teacher program,” said Chris Cleveland, Wesleyan Head of School.

“Juliette, Paige, Suzanne, and Laura are outstanding classroom teachers and have been impacting the lives of Wesleyan students for many years. They are each deserving of this honor.”