Education
Norcross Foundation of Excellence’s Annual Gala Furthers Mission
The annual gala raises funds to further student achievement, honors community contributors
Even though Gwinnett County taxes, along with state and federal funding, provide an adequate financial base for local schools, sometimes there’s not enough in the coffers to satisfy some extra needs that help make great schools exceptional.
That’s when organizations like the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence (NHSFE) step up to help. Even though all schools have PTAs and other organizations to help fill funding gaps, NHSFE mainly focuses on bigger ticket items.
For example, NHSFE recently completed a three-year mission to ensure all Norcross High students were equipped with Chromebooks to assist with distance learning as well as in-person lessons.
“Gwinnett is such a huge school district that sometimes there’s a gap between what it can provide and the desires of the individual schools. There was a need to help ensure every student had that necessary tool and we were able to help make it happen,” said Amanda Credendino, Co-President of NHSFE.
To continue in those efforts, NHSFE will host its annual fundraising Gala on April 29 at Atlanta Tech Park. The event will run from 6:30 to 10 p.m. featuring food from Chef David and beverages from Peachtree Growler.
“How we raise a large amount of funds is through auction items,” said Credendino. “The different departments submit a request and we, as a foundation, work to deliver.”
What started as a backyard event in 2001 is now a major event that enriches student advancement. Purchasing band instruments and repurposing an old engineering room to make it usable for today’s needs are among the nonprofit’s accomplishments.
The new space has areas for large and small group presentations and collaborative working pods. There is modular furniture that is easy to move around and folds up for storage, Credendino added.
Another major component of the gala is recognizing outstanding members of the community. The NHSFE established the Hall of Fame to honor those who have made significant contributions to Norcross High School and the community. They will be inducted at the gala.
Jeff Holcombe
The son of a Navy veteran, Jeff Holcombe has lived in many places across the U.S. including Florida, Michigan and New York. He settled in Peachtree Corners in 2000 and found a home with friends, family, Peachtree Corners Baptist Church and a school he loves.
Holcombe developed a devotion for all things Norcross High School while his oldest sons Jeff Jr. and Brad attended and participated in the NHS Band and the Tennis and Swim Teams. Holcombe put that passion for NHS into action as the Blue Devil Marching Band Pit Captain for five years and the PA announcer for the band halftime performances for 16 seasons, along with announcing the Gwinnett County Marching Band Exhibition hosted by Norcross. He has also served as the part-time PA announcer for the Blue Devils Basketball teams for Showcase Events and select home dates over the last 10 seasons.
Holcombe’s biggest contribution and joy have been serving under the Friday night lights as the voice of the Norcross Blue Devils Football team for the past 15 years. During the Blue Devils’ State Championship runs, he has had the privilege of announcing The Norcross Blue Devil Marching Band at The Georgia Dome, the Georgia State Stadium and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In 2018, Norcross honored Holcombe as their selection for the Dave Hunter Award for outstanding community service in Gwinnett County athletics.
Tracy O’Leary
Tracy O’Leary and her husband Pat have enjoyed living in Peachtree Corners for 28 years. With their three children — Michael (30), Colin (28) and Maggie (22) — they celebrated over 20 years of “first days” in the Norcross Cluster schools. Living in a community that has given so much to her family, O’Leary has been passionate about and humbled to give back.
O’Leary began serving at Simpson Elementary School as a volunteer in the Media Center, and she served in various positions on the PTA board including Treasurer, VP and Chair for the Simpson Singers 5th grade production. She followed her children to Pinckneyville Middle School and continued to serve in executive and committee positions on the PTSA.
When her youngest started high school at Norcross, she realized that the need for parent volunteers at the high school level was much greater than in the lower schools, and she made it her goal to give as much as possible in the areas where she was needed most.
She joined the board of the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence in 2014, serving as Treasurer (for three years), Co-President, Liaison to the After School Matters program and advisor to the Treasurer. In addition, O’Leary completes the foundation’s annual audit and required tax filings.
In addition to serving on the NHSFE board, O’Leary served four years as Norcross PTSA Membership chair and four years as President and Treasurer of the PHD Running Club (NHS cross country, track, and field booster club). Tracy uses her expertise as a CPA to complete audits for a number of Norcross cluster groups including Simpson PTA, Pinckneyville PTSA, Norcross HS PTSA, Paul Duke Stem PTSA, NHSFE and booster clubs for soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, orchestra, baseball, swim and dive, and cross country/track and field.
Corey Richardson
Corey Richardson has been teaching and coaching in the Norcross cluster for over 21 years. He began his teaching career at Summerour Middle School where he served for 1.5 years before he transferred to Norcross. For the past 19 years, he has been teaching Health and coaching at Norcross. Since 2006, he has served as the Health and Physical Education Department Chair.
Richardson has been coaching football at Norcross High School for 21 seasons. In that time, he has been a part of two state championships (2012 and 2013) and six region championships (2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020). In 2012, Head Football Coach Keith Maloof promoted him to Assistant Head Football Coach. He has also coached baseball for three years and was the head Girls Golf Coach for eight years.
For tickets to the Norcross High Foundation for Excellence Gala, go to norcrosshighfoundation.org/gala/.
For more information about Norcross High Foundation for Excellence, go to norcrosshighfoundation.org/.
The International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAGeorgia) recently hosted its third annual Dining with the Scholars event on April 18 — an evening filled with celebration, culture and community spirit.
Held at Canton House in Duluth, the event welcomed over 200 attendees, including students, parents, teachers, board members, local sponsors and special guest, the Consul General of Japan.
Fundraising and performances
The purpose of the event was twofold: to raise funds in support of academic programs for the school and, most importantly, to honor and showcase the outstanding talents and achievements of ICAGeorgia students.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a silent auction, dinner and dessert, as well as a vibrant lineup of student performances, a magic show and live music — creating a truly festive and memorable atmosphere.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many local companies and organizations whose generous sponsorship made this event possible,” said Felecia Tucker-Jones, principal of ICAGeorgia. “[The] support helps us continue to grow and enhance our academic offerings.”
By all accounts, it was a night to remember — and a wonderful reminder of the strong, supportive community that surrounds the school.
Children’s Day Festival
On May 4, students, families and community members gathered at Thrasher Park in Norcross for a vibrant celebration of Children’s Day, a beloved Japanese holiday that honors children’s happiness, growth and well-being.
The Japan’s Children’s Day Festival 2025 brought together over 1,000 attendees for a full day of music, crafts, food and cultural experiences.
Visitors of all ages enjoyed traditional Japanese activities such as origami, kingyo sukui (goldfish scooping) and kimono try-ons, while kids played in bounce houses, participated in golf and soccer games and listened to story time in the park.
The festival’s stage was alive with performances from school choirs, dance studios and even a thrilling showcase of breakdancing and karate. Local vendors offered delicious international food — from pizza, tacos and paella to boba and shaved ice — while guests explored artisan booths and even online shopping options.
Culture and community
This festival was a beautiful reflection of cultural pride and community spirit and partnerships, with ICAGeorgia, local small businesses and generous sponsors bringing the vision to life.
“We’re deeply grateful to all our sponsors, performers, volunteers and families who made the day so special,” said Jeremy Williams, president of the ICAGeorgia PTO.
As Norcross continues to grow as a hub for diverse cultural events, Japan’s Children’s Day Festival stands out as a joyful, family-focused experience with the goal of continuing for years to come.
Follow Japan’s Children’s Day Festival (@JapansChildrensDayFestival) on Instagram and Facebook, and stay tuned for next year’s exciting event.
About ICAGeorgia
The International Charter Academy of Georgia is a statewide charter school available free of charge to any K–6 student residing in Georgia.
Located in Peachtree Corners, the school offers a dual language immersion program in both English and Japanese, a rigorous standards-based curriculum, extracurricular activities and multiple opportunities throughout the year to engage in cross-cultural community.
For more about the school, visit internationalcharteracademy.org.
Simpson Elementary School celebrated Exceptional Children’s Week (ECW) last month with five days of special activities to recognize their special needs population and all of their exceptional students.
April 14–18 is set aside each year to celebrate children with disabilities, gifts and talents. This year’s ECW theme was Bridging Gaps and Building Futures, and the school was happy to take part.
They highlighted each day of the week on the morning news with fun facts about notable people in society — and throughout history — who have overcome challenges with their disabilities, including actor Daniel Radcliffe (who has lived with dyspraxia for his entire life), Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Frida Kahlo and Helen Keller.
Simpson Elementary’s technology team also pre-recorded various special needs classes reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every day of the week.
Guest speaker
To end their ECW with a bang, they invited former Simpson Elementary parent, State Representative Scott Hilton, to come in and speak to their K-2 classes about raising his son, Chase (who is autistic and now a student at Norcross High School), and how being different is okay.
“Showing kindness and being inclusive is the best version of humanity,” said Dr. Taffeta Connery, Simpson Elementary School principal, in a statement about the event.
“Simpson Elementary has a special needs population of 214 (23%) of 946 students. [And] … we strive to ensure that our students are valued, recognized and instilled with high expectations for all.”
For more about Simpson Elementary, visit simpsones.gcpsk12.org.
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