SHS Wrestlers Take 1st Place 

On December 12th at the Buckhorn Border Wars at Buckhorn HS in Alabama, the SHS wrestling team took 1st place. This is Sonoraville High School's first wrestling tournament title in the school's short history. Dual results from the tournament are as follows:

Varsity results:

• Bolton, TN - won 65-16
• Pelham, AL - won 38-31
• Buckhorn, AL - won 64-15
• Eagle's Landing, GA - won 60-22
• Woodward Academy, GA - won 34-31 (Championship match)

Coach Eric Elrod stated, "I can't really single out one individual performance since this was a true team effort. Nineteen different guys were used in the lineup at some point in the day due to fatigue, injury, etc. They include Jay Teague, Dylan Bowen, Richard Davis, Juan Hernandez, Dustin Townsend, Cody Carmack, Brandon McBee, Trent Payne, Jamie Phillips, Brandon Rapp, John O'Neal, Tucker Allen, Ryan Bess, Andrew Bengiel, Zane Holder, Alex Detlefsen, Nick Cordell, Aaron Hatch, and Stephen Hatch."

JV results:

• 1st place - Morgan White (152), Vincent Gross (160), Cody Self (215), Tommy Jones (135)
• 2nd place - Tyler Smith (171)
• 3rd place - Chris Payne (119), Tyler Gray (125), Alex Detlefsen (189)

On December 27, SHS traveled to Baylor, TN for a tri-match with Baylor and Ringgold. Baylor is nationally ranked and 4 time defending TN state champs. Baylor beat SHS 71-4; however, SHS bounced back by beating our Ringgold 42-28, currently ranked #8 in AAAA. SHS is currently 22-3 in dual matches and has been placed in the #8 spot in the latest AA coaches poll.

Red Bud Spreads Holiday Cheer

Members of the Red Bud Elementary chorus volunteered their time at the Holiday Toy Drive sponsored by Wal-Mart. Pictured are two of the ensemble's favorite songs including " Hip Hop Reindeer" and "Este es la Navidad" The entire program was recorded for cable channel 3 and will air Christmas Eve on Night Watch for Santa.

GC Chorale Sings at Gov.'s Mansion 

The Gordon Central High School Chorale was invited to perform at the Georgia Governor's Mansion on Sunday, Dec. 9th during the Christmas tours of the mansion. The Chorale's invitation came earlier this year and the group was delighted to make the trip. "What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon - performing for guests as they toured the Governor's mansion." The group arrived early and took time to tour the mansion themselves and take pictures outside the decorated mansion. Once the Chorale began to perform, the mansion ballroom began to fill up with family, friends, GC faculty & staff and guests who had come to see the decorations.

As the Chorale entertained the guests, Governor Purdue and his wife, Mary stepped in to listen to the group. Governor Purdue and his wife both were extremely complimentary of the Chorale and after stopping the concert to take pictures , they stayed to listen to several selections. "The students were very excited to meet Governor Purdue and perform for him. It was a honor for each member of the GC Chorale to represent their school and I was very proud of them all. I'm so thankful to have such a fine group to represent me and our program." Kim Watters, director of the GC Chorale.

Chorale
Lanna Ballew Amanda Banks Jessicah Bennett Adam Bradford
Ashley Long Katie McCown Katie Wilson Joe Brown
Tara Clance  Erin Franco  Tyler Guffey Samantha Powell
Chris Proctor Josh Reed Nic Sheppard  Alex Tootle
Brendan Trujillo  Cecily Willis  Laurely Caycho Alejandra Guillen  
Hannah Fowler  Will Harper Amanda Childers  Genevieve Rodriguez
Heather Hudgins  Chris Inman  Chelsea Jackson Jennifer Logan
Anna Long Alex Long Meagan Lowery Jana McDaris
Marie Richardson Nicole Smith Allison Thomas  Sarah Welty
Haley White  Sage Putnam Ethan Holcomb  Matt Queen

Red Bud Interview Reading Characters 

Mrs. Payne's 3rd grade class at Red Bud Elementary recently interviewed main characters in chapter books they are currently reading. This task satisfied an element of mastery required by the Georgia Performance Standards where students are required to generate questions about text they are reading to help them comprehend its content.

Pictured are Austin McKinney interviewing "Jess" (Alex Barton) from Bridge to Terabithia. Also pictured are JoAnn Graves and Avery Britt interviewing "Mary" (Heather Pittman) from The Secret Garden.

Gordon Central Cheers All the Way to State

Fairmount Fall Festival

First grade teacher, Nicole Paige, calls numbers for the cake walk	B. Blaylock, T. Jackson, and E. Lacey from third grade
Renee Petty paints the face of a pre-ke student	J. and E. Farino
L. Edminsten as Jack Sparrow	L. McDougle as a butterfly
The Quarles Brothers	Denise Childers and Carla Young, Pre-K Parapros
Andy is Nicholas DeFoor and Ann is Kathryn DeFoor	Mr. Steele selling tickets for the activities.

SHS Amber Mathis Wins Youth of the Month  

Amber Mathis was selected as the Calhoun Woman's Club as the Youth of Month for September. She received a plaque from the organization. Shown in the picture are Claire Norman; Cheryl Thomas (both from the Woman's Club); Brandi Hayes, nominating teacher; Amber Mathis, senior; Wanda Mathis, Amber's mother; and Ashley Mathis, Amber's sister (also a senior at SHS).

Red Bud Reads

At Red Bud Elementary, Mrs. Holland's Reach Students enjoyed spending a rainy, Thursday morning reading to Mrs.. Barton's Pre-K class.

Bus Driver Appreciation Lunch

Superintendent Stanton Retirement Reception

Gordon Central presents One Act Play

Date: Sunday November 4th at 2:30 P.M. and  Tuesday November 6th at 7 P.M.

Location: Practice Gym

Price:  No tickets will be sold, but donations will be accepted.

Fairmount Votes  

Fairmount Elementary students recently voted for their favorite school lunches.

GCHS Honors Classes Tour Musesum

On October 1, Darlene Callan's Humanities Honors class and Renee Hughes' Honors History class audio-toured the "Cradle to Christianity" exhibit at the Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta. The exhibit, on loan from the Museum of Israel, featured the largest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, written long before the time of Christ; vessels from the time of Jesus turning water into wine; replica vessels from the Last Supper; ossuaries, one of which contained the bones of Caiaphas, High Priest who condemned Jesus to death, and many other items. Students and teachers alike experienced a lifetime of education in a few fascinating hours.

Red Bud Meets AYP  

Red Bud Elementary recently held a Country Western Day in celebration of their 6^th year in a row of reaching AYP. Students and staff dressed in their best cowboy outfits and teachers presented a program of songs and dances. The top students for each grade on the CRCT were also recognized. School administrators Doris McLemore, Beth Holcomb and Jennifer Hayes are shown with some of the cowboys and cowgirls.

Judah, Marvel, and West Receive Scholar Awards

Three Gordon Central High School graduates have earned the designation of Advanced Placement Scholar. This award has been presented to David Judah, Jonathan Marvel, and Jenna West by the College Board, in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program Exams.

This Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the more than 1.4 million high school students in 16,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP Scholar.

Gordon Central Athletes Do Their Part

	Every week, student athletes from Gordon Central read to elementary students at Belwood Elementary. Pictured here is football player, Josh Hart.
	Seth Bohanon
	Adrian Harris
	Carlos Alvarez

Gordon Central Principal, Betty Holland, and Graduation Coach, Nancy Ratcliffe, display the GACHE grant for GCHS.	Sonoraville High Principal, Bruce Potts, and Graduation Coach, Trace Vaughn accept the GACHE grant for SHS

On September 21st, Gordon Central and Sonoraville High Schools received the GACHE grant at North Georgia College and State Univeristy. This is the second year that Gordon Central has received this grant; this is Sonoraville's first year. Money from this grant will be used to encourage students to continue their education after high school and is funded through the Georgia Appalachian Commission for Higher Education, one of several such agencies through Appalachia.

Pictured left to right - Sitting: Perez Johnson, Paul Richardson, Houston Dutton,Tyler Thacker, and Steven Proper. Standing: Terry VanDyke, Jarret Gravitt, Jarren Jacobsen, Ben Freeman, Tim Pack, and Caleb Walraven.

SHS Construction Classes Are Hard-Working  

The construction students at Sonoraville High School recently built picnic tables to be used in the courtyards during lunch and before school. Mr. Potts ordered 10 tables, and the students did a wonderful job filling the order. They are also building things that can be sold to the public such as storage buildings, dog houses, and classroom podiums. In their spare time, students are building a small house inside the construction lab. This project will allow them to learn the basics of carpentry, plumbing, and wiring.

Pictured Left to Right: Coach: Lee Crump; Team Members: Matthew Darby, Jacob Holmes, Travis Turnquest, and David Miller

47 Teams and over 200 contestants from across the US competed in the National Barrow Show Judging Contest. The Gordon County 4-H Sr. Team was the only team from the Southeast competing. They finished in 1st place. This team will be competing in the National Livestock Judging Contest at the North American Livestock Exposition held in Louisville, Ky in November. They won the state livestock judging contest in June and will be representing Georgia 4-H at this competition. Teams from across the US will be competing in this contest.

Ashworth Kicks Off 25 Book Campaign  

Ashworth Middle School kicked of its 25 book campaign by having a DEAR Day (Drop Everything and Read). Students and teachers dressed as their favorite book character. The day was topped off by a cook out featuring hamburgers and hot dogs.

SHS Gets R.E.A.L at Red Bud and Belwood Elementary

To most people football is all about big athletes blocking and tackling. However, at Sonoraville High School the Phoenix football team believes that football is an avenue to being a positive role model. One way that they are making an impact is through a reading program called R.E.A.L(Reading Everyday Accelerates Learning.) Defensive line coach Michael Rigdon started the R.E.A.L program last year at Red Bud Elementary, and this year it has grown to include Belwood Elementary. Both Coach Michael Rigdon and Matthew Ridgon at Sonoraville actually participated in a similar program while they were playing football at Carson-Newman College. The program consists of the football players going into an elementary classroom (usually Kindergarten or 1^st grade) while wearing their game jerseys and reading a book or books that the classroom teacher has previously selected. After reading the book(s), they players can answer questions about the book or just spend time interacting with the class. Coach Matthew Rigdon commented, "It feels good when you know that you are making a difference. There are not many students or children who actually see MEN reading books, and that is what this program does. It let's the students know that if a football player feels that reading is important, then they can to!" He continued by saying, "This is an awesome program. It gives the students an opportunity to be around quality young men who are stressing the importance of reading and the importance of making good decisions." Senior defensive lineman Stephen Hatch added, "The reading program is the best program I've been a part of in my four years of high school." SHS would like to thank Ms. Kelly Bumgardner, Belwood Principal, and Ms. Beth Holcomb, Red Bud Principal, for allowing them the opportunity to visit their schools.

Students are Eager to Read at Sonoraville Middle

Why are the kids at Sonoraville Middle School so eager to read this year? Maybe it's because they recently kicked off their 25 Book Campaign, "Catch the Wave in Reading with a Good Book!" On August 31st, teachers and students dressed up in Hawaiian attire as they celebrated the "official kickoff" of Sonoraville's Second Annual 25 Book Campaign. Each nine weeks, all students are required to read a certain number of books; at the end of the grading period, the school holds a "celebration" for those students who meet the benchmark. Make sure to stop by during Sonoraville's Open House on Sept. 11th from 6:30 to 8:00 and see what the excitement's all about. SMS will also host a Scholastic Book Fair from September 10-14 to encourage both students and parents to "Catch the Wave" and read! 

Sonoraville High School has turned up the heat!

Sonoraville High School has turned up the heat with their "212° the extra degree" campaign. Principal Bruce Potts implemented the theme adopted from the inspirational book of the same name by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. The intro reads, "At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive." Mr. Potts stated, "We want to encourage teachers and students to give that extra effort that could make all the difference in their lives and the lives of those around them." Graduation Coach Trace Vaughn greeted students on the first day of school with a sign reading "212 The Extra Degree- It's all about the gown!" to remind students to focus on graduating from high school.

Ashworth teachers celebrate making AYP for school year 2006-2007

White and Gazerro Receive Scholarships

Two GCHS Seniors were awarded sports scholarships in May. Pictured are Amber White, who received a full Golf Scholarship to Andrew College, and Jeremy Gazerro, who will be attending Andrew on a baseball scholarship.

Congratulations Amber and Jeremy!

SMS Teacher Receives PAGE Scholarship

Kelli De Guire, 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Sonoraville Middle school, has received the PAGE Foundation Graduate Scholarship for 2007.  She is currently pursuing her Masters of Education degree in English at Kennesaw State University. The PAGE Foundation is dedicated to promoting excellence in Georgia's public schools. Toward this end, one of the many projects undertaken by the Foundation is to provide scholarships to enhance the teaching profession. The scholarship applications are judged on academic excellence, school and community involvement, communication skills and recommendations.

Gordon County 4-H Teams take top honors at State Level

Gordon County 4-H Livestock Judging Teams took top honors at State Level with both Junior and Senior Teams placing first. Juniors are 8^th grade and below while Seniors are 9^th through 12^th grades. Juniors had to place six classes and give two sets of reasons; the Seniors had to place eight classes and give four reasons. The Teams judged heifers, sheep, bulls and swine. Congratulations to all our judges and good luck in Louisville!

Junior Team member were Lea Crump, Bo Dooley, Kayla Edwards, Lori Edwards, Zack Goble, Makayla Holmes, Timothy Hubbard, Madison Miller, Brycen Potts, Holly Smith, Madison Smith and Tayler Turnquist. Registering in the top ten juniors were Timothy placing 2nd, Lea placing 5th, Bo placing 7th, and Madison placing 9th.

Senior members were Elizabeth Arnold, Matthew Darby, Jacob Holmes, Jaren Jeffords, David Miller, Ashley Shope, Aaron Sutherland and Tyler Turnquist. Recognized in the top ten seniors were Jacob placing 1st, Tyler placing 7th, Matthew placing 8th, and David placing 9th. Jacob also received Highest Score-Senior-Individual. These four young men will travel to Louisville, Kentucky to represent Georgia 4-H on the National Level in November.

Belwood Wins
Attendance Bowl 
2006-2007 

Jonathan Purser, of Chick-Fil-A, presented the GRAD Attendance Bowl to Kelly Bumgardner, principal of Belwood Elementary School during the fifth grade graduation on Friday, May 25. Belwood Elementary School maintained the best attendance throughout the year as they competed with the other county schools. The Chick-Fil-A cow was also on-hand for the presentation. GRAD is a collaborative committee made up of representatives from the Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community, Family Connection, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coosa Valley, United Way and social workers from the two public school systems with a focus on improving graduation rates for Calhoun and Gordon County.

Gordon County Schools Welcomes
New Superintendent

Dr. Bill McCown was recommended as the new Superintendent of Gordon County Schools effective July 1, 2007 at a called Board meeting held on May 31st at Sonoraville High School.  Dr. McCown currently serves as the Associate Superintendent for Paulding County. 

Dr. McCown began his career in education in 1984 as a Business Education teacher in Cobb County.  He then went on to become an Administrative Assistant in 1989, an Assistant Principal in 1991, and an Associate Principal in 1995.  In 1996, he was named the Principal of East Coweta Middle School in Sharpsburg, GA.  In 1998, he became Principal of J.A. Dobbins Middle School.  In 2000, Dr. McCown was named Assistant Superintendent in Paulding County and was named Associate Superintendent in 2001 for Paulding County. Dr. McCown is married and has three children.  They will be residing in Gordon County.

"I am excited about the opportunity to have professional relationships with the school district staff and to be actively involved in the daily lives of students.  Specifically, I look forward to visiting classrooms, attending ball games and other academic events.  I am excited about the opportunity to be immersed in school and community events." Dr. Bill McCown

Jane Garland has entered the State Culinary Competition held at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta and won the contest 3 times at the district level receiving 3rd place at the state level. This year she won 1st place in the 7th district with her pineapple rice pudding recipe and went on to state competition to receive 3rd place. Congratulations Jane!

From Left to right Back row: Coach Christain Amos, Coach Kim Turner, Coach John Rainwater Front row: Wanda Lumpkin, Jessica Lumpkin, Don Lumpkin

Congratulations to Jessica Lumpkin on her official College Scholarship to Kennesaw State University to be on the Track and Field team. This division I school has a great track program that is getting better and better each year. Jessica will be competing in the Shot Put, Discus, Hammer, Javelin and Weight Throw. At the State Championship this past weekend, she threw her best Shot Put throw of her High School career (38'8") and finished 4^th. She was only 4 inches from the state champion throw of last year.

FFA State Winners

	Elizabeth Arnold, a sophomore at Sonoraville High School and President of the Sonoraville FFA Chapter, placed 3rd in the semi-final bracket of the State FFA Public Speaking Contest (Senior Division) on Friday April 27th at the State FFA Convention in Macon, GA. Elizabeth's speech was entitled "Agri-tourism: Georgia Agriculture's Fountain of Youth."
	Newt Gilman, a 7th grader at Sonoraville Middle School, placed 1st in the State FFA Junior Public Speaking Contest on Friday April 27th at the State FFA Convention in Macon Georgia. Newt's speech was entitled "Biotechnology: The Promise of a Golden Era." Newt presented his speech to the convention delegates ( an audience of nearly 3000 people) on Saturday morning of the convention. He received a cash award of $100 and a plaque. His FFA Advisor, and agriculture teacher, Mrs. Dixie Wyatt, also received recognition at the convention for her part in Newt's success. It was in Mrs. Wyatt's class that he learned about biotechnology and its uses in agricultural research and food production. Congratulations to Newt and Mrs. Wyatt on Sonoraville Middle FFA's first State Championship.
	Timothy Hubbard competed in the State FFA Creed Speaking Event at the State FFA Convention in Macon on Friday, April 27th. Timothy placed 3rd in the semi-final round of the competition. He was the youngest competitor in this state event and missed advancing to the final round by only a few points. Timothy, a 6th grader at Ashworth Middle School, is President of the Ashworth FFA chapter.

Congratulations to Lisa Gayton, REACH math teacher at Sonoraville Middle School, who has been named a Georgia Master Teacher for 2007! She is Gordon County Schools' first to receive this distinction.

Lisa is one of only 91 teachers state wide and only 3 from our RESA district to receive this certification, based on rigorous standards set by the Professional Standards Commission. For more information on the Georgia Master Teacher program, go to the PSC web site at  http://www.georgiamasterteachers.org/

Pictured left to right: Bruce Potts, SHS Principal; Stephanie Caudell, SHS Counselor; Katie Waters, GHP; Mark Waters, SHS Science Teacher and proud parent.

Governor's Honors

Katie Waters, Sonoraville High School student, has been selected to participate in the 2007 Governor's Honors Program in the area of English Language Arts. To be chosen to participate in this program is a great honor. Kathy Cox, Georgia Superintendent of Schools, congratulates Katie with the following:

"I am extremely proud of students, like you, who were selected to participate in the 2007 Governor's Honors Program, and I look forward to meeting you when I visit the Program this summer. You are a credit to your school, community, and family."

The Governor's Honors Program is a six-week summer instructional program designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year. Activities are designed to provide each participant with opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners.

Preceding information is from the following GaDOE website: http://admin.doe.k12.ga.us/gadoe/blogs/ghpblog.nsf/DailyBlog?OpenNavigator