2018 Awards Reception
 
The Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County held its annual awards reception Monday, October 8th, at the Georgian Hall in downtown Athens. Nineteen employees of the Clarke County School District were honored, and each took a turn at the podium to give remarks and express thanks. Over $20,000 was distributed to these deserving recipients. Special thanks to Georgia United Credit Union and Peach State Federal Credit Union for their sponsorship of this signature event.

Pictured from Left to Right:
Angela Gay (Cedar Shoals HS and HB Stroud ES)
Alon Hammond (JJ Harris ES)
Regenia Dalton (Barrow ES)
David Epps (Plant Services)
Harold Faison (Whitehead Rd ES)
Brian Parido (Clarke MS)
Jill Gordon (Clarke Central HS)
Daphne Bailey (Whit Davis ES)
Conor Naughton (Hilsman MS)
Diamond Harris (Fowler Dr ES)
Nakeida Johnson (Transportation)
Ginger Lehman (Clarke Central HS)
Stephen Hinson (Clarke Central HS)
April Croft (Clarke Central HS)
Tracy Vandiver (Barnett Shoals ES)
Rebecca Begnaud (Clarke Central HS)
Desylin Culliver (Cleveland Rd ES)
Lisa Lane (Barnett Shoals ES)
Johnny Anderson (Clarke Central HS-not pictured)

New Award and Grant in Memory of Arthur Moog Middleton
 
Arthur Moog Middleton was a junior at Cedar Shoals High School at the time of his death in 2000.  An editor of the school yearbook, Art was an avid reader and showed great promise as a writer.  In 2003, Art’s parents, Kent Middleton and Melissa Moog, and their friends established a media center grant in Art’s name at both traditional Clarke County public high schools to purchase challenging books. In 2019, the book grants will be converted into the Arthur Moog Middleton Writing Award.  Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central will select one junior each year to receive a $250 award in recognition of the student’s compelling fiction or nonfiction writing.  Additional monies have also been given by Art's father this year to fund the Arthur Moog Middleton Writing Grant for High School Teachers to support projects that produce excellent student fiction and nonfiction. Each year a high school teacher or group of teachers will receive a $500 grant to help promote writing initiatives. 

Grant Funding from Bank of America and Sandy Creek Nature Center
 
We have received funding from Bank of America to underwrite additional fine arts projects in the CCSD for 2019. The window is open now to fine arts teachers in all 21 schools in $500 amounts. Special thanks to our financial advisor, Joe Frierson of Merrill Lynch, for encouraging us to apply to this funding source. We will also partner with Sandy Creek Nature Center for an initial three years beginning in 2019. The SCNC Board of Directors will fund yearly Science Education Grants - two for $250 each and one for $500 - open to educators at all grade levels.  The Board of Trustees is excited to be able channel more monies directly to schools to enhance and enrich student learning.