Board of Regents OKs college merger

ATLANTA - It was standing room only at last week's Board of Regents meeting as students, faculty and administrators from eight University System of Georgia institutions waited with bated breath to find out the fate of their universities. Less than an hour into the Jan. 10 meeting, the proposed college mergers became official.

Schools receive Title I honors

All four of Dawson County's elementary schools have received Georgia Title I designation from the state Department of Education. And three of the schools - Black's Mill, Kilough and Robinson - have maintained their status as Title I Distinguished Schools for a seventh consecutive year, according to a recent state report.

Students honored for willingness to learn

Dozens of students at Dawson County High School were recognized recently for their enthusiasm to learn and willingness to achieve. The Tiger Awards are given each semester to students who demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning, are willing to put out extra effort for the sake of doing a good job and are willing to help others achieve.

Group invited to showcase talent

The Dawson County Arts Council will be well represented later this month at the 2011 Junior Theater Festival at Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. The invitation only event brings together more than 3,000 students, teachers and Broadway professionals to raise their voices in celebration of on-stage and backstage excellence in musical theatre.

County nearing GED goal

Dawson County is closing in on becoming a Certified Literate Community. In order to be designated a Certified Literate Community the county must serve 1,638 adults with level completions or GEDs in a 10 year period, according to Reading Education Association of Dawson Director Sandy Lipkowitz.

School system receives district achievement

The AdvancED Accreditation Commission has determined the Dawson County School System meets the Accreditation Standards for a Quality School System. Superintendent Keith Porter read the commission's resolution and presented the school board with a plaque to mark the achievement during the board's monthly meeting Monday night.

Taste of Dawson High benefits school’s PTSO

Several local restaurants will showcase a collection of appetizers, entrees and desserts during the third annual Taste of Dawson High on Saturday. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the commons area at Dawson County High School. Admission is $5 per person, or a maximum of $20 per family. Children younger than five are free.

Students’ film wins international acclaim

A student film shot on location in Dawson County has received international acclaim. "Scarlett's Secret," a film project by four Riverview Middle School students, was named Best of Festival and Judges' Favorite in the 2011 International Student Media Festival.

Winners selected in winter art show

Winners of the Dawson County High School Winter Art Show were announced Friday. Senior Shelby Sage directed "The City of Ember," a salute to "steampunk," which she describes as "sci-fi in the Victorian Age, where everything ran on steam engines."

Lanier Tech earns full accreditation

Student grows pumpkin

A sixth grader at Riverview Middle School is the county-wide winner in the annual 4-H pumpkin growing contest. The pumpkin Anna Dempsey grew in a flower garden at her grandma's house on Seed Tick Road weighed in at 54 pounds.

NGCSU receives grants, federal funds

North Georgia College & State University received four grants from NASA last week to support its planetarium and physics department. The grants, totaling $12,000, will help fund additional student personnel, the Georgia E. Coleman Sr. Planetarium, the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, student training, eight scholarships and undergraduate research in confocal X-ray fluorescence, a technique used to detect and quantify elements in a sample.

State submits waiver for No Child Left Behind

Dawson County School Superintendent Keith Porter is hopeful the state's No Child Left Behind waiver will be approved in the near future. "We are very appreciative of the Georgia Department of Education submitting the NCLB waiver. Almost all systems and schools would be designated as failing over the next two years without changes to the law," he said.

Sophomore receives leadership award

Dawson County High School sophomore Miranda Abe was named the 2011 Hugh O'Brian Leadership Award recipient Monday. Presented annually by the Dawson County Woman's Club, the award recognizes outstanding students for their leadership and service to community.

Revised calculations ensure AYP

As it turns out, the Dawson County school system made adequate yearly progress after all. The status change, announced last week, is a result of revised state calculations originally issued in July. Initially, Dawson County High and Riverview Elementary and Middle schools failed to meet the goals as set in accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Their apparent failure to do so had affected the entire system. The Nov. 2 announcement, however, ...

‘Gold star’ squad

The Dawson County High School JROTC has a new badge to proudly display on cadets' uniforms. The program was named an "honor unit with distinction," the highest award given, during a March 28 regional formal inspection.

JROTC cadets attend ball

The Lakeview Center was a sea of army green as Dawson County High School JROTC cadets gathered in formal dress for the third annual JROTC Military Ball. The March 23 event saw a turnout of more than 150 people, including cadets, students, parents and faculty.

Special Olympic Games comes to Dawson County

Athletes from both Dawson and Lumpkin counties will gather next week at Riverview Middle School to compete in this year's Special Olympics. The games will be held for the first time at the school from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. April 10 at the middle school.

High school chorus named ‘superior’

Not many people are fond of being judged by professionals, but the Dawson County High School Chorus had nothing to worry about last week in Habersham County. According to director Spencer Wright, the results at the state evaluation "couldn't have gone any better," with all three judges giving the chorus "superior" ratings in every area they were judged.

Vandiver exits Lanier Tech after 37 years

OAKWOOD - Telling stories and giving gifts, friends, colleagues and former bosses of Lanier Technical College President Russell Vandiver paid homage March 22 to the longtime campus leader and economic development guru. Kenneth Breeden, who led the school from 1975 to 1984, said that when he heard that Vandiver had been named president in September 2010, he thought "lucky Lanier Tech."