Venetian Hills Elementary forms Grandparents Support Club

Grandparents increasingly are finding themselves in the role of primary caregiver or guardian for their grandchildren, especially during the recession. Just from 2006 to 2007, the number of children living with a grandparent as a guardian jumped 6 percent, according to research by The Pew Research Center.

Numbers like these hold true for the grandparents and children at Venetian Hills Elementary, according to Principal Eunice Robinson. “Seeing this trend during registration, we decided to address the problem by organizing a grandparent support group,” Robinson said.

Hence the formation of the Grandparents Club, or the GPS Club. The club has elected officers and is halfway through an eight-week course focusing on the new parent role that has been thrust upon them. Weekly sessions include “Addressing the Role of the Absentee Parent,” “Navigating the School System,” “Behavior Management,” “Grandparent Resources,” “Physical Health and Wellness,” “Mental Health and Wellness” and “Finances and Creating Dream Pathways.”

Walter F. White Elementary certified as a No Place for Hate school

From L-R: Dale W. Tate, guidance counselor, NPFH chair; Holland Levinson, education director, Anti-Defamation League (NPFH Program); Tamarah Larkin-Currie, principal, White Elementary; and Ronald Garlington, counselor coordinator, APS-OSPS

Walter F. White Elementary learned Monday that it has been officially certified as a No Place for Hate School by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the group announced in a press release. The announcement came in a Banner Certification Program in which Hollande Levinson, ADL education director, presented a banner to White guidance counselor Dale W. Tate. Tate also serves as the guidance counselor for F.L. Stanton, which also has received No Place for Hate certification.

Grady High reaps more national journalism honors

Grady High‘s Grady News Now (GNN) won the prestigious Pacemaker Award at the 2010 National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) conference in Kansas City, Mo., in November. The award signifies that GNN ranks as one the top five scholastic broadcast programs in the nation. This is GNN’s third Pacemaker Award.

GNN also took first place Best in Show at the NSPA fall convention. In competition with the very best scholastic broadcast programs from all over the country, GNN is No. 1! (Check out GNN’s SchoolTube channel here.)

Grady students won individual awards at the NSPA fall convention. Ben Gittelson of The Southerner earned an honorable mention in the 2010 NSPA News Photo of the Year competition for a November 2009 photo (below)

of Kasim Reed celebrating the election results that sent him into a runoff. Ben was one of only five photographers to win an award in the news category. In the Journalism Educator’s Association (JEA) Write-Off Competition, Kathleen Quillian (The Southerner) earned a superior rating in the Podcast competition. Ashley Brown (news writing), Daniel Wilco (feature writing) of The Southerner, Sarah Wingate (newsmagazine design) of Nexus, and Lindsey Ferris (broadcast public service announcement) of GNN earned excellent ratings. Jonathan Stone (yearbook clubs copy and captions) of The Orator earned an honorable mention.

The Southerner was recognized an NSPA Pacemaker Award finalist, one of only 56 newspapers so honored. Check out The Southerner online here.