Posts filed under ‘Facilities’
Springdale Park Elementary recognized at the State Capitol as a Georgia Green Ribbon school
Congratulations to Springdale Park Elementary School, APS’ 2012 Georgia Green Ribbon award winning school.
Springdale Park students and staff were recently recognized at the State Capitol by the GA. Lt. Governor for their environmental innovations.
Earlier this year, Springdale Park, in collaboration with the Atlanta Public Schools Facilities Department, submitted an application to the Georgia Green Ribbon Schools Awards Program. On Friday, March 9, 2012, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle sent official notification that Springdale Park has been named a Georgia Green Ribbon School. The Georgia Green Ribbon Award is a result of a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education, the Office of the Lt. Governor, the U.S. Green Building Council of Georgia, the Georgia EPD, the Clean Air Campaign, and the Turner Foundation.
This recognition is given to high performing, healthy green schools where the staff, students, officials, parents and communities have worked collaboratively to make progress in the three pillars of the green school activity. The three pillars are as follows:
- Optimal efficiency in energy, water, and waste management
- Healthy students and school environment
- Environmental Education*
The Georgia Department of Education has nominated Springdale Park to the U.S. Department of Education to compete for the coveted national distinction of being a National Green Ribbon School. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to determine the final award winning schools in April and will host a national recognition awards ceremony in Washington D.C.
In Georgia, the Turner Foundation has generously pledged $10,000 for the school or schools who are recognized with a National Green Ribbon. When multiple Georgia schools are selected for the National Green Ribbon Program, they will split the prize.
This year, four schools were selected to represent Georgia in the national contest: Arabia Mountain High School (DeKalb County Public Schools), Crabapple Elementary School (Fulton County Public Schools), Savannah Country Day School (Savannah private school), and Springdale Park Elementary School (Atlanta Public Schools).
“In these challenging times, school systems across the state are embracing innovative ideas to reduce costs and focus resources on the classrooms where students learn,” said Lt. Governor Cagle. “I’m proud to launch the National Green Ribbon Schools contest to recognize Georgia schools that are implementing groundbreaking tools to reduce their energy costs. This will allow us to redirect precious financial resources towards direct instruction, create a healthier learning environment for our children, and give our students career-relevant, first-hand experience in one of our state’s emerging industries.”
“I am very pleased we have schools in Georgia that are striving to be more efficient, especially in this very difficult economic environment,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “Congratulations to our first group of Georgia Green Ribbon Schools. We’re confident that at least one of these schools will bring home a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award.”
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SPRINGDALE PARK ELEMENTARY
Springdale Park Elementary School, an Atlanta public school, was certified LEED Gold. It reduced its energy costs by more than 18% by installing an onsite geothermal ground source heat pump, which both heats and cools the school. It also saves energy by using a passive solar design with daylighting, sensors, and efficient lighting fixtures. The school has implemented water-efficient practices to reduce indoor and outdoor water use; has a green procurement process for cleaning supplies, paper and furniture; and is a Clean Air School. Springdale Park has two gardens and 39% of the school’s food is grown within a 200-mile radius. The environmental science standards in the Georgia Performance Standards are taught in every grade, applying the scientific method also known as the Characteristics of Science.
View the Mays High School Ribbon Cutting Media Gallery
Click below to view the full gallery of photos from the Mays High School ribbon cutting held Thursday, March 1, 2012.
Celebrating two more promises made and kept to improve school facilities
Therrell HIgh School Ribbon Cutting - October, 2011
Continental Colony Elementary School Ribbon Cutting - October, 2011
The district recently held ribbon-cutting celebrations for D.M. Therrell Educational Complex and Continental Colony Elementary School. Both campuses, located in the Greenbriar Mall area, opened August 2011 as state-of-the-art, multimillion-dollar learning facilities. Board Chair Brenda J. Muhammad and District 6 Representative Yolanda Johnson participated in the ceremonies for both schools. In addition, board members Emmett Johnson and Nisha Simama, and Superintendent Davis helped to mark the occasion at Continental Colony. Other APS capital improvement projects completed during the 2011-12 school year are as follows:
- Mays High School – will be completed December 2011
- Lakewood Stadium – will be completed December 2011
- Peyton Forest Elementary – was completed July 2011
Renaming ceremony for the athletic field at Grady Stadium set for Saturday
ATLANTA – The renaming ceremony for the athletic field at Grady Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Monroe Drive and 10thStreet, Atlanta, GA 30309. The field is being named the Eddie S. Henderson, Sr. Athletic Field at Grady Stadium.
Eddie S. Henderson, Sr. served with Atlanta Public Schools for 31 years.
The athletic field is being renamed in honor of the late Eddie S. Henderson, Sr., an Atlanta native and product of APS, who was the first Black Georgian to complete the requirements for Certified Athletic Director. As the first African American coach at Grady High School, Henderson served in a number of roles, including physical education teacher, assistant and head football coach and athletic director. He also served as assistant principal at Carver High School, principal of the former Archer High School and APS Director of Athletics. Henderson passed away in 2001.
Those scheduled to participate in the renaming ceremony include Atlanta Board of Education Chair Brenda J. Muhammad; Board member Cecily Harsch-Kinnane, who chaired the Grady Field Renaming Taskforce; Herman “Skip” Mason, General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and the Henderson family. Note: Due to a scheduling conflict Superintendent Erroll B. Davis will not be in attendance.
The event is open to the public.
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Twenty-One Interim Principals Appointed to Atlanta Schools by Superintendent Erroll Davis
Superintendent Erroll Davis has appointed 21 district employees as elementary and middle school principals with Atlanta Public Schools.
Filling vacancies left void by school leaders named in the recent state led CRCT report, the principals attended a leadership institute this week, and will begin serving in their respective schools immediately.
Newly appointed APS principals met today during the district's yearly New Principal Institute
The following interim principals have been appointed:
Barbara Lashley, Bethune Elementary School
Norlethia High, Deerwood Academy
Arica Johnson, Fickett Elementary School
Ennis Harvey, Finch Elementary School
Reginald Lawrence, West Manor Elementary School
Joyce Thomas, Brown Middle School
Robert Williams, Kennedy Middle School
Vonda McKeever, Benteen Elementary School
Peter Settelmayer, Dobbs Elementary School
Melanie Mitchell, Humphries Elementary School
Eunice Hutchins-Jones, Slater Elementary School
Mary Benton, East Lake Elementary School
Leah Goodwin, Coan Middle School
Paula Herrema, Inman Middle School
Michael McKnight, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
Sabrina Hayes, E. Rivers Elementary School
Abby McKinnon, Towns Elementary School
Gregory Parks, Usher/Collier Heights Elementary School
Meredith Kaltman,White Elementary School
Susan McClendon,Woodson Elementary School
Jerry Parker, BEST Academy
This group joins Keisha Gibbons, Interim Principal of Boyd Elementary School and Shanda Beadles, Interim Principal at Hutchinson Elementary School, appointed earlier this month to lead two of the district’s year round schools.
Superintendent Erroll Davis greets staff members at Boyd Elementary where Keisha Gibbons, (center), was recently appointed interim principal at the year round school.
“Leaders are responsible for the culture of an organization,” said Davis. “Good educators always put students first and we have many good, hardworking, committed educators.”
Superintendent Davis has also committed to filling the positions of all teachers implicated in the report, prior to the start of the school year. Setting the bar high for the upcoming school year, Davis wants educators to know, “There is nothing inconsistent in demanding high performance with high integrity. We expect both.”
Atlanta schools on a traditional school calendar begin classes on Monday, August 8, 2011.
By Tammy Garnes, APS Social Media ManagerSuperintendent Erroll Davis meets with community stakeholders
Erroll Davis vists the staff of Boyd Elementary School during Day One APS
Recently, superintendent Erroll Davis met with several groups in an effort to share the district’s preliminary CRCT response plan and to help restore the community’s confidence in APS.
The Mr. Davis spent time with year-round school employees during Day One APS, touring the campuses of Centennial Place Elementary, Boyd Elementary and Hutchinson Elementary. Central office staff joined Davis for an informal ”brown bag lunch,” announced as the first of many, where he took questions from employees and heard updates and addressed concerns from various department members. Later in the week, the newly appointed superintendent met with members of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
The superintendent plans to continue his dialogue sessions by attending the following upcoming events :
July 20–22: Principals Academy (internal event)
July 25: Assistant Principals Academy (internal event)
July 28–29: New Teacher Orientation (internal event)
July 21: District 4 Town Hall Meeting (open to the public)
Board Member Nancy Meister will host a town hall meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Garden Hills Elementary.
July 25: SNAPPS to Host ‘Coffee and Conversation With the Superintendent (open to the public)
The time and location of this special meeting of the Southwest and Northwest Atlanta Parents and Partners for Schools will be announced next week, when details are finalized.
Year Round Schools Prepared for Day One and Beyond
Day One APS for year-round schools — Centennial Place, Hutchinson and Boyd elementary schools — began Wednesday, July 13.
Students at all three schools returned to the classroom, with Hutchinson welcoming new principal S. Beadles and Boyd welcoming former Centennial assistant principal, now turned principal, K. Gibbons. All students experienced breakfast in the classroom for the first time. This is a new effort launched by APS’ nutrition department. Transportation reported that all buses arrived on time and as scheduled. Principals at all three schools expressed excitement about the beginning of the year round school year.
“Today went better than I could have ever expected,” said principal Gibbons. Boyd elementary hosted a 1:30 school wide meeting to introduce their new principal to students and parents.
The lobby of Centennial elementary was filled with a dazzling number of potted green plants. A beautiful compliment for their atrium which was filled with natural light and wide eyed kindergarten students, excited about learning how to walk in a straight line. ”Watch your lips and your hips,” said a kindergarten teacher as they walked, causing the 5 and 6 year olds to giggle.
Hutchinson utilized their Spanish language instructor to help principal Beadles greet students from the neighborhood. Newly appointed SRT-2 Director Danielle Battle was also on hand to greet parents and students with hugs. Students began the day with an assembly then walked to their assigned classes. Beadles, a former science model teacher leader, was also excited about using social media this year to communicate with her students. ”I’m still learning how to tweet,” she said.
Superintendent Erroll Davis visited all three schools during the day, spending a great deal of one-on-one time with each principal. Parents were kept up to speed throughout the day with live tweets from the @apsupdate Twitter feed.
Day One APS for traditional schools is Monday, August 8.
Atlanta Board of Education initiates personnel actions related to the state investigation report
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Board of Education approved personnel changes recommended by Interim Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. in response to the state CRCT investigation report that replaced the regional leadership for APS schools, along with a principal at one of the district’s year-round schools that begins classes for the new school year Wednesday. The action came at the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday evening.
The district’s regional school management is divided among four geographical areas, known as School Reform Teams (SRT). The following changes were made to the leadership of those organizations:
- SRT-1 – Donell Underdue, former principal at Brown Middle School, replaces Sharon Davis-Williams as executive director
- SRT-2 – Danielle Battle, former principal at Martin Luther King Middle School, replaces Michael Pitts as executive director
- SRT-3 – Betsy Bockman, former principal at Inman Middle Schools, replaces Robin Hall as executive director
- SRT-4 – David White, former principal at E. Rivers Elementary School, replaces Tamara Cotman as executive director
Keisha Gibbons, former assistant principal at Centennial Place Elementary School, replaces Emalyn Foreman as principal at Boyd Elementary School, a district year-round school that begins classes for the new school year Wednesday. Additional personnel actions associated with the state investigation are expected in the next days and weeks.
In other action, Board of Education member and former chair Khaatim Sherrer El resigned his District 2 seat at the meeting. He said that he was resigning to accept an out-of-state position. Board Chair Brenda J. Muhammad congratulated El for his service to the children of Atlanta and participated in a standing ovation for him. There will be a special election in November to elect a new board member for District 2. The Board is expected to elect an interim representative to serve until the election.
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Work continues on capital improvement projects
To ensure that school construction and renovation projects are completed on time, APS employees and contractors are hard at work during the summer months. Following is a list of major capital projects and their scheduled completion dates during the upcoming school year:
- Continental Colony ES – July 2011
- Peyton Forest ES – July 2011
- Therrell HS – August 2011
- Mays HS – December 2011
- Lakewood Stadium – December 2011
