Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

2014 Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year

CCSD Celebrates Partners of the Year, Volunteers of the Year at Inaugural Recognition Ceremony

 

School Board Chair Janet Read congratulates Russ Sanders of FactoryMation, the Cherokee High School Partner of the Year, upon being named the CCSD 2014 Partner of the Year.

 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo congratulates Carolyn Timcoe, the Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy Volunteer of the Year, upon being named the CCSD 2014 Volunteer of the Year.

The Cherokee County School District began a new tradition of recognizing and celebrating its top school partners and volunteers with the first-ever CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony.

The inaugural ceremony, held on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at Cherokee High School, recognized a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center and then made the surprise announcement of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year selected from that pool of candidates.

FactoryMation, the Cherokee High School Partner of the Year, was named the CCSD 2014 Partner of the Year, and Carolyn Timcoe, the Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy Volunteer of the Year, was named the CCSD 2014 Volunteer of the Year.

“We salute you; we appreciate you; and we wish we could clone you! “ Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo told the crowd of more than 70 honorees and their guests. “Since that is not possible, we hope that by sharing the story of your service, others will be inspired to join you in caring for our students and schools. For caring is what you do… with every deposit you make in our schools of your time, your energy and your talents. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

For the last 15 years, CCSD has seen the level of support of its partners and volunteer grow to extraordinary levels… which has made all the difference as the School District has grappled with State funding cuts and larger class sizes while continuing its strong support of innovation in the classroom and District-wide initiatives to enhance academics. This year, CCSD decided to make recognizing and encouraging business partners and community volunteers an even bigger priority for the School District.

Some of the ways the School District is accomplishing this mission include:
• The creation of Companies That Care, an umbrella program that not only supports the existing outstanding Partners in Education program through the Chamber of Commerce, but also offers other businesses and organizations the opportunity to become official partners;
• The establishment of a school-level partner and volunteer recognition system, which culminated in the ceremony on Tuesday evening that will be an annual event. Each CCSD school and center is invited to select its own Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. The honorees are to be exceptional and dedicated partners and volunteers, who inspire other partners and volunteers and have earned their respect and admiration. These honorees also are in the running to earn the title of CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. A committee of retired educators selects the two CCSD winners; and,
• Later this Spring, CCSD will for the first time recognize its most outstanding CCSD Partnerships from the long list of systemic partnerships with the community’s major businesses and organizations. These Platinum Awards will recognize significant contributions to CCSD as a whole and will be presented at an upcoming School Board Meeting.

“This event is a result of the School Board’s and Superintendent’s desire to provide recognition for our outstanding partners and volunteers both in individual schools and districtwide,” School Board Chair Janet Read said during her remarks on Tuesday evening. “The School Board is very appreciative of every one of our partners and volunteers, especially the more than 70 who are with us tonight to be recognized. On behalf of the Cherokee County School Board, we extend our congratulations to this year’s Partners of the Year and Volunteers of the Year and to their families.”

Tuesday’s recognition ceremony was sponsored by the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to raise funds and awareness for CCSD. Following the ceremony, which included tributes and the presentation of plaques to all honorees, a reception was held in the auditorium lobby. The honorees were joined at the event by their families, principals of the schools that they support and other special guests including Ms. Read, School Board Vice Chair Robert Wofford and School Board Member Rick Steiner. Welcome music was provided by the Cherokee High School Concert Band, with the presentation of colors by the Cherokee High School Color Guard. Refreshments were prepared by CCSD Food Services and the Cherokee High School Family and Consumer Sciences Department.

When the surprise announcements were made of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, both honorees received standing ovations from the audience. As the honorees took to the stage, excerpts were read from the nomination letters submitted by the principals of the schools that they support.

“Mr. Sanders fully understands the power of a community working together in support of a quality education,” Cherokee High School Principal Debra Murdock said of Russ Sanders, owner of FactoryMation. “We have several mottos at Cherokee High School; one of my personal favorites is ‘Saving the World, one Child at a time,’ a sentiment that Russ Sanders understands better than any community member I have ever known.”

Through its financial and in-kind support, FactoryMation has helped Cherokee High students earn pilot’s licenses, learn to build electric cars, attend Georgia Tech, travel to Costa Rica and much more. Mr. Sanders, in addition to being a Partner in Education, serves on the Principal’s Parent Advisory Team and on the Boosters boards for several sports/organizations.

“Russ never misses the opportunity to advise, support and champion the vision we have for our Cherokee High community,” Ms. Murdock said. “It is empowering, exciting and liberating to have a true partner for our school, a business world champion who believes with us that we still can save the world, one kid at a time!”

Three years ago, Carolyn Timcoe, a retired special needs school bus driver from the Boston, Mass. area, moved to Ball Ground and looked for a place to volunteer. She found Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy and never left. Her “home base” is the media center – every day from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but she answers the call for help in the school wherever it leads her.

“Carolyn’s contribution is extraordinary for many reasons, but perhaps the most outstanding is the amount of time she gives,” Principal Doug Knott said. “To quote Carolyn, ‘I like to stay busy,’ and she definitely does, helping out wherever she is needed.”

Teachers at the school have high praise for Ms. Timcoe, and her willingness to serve so tirelessly at a school that she was only connected to as a neighbor in the same community.

“It’s so nice to have a dependable volunteer assist with the many duties at school. Carolyn is kind and caring and always asks to help,” third-grade teacher Karen Coltrane said. “Carolyn spends countless hours working for the good of the community. We are so thankful for Carolyn and her hard work.”

2014 School Partners of the Year

Arnold Mill ES: Northside Hospital-Cherokee
Ball Ground ES STEM Academy: Awnex
Bascomb ES: Championship Martial Arts
Boston ES: Clyde M. Holmes – INVEST Financial Corporation
Canton ES STEM Academy: The Rotary Club of Canton
Carmel ES: Stevi B’s Pizza of Woodstock
Cherokee HS: FactoryMation
Clark Creek ES STEM Academy: Race Trac
Creekland MS: Trotter & Patel Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics
Creekview HS: Chick-fil-A of Canton
Dean Rusk MS: Robyn Adams – Horace Mann Insurance
E.T. Booth MS: Clyde M. Holmes – INVEST Financial Corporation
Etowah HS: Chick-fil-A of Towne Lake
Free Home ES: Cherokee County Farm Bureau
Freedom MS: Chick-fil-A of Canton
Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Rotary Club of Cherokee County
Hickory Flat ES: Delta Credit Union
Holly Springs ES STEM Academy: Stevi B’s Pizza of Canton
Indian Knoll ES: Starbucks – Canton Marketplace
Johnston ES: Chick-fil-A Dwarf House of Woodstock
Knox ES: Brian Ergle
Liberty ES: Williams Orthodontics
Macedonia ES: Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant of Canton
Mill Creek MS: Chick-fil-A Dwarf House of Woodstock
Mountain Road ES: Chick-fil-A Dwarf House of Woodstock
Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy: The Goddard School
R.M. Moore ES: Waleska United Methodist Church
Ralph Bunche Center: The Soleil Tennis Charity Committee
River Ridge HS: Just Driver Training
Sequoyah HS: Johnny’s NY-Style Pizza – Hickory Flat
Sixes ES: Marco’s Pizza
Teasley MS: Oak Leaf Church
Tippens Education Center: North Canton Baptist Church
Woodstock ES: Pillow Perfect
Woodstock HS: Just Driver Training
Woodstock MS: Chick-fil-A of Towne Lake

2014 School Volunteers of the Year

Arnold Mill ES: Lindsey Andrews
Avery ES: Brooke Smerjac
Ball Ground ES STEM Academy: Carolyn Timcoe
Bascomb ES: Mike McCoy
Boston ES: Tara Forrester
Canton ES STEM Academy: Deana Bearden
Carmel ES: Stacy Franks
Cherokee HS: Melanie Rockey
Clark Creek ES STEM Academy: Jerri Crenshaw
Creekland MS: Jana Cody
Creekview HS: Beth Cooley
Dean Rusk MS: Cheryl Saigh
E.T. Booth MS: Kellie Bonniwell
Etowah HS: Bill Lundeen
Free Home ES: Susan Finch
Freedom MS: Betsy Fried
Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy: Mary Latona
Hickory Flat ES: Kim Woloshuk
Holly Springs ES STEM Academy: Kelly Turner
Indian Knoll ES: Monica Jordan
Johnston ES: Jennifer Bradley
Knox ES: Selena Smith
Liberty ES: Amanda Hennessy
Little River ES: Ambrea Holman
Little River Preschool: Vanette Pierce
Macedonia ES: Amy Upchurch
Mill Creek MS: Janet Brown
Mountain Road ES: Debra Matulevicus
Oak Grove Preschool: Charelle Rease
Ralph Bunche Center: The Helping Hands of Heritage Baptist Church
River Ridge HS: Bobby Nama
Sequoyah HS: Wendy Nicholls
Sixes ES: Lauren Beatty
Teasley MS: Will Goodwin
Woodstock ES: Jennifer Maude
Woodstock HS: Allen Shulman
Woodstock MS: Rosa Gilbert-Hitchcock