Schools

Ga. Connections Academy accepting students for 2014-15 school year

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014, 8:23am

Ga. Connections Academy accepting students for 2014-15 school year

(WXIA) -- A few seats are still available at Georgia Connections Academy for the 2014-15 school year.

Georgia Connections Academy is a virtual K-12 public school that allows students to learn at their own pace. It is fully accredited and open to all school-age Georgia children.

"We are enrolling 1,000 additional students across all grade levels for the coming academic year," lead principal Heather Robinson said in a release. "We have a waiting list as we open enrollment, so we encourage parents to get their applications in now."

Georgia Connections Academy will hold a number of information sessions across the state for parents who want to know more. Additional enrollment information is available at connectionsacademy.com/georgia-virtual-school.

Upcoming information sessions in the Atlanta area include:

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014, 10:30am

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- Nine public high schools in Cobb County were named 2014 AP Merit Schools by State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge.

An AP Merit School is a school where at least 20 percent of students take Advanced Placement exams. At least 50 percent of the exams taken at an AP Merit School earn passing scores of 3 or higher.

Cobb County's schools on the list include:

* Harrison HS
* Hillgrove HS
* Kell HS
* Kennesaw Mountain HS
* Lassiter HS
* North Cobb HS
* Pope HS
* Sprayberry HS
* Walton HS

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014, 10:02am

Marietta HS named AP Access and Support School

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Marietta High School was named a 2014 AP Access and Support School by State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge.

An AP Access and Support School is a school where at least 30 percent of Advanced Placement exams are taken by students who identify as African-American and/or Hispanic. At least 30 percent of the exams taken at an AP Access and Support School earn passing scores of 3 or higher.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, February 21st, 2014, 8:09am

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has brought back its Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest for 2014.

This year's theme is Plug into Nature, emphasizing the importance of experiencing wildlife and plants firsthand.

All Georgia students in grades kindergarten through 5 are invited to enter the contest. The top 12 winners' posters will be displayed on the DNR's Flickr site and at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry during the first two weeks in May.

Contest entries are due Apr. 16. Three winners will be picked in four categories (kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-4, grade 5).

Visit georgiawildlife.com for more information about the contest.

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Submitted by Donna Lowry, 11Alive Reporter

Monday, February 17th, 2014, 2:39pm

Teacher creates apps to help with math fluency

MARIETTA, Ga - When you entered Martin Esterman's seventh grade math classes last year at Marietta Middle School, you'd see students playing video games on their phones, tablets or computers for the first five minutes of the period.

All the students are playing the same game.

"This is my game, Addition Blocks," said Esterman. "There's a lot of great educational games out there, but there shooting things, but where the math involved? With this one, the game is math," said Esterman.

ADDITION BLOCKS WEBSITE

Nearly three years ago, Esterman wrote the game as a hobby, but then he found his seventh graders enjoyed playing.

Later, he found a national STEM Video game design competition and entered. He had to not only provide a prototype of the game, but a research paper on the educational value, viability, production and development.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, February 17th, 2014, 1:23pm

Seamless Summer program feeds children when school is out

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Education will once again offer its Seamless Summer nutrition program when school lets out for the year.

Seamless Summer provides free meals to children under the age of 18. No registration or income verification is required to receive the food.

According to the GDOE, more than 77 percent of the 500,000 breakfasts and 1.1 million lunches it serves during the school year are provided for free or at a reduced price. Georgia ranks in the top five nationwide for states with children who participate in the School Breakfast Program and/or National School Lunch Program.

In the past, more than 2,200 locations across Georgia have served meals through the Seamless Summer program.

Learn more at fns.usda.gov.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, February 6th, 2014, 2:23pm

7th Amendment essay competition to award 2 scholarships

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association is holding a scholarship essay competition for high school seniors.

The contest focuses on the 7th Amendment, which is an American's right to a trial by jury.

To enter, a college-bound senior must write an essay in response to this question:

Since the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, the 7th Amendment Right to Trial by Jury has been the cornerstone of the Civil Justice System. And yet, in the two-plus centuries since, the Right to Trial by Jury has been under near-constant assault. In your opinion, what role does the 7th Amendment play in the 21st Century, and why do you believe that it is important to safeguard this right?

All essays must be submitted to the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association no later than Monday, Apr. 7. One grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 college scholarship. The runner-up will get $500.

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