Atlanta Public School scholars received free eye exams at Deerwood Academy thanks to partners like Georgia Lions Club Lighthouse Foundation. Scholars who need them will also receive free eye glasses!
I am APS is a special series highlighting students, faculty, alumni, and others in celebration of the rich and diverse experiences, backgrounds and contributions within the Atlanta Public Schools family. Together, we stand in solidarity of our shared admiration of APS and the mission which guides us. #IamAPS
Andrea Norman and Ethan Seay, fifth grade students at Deerwood Academy. Photo by Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
Deerwood Academy students Andrea Norman and Ethan Seay are two remarkable fifth graders who are passionate about learning and embody the school’s student-centered environment.
Norman is a member of the Debate Club, Math Club, and Girls Who Game. She is a true problem solver and likes to extend a helping hand to her peers. Inspired by the legacy of her grandmother and older brother, Norman aspires to follow in their footsteps as a future real estate agent.
Likewise, Ethan Seay is a natural leader whose innate ability to navigate between teamwork and assertiveness sets him apart. Engaged in the Debate Club, Math Team, Leadership Council, and GATE program, Seay embraces every opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. With aspirations ranging from athletics to teaching to law, Seay has endless possibilities.
Norman and Seay shared with us their mutual affinity for writing and how they are prepared to transition to middle school as students with confidence, aptitude, and intellect.
Andrea Norman is a fifth grade student at Deerwood Academy. Photo by Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
ANDREA NORMAN
Deerwood Academy’s 10-year-old family real estate successor.
What is one of your strengths as a student?
I believe I possess the skills to be a good problem solver. If there’s a problem with the work, I try to get everything that I need to figure out how to fix the problem. And I try to help other classmates with their work if they need help.
What do you like most about being a student at Deerwood?
What I like most about being a student at Deerwood is that there’s always someone here to help you if you need it. And you’ll never have to worry about not having help. You always have a teacher or a student to ask for help with something.
Do you have a favorite subject?
Yes, I like English Language Writing (ELA), where we read stories and then write either opinion writings, narrative writings, or something similar. We take tests every month or two on a writing [assignment], and we really just try to improve our writing and practice for the Georgia milestones.
I also like social studies. I like how interesting it is, and how you get to learn about the past, and how entertaining it is. We learned about the Great Depression, and what stood out to me was how the stock markets shut down because of the money problems after the war. That’s one thing that stood out to me because it happens in America a lot. So I think it’s pretty cool to learn about [those things].
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to sell real estate. My grandma has a real estate [career], and she said she is going to pass it down to me and my brother, who is about to graduate and [start his career in real estate].
Ethan Seay is a fifth grade student at Deerwood Academy. Photo by Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
ETHAN SEAY
Deerwood Academy’s 10-year-old leader and future athlete.
What do you like about being a student at Deerwood?
One thing that I really like about going to school here is that there are opportunities to join different clubs or to be a leader in the school. There’s the leadership council, there’s debate, and many other ones.
What is your favorite subject?
I think it would probably be grammar because I like learning about synonyms and the way they help me build my vocabulary. It also transcends into writing a narrative. You can use better words to help readers picture your story in their minds.
How are you building connections in school?
I’ve had some of my friends I’ve had since kindergarten, and they would explain things to me [about] school. And then now here [at Deerwood], when there are new students, I do the same thing that people did for me when I first came here.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
One thing is an athlete, and if don’t make it in sports, then I would be a teacher or a lawyer. I would play either football or basketball. I’m kind of leaning towards football because I have more knowledge about it, but there’s a high risk of injuries, and I haven’t really been playing a lot of tackle football, really just two and touch. And basketball, I have a lot of knowledge in, and I can play pretty well.
I like that teachers can be caring. If a student needs help then I can use critical thinking to solve their problem.
Are you learning things in school that will help you become any of those things?
Yes. With sports, I’m learning things like teamwork and critical thinking. Same with teachers. And then confidence for being a lawyer. You’ve got to have knowledge about the person you’re defending. I think that this school helps me learn more about those things.
This slideshow provides just a glimpse at some of the amazing things that happened at Atlanta Public Schools in November. Click through to see the highlights from your school. A new slideshow will be posted at the end of each month, so be sure to subscribe to APS Today and look for your scholar or your school!
The Music Studio Atlanta’s Cafe Jam Band performed for Warren T. Jackson Elementary students 
Warren T. Jackson was recognized as a Georgia Literacy Leader for Achievement by GADOE (90% or higher literacy rate). 
WT Jackson students had author Kevin Poplawski visit our students. 
Sylvan Hills Middle School’s community project at Perkerson Elementary School. 
Sylvan Hills Middle School’s community project at Perkerson Elementary School. 
Springdale Park Elementary School Thanksgiving Luncheon. 
One Fair at Heritage Academy Nov 16, 2023 Brayan Bonilla and Lola Shy. 
Messiah and Khloe Huey present their project at the One Fair at Heritage Academy. 
Hutchinson Students at the Georgia Tech Lady Jackets basketball game. 
Hutchinson Spellingbee winner and runner-up. 
Hutchinson Students with the Lady Jackets after their victory against Costal Carolina. 
J.W. Dobbs Elementary at the APyeS! Awards Gala. 
The regional meeting with Dr. Battle at Dobbs Elementary School. 
J. W. Dobbs Elementary School 2023 Spelling Bee winners. 
Student at Jean Childs Young Middle School receiving hair care in The Den. 
The Jean Childs Young Middle School Academic Bowl team placedsecond overall at the PAGE Middle School Scrimmage. 
Long Middle School at the APyeS! Awards Gala. 
Long Middle School students participated in the Level Up Minecraft Student Build Challenge. 
Long Middle School in the APS Middle School Football Championship Game. 
Parkside Elementary staff supports Pandarettes performance at Georgia Festival of Trees. 
Peyton Forest Elementary School Thanksgiving Luncheon. 
Triple A Readers at Peyton Forest Elementary School had their final readers theatre performance of the book “Show Way!” 
South Atlanta High School’s 2023 graduation rate was 87.7% 
South Atlanta High School Hornets Renaissance. 
Hispanic Heritage Celebration at South Atlanta High School. 
Springdale Park Elementary School’s Book Fair. 
Literacy Night at Springdale Park Elementary School. 
Page Turners Book Club at Miles Elementary School. 
IB Caring Profilers of the Month at Miles Elementary School. 
Garden Hills Chew Crew sampling new lunch items. 
Garden Hills second grader making a model of Abraham Lincoln to scale. 
Garden Hills kindergarten student as drill leader during Fundations lesson. 
Dunbar’s Band performs at APyeS! Awards Gala. 
Nordstrom and Operation Warm Winter Coat Giveaway at Dunbar Elementary School. 
Dunbar Elementary School Thanksgiving Luncheon. 
Deerwood Media Specialist, Deedre Rice escorts top overall Buzzer Reader winner, Jordan Thompson and top 5th Grade winner, Malik Bell, to the court to be recognized at Georgia Tech’s Women’s Basketball Game. 
Deerwood Academy takes top spots in Georgia Tech Buzzer Reader Competition and attends GT Womens Basketball Game. 
Boyd Elementary School’s Thanksgiving luncheon. 
Literacy Week at Boyd Elementary School. 
South Atlanta received a check from Hibbett and Nike to be used by our Athletics Department. 
South Atlanta Lady Hornets who are in the BuildHer program went on a field trip to visit the BuildHer Studios in downtown Atlanta. 
South Atlanta High School is excited to partner with Empowr in providing students an opportunity to learn how to build apps.
The Atlanta Public Schools second annual Picture Book Bowl brought together students from kindergarten through third grade who were excited to showcase their reading skills.
Twenty-two APS schools participated in the virtual team competition over Zoom. Back in March, the Georgia Book Award Committee outlined 20 award-winning picture books for participants to read before the competition.
“This is a competition that celebrates the joy of reading and the love of reading that’s being developed in our youngest readers,” APS director of library media services Jennifer Saunders said. “The students are able to shine. They are able to show that they are readers, that they enjoy reading and are reading for the love of reading.”
Each participating school had a team of 10 students that went head-to-head against another school using an app called Buzz In Live.
The students were excited to answer the questions about the books they read and earn points for their team. They cheered when they got a question right and encouraged their classmates if they got a question wrong.
“The volunteers really liked the excitement from the students,” Saunders said. “They were also impressed by how the students encouraged each other. They said, ‘Way to go! You can do this! Keep going!’ So students were also learning sportsmanship, how to lose, how to win, and how to celebrate each other and encourage each other.”
“The volunteers were very impressed with the confidence that was displayed in the students,” she added. “This was a confidence-building activity as well as risk-taking. We think of the IB characteristics, and being a risk-taker is one of those. This gives students the opportunity to do something they may not otherwise have done before.”
By the end of the competition, it was Usher-Collier Elementary School that finished with a game-high 430 points to win the APS Picture Bowl. M. Agnes Jones Elementary School was a close second place with 420 points, and both Kimberly Elementary and Harper Archer Elementary School tied for third place with 330 points.
“This appeals to students who thrive in competition, and it motivates them and encourages them to want to do more and do better and to hone their reading skills,” Saunders said. “Oftentimes, our readers can be the more quiet students, and they don’t always get recognized. But this is an opportunity for them to really stand out and be among peers that have similar interests.”
This slideshow provides just a glimpse at some of the amazing things that happened at Atlanta Public Schools in October. Click through to see the highlights from your school. A new slideshow will be posted at the end of each month, so be sure to subscribe to APS Today and look for your scholar or your school!
Books and Badges reads to a BAMO kindergarten class. 
Monthly staff faculty and staff recognitions. Crew Leader, Support Staff, Team of the Month and Teacher of the Month at BAMO. 
Tony Talks visits BAMO as the Living Life guest speaker. 
Books and Badges reads to Boyd Elementary School students. 
Boyd Elementary PBL Production Night. 
Red Ribbon Week at Boyd Elementary School. 
Nerd Day at Bunche Middle School. 
Bunche Middle School wore pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. 
Deerwood Academy Literacy Team hosts Schoolwide Accelerated Reader Parade to encourage reading and increase literacy and comprehension skills. 
Deerwood Academy’s 3rd Grade Team honored as Literacy Leaders by Georgia DOE and State Superintendent Richard Woods for 17 percent gain on Georgia Milestones assessment. 
Books and Badges reads to students at Dunbar Elementary School. 
Dunbar Elementary students take part in their campus cleanup. 
Dunbar Elementary School students wear red glasses for Red Ribbon Week. 
Eco Sneakers and MARTA deliver shoes to students and staff at F.L. Stanton Elementary School. 
Books and Badges read to students at F.L. Stanton Elementary School. 
F.L. Stanton Elementary students create art projects based off a book they read. 
Heritage Academy students tend to their school garden for Garden Day. 
Heritage Academy students create signs for Garden Day. 
John Lewis Invictus Academy students on a visit to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. 
The Title 1 parent engagement meeting at John Lewis Invictus Academy. 
The J.W. Dobbs Brag Tag student incentive town hall assembly. 
The J.W. Dobbs Jr. Beta Blub prepares their ‘Stop the Bullying’ campaign. 
Crawford Long Middle School cheerleaders came in second place of the district competition. 
Crawford Long Middle School was recognized as a Common Sense Education school during Digital Citizenship Week. 
The Crawford Long Middle School Esports team began their season. 
The young men at Crawford Long Middle School working the grill during the Grilling and Drilling Family Engagement event. 
Miles Elementary School cheerleaders perform at Mays Cluster night. 
First responders read to kindergartners at Peyton Forest Elementary School. 
Peyton Forest Elementary School pre-k cheerleaders ready for their night with the Mays High School cheerleaders. 
Sarah Smith Elementary students ready for the Fun Run. 
The Sarah Smith Elementary School social cues detectives. 
Sarah Smith Elementary School staff participating in a team building exercise. 
Sylvan Hills Middle School wore pink for Breast Cancer Awareness. 
Sylvan Hills Middle School wore yellow and black for No Place for Hate Day. 
The Atlanta Falcons Hometown Huddle at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School. (photo: Thomas Scott) 
The Atlanta Falcons Hometown Huddle at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School. (photo: Thomas Scott) 
The Atlanta Falcons Hometown Huddle at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School. (photo: Thomas Scott) 
Usher’s New Look launched its program at the Douglass 9th Grade Steam Academy. 
APS Flag Football Invitational. 
APS Flag Football Invitational. 
APS Flag Football Invitational.
This slideshow provides just a glimpse at some of the amazing things that happened at Atlanta Public Schools in September. Click through to see the highlights from your school. A new slideshow will be posted at the end of each month, so be sure to subscribe to APS Today and look for your scholar or your school!
The Garden Hills Boosterthon Fun Run raised over $11K for our school. (photo: Katie Carlson) 
The Garden Hills Boosterthon Fun Run raised over $11K for our school. (photo: Katie Carlson) 
Trees Atlanta Urban Treetrackers program taught 3rd and 4th grade students at Garden Hills Elementary School about the water cycle and engaged their curiosity about our urban forest. (photo: Katie Carlson) 
Booker T. Washington High School students met with local entrepreneurs representing minority and female-owned businesses during Minority Enterprise Development Week. 
Bunche Middle School opened a new book vending machine on campus. 
Deerwood Academy unveiled its new Out Teach outdoor learning space with an outdoor classroom and two raised veggie beds. 
Deerwood Academy celebrates National Dot Day. 
Heritage Academy celebrating Grandparents Day 
Heritage Academy celebrating International Dot Day at Heritage Academy, where people of all ages are encouraged to tap into their creativity. 
Student at Heritage Academy on International Dot Day at QuiverVision Augmented Reality station making a dot come to life. 
The Dobbs Elementary School APS 5K race team. 
Donuts for Dads at Dobbs Elementary School. 
Dobbs’ National Grandparents Day Celebration. 
Peyton Forest Elementary School students having a fancy tea party. 
Peyton Forest Elementary students racing spheres using coding. 
Sylvan Hills Middle School Homecoming Court 
Grandparents Day at Boyd Elementary School. 
Grandparents Day at Boyd Elementary School. 
Goodr provided free groceries for the families at Boyd Elementary School. 
Student of the Month breakfast sponsored by the West Manor PTO. 
Serving breakfast at Grits with Grandparents at West Manor Elementary School. 
Newbery Award winning authors Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko visit Burgess-Peterson Academy. 
Dogtown Book Signing at Burgess-Peterson Academy. 
Burgess-Peterson Academy had the largest attendance ever at the annual East Atlanta Village Strut Parade. 
Dunbar Elementary MAP Masters Celebration. 
Dunbar Elementary Grandparent and Caregivers Appreciation Breakfast. 
Dunbar Elementary Bring Your Parents To School Day. 
STEAM in action at Douglass High School. 
STEAM in action at Douglass High School. 
Douglass High School 
Douglass High School Homecoming court. 
Cheerleaders at the Douglass High School football game. 
Hope-Hill Assistant Principal McCrary and Principal Gibbons_pop up attendance party where students got to throw water balloons at principal and assistant principal. 
Hope-Hill Elementary students Maddy and Kari twinning in our Hope-Hill spirit wear. 
Hope-Hill pop up attendance party where students got to throw water balloons at the principal and assistant principal. 
Hope-Hill student surveyors making plans for new school playground. 
John Lewis Invictus Academy students show their school pride. 
APS alumni surprised students at Parkside Elementary. 
East Atlanta Kids Club & DTP 
Everybody Wins! Reading to our 1st & 2nd graders 
Kindergarten Community Helpers at Parkside Elementary.
The students at Deerwood Academy were excited to explore the school’s new outdoor learning space as soon as the opening ribbon was cut.
The new Out Teach outdoor learning space includes a weather station, an outdoor whiteboard, seating for a full class and two raised vegetable beds.
The vegetable beds have already shown signs of life with sprouts of collard greens, thyme and celery already breaking through the topsoil and growing. The outdoor learning space opens up a new opportunity for students and teachers to innovate and expand their learning experiences.
“We want to express our gratitude to Atlanta Public Schools (APS) for being able to bring this opportunity to our school as we partnered with Out Teach, Royal Foods and Atlanta United to build an outdoor classroom for our students,” Deerwood Academy principal Joy Antone said. “We are excited because it definitely brings about a lot of different opportunities. Whether it’s just being able to connect and understand, or coming up with the possibilities of solving real-world problems and issues and looking at how we can use this space and the vegetables that we’re growing to help our community.”
Out Teach is a national educational non-profit organization that builds outdoor learning labs and trains teachers to use them to improve math, science and language arts instruction. They partnered with Royal Foods and Atlanta United to help bring the outdoor learning space to Deerwood Academy.
“We are really built to inspire and prepare tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and scientists. We really believe that the next generation is in our elementary schools and in Atlanta Public Schools,” Out Teach vice president of partnerships and growth Suzannah Koilpillai said. “We know that this space, moving forward, will provide an opportunity for teachers to get their kids inspired and engaged. We know that when they come out here now, there will be an experiment waiting to happen around every corner.”
Deerwood Academy is the fifth APS school to receive an Out Teach learning space within the last year. Dobbs Elementary and Finch Elementary Schools both have learning spaces, while Usher-Collier and Dunbar Elementary School have Out Teach learning labs. Miles Elementary School will be the next APS school to open an outdoor learning lab.
“It’s important for us to ensure that kids have innovative experiences not only inside, but also outside the classroom. This really helps them to focus on experiential learning, as well as learning about their community and how to give back to their community,” APS’ director of innovation and redesign Dione Simon said. “They’ll have an opportunity to not only learn science, math and literacy out here, but also learn how to grow things that can help them and community members.”
After the unveiling of the outdoor learning space, Out Teach led the students through a few educational activities to introduce them to their new outdoor classroom and learn some new facts about the vegetables they will be caring for.
“We created a garden club, and so our staff and students will be caring for those veggie beds as well as coming out to the outdoor classroom and experiencing nature and just being able to relate the world around them to what they are learning in class,” Antone said.
Students at Deerwood Academy marched around their campus recently to bring awareness to poverty during the school’s third annual iCare Walk initiative, which they dubbed the “March Against Poverty.”
Even before the holiday season started, students at Deerwood Academy already had the spirit of giving.
Last month they took to the streets – or at least the driveways and walkways around the school campus – to raise awareness to the plight of the less fortunate among them in the community. For the third consecutive year, Deerwood Academy students staged their iCare Walk, an initiative designed to bring attention to a community issue of concern, and then raise money to combat the issue.
In the two previous years, the themes were breast cancer awareness and bullying. This year, students targeted poverty as the theme after being inspired by the story of Terrence and Cecilia Lester, whose “Love Beyond Walls” organization works to mobilize communities to move past the walls that divide people through creative community service projects.
Earlier this fall, Terence Lester spent two months walking 650 miles from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness for poverty, which inspired the students at Deerwood Academy to hold their “March Against Poverty.” Nearly all of the 744 students participated, collecting pledges from donors based on the number of steps they took. Students will host several more fundraising events throughout the remainder of the school year. All proceeds will be combined and given to “Love Beyond Walls.”
Fifth graders Ella Loyo and Layla McReynolds were two of the event’s main organizers.
“I was with my dad one day and we saw two women and both of them had two little kids and they were just walking around in the road,” Layla said. “People like that need help and we thought this was a good way to do that.”
Ella agreed. “There are too many people with children who are struggling,” she said. “They are not able to take care of themselves and so we want to be able to help them.”
Laura Henderson, a third grade teacher at Deerwood Academy Elementary School, was nominated by a parent as a Symetra “Hero in the Classroom.” SunTrust and the Atlanta Falcons also play a part in the award.
When Laura Henderson brought her class at Deerwood Academy Elementary School down to the gym for a “special assembly” on the last day of the first semester, she had no idea it was all for her.
The third grade teacher was about to be announced as a winner in the Symetra “Heroes in the Classroom” program. Symetra partnered with SunTrust and the Atlanta Falcons to recognize this year’s teachers.
Henderson is one of 16 K–12 teachers in Georgia honored for educational excellence program during the 2015 NFL season. Teachers are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations, and they receive a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies. In addition, they receive tickets to a Falcons home game and are acknowledged during an on-field presentation. Henderson will be recognized at the January 3 game when the Falcons face the New Orleans Saints.
Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student’s parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to make a real difference in students’ lives; to go above and beyond in their day-to-day responsibilities; and to help students build life skills. Henderson was nominated by Deerwood Academy parent Belita Hamilton.
“Laura Henderson creates a trusting and safe classroom environment, where all her students can learn. She encourages the use of technology, creating real-world projects for her students like a series of STEM activities designed to help build their confidence in working as a team,” Hamilton said. “Ms. Henderson communicates with parents both when they might need some additional support and when they are excelling. She has such a kind and gentle spirit. Her generosity is evident in the supplies, snacks and extra time she spends with her students.”
Laura Henderson is mobbed with hugs by her students after being named as a Symetra “Hero in the Classroom”
Deerwood Academy Principal Camisha Perry said Henderson is a great example of the caliber of teachers working at the southwest Atlanta school.
“It speaks to the true passion for teaching and the love for students that all of our teachers have, especially Ms. Henderson,” Perry said. “It’s one thing to send an email or a note, but for a parent to take the time to go through the nominating process in order to make sure her child’s teacher gets recognized, it’s really overwhelming.”
Henderson said the award indeed caught her by surprise.
“I’ve grown really close with this group of kids,” said Henderson, who taught the same group of students last year in second grade. “They are great. For a parent to reach out like that, it makes you feel really special, really appreciated. I feel so honored.”
During APS’ College and Career Motivation week, Deerwood Academy invited professionals from throughout the metro Atlanta area into the school to speak to students about the importance of education, discipline, and how actions and decisions can impact their future careers.
The purpose of the College and Career Motivation Week is to encourage and inspire students to focus on success in school as they plan for college. CCMW is also designed to make students more aware of career options and help them better prepare to compete in a global society.
Mr. Martin Jongue, an author and motivational speaker, served as the keynote speaker for the young men of Deerwood. The keynote speaker for the girls’ program was award-winning artist Mrs. Regina Bell-Battle. Deerwood Academy would like to thank all of the professionals who took time out of their busy schedules to speak with students about future career opportunities.
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