For years students and educators alike have passed through the halls of John Wesley Dobbs Elementary without making a connection to the man for whom their school was named — until Friday. Dobbs’ daughter, June Dobbs Butts, and niece, Juliette Dobbs Blackburn-Beamon, appeared at the school as part of The HistoryMakers project. Dobbs was one of six schools around APS to welcome guests who provided educational and entertainment oral histories. This particular program is part of a nationwide back-to-school effort from the organization.
Hill-Hope Elementary
Save the date: APS Neighborhood Celebration for southeast schools, Oct. 2!
UPDATE: Check out these profiles on Coan Middle School, King Middle, Parkside Elementary, the participating Confucius Institute schools, and the charter schools. Download and share this copy of the flyer!
The second annual APS Neighborhood Celebration will take place between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2, at Maynard H. Jackson High School (801 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta GA, 30316). Part pep rally, part open house, the “All for All, One by One” event will celebrate our neighborhood schools through student performances, a “Parade of Schools,” school displays and a canned food drive benefiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hosea Feed The Hungry & Homeless. (Check out last year’s amazing Neighborhood Celebration!)
Parents, prospective students, Realtors and school, civic and business partners from the southeast Atlanta community are invited to attend to experience what’s happening at their neighborhood APS school. For more information, email zrobinson@atlantapublicschools.us.
Come back to this page for continual updates and previews from the participating schools as they give us a sneak peek at what you can expect as we celebrate our southeast Atlanta schools! For example, you can learn about such exciting school program’s as Jackson High’s performing arts offerings (pictured above).
Featured schools:
• Maynard H. Jackson High
• Coan Middle
• King Middle
• Atlanta Charter Middle
• Charles R. Drew Charter
• Imagine Wesley International Academy Charter
• Neighborhood Charter
• Intown Academy
• Benteen Elementary
• Burgess-Peterson Academy
• Cook Elementary
• East Lake Elementary
• Parkside Elementary
• Hill-Hope Elementary
• Toomer Elementary
• Whitefoord Elementary
• Tech High
Shouting at Hill-Hope Elementary is typically against the rules. Unless, that is, it happens to be University T-shirt Day and the students are at a school-wide rally, chanting the words “I am college bound!” at the top of their young lungs – all at Principal Cassandra Ashley’s request. University T-shirt day is part of the school’s University Week program, designed to expose students to the little-known (or even imagined) world of higher education.
“I was the first in my family to go to college,” Dr. Ashley recalls. “I want the children to know if they work really hard, the dream of college can be theirs. College can change their life as it changed mine.”
Hill-Hope Elementary has launched a “Flip-Flops February Hygiene for Haiti Initiative” for the entire month of February. Students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members are encouraged to donate hygiene products including (but not limited to) deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair products, baby powder, baby oil, lotion, Vaseline, female products to the school. The supplies will be sent to Haiti on Feb. 26.
On that same date, students and staff members will have an opportunity to show off their favorite flip-flops and have a huge celebration due to their contributions to Haiti. Thanks for your support with this initiative! Hat tip to Principal Cassandra Miller-Ashley for the info.
Hill-Hope Elementary School began a monthly “Professional Attire Day” on Wednesday, Jan. 27, in which students dress up in professional attire to support their future professional careers. The school will bring in several members of the community who will speak to the students about their own professional careers. The event takes place on the last Wednesday of every month.
“Our students need to see professional role models who can convey professionalism as well as share the impact that professional opportunities will have on the future while mentoring our students,” said Hill-Hope Principal Dr. Cassandra Mill-Ashley. “At Hill- Hope, every child is aware that they are being prepared to further their education at a university or college.
The first speaker was Taryn R. Taylor (pictured), attending physician in the Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Taylor is also an assistant professor of both pediatrics and emergency medicine at Emory University. She is currently a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Here are the dates for future “Professional Attire Day”:
Wednesday, February 24
Wednesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 28
More than 300 parents, community members and APS employees packed the gymnasium of Inman Middle School on Monday to hear Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall’s report on SRT-3 schools. Atlanta Board of Education members Emmett D. Johnson, Cecily Harsch-Kinnane (vice chair), Brenda Muhammad and Mark Riley were present.
The superintendent talked about the district’s work to position students on their journey to college, and she answered questions on topics ranging from testing to school closures. In addition, Dr. Hall shared SRT-3’s academic highlights, some of which are listed below: