Friday, February 28, 2003
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Friday, February 28, 2003 |
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Hinkle is Coweta STAR student Northgate High School student Lauren Hinkle was announced as the Coweta County STAR student of 2003, at the annual Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce STAR student and teacher breakfast Feb. 25. Hinkle - who was supported by mother Laura Hinkle and Northgate Principal Wayne Outlaw - also introduced Northgate teacher Jeff Gordon as her STAR teacher, recognizing Gordon as the teacher who has influenced her the most during her academic career. Hinkle is now eligible to compete for district and possibly state STAR student. Before the announcement, Hinkle and Gordon were introduced along with the STAR students and teachers from Newnan High School, East Coweta High School and the Heritage School. Lamar Wright, the Chairman of the Chamber's Education Committee, hosted Tuesday's STAR student breakfast, which was held at the Central Educational Center conference center in Newnan. Tuesday's annual STAR breakfast was introduced by Chamber Board Chairman Sam Jones and by Coweta County School Superintendent Peggy Connell. Connell congratulated the STAR students and teachers, and also thanked the assembled business leaders for their support of education in Coweta County. Students, teachers and the school system are successful because of "business partnerships and supporters of education like you. And a quality education is the key to our quality of life in Coweta County." In addition to Miss Hinkle, this year's STAR students for Coweta were: East Coweta High School: Elizabeth Brass. Her STAR teacher was Frances Bilon. Brass is the daughter of Robert and Linda Brass. The Heritage School: Michael Humphrey. His STAR teacher was Glenda Davis. Humphrey is the son of Craig and Kathy Humphrey. Newnan High School: Jane Skinner. Her STAR teacher was Vivian Dunn. Skinner is the daughter of Winston and Lynn Skinner. The STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition) program is sponsored primarily by the PAGE Foundation Inc., which is part of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, and is co-sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Locally, the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event. A top academic senior is chosen for each High School in Georgia as that school's STAR student. STAR students must have the highest score in one sitting on the SAT taken through the Nov. test date of their senior year, and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students in their class. STAR students select their STAR teachers, meant to be the teacher who has had the greatest. Elizabeth Brass said she thought seriously as she chose her teacher, asking herself what constitutes greatness. Brass said she ruled out wealth or even leadership. "Service - that's greatness," said Brass. Great teachers are motivated not by reward or even appreciation, but by service to children and young people, she said. To be a great teacher "you have to truly have a servant's heart." Though she has had many excellent teachers, Bilon, above all, "made me feel special," and so she chose her as her STAR teacher. The students not only praised their teachers, but teachers, in turn, praised the outstanding students. Vivian Dunn praised Jane Skinner to chamber members as a "talented, artistic and intelligent" student, someone who "lives her beliefs," is valedictorian of this year's NHS graduating class, and is a student who had recently completed, in only two months, a college-level course in Discrete Math. Glenda Davis said that she knew Michael Humphrey, the son of teachers, was a special student when he skipped lunch one day to carry on a scholarly argument with her over Dante's Inferno. Elizabeth Brass - also her graduating class' Valedictorian - plans to study medicine, is captain of her soccer team and, as a student, is "competitive, witty, determined... she will be something as an adult," said Frances Bilon. Hinkle is a student for whom Gordon has been called on to write many, many letters of recommendation, because she is such an active student, he said. A member of the marching band, yearbook staff, Beta Club and Future Business Leaders of America, Hinkle would like to attend Columbia University or perhaps Mercer University, because of the strong liberal arts core curriculum at both schools. Hinkle credited not only Gordon, but also her mother, Laura Hinkle, with her success. In particular, she thanked her mother for inculcating her with an early love of reading. Mrs. Hinkle, like the other parents at Tuesday's STAR breakfast, was very happy to see her child honored. "I'm very proud of Lauren," said Mrs. Hinkle. She agreed with her daughter, that "it has been a lifelong love of books and reading that has helped Lauren excel at everything she does." Mrs. Hinkle read to her daughter "even before she knew what a book was," she said. The Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce's breakfast meeting was the first of the organization's monthly membership breakfast to be held at CEC, which will become the regular venue for the monthly breakfasts. Tuesday's breakfast honoring STAR students and teachers was sponsored by 12 local banks, including Bank of America, Bank of Coweta, The Bank of Georgia, BB&T, Farmers and Merchants Community Bank, FLAG Bank, 1st Community Bank, Newnan Coweta Bank, Regions Bank, SouthTrust Bank, Wachovia Bank, N.A., Washington Mutual Bank.
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