Some students will start off the school year with a few changes when they return on August 13.

Students at Peachtree City Elementary and Hood Avenue Primary will notice different principals at the helm. Kristen Berryman, former principal of Hood Avenue, is now the principal of Peachtree City Elementary. She swapped her post with principal Kiwanna Kennedy who is now at Hood Avenue. Both principals, whose schools have earned “distinguished” status under their leadership through the No Child Left Behind Act, say they are looking forward to getting to know their new students and parents.

About 500 students will become the charter students of Fayette’s newest middle school, Bennett’s Mill, which is located next to Cleveland Elementary on Lester Road in Fayetteville. The school’s mascot is a bronco and the colors are blue, white and gold. Bennett’s Mill will open with 72 classrooms including 15 science labs, 45 regular classrooms, six special education classrooms and three team planning rooms as well as rooms for band, chorus, strings, technology, business, health and weight training. The school’s principal is Rae Presley-King.

The state has adopted new immunization rules that went into effect July 1, 2007. Children under 5 years of age attending pre-K programs are required to have protection against pneumococcal disease by obtaining the pneumococcal conjugate vaccination.

There are additional doses that have been added to three existing vaccine requirements for children entering kindergarten and sixth grade: two doses of the Mumps, two doses of Measles and two doses of the Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccines. Parents can get additional information about the new immunization requirements from their healthcare provider or by visiting the Georgia Immunization Program website, www.health.state.ga.us/programs/immunizations.

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