Houston County’s 2021 Graduation Rate Higher than State

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) recently released the 2021 high school graduation rates. Houston County’s 2021 graduation rate is 88.8 percent, 5.1 percentage points higher than the state’s rate of 83.7 percent.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Scott said, “The graduation rate for our district consistently outperforms the state average, and this is something our entire community can celebrate. This achievement highlights the important work happening in our classrooms as we work to produce high-achieving students.”

Since the four-year cohort graduation formula was implemented in 2011, the district’s rate has increased by 15.6 percentage points, from 73.2 percent. Read the GaDOE release online here. School and district results for Georgia may be accessed here: PDF | Excel.

To read the complete news release, click here.

Houston County Bands will Host Band Night on October 26, Free Community Concert

Houston County Band Night will be held Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m. at McConnell-Talbert Stadium. Every middle school band and high school marching band in the Houston County School District will be represented. The show is free and open to the public.

Band Night will begin with a mass band rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” played by all middle and high school band students. Middle school students will perform two song selections together. After the middle school performance, each of the high school marching bands will entertain the audience with their individual 2021 halftime and competition shows.

In the event of inclement weather, Band Night will be held Oct. 28. McConnell-Talbert Stadium is located at 400 S. Davis Drive in Warner Robins. For more information, please contact Warner Robins High Director of Bands, Dr. Todd Howell, at Todd.Howell@hcbe.net.

To read the complete news release, click here.

Houston County Teacher Selected as the Georgia Pre-K Teacher of the Year

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) has named Stephanie Curington from Kings Chapel Elementary School as Georgia’s public school Pre-K Teacher of the Year.

As Pre-K Teacher of the Year, Curington received money to cover a classroom makeover and travel costs, as well as a cash prize for herself. She will serve as an ambassador for Georgia’s Pre-K Program through public speaking, representing the program at various meetings, and modeling effective classroom practices.

Curington was selected from six semi-finalists who each received a classroom observation by a DECAL Pre-K Specialist. Each finalist submitted a small group video scored by outside judges, had a classroom observation, and faced a panel for an in-office personal interview.

To read the complete news release, click here.

Perry High School to Host Author Damon West October 22

Perry High School will welcome Damon West on Friday, October 22 at 8:00 a.m. in the Perry High competition gym. Damon West is a nationally known keynote speaker and best-selling author of The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change with Jon Gordon, best-selling author, and motivational speaker.

The theme of the 2021 Perry High School football season has been “Be a Coffee Bean,” based on principles shared in West’s book. West will be speaking directly to the football team as he shares his story and how the book came to be written.

Kevin Smith, Perry’s head football coach, said, “Throughout this season, we’ve challenged our players to be a coffee bean. The Coffee Bean is a great reminder to all of us that we have the power to transform our environment, overcome challenges and create positive change.”

To read the complete news release, please click here.

Veterans High School Wins GHSA Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award

Veterans High School recently received a Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award for 2020-2021. Presented by Flint Energies, this award recognizes programs whose students, athletes, coaches, spectators, and others illustrate outstanding respect, fairness, honesty, and responsibility before, during, and after athletic competitions.

The Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award extends to anyone involved in the athletic event, which honors both the school and community. To be considered for this award, anyone associated with high school activities programs, including spectators, must illustrate outstanding respect, fairness, honesty, and responsibility before, during, and after athletic competition.

View the GPB Media Productions video at this link: https://vimeo.com/604967346/42d338c95f. 

To read the complete news release, please click here.

Warner Robins High School to Host 23rd Annual Heart of Georgia Band Competition on October 23

The Warner Robins High School Demon Marching Band will host the 23rd annual Heart of Georgia Marching Band Invitational (HoG) on October 23 at McConnell-Talbert Stadium. One of the premier marching contests in Georgia, Warner Robins High will host more than 14 bands of all sizes from schools across the state, including Northside High, Perry High, and Veterans High. Gates open at 12:00 p.m. The Invitational will begin with opening ceremonies at 1:00 p.m. and the first competition band performance at 1:20 p.m. Performances will continue throughout the day and conclude with the awards ceremony at 8:40 p.m.

There will be special exhibition performances by the Warner Robins High School Demon Marching Band at 8:00 p.m. and Troy University Sound of the South at 8:20 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at 8:40 p.m. For a complete schedule, please visit the HoG Invitational website.

To read the complete news release, please click here.

Flu Vaccine Offered for Houston County Students & Employees

The Houston County Health Department and Houston County School District have partnered for the 13th year to offer a free flu vaccine to students and employees at school. The flu shot is being offered at 41 sites between October 18 and November 16. In order to receive the vaccine at school, students are required to bring a completed consent form.

For the sixth year, school nurses have collaborated with the Houston County Health Department to bring additional vaccinations to employees at work. During the school flu clinics, employees may obtain the following vaccines: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Influenza. Health Department nurses make recommendations regarding personal immunization needs based on vaccination records in the Georgia Registry of Immunization Services (GRITS). Vaccinations will be provided at no out-of-pocket expense for employees who are covered by Medicaid, Peachcare, Medicare, Wellcare, Aetna, Amerigroup, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coventry, or Tricare.

To read the complete news release and access additional consent forms, please click here.

Veterans High School Junior Named to State Student Advisory Council

Molly Brown, a junior at Veterans High School, has been selected for State School Superintendent Richard Woods’ 2021-2022 Student Advisory Council. 

The Student Advisory Council is a group of students who discuss how the decisions made at the state level affect students throughout Georgia. Members were selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants; students in grades 10-12 were eligible to apply. Applications were reviewed and scored by a panel of GaDOE staff members, and students were chosen based on the strength of their essay answers, which focused on their ideas for public education.

There were 66 students throughout Georgia selected to serve on this year’s council; the full list can be found here. 

To read the complete news release, click here.