DCSS Update: October 2016

DCSS Update Pg. 2
Drug free is the only way to be
J.D. Sumner
DCSS Public Information Office
October is marked by a lot of welcomed
events.
The crisp cool of fall returns; the
leaves start to change; football teams hit
their stride and, in schools across the nation,
students pledge to remain drug free
through the Red Ribbon Week Campaign.
And while skeptical adults may view
the pledge to remain drug free by students
as one that is largely lip service, recent
studies show that the push to keep
students free of illicit drug use may be
working.
According to the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, a June 2016 survey of
8th, 10th and 12th grade students called
“Monitoring the Future,” reported a decrease
in the number of students who
reported using alcohol, cigarettes and
illicit drugs with some indicators at their
lowest levels since the inception of the
survey.
In three major areas, the survey
notes decreases in drug use in the following
ways:
• no increase in use of marijuana
among teens
• decreasing use of synthetic
drugs
• decreasing misuse of prescription
drugs.
And while this is certainly news to
celebrate, the survey did also include
some warning signs that appear to coincide
with what appears to be a growing
acceptance by the U.S. towards recreational
marijuana usage.
The survey notes that, among students,
there is a softening of attitudes
and negative perceptions towards the use
of marijuana.
The survey results, while encouraging,
show that there needs to be continued
focus on educating students of
all ages on the impact of drug use and
implications it has on social interactions,
potential job and educational impact
and the damage they can cause to one’s
health.
As for the DCSS, its heartening to
see such a vast committment on behalf
of teachers and students to remain drug
free. You can view the NIDA study here.
About the Cover
The October cover is an homage to the work our students
and staff do to show their committment to the National Red
Ribbon Week and to remaining drug and alcohol free.
Inside, you’ll see photos and read how the DCSS family
came together to re-affirm their committment to the Red
Ribbon and continue the push to educate both themselves
and the community about the dangers of drug abuse.

Pg. 3
DCSS Update
DCSS Leadership Team
Dr. David C. Mosely
Superintendent
Mr. Jack Willis
Assistant Superintendent
for Support Services
Dr. Ufot Inyang
Associate Superintendent for
Academic Services
Mr. Kenneth Dyer
Associate Superintendent & Chief
Financial Officer
Dr. Kim Ezekiel
Director of Federal Programs
Mrs. Sonya Spillers &
Mr. J.D. Sumner
Public Information Office
Dougherty County
Board of Education
Ms. Velvet Riggins
Board Chair, District 3
Mr. Robert Youngblood
Vice Chair, District 1
Mr. Milton Griffin
District 2
Mrs. Melissa Strother
District 4
Reverend James Bush
District 5
Dr. Dean Phinazee
District 6
Mrs. Geraldine West Hudley
At-Large
About our District...
The Dougherty County School System is the local education agency for Albany
and Dougherty County in Southwestern Georgia. At the end of the 2015-2016 school
year, enrollment was 15,001 students with nearly 2,600 teachers and staff members.
Our Schools:
Albany High School
431-3300
801 W. Residence Ave.
Grades 9-12
Principal: Rodney Bullard
Dougherty Comprehensive
High School
431-3310
1800 Pearce Ave.
Grades 9-12
Principal: Dr. Jeffrey Ross
Monroe Comprehensive High
School
431-3316
900 Lippitt Dr.
Grades 9-12
Principal: Vinson Davis
Westover Comprehensive High
School
431-3320
2600 Partridge Lane
Grades 9-12
Principal: William Chunn
Albany Middle School
431-3325
1700 Cordell Rd.
Grades 6-8
Principal: Eddie Johnson
Merry Acres Middle School
431-3338
1601 Florence Dr.
Grades 6-8
Principal: Dr. Gail Griffin
Radium Springs Middle Magnet
School of the Arts
431-3346
2600 Radium Springs Rd.
Grades 6-8
Principal: Dr. Valerie Williams
Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet
School
431-3362
324 Lockett Station Rd.
Grades 6-8
Principal: Thelma Chunn
Southside Middle School
431-3351
1615 Newton Rd.
Grades 6-8
Principal: Dr. Frederick Polite
Alice Coachman Elementary
School
431-3488
1425 Oakridge Dr.
Grades K-5
Principal: Melissa Brubaker
International Studies Elementary
Charter School
431-3384
2237 Cutts Dr.
Grades K-5
Principal: Dr. Zeda George
Lake Park Elementary School
431-3370
605 Meadowlark Dr.
Grades K-5
Principal: Kenosha Coleman
Lamar Reese Magnet School of
the Arts
431-3495
1215 Lily Pond Rd.
Grades K-5
Principal: Dr. Angela Shumate
Lincoln Elementary Magnet
School
431-3373
518 W. Society Ave.
Grades K-5
Principal: Dr. Todd Deariso
Live Oak Elementary School
431-1209
4529 Gillionville Rd.
Grades K-5
Principal: Laytona Stephenson
Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary
School
438-3502
3125 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Grades K-5
Principal: Vontressa Childs
Morningside Elementary
School
431-3387
120 Sunset Lane
Grades K-5
Principal: Christine Ford
Northside Elementary School
431-3390
901 14th Ave.
Grades K-5
Principal: Katina Allen
Radium Springs Elementary
School
431-3395
2400 Roxanna Rd.
Grades K-5
Principal: Bruce Bowles
Robert H. Harvey Elementary
School
431-3367
1305 E. Second Ave.
Grades K-5
Principal: Dr. John I. Davis
Sherwood Acres Elementary
School
431-3397
2201 Doncaster Way
Grades K-5
Principal: Yvette Simmons
Turner Elementary School
431-3406
2001 Leonard Ave.
Grades K-5
Principal: Dr. Deborah Jones
West Town Elementary School
431-3409
1113 University Ave.
Grades K-5
Principal: Steven Dudley

Making the Grade:
DCSS Graduation rates top state average; continues upward climb
The average graduation
rate of
the four DCSS
high schools
lifted the system above the
state average, according to
the Georgia Department of
Education.
Albany High School,
Monroe Comprehensive
High School and Westover
Comprehensive High
School each had a graduation
rate above the state
average. Dougherty Comprehensive
High came in at
just five points from making
the list.
Albany High made the
largest gain, jumping more
than 5.5 points and topping
out at 84.6%. Dougherty
High also saw its graduation
rate improve by 1.4 points
to 72.3%. Monroe had the
third highest total at 82.5%
and Westover topped the list
at 86.4%.
This marks the fourth
straight year the graduation
rate has improved system-wide.
“We’re certainly proud
of the work that our high
school teachers and students
have been doing, especially
at Albany High and Dougherty,
where teachers and
students continue to find
success,” Dr. Ufot Inyang,
associate superintendent
of Academic Services, said.
“That being said, we still
are focused on making sure
every student that comes
through the Dougherty
County School System
graduates on time and ready
for the next level, so we will
continue pushing and working
with our administrators,
teachers and students to give
them every opportunity to
succeed.”
The increasing rate is
thought to be due, in part,
by the growing number
of DCSS students who
are enrolling in Move-on-
When-Ready courses with
our collegiate partners and
a renewed collaboration between
high school principals
and teachers.

Thanksgiving:
A look at why this holiday is
more than just about turkey
Thanksgiving is a day
when many Americans
gather together with family
for an afternoon of food and
football, but just how far do
people travel to spend turkey
day at Grandma’s house?
Which state grows the most
cranberries, and how big was
the world’s largest pumpkin
pie?
Discover the answer
to these questions, as well
as many more facts about
popular Thanksgiving foods
and traditions.
Thanksgiving
through the
ages
Though many competing
claims exist, the most
familiar story of the first
Thanksgiving took place in
Plymouth Colony, in present-day
Massachusetts, in
1621. More than 200 years
later, President Abraham
Lincoln declared the final
Thursday in November as a
national day of thanksgiving.
Congress finally made
Thanksgiving Day an official
national holiday in 1941.
Sarah
Josepha
DID YOU KNOW?
Hale, the
enormously
petitioned for a national
Sarah Josepha Hale
influential
close to 40 years, believing
Thanksgiving holiday for
magazine that “Thanksgiving, like the
editor Fourth of July, should be
and author
who val and observed by all our
considered a national festi-
waged a people.”
tireless
campaign
to make Thanksgiving
a national holiday in the
mid-19th century, was also
the author
of the classic
nursery
rhyme
“Mary Had
a Little
Lamb.”
In
2001, the
U.S. Postal
Service issued
a commemorative
Thanksgiving
stamp. Designed by

DCSS Update 6
the artist Margaret Cusack
in a style resembling traditional
folk-art needlework,
it depicted a cornucopia
overflowing with fruits and
vegetables, under the phrase
“We Give Thanks.”
Thanksgiving
on the roads
The American Automobile
Association (AAA)
estimated that 42.2 million
Americans traveled 50 miles
or more from home over
the Thanksgiving holiday
weekend in 2010.
Thanksgiving
on the table
According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, Minnesota
is the top turkey-producing
state in America, with a
planned
production
total
of 46.5
million in
2011. Six
states—
Minnesota,
North
Carolina,
Arkansas,
Missouri,
Virginia,
and Indinia—account for
nearly two-thirds of the 248
million turkeys that will be
raised in the U.S. this year.
The National Turkey
Federation estimated that 46
million turkeys—one fifth
of the annual total of 235
million consumed in the
United States—were eaten at
Thanksgiving.
In a survey conducted
by the National Turkey
Federation, nearly 88 percent
of Americans said they eat
turkey at Thanksgiving. The
average weight of turkeys
purchased for Thanksgiving
is 15 pounds, which means
some 690 million pounds of
turkey were consumed in the
U.S. during Thanksgiving in
2007.
Cranberry production
in the U.S. is expected to
reach 750 million pounds
in 2011. Wisconsin, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, Oregon
and Washington are the top
cranberry growing states.
Illinois, California,
Pennsylvania and New York
are the major pumpkin
growing states, together they
produced 1.1 billion pounds
of pumpkin in 2010. Total
U.S. production was over 1.5
billion pounds.
The sweet potato is
most plentifully produced
in North Carolina, which
grew 972 million pounds of
the popular Thanksgiving
side dish vegetable in 2010.
Other sweet potato powerhouses
included California
and Mississippi, and the top
producing states together
generated over 2.4 billion
pounds of the tubers.
According to the Guinness
Book of World Records,
the largest pumpkin pie
ever baked weighed 2,020
pounds and measured just
over
12 feet
long.
It was
baked
on
October
8,
2005
by
the New Bremen Giant
Pumpkin Growers in Ohio,
and included 900 pounds
of pumpkin, 62 gallons of
evaporated milk, 155 dozen
eggs, 300 pounds of sugar,
3.5 pounds of salt, 7 pounds
of cinnamon, 2 pounds of
pumpkin spice and 250
pounds of crust.
Thanksgiving
Around the
Country
Three towns in the U.S.
take their name from the traditional
Thanksgiving bird,
including Turkey, Texas (pop.
465); Turkey Creek, Louisiana
(pop. 363); and Turkey,
North Carolina (pop. 270).
Originally known
as Macy’s Christmas Parade—to
signify the launch
of the Christmas shopping
season—the first Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade
took place in New York City
in 1924. It was launched
by Macy’s employees and
featured animals from the
Central Park Zoo. Today,
some 3 million people attend
the annual parade and another
44 million watch it on
television.
Tony Sarg, a children’s
book
illustrator
and puppeteer,
designed
the
first giant
hot air
balloons
for the
Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade in
1927. He later created the
elaborate mechanically animated
window displays that
grace the façade of the New
York store from Thanksgiving
to Christmas.
Snoopy has appeared
as a giant balloon in the
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
Parade more times than any
other character in history.
As the Flying Ace, Snoopy
made his sixth appearance
in the 2006 parade.
The first time the Detroit
Lions played football
on Thanksgiving Day was
in 1934, when they hosted
the Chicago Bears at
the University of Detroit
stadium, in front of 26,000
fans. The NBC radio network
broadcast the game
on 94 stations across the
country–the first national
Thanksgiving football
broadcast.

7
DCSS Update

Red Ribbon
REVOLUTION
Students from across the DCSS paraded
through Hugh Mills Stadium recently,
boldly declaring that they’ll stay drug free
Thousands of Dougherty County
School System students pledged
to remain drug free during the system’s
participation in the 2016 Red
Ribbon Week.
The nation’s oldest and largest
drug prevention program, Red Ribbon
Week has grown into a nationwide
event with millions of students
pledging to live drug free.
In Dougherty County, students
started a week of events with a kickoff
at Hugh Mills Stadium where
schools and students marched into
the stadium wearing all different
shades of red, clad in creative displays
of unity against drug use.
The event featured speaker Marvin
Laster from the Boys and Girls
Club, Dougherty County Board of
Education Member Reverend James
Bush and Lamar Reese Principal
Angela Shumate.
Red Ribbon Week started in
the mid 1980’s following the brutal
kidnapping and murder of a DEA
Agent in Mexico. Since that time,
the movement has grown into the
nation’s largest anti-drug campaign
focused around children.
In the DCSS, students and principals
participate in a wide range of
events designed to promote a
drug-free lifestyle for students.
And, according to a recent survey
by the National Institute on
Drug Abuse, the programs seem
to be working.
A June 2016 survey of 8th,
10th and 12th grade students called
“Monitoring the Future,” reported a
decrease in the number of students
who reported using alcohol, cigarettes
and illicit drugs with some
indicators at their lowest levels since
the inception of the survey.
In three major areas, the survey
notes decreases in drug use in the
following ways:
no increase in use of marijuana
among teens
decreasing use of synthetic
drugs
decreasing misuse of prescription
drugs.
The survey also noted, however,
a softening of views against
marijuana; a fact that likely comes
as more states within the U.S. seek
to legalize the drug for recreational
purposes.
To view more photos from Red
Ribbon Week, check the PictureIt!
section of the DCSS Update.
(Top) Students from Lamar Reese Elem
School march around the Hugh Mills S
track showing off the creative ways they ar
ing Red to kick of the System’s Red Ribbon
(Right) Westover HIgh students perform
kickoff. (Photo credit :Terry Lewis/The
H

entary
tadium
e wear-
Week.
at the
Albany
erald)

Around the district:
Check out the latest news and
information from our schools
Westover band nabs 3rd in competition
Westover High School Marching Patriots competed
in the Spirit of the South Marching Band Showcase in
Tifton, GA, on October 8th, 2016. The Showcase was
resurrected this year after being inactive since 2004,
and this was Westover’s first time entering a competitive
marching band event since 2003. There were fourteen
bands in attendance, and five in Class AA.
Westover won third place in Class AA, and received
trophies for Superior Drum Major, Superior Color
Guard, Superior Percussion, and Excellent Band. Mr.
Jason High is band director.
Verizon donates supplies to
Alice Coachman
On Friday, September 23rd, Verizon Wireless generously
donated school supplies to the students of Alice
Coachman Elementary. The Principal, Mrs. Melissa Brubaker,
and the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Carla Malone,
graciously accepted the donation. Students received bags
filled with paper, pencils, markers and glue. The faculty,
staff, and students would like to thank Verizon Wireless
for their donation.

DCSSPD Officer pushes
literacy with Albany Tech
Radium takes middle school
football title for third straight
year
Officer Yamonika Wilson participated in the Albany Technical
College Read a Book Campaign in October. Officer Wilson met
with students and staff of ATC and read several books and provided
an overview of what her job and responsibilities are as a
Dougherty County School System Police Department Officer !!!
The Radium Springs Middle School Panthers won the district-wide
middle school crown for the third straight year on Oct.
18. The win marks a milestone for the Panther athletics program
as they continue to dominate on the middle-school gridiron.
Radium Elementary opens
the ‘Hornet’s Nest’
Radium Springs Elementary recently gave away eight bicycles
and ten basketballs to deserving students who successfully
met the criteria for a school drawing called the Hornet’s
Nest.
Initiated by principal, Bruce Bowles and assistant principal,
Shanekia Williams, the drawing is held each nine weeks
to encourage and recognize student success in several areas
including, honor roll, citizenship, attendance, dress code,
Accelerated Reader goal, academic progress, and behavior.
Students who meet the criteria have their names placed in
the Hornet’s Nest for a chance to win special prizes. This nine
weeks, the bicycles and basketballs were purchased jointly by
the school and a generous donation by local fraternity Omega
Psi Phi ETA Omicron Chapter coordinated by fraternity
member, Coach Jesse Massey.
Merry Acres singers attend
the Honors Chorus
The Merry Acres Middle School Chorus attended
the District 2 Honor Chorus on October 14, 2016.
Sixteen students qualified to go to Colquitt County
and participate in this event. While there, the students
sang musical works in Latin, German, Romanian and
Swahili. Merry Acres Middle School
Chorus is under the direction of Susan Akridge.

DCSS/Boys & Girls Club program
wins statewide award
A work-based learning
program developed
between the Dougherty
County School System’s
CTAE department and
the Boys and Girls Club
of Albany won the 2016
won two statewide awards
recently.
The program was
awarded the 2016 Program
Impact Excellence
Award and the Education
and Career Development
Award by the Georgia Area
Alliance and Council.
Boys and Girls Club
CEO Marvin Laster said in
an email to supporters that
the program is doing as
expected.
“In the fall of 2015
Boys & Girls Clubs of
Albany set out to create a
program that would better
equip young people with
the opportunities, experiences,
and exposure necessary
to ensure that they
are better prepared for life
beyond their high school
years. Thus the Work Based
Learning (WBL) program
was developed. Each of
you were champions for
this program from the
beginning and we sincerely
appreciate your commitment
to the young people
WE serve.”
Building on its after
school programming,
the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Albany implemented a
program that would not
only provide theoretical
information on college and
career readiness, but would
provide real world experience
and exposure while
encouraging academic success
and civic engagement.
The Work-Based Learning
Over the course of
this comprehensive, collaborative
program, Club
members participated in
weekly Teen Nights held
Monday- Thursday from 6
pm - 9 pm nightly. During
Teen Nights, members
participated in mandatory
programs such as Diplomas
2 Degrees, Money Matters,
and Career Launch.
Additionally, members
were required to maintain
a minimum grade point
average of 2.5, complete
100 hours of community
service, complete 100 hours
of on the job experience in
their assigned internship/
apprenticeship. At the end
of each nine weeks, CTAE
Club members who met
the attendance, grade point
average, community service
and internship/apprenticeship
minimum received a
$125 stipend. At the end of
the fourth nine weeks, 12
grade CTAE Club members
successfully meeting
their quarterly requirements
received a $500 scholarship.
To encourage success
in the Work-Based Learning
program, Boys & Girls
Clubs of Albany provided
quarterly community service
opportunities, for program
participants, as well
as supplemental internship
experiences. Work Based
Learning participants hosted
College Weeks at their
respective Clubs, participated
in various college-based
field trips, and served as
tutors and peer mentors to
younger Club members.
Our annual youth
outcomes survey illustrates
many positive findings
from participation in Boys
& Girls Clubs of Albany’s

Work Based Learning program:
• Among our teenaged members,
95 percent expect to graduate
from high school, and 90 percent
expect to complete some post-secondary
education.
• At least once per year or
more, 78 percent of •Club teen members
volunteer in the community, and
69 percent of members participate in
Club-based service.
• More than 60 percent of
Club members participate in physical
activity 5 or more days a week, and
100 percent of Club members have
abstained from marijuana use.
Of the twelve high school seniors
enrolled in the Work-Based Learning
program: 100 percent graduated from
high school; 10 successfully enrolled
in college and/or technical school;
one joined the Air Force; and one
is gainfully employed and intend to
enroll in technical school in spring
2017.
Overall Work-Based Learning
participants:
• 100 percent maintained an
overall grade point average of 2.5 or
higher.
• 100 percent successfully
completed the required minimum
of 100 internship/apprenticeship
hours, with 11 participants successfully
completing their hours by the
end of the third nine weeks grading
period and 14 continuing to intern
at the Club during the 2016 Summer
Enrichment Program.
• 11 members exceeded the
required minimum of 100 community
service hours by an additional
96 hours.
• 83 percent met the required
Teen Night participation minimum
of 2 nights per week.
As a result of the successful
inaugural implementation of the
Work-Based Learning program,
Boys & Girls Clubs has recently
begun the second implementation
of the program Boys & Girls Clubs
of Albany prides itself on its history
of transforming lives, and has
a bold plan for helping even more
youth in our community achieve
great futures.
Turner students plant teaching gardens
Students in grade 5 at Turner Elementary planted
a school garden. The garden will be used as a teaching
tool, not only for encouraging healthy eating, but
also for improving students’ learning in core content
areas.
Lessons will include focus on teaching new nutrition
concepts; helping students understand where
their food comes from; providing students with
positive experiences with vegetables and providing
a hands-on context for students. Students planted
romaine lettuce, carrots, collards and herbs and allows
them to practice the science, math, language and social
studies concepts they’re working on in class.
Students were assisted by community volunteers,
(Linda Harris, Dygante McCoy, James Morgan, Kristin
Casto, Victor Luke and Ronald Bell), administrators,
teachers, and parents.
LRES students have career
dress-up day
On Halloween Day, Lamar Reese Magnet School of the Fine Arts
hosted their annual “Career Dress - Up Day”. This event was held
to allow students a chance to dress creatively as a precursor to
their future career choices. The students have been learning that
selecting a successful future career starts early in life therefore, the
students were very eager to dress in their full career attire as a part
of our career awareness and career exploration counseling initiative.
Students were given an opportunity to share what career profession
they have selected as well as what training would be required for
their chosen career choice. The entire student body along with a
number of faulty & staff members participated in this event coordinated
by Dr. Tonya McDuffie ,Professional School Counselor.

Turner takes new approach to mentoring
Turner Elementary School hosted
their 1st annual Check & Connect
Kickoff mentoring program.
The families of the mentees were
present. During the program, the
mentees presented positive affirmations
about themselves. All mentees
received a bag of school supplies and
refreshments were served.
Check & Connect is a comprehensive
intervention designed
to enhance student engagement at
school and with learning for marginalized,
disengaged students in grades
K-12, through relationship building,
problem solving and capacity building,
and persistence.
The “Check” component refers
to the process where mentors systematically
monitor student performance
variables such as absences,
tardies, behavioral referrals, and
grades.
The “Connect” component refers
to mentors providing personalized,
timely interventions to help students
solve problems, build skills, and
enhance competence. Mentors work
with two students and their families
for at least two years, functioning as
liaisons between home and school
and striving to build constructive
family-school relationships.
Tinikler dazzles in ASU
Homecoming parade
Lamar Reese Magnet School of the Arts opened in 1999
and since then their award winning Cheerleaders & Tinikler
team has been winning awards ever since.
Once again this year the Cheerleaders and Tinikler team
received first place in the Albany State University Homecoming
parade in the walking category . Congratulations to
Principal Dr. Angela Shumate, cheerleading Coaches Mrs.
Carmen Hicks – Anderson & Ms. Dawn Stanley along with
the Tinikler Coaches Deon Lanier & Latasha Edwards.

Mayor Hubbard speaks to
MLK students
State Farm Agent Kent Nance speaks to a class at Dougherty
Comprehensive High School. Mr. Nance will help DCHS students
navigate the Entrepreneurship Career Pathway.
State Farm agent to serve as
business partner at DCHS
State Farm Agent and Entrepreneur, Kent Nance,
will serve as a business partner with the Entrepreneurship
class at Dougherty Comprehensive High School.
He will assist students in developing a business
plan, which will be their end-of-the-pathway final
summative assessment for the class. Students in the
class are enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Career
Pathway.
Entrepreneurship focuses on recognizing a business
opportunity, starting a business, and operating
and maintaining a business. Students are exposed to
the development of critical thinking, problem solving,
and innovation in the course as they will be either the
business owner or individuals working in a competitive
job market in the future.
Integration of accounting, finance, marketing,
business management, legal, and economic environments
will be developed throughout this course.
Additionally, Mr. Nance has initiated the introduction
to a career portfolio. He plans to visit the class frequently
to present future workshops. As a final project,
students will generate a business idea, which will
be developed into a written business plan.
Students will present their final business plan to
a panel of entrepreneurs developed by Mr. Nance.
Mrs. D. Lewis is the instructor for the Entrepreneurship
class.
Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard met with the third grade students
at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School to reinforce
social studies standards taught in the third grade. Students were
able to participate in a government session with Mayor Hubbard.
She discussed the mayor’s responsibilities as well as the requirements
for becoming a mayor. Mayor Hubbard also shared plans
for improving Albany and the importance of voting with her
audience. Third grade teacher Quannekqua Norris coordinated
this activity.

PictureIt!
A photo gallery of happenings
around the district

All in a Name:
School officials, community
members and students come together
to honor a former principal
Members of the community
joined with school
officials and students recently
to officially re-name
an East Side school after
one of its longtime principals.
By all accounts, Rober
H. Harvey was the definition
of a school leader.
Compassionate but with
a backbone and a focus
on discipline and academics,
Harvey helped shape
generations of Albany
youth during his time as an
educator and principal.
October 16, former
students, family and educators
gathered to not only to
remember Mr. Harvey, but
to honor him by placing his
name on the school that is
now educating a new crop
of students.
Led by Principal Dr.
John Davis, III, community
members poured into
the school to take tours,
meet and greet with teachers
and to share stories of
the man who used to walk
the halls.
The movement to rename
the school started as
Mr. Harvey was in failing
health and gained momentum
after his passing.
“We have many community
members who went
to school here with Mr.
Harvey; parents,teachers
who went to school here
with Mr. Harvey, Now
we’re afforded the opportunity
to teach their kids,
their nieces, nephews, their
grandkids, so it’s a very
historic day for the Robert
Harvey Community,” said
Principal John I. Davis.
Click here to watch
a video of the renaming
ceremony.