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East Coweta High School student T.J.
Hemphill was named Coweta County’s 2008 STAR student Friday, at
the annual STAR Student and Teacher luncheon hosted by the
Newnan Rotary Club. Hemphill and three other seniors – from Northgate High School, Newnan High School and the Heritage School – appeared at the noon event as their school’s STAR students. Each student was accompanied by their chosen STAR teacher, as well as parents, principals and counselors. The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program, or STAR Program, is held each year to recognize top academic students at county high schools. A top student is selected from among them to respresent the county as a whole in upcoming regional STAR recognitions. The Newnan Rotary Club and President David Galloway hosted the local STAR program for the second year. This year’s STAR students, teacher and STAR student parents are: East Coweta High School – STAR student Thomas John (T.J.) Hemphill STAR Teacher Dan Harrington, A.P. Chemistry Parents Andy and Melinda Hemphill The Heritage School – STAR student Garrett Bosecker STAR Teacher Glenda Davis, A.P. English Parents Scott and Joretta Bosecker Northgate High School – STAR student Erin Blake STAR Teacher Michael Berry, A.P. History Parents Kevin and Kathy Blake Newnan High School – STAR student Julianne Wyrick STAR Teacher Kelly Finger, A.P. Chemistry Parents Charles and LeeAnn Wyrick Harrington taught Hemphill Advanced Placement (A.P.) Chemistry at East Coweta High School. He is now a chemistry teacher and department head at Landmark Christian School. He was chosen by Hemphill as his STAR teacher, and described the county STAR as an exceptional chemistry student and an avid student of history. Harrington said that Hemphill, who is who is planning to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology next year, as a student who had engaged him intellectually, as well. While a student in his class, Hemphill had introduced Harrington to historical novels and other works that deepened a mutual appreciation of American history. STAR students show praise for their STAR Teacher by naming them as the educator who most influenced their academic achievement. All three STAR students were praised in turn by their teachers Friday. Newnan High’s Kelly Finger described Wyrick - also Newnan’s 2008 Salutatorian – as “the epitome of a Christian young lady” as well as an exceptional student. Heritage’s Davis - who has known Bosecker since he enrolled at the school at age 3 – described watching him grow into "a lively and precocious young gentleman" and an outstanding academic student who has always maintained an insatiable intellectual curiosity. Northgate’s Berry described Blake - who is also Northgate’s Valedictorian - as “normal, outgoing, social” as well as an exceptional student. He said that other teachers predicted to Berry that she would be his “number one” student in his class, and yet, he said jokingly, he had his doubts early on because she was not a “stereotypical” scholar in her sociability. Harrington and Hemphill were joined by East Coweta High School Principal Derek Pitts and counselor Melissa Brubaker. Heritage School’s Bosecker and Davis were joined by Heritage Headmaster Judith Griffith. Northgate High’s Blake and Berry were joined by Principal Therese Reddekopp and counselor Michelle Hutcheson. Newnan High’s Wyrick and Finger were joined by Principal Doug Moore and counselor Bonita Flounnory. The Rotary luncheon was also attended by Coweta County Board of Education members and the Coweta County School System Superintendent Blake Bass. The STAR Program is held throughout the state of Georgia each year to recognize outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. During the past 50 years, the STAR Program has honored more than 20,000 high school seniors who have, in turn, chosen STAR teachers to share in this recognition. The Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), was selected in 1994 by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to coordinate the statewide STAR Program in association with the Chamber and the Georgia Department of Education. Under the program a top academic senior in each participating Georgia high school is selected each year as the STAR student for that high school. To be named STAR, students must have the highest score in one sitting on the new three-part Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) taken through the November test date of their senior year. They must also be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average. East Coweta’s Hemphill and Harrington can now participate in the March 11 STAR student banquet in Columbus, Georgia. The State STAR student banquet will be held in Atlanta on April 30.  STAR students: Honored at the 2008 Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Friday were, left to right, teacher Dan Harrington and STAR student T.J. Hemphill (East Coweta High, also Coweta County STAR student), teacher Glenda Davis and STAR student Garrett Bosecker (the Heritage School), teacher Michael Berry and STAR student Erin Blake (Northgate High), and teacher Kelly Finger and STAR student Julianne Wyrick (Newnan High).  County STAR student: East Coweta High School student T.J. Hemphill, center, was named Coweta County’s 2008 STAR student Friday, at the annual STAR luncheon hosted by the Newnan Rotary Club on Friday. Pictured left to right are Newnan Rotary Club President David Galloway, East Coweta High School Principal Derek Pitts, Coweta County School Board Chairman Frank Farmer, East Coweta and County STAR Teacher Dan Harrington, STAR student T.J. Hemphill, Coweta County board member Winston Dowdell, board member Sue Brown, Superintendent Blake Bass, board member Mike Sumner, and board member Harry Mullins. |