Holly Springs Optimist Club Honors Special Needs Students and Staff

Etowah HS Principal Robert Horn gets a hug from student Jack Clark during the Optimist Club awards breakfast.

The Holly Springs Optimist Club recently honored eight CCSD students, along with an outstanding teacher and a paraprofessional at its annual High School Awards breakfast, which recognizes outstanding special needs students and their supportive teachers and staff.  The 2023 honorees are:

• Cherokee HS: Kenneth Payne, Presented by Lori Johnson
• Creekview HS:  Javier Camacho, Presented by Chloe Lynch & Kathy Murphy
• Etowah HS: Jack Clark, Presented by Robert Horn & Amy Blanton
• River Ridge HS: Josh Womack, Presented by Caitlin Gelatka
• Sequoyah HS: Madison Wolff, Presented by Melissa Echt
• Tippens Education Center:  David Ruiz, Presented by Dane Holcomb
• Transition Academy: Ryan Controy, Presented by Jeanne Rottner
• Woodstock HS:  Jonathan Gibson, Presented by Amy Heil

The teacher award for Outstanding Achievement in Education went to Sadie Chadwick from Woodstock HS; and the Paraprofessional of the Year award went to Lori Wells, Sequoyah HS.  Kim Rogers, transition support specialist in the CCSD Special Education Department, served as emcee for the event.

Students received trophies and gift bag after a Chick-fil-a breakfast; the staff awards included plaques and gift bags, along with balloon centerpieces for each student and staff winner. School Board Member Kelly Poole attended the event, along with senior staff from the Curriculum & Instruction division and its Special Education department. Members of the Optimist Club (Debbie Rabjohn, Jason Blakey, Marianne Butler, Michelle Meek, and Mike Stott) closed out the program reciting the Optimist Creed.