2010-11 Colleton County School District Teachers of the Year

Congratulations to the following teachers for their outstanding achievement.

~ ~ ~ Rookies of the Year ~ ~ ~

Allison Baumgardner – Bells Elementary School

Barbara Gehlmann – Colleton County High School

Hillary Solymosi – Cottageville Elementary School

Shannon Smith – Forest Circle Middle School

Amy Hilton – Forest Hills Elementary School

Jessie Preacher – Hendersonville Elementary School

Jessica Steele – Northside Elementary School

Deidre Bartley – Thunderbolt Career and Technology Center

~~~Teachers of the Year ~ ~ ~

Karen Sanders – Bells Elementary School

Janet Chaplin – Black Street Early Childhood Center

Melissa Crosby – Colleton County High School

Felicia Millen – Colleton Middle School

Elizabeth Alford – Cottageville Elementary School

Katherine Loresch – Forest Circle Middle School

Patricia Gibson – Forest Hills Elementary School

Wilsey Hamilton - Hendersonville Elementary School

Kim Peurifoy - Northside Elementary School

Mebane Connelly – Ruffin Middle School

David Brantner – Thunderbolt Career and Technology Center

2010-2011 District Rookie Teachers of the Year

Amy Hilton

Barbara Gehlman

2010-2011 District Teachers of the Year

Wilsey Hamilton - Elementary

Katherine Loresch - Middle School

Melissa Crosby - High School

2010-2011 TEACHER of the YEAR

Melissa Crosby

Colleton County Jumpers

Congratulations to the Colleton County Jumpers who attend HES, FCM and CMS. The Colleton County Jumpers placed 2nd & 3rd in the state competition on Saturday, May 1, 2010. The 2nd place winners will represent South Carolina in the World Competition, which will be held on June 18-20, 2010.

Band of Blue at Solo and Ensemble Festival

Congratulations to all of our Band of Blue members that performed at Solo and Ensemble Festival this past Friday at Fort Dorchester High School. The Band of Blue earned 34 Superior ratings and 16 Excellent ratings and now qualify for the Outstanding Performance Award for the 16th time.


The OPA recognizes band programs in SC that are superior in marching, concert, region/all-state and solo and ensemble. The Band of Blue has earned this honor for last 15 out 16 years in a row.

Congratulations also to our 7th grade Middle School and 8th grade Junior Band members on earning 25 Superior Ratings and 14 Excellent Ratings this year at Solo and Ensemble. Students from Forest Circle, Colleton Middle and Ruffin Middle School performed solos, duets, trios, quartets and large ensembles to earn their ratings.

Colleton County Represented at the Rally for Public Education at Statehouse

by Anna Stephens Varnado

          On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, Superintendent Williams, along with several educators and their family members attended the Enough is Enough Rally at the Statehouse in Columbia. The rally began at 5:00 p.m. and was attended by about 3,000 friends of public education. Patricia Salley (CCEA President), Darlynn Garrett (CMS) and Robert Tiegs (FHE) were in attendance representing TEAM COLLETON. Two students, Patrick Salley (CCHS) and Jasmine Salley (HES) also attended. Approximately fifteen groups across the state of South Carolina organized this rally to include, the South Carolina Education Association, Palmetto State Teachers Association, the Olde English Consortium, the State Board of Education, and the NAACP. School districts came by the busloads to tell the legislators that "Enough is Enough!" Enthusiasm and strong calls for action resonated throughout the lawn and on the steps of the capitol building, letting the legislators know that we are not going to stand for any more excuses, mandates, and cuts to public education. Stephen Peters, nationally known motivational speaker and educational consultant and a product of Colleton County Schools, was the awe-inspiring keynote speaker. He gave us our call to action.

           Colleton County School District, how can we all help? What is our call to action? First of all, there are over 17,000 educators in the state of South Carolina who are not registered voters. If you know of any of them, encourage them to register to vote. The legislators are looking to cut over $100 million from the education budget. Therefore, our spending per pupil in the state is at the 1995 financial level, yet it is now 2010. Secondly, on March 16, 2010, the Colleton County School Board adopted a resolution asking the South Carolina General Assembly to support public education during this economic crisis. (The complete resolution is available for viewing on the CCSD's homepage.) Therefore, please e-mail our legislators (fullscleg@mail.colleton.k12.sc.us), asking them to support our board's resolution. One e-mail using this address will reach every one of our legislators. Please send the e-mail from your personal addresses, not the school's. Also, call your legislators, and encourage your students and parents to call and e-mail them. Let's get these e-mails out IMMEDIATELY! Until we unify and serve our call to action, our voices will go unheard as "there is strength in numbers." Enough is Enough!

Palmetto Gold and Silver Award Winners

Congratulations to Colleton County School District’s 2009-2010 Palmetto Gold and Silver Award Winners!

PALMETTO GOLD
EDISTO BEACH ELEMENTARY
THUNDERBOLT CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER

PALMETTO SILVER

NORTHSIDE ELEMENTARY

Barbara Gehlmann "Rookie of the Year" - Caught in the Act

Click on the following link to view the video of Barbara Gehlmann "Caught in the Act".

Click HERE

Colleton County High School Singers perform at Carnegie Hall

The Colleton County High School Singers perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on Friday, March 19, 2010. They performed Mozart's Solemn Vespers.