Starbase 2.0

program today

Northside Middle School will host a STARBASE 2.0 after school mentoring program from 4-5:30 p.m. today. This program combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities with a school-based environment to help at-risk youth transition from elementary to middle school.

STARBASE Robins is a U.S. Department of Defense educational program sponsored through a partnership with the Air Force Reserve Command and the Museum of Aviation to help young people have fun and learn about math and science at the same time. Students interact with military personnel to explore careers and make connections with the "real world." This mentoring program has been held at Northside Middle all school year, and today’s session is the last meeting of the year.

Northside Middle is at 500 Johnson Road in Warner Robins. Jan Melnick serves as principal. For additional information, call Melnick at 478-929-7845 or contact the STARBASE Robins Director, Wesley Fondal, at 478-926-1769 or Wesley@starbaserobins.org.

Huntington student takes top prize in oratorical contest

Huntington Middle School sixth grade student Joshua Pegues won first place at the Area 3 Georgia District Optimist Oratorical Contest last month in Warner Robins, and qualified to advance to the state competition.

Students in the competition delivered a four- to five-minute speech on “Cyber Communication: Progress or problem?” “Josh did an outstanding job presenting his speech on cyber communication,” said Andrea Monday, his language arts teacher. “We are so proud of him!”

The Optimist Oratorical Contest provides young people the opportunity to “speak to the world,” according to the Optimist International Web site. The first contest was held in 1928.

Payne named to central office

The Houston County Board of Education named Eric Payne, principal at Bonaire Elementary School, as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning at last week’s board meeting. He has been employed with the school system for 15 years.

A product of the system, he attended Parkwood Elementary, Northside Junior High and Northside High, graduating high school in 1988. After earning a bachelor of science in early childhood education from Georgia Southern University, he began his teaching career at Miller Elementary as a first grade teacher. He moved to Russell Elementary to teach first and fifth grades. In addition, he has served as a school technology coordinator for two years and as assistant principal at Bonaire Elementary and Russell Elementary for one year. This is his eighth year as principal at Bonaire.

Payne has also earned master’s and specialist degrees in administration and supervision from Georgia College and State University. In addition, he received his doctorate in educational leadership in 2008 from Argosy University.

He lives in Kathleen with his wife, Robin Payne. They have one son, Noah, a student at Bonaire Elementary.

Houston baccalaureate

service Sunday

Central Baptist Church will host the baccalaureate service for Houston County school system graduates 3 p.m. Sunday. The event is to celebrate Houston County’s graduating senior classes. Approximately 1,660 seniors will graduate May 28 and May 29.

“This is a special way to honor our graduates, and we hope that many of our students and their families will attend this service,” said Superintendent David Carpenter.

Central Baptist Church is at 1120 Lake Joy Road in Warner Robins. For more information, contact a high school counselor.



Academy board to meet Tuesday

The Houston County Career Academy Board of Directors will meet 6 p.m. Tuesday at the career academy on Corder Road.

The Houston County Career and Technology Center is at 1311 Corder Road in Warner Robins. For more information contact Principal Mike Parker at 478-322-3280 or Mike.Parker@hcbe.net.

Hybrid donated to

Middle Georgia Tech

State Farm insurance agents Steve Sumner and Eli Morgan presented the Middle Georgia Technical College Foundation with a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid on May 5. The vehicle will be used by the college’s automotive program to expand training opportunities to learn how to work on hybrid vehicles.

“This is a great opportunity to support education in our community,” said Andy Thomas, a State Farm agent in Warner Robins. “We are glad to continue our partnership with Middle Georgia Technical College.”

William Bailey, president of Planter’s First Bank in Perry and chair of the foundation, accepted the gift, along with Jeff Scruggs, acting president for Middle Georgia Technical College.

Others involved in the donation include local State Farm agents Jimmy Spinks, Eddie Causey, David Crenshaw, Lori Johnson, Nancy Deighan, Henry Hopson, Jason Collins and Kevin Barry.

Free remediation classes

at Northside High

Northside High School is a Project ExPreSS – Exam Preparation for Science and Social Studies – site this summer. Free classes are offered to high school students who need remediation for the science and social studies sections of the Georgia High School Graduation Test.

Enrollment is ongoing, and interested students should contact their high school counselor. Parental permission is required to enroll.

The tutoring sessions will be offered 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. from June 14–25. The two-week summer program is funded by the Georgia Department of Education. Students in the ExPreSS program last year had an overall retest pass rate of 68 percent - more than double the previous year’s pass rate on science and social studies GHSGT retests.

Northside High is one of 38 high school ExPreSS sites across the state, with 4,000 slots allotted statewide. Mark Scott serves as principal at Northside High, which is at 926 Green St. in Warner Robins.

For more information, check with a high school counselor or call Northside High at 478-929-7858. Information is also posted to the Board of Education Web site, www.hcbe.net; click on “GHSGT Remediation, Science and Social Studies.”

In brief

• Russell Elementary Presents “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” 7 p.m. Thursday at the school. Advance tickets are $3 for adults, $1 for students; tickets at the door are $4 for adults, $2 for students. For more information e-mail Patricia.Forehand@hcbe.net.

• Houston County High will hold a high fast-pitch softball camp 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. June 2-4 at the school’s softball field. Cost is $50; $60 after June 2.

• A cheerleading clinic is set for June 24-25 at Houston County High. The clinic will run from 9 a.m.-noon both days. Cost is $45; $55 after June 18. For more information visit

http://www.hcbe.net/media/214805/hchs%202010%20kid%20camp%20flyer.pdf.