Academic Achievement Awards

Congratulations to the following winners of the Suffolk Ruritan Club’s Academic Achievement Awards. These students are members of the eighth-grade classes at the four middle schools who have the highest and the second highest academic achievement averages, and the members of the fifth-grade classes at the 11 elementary schools who have the highest academic achievement averages. The Suffolk Ruritan Club awarded each of these 19 students with a U.S. savings bond. Winners of the elementary awards include: Lataveius Wallace of Booker T. Washington Elementary School; Eric Riley of Driver Elementary School; Brittany Frost of Elephant’s Fork Elementary School; Chase Rice of Kilby Shores Elementary School; Ariel Brown of Mack Benn Jr. Elementary School; Meredith Thompson of Mount Zion Elementary School; Connor Alan MacDonald of Nansemond Parkway Elementary School; Alexandra Ambrosino of Northern Shores Elementary School; Lily Jean Flynn of Oakland Elementary School; Shannon Marie Harris of Robertson Elementary School; and Robert Mark Estienne of Southwestern Elementary School. Winners of the middle school awards include:

Ashby Stancill (highest average) and Jennifer Tacke (second highest) of Forest Glen Middle School; Tuhin Mukherjee (highest average) and Lindsay Krull (second highest) of John F. Kennedy Middle School; Erika Maynard (highest average) and Amani Morrison (second highest) of John Yeates Middle School; and Kathryn Catlett (highest average) and Marianne Carr (second highest) of King’s Fork Middle School.

Amadas Industries Award

The Amadas Industries Award has been given again this year to recognize top eighth-grade students in science and mathematics at each of the four middle schools. Winners include Jennifer Tacke of Forest Glen Middle School, Tuhin Mukherjee of John F. Kennedy Middle School, Amani Morrison of John Yeates Middle School, and Kathyrn Catlett of King’s Fork Middle School. The criteria for this annual award is that the student should exhibit potential and interest in pursuing a career in engineering or technical field, demonstrate an aptitude for science and mathematics based on performance in math or science classes and standardized tests, and participate in special activities pertinent to the technical field, such as mathematics competitions and science fairs. Amadas Industries awards an engraved wall plaque and a $100 U.S. savings bond to each of the four winners. Call Kermit Hobbs at Amadas Industries for more information on the company award. Call each school for additional details on the student winners.

Woodmen of the World Award

Congratulations to six outstanding students selected for this year’s Woodmen of the World Award, which were presented at the Suffolk School Board’s June 3 meeting. The top eighth-grade American history student from each middle school and the top 11th-grade American history student from each high school were recognized by the local chapter of the Woodmen of the World, a national life insurance fraternal organization. Sam Callis presented the six students with an engraved plaque and a cash award for their scholastic achievements in history. Winners included Rebekah Joyce of Forest Glen Middle School; Tuhin Mukherjee of John F. Kennedy Middle School; Amani Morrison of John Yeates Middle School; Kitt Moger of King’s Fork Middle School; Whitney James of Lakeland High School; and Brian Tucker of Nansemond River High School.

Industry certification

Suffolk Public Schools is proud to announce its first group of students to earn industry certification in AutoCAD 2000.

These Nansemond River High School students have been taught this year by technology education teacher Jill Brinkley Mizelle. Passing the AutoCAD 2000 industry certification test were Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Thompson, John Birmingham, Duane Rollins, Thomas Scott, Kori Tootoo, Clayton Thomas, David Mattei, Steven Rizzo, Reginald Kahan, Nathan Rodgers, Christopher Rice, Ryan Foster, Dustin Poe, Daniel Stauty, and James Justin Funaro. Students may use the industry certification as a verified credit of choice. Additionally, if they have completed a Virginia-recognized sequence in a Career and Technical Education program (usually two years), they may earn a second verified credit. Students graduating in the classes of 2004, 2005 or 2006 and seeking a standard diploma must earn two verified credits in English and may choose the additional four verified credits required for graduation. After 2006, students will have to earn five required verified credits and one verified credit of choice. Passing an approved industry certification test qualifies for that verified credit of choice. Call Ms. Mizelle for more information at 538-5420.

School Board

The organizational meeting of the Suffolk School Board for the 2004-05 school year will be held at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 6 at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission headquarters in Chesapeake.

Call Cynthia Chavis, clerk of the board, at 925-6752 for more information.

Board retreat

The annual retreat of the Suffolk School Board for the 2004-05 school year will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 6 at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission headquarters in Chesapeake.