School News

Members of the 1997 Life University men’s basketball team pose at the 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame recognition banquet.

Life University Honors Athletics Hall of Fame Members

Life University (Life U) Athletic Department recently honored members of the 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame: Billy Lewis, Pablo Nassar and the 1997 men’s basketball team with a recognition banquet.

Lewis was a four-year member of the men’s basketball program. On campus, Lewis led his team to four 20-win seasons, four consecutive National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament appearances and a 50-game home winning streak during his career.

Nassar competed with the men’s soccer program and was the program’s first NAIA All-American in 1998. Graduating in 2000, he later was drafted by the Atlanta Silverbacks in 2001. While on campus, he led the Running Eagles to three consecutive NAIA National Tournament berths in 1997, 1998 and 1999. He garnered three NAIA All-American honors during his career and was the first Life U student-athlete to be named NAIA Player of the Year in 2000.

The 1997 men’s basketball team was the first NAIA National Championship team on campus. The team finished with an astounding 37-1 record and set 11 program records during its historic run. The Running Eagles were led by head coach Roger Kaiser, who was assisted by John Barrett, Bill Firnbach and Chip Kaiser.

Congratulations to Cobb County 4-Hers — Torie Daniels, Sarah Beth Hembree, Addilyn Henderson, Josy Johnson and Karma Kilfoyle for winning third place at the 2022 Horse Quiz Bowl.

Fourteen junior teams (students in grades 4-8) and nine senior teams (students in grades 9-12) competed at the qualifying level, and the top five junior and top five senior teams competed in person at Rock Eagle.

Participating 4-Hers gained a practical understanding of equine science and principles of horse management relevant to horse ownership and other equine-related activities. For more information about the Horse Quiz Bowl and Georgia 4-H, visit www.georgia4h.org.

Christian Students Stock Food Pantries

During the annual Great Kindness Challenge, students at North Cobb Christian School collected enough snacks and drinks to stock family pantries at the Sibley Heart Center, the transplant unit and the Ronald McDonald House at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

For the one-week focus on kindness, students donated bottled drinks, Keurig cups, microwavable meals and individual snacks for families whose children are undergoing heart procedures, organ transplants and other surgeries. Preschoolers through fourthgraders also made cards for the young patients in the cardiac unit.

Students pack donations for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta family pantries. Photo by Caroline Clark.

Cobb 4-H Shines at State Horse Quiz Bowl

Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Goddard, right, and President Ron Newcomb, left, present $500 awards to Taryn Sikes and Rebecca Sullivan.

CTC Honors Top Students, Instructor

Chattahoochee Technical College (CTC) honored its outstanding students and instructors in technical education at a recent awards luncheon on the North Metro campus.

Practical nursing student Rebecca Sullivan received the college’s 2022 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership award for top student, and radiography instructor Malcolm Paschall received the 2022 Rick Perkins Award for best instructor.

CTC student Taryn Sikes received the 2022 Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education award.

Virtuoso Violinist Shares Practical Skills With Students

Helen Kim, a professor of music at Kennesaw State University (KSU), passes along technical mastery of the violin to students, as well as practical knowledge learned from years of performing and teaching. Like Kim, many of KSU’s faculty continue to perform professionally outside the university.

Kim started violin lessons at an early age, and by age 6, she performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. At 14, she studied under violinist Itzhak Perlman’s teacher, Dorothy DeLay, at the famed Juilliard School in New York. From there, Kim embarked on a professional career, earning international acclaim as a performer while also developing a reputation as an outstanding teacher.

Kim began working as an adjunct instructor at KSU in 2005, while a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The next year, a tenure track position for an assistant professor opened, and she earned the job. Since then, Kim has watched the university grow, and she helps music students find a close community atmosphere.

Helen Kim

Counselor Offers Stress-Busting Tips for Parents

Palmer Middle School’s counselor, Barbara Truluck, recently compiled a list of tips to manage stress from mental health resources, and shared them with her fellow school counselors; they are tips parents can use at home, too. 1. Exercise, and get outside. 2. Let kids be problem solvers. 3. Combat negative thinking. 4. Sleep well — sleep is essential for well-being. 5. Limit time on social media. 6. Maintain a healthy diet and hydration. 7. Talk it out with a trusted adult. 8. Write about it (journaling). 9. Practice deep breathing. 10. Make time for fun; connect with others.

“Stress in young people doesn’t always look the same as in adults. But like adults, children and teens can find healthy ways to cope. Together, young people and their families can learn to spot the signs of toxic stress and anxiety and, with the right tools, manage it,” Truluck said.

Not all children and teens respond to stress in the same way. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise parents watch for the following signs to identify stress: • Excessive crying or irritation in younger children. • Returning to behaviors they have outgrown. • Excessive worry or sadness. • Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits. • Irritability in teens. • Poor school performance or avoiding school. • Difficulties with attention and concentration. • Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past. • Unexplained headaches or body pain. • Use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.

Students who need a break from homework or to relax can visit www.cobbk12.org/page/42487/ virtual-calming-center for stress-relieving support resources.