STARs Will Be Honored Monday

Alina Jablonski has been named STAR student for Jasper County High School, and she chose Christie McAlum as her STAR teacher.

At Piedmont Academy, Kevin Davis was named STAR student and he chose Ralph Hickman as his STAR teacher.

The STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition)program recognizes superior academics in high school. Locally it is sponsored by the Monticello Kiwanis Club which will recognize each of these individuals at its meeting next Monday, and at that time one countywide STAR will be chosen. Statewide the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) sponsors the program.

The STAR student is chosen primarily based on his or her SAT scores, but they must also be in the top 10 percent of their class or the top 10 people in the class.

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Miss Jablonski is the daughter of Charles and Karen Jablonski,. and during her high school years she has been involved in

•Technology Student Association (president (currently) for two years, secretary for one); (State champion for four years running)

•Beta Club (historian (currently) for one year, secretary for one. Recognized at state and national level)

•Cross country (team captain, All-State runner)

•Track (3200m state champion)

•Quiz bowl

•Poetry out loud

•Envirothon

•Dance at T&K Studios in Jackson, GA (14 years, company dancer for eight)

•Math and English tutor

•Mentored a primary school robotics team

She chose Ms. McAlum because, “Over the course of my involvement in quiz bowl, beta club and advanced math classes I have had the opportunity to develop a close bond with Ms. McAlum. Not only is she an effective teacher—Ms. McAlum is one of the most dedicated. In AP Calculus there were Saturday study sessions before every test. Over the summer she hosted a three-week SAT math camp. She is understanding and compassionate towards her students while motivating them to strive towards becoming their best selves.

Ms. McAlum said of Alina:

“Alina demonstrates her superior mental ability by grasping concepts quickly and with a remarkable agility of mind. Alina never shies away from any variety of challenge. She works diligently on the more challenging concepts and problems; asking pertinent questions when needed. In addition to being exceptionally bright, Alina is both conscientious and driven. She is possibly the most careful student I have ever encountered; she is very attentive to detail and does a spectacular job learning from any mistakes she makes. She also has a remarkably strong work ethic which is tied directly to her drive.

“She has several key goals she wants to achieve and sees a clear connection between her learning and her ability to reach said goals. Beyond the classroom, I also know her as a beta club officer and a member of the quiz bowl team. In addition to her other notable qualities, she is responsible and likes to think outside the box in terms of ideas for fundraisers, service projects, etc,” said Ms. McAlum

“Last year as an officer of beta club, she competed at the first ever state convention our school has attended (at least in recent history). In the category of ‘Beta Build’ (which is a Rube Goldberg style challenge), she and her team placed second in the state. She went on to compete at the national level. While the team did not place nationally in beta build, they placed third in a national-only completion called ‘Meeting of the Minds.’ On both teams, Alina displayed a keenness of mind, an ability to adapt, to listen to the ideas of others and to help shape the team toward success. She was very clearly both ‘an ideas’ person and a team leader,” she said.

Mr. Davis said of his choice for STAR teacher, “Throughout the four years of my high school career, the one constant in my educational life has been math teacher and my nomination for STAR teacher, Mr. Ralph Hickman. A dedicated educator and mentor, Mr. Hickman is a fount of information and an expert in his chosen field of mathematics. He is constantly developing innovative and easily accessible ways for his students to learn and think about mathematical concepts. His classes, which range from introductory geometry to advanced college-level calculus, are challenging and engaging every day of the school year.

“Mr. Hickman’s devotion to his role as a teacher is evident in his long hours spent at school working on lesson plans, teaching classes, and working after school with the robotics club. When I enter the building in the morning, Mr. Hickman is already in his room grading papers or preparing the day’s lessons, and when I depart in the afternoon, he stays behind to continue his work or to act in his role as the robotics club sponsor.

The organization BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) holds robotics competitions that challenge middle and high school students to create a remote-controlled robot that can move around a game field and complete any of various tasks involving items placed on the field. Mr. Hickman’s robotics clubs consistently perform at a high level in these competitions, earning several awards, including a state championship and two consecutive Southern regional competition berths at Auburn University.

“The most important aspect of Mr. Hickman, however, is his outstanding character and integrity. He is honest and upright, a man of incredible moral fiber. He is always cordial and jocose, never afraid to incorporate a joke or a pun into one of his lessons. I have never seen him any more than mildly irritated (this reaction coming at the expense of a particularly stubborn robot part that simply refused to function properly), and he is always ready to put aside what he is doing at any moment and give students individual attention and assistance, all with a smile on his face. He is honest, knowledgeable, personable, diligent, and dependable, and in my humble estimation, he is every bit the epitome of a STAR teacher.

Of Mr. Davis, Mr. Hickman said, “I am delighted that Kevin Davis is Piedmont Academy’s 2018 Star Student. Kevin is a highly self-motivated young man who is focused on pursuing his goal of becoming a physician. He possesses a strong desire to independently accomplish both the course objectives set by his teachers and the personal goals he sets for himself. Kevin treats learning as his vocation. He is not content to simply know that something is true; he seeks to understand why.

“My first encounter with Kevin was when he became a member of the fifth grade band. He brought to his study of music an attitude that learning to play the alto saxophone merited his full commitment of time and effort. As a senior, he continues to seek new knowledge, motivated by this same principle and by an understanding that education empowers those who obtain it. Kevin is destined to become a dedicated servant and an effective leader of his family and his community.”