School News
Banks County Senior Wins
Hodgkin’s Prize in Creative Writing By Cara L. Bray Erica McConnell of Banks County High School recently won First Prize in the Fiction genre of the Hodgen’s Prize in Creative Writing awarded by Piedmont College. High school juniors and seniors from Habersham, Hall, White, Stephens, Franklin, Rabun, and Towns counties were invited to submit original work in the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. A First Prize was awarded for each of the three genres. Dr. Hugh Davis of Piedmont College presented the awards at the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum on the Piedmont campus on April 9. Miss McConnell is a senior at Banks County High School and will graduate in May. According to Erica, “Forgotten” is a story that went through many changes in the course of writing, and is intended to make the reader feel something. The emotions of the writer are conveyed through the story – frustration, hopelessness, depression, but finally in the end not giving up; these efforts resulted in a story with a message to “Keep moving. You can’t just do nothing and expect results.” After graduation, Erica plans to attend UNG in Oconee for a year, then transfer to the Dahlonega campus to complete core classes. She plans to continue writing; she does every day and hopes to never stop. Her advice to aspiring writers is “…listen to music that relates to the tone of your story. If you want something to be intense and exciting listen to some tense and exciting music. For Forgotten I listened to a lot of violin, piano duets. This can help you translate the feelings you're trying to convey. Try to set yourself in the situation your characters are in. Figure how you would feel or use a similar feeling you've felt before. Sometimes when I'm angry or sad I think about how I'm feeling to the smallest details. How my face feels hot or how my breathing is, that hole in your stomach, or heart. I also watch other people and see how they look. Use real emotions.” Click here to view her story |
Graduation InformationTo the parents of Banks County High School’s graduating class of 2018:
I know that this is a very exciting time for all of you. We always think of graduation as a landmark event for the students, but in truth it is a grand event for everyone involved. Please make sure that all academic requirements are fulfilled; all required courses must be passed for students to participate in the graduation ceremony. Here is some much needed information about the events surrounding graduation. Thank you, April Loggins, School Counselor Special Events In past years, senior parents have coordinated a hall decorating event with senior posters. If parents would like to again coordinate this event the school will be open on May 10th from 3:30 – 4:30PM. Please bring your own supplies and decorations for this event. Senior Celebrations Senior Celebrations is an activity sponsored by the Beta Club and will be on Thursday, May 17th. A reception will be at 6:00PM in the cafeteria with the ceremony following at 6:30PM in the auditorium. Invitations will be given to those students that will be recognized. Please contact the Beta Club sponsors, Mr. Alan Hayes or Ms. Shelby Simpson with any questions regarding this event. Dates for Senior Finals May 17 – 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th periods May 18 – 2nd, 4th, and 6th periods and Make up exams Owed Fees Students will not be able to participate in graduation if they owe any fees. Fees may include, but are not limited to, lunchroom balances, library books, text books, JROTC and/or sports uniforms, and transcripts. Students need to have fees cleared by Friday, May 18th. Cash, money orders, or missing items are accepted to clear debt owed. Diplomas and Final Transcripts will be held in the event that owed fees have not been cleared. Final Transcripts If your BCHS senior is going to College or Technical College, the college will need his/her final transcript. The schools of choice have only tentatively accepted them. Without this final transcript showing a date of graduation and all classes completed, he/she cannot be officially accepted. In addition, the NCAA Clearinghouse and NAIA will need copies of final transcripts for those seniors planning to participate in Division I or II athletics at a college level. Seniors are provided with one final official transcript at no cost; any additional final transcripts are $3.00 each. There will be a special sign-up sheet for final transcripts available during graduation practice. However, students can sign up now for final transcripts on the special sign-up sheet on the counter in the front office. Students should sign up now to keep from forgetting it later! Final transcripts will not be mailed or available for pick up until the week after graduation. Upon graduation, only the graduate can request a copy of a transcript; legally we are no longer able to accept requests from parents. For questions regarding transcripts, please contact Kelly Patterson, registrar at 706-677-4750. Graduation Practices - All Practices Are Mandatory! May 23: 8:00 – Load buses for graduation parade at other schools in district May 23: 8:30AM – 9:30AM – Graduation Pictures (This will be our dress rehearsal. You need to wear your clothes that you plan to wear at graduation along with your cap & gown. Required dress is necessary or you will not be allowed in the practice.) May 23: 9:30AM – 11:30AM – Outside Practice May 23: 11:30AM – 1:00PM – Senior Cook Out May 23: 11:30AM – 12:00PM – Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and First Honorarian speech rehearsal May 24: 8:30AM – 10:30AM – Conditional outside practice – If student behavior is acceptable during rehearsal on May 23, and are well rehearsed; they will not have to attend this additional practice. Graduation Pictures Representatives from Crump Photo will be here on May 23rd at the beginning of graduation practice to take individual cap & gown pictures as well as a class photo. Students must be in their cap & gowns to participate in practice and pictures. Payment is due on portrait day in the form of cash, check, or credit card. Order forms will be available in the front office. You may contact Randy Crump at 706-499-4898 with any questions. Graduation May 25: All graduates must report to the auditorium dressed in graduation attire by 6:45PM. In the event of rain, we’ll look at best options which could include it being on Saturday. There is no reserved seating permitted in the stadium, and the gates will open at 6:00PM. Required Dress Graduation is a formal event. The top of the graduation hats are not to be decorated. Males will wear a white collared shirt, a blue or black tie, dark colored dress pants, dark colored socks, and black dress shoes. No shorts, flip-flops or casual sandals! Females will wear dark dress pants with a white shirt or a dark dress that is no longer than their robe and dress shoes that are black. No shorts, flip-flops or casual sandals! Remember we may be on the field so high heels may be problematic. Students are to keep shoes on during the entire graduation ceremony. Students are to bring NOTHING to the auditorium at 6:45PM on graduation night, except their caps and gowns. They will not need purses, phones, cameras, or tubs of styling products. No gum allowed! If your graduate does not follow these simple guidelines, they will be pulled from the graduation line. Please do not allow them to put themselves in this situation. Days Off May 21st and May 22nd are days when graduates do not need to be on campus. Depending on the success of the graduation practice on May 23rd, students will also not need to be on campus May 24th. These are days for our last minute preparations for graduation and finishing up the school year for the underclassmen. Graduates should not show up on these days. They will not be allowed to eat lunch with the underclassmen or roam the halls. They will not be allowed past the office! Diplomas During the graduation ceremony, seniors will only receive an empty diploma cover. They must report to the concession stand, no later than 45 minutes after the end of the ceremony, to pick up their diplomas. Diplomas will be held in the event that owed fees have not been cleared. Diplomas that have not been picked up by that time will be taken to the counseling office and may be picked up during summer work hours. |
Congratulations to the FFA Wildlife Teams!
Congratulations to the Junior and Senior FFA Wildlife Teams for winning the State competition. Junior Team members are Corey Vickery, Jesse Nicholson, Madison Dacus, and Laura Davis. Senior Team members are Fisher Armour, Rip Sanders, Braxton Jarrett, and Colton Banks.
Congratulations to the Junior and Senior FFA Wildlife Teams for winning the State competition. Junior Team members are Corey Vickery, Jesse Nicholson, Madison Dacus, and Laura Davis. Senior Team members are Fisher Armour, Rip Sanders, Braxton Jarrett, and Colton Banks.
