$7,300 in Student Scholarships Awarded to Pickens High Graduates
The first year of the Bent Tree Foundation’s Scholarship/Grant Program was completed with the awarding of thirteen scholarships totaling $7,300 to graduating seniors. These students were honored at a reception on Sunday, May 15, 2011.
Seven general scholarships were presented by Bill Bapst, Chairman of Bent Tree Foundation, Inc.to the following graduates of Pickens High School: Emily Anderson (Kennesaw State University), Shelby Barron (Kennesaw State University), Joseph Bates (Georgia State University), Chelsea Coleman (Kennesaw State University), Matthew Cook (Kennesaw State University), Madison Eubanks (Piedmont College) and Michael Land (University of Georgia). Additionally, two dedicated scholarships which required attendance at North Georgia College and State University were awarded to Morgan Arp and Morganne Hester.
Through our partnership with the Bent Tree Tennis Committee, four scholarships were awarded to students who participated in organized tennis programs in addition to meeting other criteria. Len Levy, Chairman of the 2011Tennis Committee, awarded scholarships to Mitchell Ball (Emerson College), Joseph Elphingstone (Tusculum College), Taylor Jordan (Reinhart University) and Michael Smith (Dalton State University).
The Bent Tree Foundation was honored to recognize the outstanding scholastic achievement as well as the school and community service of these students. Of the forty-four students who applied, the Foundation was able to assist thirteen of them. We are most hopeful that donations will enable us to assist more students at the end of this 2011-2012 school year.
$3,600 in Grants Awarded to Pickens County Teachers
In addition to the thirteen scholarships awarded in 2011, the Bent Tree Foundation awarded five grants to teachers in local Pickens County schools.
Kelly Howell, a teacher at Jasper Elementary, was awarded $500 to purchase novels and thematic units on scientific topics which will benefit approximately 100 third-grade students. Jasper Elementary teacher, Kaye Hendricks, was awarded $1,100 for math activities designed to develop problem-solving skills and improve the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test scores of 250 students in grades 3 through 5. Mary Perdue from Jasper Middle School was awarded $400 to purchase curriculum-relevant reference materials for 548 students. Debra Schlenke and Seana Thompson from Pickens High School were awarded $1,100 to fund expenses related to student participation in Academic Team Association tournaments. Nancy Teague, a teacher at Tate Elementary, received $500 for science lab equipment that will provide hands-on science experiments for 150 students in grades 4 and 5.
These teachers are to be applauded for dedication to their profession, their students and the promotion of quality education in our schools. Submitted grant requests totaled over $25,000. This first year we were able to only honor a fraction of the requests. We are hopeful that donations will enable us to award far more grants at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
Maintaining and improving our schools and the opportunities available to our children comes primarily from the community in which we live. We encourage you to join with the Foundation in supporting our teachers, administrators and school staffs in assisting our young people to reach their greatest potential.