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Excellence honored

• Twenty-five businesses are recognized as Dougherty school system Partners in Excellence.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

2007-08 DCSS PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE Albany Buffalo Riders Albany Communications Inc. Albany Management Information Services Another Level Hair Studio Big Cuts Barber and Beauty Salon Central Monitoring Services Connections Church DOCO Regional Federal Credit Union, east branch Englewood Nursing Home Firehouse Subs Flint Community Bank Greater Faith Harvest Ministries Church of God in Christ Locos Grill and Pub Magellan Terminals Holding Co. Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany McCall, Williams, Wilmont and Powell, LLC Perry and Walters, LLC Rite Aid Pharmacies State Farm Insurance Teleperformance The Clay Spot Wisdom Security Inc. World Vision 400 Degrees Gillionville Baptist Church Source: Harriet Y. Hollis, director, Partners in Excellence

ALBANY — Since its recent store opening on West Gordon Avenue, World Vision in Albany has had 10 Dougherty County schools scour its shelves for students’ school supplies. For free.

Each school has sent a representative to load up on paper, pens, folders, binders, crayons — supplies for which teachers often spend their personal dollars.

“(We offer) six-10 of the things that children always need and always run out of,” said Jim Ewings, storehouse manager and disaster coordinator for World Vision, an international, Washington state-based humanitarian organization that works to fight the causes of poverty and injustice.

“We have a major partnership with the (Dougherty County) School System,” said Ewings, whose organization was one of 25 recognized Wednesday as a new DCSS Partner in Excellence. “We focus on children in poverty and go to the largest place where there are children.”

Ewings was to meet Wednesday with representatives from five more Dougherty schools who will benefit from the supplies store.

Partners in Excellence, with more than 100 partners, brings together community organizations and businesses with the school system. Partners do everything from be a mentoring, volunteer reading and providing donations.

“(The partnerships) matter because our students need to know ... that the community encourages them to graduate, to be successful, to be ready for the work force,” said Harriet Y. Hollis, director of Partners in Excellence as well as director of literacy at the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We appreciate what you have deposited into the lives of students and teachers,” said Miss Albany High School Camilyah Giddens during her invocation at the 7:30 a.m. breakfast. “It will return to your purse (tenfold).”

DCSS Superintendent Sally Whatley, who began her career in education 31 years ago, said, “As a teacher, when you are working very hard to get your job done and someone invests, it’s very encouraging.”

Whatley shared with the audience an overview of the system, including its demographics and the 150 awards its students receive annually.

Whatley also praised the system’s most recent National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence — International Studies Elementary Charter School, 2007; Robert Cross Middle Magnet School, 2006; and Lincoln Magnet Elementary School, 2004.

International Studies, Whatley pointed out, is one of eight 2007-08 National Blue Ribbon schools and one of three charter schools nationally to receive the honor.

“I get pumped up when I hear the good things going on,” commented Wendy Martin, the chamber’s interim director, who challenged those at the event to “tell at least 10 other people about the good things you heard today, because (others) don’t always know.”

Chamber Chairman Jay Smith said that students are the future of the region while Martin thanked teachers for “caring about our future.”

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