Heritage Middle School Academic Bowl Team first in regionals, goes to state
Ten students from Heritage Middle School made the commitment this year to compete in a rigorous academic competition: the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Academic Bowl.
The HMS team took first place in the eight-team regional tournament held at LaFayette Middle School on Dec. 16, qualifying them to go on to state. Of the 130 teams that competed at regional tournaments throughout the state, 24 qualified to move on to the state level.
“This is my second year working with the team,” says Charlene Higgins, HMS teacher and one of the team’s coaches, “and these students continue to amaze me with their knowledge and work ethic. They are willing to study on their own time and practice after school hours.”
Higgins says competing in Academic Bowl is about a lot more than a contest. “It creates good work and study habits. It broadens individual horizons of factual information and develops poise and confidence in students. It teaches students to work as teams and become better citizens, and it instills an appreciation for the pursuit of knowledge.” member.
City Council meetings, which are open to the public, are held the second and fourth Mondays each month at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 150 Tennessee Street, Ringgold.
Council meetings can be viewed on the city’s website. Bonus: Viewers can click on many of the agenda items printed below the videos and skip directly to those parts of the meeting.
Any citizen may speak at a council meeting on any subject. There is no time limit and no advance notice is required.
Fort Oglethorpe
At the state-level competition, held at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, HMS tied for eighth place out of 24 teams from public and private schools throughout Georgia. The final placing was ninth after a head-tohead tie-breaker round of questions.
Questions, says Higgins, can cover topics as diverse as literature, math, science, history, current events and entertainment. Each round consists of 12 Jeopardy-like questions and 12 possible bonus questions. Students push a buzzer for a chance to answer.
HMS and other schools in the area which are open to the public, are held the second and fourth Mondays each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 500 City Drive, Fort Oglethorpe.
To speak at a council meeting, citizens must contact the city clerk (706-866-2544, ext. 1300) no later than 4:30 p.m. the Thursday before the meeting at which they wish to speak. They must give their name and the subject on which they wish to speak, and that information is passed on to the city manager for review. At the council meeting the citizen will have five minutes to speak. The mayor or council may extend that time.
Elected officials in Catoosa County, Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe can also be contacted by old-fashioned letter (see websites for addresses), and citizens can often speak with officials in person after public meetings. Is there something you’d like to share with your elected representatives? It’s never been easier to do it. will hold their own tournament from February through April as a way to give students the