Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Tips to Pick the Right Preschool for Your Child

Provided by Primrose School of Five Forks

More and more parents are recognizing the importance of enrolling their children in preschool to help them develop the right foundation for success in elementary school and beyond. However, the best programs go beyond helping children master basic academic skills to supporting their development as happy, confident, well-rounded individuals.

Research shows that from birth to age five, development in all areas is rapid. Children form strong neural connections during this time as a result of experiences they have with everyone and everything they encounter. The quality of those early interactions determines how children continue to learn and form relationships, strongly influencing their future success and happiness.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Lilburn School Adds iPad to School Supplies

 Move over textbooks, paper and pen, the new learning tool at Providence Christian Academy (PCA) is an iPad 2!  More than 500 of the popular and interactive gadgets were distributed to students seventh through 12th grade in November.  Students like 12thgrader Alex Mele, admit this new resource helps increase her study habits.

“We can now use flashcard apps (applications) to help us with our studying and that, I think, really makes a difference because before, my hand would cramp up from writing as much,” Mele said.

Efficient note taking is just one perk students are experiencing.  Principal Sean Chapman said the entire school has utilized 25-30 applications, which in turn helps students and teachers use the technology more efficiently.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

New Business Venture Brings Healthy Snack Options to Area Schools

Snacks from vending machines aren’t usually associated with the words healthy or fresh, but one local franchise company is hoping to change that.  Fresh Healthy Vending has over 800 machines throughout the country.  Donna and Byron Marshall purchased the healthy vending franchise out of Athens.

The healthy snack and drink option is the talk of Cornerstone Christian Academy.  Up and running for two months, the vending machine is a staple in the cafeteria and Donna Marshall admits she makes frequent trips to the school to restock the machine.

“Every time I walk into that school the kids go crazy,” Marshall said.  “They get real excited and say ‘there’s the snack lady’.”

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

GLOW Event Encourages Life Balance

Today’s mothers wear many different — hats from chauffeur to accountant to cook to chasing away monsters under the bed!  However, with each new role comes less time for mom to find time to keep her life in sync mentally, physically, spiritual and even emotionally.

Christine Martinello, best selling author of “The Momager Guide,” sat down with Gwinnett Magazine publisher Kelly Greer to offer advice to Gwinnett County mothers who are finding it hard to fit everything in their daily lives.  The Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce hosted this annual GLOW Event sponsored by Gwinnett Medical Center.

Martinello, a mother of three, says she realized very early on that she wasn’t handling the momager role very well and began writing the book as a ‘how to’ for herself.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

GCPS Names Jennifer Dunn as Teacher of the Year

Jennifer Dunn

A teacher who as a child once beat a learning disability was named the 2012 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year (TOTY). During the annual celebration of the district’s greatest asset, its teachers, CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks announced Jennifer Dunn, a 5th grade teacher at Pharr Elementary, as the districtwide honoree. In all, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) recognized 129 Teachers of the Year who were named by their colleagues at their local schools. The annual event to honor Gwinnett’s educators took place during the Teacher of the Year banquet on Thursday, November 3, at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Can Adding Math Help Subtract Obesity?

Carrie Scheiner is not ashamed of being a bit of a math nerd.

But don’t let her degree in Math education from Rutgers University fool you – she is also a big fan of physical fitness, and her passion for both has led to her to think of exercise for kids in a completely new way.

“As adults, we don’t think about it, but much of our exercise regimens revolve around counting,” said Scheiner, creator of Exploracise, an exercise DVD for kids and parents (www.exploracise.com). “So I began thinking about how much more fun, and healthy, math could be for kids if we combined it with exercise. That was the genesis of my combination of the two disciplines.”

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Culinary Arts Students Raise Money for Hudgens Early Education Center through Pumpkin Carving

In front of the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, you’ll find smiling pumpkins, scary pumpkins and even pumpkins resembling a cartoon character or two.  Culinary Arts students at Gwinnett Tech raised money for the center by auctioning off their creations just in time for Halloween. Located on the campus of Gwinnett Tech, the Hudgens Center offers unmatched early care and education for children ages six weeks to 8 years and serves as a lab school for GTC’s early education program.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Sugar Hill Christian Academy Announces Next Top Young Chef

The Next Top Young Chef winner Lyndsey Francingues and Atlanta radio and TV personality Tom Sullivan.

Sugar Hill Christian Academy recently announced the winner of  “The Next Top Young Chef” contest as 5th grader Lyndsey Francingues for her veggie bars.

As this year’s winner, Francingues received $100.00, gift certificates and her winning recipe to be featured on the menu at The Diner at Sugar Hill.

First taste of her veggie bars will be available at Sugar Hill Christian Academy Night on Sunday, October 16 at 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Ashley Davis at 770-945-2845.

 
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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Calling All Young Chefs!

The Diner at Sugar Hill and Sugar Hill Christian Academy announce “The Next Top Young Chef” contest, Tuesday, September 27, 2011.

Out of 280 possible chefs, five finalists will be chosen to present their recipes in the final live cook off!  The finalists will compete for the title and prizes including $100.00, gift certificates, the winning recipe featured on the menu at The Diner at Sugar Hill and local appearances including events and media.

Atlanta radio and television personality, Tom Sullivan, will serve as guest emcee.  Contest judges include Alge Crumpler (NFL player), Liz Deal (school cooking instructor), Wes Walker (Director of Operations at Sugar Hill United Methodist Church) and Allyson Baranello (Operating owner of The Diner at Sugar Hill).

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

GGC Welcomes First Director of Athletics

Georgia Gwinnett College President Daniel J. Kaufman presents a GGC ball cap to the college’s first director of athletics, Dr. Darin Wilson.

Amid enthusiastic cheers and the waving of green and white pom-poms, Georgia Gwinnett College President Daniel J. Kaufman officially welcomed the college’s first athletics director, Dr. Darin Wilson, at a recent news conference.

As part of the festivities, Kaufman presented Wilson with his first official GGC ball cap.

Wilson comes to GGC from Union College in Barbourville, Ky., where he served as the athletics director since 2003, following a five-year stint as baseball coach. His departure brings an end to 18 years of involvement with Union College, from an undergraduate student-athlete to leading the athletics program. He said it was an emotional decision to leave, but he’s excited about the new challenge ahead of him.

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