Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

Eight Fulton County high schools are “AP Honor Schools” according to a recent announcement made by the Georgia Department of Education. Advanced Placement, or AP, classes and exams are administered by the College Board and offer rigorous college-level learning options to students in high school.

The 2009 AP Honor Schools are named in three categories based on the results of 2007-08 AP classes and exams: (1) AP Challenge Schools (schools with fewer than 900 students that offer AP classes in core content areas); (2) AP Access and Support Schools (schools with higher percentages of minority students taking AP classes and scoring highly) and (3) AP Merit Schools.

The AP Merit Schools distinction recognizes those with at least 20 percent of students taking AP exams and with at least half of those exams receiving a score of three or higher. Eight of the 27 schools in this category are from the Fulton County School System. This is the second consecutive year that each have been named AP Merit Schools.

· Alpharetta High School

· Centennial High School

· Chattahoochee High School

· Milton High School

· North Springs Charter High School

· Northview High School

· Riverwood International Charter School

· Roswell High School

The College Board administers AP exams each spring, with scores ranging from one to five. Students who receive a three, four or five on AP exams are eligible receive college credit or may be exempt from some introductory college courses.

Labels: alpharetta high school, ap honor schools, centennial, Chattahoochee, Fulton County, georgia department of education, High School, Milton High School, north, Northview, riverwood, roswell high

A certified 10K course for the Peachtree 2008/09. Run a flat, fast course along the beautiful Chattahoochee River. Race starts & ends at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, with all proceeds benefitting the operations for the Center. Mile splits called, new t-shirts/gift bags given to all runners. Bottled water, bagels & fruit provided by Whole Foods Market. Register in person at Big Peach Running Co. stores, or by credit card at ACTIVE.com, or mail in check with downloadable form from website: www.chattnaturecenter.com. $22 in advance for 10K, starts at 7:30 am; $15 for 1-mile Fun Run, starts at 7:00 am. $25 registration day of race in Chattahoochee Nature Center gym. For additional information & parking instructions, see website: www.chattnaturecenter.com, or call 770-992-2055 ext. 234.

Labels: 10K road race, Big peach running co, Chattahoochee, possum trot

Newsweek Magazine has named seven Fulton County schools in its annual list of 1,300 top-ranking public high schools in the United States.

Centennial (No. 272), Riverwood (No. 301), Milton (No. 325), Northview (No. 347), Roswell (No. 529), Chattahoochee (No. 530) and Alpharetta (No. 1129) high schools made the list. You can view the report on Newsweek's web site.

Newsweek ranked the schools according to a ratio that takes the total number of 2007 Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests divided by the number of graduating seniors.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=alpharetta

Labels: Alpharetta, centennial, Chattahoochee, City of Roswell, milton, newsweek, Northview, riverwood, top high schools

Hundreds of parents came to Autrey Mill Middle School on Monday night to get a glimpse of the proposed attendance lines for the new high school under construction in Johns Creek.

The proposed maps were the result of comments and suggestions submitted from an earlier meeting. Suggestions are generally boiled down into two or three possibilities, but this time four options were presented.

"I was afraid that if we didn't put all of the options out there, people would say, 'Why didn't you consider this?'" said Patrick Burke, the chief facilities officer for Fulton County Schools.

Ashley Widener, District 5 school board representative, said the planning staff offered up so many options with the hope that "the community will help come up with a better plan."

The school populations most affected by the redistricting so far are Alpharetta, Chattahoochee and Northview. Attendance zones for Centennial, Milton and Roswell are not affected at this time because a new high school is planned for the Freemanville area in 2012 that will require redistricting.

After an hour long presentation by Burke, the more than 350 parents broke into small groups and gave additional input on the four options. Those ideas and comments be used to condense the four maps into one or two by the next meeting later in the month.

Community members who were unable to make the meeting can participate via the district's Web site, where the handouts from the meeting and the four maps can be viewed.

Labels: Alpharetta, Attendance Maps, Chattahoochee, High School, Johns Creek, Northview

CNC's Discover Center planned as interactive teaching venue


by Hatcher Hurd


The Discover Center at the Chattahoochee Nature Center will be the interactive nerve center for visitors who come to visit the rambling 127 acres on the Chattahoochee River.

Seven years ago the Chattahoochee Nature Center Board of Directors began to plot a bold new course for the 127-acre preserve to claim its place for the 21st century, Board President Jose Creamer announced Oct. 12.

The first two years were to plan and design the Nature Center's new museum, Discover Center, and the Discover Pavilion as the CNC embarks on a $9 million makeover campaign, Creamer said.

The last five years, the Board of Directors has quietly raised $8 million of the fund needed. Now the community is asked

to help make that last push to secure the $1 million needed to finish the job.

The Discover Center will be the jumping off point for the 100,000 annual visitors (half of them students) to learn and understand the fragile relationship of the forests, rivers and wetlands of Georgia's piedmont.

The museum will tell about the need for conservation of both the natural beauty of Georgia's wildlife and plants and its natural resources, the latter brought home most notably with 2007's yearlong drought.

In that respect, the Nature Center's mission of education and interpretation of the area's natural resources has never been more critical, said CNC Executive Director Ann Bergstrom.

"The water level at Lake Alatoona is just six feet above the intake valve. When it falls below that, Cobb County will be out of water. The Ga. Environmental Protection Division director predicts Lake Lanier has a three-month supply of water. It is incomprehensible that we have gotten to this situation, but nevertheless, here we are," Bergstrom said.

She made the comment while announcing the new plans for the Nature Center, but she felt is was an appropriate time, because it is obvious to her there is a disconnect between Georgia's people and their environment – one that the Nature Center is working to turn around.

"This is a wakeup call for all of us. There is a point where population growth and limited resources intersect. We had better know where that point is," she said. "The Nature Center is all about these issues."

The Chattahoochee Nature Center, a private, non-profit facility strategically located midway on the Chattahoochee River, is evolving and expanding to meet the growing and changing needs of the region.

Once known solely as an educational facility for children, the Chattahoochee Nature Center is expanding its mission. That mission is to be the interpretive center for the Chattahoochee River.

The goals of the new Discovery Center include:

• Promoting connections between the environment and community issues related to the health of the Chattahoochee River.

• Inviting participation by providing a place where visitors can hear and feel the natural world, encouraging conservation efforts and the preservation of the natural world for present and future generations.

• Heighten community awareness of the relationship between a high-quality environment and a high-quality lifestyle, and inspiring change in visitors by endorsing environmental actions that advance a sustainable future.

The Chattahoochee River supplies Georgia with more than 60 percent of its drinking water, offers Georgians more than 140 miles of river parklands and is the Atlanta region's most immediate connection to the natural world. It is critical to the continued success and prosperity of the region.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, honorary chairman of the nature center's capital campaign, said the Chattahoochee Nature Center promotes a greater understanding and appreciation of the dependence of local populations upon the Chattahoochee River for their growth, and the importance of personal stewardship of the river for future generations.

"If we want to enjoy the way of life that exists today in metro Atlanta, we must tell this story of water conservation to the city's growing population. Thankfully, the Chattahoochee Nature Center exists to tell that story and to teach citizens how to sustain, conserve, and support the Chattahoochee River and its watershed," Isakson said.

The centerpiece of the expansion will be a 10,000-square-foot exhibit hall and museum that will break ground in February of next year and open in April 2009.

The Discovery Center will showcase hands-on exhibits depicting three separate areas of our watershed (river, wetland and forest) and a 65-person theater.

The small, existing Discovery Center will be converted into an open-air pavilion located on Kingfisher Pond that can host special programs ands events. The Discovery Center will also be home to a new series of programs and events geared towards adults who want to learn more about our local environment, and the impact the Chattahoochee River has on it.

Local architectural firm, Lord, Aeck & Sargent, has designed the two-level LEED-certified Discovery Center. Local landscaping company, EDAW, has been signed for site improvements and general landscaping beauty. Exhibit design firm, AldrichPears Associates from British Columbia, is designing the interior space.

"It's an exciting time to be involved with the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Great changes and exciting visions are about to come to fruition," said Creamer. "Atlanta and the entire region are about to be presented with a wonderful new resource for learning."

Citizens can visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center's Web site at chattnaturecenter.com to learn more about the changes or to make a donation.

Labels: Chattahoochee, Nature Center, Roswell, water

Northview vs. Milton (Oct. 12); Chattahoochee vs. Milton (Nov. 9)

Mayors Mike Bodker and Joe Lockwood are ready for some footballMayors Joe Lockwood and Mike Bodker have placed a friendly bet over which city has the best football team -- Milton or Johns Creek -- with the first round of friendly competition scheduled this Friday night, Oct. 12. That’s when the Northview Titans host the Milton Eagles at 7:30 p.m. for Northview’s 2007 Homecoming.

If Milton High wins, Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker has to wear an Eagles jersey for the entire length of the next Johns Creek City Council meeting. If the Northview Titans win, Mayor Lockwood has to wear a Northview football jersey for an entire Milton City Council Meeting.

The competition continues on Friday night, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m., when the Chattahoochee Cougars play Milton on their home turf. The same “jersey bet” applies to the losing school’s mayor for that game, too.

Let’s cheer our team to victory so we can see Eagles jerseys in our neighboring City Council meetings all season!

Labels: Alpharetta, Chattahoochee, Eagles, Football, High School, Johns Creek, milton, Northview, Roswell, School