2008 Award Winners
Principal Winners
Lorraine Reich
School: Warren T. Jackson Elementary School
Project: "21st Century—Smart Boards!"
Dr. Reich’s project created a technology lab with a 21st century
Smart Board and LCD projector. This lab serves as a facility for staff
technology training and a place where teachers can bring their classes
for interactive, technology-based lessons.
Teacher Winners
Michele Alford
School: Parkside Elementary School, Fourth-Grade
Project: "Leaving No Child Behind with an Interactive
Classroom"
Mrs. Alford’s project purchased laptop computers and
made them available for Parkside Elementary students to check out for
use at home. The goal of the program was to boost student achievement
by increasing student engagement, research and reference skills, and
the number of technology-based projects that reflect the current curriculum.
Makini Colvin
School: John Wesley Dobbs Elementary School, Kindergarten
Project: "Integrating Content Area Texts in Reading
and Writing Instruction"
Ms. Colvin’s project strengthened kindergarten students learning in science, social studies, and math through literacy. This was
achieved through incorporating Read-Alouds, guided and independent
reading, and shared writing to effectively teach social studies, science
and math content.
Sujan Dass
School: Elijah Lewis Connally Elementary School, Fifth-Grade
Project: "K-5 Interactive Science Lab"
Dr. Dass’ project purchased and developed a science lab that allows students to complete standards-based activities and experiments
that improve student achievement in science and increase the
involvement of Connally students in the district-wide science fair.
Megan Dosmann
School: Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School, Third-Grade
Project: "Cougars Go Green!"
Ms. Dosmann’s project used an implementation guide from the
Keep Georgia Beautiful organization to start a recycling program at
Toomer. Ms. Dosmann created a “green team” where students and faculty members had the opportunity to actively participate in an authentic problem-solving situation, which would potentially
reduce the amount of Toomer’s paper waste by 70%.
Jennifer Renee Freeman
School: Austin T. Walden Middle School, Seventh-Grade
Project: "Science Outside the Classroom!"
Ms. Freeman’s project took a select group of students
who mastered 85% or more of the Georgia Performance Standards to the
Jekyll Island 4-H Education Center in the spring. The trip gave
students the opportunity to experience life science in a natural setting
and apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life situations in an ecological habitat.
Tamara Estlick Guilday
School: Warren T. Jackson Elementary School, Fourth-Grade
Project: "Developing a Sense of Civic Pride"
Mrs. Estlick Guilday’s project developed students’ sense of civic
responsibility by visiting local historic sites. Students visited places
including the Atlanta History Center, the King Center for Non-Violent
Social Change, the Herndon Home and other locations and were able
to connect statewide Social Studies standards to local institutions.
Jean Romain
School: M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, Physical Education
Project: "The Dream Screen: Learning Beyond Our
Wildest Dreams"
Dr. Romain’s project implemented blue-screen technology at her
school, so students could write and star in action films about the human body. The goal was to improve academic achievement by making
learning a real life event and showing how Physical Education connects
students to the larger world around them.
Javonne Paul Stewart
School: Inman Middle School, Seventh-Grade
Project: "Educator Workshops: Cultural Connections &
Cultural Traditions!"
Mrs. Paul Stewart’s project delivered professional development to
educators by equipping them with instructional strategies that were specifically geared toward increasing the academic achievement of African
American boys. This research-based project had a long-term goal of closing the achievement gap that
exists between African American boys and other groups of students.

