Henry Daily Herald

The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) is reminding students needing to test for an instructional permit or driver’s license during their summer vacation, to obtain a “DDS Certificate of Attendance Form” from their school administration before the end of the school year.

Students planning for an on-the-road test also will need a Georgia Alcohol Drug Awareness Program certificate of completion. DDS Certificate of Attendance Forms must be signed and notarized from the student’s school and presented at the time of applying for a permit or Class D driver’s license. Typically, the form is valid for one month. However, the Certificate of Attendance Forms issued in May 2012 will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2012. 

All applicants under the age of 18, not enrolled in school, must provide a GED diploma, high school diploma, or an attendance form from the student’s local Board of Education, if enrolled in an approved home school program. In addition to the Certificate of Attendance, successful completion of the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program is required to obtain a permit. The program is typically taught in both public and private schools as part of the ninth grade health curriculum, but eligible students may take the eADAP course. To learn more, visit www.dds.ga.gov.

Union Grove Spanish students win honors

Several world language students from Union Grove High School attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2012 National Spanish Examinations.

Collectively, the students earned a gold award, five silver awards and one bronze award, as well as six honorable mentions, according to Steven Saffels, Advanced Placement Spanish and Spanish II instructor at Union Grove. Saffels said this is the second year the high school has administered the National Spanish Exam.

He said the highest national honor, el Premio de Oro (the Gold Award), was given to Andrea Moreno, who scored fourth in the state of Georgia. Moreno is currently one of Saffels’ Advanced Placement Spanish student. Students who won el Premio de Plata (Silver Award) included: Kaylyn Bell, Kayla Montgomery, Stephanie Ferrera, Jonathan James, and Meredith Davis. Amanda Camp earned el Premio de Bronce (Bronze Award). Students who received Mención Honorífica (Honor Award) included: Jordan Daley, Hallie Huskins, Kaitlin Downs, Kyle Bullard, Mallory Cobb, and Sydney Fielding.

The National Spanish Examinations are administered each year in grades 6 through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

ASU recognizes local students

Alabama State University recently recognized local students for high achievements academically, during its 2012 Honors Convocation. They included McDonough resident, Precious Jackson; Stockbridge resident, Walter Patrick Trice; and Hampton residents, Ivori Brichelle Thomas, Marcus Darrell Davis, and Torrance Jarell Ryans.

The students must have completed at least 15 semester hours of core courses at the university with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher to qualify for recognition.

UGA-Griffin to host commencements Thursday

The University of Georgia-Griffin campus will host its Spring 2012 Graduation Celebration and Brick Ceremony on Thursday. The celebrations begin at 10 a.m., in the Stuckey Conference Center Auditorium and will conclude at the Naomi Chapman Woodroof Agricultural Pavilion, located at 1109 Experiment Street, in Griffin. To learn more, visit www.uga.edu/griffin.

Gordon to award first biology degrees

Gordon College will honor its first class to complete its Bachelor of Science Degree Program in biology on Friday, at 8:30 a.m. Other degrees to be awarded include Bachelor of Science in early childhood education, Bachelor of Science in nursing, Associate of Science in nursing, as well as Associate of Art degrees and Associate of Science degrees in different programs of study. The campus is located at 419 College Drive in Barnesville, Ga. To learn more, visit www.gdn.edu. 

Southern Crescent Tech hosts spring commencement

Southern Crescent Technical College will host its Spring 2012 graduation ceremony Thursday. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m., at First Assembly of God Church, 2000 West McIntosh Road in Griffin. To learn more, visit www.sctech.edu.

Clayton State to hold graduation celebration

Clayton State University will host its Spring 2012 Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., and at noon. There ceremonies will be held at the University Athletic and Fitness Center on the main campus, located at 2000 Clayton State Blvd., in Morrow. To learn more, visit www.clayton.edu.

Graduations set for Henry County Schools

Henry County Schools recently released its 2012 Graduation Schedule. High school graduations are set for Friday, May 25. The inclement weather make-up time is at 10 a.m., or 7 p.m., on Saturday, May 26. Patrick Henry High School is slated for graduation ceremonies at 1 p.m., Friday, at the Henry County Performing Arts Center in McDonough.

The following high schools will host commencements on their school campuses Friday. The ceremonies begin at 7 p.m., for Dutchtown High, Eagle’s Landing High, Henry County High, Locust Grove High, Stockbridge High, and Woodland High. Ola High and Union Grove High services begin at 7:30 p.m., while Luella High will launch its ceremony at 8 p.m.

To learn more, contact the respective high school. Also, visit the Henry County Schools web site at www.henry.k12.ga.us.

Johnny Jackson is the education reporter for the Daily Herald. He can be reached at jjackson@henryherald.com, or at (770) 957-9161.