Knights

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Notable Knights for 2008-09


STAR Students Announced

Seniors Debayan Bhaumik and Jeffrey Morell have been named Centennial's STAR students for the Class of 2009. STAR students had the highest score in a single SAT administration. STAR students choose their STAR teachers as those they believe had the most influence on their academic career. Debayan Bhaumik's STAR teacher is Dr. Ko-Ming Shih. Jeffrey Morrell's STAR teacher is Mr. Ben Crosby.

Boys Soccer Has a Record Making Season Soccer Team

The varsity boys soccer team achieved their most successful season in school history, setting a school record with 18 wins. Mentioned often as “the hottest team in the state” by the local media, Coach Phil Thomas’s team ran the table for their first region championship and went undefeated with a 9-0 region record to make the playoffs for the 8th consecutive season. The Knights made it all the way to the state championship game held at the Fortress to meet the Eagles of Collins Hill. In an epic battle of the top two teams in the state, the Knights fought hard in a very close game and were nipped by the Eagles 1-0 to finish as the 2009 AAAAA State Runner-up. They outscored their opponents 69-14 in goals in 21 games. Senior captain Junior Sandoval set the school single season scoring record. These Knights of Distinction were nationally ranked by ESPN and finished #2 in the state for 2009. Congratulations on a fantastic season!

Boys Soccer Marches into AAAAA Finals

The Region 6 champion varsity boys soccer team beat East Coweta High School on Thursday, May 7 6-2 to advance to the AAAAA championship game. The Knights will face the Collins Hill Eagles on Saturday, May 9 at 8:00pm in the Fortress. | Bracket

Girls Tennis Advances to AAAAA Final Four

The varsity girls tennis team beat the Milton Lady Eagles on Friday, May 1 to advance to the AAAAA semifinals. They will face Greenbriar of Augusta on Friday, May 8 at the Clayton International Tennis Center. | Bracket

Two Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Winners

Seniors Debayan Bhaumik and Jeff Morrell have been named National Merit Scholars. Along with the prestigious National Merit Scholar distinction, they earned $2,500 cash scholarships to use at the university of their choice. Winners in the first three divisions of the annual National Merit Scholarship Program have been announced, recognizing 27 Fulton County seniors for their academic excellence. National Merit will announce the final two rounds of winners, which are for those earning college-sponsored Merit Scholarships, on May 27 and July 13. These outstanding seniors were initially identified through exceptionally high scores on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In addition to having a record of high academic performance, they are endorsed by their school principal and have earned high SAT scores confirming their earlier qualifying test performance.

Sophomore is National Junior Female Duathlon Champion

Sophomore Katie June, who runs cross country and track at Centennial, is a triathlete who finished last year ranked 4th in the nation in her age group. June competed in the National Duathlon Championship on April 26, 2009 in Richmond, VA. A duathlon is bike-run-bike race. Despite extreme heat and the loss of both water bottles on the first loop of the bike course, she won the race and the title of Junior Female Duathlon Champion. She will represent the United States team at the World Duathlon Championship in September in Concord, NC. June will be racing against junior duathletes from all over the world.

Katie June Katie June

Physics Student Places in the 2009 Physics Bowl

Junior Bradley Silverman is the only Fulton County student to place in the 2009 Physics Bowl sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers. Each year, approximately 10,000 students take a 40-question, 45-minute timed, multiple-choice test under their school’s supervision. To enhance the distribution of awards, Division I is for first-year students and Division II is for second-year students. Each Division has 15 regions that have been established across the country to allow schools in each region to compete against one another. Specialized math and science schools compete in their own region. Silverman was the second highest scorer in region 6 of Division I.

Caplinger Named Secondary School Counselor of the Year

Shellie Caplinger has been recognized by the Fulton School Counselors Association as Secondary School Counselor of the Year and will advance to regional competition.

Student is a State Winner for the River of Words Project Michelle Aguilar

Sophomore Michelle Aguilar was selected as a finalist for the Georgia River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Project. The project is held in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The image Aguilar submitted is shown here. The awards ceremony is at the Chattahoochee Nature Center at 3:00ppm on Saturday, May 9th, 2009.

Boys Soccer Advances to AAAAA Quarterfinals

With a win against Peachtree Ridge 3-1 on Wednesday, the varsity boys soccer team advances to the AAAAA quarterfinals. The Knights play Warner Robins on Saturday, May 2, at 2pm in the Fortress. | Story

Computer Science Students Dominate at AP Bowl

Four AP Computer Science students place at Georgia Tech's AP Bowl for Computer Science held on Saturday, April 18. Approximately 75 students from all over metro Atlanta took part in the event in order to practice for the upcoming AP exams. Centennial took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd on the AP Computer Science A practice exam and 1st place on the AP Computer Science AB practice exam. Prizes won include an iPod nano, a digital camera, and a GPS system. Winners are:

AP Computer Science A
1st Place - Sophomore Billy Clark
2nd Place - Junior Blaise Hymel
3rd Place - Senior Dave Bhaumik

AP Computer Science AB
1st - Senior Jeff Dube

Centennial Takes 1st Place in State JV Academic Bowl Tournament

Centennial won every round of tournament play in a field of 12 AAAAA schools at the Saturday, April 18 tournament at Ola High School in McDonough. The JV Academic Bowlers are:

  • Katherine Cannella
  • Jenny Collier
  • Sonja Petrovic
  • Adam Silverman

Boys Soccer Wins Region 6 Championship Soccer team

The boys varsity soccer team defeated #1 ranked Walton in a 2-1 victory. The win clinched the program's first Region 6-AAAAA Championship. Junior Sandoval scored both goals for the Knights, with the entire team giving a great overall effort for the victory. The Knights begin their push for a state championship Wednesday, April 22 at the Fortress against South Cobb. The game time is has yet to be announced. All tickets are $7. No passes will be accepted except valid GHSA passes.

Six Students Place in Top Ten on National French Exam

In March, forty students participated in the Grand Concours, a national French exam sponsored by the American Association of French Teachers. Six students scored in the top ten for the state of Georgia.

  • Level 2: Bruno Dos Santos
  • Level 3: Katherine Cannella, Virginia Collier
  • Level 4: Keith Thompson, Sarah Eade, Kandasi Griffiths

Teacher Wins Olgethorpe's Young Alumni Award

Allen Whitehart, social studies teacher and head boys basketball coach, has been honored with Olgethorpe University's prestigious Young Alumni of the Year Award. The Young Alumni of the Year Award recognizes a graduate of the last ten years who has shown leadership and inspired other young alumni through participation in career, public service, volunteer or continuing education activities. Whitehart is among several Alumni Award Winners who will be honored for their contributions at a special ceremony April 17 at The Retreat at Dunwoody. The ceremony is part of Oglethorpe University’s Alumni Weekend.

Student Authors Headed to State Competition

Freshman Marie-Elise Goetzke and Sophomore Aine O'Connor won at the county level for the Young Georgia Author's Competition and will compete at the state level.

Another Two Student-Athletes Sign Letters of Intent

Elizabeth Davis (Lacrosse, Presyterian College) and Maddy Razzolini (Rowing, Marist College) signed national letters of intent to continue their athletic career at the collegiate level.

Two Students Place at Art Show

This is the second year Centennial has had students participate in the Roswell Kiwanis Art Show, held at Roswell High School. Senior Emma Przybylinski placed 2nd with her pen and ink, The Glutton. Senior Nahla Osman placed 3rd with her photographic contact print, Midnight Rambles.

Emma Przybylinski Nahla Osman

Senior Inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Senior Reggie Johnson, a full-time jointly enrolled student at Georgia Perimeter College, has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Phi Theta Kappa is a national organization recognizing and encouraging scholarship among two-year college students.

Eight Students Selected for Summer Program

Eight students have been selected for the 2009 Governor's Honor Program. Less than 1 percent of the 10th and 11th graders in the state are selected for this honor and unique summer learning experience.

Rachel Bishop

 Social Studies Seth Loeb Theatre
Brett Gelfand Executive Management Mark Myer Social Studies
Rebecca Kim Music/Strings - Violin Jennifer Warrilow Music/Strings - Violin
Erik Lee Executive Management Ruya Zhao Chemistry

Health Science Teacher is a Class Act

Health science teacher Jama Willbanks has been selected as a Class Act Teacher by 11 Alive News. Watch the Class Act story highlighting Mrs. Willbanks and her class on 11 Alive News with Kids and Schools Reporter, Donna Lowry. Tune–in on Monday, March 26 during 11 Alive News Today from 6:00-7:00am. The segment will re-air on Monday at noon. You may also watch online at 11 Alive News. | Video

Model UN Students Earn Top Award Model UN

From March 18-21, twenty students from Centennial participated in the 2009 National High School Model United Nations Program in New York City. They were in competition with over 150 public and private high schools from the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. At the end of the conference at the United Nations itself during the closing ceremony, three levels of delegation awards are announced. The first level is the Award of Merit, the second is the Award of Excellence, and the third (and the highest) is the Award of Distinction. Only three schools are chosen for each level. Centennial (for the second year in a row) won the Award of Distinction. This is the fifth time in six years that Centennial has won at least one award at one of the three levels. The Centennial students were absolutely exemplary representatives of this school, community, and state.

Boys’ Track Team Crowned Roswell “Rotary” Relay Champions Boys Track

Congratulations to the Boys’ & Girls’ track teams for their outstanding performances this weekend at the Roswell “Rotary” Relays. With over 20 teams competing, the Girls’ team earned a 6th place finish while the Boys’ team finished in 1st place to become the 2009 Roswell “Rotary” Relay Champions.

Media Specialist of the Year

Marie Yelvington, the media center's department chair, was named Fulton County's Media Specialist of the Year. She will represent Fulton in the next round of competition where she will compete with representatives from Cobb, Gwinnett, Douglas, DeKalb, Clayton and Rockdale counties. The state winner will be announced at the 2009 Georgia Council of Media Organizations (GaCOMO) conference in October. All district winners, as well as the state winner, will be recognized and presented awards at the GaCOMO general session.

Students Earn Foreign Language Awards

Twelve students earned awards at the Foreign Language Association of Georgia's Speaking Contest held on March 14. The contest was held at Mill Creek High School with over 500 students competing from high schools in metro Atlanta and the northern half of the state. The following Centennial students won awards for their ability to communicate in a foreign language:

  • In French: Keith Thompson earned a ranking of superior and Makala Mulder earned a ranking of excellent.
  • In German: Marie Goetzke, Natalie Lembeck, and Mike Haempl earned a ranking of superior and Jennifer Warrilow and Stephen Roegge earned a ranking of excellent.
  • In Spanish: Claire Garland and Oliver Ladd earned a ranking of superior and Madeleine Richards, Rachel Bull, and Jasmine Jackson earned a ranking of excellent.

Teacher and Professional Employee of the Year Announced

Language arts teacher and debate team coach Jordan Kohanim was named Teacher of the Year for 2009-10. Caron Kelly, a paraprofessional in the special education department, was named Professional Employee of the Year.

Academic Bowl Takes Fifth

The Academic Bowl team took 5th place in 5A tournament action at Cedar Shoals High School on March 6-7. Please congratulate team members Katherine Cannella, Bradley Silverman, Adam Silverman, and Jeffrey Domozick. For more information, visit the Georgia Academic Team Association.

Five Students Participate in GMEA All-State Chorus

Five students have passed two rounds of auditions and will participate in the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State chorus on Feb 26-28 in Savannah. They are: Richard Brewer (10th grade), Lauren Foxman (10th grade), Maggie Harney (9th grade), Aine O’Connor (10th grade), and Ashley Zimmerman (9th grade).

Eleven Students Attained the Rank of Eagle Scout

Eleven members of the senior class have attained the rank of Eagle Scout through Boy Scouts of America. Only 5% of boy scouts earn this highest advancement rank in scouting. They are:

Grayson Cotney Philip Knoetgen James Padget
Adam Daniel Evan Mangan Hayes Wilkinson
Michael Day Chris Norris Andrew Wilson
Ryan Dekle

Bogere Sanders

  

Writers Advance to County Competition

The English Department would like to announce the Centennial winners for the Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition:

  • 9th Grade: Marie Goetkze
  • 10th Grade: Aine O’Connor
  • 11th Grade: Molly Primeaux
  • 12th grade: Angie Hendrix
These student submitted writings will go on to the county level competition.

Broadcast Video Production Students Produce Three-Hour Webcast Broadcast Video Production

Eight students in the Broadcast Video Production program produced a three-hour webcast of the GHSA State Traditional Wrestling Championships at the Gwinnett Arena on Saturday, February 21. They handled the entire production with Junior Alex Sheridan directing the broadcast. Josh Sims, the Broadcast Video Production teacher, was the analyst for the event. Teams members were: Miles Carby, Bradley Covert, Jaclyn O'Connell, Jimmy Lichtenwalter, Cameron Martinez, Alex Sheridan, Katie Williams, and Scott. More than 3,600 people watched the event live on the Internet from all over the world with another 24,000 viewers watching the event the next day using video on demand. The webcast was done in association with Score Atlanta and PlayON Sports. | Video

Step Team Wins 2nd Place Step Team

The Detour Step Team won 2nd place on Saturday, February 21 in the Pan-Hellenic Alumni Youth Step Competition in Athens, GA. This was Detour’s first competition and they placed 2nd, scoring only 12 points apart from 1st place! The group completed an outstanding performance which was truly creative amd their originality set them apart from the other six seasoned high school teams. Please congratulate the competing team members on their success: Captains: Denzell Cobb and Renee Konoski The other competing team members: Ronald Jones, Joey Blackwell, Shawn Davis, Anisa Collins, Kiara Miller, Preshauna Thomas, Dauntrae Curry, and Tiffani Crawford

Wrestler Wins State Championship Brian St. James

After advancing six wrestlers into the quarter finals of the state traditional wrestling tournament, Centennial places fifth overall. Individual results:

  • Brian St. James (11th), Champion, 112 weight, 60-1
  • Stephen Sealy (12th), Runner-up, 152 weight, 63-3
  • Marcus Nabors (12th), 3rd Place, 171 weight, 39-3
  • Derek Enriquez (11th), 4th Place, 135 weight, 50-18
Visit the Atlanta Takedown Association for detailed results.

Boys Basketball Finishes Second in Region, Advances to State

After earning the 2nd place seed in the region, the boys basketball team will host a first round game of the state tournament. The Knights will face North Cobb on Saturday, February 28 in the Roundtable. | Tournament Bracket

Wrestling Team Advances Six Wrestlers into the Quarter Finals of the State Championships

The Centennial wrestling team has advanced six wrestlers into the quarter finals of the State Championships that will begin at 11:15 am Friday. The semi finals will begin at 7pm. Ryan Malone pulled a huge upset to get into the quarter finals by winning by 3 over a wrestler that was 51-1 on the year.

Two Students Advance to Quarterfinals of the US Physics Olympiad

Seniors Jeff Dube and Jeff Morrell's scores for the qualifying exam of the 2009 US Physics Olympiad were among the top 400 scores nationwide, advancing them to the quarterfinals. Each year, the American Institute of Physics sponsors a competition for high school students to represent the United States at the International Physics Olympiad Competition. | Press Release

Boys Golf Wins North-South Invitational

The boys golf team played in the Georgia North-South Invitational Tournament on February 21-22 in Valdosta. Teaming with Northview, they won their round of matches against two teams from the southern part of the state, Tift County and Savannah Country Day.

Seven Wrestlers Qualify for State Wrestlers Qualify for State

The wrestling team qualified seven wrestlers to compete in the State Tournament at the Gwinnett Center February 19-21. The Big Three (Marcus Nabors, Stephen Sealy, and Brian St. James) all won championships. Nabors' record is 30-3 with one loss in NY over winter break and two to the same wrestler at a higher weight. Sealy’s record is 59-2 with both losses in NY over winter break. St. James's record is 52-1 with the one loss being to an out-of state wrestler who is ranked 4th in the country. All three are favored to make the finals Saturday night at 5pm. The semi-finals are Friday night at 7pm. Other wrestlers who qualified for the State tournament are: Gabe Howard, Derek Enriquez, Ryan Ballard, and Ryan Malone.




Brown Gets 2,000 Career Point Lorenzo Brown

Centennial guard Lorenzo Brown earned his 2,000 career point in his final regular season home game as a Knight in the Roswell game on February 13.

Girls Swimming 4th in State

The Lady Knights swim team placed 4th in the state meet held at Westminster on February 14.

Orchestra Earns Superior Ratings

The orchestra performed in the GMEA District V Large Group Performance Evaluation at Roswell High School on February 13 and received five straight “Superior” ratings earning 1's (the top score) in all categories. The Centennial Orchestra students participated in string classification VI—the most difficult and highest level at which a high school group can participate.

Centennial Receives 2009 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement

Centennial won the 2009 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement. The Siemens Foundation honors one high school per state in recognition of the schools that are leading their state in AP participation and performance in science, math and technology, based on data from all schools participating in AP. The award is accompanied by a $1,000 grant to be used to support science and math education.

Nominees Announced for Teacher and Professional Employee of the Year

Twenty-nine teachers and 15 support professionals were nominated for the 2009-2010 Teacher and Employee of the Year. Both students and faculty participated in this process. The nominees for Teacher of the Year are:

Roxanne Clay Pam Mott

Donna Solomon
Ben Corey Dianne Pittman Adam Stone
Jennifer Davy John Richmond Jessica Taylor
Ria Galanos Anne Rigsbey Charlotte Turner
Daniel Glynn Marie Robinson Tom Washburn
Ana Hale Gary Ruther Melanie Watson
Jordan Kohanim Philip Schaffer Andrea Wheeler
Maria Luque Ko-ming Shih Jama Willbanks
Caroline McLeod Vicki Smith Catherine Wise
Ellen O'Connor Melanie Snow  
The nominees for Professional Employee of the Year are: Kathy Baxter, Lynn Busby, Laura Grace Curtis, Anthony Cutroneo, Caron Kelly, Nancy Maki, Kathy McGonegal, Bernadette Odum, Nancy Palak, Ray Parker, RuVae Roberts, Jody Thomas, Babette Vlahos, and Getra White.

Students Selected to Show Work at Arts Festival

Six students have had work accepted into the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition for the Dogwood Arts Festival in April. From left to right: Jessica Pachman - Dover Castle (Photography), Leah Keelan - Transcended in Time (Photography), Eier - Skye Jones (Digital Photography), Hope Ferguson - Hope (Ink/Pencil), Ashley Banks - Down and Out in Little 5 (Manipulated 35 MM Photo as Digital Print), and Katherine Fatheree - Mr. Cooper (Digital Photography).

Jessica Pachman Leah Keelan Skye Jones
 
Hope Ferguson
 
Ashley Banks Katherine Fatheree

Cadets Advance in JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl

Two teams of cadets have advanced to Level II in the Army JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (J-LAB). Over 1,100 teams participated in the Academic Bowl and over 900 teams tested their leadership skills in the Leadership Bowl. Teams scoring in the top 50% will advance to Level II. Adademic Bowl team members are: Bryce Nichols, Alec Watkins, Joe Di Pietro, Matt Clavijo, Geoffrey Carroll, and Kenneth Apple. Leadership Bowl team members are: Wesley Fleming, Eli Walsh, Rosly Maquinana, Brian Dix, and Marisela Ortiz.

Academic Bowl Team Places 1st in County

The Academic Bowl team won the Fulton County High School Academic Bowl on February 11. Team members are: Katherina Cannella (10th), Virginia Collier (10th), Jeffrey Domozick (11th), Sonja Petrovic (9th), Adam Silverman (9th), Bradley Silverman (11th), George Tang (9th), and Will West (12th).

Centennial Named AP Merit School

Centennial is one of 27 Georgia high schools designated as an AP Merit School by the College Board, a distinction that 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. Read more.

Four Student-Athletes Take Part in Spring Signing Day

The following athletes have signed their national letter of intent to continue their athletic careers: Denzel Campbell (Baseball) - University of South Carolina Beaufort, Euclid Cummings (Football) - Georgia Institute of Technology, Zane El-Shami (Soccer) - Coastal Carolina University, and Ashley Sepaniak (Soccer) - Georgia Southern University.

Girls 2nd, Boys 12th in Metro Swimming Championship

Fifty teams competed in the 39th Metro Atlanta Swimming & Diving Championships held at Westminster on January 31. The Lady Knights finished second to Marist. Top finisher for the boys team was Junior Grant Smith, placing 2nd in the 200 Free and 4th in the 500 Free. The girls team had first place finishes by Senior Hannah Dahm, Junior Julia Treible, Senior Kristen Redmond, and Sophomore Liz Saint in the 200 Medley Relay, Julia Treible in the 200 IM and 100 Breast stroke, Kristen Redmond in the 100 Fly and 100 Free, and Liz Saint, Freshman Caitlin Bell, Julia Treible and Kristen Redmond in the 400 Free Relay. The 2009 state teams are as follows: Girls: Chelsea Almand, Caitlin Bell, Chelsea Bucci, Christina Coloma, Hannah Dahm, Sara Dube, Leslie Hackler, Natalie Lembeck, Kristen Redmond, Sara Redmond, Anna Saffer, Liz Saint, Keller Torrey, Julia Treible, Lida Walsh, and Taylor Watts Boys: Connor Blair, Benjamin Buzeta, Nick Cassidy, Cajer Gong, Sean Hall, Kyle Kipping, Alex Lembeck, Kenny Lombard, Blaine Smith, Grant Smith, Marcus VanderHoek, and Michael Zeitz Centennial will compete in the State Championship Meet on February 12 & 14th at Westminster. With a roster of record breaking All-Americans, the Lady Knights are perennial favorites in Class AAAAA and will challenge defending state champs Marist.

Student Elected to Georiga Thespians State Office

Junior Melissa Weyn has been elected as a State Student Officer for the Georgia Thespians for 2009-10. The SSO's represent Georgia at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, NE from June 23-37 and plan and run many portions of the State Festival each February.

Centennial Shines at Model League of Arab States

Twenty students participated in the two day Metro Atlanta Model League of Arab States on January 29-30 at Marist High School. Eleven of our students received individual delegate awards: Hannah Sells, Michael Gale, Oliver Ladd, Hannah Oliff, Zach Jones, Jeff Morell, Sean Gilrain, Kathleen Goetzke, Max Hay, Andrew Rose, and Kate Massey. Centennial won two of the four Outstanding Delegation awards given out in this competition. No other school won as many individual or delegation awards as Centennial.

German Program Places 2nd in State

On January 30-31, the German students competed in the Georgia State German Convention, an event in which German programs from all over the state compete in various German language/culture competitions. Centennial placed 2nd overall, placing in 23 events with a number of 1st place finishes in extemporaneous speaking, poetry recital, and renarration. Centennial students demonstrated excellent receptive and productive language skills. German I

  • 1st Place Poetry - Taylor Brenneman
  • 1st Place Poetry - Karen Saucedo
  • 2nd Place Vocabulary Bee - Marie Goetzke
  • 3rd Place Spelling Bee - Marie Goetzke
German II
  • 1st Place Poetry - Stephanie Sheffield
  • 2nd Place Spelling Bee - Esther Chang
  • 4th Place Vocabulary Bee - Esther Chang
German III
  • 2nd Place Spelling Bee - Kenneth Duncan
German IV
  • 1st Place in Lip singing Contest - led by Joe Di Pietro and Jacob McGoff
  • 3rd Place Spelling Bee - Quy Nguyen
  • 3rd Place in 'Partnerarbeit' (describing a picture in German) - Jacob McGoff
AP German
  • 1st Place Poetry - Julianne O'Connell
  • 1st Place Story Retelling - Julianne O'Connell
  • 1st Place Extemporaneous Speaking - Vasily Demchenko
  • 2nd Place Extemporaneous Speaking - Julianne O'Connell
  • 3rd Place Poetry - Joe Winograd
  • 3rd Place National Written Exam - Julianne O'Connell
  • 3rd Place in 'Partnerarbeit' (describing a picture in German) - Ryan Bitters
  • 3rd Place in History Trivia Test - Julianne O'Connell
  • 1st Place Photography - Joe Winograd
  • 2nd Place Photography - Julianne O'Connell
  • 3rd Place German Apple Cake Contest - Julianne O'Connell
  • 3rd Place German Cookie Contest - Julianne O'Connell
  • 3rd Place German Fruit Cake Contest - Joe Winograd

Students Show Their Tech Savvy

Ten students participated in the Fulton County Technology Fair on Saturday, January 31. Five students took home medals.

  • Jeff Dube - Individual Programming Challenge (2nd)
  • Jeff McMichael - Robotics (2nd)
  • Ryan Smith - Animated Graphic Design (3rd)
  • Thomas Jones & Josh Sumpter - Project Programming (3rd)
  • David Hwang - Individual Programming Challenge (3rd)

Seven Students Place at FBLA Region Competition, Will Advance to State

Seven FBLA students placed in the areas of economics, accounting, and business ethics at the Region 10 Competition at Milton High School on Thursday, January 30. The following students will advance to state competition:

  • Dave Bhaumik (12), 1st Place, Economics
  • Jeff Dube (12), 2nd Place, Economics
  • Casey Horton (12), 5th Place, Economics
  • Lauren Reid (10), Stephen Roegge (11), Alex Wong (11), 2nd Place, Business Ethics Team
  • Carl Lamson (12), 7th Place, Accounting I

Faculty Member Accepted into Aspiring Leaders Program

Graduation Coach Keynun Campbell is one of 26 teachers accepted into Fulton County's V2 Leadership Aspiring Leaders Program. These individuals will participate in a variety of online instructional modules, follow-up assignments and leadership book studies. They also will experience performance-based learning activities that focus on leadership expectations and all aspects of successfully managing a school. The V2 Leadership Academy was designed to provide leadership instruction to assure the availability of prepared school leaders.

Faculty Recognized at Teacher Appreciation Ceremony

On January 27, twenty-eight faculty members were recognized by the varsity basketball teams and cheerleaders during the teacher appreciation ceremony. This event is held annually during basketball season. Faculty honored:

Julia Bateman Michael Higgins Hella Peart Jessica Taylor
Tiffany Butera Stephen Jameson John Riggins Rachel Wadley
Roxanne Clay Bob Kuhn Ko-ming Shih Tom Washburn
Bradley Davis Eric Medwed Janet Siwy Adam Wildstein
Cherine Foutch Anna Miller Melanie Snow Jama Willbanks
Yonette Harris Richard Moushegian Nicole Synder Andrea Williams
Brian Heglund Helena Ohana Donna Vargas Wesley Wozgen

Senior Selected as a National Achievement Scholarship Finalist

Senior Brandon Young has advanced to the final round of the National Achievement Scholarship competition.

Wrestler Named Athlete of the Week Gabe Howard

Senior Gabe Howard was named Athlete of the Week by the Roswell Neighbor for the week of January 27. | Article

Wrestling Team Finishes 5th in State Duals

The Knights finished 5th in the state duals in Macon on January 16-17 with wins over Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Ridge, and Marietta. Senior Stephen Sealy and Junior Brian St. James are undefeated in Georgia this season. St. James is ranked the number 1 wrestler in the Southeast.

Fencers Fare Well in January

At the Centennial hosted January tournament, four Lady Knights placed in the Women's Epee division: Katherine Cannella (1st), Melinda Erickson (2nd), Allyssa Lawrence (7th), and Ruya Zhao (8th). On the men's side, Blaise Hymel placed 5th in both Men's Epee and Men's Saber.

HOSA Students Qualify for State Competition HOSA Ten members of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) placed in the top ten at regionals and will move on to state competition in March. They are:
  • Quy Nguyen: Pharmacology
  • Michelle Minkert / Todd Sehhat: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
  • Taylor Watts: Pathophysiology
  • Bryan Aldana: Medical Assisting
  • Taylor Brenneman: Physical Therapy
  • Michael Stribos: Sports Medicine
  • Catherine Nam: Veterinary Assisting
  • Charlie Boettcher / Brandon Williams: Forensic Medicine
Andrew St. James has already placed to go to Nationals for Medical Laboratory Assisting.

Five Students Selected for the 2009 All-State Orchestra

Sophomore Cajer Gong (Violin), Junior Rebecca Kim (Violin), Sophomore Juyun Kim (Violin), Freshman Tang Tang (Violin), and Sophomore Moe Winograd (String Bass) were selected for the 2009 Georgia High School All-State Orchestra.

Swimmer Named Roswell Neighbor's Athlete of the Week Liz Saint

Sophomore Liz Saint is Roswell Neighbor’s Athlete of the Week for the week of January 20. Read more.

Troops Send a Big Thank You to Centennial for Warm Clothing Donations Troops

The National Honor Society and Beta Club responded to a call to help a village in Afghanistan keep warm in the winter. Command Sgt. Major Mark Bender, a member of the 5th Kandak Embedded Training Team stationed in Afghanistan, sent word to a friend of his, Nancy Maki, the principal’s secretary, that there was a village near his base in desperate need of warm clothing to help sustain them through the harsh winter. Bender explained that during last year’s difficult winter, many villagers died due to exposure. NHS and the Beta Club rallied to collect and fill 30 boxes with hats, clothes, coats and socks. The villagers received the packages in late November, just in time for the frigid temperatures. Letter

Girls Repeat as Winners of the North Fulton Swim and Dive Championships Girls Swimming

The best high school swimmers of North Fulton county competed Friday night at Marist in the North Fulton Championships. The Lady Knights took first place in every event except two to finish first overall with the boys team taking fourth place. The repeating lady champions were lead by All-Americans Seniors Kristen Redmond and Leslie Hackler, Junior Julia Treible, and Sophomore Liz Saint with a new pool and meet record in the 200 medley relay. The Lady Knights also broke five other meet records. Sophomore Christina Coloma, Senior Hannah Dahm, Freshman Cailin Bell, and Sophomore Liz Saint broke a meet record in their 200 yd. freestyle relay. First and second place finishers:

  • Boys 200 Medley Relay (Placed 2nd) - Connor Blair, Nick Cassidy, Kenny Lombard, Grant Smith
  • Girls 200 Medley Relay (Placed 1st with a new meet/pool record) - Leslie Hackler, Julia Treible, Kristen Redmond, Liz Saint
  • Girls 200 Free (Placed 1st) - Kristen Redmond
  • Girls 200 Individual Medley (Placed 1st with a new meet record) - Julia Treible
  • Girls 50 Free (Placed 1st) - Liz Saint
  • Girls 100 Fly (Placed 1st) - Leslie Hackler
  • Girls 100 Free (Placed 1st with a new meet record) - Kristen Redmond, (Placed 2nd) - Liz Saint
  • Girls 200 Free Relay (Placed 1st with a new meet record) - Christina Coloma, Hannah Dahm, Caitlin Bell, Liz Saint
  • Girls 100 Breast (Placed 1st with a new meet record) - Julia Treible
  • Girls 400 Free Relay (Placed 1st with a new meet record) - Leslie Hackler, Caitlin Bell, Julia Treible, Kristen Redmond

They Fence Like Knights

Sophomore Melinda Erickson and Junior Alessandra Palazzolo have qualified for the Junior Olympics in fencing. Erickson qualified in Cadet Women's Epee (17 and under) and Junior Women's Epee (20 & under). Palazzolo qualified in Cadet Women's Epee (17 and under). They will be competing in Albequerque, New Mexico February 13-16.

Fencers1 Fencers2 Fencers3

Knights Win the Prep All-Stars Championship

The varsity boys basketball team brought back the 1st place prize from their first winter tournament. The Knights played in the Prep All-Stars Classic at Belmont Abbey College in Gastonia, NC from December 20-23. They won the championship game against United Faith Christian Academy who are ranked #12 in the southeast by ESPN Rise. Read more at here.

Basketball Team Prep All-Stars Plaque

Two Football Players Recognized by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Senior defensive lineman Euclid Cummings and junior offensive lineman David Yankey were given honorable mention nods in the naming of the AJC's Class AAAAA All-State Football Team.

Euclid Cummings David Yankey

Centennial Named as a Top Choice School by Atlanta Magazine

Atlanta Magazine named Centennial as a top school in the areas of math and science, language arts, and sports in its annual Best High Schools issue. Read more.

Avalon Awarded Gold Medalist Rating Avalon

Centennial’s literary/art magazine, Avalon, is pleased to announce that last year’s issue of Avalon was awarded the Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association critiques magazines all over the United States each year, and the Gold Medalist is the highest rating for critiques. Avalon is a student produced magazine composed of art and literature from the Centennial student body and is published every spring. Congratulations to the Avalon staff for this award! See the AJC article here.

JROTC Cadets Take On Financial Literacy Challenge

Fifteen students scored in the top 25th percentile on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Fall 2008 National Financial Literacy Challenge, an initiative recommended by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. From November 3 through December 12, the Challenge was taken by more than 75,000 high school students. Participants included students in rural areas, suburbs, and cities in this country, and in Department of Defense schools around the world. Students are: Kenneth Apple, Matt Benson, Geoffrey Carroll, Darius Carter, Cameron Conrad, Joe Di Pietro, Brian Dix, Wesley Fleming, Francois Fortuchang, Ervan Myumyun, Aisha Page, Taylor Rutherford, Zachary Vet, Eli Walsh, and Alec Watkins.

Students Advance in Kennesaw Math Competition

Six students scored in the 91st percentile or above in the first round of the 2008 Kennesaw State University Mathematics Competition and will advance to the second round on February 3. They are: Debayan Bhaumik, Arghaya Dalapati, Bona Lee, Allen Liu, Shihui Wang, and Ruya Zhao. Almost 2200 students in 124 Georgia public and private high schools representing 55 counties competed. Congratulations also goes out to Dr. Ko-ming Shih whose efforts made this opportunity possible for the students.

They've Got Talent

On December 11, the Detour Step Team took 1st prize at the 2008 Talent Show sponsored by the Junior Class Council. Second place went to Collision and The Drummers took third.

Darius Weems Visits Centennial

Darius Weems, star of the film Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, spoke to a packed assembly on December 5. The Knights responded to Darius so enthusiastically that they received accolades from the crew. They said that Centennial gave Darius one of the best ovations he's received at a school. The award winning documentary (over 25 awards from different film festivals!) is about Darius Weems, a high school freshman with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Darius is a native of Athens, Georgia who grew up in public housing, and, until the making of the film, had never been outside of Athens-Clarke County. The idea of the film came from Darius’ hope to have his wheelchair customized on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. However, the end result “is a rarely seen testament to the explosive idealism of today’s youth, as well as a vivid portrayal of adventure, of brotherhood, and of the character and strength it takes to shed light on an uncertain future.” Ever since the release of the film in 2006, Darius Weems and 11 of his best friends have been travelling the world to promote awareness about this fatal condition. Darius’s older brother, Mario, died at age 19 of DMD. Darius turned 19 in September, and as a tribute to his 19th year, Darius and the crew have set a goal to sell 1 million DVDs. Ultimately, this will result in $17 million that will go directly to DMD research! Visit Darius Goes West for more information. To purchase a DVD, contact Traci Coleman in room I-24A. DVDs are $20, $3 of which goes towards production costs with the remaining $17 going directly towards DMD research.

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Teachers Named in Best Teacher Campaign

Law and Justice teacher, Dr. Tom Washburn, was named the winner in the best teacher text messaging campaign sponsored by Jostens and will receive a $50 American Express gift card. The campaign also produced four runner-ups: Rachel Freeman, Brian Heglund, Bob Kuhn, and Donna Vargas. Runner-ups will each receive a $10 Chick-fil-A gift card.

Students Named as Candidates for National Merit Scholarships

Senior Hannah Brooks is a candidate for a McKesson Foundation scholarship and Lauren Guffey is a candidate for a Georgia-Pacific Foundation scholarship. They qualified for these scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Teachers Selected for PAGE Teacher Academy

Teachers Rachel Freeman and Leslie Wolfe-Cundiff were selected for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators' (PAGE) Teacher Academy for 2008-10. The Academy is designed to enhance the skills of teachers with fewer than four years experience who show great promise. Academy sessions are held in Macon, GA, four weekends per year, with participants also attending theh PAGE Summer and Fall conferences. Only 30 teachers statewide were chosen. | Article

Centennial Wins Fox Five Atlanta's So FOX So High School Contest

A team of students created a video showing their pride in Centennial that won the So FOX So High School contest. In addition to the $4,000 prize, Centennial earned a live broadcast on Good Day Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec 2. The five member team was lead by Sara Dixon (Writer, Director, and Editor). Team members: Joanna Harber (camera), Justin Blackwell (camera), Brian Ballard (camera), and Chris Kalfas (voiceover actor). The prize money will be used to purchase new equipment for the Centennial's Broadcast Video Production program. 1st clip | 2nd clip

Students Advance to Finals of All-State Orchestra Selection

Nine students advance to the final round of the Georgia High School All-State Orchestra. They are: Rachel Choi, Cajer Gong, Rebecca Kim, Juyun Kim, Virginia Layman, Tim Richardson, George Tang, Sarah Terning, and Moe Winograd.

Debate Takes Home Victory from Peach State Classic

The debate team competed at the Peach State Classic at Carrolton High School on November 21-22. Out of 43 schools and over 200 hundred students, the novice team of Sophomore Sean Regan and Junior Rachel Bishop made it to quarter-finals; Sean Regan earned the ninth place billing in overall speaker points, a very impressive win for only his second debate.

Centennial Wins Silver for Test Perforamnce

Centennial is one of 31 Fulton schools earning recognition from the Governor's Office and the Department of Education for test performance. Centennial earned a silver award for high achievement on the Georgia High School Graduation test. The Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) recognition program's award structure combines criteria for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind act, with performance data on state curriculum exams. Read more here.

Three Football Players Named to All-County Team

The Roswell Beacon has named Senior Euclid Cummings (Defensive End) and Junior David Yankey (Offensive Lineman) to their All-County football first team. Martin Jenkins (Defensive Back) was named to the second team. Read more here.

Dahm Makes All-Region Team Hannah Dahm Senior Hannah Dahm was selected to the all-region team for softball. Hannah plays second base and shortstop for the Lady Knights and is a four-year letter winner in softball.

Athletes Sign National Letter of Intent During November Signing Period

Lorenzo Brown (Basketball) signs with NC State, Corbin Blakey (Baseball) signs with Georgetown, Kristen Redmond (Swimming) signs with Clemson, and Ali Beeler (Tennis) signs with Georgia Southern.

Lorenzo Brown Signs with NC State Lorenzo Brown

Lorenzo Brown signs a national letter of intent to continue his basketball career for the North Carolina State Wolfpack. In the photo from L-R are: Mother Kim Banks, Lorenzo Brown, and Coach Whitehart. Photo courtesy of the Roswell Neighbor.

Knight Takes on Jeopardy

Junior Bradley Silverman took 2nd in the 2008 Teen Jeopardy Tournament pocketing $44,600 in the two-day final round on November 20-21. Visit Teen Jeopardy for more information. See AJC article here.Bradley Silverman

Mu Alpha Theta Inducts 19 New Members

On November 18, the Mu Alpha Theta chapter (National High School Mathematics Honor Society) inducted 19 new members and introduced their new officers. The new members are: Koushyllia Black, Hannah Brooks, Katherine Canella, Danielle Dankner, Andrew George, Nathan Harries, Max Hay, Daniel Ho, Hannah Keith, Billy Kim, Ryan Linnane, Ben Partridge, Shrina Patel, Christina Pugh, Stephanie Sheffield, Adam Silverman, Parker Squires, Chris Versteeg, and David Zhu. Newly inducted officers are: President Adam Kess, Vice-President Ariana Daftarian, Secretary Lauren Wilsmann, Treasurer Jesten Mann, Historian Yvette Santos, and Webmasters Allen Liu and Ruya Zhao.

Blood Drive Knights Give Back

On Friday, November 14, 155 students and teachers participated in the Red Cross blood drive for a total collection of 118 pints. High schools drives account for 20% of the blood supply and are essential for keeping the blood supply at a safe level. By sponsoring blood drives, Centennial is teaching its students that donating blood is a social responsiblity and the importance of making sure there is blood in the hospitals for their mothers, fathers, principals, nurses, teachers, fellow students, and themselves. Additionally, there is a significantly higher percentage of CM-V negative donors at the high school level. Those donors have the only type of blood that can go to premature babies. Younger blood is necessary to give those premature babies what they need to survive. Centennial donates 200-350 pints every year. This impacts 600-1000 patients every year! Thank you Centennial!

Knight Battalion Increases Annual Inspection Score Knights Battalion

The Centennial JROTC Knight Battalion underwent its annual inspection program on November 13. Because JROTC programs are cadet-run and led, the purpose of the inspection is to assess the leadership abilities of the cadet leaders, appearance and bearing of the entire Corps of Cadets, and curriculum knowledge of randomly selected cadets. The cadet leaders are assessed in the areas of personnel administration, physical security of program property, training and operations, logistics, and public affairs/relations as well as general leadership principles and practices. The Knight Battalion increased its inspection score by just over 3%, raising last year’s rating from 90.8% to 93.99%. HOOAH, Knights!

Corbin Blakey Signs with Georgetown Corbin Blakey

Shortstop Corbin Blakey signs a national letter of intent to continue his baseball career for the Georgetown University Hoyas. Seated in the photo from L-R are: Lauren Blakey, Corbin Blakey, and Mother Joanne Blakey. Standing from L-R are: Coach Billy Nicholson and Father Brad Blakey.

Kristen Redmond Signs with Clemson Kristen Redmond

Kristen Redmond signs a national letter of intent to continue her swimming career for the Clemson University Tigers. Seated in the photo from L-R are: Father Joe Redmond, Kristen Redmond, and Mother Kathy Redmond. Standing from L-R are: Coach Erin Pryles, Sara Redmond, and Coach Mark Minier.

Allison Beeler Signs with Georgia Southern Ali Beeler

Ali Beeler signs a national letter of intent to continue her tennis career for the Georgia Southern University Eagles. Seated in the photo from L-R are: Father, Hugh Beeler, Allison Beeler, and Mother Susan Beeler. Standing from L-R are: Coach Chan Deas, Principal Dr. John Bartley, and Coach Henry Darko.

Knight Takes on Jeopardy

Junior Bradley Silverman competed in the first round of the 2008 Teen Jeopardy Tournament on Tuesday, November 11. After dominating the night, he will advance to the semi-finals and compete again on Tuesday, November 18. Visit Teen Jeopardy for more information.

One Act Play Takes 2nd at Regions

A Christmas Carol earned 1st runner up (2nd place) at the Region 6AAAAA One Act Play contest on Saturday, November 8 at Milton High School. Four performers were named to the Region Allstar cast: Meredith Harney (Viola), Chris Kalfas (Scrooge), Seth Loeb (Bob Cratchit), and Arielle McIntyre (Ghost of Christmas Past). Centennial also earned the Best Ensemble Award and the Best Costumes Award. The cast and crew did an OUTSTANDING job!

Students Named to the Fulton County Honor Band and Orchestra

On November 3, Centennial hosted the Fulton County Honor Band and Orchestra auditions. The Fulton County Honor Band and Honor Orchestra are enrichment opportunities for outstanding high school band and orchestra students from all over Fulton County. Students are selected through an audition process before coming together for rehearsals and to perform a concert. The students who make the ensemble have the privilege to perform high levels of music and meet students from other school around the county.
The ten Centennial students who were named to the 2008-09 Honor Band are: Aaron Cai, Peter Finn, Jason Kaplan, Robert McSweeney, Jeff Morell, Chris Norris, Krystal Saenz, Mike Short, William West, and Michael Williams.
Twenty-one Centennial students were selected to the 2008 Fulton County High School Orchestra, the most of any high school in Fulton County. The students participated in the Honor Orchestra event November 10-11. The selected students were: Michelle Ahn, Jennifer Ahn, Anna Babaie, Koushy Biack, Rachel Choi, Derek Freed, Cajer Gong, Meredith Harney, Autumn Johnson, Helen Kao, Juyun Kim, Rebecca Kim, Bona Lee, Robin Lynch, Andrew Nam, Hillary Reyes, Tim Richardson, George Tang, Cammie Wagner, Jennifer Warrilow, and Moe Winograd.

Law and Justice Program Visits Washington During Historic Week

The Law and Justice Program visited Washington, DC from November 3-6 which turned out to be a particularly historic week in the Capital City! The special itinerary created for the trip included touring the FBI Academy and lecture with a criminal profiler, meeting US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, visiting the US Capital Police training facility, visiting the new crime and punishment museum as well as the normal tourist destinations. However, the week of November 4th turned out to be quite a historic week. Students visited the White House the same day it was determined that the first black president would be the next resident! Students also visited the exact spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the very day it seems King’s dream was realized! The trip was truly an experience the students will never forget.

Law And Justice Law And Justice Law And Justice

Sixteen Students are 2009 GHP Semi-Finalists

The sixteen students below have achieved semi-finalist status for the 2009 Governor's Honors Program and will represent Centennial and Fulton County in state-level interviews in January and February. we are very proud of them and wish them the best as they advance in the GHP process!

Rachel Bishop

 Social Studies Erik Lee Executive Management
Rachel Bull Theatre Seth Loeb Theatre
Michael Gale Spanish Jesten Mann Communicative Arts
Brett Gelfand Executive Management Mark Myer Social Studies
Richard Hessler Music/Brass - Trumpet Alaina Powell Theatre
Jessica Jacobs Theatre Emma Shearer Theatre
Juyun Kim Music/Strings - Violin Jennifer Warrilow Music/Strings - Violin

Rebecca Kim

 Music/Strings - Violin Ruya Zhao Chemistry

Cross Country Advances to State Tournament

Congratulations to the boys and girls cross country teams! Both Varsity teams placed 4th at the 6AAAAA region meet on Thursday, 10/30, securing their trips to this year’s State meet! Boys XCThis is the 2nd year in a row that both the girls and boys teams have qualified for State. We are so proud of the hard work these runners have put in this season. Way to go Knights!
The Varsity girls had two Top 20 finishers: Katie June who placed 3rd overall, and Brooke Koblitz, who placed 10th overall. The Varsity boys had three Top 20 finishers: Julian Black placed 7th, Brandon Black placed 16th, and Patrick Reith placed 19th. The JV teams also ran two great races with lots of PRs. The JV girls placed 2nd. Top 20 finishes for the JV girls included Jordan Morell(4th), Gina Siffri(8th), Dana Zimmerer(11th), and Alli McCall (13th). The JV boys placed 4th. Top 20 finishes for the JV boys included Trevor Daniel (7th) and Mike Patterson (19th).

Swimmer Named Scholastic All-American

Senior Leslie Hackler was named as a Scholastic All-American for the 2nd year in a row. Leslie is the only swimmer enrolled in Fulton County Schools to qualify for this honor. Good job!

Competition Cheerleading Steps It Up As They Head Into the Region Tournament

Both the Varsity and JV Competition cheerleading squads brought home 2nd place trophies from the Forsyth Central Bulldog Cheer Classic on Saturday, October 18.Competition Cheerleading The varsity team actually tied with South Forsyth for first place; however, South Forsyth won the tie breaker. The other AAAAA varsity teams in the cheer classic were Collins Hill, North Forsyth, Northview, and South Forsyth. The other three JV teams in the cheer classic where Centennial JV took second were Collins Hill, Northview, and West Forsyth. JV competes in their last competition on Saturday, October 25, at Roswell High School. The JV division starts at 10:30am. Varsity also competes Saturday, October 25, at Central Gwinett High School. The AAAAA division begins around 3:30 pm. On Saturday, November 1, the varsity will compete for the Region 6 AAAAA title at Cartersville High School at 12:30 pm. The cheerleaders would really love the faculty, staff, and Centennial community to come out and cheer them on to GHSA Sectionals/Finals the following weekend!

Centennial Visual Arts Students Earn Awards

The Centennial Visual Arts students recently competed in the Georgia National Fair’s Youth Art Show. We are proud to announce that Gabby Ide (left and center photos) took 2nd place in both the Pastel division and in the Ink Drawing division. Carri Voutila (right photo) took 4th place in the Other Drawing division. Dimaggio Taylor-Reid, Hayes Wilkinson, and Carri Voutila all received blue competition honorable mention ribbons. Out of nine total works sent to the Georgia National Fair, Centennial had three students placing in the top four in their respective categories and three honorable mentions.

Gabby Ide Gabby Ide Carri Voutila

Centennial Fencers Host First Tournament of the Season

The fencing team hosted its first tournament of the season here at Centennial on Saturday, October 18 and it was a huge success for all concerned. Three schools competed – Centennial, Lassiter, and Alpharetta – and the Knights made an excellent showing against some tough competition. Six of our women were in the top 10 – Katherine Cannella, Melinda Erickson, Jenny Collier, Lydia Chang, Alessandra Palazzolo, and Laney Whitaker. Two of our men were in the top eight – Blaise Hymel and Roy Serna. Way to go! Live for the fight; fence like a Knight!

Mighty Marching Knights Shine at Warner Robins

The Mighty Marching Knights received an Excellent rating at the Heart of Georgia Invitational at Warner Robins High School on Saturday, October 18. Congratulations go out to drum majors Jeff Morell and Jessica Swain who received Superior ratings and finished second in Class 2A. Congratulations also go out to the percussion section for receiving an Excellent rating and finishing second in Class 2A.
The band will next compete at the Georgia Bandmaster’s Championships at Central Forsyth High School on Saturday, October 25. The Mighty Marching Knights have been selected to participate in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Festival of Trees Parade. The parade will take place in downtown Atlanta on December, 6, 2008 and will be televised live on WSBTV - Channel 2.

Seniors Shine On During Senior Service Day 2008

Over 400 members of Centennial’s class of 2009 spent the morning of Wednesday, October 15, volunteering in their community as part of the third annual Senior Service Day. The students had the opportunity to teach, feed, assist, revitalize and reach out to those in need. Every October, while underclassmen take the PSAT, Centennial seniors work in small groups at more than 20 sites in and around the Roswell community and beyond, adding several new sites this year. Far from being a day off, the students consistently displayed Centennial spirit and dedication. Brad Hanks, volunteer coordinator at City of Refuge in Atlanta, reports that “the group was one of the hardest working groups that I have directed.” Kirk Franz, the recreation and city parks manager of Johns Creek, said that the “students efforts in spreading over 200 bales of pine straw and spreading several loads of wood chips has made a noticeable improvement in the appearance of our City Parks.” He also said to our students, “giving back to your community with your time and energy is something you all should be proud of and I hope you will carry that spirit of service and volunteerism with you long after you graduate when you enter the ‘real world’”.
This year's sites were: Habitat for Humanity - North Central Georgia, North Fulton Community Charities, City of Refuge, Sandy Springs Recycling Center, Spruill Library, Barnwell Elementary, Northwood Elementary, Hillside Elementary, River Eves Elementary, Esther Jackson Elementary, Haynes Bridge Middle School, Holcomb Bridge Middle School, Autrey Mill Nature Center, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Newtown Park, Ocee Park, Foster Care Support Foundation, Sunrise Assisted Living, and the grounds at Centennial.

Senior Service Day Senior Service Day Senior Service Day
Senior Service Day Senior Service Day Senior Service Day

Model UN Impresses at Georgia Tech

Centennial High was represented by 47 students at the 2008 Georgia Tech High School Model UN Program, sponsored by the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Tech. At the conclusion of the program several individual and delegation awards were given. Casey Horton, Zach Jones and Kristen Quinn were named Honorable Mention Outstanding Delegates in their committees. Hannah Oliff and Jeff Morell were named the Outstanding Delegates in the UN Security Council. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our students.

Cross Country Lighting Up the Course in October

The Knights cross country team has continued their successes this season. On Saturday, September 27, the teams ran at the Mercer Invitational in Macon. The team brought home four first place trophies; the Girls JV and Varsity and the Boys JV and Varsity all won their respective races. Katie June came in first overall for the Varsity Girls with a time of 19:24. Julian and Brandon Black placed 3rd and 4th respectively in the Boys Varsity race, running 16:44 and 16:56. It was a great race on a fast course, with lots of medals and trophies!
October started with the Fulton County Championships on Saturday, October 4. The Knights fought hard on a difficult course in very hot conditions. Boys Varsity placed 3rd, while Girls Varsity placed 7th. The Girls Varsity team, plagued with injuries, still ran a great race, with Katie June placing 3rd overall with a time of 19:57. Julian Black came in 5th overall for the Varsity Boys with a time of 17:33. The JV teams also ran well, with the JV Boys coming in 2nd, JV Girls 7th.
On October 8, the Knights ran at the Cass-Cartersville Invitational. This flat course provided a great race, and the Knights dominated. The Varsity and JV Boys placed first for their races, with notable performances by JV runners Joe Neder (2nd), Mike Patterson (4th), and Chris Versteeg (9th). The Varsity Boys had 4 Top 20 runners: Julian Black (2nd), Brandon Black (3rd), Kane Davis (11th), and Patrick Reith (13th). The Varsity girls placed 4th, and the JV girls placed 2nd. Jordan Morell led the way for the JV girls, placing 1st overall in the race, with Alli McCall coming in 4th. The Varsity girls also ran well, with Kirstin Bergstrom (4th), Brooke Shedd (8th), and Marnie Williams (17th) placing in the Top 20.
As the season winds down, the Knights are looking forward the Region race and working toward their goal of going back to State this year. GO KNIGHTS!

Marlee Waxelbaum '05 Named Amazing Student at UGA

Marlee is currently a senior at UGA studying International Affairs and Political Science.

National Merit Scholarship Program Commendations

The following students are Commended Students as part of the National Merit Scholarship Program. They placed among the top five percent of more than 1.2 million students who entered the 2009 competition by taking the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Anna Babaie, Grant Bickwit, Kathleen Goetzke, Lauren Guffey, Meredith Harney, Jacqueline Hixson, Joshua Partridge, Emma Przybylinski, Dakota Rogers, Azam Siddiqui, Oleg Skylar, Joy Vitebsky, William West, Brandon Young, and Michael Zeitz.

Debate Rocks the Chattahoochee Classic

The Knights Debate team would like to congratulate Tyler Beggs and William Hampton who came away from the Chattahoochee Cougar Classic as 1st place co-champions, beating out over 140 other debaters. We would also like to congratulate Hannah Sells who took a very competitive 2nd place speaker point win in the junior varsity division. Hannah and her partner Keish Kim also won Octofinals. We would also like to recognize JR Williams who took 9th in Speaker points for the novice division. We are proud of all of our debaters who worked very hard at a very competitive tournament.

JROTC Wins 1st Place at Westlake

Congratulations to the JROTC Raider team who competed at Westlake High School on September 13. The team won 1st place in the overall Army Physical Fitness Test. Rosly Maquinana and Juan Hernandez won individual awards in all three categories of the PT Test, which included push-ups, sit-ups, and a two mile run.

Debate News

After a grueling two day tournament in Warner Robins Georgia, the Centennial Debate Program would like to congratulate novice quarter finalists, Matt Pellegrom and Will Hampton and recognize eighth place speaker, Matt Pellegrom. Keep up the good work!

County Nominee for U.S. Senate Youth Program

Jeff Morell is Fulton County's nominee for the U.S. Senate Youth Program. He will compete at the congressional district and state level for a $5,000 scholarship and a chance to spend a week in Washington, D.C. to meet with national figures and policymakers. We wish Jeff the best of luck as he advances through the competition.

National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Jack Bell, Debayan Bhaumik, Jeff Dube, Kate Massey, Jeff Morell, and Caitlin Ortega have recently been named semifinalists in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Competition. Additionally, Brandon Young was named a semifinalist in the 2009 National Achievement Scholarship Competition. Congratulations! See article.

Two of Centennial's Seniors Named Two of Atlanta's 20 Under 20

Rohan Bhatia and Grant Bickwit have been named to the first class of 20 Under 20 as outstanding youths committed to making an impact in their communities and serving as positive examples to other young people. This class is part of the group called Atlanta's 40 Under 40. They were honored on September 25 at an event emceed by Jocelyn Dorcey and filmed by Turner Studios. Learn more here.

Debate Shines at Westminster

Kristy Lyons, Hannah Sells, Brent Perkins, and Keish Kim placed in the top 20 of over 300 speakers at the Westminster Policy Invitational on Sept. 6.

Everett Teaford '03 Wins Award

Everett Teaford, 2003 graduate and baseball standout, received the inaugural Matt Minker Community Service award given by the Advanced-A Carolina League. Teaford is a pitcher for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Read about his outstanding community service efforts here.

Centennial - Top #20 in Georgia

Centennial's combined average SAT score for 2008 (1633) is ranked 16th in the state. Read more.

Newsweek's Top Public High Schools - Centennial #279

Centennial is on Newsweek magazines's list of the top public high schools in the U.S. We were rated #279 - the highest of any Fulton County School. Way to go, Knights! Read more.

Centennial High School was recognized as an AP Merit School!

AP Merit Schools are schools that have at least 20 percent of its students taking AP exams and at least half of its AP exams receiving a score of three (3) or higher. Read the press release here.