
Congratulations to all our Teachers of the Year, especially Michelle Bailey from Thrasher, who was selected as Hamilton County’s Teacher of the Year for its elementary grades division. Bailey tied at the local school level with music teacher Betty Julian at Thrasher.
Nolan’s Teachers of the Year are fifth-grade math teacher Lesley Hyde and third grade teacher Becky Leary.
Kudos also are extended to Thrasher STEM teacher Heidi Mies and Signal Mountain Middle High School English teacher Kristin Robertson (last year’s Hamilton County Teacher of the Year and finalist at State) for being among 20 Hamilton County teachers selected to be on the superintendent’s new Teacher Cabinet. This group will work with Dr. Bryan Johnson to provide teacher input on current and projected procedures and programs.
Hats off to Caroline Cornett and Devin Kodsi for being Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the SMMHS Class of 2020. These seniors have been active in many facets of their school and have attained several awards and recognitions over the years, supported by wonderful teachers and loving parents.
Congrats to our SMMHS team for coming in Runner Up at the Volunteer State Middle School Science Bowl! Members are Logan Dapp, Mark Nashi, Milo Newton, Aoife Davis, and Bindi Patel.
Kudos to Thrasher’s Chess teams for placing first and third at the Tennessee State Regional Chess competition. Both teams qualified for the State tournament in February. First place teammates are Will Hammontree, Hannah Harris, Dahra Karimian and Asher Cone. Third place members are Hudson Brown, Paul Mann, and Carly Stewart. Thanks to Bill Cheal and Joe Kodsi for their continued commitment to our school chess teams!
Congrats to Nolan third graders Jace Ogg and Katie Beth Woodlief for winning the “One of a Kind” contest for Scholastic’s Storyworks Junior.
Hats off to the 33 students who performed in Nolan’s annual Talent Show. The audience enjoyed all musicians, dancers, singers, gymnasts, actors, and comedians.
Kudos to SMMHS junior Chase Post for recognition as a finalist among Tennessee’s top youth volunteers by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. He organized a recycling effort at home football games that was initiated by his membership in the school’s Leo Club.
Arts Recognitions
Congrats to Signal Mountain High School Band and Strings students who qualified to perform in All East Honor ensembles earlier this spring! A record number qualified this year, with SMHS sending the second largest delegation from the East Tennessee region that stretches from the state’s Kentucky-Virginia border to Georgia.
Concert Band members include: Emma Wu, Meredith Stafford, Keegan Perez, Matthew Ashline, Hannah Massey, Autumn Cadieux, Daniel Miranda, Alex Headrick, Jake Stubblefield, Nicholas Barrett, Trevor McGhie, Ross Brown, Grady Sharpe, Oliver Bradley Shoup, Lindsey Coppel, Devin Kodsi, Will Marsden, Hudson Leko, Kolsten Keene, and Hannah Parker.
Jazz Band members include: Devin Kodsi, Hannah Massey, Will Marsden, and Keegan Perez.
Strings members include: Eli Parsley, Madeline Wyatt, Alexia Apablaza, Rylan Stone, and Josh Dulin.
Kudos to Hannah Massey, Matthew Ashline, Keegan Perez, and Eli Parsley for also making Tennessee All State!
Hats off to these SMMHS thespians for earning awards during this year’s esteemed “Senior Scenes:” Best Actress: Yoonie Yang and Gracie Thomason (tie); Best Actor: Aaron Neilsen; Bronze: Ethan Fell for “Company”; Silver: Olivia Speek for “Chicago”; and the Gold Gnomie Winner was Sophia Fowler for “Love Sick.”
History Bee
Kudos to SMMHS teams on earning top honors at the 2020 Chattanooga History Bee and Bowl!
The high school team placed first in the varsity division and qualified for the National History Bee and Bowl competition in Chicago this summer. Team members are Max Sewell, Olivia Glover, Nicholas Yeager, Nathan Yeager, and Jack Gibby.
The two middle school teams placed first and second in the JV Division and also qualified to go to Nationals.
First place middle school team members were New Wang, Mark Nashi, Logan Dapp, and Milo Newton. Second place middle school team members were Aoife Davis, Tate Harrison, Carter Downs, and Carver Snyder.
Students who earned Individual History Bee honors include New Wang, first place in Individual Bee for JV, while Carter Downs was second. Nathan Yeager placed second in the Individual Bee for varsity and qualified for Nationals Individual competition.
Youth in Government
Kudos to SMMHS students who earned honors at the YMCA Chattanooga Area Middle School Youth in Government Conference. Best Statesperson in House: Jake Edmondson, Will Harwood, Nathan Johnson, Mark Nashi, Angela Teramonin.
Best Statesperson in Senate: Logan Dapp, Nick Gibson; Best Bills in House: Annalise Perez and Michael Campbell plus Aida Abella and Aleia Opengart; Best Bills in Senate: Ashlyn Rock, Lauren Williams and Lauren Lisowski; Riley Barford and Kate Ottley also passed their bill in both the House and the Senate.
Sports
Congratulations to the SMHS Wrestling team on being Regional Champs for a third consecutive year before heading to State Duals and individual tournaments.
Kudos to these six SMMHS students who qualified to compete in the TN State High School Championships in mid February: swimmers Megan Hanson, Chase Post, Audrey Rackel, and Amelia Wills, and divers Grace Hogue, and Ryan Riese.
Four of those students finished in the Top-16 of various events to score points. Grace Hogue made it to the diving finals and came home with 7th place overall. Fellow diver Ryan Riese made it to the diving semifinals and placed 18th overall. Audrey Rackel placed 10th in the 50yd Freestyle and 15th in the 100yd Freestyle. Chase Post placed 13th in the 100yd Breaststroke achieving a Junior Nationals cut.
At press time, high school basketball and track teams were ending regular seasons, while baseball, softball, boys soccer, tennis, and lacrosse were gearing up for spring sport seasons.
by Melissa Barrett
Nolan’s Teachers of the Year are fifth-grade math teacher Lesley Hyde and third grade teacher Becky Leary.
Kudos also are extended to Thrasher STEM teacher Heidi Mies and Signal Mountain Middle High School English teacher Kristin Robertson (last year’s Hamilton County Teacher of the Year and finalist at State) for being among 20 Hamilton County teachers selected to be on the superintendent’s new Teacher Cabinet. This group will work with Dr. Bryan Johnson to provide teacher input on current and projected procedures and programs.
Hats off to Caroline Cornett and Devin Kodsi for being Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the SMMHS Class of 2020. These seniors have been active in many facets of their school and have attained several awards and recognitions over the years, supported by wonderful teachers and loving parents.
Congrats to our SMMHS team for coming in Runner Up at the Volunteer State Middle School Science Bowl! Members are Logan Dapp, Mark Nashi, Milo Newton, Aoife Davis, and Bindi Patel.
Kudos to Thrasher’s Chess teams for placing first and third at the Tennessee State Regional Chess competition. Both teams qualified for the State tournament in February. First place teammates are Will Hammontree, Hannah Harris, Dahra Karimian and Asher Cone. Third place members are Hudson Brown, Paul Mann, and Carly Stewart. Thanks to Bill Cheal and Joe Kodsi for their continued commitment to our school chess teams!
Congrats to Nolan third graders Jace Ogg and Katie Beth Woodlief for winning the “One of a Kind” contest for Scholastic’s Storyworks Junior.
Hats off to the 33 students who performed in Nolan’s annual Talent Show. The audience enjoyed all musicians, dancers, singers, gymnasts, actors, and comedians.
Kudos to SMMHS junior Chase Post for recognition as a finalist among Tennessee’s top youth volunteers by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. He organized a recycling effort at home football games that was initiated by his membership in the school’s Leo Club.
Arts Recognitions
Congrats to Signal Mountain High School Band and Strings students who qualified to perform in All East Honor ensembles earlier this spring! A record number qualified this year, with SMHS sending the second largest delegation from the East Tennessee region that stretches from the state’s Kentucky-Virginia border to Georgia.
Concert Band members include: Emma Wu, Meredith Stafford, Keegan Perez, Matthew Ashline, Hannah Massey, Autumn Cadieux, Daniel Miranda, Alex Headrick, Jake Stubblefield, Nicholas Barrett, Trevor McGhie, Ross Brown, Grady Sharpe, Oliver Bradley Shoup, Lindsey Coppel, Devin Kodsi, Will Marsden, Hudson Leko, Kolsten Keene, and Hannah Parker.
Jazz Band members include: Devin Kodsi, Hannah Massey, Will Marsden, and Keegan Perez.
Strings members include: Eli Parsley, Madeline Wyatt, Alexia Apablaza, Rylan Stone, and Josh Dulin.
Kudos to Hannah Massey, Matthew Ashline, Keegan Perez, and Eli Parsley for also making Tennessee All State!
Hats off to these SMMHS thespians for earning awards during this year’s esteemed “Senior Scenes:” Best Actress: Yoonie Yang and Gracie Thomason (tie); Best Actor: Aaron Neilsen; Bronze: Ethan Fell for “Company”; Silver: Olivia Speek for “Chicago”; and the Gold Gnomie Winner was Sophia Fowler for “Love Sick.”
History Bee
Kudos to SMMHS teams on earning top honors at the 2020 Chattanooga History Bee and Bowl!
The high school team placed first in the varsity division and qualified for the National History Bee and Bowl competition in Chicago this summer. Team members are Max Sewell, Olivia Glover, Nicholas Yeager, Nathan Yeager, and Jack Gibby.
The two middle school teams placed first and second in the JV Division and also qualified to go to Nationals.
First place middle school team members were New Wang, Mark Nashi, Logan Dapp, and Milo Newton. Second place middle school team members were Aoife Davis, Tate Harrison, Carter Downs, and Carver Snyder.
Students who earned Individual History Bee honors include New Wang, first place in Individual Bee for JV, while Carter Downs was second. Nathan Yeager placed second in the Individual Bee for varsity and qualified for Nationals Individual competition.
Youth in Government
Kudos to SMMHS students who earned honors at the YMCA Chattanooga Area Middle School Youth in Government Conference. Best Statesperson in House: Jake Edmondson, Will Harwood, Nathan Johnson, Mark Nashi, Angela Teramonin.
Best Statesperson in Senate: Logan Dapp, Nick Gibson; Best Bills in House: Annalise Perez and Michael Campbell plus Aida Abella and Aleia Opengart; Best Bills in Senate: Ashlyn Rock, Lauren Williams and Lauren Lisowski; Riley Barford and Kate Ottley also passed their bill in both the House and the Senate.
Sports
Congratulations to the SMHS Wrestling team on being Regional Champs for a third consecutive year before heading to State Duals and individual tournaments.
Kudos to these six SMMHS students who qualified to compete in the TN State High School Championships in mid February: swimmers Megan Hanson, Chase Post, Audrey Rackel, and Amelia Wills, and divers Grace Hogue, and Ryan Riese.
Four of those students finished in the Top-16 of various events to score points. Grace Hogue made it to the diving finals and came home with 7th place overall. Fellow diver Ryan Riese made it to the diving semifinals and placed 18th overall. Audrey Rackel placed 10th in the 50yd Freestyle and 15th in the 100yd Freestyle. Chase Post placed 13th in the 100yd Breaststroke achieving a Junior Nationals cut.
At press time, high school basketball and track teams were ending regular seasons, while baseball, softball, boys soccer, tennis, and lacrosse were gearing up for spring sport seasons.
by Melissa Barrett