The last week was a long, but rewarding, one for Cherokee County Schools – much like the entire last year and half, with COVID-19 moving classrooms to computers and cleanliness becoming that much closer to godliness.
Our region’s smallest campus, Nantahala School in neighboring north Macon County, held graduation ceremonies May 21 for six seniors. Across the Cherokee County line, The Oaks Academy followed with 14 graduates on May 26. And from Thursday through Saturday, Andrews, Tri-County Early College, Murphy and Hiwassee Dam high schools celebrated the Class of 2021 in the great outdoors.
You can see a lot of those smiling faces in the Cherokee Scout’s annual Seniors 2021 special section in C, which is included free inside this edition. Our thanks to the school offices for compiling the photos.
The Scout would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the incredibly hard work teachers, students and administrators put in during the 2020-21 school year. Every week was a challenge, with coronavirus protocols constantly changing and parents pulling in different directions depending on whether they agreed with the restrictions put in place. Yet, they somehow managed to pull it off.
The teachers we’ve spoken with are anxious to return to the classroom full time this fall; the best ones forge relationships with students that encourage learning and genuinely miss them being in person. Thankfully, the state seems well on its way toward making that happen, offering hope that some sense of normalcy will return soon.
Administrators are looking forward to that, too. Their workload was additionally increased with the ongoing construction of new campuses in Peachtree for the Early College and School of Innovation.
Over the summer, if you happen to see an educator in the civilian world, let them know you appreciate what they do for our kids. An apple may not be the most appropriate gift for teachers in the COVID age, but a simple “thank you” can go a long way.
– Publisher & Editor David Brown