The Board of Education recognized Cobb student achievements at the National Invention Convention and Engineering Expo during Thursday’s meeting.

Rishab Rao, Noah Buckner and Alexandra Holdemeyer of Walton High were recognized for their fire safety invention. (photo by Rebecca Gaunt)

Dickerson Middle School students Michael Muldoon, Christopher Corrao and Jesse Niederjohn won the Sports, Games, Entertainment and Toys Award by inventing a light-up sticker that can be placed on a sports helmet, registering if an impact warrants medical attention. They were inspired by Corrao’s experience of receiving a concussion during a lacrosse game that wasn’t diagnosed for 24 hours.

Isabella Parker (white cardigan) of Harrison High was recognized for her invention which is now in the patent process. (photo by Rebecca Gaunt)

Isabella Parker of Harrison High School received the Accessibility Award for her Kinesthetic Approach to Retain Adaptive Muscle Memory, a device that allows individuals with dysgraphia, stroke and Parkinson’s disease to develop and retain muscle memory, allowing them to relearn writing. It is currently in the patent process.

Walton High School students Noah Bruckner, Rishab Rao and Alexandra Holdmeyer earned the Best-of-Show Engineering Award for a device that makes it easier to connect a hose to a fire hydrant or household spigot. They were inspired by a Walton coach’s home burning down due to firefighters struggling to attach the hose.

Sophomore Ebony Jackson of Kell High School was recognized as the Class AAAAA State Champion for the Track & Field 100 Meter and 200 Meter Dash. His times were 10.57 seconds and 21.49 seconds respectively.

Ebony Jackson (black shirt) was recognized as the Class AAAAA State Champion for the 100 and 200-meter dashes. (photo by Rebecca Gaunt)

The board also recognized the school district’s police department in honor of Public Safety Appreciation Week which is October 1-7, and an Achievement in Excellence in Procurement Award and Outstanding Agency Accreditation Award for the Procurement Services Department.

Cobb School’s Police Department was recognized for Public Safety Appreciation Week. (photo by Rebecca Gaunt)

Connie Jackson, president of the Cobb County Association of Educators, recognized Belmont Hills Elementary, a Title 1 school, for having 100 percent of 2017’s kindergarteners reading on grade level.

“Those results were amazing,” Jackson said. “To have every kindergartener who entered that school reading on or at grade level or above at the end of that school year is something that just doesn’t happen unless it was somewhere like Mountainview or Tritt. But to have it happen at one of our South Cobb schools is just stupendous.”

Other commenters addressed bullying at Harrison High School, equity in the use of digital textbooks and school safety. A representative from the local VFW also requested nominations for their Teacher of the Year program.

The board approved several agenda items with 7-0 votes. The county will tap into the general fund to replace outdated smartboards and overhead projectors with interactive flat panels at a cost of $6.5 million. The fund will be replenished with revenue from SPLOST 5 next year. This move is expected to save the county $400,000 a year in maintenance.

There will be extensive roadway improvements along Jim Owens Road at Lewis Elementary and New Macland Road at McEachern High School. Work is expected to start in May 2019 and finish the following summer.

Lassiter High School will receive a new gym using $15.6 million in SPLOST IV funds with an expected completion date of November 2019.