6 Peach students chosen for Janfest

Six Peach County High School students have been selected to participate in the University of Georgia Bands’ annual Janfest, a high school all-star band festival.

Christopher Poole, tenor saxophone; Julia Frederick, percussion; Colton Cason, trombone; Gerkevia Freeman, clarinet; Ryan Jackson, french horn; and Joshua Jones, baritone sax, are among the about 1,000 students selected, according to a news release.

The festival will be held Jan. 17-20 at UGA. The students will audition and be placed in one of eight festival bands. Janfest culminates with a performance at UGA’s Performing Arts Center.

Nominations sought for STEM Teacher of the Year

Nominations are now open for the 2013 Georgia STEM Teacher of the Year, awarded by the Museum of Aviation’s National STEM Academy.

The honor is open to third- through fifth-grade teachers in Georgia. The winner will receive $1,000 in cash to the teacher and $1,000 to the teacher’s school, according to a news release. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Nomination forms are available on the Museum of Aviation Education website, www.moaeducation.com. The news release states that teachers can nominate themselves but must include a reference from a direct supervisor. Nominations should include five to six photos or a three-minute video showing the teacher’s STEM efforts.

The deadline for nominations is May 15. Winners will be announced by Aug. 1, and a presentation will be made to the teacher during the Georgia NASA Teacher’s STEM Day at the museum Sept. 28.

-- Staff reports