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Three Liberty schools in state Reading Bowl
reading bowl
Reading Bowl teams from Bradwell Institute, Midway Middle School and Lyman Hall Elementary School celebrate winning the Divisional Bowl March 4 at Georgia Southern University. All three teams will compete Saturday in Athens for the state championship for their grade levels. - photo by Virginia Byars
Special to the Couirer
Updated: Mar 16, 2017, 12:00 PM
Published: Mar 15, 2017, 3:55 PM

Three schools from Liberty County will compete in the statewide Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Saturday in Athens.

Lyman Hall Elementary School, Midway Middle School and Bradwell Institute will travel to the University of Georgia to vie for the state championship for their grade levels.

Bradwell has won three times in a row and is going after a fourth statewide win.

All of the schools won their grade levels at the Divisional Bowl, which was March 4 at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. These teams won the right to represent the county in local competition.

Helen Ruffin, who passed away in 2014, was a library media specialist at Sky Haven Elementary School in DeKalb County. She created the reading competition in 1986 to encourage her students to read.

Students across the state in grades four through 12 participate in the competition, which celebrates literacy.

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BI hosts LCSS Gala
LibertyCountySchools
Special to the Couirer
Updated: Apr 19, 2018, 4:00 PM
Published: Apr 18, 2018, 4:10 PM

Bradwell Institute’s Friends Helping Friends will host the 3rdAnnual Liberty County School System Special Needs Gala Saturday at 7p.m.

The dance portion of the gala is free and open to the public.

FHF was started three years ago by BI special needs teacher Charlie Moon. FHF is comprised of a large group of general education students that connect special needs students with their general education peers. They have raised $20,000 in the last 30 months, for events like this, a new sensory room, music therapy equipment, and many other fun events. 

“FHF does so much for the special needs students. It really brings them out in their social skills. They become so much more comfortable around us all,” FHF Junior Danielle Hennessee said. 

FHF Junior Jada Naftzinger said it’s a two-way street. “It not only helps them, but us as well. It brings us out of our own shells and comfort zones.” 

Moon added, “For us, the Gala is not our calling card. I’ve told the students from day one, unless they truly know these special needs students, we won’t do the Gala at all. We’ll throw a big pizza party instead. The point is, we want the kids to really focus on the one-on-one, in-class work, hanging out in the halls, really talking to them. That’s the only way this program truly reaches its potential. Our motto is, “Changing lives, one friend at a time.”

During a private dinner which precedes the public dance, district office personnel, representatives from Congressman Buddy Carter’s office, district SPED staff, BI Football players and FHF members, parents and the honored guests – 50 special needs students from around the district will be in attendance.

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