Homecoming Week at LCHS and LCMS shifts into high gear on Monday, October 20.

Sponsored by the LCHS Student Council, Homecoming Week will feature a class banner contest and of course, "Dress Days."

The schedule for Dress Days is as follows:

.. Monday - - "College T-Shirt Day:" Students wear the colors of their favorite college.

.. Tuesday - - "Wacky, Tacky Day."

.. Wednesday - - "Class T-Shirt Day:" Members of each class wear a specific color to show their class spirit. The colors are: Seniors, yellow; Juniors, purple; Sophomores, green; and Freshmen, blue.

.. Thursday - - "Guess Who Day:" Students dress up as their favorite person.

.. Friday - - "Red Devil Spirit Day:" Students sport their best red and white finery.

Then, on Friday, October 24, the Homecoming Court will be presented, and the Homecoming Queen and Princess will be crowned at halftime during the game between LCHS and Hancock Central High School at Buddy Bufford Field.

In addition, a Homecoming Dance is scheduled for immediately following the game. The Homecoming King and Prince will be crowned at this time.

"It will be a wonderful week, so plan on having fun," said Dana Brennan, student council advisor.

Those with questions about homecoming activities may contact Brennan at 706-359-3121.

In a departure from years past, the Senior Recognition Ceremony, which is usually held in conjunction with homecoming, will take place on October 31, prior to the Lincoln County- Wilkinson County game.

According to Pam Carmichael, principal of LCMS, "I was told I'd be making a huge mistake if I didn't hire Mr. Hayes. To be eligible for Teacher of the Year, you have to be in the classroom for three years. This marks Mr. Hayes' fourth year of teaching — he has lived up to everything promised and more. He is a great asset to our school."

In her remarks concerning the Lincoln County Teacher of the Year, Dr. Becky Barden, LCHS principal, stated, "Mrs. Beale has been teaching for about 25 years, and we're very proud of her.

"Watching her in the classroom is awesome -- she has a genuine love and concern for her students. She also makes sure everything is 'real world' in her class. These things are what make her such a wonderful teacher. The kids love her."

The audience gave each Teacher of the Year a round of applause, with Beale receiving a standing ovation.

In his comments, Dr. Randall Edmunds, superintendent of schools, congratulated the teachers and thanked them for doing such a great job in the classroom. "The judges were very complimentary of you. We appreciate all of your hard work."

Also during the ceremony, Dr. Robert Williams, chairman of the board, presented the each teacher with a red marble apple and a cash award.

As the Lincoln County Teacher of the Year, Beale received an additional cash award. Her name will likewise be added to the plaque containing the names of past system-wide Teachers of the Year, which is on permanent display at the board office.

The gifted educator will now go on to represent Lincoln County in the state Teacher of the Year competition. "Mrs. Beale has an excellent chance of being recognized at the state level, and we wish her well in that competition," said Dr. Edmunds.

In other business, the board heard comments from Brian Campbell on the two-day visit made by 18 representatives of SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools); GAPSS (Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards; and the State Department of Education.

In his comments, the assistant superintendent said, "No school in the state is meeting all of the standards. However, our schools have done an incredible job, considering the time they had to prepare for the visit."

An in-depth article on the team's commendations and recommendations will appear in next weeks' edition of The Lincoln Journal.

In further business, the board:

.. Reviewed financial reports for the Construction Fund as of September 30, 2008; the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) Summary Fund as of September 30, 2008; and the General Fund for the period from July 1, 2008, through September 30, 2008.

Concerning the SPLOST Fund, Dr. Edmunds reported that revenues were down from $88,000 to $54,000 when compared to the same period last year. "The economy is definitely hurting our sales tax revenues," he stated.

.. Was informed by the superintendent that the system has received a check for $17,300 for timber harvested from the site of the new high school. The funds will be applied to the cost of site preparation.

.. Heard Dr. Edmunds report that Governor Sonny Perdue is cutting the funding for dual enrollment. All of the funds for students enrolled in college and high school simultaneously will be disbursed to the college.

.. Was informed by Comptroller Kaye Bufford that it costs $964,401 in local tax dollars to pay the salaries of system employees.

The board then discussed what cuts could be made should the need arise.

.. Was informed by Superintendent Edmunds that all three schools have been "accredited with quality" for the 2008-2009 school year by the Georgia Accrediting Commission.

.. Was informed by the superintendent that support personnel such as the comptroller and technology specialist will have to be licensed through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

.. Voted to approve fund-raising requests for LCES, LCMS, and LCHS.

.. Voted to approve overnight field trips for LCES, LCMS, and LCHS.

"We made sure the fields trips were related to instruction," said LCHS Principal Becky Barden.

.. Voted to appoint Gail Remsen to serve as the board's representative on the Lincoln County Attendance Protocol Committee.

.. Discussed the student dress code in relation to political shirts. On advice from the board attorney, no changes were made to the policy.

.. Gave input to Dr. Edmunds in response to the GSBA (Georgia School Boards Association) Board Survey on the Commission for School Board Excellence Report.

.. Reviewed the following policies: Positions, Personnel, Evaluation Summary for Head Coach, Noncertificated Personnel, Evaluation Summary for Student Information Specialist, Special Programs, and Assemblies. There were no changes made to the policies.

.. Was informed by Superintendent Edmunds that there are currently nine exchange students at LCHS from countries such as Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, North Korea, and Russia.

.. Voted to enter into executive session to deliberate upon the employment of personnel. Upon returning to regular session, the board:

.. Voted to approve Roger Dittmer and Michael Chastain to serve as substitute bus drivers.

.. Voted to approve Trudy Edmunds, Paul Leroy, and Susan Shuey to serve as substitute teachers.

The next regular meeting of the board will be held Tuesday, November 4, at 7 p.m. at the board office on Metasville Road.