Elbert County Comprehensive High School and the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce that Emma Grace Jarvis, daughter of Candi and Shannon Jarvis, has been named the STAR Student for 2022-2023. Emma Grace selected Mrs. JoAnn Gunter as her STAR Teacher.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 23,000 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement. To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10 percent of their class.
STAR begins each year in participating high schools throughout Georgia when the STAR Student is named and chooses a STAR Teacher to share in this recognition. The students and their teachers are honored by their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from more than 165 statewide civic organizations and businesses that serve as local sponsors of the STAR program.
Students then compete for system titles, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners compete for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student.
Mr. Josh Rider, ECCHS Principal, stated the following about this year’s honorees: “Emma Grace Jarvis is a fiercely determined student who has excelled at ECCHS. She has challenged herself with a rigorous course load throughout high school, which has included multiple AP and Dual Enrollment classes. Additionally, she was one of only three students at ECCHS to earn the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. Emma Grace is an avid reader whose love of learning is evident in her classroom performance, as well as in her interactions with teachers. Her successful ability to balance coursework, extracurricular activities, and a part-time job is a testament to her organizational skills and self-discipline.
Mrs. JoAnn Gunter is one of the most passionate teachers at ECCHS. She is a reflective practitioner, always thinking about her approach and how to best reach her students. Her care and concern for others is evident in the relationships she has built both in the classroom and in the community. She serves as the National Honor Society sponsor, and regularly attends sporting events and other activities. Mrs. Gunter is willing to do whatever it takes to reach her students and make their high school experience the best it can be.”