Weekly Update 1/26/26

Parents, Students, and Faculty,

We enjoyed a refreshing long weekend, complete with a little snow on Sunday, and returned ready for another busy stretch. Basketball continues to roll, and we were proud to host Senior Night on Friday while celebrating our seniors and another strong performance. Looking ahead, basketball has a big week with games at Pelham on Tuesday, at Mitchell on Friday, and at home against Early on Saturday as the boys look to keep their winning streak alive.

Academically, classrooms are in full swing as students continue building on the momentum from the start of the semester, engaging in rigorous instruction, assessments, and meaningful learning experiences. As we work through the last days of January, we're looking forward to another great week at Seminole County Middle High School, the best school in southwest Georgia!

Monday, January 26:

Tuesday, January 27:

• Army Lunch visit - 11:30 AM
• Varsity Basketball @ Pelham - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, January 28:

• Club Rotation B
• Planning PLCs
• GSW Lunch visit - 11:30 AM
• School Council - 3:30 PM

Thursday, January 29:

Friday, January 30:

• Varsity Basketball @ Mitchell - 6:00 PM

Saturday, January 31:

• JV/Varsity Basketball vs Early - 4:30 PM

The 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 thousands of students and teachers selected on the basis of their SAT scores, class standing, and scholastic averages. The STAR student is the graduating senior who has earned the highest SAT score and is in the top 10% of the graduating class.
It is with great pride that Seminole County Middle High School announces the STAR Student and STAR Teacher for 2026. This year’s STAR student is Emma Michelle Godby. Emma has selected Mrs. Peggy Thompson as her STAR teacher.
Emma Godby is the daughter of Michael and Holly Godby of Iron City. In the fall, Emma will attend the University of Georgia, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with the goal of becoming a controls engineer.
Each STAR Student chooses a STAR Teacher. Mrs. Peggy Thompson is a proud Donalsonville native and 2002 graduate of Seminole County Middle High School. Mrs. Peggy Thompson has taught Emma for three years in Honors World Geography, AP World History, and AP US History. “Emma only aims for the absolute best,” she said. “I can’t wait to see her future achievements, and am proud that I got to be a part of her journey.”
Congratulations once again to Emma, Mrs. Thompson, their families, and all those who have played a role in this remarkable achievement!

Seventh grade Life Science students recently engaged in a hands-on ecology lab focused on estimating wildlife populations. Using pinto beans to represent animals in the wild, students modeled real-world population studies by practicing the mark-and-recapture method—a technique biologists use when it is not possible to count every individual in a population. During the activity, students “captured,” marked, released, and recaptured samples to estimate total population size, allowing them to see how data and probability work together in ecological research. This interactive lab helped students connect classroom concepts to real scientific practices and gain a deeper understanding of how wildlife populations are studied and managed.

Order your high school yearbook this week for $50. After this week, the price will increase to $60. See a yearbook staff member at lunch to place an order. Contact Mrs. Kathryn Touchton for more information - kathryn.touchton@seminole.k12.ga.us

• Support the arts at SCMHS by joining our Fine Arts Booster Club! Your involvement helps provide resources and opportunities for our talented students in band, chorus, visual arts, and drama. Whether it's volunteering your time or offering financial support, every contribution makes a difference. Join us in celebrating and strengthening the arts at SCMHS! Email seminolefinearts@gmail.com for more information.

Two college football recruiters were on campus last week to meet with our coaching staff and review several of our student-athletes for potential recruitment opportunities. Kobie Jones from Georgia Tech and Taylor Reed from Georgia Southern University met with head coach Cedric Stegall to review player film, statistics, and overall performance. We appreciate the continued interest in our football program and the opportunities being opened for our students as they work toward their next level.

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) voted to amend its policies regarding Name, Image, and Likeness payments to prep student-athletes. The changes are focused on curtailing any activity from what is known as NIL Collectives, a system that has permeated and fundamentally altered college athletics. NIL Collectives are shell corporations that function to exploit loopholes in NIL policy and allow donors to pay student-athletes for their athletic talents and enrollment at specific institutions –– these payments are often used in a recruiting context to maintain current players, solicit transfer athletes, or sign top level high school recruits.

With fear of the NIL Collective system seeping down from the NCAA and into the high school level, the GHSA has taken swift action to amend its rules. The new language to GHSA policy was formally voted in yesterday: “No student-athlete may be a member of nor receive compensation or any other benefit from a Collective or NIL Club. A Collective is defined as any group organized or existing for the purpose of compensating or benefiting an individual student[-]athlete or group of student athletes of a member school. NIL Clubs are defined as a group of student athletes organized or existing for the purpose of soliciting funds or other benefits from fans, members or other sources, managing or promoting NIL activities of student athletes or otherwise providing funds or other benefits to an individual student athlete or group of student athletes.”

School Attendance public service announcement from GaDOE and Georgia Public Broadcasting