The Cobb Chamber recently celebrated the 35th year of Give Our Schools a Hand (GOSH), which brings educators, students, parents, businesses, and community leaders together to honor education through three distinctive events: the Handprint Unveiling Ceremony at Glover Park on the Marietta Square, and the Teacher of the Year Breakfast and Pep Rally.
On October 8, Karen Wright of Big Shanty Intermediate School and Maria Nelson of the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics unveiled their handprints. Wright, a fourth grade English Language Arts teacher, has been teaching in the Cobb County School District for 27 years. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University, and recently finished her Education Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership at Valdosta State University. Wright holds endorsements in reading and gifted education, as well as certifications in STEM and Microsoft Innovator Education.
Nelson has taught fourth grade at the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics for eight of years. She holds a Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership and has endorsements in ESOL, Gifted, STEM, and Coaching. Aspiring to be an instructional leader, Nelson has led professional development on her school’s STEAM initiatives, leveraging data, learning retention strategies, and reading curriculum implementation.
Through the years, the GOSH program has motivated the community to take an active role in Cobb’s public school systems and has attracted attention to the quality of education in Cobb County. Dating back to 1988, GOSH has become one of the largest events honoring local educators, celebrating more than 130 teachers here in Cobb County.
More than 2,000 local students attend the pep rally each year to cheer on their favorite Teacher of the Year. The program includes performances by students from Marietta High School, a Voyles Automotive Group Car Drawing, and remarks from each district’s superintendent. On November 4, the top four teachers in the Cobb County District (Karen Wright; Maria Nelson; Shelly Quance, Palmer Middle School; and Jasmin Molina, Osborne High School) drove off with their new cars from the Cobb Chamber’s Nov. Marquee Monday, courtesy of Voyles Automotive Group.
Sponsors for this year’s events include Voyles Automotive, Cobb County School District Event Services, Atlanta Braves Foundation, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Cobb Community Foundation, Kennesaw State University, Lockheed Martin, The Lumistella Company, Superior Plumbing, LGE Community Credit Union, and Six Flags Over Georgia.
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