Superintendent Melissa Godfrey and Hayesville High School Principal Stacey Overlin presents the official Hayesville High School Certificate of Accreditation at the Clay County Board of Education meeting.
By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
Superintendent Melissa Godfrey said that it’s now official. Hayesville High School recently received the official Certificate of Accreditation for meeting the criteria for educational quality by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Northwest Accreditation Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.
Godfrey said that the accreditation process was lengthy and that a great amount of work was extended in order to apply. The HHS accreditation is valid for five years without any additional requirements or stipulations.
HHS senior Santiago Renteria Mendoza was in the spotlight at the Monday meeting. Renteria became the 84th graduate in the Class of 2023-2024 when he received his diploma and congratulations from Chairman of the Board Jason Shook.
“Renteria is a natural leader,” said Hayesville High School Principal Stacey Overlin.
Following the graduation ceremony Godfrey introduced Dr. Tiffany Clapsaddle to the board and public present as the new Hayesville Middle School principal.
Athletic recognition was given to outstanding high school students during the meeting by their respective coaches: Soccer Coach Mike White, Softball Coach Marissa Peck and Track Coach Jon Hensley.
White said that he had the honor, privilege and joy to coach the Lady Jackets Soccer Team this past spring and there were a lot of young players who worked hard and pushed through bad and good weather. White said that there were two players truly recognized by the All Smoky Mountain Conference coaches.
“First, there is Reese Segars,” White said. “She is a freshman this year. She came with a grit and determination and desire that every coach just loves because they’re going to take that and work hard to improve their skills.”
White said that Segars played mid-field and defense and that she is a strong player who has very good vision. “You can’t teach this,” White said.
The second recognition in soccer was awarded to Brianna Abrams. White said, “She is the kind of player who wants the ball. When she gets it, she is going to tackle, she is going to take on a defender. That’s what we call in soccer a true No. 9 player. No. 9 players know how to get the ball, how to go to goal and because of that she had the most goals, she had the most assists and she had the most shots at the goal of any player on the team. She terrorized the defense at our conferences.”
Peck said that she had the joy of coaching the Varsity Ladies’ Softball Team and this is her second year and the team is in a growing season. Peck said that she had one Hayesville High School senior, Gracelynn
Anderson, who received All Smoky Mountain Conference recognition.
Peck said that Anderson played first bat in the 2023-2024 school year and she had 12 runs, 12 hits, eight RBI’s with a double, three triples and one home run. Anderson plays third base which Peck referred to as the hot corner in softball. Peck said that she was honored to present the recognition certificate to Anderson.
Hensley handed Honorable Mention All Conference certificates to seven athletes who were present: Savannah Burch, Sydney Greenstone, Lily Trout, Raelynn Wood, Briley Clampitt, Skylar Lockaby and Jacob Jones.
The Superintendent’s update on facility repairs this summer included:
• Installation of wall board in the primary school.
• An air conditioning repair in the central office.
• High school received a unit replacing an aging chiller with all labor done in house.
• Pressure washing is on-going at the campus.
• High school gym floor was sanded down to the wood to receive new paint.
• Termites were found in the gym floor and that needs repair.
• Four classrooms at the middle school received floor repair due to moisture.
• Reconfiguration of middle school entrance due to construction.
• New carpet installed in the high school library, lecture hall and band room.
• Two classrooms added to the elementary school.
• Fifth and sixth grade classrooms switched.
• Transitioning to a new company for chemicals, cleaning supplies and paper.
• Sprucing up the landscaping and freshening the mulch.
Approval was given by the board for modifications in Policy 4400, the attendance policy, to ease parental reporting to the school on student absences.
The policy is outlined on the Clay County Schools website.
The next regular board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26.