Connection November & December 2013

Chamber of Commerce & Development Authority

Polkwww.polkgeorgia.com

Official Publication of

ConnectionThe

Showcasing the best of Polk CountyNovember / December 2013

Special Polk School District Edition

Connection News ................................................... 2

Events Calendar...................................................... 3

Connection News................................................... 4

Attractions Guide...................................................13

Leisure Life in Polk County....................................14

Table of Contents

Connection News CEDARTOWN • ROCKMART/ARAGON

Dear Polk County Stakeholders:

Today’s generation of students learn much differently than previous generations and because of this instruction must also be altered. Thus, instruction is being transformed in Polk School District to engage students who prefer multitasking to traditional teaching and learning. We are creating learning environments in which technology is naturally blended into the teaching and learning process. For our students to live successfully in this world, they must be able to use technological tools to communicate, explore and learn. The Polk Schools are responsible for educating our students to use these tools proficiently, effectively and ethically. The rapid advances in mobile technology and the implementation of internationally benchmarked K-12 Common Core Standards (CCS) occurring at the same time promises to be a great opportunity for us to provide our young people with the skills they will need to thrive in the twenty-first century. We appreciate your continued support of our eachers, students, and support staff. We look forward to many successes as Polk School District transforms learning. Sincerely,

Dr. William A. Hunter

Events Calendar CEDARTOWN • ROCKMART/ARAGON

November 8thHoliday Gift Show opens in Art GalleryFind the perfect gift at this year's "Holiday Gift Show" at the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center. Whether it is a painting, a sculpture, or even a scarf you're looking for the "Holiday Gift Show" is sure to have this and so much more! Gallery is open on Fridays & Saturdays from 1:00pm - 3:00pm or by appointment (770-684-2707). There will be an Artists' opening reception on November 16th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. The last day to shop the "Holiday Gift Show" is December 21st.**The Rockmart Cultural Arts Center also offers Drawing, Guitar, Oil Painting, Piano, Portraits, Pottery, Sewing, and Whittling and for writers of any kind a newly formed Writers' Round. Also offering at the Cultural Arts Center is Ballet Classes: Beginners, Intermediate & Advanced, if you are interested in any of these classes please call Art Director Leigh Hulsey at 770-684-2707or [email protected]. November 9th & 10thDowntown Cedartown Holiday Open HouseCome out and help Celebrate the beginning of the Holiday Season with several downtown businesses as they will put on special sales, discounts, door prizes and light refreshments. Show your support for our local businesses by shopping with them! November 14th & November 21stPolk County Chamber Holiday Downtown After HoursThis holiday season the Polk County Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Downtown Cedartown Association and the Rockmart Business Alliance for a "progressive style" Downtown After Hours. The idea is to have all businesses open at the same time so that folks can shop in stores and non-retail businesses can give you an idea about what they do.The Chamber continuously promotes the Buy Local program, encouraging the citizens of Polk County to shop at home, keep your tax dollars where they belong and help keep the local businesses flourishing. After all, small businesses are major contributors to the strength of the American economy and create 80 percent of jobs. Downtown Cedartown After Hours Thursday, November 14, 2013 ~ 5pm- 6:30pmDowntown Rockmart After Hours Thursday, November 21, 2013 ~ 5PM- 6:30pm * Christmas tree Lighting in front of the Chamber Office, 6pm with caroling on the steps* December 1stRockmart First United Methodist ChurchThe Advent season begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving on December 1st. All are invited to worship. Rockmart First United Methodist Christmas Musical is December 7th at 6pm in the sanctuary with a birthday party for Jesus in the fellowship hall immediately following. Also the Christmas Eve service is at 5pm in the sanctuary.

December 3rdCedartown Christmas Tree LightingJoin the Community of Cedartown for their Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Tuesday, December 3rd at 6:30pm. In Passive Park in front of Courthouse #2. December 5thCedartown Christmas Parade- 6:00pmThe theme for this year's parade is "Christmas Wonderland". A rain date is scheduled for Friday, December 6th at 6:00pm. For more information on how you can participate in this year's parade visit www.cedartowngeorgia.gov or pick up a parade packet online or at the Cityof Cedartown. Application deadline must be submitted by Monday, December 2nd. December 5th, 6th & 7thCommunity Christmas Play at Rockmart TheatreBe looking for show times in the local paper and on RCAC'S facebook page. December 6thRockmart Christmas Parade- 6:00pmThe theme for this year's parade is "Promise of Christmas". A Rain Date is scheduled for Saturday, December 7th at 6:00pm. For more information on how you can participate in this year's Parade visit www.rockmart-ga.gov or pick up a parade packet from the City of Rockmart Water Department. Applications deadline must be submitted before November 27th. December 7th & 8thDowntown Cedartown Christmas Open HouseJoin several downtown businesses as they put out their Holiday best! Find special sales, discounts, door prizes, and light refreshments. Come out and show your support of our localbusinesses by shopping the Holiday's with them. December 14th & 15thRockmart Community Chorus- "The Promise of Christmas"Listen as the Rockmart Community Chorus sings the Promise of Christmas on Saturday, December 14th at the Rockmart Theatre at 7:00pm and again on Sunday, December 15th at 2:00pm. December 17thKidney Smart ClassKidney Smart educators would like to invite you to a Kidney Smart Class. You will receive kidney disease education from expert educators at NO COST TO YOU. Sign up by calling 706-291-2656 or visit www.kidneysmart.org. *The Polk County Chamber Office will be closed on November 23rd & November 24th for Thanksgiving and December 23rd thru January 3rd for Christmas Holidays.


21st Century Learning at Youngs Grove Elementary

Youngs Grove Elementary students are engaging in new technologies, receiving rigorous academic coursework, and developing innovation and creativity. Mrs. Angela Howard, a fifth grade teacher, has implemented mastery learning and the flipped classroom model to enhance critical thinking skills and problem solving knowledge. Mastery Learning enables students in Mrs. Howard’s class to take responsibility and ownership for their learning. Students are watching podcasts, working on IPad assignments, participating in one-on-one discussions with their teacher, and participating in real world group collaborative activities and projects. Mrs. Howard stated, “Mastery Learning allows my students to learn and master curriculum at their own pace. The most exciting tool that is being used to maximize learning opportunities is Educreations, an app that turns an IPad into a recordable device that works like a Smart Board. According to Mrs. Howard, “The learning site, Educreations, is the one of the best applications to utilize in today’s classrooms, because lessons and tutorials may then be viewed outside the classroom on Smart Phones, laptops, desktops, or IPads. Students are then able to listen to and review concepts as needed. This serves as a great tool and resource for parents and guardians to play an active role in extending their child’s learning outside of the classroom. Mrs. Brinda Morris, principal at Youngs Grove Elementary raved, “Mrs. Howard’s students have created amazing video tutorials that are archived for viewing on the internet at any time. Students use the chat and message tool to share ideas, strategies, and questions collaboratively outside the classroom which creates a stronger learning bond in the daily classroom learning environment. I love seeing all of the students engaged in technology.” Mrs. Morris conferred with students from Mrs. Howard’s classes and all of them are thoroughly enjoying fifth grade. In fact, one student said, “I love school this year because I have an IPad!” In addition, a group of students stated, “Educreations is as simple as touching, tapping and talking.” Students demonstrate proficiency by scoring 80% on exit assessments. If students score less than 80% proficiency, they go back and reconstruct building blocks that were missed. Grades are no longer determined by a percentage but rather a student showing proficiency in content areas. Mrs. Howard has continued with the flipped classroom model. The flipped classroom inverts the traditional teaching methods delivering instruction online while at home and moving “homework review and questioning” into the classroom. Mrs. Howard stated, “The new effective model is called the flipped class because the whole classroom /homework paradigm is “flipped”. Both Mrs. Howard and her students alike are excited about the endless amount of technological opportunities that are in store for them this year!

Westside Elementary School Holds Career Day After an ultra-successful Career Day on May 14, 2013, Westside Elementary School is already planning the 3rd Annual Career Day on May 15, 2014. Westside’s “World of Careers” is planned in an effort to encourage students to start thinking about their future after high school. Elementary schools are responsible for teaching seventeen career guidance lessons to elementary students that are aligned with the Career and College Readiness Performance Index. Westside’s Career Day is closely tied to the seventeen career lessons where students are taught about various careers. Each grade level has guest speakers from different fields of work. Elementary students explore careers in an effort to encourage them to complete high school and begin thinking about what they may want to do after high school. School Counselor, Laurie Brumby coordinates the guidance lessons and the Career Day activities. On May 14, 2013 six hundred and twenty students visited the event held in the Westside gym.

Outside the gym community service vehicles were displayed and students were given a presentation by employees.

Agencies and businesses that participated in the 2013 “World of Careers” event included: Cedartown Fire Department, Cedartown Police Department, Cedartown Post Office, Colleetoe’s Hair Salon, Computer Depot, First National Bank of Polk County, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Power Company, Georgia State Patrol, Holland Farm Supply, Hon Industries, Kimoto Tech, Marines, Precious Paws Pet Groomer, Redmond EMS, Taxes de’ America, The Home Depot. Also attending were students from Cedartown High School representing the Education, Health and Construction Pathways.

Left: Georgia Power demonstration table with a lesson on electricity.

Right: Students view the back of a mail truck


Rockmart High SchoolTransforming Learning

with a “Flip!”

At Rockmart High School, many teachers are embracing a new instructional tool coined as the “flipped” lesson. The name comes from reversing – or flipping – the usual method of instruction commonly found in the classroom. Teachers traditionally introduce students to new concepts and materials through instructional approaches such as lecture or note-taking and then students complete work at home to apply this understanding. With the “flipped” strategy, the roles reverse – students’ homework is to expose themselves to the new concepts and information that they then apply in the classroom.

This new approach to instruction has many benefits: instead of students applying new concepts at home without the teacher’s presence, students preview the new material and then apply it in the classroom while with a teacher to ensure that they are able to demonstrate their understanding of the material since this application process is why the information is taught.

The “flipped” approach is currently being used by several teachers at Rockmart High School in science, social studies, math, and literature courses which show the variety of uses this approach can take to engage and better support today’s students.

Stephanie Foy, an Economics teacher, utilizes “flipped” lessons in her classroom for several purposes. Students view her filmed lectures prior to class and apply the concepts together while at school. Mrs. Foy films videos that are designed to introduce students to key vocabulary and material needed for a foundation prior to applying the principles to the economics concepts. Mrs. Foy provides sample problems at the end of her lectures for students to see the concepts in action and she works through the problem on film to mirror this process for her students. Students are then able to come to class with not only the vocabulary and conceptual information from the video, but they have been able to see a problem in action that utilizes these concepts and they are able to work through a problem before they even come to class. Class can then begin with a discussion of this material and any questions can be answered before

smoothly transitioning into application-based activities and assignments for students to see the usefulness and relevance of the concepts while Mrs. Foy is there to clarify, guide, and extend learning.

In a different approach, Matt Johnson, an English teacher, uses the “flipped” strategy with all of his courses. For American Literature courses to juniors, Mr. Johnson films lectures pertaining to important background information of each time period and literary period students will study in each unit. Students watch the videos before the assigned date that the new unit will start so that Mr. Johnson and his students can talk about what is going on in history, what writing’s purpose serves during this time, what characteristics writing will have, and also discuss important background information on the unit’s authors. Mr. Johnson says, “This is information I have to cover with my students in order for them to fully understand the writing they are reading.

Writing is a reflection of society, so if students aren’t aware of the history of the times and who these authors are, their study has gaps. Instead of lecturing this material in class, students can now watch the lecture and take notes prior to assigned days so that we can discuss the material as a class and immediately jump into engaging in reading, writing, and discussion of the key authors from these movements.” In Mr. Johnson’s Honors and AP-level courses, “flipped” videos serve the same purpose as well as giving students key tutorials in MLA-research citation, how to break down prompts and arguments, sample concepts and problems to work through with follow-up discussion on the correct response, and other specialized approaches students will need to re-learn and re-visit over the course, and “flipping” these concepts ensures students are always able to access this information when needed.

These slides were taken from a video created for Mr. Johnson’s AP English Language students.

Information has been given to students and now Mr. Johnson asks them to pause to complete and apply these concepts, then follows up with a slide of possible answers. The third slide then extends

material and applies additional concepts.

Connor Teems, senior, views an Economics lecture for Mrs. Foy about

comparative advantage.

Above is a snapshot of the application of comparative analysis in Mrs. Foy’s class after students have viewed introductory material for

homework, much like Connor in the above picture.


Many teachers in the math department also utilize “flipped” methods of instructional design. Jessie Johnson, an Analytical Geometry teacher, follows the approach of many other teachers at RHS to introduce students to key geometry concepts for her course. Mrs. Johnson gives students background information on information that students have seen before in prior years of study so that she can refresh students’ memories on the building blocks of information that is needed for students to actually complete her geometry work. She not only provides voiced-over information, but works through problems for students to refresh themselves on how to accurately complete problems. Students work through problems and take notes and then come to class for Mrs. Johnson to go over the video with the whole class to make sure all students are up-to-speed on older concepts. This then allows her to transition into geometry-based problems for students with new material that can now be completed since her “flipped” videos have made the foundation for students more solid. Mrs. Johnson says, “I like ‘flipping’ instruction at times because this gives me more time in class to work with students and answer their questions. If I went over this prior information in class, I may have only 10-20 minutes at the end to move into the geometry application; when I ‘flip’ design to move this information into the homework setting, I have opened up nearly the whole class period to apply the concepts which is greatly needed for students to grasp the new material.”

Lastly, the science department is also on the “flipped” lesson approach. Shea Floyd, a Biology teacher, uses the “flipped” lesson design with her Biology courses. Mrs. Floyd uses “flipped” for her on-level Biology students for tutorial purposes. She says, “If the topic is very difficult, I make a short video to re-explain the topic so that students can watch the video on an ‘as needed’ basis.” Mrs. Floyd’s senior AP Biology also utilizes the “flipped” strategy with a different purpose: most of the lectures for this course are recorded and shared through Google Drive for students to watch lectures at home to review and apply the following day in class. Since Mrs. Floyd’s course is an Advanced Placement, college-level course, “flipping” instruction to move lecture and instruction outside of the class opens up more time for lab work and other application of the material.

Biology also utilizes the “flipped” strategy with a different purpose: most of the lectures for this course are recorded and shared through Google Drive for students to watch lectures at home to review and apply the following day in class. Since Mrs. Floyd’s course is an Advanced Placement, college-level course, “flipping” instruction to move lecture and instruction outside of the class opens up more time for lab work and other application of the material while at school.

Although school is only in its early weeks, the “flipped” approach has found success in many classrooms. This approach, as the teachers have said, not only opens up class time to apply concepts and to actually work on material, but students are receiving instruction tailored to their learning styles. Oftentimes teachers lecture to introduce key material: with the “flipped” approach, students watch this material when the time and setting is most convenient for them to comprehend the material in comparison to traditionally receiving the information out loud in a room full of students at one time. If a student is out, gets distracted, or misses some information, the opportunity is gone to go back and grasp the concept… but now when lessons are “flipped,” students have unlimited access to this key material.

Sarah Williams, a freshman at RHS, views a “flipped” lecture created by her math teacher, Rebecca Gresham, for homework. Mrs. Gresham will

work through problems introduced in class tomorrow based on the lecture Sarah is viewing on her iPad.

Freshman, Blake Holloman, answers questions in Honors Biologyclass from material that his teacher, Mrs. Shea Floyd had placed online.

Transferring Learning through Real Life Experiences

Students at Van Wert Elementary are learning life lessons by being junior entrepreneurs of the school store. Students in Mrs. Kristie Hunt’s gifted 5th grade class were given the opportunity at the end of the 4th grade to fill out a job application to be hired to become operators and managers of the school store. Students then interviewed for the job and four students were chosen to operate the store for the first semester. Students must be able to arrive at 7:30, be honest and able to work with younger children, and must be familiar with handling money and giving correct change. Students are also responsible for keeping an inventory of the school merchandise, ordering what they think will sell, and deciding when to discount an item when it is not selling. These students must be role models to the other students and show impeccable work ethics and dedication to their job. After the students operate the school store each morning, they count and receipt the money. Students have definitely transferred learning and are required to keep an accounting ledger each day of the store’s activities. Students are using Excel to record daily sales, money going out to buy merchandise, and purchases from other projects. Money from the school store is used to award scholarships toward the end of the year trip and also maintains the outdoor classroom. Our end of the year trip includes a study of marine animals where students will actually swim with the manatees. The school store not only provides Van Wert students with school supplies, but is teaching students the responsibilities of operating a small business and hopefully these skills learned will be transferred to real life situations in the future.


Students helping customers


The Flipped Classroom has arrived at Eastside Elementary School In a traditional classroom, a teacher delivers instruction to a classroom of students. In the Flipped Classroom concept, however, a teacher records a lecture, a PowerPoint presentation, or an explanation of a classroom concept, and the students watch the recording at home. Using this method, there is more classroom time available for one-on-one teacher assistance, student practice, and student-centered activities.

For example, a math teacher might record a student solving a problem on the board. While the student works through the steps of the problem, the teacher verbally provides instruction and support. The teacher then posts the video online. If students in that class encounter problems with homework that evening, they can log onto the teacher’s website and access the video. Being able to both watch a student solve an example problem and to listen to the teacher’s explanation will enable a student to better understand the concept and to have a better chance of completing the homework assignment successfully. This Flipped Classroom method alleviates the common frustration of students beginning homework and being unable to remember the concepts from the classroom. Parents will find this model helpful as well, being able to instantly view the instruction themselves so that they are able to assist their children with their assignments.

Many teachers will be able to introduce new concepts through these Flipped Classroom lectures. Teachers can record explanations of background material or introductory information and assign these lectures to students as homework. When students arrive in the classroom, they are ready for student-centered activities based on the new information. Less classroom time is focused on teacher lectures so there is more time for student-teacher interactions and student-centered activities.

Eastside Elementary teachers are embracing this new technology to benefit students varied learning styles. We feel that Flipped Classrooms are a innovative way to improve our instruction while promoting student achievement and maximizing classroom time.

Rockmart Middle School - Just Google It!

"Google" has become a common word heard at Rockmart Middle School. What was once known as just a search engine, has become a useful tool to enhance the learning process. Many classes are utilizing Google Drive to help students organize their materials. Students can share folders with the teacher. This means they no longer have to email work or print it out to turn it in to the teacher. Work can be turned in electronically to the Google drive folder and the teacher can see it immediately. The teacher can then use an application, such as notability, to grade the work, and resubmit it back to the student's file. No paper necessary, and the work is saved in storage for student use later. This creates a portfolio of student work for the teacher.

Google forms (also available via the google drive tool) is useful for immediate feedback from students. Teachers can give online surveys to students and collect information that feeds into a spreadsheet for later use. Teachers can also give assessments via these forms. The forms provide immediate grading and feedback to help drive instruction. Data that could take days to collect can now be gathered as quickly as students can take the test.

Teachers at RMS are constantly looking for ways to utilize technology, and the Google Drive tool provides a vast array of items that can be useful in the classroom. We are excited to have this tool at our disposal, and can't to see how Google will ultimately benefit our students. Google Drive can be accessed on any electronic device.


Transforming Learning Snapshot at CMSAstin/Hooper 8th Grade Geometry Vocabulary Video Project

In this snapshot, 8th grade math classes are transforming learning at Cedartown Middle School by creating a vocabulary video project. The project was based on Geometry terms from standard MCC8G5: Use informal arguments to establish facts about the angle sum and exterior angle of triangles, about the angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, and the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles. Teachers partnered to design the 3 day project for students to research, plan, and create a video to explain terms using the iPads. During work sessions, they were assisted with technological tools such as white boards, the smartboard, and/or Educreations to help with video design. Educreations Interactive Whiteboard is an app that turns an iPad into a recordable whiteboard. This made it possible to explain math formulas, add commentary to the photos, and more! Students used their creative ideas such as rapping, newscast stories, etc. to demonstrate concepts. Then a paperless app, called Showbie, was operated to submit their videos. This tool allowed teachers to assign, collect, and review student assignments. Students’ grades for the project were based on a 4 point rubric.

Here a student is illustrating parallel lines. In the upper right hand corner he has shown that lines a & b are parallel and they are being cut by a transversal line.


Cedartown High School – Instructional Attitude and Desire to Be the Best!

The faculty and staff at Cedartown High School are collaborating and working toward a common goal which is to become the best high school in the state of Georgia. The desire to move to the top is precipitated by an attitude to create the most conducive learning environment for every student at Cedartown High School. By creating a rigorous, 21st century learning environment, our students will be college and career ready when they graduate from Cedartown High School which will allow them to compete in a global economy. Teachers at CHS are working diligently to create engaging lessons that include the use of technology, various instructional strategies, and student choices. The days of lecturing for 50 minutes, teaching directly from a book, issuing 20 word vocabulary lists, and completing 40 homework problems have been replaced by teachers becoming facilitators of learning and students taking a more active role in the learning process. A quality, standards-based lesson includes a variety of critical components. First of all, standards must be posted and highly visible. This approach allows teachers and students to reference standards throughout lesson which, ultimately, leads to students becoming familiar with the “language of the standards.” The standard being covered is generally reworded into question format to develop what is referred to as an essential question. The essential question is the guiding principle or learning goal of the lesson. Once the standards have been referenced and essential questions have been covered, teachers begin the actual lesson with an activating strategy. This type of strategy allows teachers to link to prior knowledge or “hook” students into the lesson. The “meat” of a contemporary lesson includes multiple activities. Teachers are required to develop lessons that involve multiple activities and smooth transitions from one activity to another. Among these activities are menu strategies or choice boards. Menu strategies and choice boards give students the option to choose the activity they want to complete, allows students to take ownership in the decision-making process, and tailors activities to student strengths. Finally, a quality lesson includes a summarizing strategy. The summarizer allows teachers to determine if a student has achieved standard mastery or if re-teaching is necessary. Lesson sequencing of this nature leads to more engaging lessons and higher content retention rates among students. Resources for developing quality lessons are in abundance. Teachers no longer have to rely on “teacher editions” of textbooks. It is as simple as typing, “World History lesson on the Cold War” in Google. This provides teachers with thousands of sample lessons that have already been developed, are engaging, and accommodate a wide range of learning styles. Sites such as Lesson Planet, Georgia Virtual Learning, and TeacherTube are invaluable lesson planning resources for all educators.


Cherokee Elementary School is Transforming Learning Cherokee Elementary School is a perfect place to combine traditional schoolwork with iPad technology. Cur-rently there are iPad labs in each classroom from 3rd to 5th grade. Each lab has 25-30 iPads that are used each day to enhance instruction. We also have two IPAD labs that are available for daily checkout. Teachers use a vari-ety of apps to motivate and reward students and the use of these iPads provide students with the opportunity to practice the skills they need most in an independent and fun format. Cherokee’s goal is to have iPads in all class-rooms in the next two years. Teachers are using apps like the ones below to continually improve instruction.

Show Me is an app for creating and sharing whiteboard-style lessons on your iPad.

Ask3 turns classroom iPads into recordable whiteboards enabling peer-to-peer teaching and collaboration.

"SKY"ping among the Stars at NES

Imagine taking Kindergarten and third grade classes on a field trip to a museum... onboard a rocket ship! North-side Elementary's Josh Bearden and Darla Wilson's Sci-ence classes will be doing just that using a technology tool called Skype. Both Kindergarten and Third grade classes have been studying astronauts and the solar sys-tem, successfully integrating common core standards for language arts and math into the science classroom. When researching resources to include technology into the science classroom, while relating skills to the students' reading story of Ellen Ochoa, astronaut, Mr. Bearden came upon the free opportunity to Skype with a real astronaut from NASA.

Skype is a free communication tool that allows students and teachers to video conference, make calls and instant message to locations all over the world! Technology in PSD allows for students to travel all over the world, meet new people, and have novel experiences with out ever leaving the classroom. Astronauts from NASA will speak to the students, explaining about the Space and Rocket center, and give students an opportunity for question and discussion.

"This is a great opportunity for students to build back-ground, make connections, and experience things they might not otherwise get to do," stated Bearden. "We hope to have the chance to use Skype in many different ways through out the year, to improve student under-standing and achievement."

Northside Student pretending to be an astronaut, using an app on the ipad.

Landmarks and Historic AreasRockmart/Aragon

VAN WERTCreated in 1832 from the village of Cleantown, Van Wert was made the seat of Paulding County. It was known for slate, iron, gold and fertile farmland and served as the county seat until Polk County was formed from part of Paulding in 1851 and the county seat was moved to Cedartown. Van Wert was awarded a Historic Township of Georgia by the Department of Community Affairs.

VAN WERT METHODIST CHURCHBuilt in 1857 by Rev. Wm. Simpson, Van Wert Methodist Church is one of the oldest struc-tures in Polk County. The Van Wert Church Restoration Group, led by Greg Gray, is renovat-ing the structure.

ARAGON-EUHARLEE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCHIn Aragon, the oldest church still in use in the County.

ROCKMART MURALThe mural was created in 1997 and painted on the side of Morgan Hardware on Marble Street. The mural was created by 180 volunteers over a three week period and was part of a celebration of Rockmart's 125th anniversary.

THE GOODYEAR MILLIn 1929, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company selected Rockmart as the site for one of its clearwater mills. They built a multi-million dollar plant on what is now Goodyear Street and gave Rockmart "the biggest boost it has ever received in its history." Goodyear sold the plant in 1987 and it is now owned and operated by Meggitt Polymers & Composites

GOODYEAR MILL VILLAGEIn the 1930s, Goodyear built a modern village with approximately 180 homes, two tennis courts, a baseball field and a golf course directly across the street from the mill.

CITY HALL The Rockmart Municipal Complex located on N. Piedmont Ave, is now considered "City Hall". The complex includes the Administrative Services Building, Cultural Arts Center,Recreation Department, and Rockmart Police Department. The complex is located on what was origi-nally the site of the Piedmont Institute College, which was replaced later by Rockmart High and Middle Schools which later became known as Rockmart High School.

ROSE HILL CEMETERY/GAZEBOOn Elm Street, the land for the cemetery was donated to the town. The gazebo, constructed in 1891 is now considered one of Rockmart's most recognizable historic landmarks. The cemetery site also offers a spectacular view across Rockmart.

EUHARLEE CREEK/SEABORN JONES PARKA city park, Seaborn Jones Park sits in the middle of downtown Rockmart along the banks of the Euharlee Creek. The name Euharlee comes from the Cherokee or Creek Indians and means "she laughs as she runs."

ROCKMART HISTORICAL MUSEUMThe recently opened Rockmart Historical Museum is a must to see for anyone interested in history. It chronicles the unique history and culture of Rockmart with heirloom contribu-tions of items and photos supplied by members of the community. Of particular interest art the items concerning "Welsh" Rockmart, with its miners and slate industry, chapels and slate roofs. The museum is located in Old City Hall Building at 133 Marble Street, next to Seaborn Jones Park.

DODGE & DAVIS AT PEEK SPRINGSNear Aragon's City Hall, camping place of General Grenville Dodge's 16th AC of McPherson's Army of Tennessee. Later, Brig. Gen. J.C. Davis' 2nd division, 14th Corps Army of the Cumberland camped here en route from Rome to Dallas, Ga. These troops were part of the right wing of General Sherman’s forces moving to outflank General Johnston’s army at Alla-toona Pass. This resulted in 10 days of battle at New Hope Church, Dallas and Pickett’s Mill in Paulding County.

Landmarks and Historic AreasCedartown

POLK COUNTY HISTORICALSOCIETY/MUSEUM Formerly Hawkes Children’s Library, the mu se um contains the history of Polk Coun ty. The building was designed by J. Neel Reid, famous Geor gia architect, and was built in 1924. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

POLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE #2 At 100 Prior Street, this building was designed by Otis Clay Poundston in Neoclassical Revival Style and constructed in 1935. It was originally City Hall, but is now used as a courthouse annex.

CEDARTOWN MURAL Completed in 1999, the mural is located in downtown Cedartown. The project was designed and completed by local artists and volunteers from The Art Lover’s League of Cedar Valley. The mural is a collage of well-known structures in Cedartown including many historic sites such as Hawkes Children’s Library and County Courthouse #2.

CONFEDERATE MEMORIALOutside Courthouse #2 is a Confederate monument erected in 1906 by United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Confederate veterans.

ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCHBuilt on West Avenue in 1883, this is the oldest church still in use in Cedartown. The church has been maintained in its original state except for the outside color. Sterling Holloway grew up in this church.

BOOZ HOTELThis structure was built in the 1800s and operated as a hotel in the 1890s. Located across the street from the Polk County Historical Society.

BIG SPRINGLocated on Wissahickon Avenue, this was the site of a ballground and ceremonial dance ground of the Cherokee Indian natives until the early 1800s. It is the second largest limestone spring in the South and produces an average of 4 million gallons of water per day.

DOWNTOWN CEDARTOWNIn 1988, Cedartown became a “Mainstreet City” and is a registered site in the National Register of Historic Places. The last decade has seen much renovation in the down town area including second floor residential availability, new businesses and remodelings. 770-748-2090.HIGHTOWER FALLSOriginally the site of a wooden grist mill purchased by Elias Hightower in 1846 and con vert ed into a facsimile of the Whitney cotton gin. Mr. Hightower also constructed a three story mill on the site in 1850 using the 60 foot Falls for power. The mill was once a vibrant mercantile center near Cedartown. Sherman’s men ate and slept here on their march through the state, but spared the mill from the fate which befell so many others. Hightower Falls is presently a private group facility available for special occasions. Call (770) 748-8588 for more information.

OLD MILLLocated on Hwy. 27 South, this structure was built by slave labor in 1848 for Asa Prior who came to Polk County in 1837. The first miller was a slave named “Old Allen” and the structure was operated as a mill until 1945. It was renovated and operated as a restaurant by Mr. And Mrs. Robert Stephens from 1960-1991. It was purchased by Ann and Jimmy Madden in 1997.

Attractions Guide CEDARTOWN • ROCKMART/ARAGON

Cedartown Performing Arts CenterThe pride of the City of Cedartown, The Cedartown Performing Arts Center located at the Cedartown Auditorium, presents a wealth of premium entertainment each year from the Atlanta Symphony to touring Broadway plays. The Performing Arts Center also sponsors enrichment programs for children in Polk and surrounding counties through workshops and performances. 770-748-4168.

West TheaterThis 1941 Art Deco style theater hosts first run movies for both children and adults.

Peek ParkOn North College Street, this beautiful city park is located on land donated by Captain J.A. Peek. It contains tennis courts, playground and picnic areas.

Bert Wood Youth and Athletic ComplexSoftball and baseball fields, gymnasium, track, cabin, playground, and Senior Center make up this recreational facility in Northwest Cedartown. Government sponsored and volunteer activities abound almost year round.

Cherokee Golf and County ClubThis private facility off Cherokee Road contains an 18 hole golf course, four tennis courts, a swimming pool and beautiful clubhouse with dining facility. The club hosts many local fundraising golf and tennis tournaments as well as member-related events. 770-748-2800.

Cedar Valley Arts FestivalAn annual festival is held on the last full weekend in April. This event is sponsored by the Cedartown Junior Service League. Local and regional art-ists display their craft as do the children of Cedartown whose works are displayed throughout Peek Park, the site of the festival.

Meadow Lakes Golf ClubMeadow Lakes is a public facility in North Polk County offering 18 holes of championship golf as well as a clubhouse, banquet facility, and swimming pool. The club regularly hosts tournaments and les-sons are offered by the PGA Golf Professional. Call for tee times on the weekends. 770-748-4942

Rockmart Civic Arts CommissionPromotes and hosts various arts activities in the city and maintains the city’s Art Center on Piedmont Avenue, Rockmart. 770-684-5454.

Seaborn Jones ParkA city park along the banks of Euharlee Creek in downtown Rockmart. Complete with picnic tables and a gazebo.

Nathan Dean Sports ComplexRockmart’s primary recreational park for softball and baseball. The park also contains a track and a playground area. Pavilions are also located through the park.

Prospect Valley CourseNine hole, public golf course. 770-684-5961.

Silver Comet TrailThe Silver Comet Trail is a paved, converted rail trail spanning more than 60 miles from Smyrna GA to the GA/AL border in Polk County. Here the trail joins the Chief Ladiga trail for another 33 miles to Anniston, AL. The two trails provide 95.5 continuous paved recreational miles not available to motorized traffic. The longest segment of the Silver Comet in one county is 29 miles through Polk. The Depot in Rockmart provides water and restrooms and is next to Seaborn Jones Park. Snacks and restrooms are available at the Depot in Cedartown which houses several offices including the welcome center and museum of local memorabilia. The first foot of the Silver Comet Trail was poured on July 9, 1998 in Cobb County, GA.

Polk County Homespun FestivalAn annual event sponsored by the Polk County Chamber of Com merce held on the third weekend in July in Seaborn Jones Park. Local and region-al crafters display their wares throughout the park. Continuous enter-tainment is a highlight of the festival as well as many games and events throughout the park. 770-684-8760.

Aragon BarbequePatriotism at its peak, the annual barbeque is held on the last Saturday in June. Great food, a variety of games and a softball tournament are high-lights.

Tom Pittman Field and Jake Belk ParkAragon’s two city parks both have recreational and picnic facilities.

Welsh FestivalMae'n dod Gwy! Cmry!/Rockmart hosts the only Welsh festival in Georgia, featuring lively Celtic music, Welsh food and Bar-B-Que, plus tours of the historical Van Wert Church and graveyard where Welsh miners and Civil War soldiers are buried. It is held on the quad (square) next to the Old City Hall Building, 133 Marble St. in the heart of downtown Rockmart. Welshfest is held the 3rd Saturday in March.

CEDARTOWN • ROCKMART/ARAGONLeisure Life in Polk County

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Raceway...............................................6Coosa Dental Associates......................6Georgia Power......................................7Holmes Clothing...................................7Redmond Physician Network...............9Floyd Medical Center..........................12Harbin Clinic.......................................16

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133 South Marble Street Rockmart, GA 30153

770/684-8760 Fax: 770/825-9002

609 S. Main St. Cedartown, GA 30125www.polkgeorgia.com

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For Advertising Information call Jennifer Futch at 770-748-1520 or

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Editorial Content by: Polk County Chamber

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Showcasing the best of Polk County

Polk County at a Glance CEDARTOWN • ROCKMART/ARAGON

LOCATION AND LAND AREAPolk County, consisting of a 312 square mile area, is near the center of the South's three largest indus-trial centers: Atlanta, 45 miles east; Birmingham, 85 miles west, and Chattanooga, 83 miles north. Surrounded on four corners by mountains, Polk County is a land of dramatic contrasts - from the city of Cedartown which lies on a gentle plain to Rockmart with its rocky hills and deep valleys.

GOVERNMENTPolk County is governed by a six member Board of Commissioners elected for four-year staggered terms. The chairman is elected from the board for a one-year term. Cedartown, the county seat, is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners who elect a com mis sion chairman from amongst board members and appoint a City Manager. The city of Rockmart is governed by an elected mayor and five council members who elect a City Manager. Aragon is governed by a mayor and four council members. Full-time police and fire departments are maintained in all three areas and the county for the pro tec tion of all residents.

INDUSTRYPolk County boasts a wide array of existing industry and takes pride in its success in new industry recruitment in the last decade. The top ten industries employee some 3,700 people and include both manufacturing and service.

CLIMATEA moderate climate with seasonal variation creates an excellent environment for outdoor activity through out most of the year:January averageminimum/maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32/55 degreesJuly averageminimum/maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67/83 degreesAverage annual rainfall is 50" based on ten year data. Relative humidity is 69.7%.

POPULATION42,709 people reside in Polk County including 10,021 in Cedartown, 4,242 in Rockmart and 1,039 in Aragon.

TRANSPORTATIONMajor trucking lines and both CSX and the Norfolk Southern Railway system link Polk County to points in all directions. Hartsfield/Jackson International Airport is only one hour away while Cornelius Moore Airport in the middle of the county provides a paved and lighted 4,000 ft. runway. The new $15,000,000 state of the art Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport is only 8 miles from Polk County. Four lane Highway 278 east links Polk County to Atlanta via I-20. Other main arteries include U.S. Highway 27 and 113.

COMMUNICATIONSTwo newspapers, the Cedartown Standard and the Rockmart Journal, and two radio stations, WGAA Cedartown and WZOT Rockmart, keep county residents informed of local, regional and na tion al hap-pen ings.

EDUCATIONEducational institutions in the county include six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and a regional vocational-technical school. Two private schools are maintained and county res i dents have easy access to three additional private schools in a neighboring county.

UTILITIESGeorgia Power and Carroll EMC service electrical needs in Polk County and gas is distributed by Atlanta Gas Light Company and sold by several suppliers. The cities of Cedartown and Rockmart operate sew-age treatment facilities and have their own water supply via a spring-fed gravity system in Cedartown and Euharlee Creek in Rockmart. The county’s water supply originates with three springs and one well. BellSouth pro vides a first-rate tele com mu ni ca tions sys tem and cablevision is provided by Charter Communications.

HEALTHCAREPolk Medical Center is located in Cedartown. Numer-ous physicians, dentists, chiropractors and other health care proviers are throughout Polk County. Immediate Care facilities are also available.

POLK COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCEThe main office of the Polk County Chamber of Com-merce is located at 133 South Marble Street in Rock-mart. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. The Chamber also main tains a Cedartown office in conjunction with the Cedartown Welcome Center at 609 S. Main St.. Cedartown office hours are Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Call the Chamber office at 770-684-8760.

Chamber of Commerce & Development Authority

Polkwww.polkgeorgia.com

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Connection November & December 2013