ATLANTA – State Representative Bruce Broadrick (R-Dalton) today recognized Gretchen Bauer Abernathy for her recent accomplishment in being named the Distinguished Educator of 2015 by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Mrs. Abernathy, along with four local winners of the 2015 Creative Arts Student Contest, were recognized at the Days of Remembrance ceremony at the State Capitol on Friday, April 17, 2015.
“We are very fortunate to have the talent and dedication of Gretchen Abernathy in our school system,” said Rep. Broadrick. “She is an inspiration and mentor to others and will accept only the best from her students.”
Mrs. Abernathy was specifically selected for the award based on her efforts to teach her students about the Holocaust. She encouraged the students to participate in the Commission’s annual Creative Arts Student Contest. She also invited Holocaust survivor, Alla Czerkasij, to speak to the students in May 2014.
“Teaching the Holocaust is important to ensure that future generations will never forget the atrocities resulting in the annihilation of more than 6 million Jews, the deaths of more than 12 million people in total,” said Mrs. Abernathy. “It is also important to use the lessons of the Holocaust to teach tolerance, which opens doors to lessons on many related themes such as hatred, racism, prejudice, injustice, bullying, and most importantly, the consequences of being indifferent.”
Mrs. Abernathy has been a teacher at Dalton Middle School for 19 years. Prior to that, she taught six years of high school English and two years of middle school language arts in New Jersey.
The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s Distinguished Educator award recognizes outstanding educators whose work ensures that future generations are prepared to become engaged citizens, make good choices and take responsibility for their own actions by connecting students to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The award is presented annually to a full-time Georgia educator of grades 5-12.
Additionally, four local students were recognized at the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s the Days of Remembrance ceremony for winning the annual Creative Arts Student Contest in art, writing and music. Local recipients of the Creative Arts Student Contest were: Laken Land of Dalton Middle School, second place in art; Jake Kyer of New Hope Middle School, third place in art; Hillary Dong of Dalton Middle School, first place in writing; and William G. Rowland of Dalton Middle School, third place in writing. The theme of this year’s contest was Liberation: What Have We Learned 70 Years Later? All middle and high school students throughout Georgia are eligible to compete in the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s annual Creative Arts Student Contest. All first-third place winners were recognized at the Days of Remembrance ceremony at the State Capitol on April 17, 2015.
For more information about the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, please click here.
Representative Bruce Broadrick represents the citizens of District 4, which includes portions of Whitfield County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman on the Game, Fish, and Parks Committee. He is also a member of the Health & Human Services, Industry and Labor, and Intragovernmental Coordination committees.
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