Huddleston Elementary's Amy Hudson won a 2026 Rising Star Educator Award, one of four in Georgia. McIntosh High students took 12 first places at Clemson.
Amy Hudson, a gifted teacher at Huddleston Elementary School in Peachtree City, has won a 2026 Rising Star Educator Award. She was one of four educators in Georgia to receive it this year.
The award comes from the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, which ran Nov. 4-6. Fayette County Public Schools announced the honor this week. The conference lists Hudson among its 2026 Rising Star winners, The other three are Hollie Sisk of the Effingham County School District, Greg Walkup of Otwell Middle School and Natasha Lawyer.
Why she was chosen
The district said Hudson brings “creativity and innovation to technology integration in the classroom.” Her students are encouraged to become technology experts for their classmates, the district said. That approach has “sparked a technology movement among her peers.”
The award recognizes emerging leaders in Georgia K-12 schools, according to the conference’s award page. It looks for “ongoing and exceptional growth” and a passion for technology that changes learning for students and other teachers. Winners are invited to present as featured speakers at the conference. Nominees need a nomination, their own consent and a video or presentation making their case.
Huddleston is a pre-K to fifth grade school on McIntosh Trail. Its zone covers most of Glenloch and parts of Aberdeen and Wilksmoor. Our Huddleston Elementary guide has the zone, the state report card and bell times.
McIntosh High leads Fayette at the Clemson poetry contest
McIntosh High School students won 26 placements at the 2026 Clemson University Poetry Declamation Contest, more than any other school in the county. Twelve of them were first places.
The district published the full list of placements. Students from all five Fayette County high schools placed, with 22 first-place awards between them. Placements by school:
| School | First | Second | Third | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McIntosh High | 12 | 8 | 6 | 26 |
| Whitewater High | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| Starr’s Mill High | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| Fayette County High | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Sandy Creek High | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The contest is run by Clemson’s Department of Foreign Languages. Students recite two poems from memory in the language they are studying. Judges score pronunciation, interpretation, smoothness of delivery and accuracy to the text, the district said.
McIntosh students placed in French and Spanish, at every level from first year to native speaker. Starr’s Mill students placed in German and Spanish.
Starr’s Mill color guard captain to march in the Macy’s parade
A Starr’s Mill High junior, the Panthers’ color guard captain, will perform with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the district said.
The parade is Thursday, Nov. 26, in New York City. The band draws marchers from every state. Starr’s Mill has had a student in it for more than 15 years in a row, the district said.
Starr’s Mill High sits on Panther Path just south of the city limits and serves about 30% of Peachtree City’s homes. Our Starr’s Mill High guide has the zone and report card.
What it means for you
- Huddleston parents can read more about Hudson’s classroom work in the conference’s winner profile.
- Families at McIntosh and Starr’s Mill with students in French, Spanish or German can ask the language department about next year’s Clemson contest.
- To catch the Starr’s Mill marcher, watch for the Great American Marching Band on the Macy’s parade broadcast Thursday, Nov. 26.
Our Peachtree City schools guide lists every public school serving the city, with zones and report cards.
Have your say