seymour high school awarded $100,000

    Seymour High School students, faculty, staff and parents were surprised on Tuesday with the announcement that they were a “Calling All Communities” $100,000 Champion.
    The school was the first announced out of ten winners nationwide of the  “Calling All Communities” campaign.
    Faculty, staff, students and community members all gathered in the gym to hear what they thought was going to be a motivational speaker. This was when about 50 Cellular associates burst into the gym, tossing t-shirts and launching confetti.
    The unexpected, but welcome, interruption brought screams of excitement from the more than 1,100 Seymour students filling the gym.
     “This is just unbelievable,” said Seymour High School Principal Greg Clark, who was notified of the school’s victory just days before the surprise announcement. “When I got the call, I was so happy that I had to sit down so I wouldn’t fall over.
    “Lots of people really worked hard for this throughout the campaign. This is a good thing for the whole community.”
    The high school plans to share their winnings with Seymour Primary, Intermediate and Middle schools that played a major role in pushing them to the top.
    During the campaign, all four schools rallied voter support for the high school by hosting pep rallies, marching in the Christmas parade, creating their own “Calling All Communities” holiday carol and ornament, and posting signage in local businesses.
    “Vote for Seymour” flyers were even placed in residents’ monthly utility bills.
    “It was a tremendous community effort behind this, said Tom Catani, Regional Vice President of U.S. Cellular. “The community planned together to make it happen.”
    Catani added that there was more to the high school winning than just carols, parades and ornaments.
    “I think it takes all those things plus a lot more,” he said. “It takes a lot of heart and it takes a lot of rally to continually motivate people over two months of time to keep voting, keep voting, and keep voting.”
    Sevier County School Board Member Charles Temple said that many teachers worked from early in the morning to late at night getting the word out about the contest.
    “It was really interesting because after it was all over they asked themselves what they could have done to make it better,” he said, “and they really couldn’t think of anything else they could have done.
    “We are a close knit community and the schools are really our focal point.”
    According to Catani, Seymour led the contest during its entire duration, but nothing was official until a few days ago.
    Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters also voiced how impressed he was at the community’s efforts.
    “It’s a great day when a community works together to achieve a goal that directly benefits our children’s education,” said Waters. “The students’ school spirit was contagious and spread throughout our community.
    “They should be very proud that their hard work paid off for the hundreds of students who will benefit now and in the future from this victory.”
    This is the second year of the “Calling All Communities” challenge. The Knoxville area is home to two 2009 champions, Bearden High School and Heritage High School took home $100,000 each last year.     
    Voter participation was almost four times last year’s campaign with 430,000 votes cast for 6,800-plus schools nationwide. Seymour High School’s final tally was enough to land them in the winner’s circle, along with nine other champions that will be announced throughout February.
    Because Seymour High School won this year, they will not be able to participate in next year’s contest.
    “You can’t win two years in a row,” said Catani. “But I’m sure they have other schools in Sevier County that they can give their tips to.”