Miss Julian Sloan (Jules) Passmore, a senior at Upson-Lee High School, has been named 2024 PAGE STAR Student for the Thomaston-Upson School System. The announcement was made Tuesday, January 23, by Mr. Doyle Allen at the Thomaston Kiwanis Club meeting. Thomaston Kiwanis is the local STAR program sponsor, and Allen is the STAR program coordinator for the service club. Jules is the daughter of Scott Passmore and Sloan and Timothy Ledbetter.
Passmore selected ULHS teacher Mrs. Amanda Miller as the 2024 STAR Teacher. Miller taught Chemistry and AP Biology to Passmore and serves as the academic advisor to the Science Olympiad Team, which Passmore leads. In addition to being selected 2023-24 Miss Upson-Lee High School by her peers, Jules is a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, Student Council, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She leads the Science Olympiad and Academic Team, is editor-in-chief of the ULHS newspaper and a yearbook editor. She plays the baritone saxophone and has been in the UL Band since 6th grade. She described Mrs. Miller as being a wonderful person and a wonderful teacher, charismatic, and friendly. Amanda Miller, an analytical chemist turned teacher, described Jules as generous, persistent, dedicated, and tenacious. She said Jules has a good work ethic, sets goals, and pushes forward until those goals are reached. This is Miller’s first time being chosen as STAR Teacher, and she described the experience as humbling, exciting, and fun.
STAR Student is the student with the highest score in one sitting of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) taken through the November test date of his or her senior year. STAR Student must also be in the top 10 percent of his or her class based on grade point average. STAR Teacher, chosen by the STAR Student, is the teacher who has made the most significant contribution to the student’s scholastic development.
The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program was created to focus public attention on Georgia's outstanding students and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. It is administered and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation. Since its inception in 1958, the STAR Program has honored more than 29,500 high school seniors who have in turn chosen their STAR teachers to share in this recognition. Upson-Lee High School and the Thomaston-Upson School System are very appreciative of the support given to the local STAR program by the Thomaston Kiwanis Club.