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News/Press Releases  FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hancock Bank lauds area teachers with Leo W. Seal awards GULFPORT, MS (April 26, 2005) - While many Mississippi educators are struggling with financial freezes, six area teachers have used their instructional expertise and creative learning ideas to earn $1,000 grants earmarked for innovative classroom projects affording value-added educational opportunities for local schoolchildren. For
the 10th consecutive year, Hancock Bank today presented outstanding
South Mississippi teachers with the Leo W. Seal Teacher Recognition
Awards for exceptional, curriculum-enhancing proposals that reinforce
state educational requirements and complement students' classroom
experiences. Selected based on past and proposed classroom teaching
applications, recipients of the 2005 Seal awards are Jean R. Gardner
of East Hancock Elementary School in Kiln; Stacey L. Hales of Nichols
Elementary School in Biloxi; Pamela H. Kraft of Oak Grove Upper
Elementary School in Hattiesburg; Ellen B. Peresich of Popps Ferry
Elementary School in Biloxi; Erika M. Reynolds of Arlington Elementary
School in Pascagoula; and Joyce L. Youngblood of Anniston Avenue
Elementary School in Gulfport. "You are setting the standard to which all teachers aspire. You stand out with your inspiring examples of creativity and teaching ability," said Topazi. "Our children are blessed to have teachers like you preparing them for their futures." In fall 2005, teachers, parents, and students nominated more than 100 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from school districts in Forrest, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Pearl River, and Jefferson Davis counties for the Seal awards. Teachers receiving invitations to submit full project proposals presented their ideas to an independent selection committee comprising representatives from the seven counties and not affiliated with Hancock Bank. Each winning teacher received a one-time $1,000 grant funded by Hancock Bank and a pewter apple handcrafted exclusively for Hancock Bank by John Cannon of Ballard Pewter, Ltd., in Ocean Springs. "On this 10-year anniversary of the Leo W. Seal Teacher Awards program, we are honored to recognize these educators for their exemplary commitment to South Mississippi's young people. These teachers' creative classroom instruction helps bring learning to life," said Hancock Bank President and Chief Executive Officer George A. Schloegel. "We appreciate the award recipients' dedication and thank all of our educational professionals for helping ensure a bright future for our children." Established in 1994, the Leo W. Seal awards laud teaching excellence and individual contributions to South Mississippi education and support teachers by funding original classroom teaching initiatives. The awards commemorate the leadership and achievements of the late Leo W. Seal, Sr., Hancock Bank president from 1932 until his death in 1963, and his son, current Hancock Holding Company chairman Leo W. Seal, Jr., in facilitating economic growth and educational opportunities across the region. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) manages the endowment as a permanent fund of the GCCF's Pat Santucci Friends of Public Education program. Forms for 2006 nominations will be available in late September at all public school offices and Hancock Bank locations in Forrest, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Pearl River, and Jefferson Davis counties or from GCCF (phone: 228-436-4441). The Winning Proposals
About GCCF GCCF is a public charity dedicated to the progressive development of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The foundation's primary mission is to increase philanthropic support of worthy causes by providing donor services, grants, and problem-solving leadership. The foundation achieves that mission by developing and managing a comprehensive base of endowment funds - an expanding pool of charitable dollars - permanently committed to meeting the needs of the people of South Mississippi. About Hancock Bank Founded
in 1899, Hancock Bank - consistently one of the strongest, safest
financial institutions in America - operates 103 full-service
offices and more than 140 automated
teller machines throughout South Mississippi, Louisiana, and
the Florida Panhandle. Bank subsidiaries include Hancock Investment
Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency, and Harrison Finance Company.
Hancock Holding Company (NASDAQ: HBHC), the parent company of Hancock
Bank (Mississippi), Hancock Bank of Louisiana, Hancock Bank of Florida,
and Magna Insurance Company, has assets of $4.8 billion. Additional
corporate
information and online
banking and bill
pay services are available on Hancock Bank's website. — 30 — FOR
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Jean
R. Gardner - East Hancock Elementary School. Gardner's "Adventures
in Architecture" will help children at East Hancock Elementary
School envision the structure of their world, hone creative problem-solving
skills through hands-on construction experiments, and understand
the relationships among design, form and function. Students embarking
on "Adventures" will study architectural concepts and
actually design diagrams, investigate and evaluate infrastructures,
and construct efficient models to coexist with the surrounding environment
and landscape. As students become more competent "builders,"
the project will culminate with Gardner's students helping to design
and construct a bridge on East Hancock County Elementary's campus.
Stacey
L. Hales - Nichols Elementary School. Hales will collaborate
with the NASA Ambassador Program to incorporate a simulated space
shuttle and lab at Nichols Elementary School as part of her "3,2,1,
Blast Off!" project. "Blast Off!" will provide an
integrated, interactive approach to enhancing students' comprehension
of basic scientific concepts using a solar-system model and, ultimately,
help whet students' interest in science career fields. Approximately
300 students will calculate distance and weight using varied mathematical
applications, study the anatomies of the Earth and moon, take virtual
tours of the universe, discover vital statistics about the sun and
surrounding planets, and share their out-of-this-world experiences
with fellow students, parents, teachers, and the community.
Pamela
H. Kraft - Oak Grove Upper Elementary School. Oak Grove Upper
Elementary School's Kraft will correlate biology, earth and space,
and physical science curriculum objectives with reference and research
skills for 650 fourth- and fifth-graders with "Look It Up!".
Kraft designed the project to help students become efficient learners
who can effectively use information available through print and
online resources such as dictionaries, thesauruses, atlases, encyclopedias,
and almanacs. Oak Grove students will engage in incentive-based
individual research efforts and small group projects spotlighting
a specific scientific phenomenon, develop reports detailing their
observations, and understand myriad resources available through
today's school libraries and media centers. The Mississippi Curriculum
Test will help evaluate students' success in the program; and Kraft's
proposal will provide the school's library media specialist and
teachers with materials to teach research skills to students.
Ellen
B. Peresich - Popps Ferry Elementary School. Peresich's "Fifth-Grade
American Government Lesson" illustrates for students the Founding
Father's vision for America, with particular emphasis on the rights
and responsibilities of actively participating in the election process.
Through traditional teaching, video instruction, writing, and role-playing,
about 100 students enrolled at Popps Ferry Elementary School will
study the growth of the United States of America as a republic,
learn basic principles of a democracy, and compare American freedoms
to liberties available to - or denied - other members of the global
community. As the project concludes, students will learn and use
audiovisual technology to develop and share a PowerPoint presentation
about American government with fourth-grade students.
Erika
M. Reynolds - Arlington Elementary School. "Character Counts"
will enable Reynolds to establish a Character Education Resource
Center at Arlington Elementary School that helps instill a core
set of values supporting students throughout their lives. Based
on a nationwide movement and reflecting mandates of Mississippi's
core curriculum, the project provides materials complementing instruction
in six character building-blocks: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility,
fairness, caring, and citizenship. In turn, children will learn
character education, conflict resolution and non-violent problem-solving,
critical-thinking skills, and cooperation, and will develop character
traits essential to becoming productive adults. As students exhibit
more self-respect and appropriate regard for classmates, teachers
can focus more on the teaching and less on disciplining disruptive
students. 
Joyce
L. Youngblood - Anniston Avenue Elementary School. By "Exploring
Our World," Youngblood will broaden students' interest in science,
math, and geography and foster independent learning in those disciplines
for all students using Anniston Avenue Elementary School's media
center. With interactive models, microscopes, and team responder
systems such as a quiz bowl, students will cultivate and retain
basic knowledge of science, math, and geography facts pertinent
to students' success on statewide science tests slated to begin
in 2006. Youngblood's project will benefit approximately 600 students
and expand resources available for teachers to supplement current
units of study or classroom demonstrations.
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