Sprayberry Named School of Excellence

1. For the third time since 1995, has been named a School of Excellence by the Georgia Department of Education. 

The Sandy Plains Road school and Hillgrove High School in West Cobb were the only Cobb schools so honored for 2011.

Sprayberry's latest designation (1995, 2002) is the 33rd for a school in the East Cobb area since the School of Excellence program started in 1984. Among high schools, has four (1992, 1999, 2008 and 2011), while (1990, 2009) and (1984, 2005) have two each. was named in 1986. 

According to the Cobb County School District, the award goes to schools that show "the greatest continuous gains in student achievement over the past three years, based on reading and mathematics performance on the Georgia High School Graduation Test. Each will receive the iconic School of Excellence flag and a $1,000 award check from program sponsor Georgia Natural Gas."

2. If you missed it Tuesday, the last F-22 AF Raptor stealth fighter jet at Lockheed Martin's Marietta plant. Cost concerns and changing military needs prompted the Pentagon to scale back on the project. 

3. Wednesday is wrestling night on the East Cobb prep sports scene, with , , and defending state Class AAAA champion . 

You can help us keep our updated by letting us know about scores we don't have here. You can post scores in the comments in the link, email them to GaPatchSports@gmail.com or send them to us on Twitter (@GaPatchSports).

4. The East Cobb Civic Association is holding its annual planning meeting at 7 tonight at the East Cobb Government Center. It's the largest neighborhood association in the area and features monthly meetings with some of the leading figures in county government, education and civic life. 

5. Today's weather is expected to be much like Tuesday's, unseasonably warm during the day and cool at night. We're getting another sunny afternoon reaching into the mid 60s, with lows in the low 40s. Ditto for Thursday, although there could be a chance of rain. 

Not complaining or anything, but it's not looking a lot like Christmas right now. The forecast heading into the week before Christmas won't either.