You might say that perfection runs in the Hill family.
Nia Hill aced the math portion of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System exam as a fifth grader at Arbor Station Elementary in 2024. A year later, her brother, Nicholas II, earned a perfect score on the science GMAS exam during his eighth-grade year at Chapel Hill Middle School.
Their mom, Shaheedah Hill, said Nia and Nicholas II always do well on the GMAS exams, but even she and her husband, Nicholas, were amazed that their children earned perfect scores in back-to-back years.
“We were really surprised, even though they both do well on the GMAS each year,” Shaheedah said. “Getting a perfect score was surprising because answering all the questions correctly is a really hard thing to do on any test. For both of them to do it back-to-back was really surprising, and we are really proud of them.”
Shaheedah attributed her son and daughter’s success to their dedicated teachers and the integration of i-Ready in Douglas County schools because it is individualized for each student.
At home, one thing Shaheedah said she and her husband emphasize is a “no technology” rule — no TV or video games during the school week unless it is school-related — so Nia and Nicholas II can stay focused on school and their extracurricular activities.
Nicholas II, now a freshman at Chapel Hill High School, plays baseball and is a member of the Beta Club, DECA and FBLA.
Nia, now a seventh grader at CHMS, is on the yearbook staff, serves as a school ambassador and is a member of the softball team.
Asked what advice they would give fellow students for mastering the GMAS, Nia recommends paying attention in class, taking notes, and on the day of the test, relaxing. Nicholas II advises getting 10 hours of sleep, eating a good breakfast and arriving early with a hoodie to keep warm because testing rooms are usually cold.
Looking ahead to their future careers, Nicholas II hopes to attend Georgia Tech and major in finance, and Nia wants to be an astronomer, medical examiner or college professor.
As for their mom, Shaheedah said she is thankful for the education her children are receiving in the Douglas County School System.
“We just want to let parents know that Douglas County teachers have high expectations for their children, and we've enjoyed partnering with them throughout the years to help our children reach their full potential,” she said.