April/May 2015 - Shelby County Schools

The Journey
April/May 2015
Shelby County State of the System Showcase
Held At Birmingham Marriott
Over 200
community, business,
and school leaders
gathered at the
Birmingham Marriott
on Wednesday, April
15 to hear about
the most recent
accomplishments of
the Shelby County
School District and its
schools and students
during the second
annual State of the System Showcase. The event was hosted
by the Greater Shelby Education Foundation and was
sponsored by Regions Bank.
The event featured a networking time during which
attendees visited showcase tables featuring schools from the
seven school zones of Calera, Chelsea, Columbiana, Helena,
Montevallo, Oak
Mountain, and Vincent,
as well as the Shelby
County College and
Career Center and the
Linda Nolen Learning
Center.
Fox 6 anchor
and reporter Sarah
Verser was one of the
featured speakers
during the luncheon portion of the event. Verser shared with
attendees how she was inspired to start the “What’s Right
With Our Schools” feature in 1999 in response to negative
stories about education. Verser said she was tired of seeing
the one percent of negative things in education being
highlighted by the media, while the other 99 percent of
positive education news stories were ignored.
Verser showed clips of four stories that she has covered in
Shelby County this year. The stories included the Read Across
America event at Forest Oaks Elementary, which highlighted
how teachers used various Dr. Seuss books to teach across
all subject areas, and the Sports Medicine Career Technical
program at Helena High School, which is giving students realworld experiential training in the field of sports medicine. The
other stories featured Montevallo High school student and
aspiring App developer
Wezley Sherman, and
Montevallo Elementary
School student Nancy
Kay Sharman, who raised
money to purchase
American Girl Dolls to
donate to cancer patients
at Children’s Hospital.
Superintendent Randy
Fuller was the other
featured speaker, where
he recognized accomplished students and alumni who were
in attendance - including Oak Mountain High School alumni
Ameen Barghi who is Shelby County’s first Rhodes Scholar.
Fuller also recognized Chelsea area students Christopher
Robinson, a national merit finalist; Taylor Stafford, who
won the state superintendent’s art show; and Kapil Nathan,
the state Geographic Bee winner. Fuller also recognized
Calera High School students Braxton Stokes, a 5A regional
academic winner of the Bryant Jordan Scholarship Award,
and ShaKeith Tyes, the overall state winner of the Bryant
Jordan Achievement Award. The video produced for the
Bryant Jordan Awards Ceremony about Tyes was played,
which describes how he has overcome extreme adversity to
become a leader in his school and community - both on and
off the football field.
Fuller also shared his message of “How Shelby County
Schools are Prepared for An Uncommon Future.” Fuller
shared how the district has survived and continued to be
successful despite several years of reduced funding from
state pro-ration and the separation of the Alabaster and
Pelham city school districts. The success has been the result
of the district’s Strategic Plan and an intentional effort to
keep community stakeholders invested in the success of the
schools.
“Education has no room for spectators, we all have to be
active participants and I truly believe everyone in Shelby
County are active participants and that’s why we continue to
be successful,” said Fuller. “We are very optimistic about the
future of Shelby County Schools because we have a plan and
a process to continue to invest the needs and move forward.”
Continued on page 2
Scenes from State of the System Showcase
Calera Schools
Chelsea Schools
Columbiana Schools
College and Career Center
Helena Schools
Montevallo Schools
Linda Nolen Learning Center
Oak Mountain Schools
ESL and Technology
Central Office
Mayors Mark Hall and Earl Niven and
Calera Middle Student Katie Scott
Andrew Gunn, Chelsea Middle Student
Taylor Stafford and Randy Fuller
2
Vincent Schools
Chelsea High Principal Wayne
Trucks and Christopher Robinson
Jim and Cindy Fuhrmeister,
Carol Bruser, and Randy May
Shelby County School District Honors
Educational Support Personnel of the Year
Karen Lilly, an
instructional aide
and paraeducator
at Columbiana
Middle School,
was honored on
April 21 as the
Shelby County
School District’s
Educational
many things Mrs. Lilly says are powerful, purposeful and
proving of the awesome individual she is.”
Lilly, a native of Columbiana , said the school is more than
just a job to her. It is her family, her community, her past,
present and future.
“It is my home,” she said. “It’s as much a part of me as the
heart beating in my chest. I’ve spent more than 15 years
teaching and substituting at Columbiana Middle School, and
I’ve seen it through times of struggle and success. I can tell
you with confidence that these past few years I have seen
CMS at its best,” Lilly said.
“I’m proud and grateful to be part of a school that has
made so much progress in recent years,” she continued.
“We are now at a competitive level with schools throughout
Shelby County, and it’s incredibly rewarding to play a part in
that.”
Lilly, who has children and grandchildren who have
attended Columbiana Middle School, said all of the students
that she has helped teach are her kids.
“When I add it all up, I realize more than 7,500 of my
‘children and grandchildren’ have attended CMS over my
time here,” she said. “These kids may belong to someone else
at home, but they hold a permanent place in my heart, not
just when they’re here during the day, but throughout each
day of the week and long after they’ve moved on to high
school, college and careers. When I see them at ballgames,
the store, or an event outside of school, the connection still
remains strong.”
Local school and department winners were:
• Angela Mansel - special education instructional
assistant – Calera Elementary
• Teressa Conner – nurse - Calera Intermediate
• Kaylin Foster - front office secretary - Calera Middle
• Elizabeth Wilson – front office secretary - Chelsea High
• Tanya Adams – paraeducator – Chelsea Park
Elementary
• Adrian Kelly – custodian - Chelsea Middle
• Mark Benton – custodian - College and Career Center
• Pam Alverson – CNP - Elvin Hill Elementary
• Simin Capps – paraeducator - Helena Elementary
• Christy Moore - nurse - Helena Intermediate
• Sharon Wilkins – CNP manager - Helena Middle
• Gary Moon – custodian – Helena High School
• Megan Cobb – nurse - Inverness Elementary
• Patti Mueller – instructional aide - Linda Nolen
Learning Center
• Tina Smith – instructional aide - Montevallo
Elementary
• Maribel Torres – custodian - Montevallo Middle School
• Betty Walker – custodian – Montevallo High School
• Bevely Cox – instructional aide - Mt Laurel Elementary
School
• Amy Deweese – Bookkeeper - Oak Mountain
Elementary
• Kimily Payne - Registrar - Oak Mountain Intermediate
Support Personnel of the Year.
The district implemented the award five years ago to
recognize the hard work and dedication of Educational
Support Professionals. The idea for the award came out
of the Strategic Planning process as a way to promote the
importance of support operations in the educational process
and the role support professionals play in helping to prepare
students for the journey ahead of them.
“Our students would not be able to learn were it not
for the bus driver that delivers them safely to school, the
mechanics that make sure those buses are safe, the CNP
worker that prepares them a nutritious breakfast and lunch,
or custodians that ensure they have a clean and comfortable
learning environment,” said Cindy Warner, Public Relations
and Community Education Supervisor at the recognition
ceremony. “All of our support employees, regardless of their
job duties, have a critical and important role in helping to
provide a quality education to our students.”
Each school and system department location was asked
to select a representative. A district committee reviewed
the submissions and selected seven winners to represent
the major job categories of Accounting, Food Services,
Secretarial, Maintenance, Transportation, Instruction, and
Custodial. From the seven category winners, one overall
winner was selected to represent the district as the Education
Support Personnel of the Year.
Karen Lilly has worked at Columbiana Middle School for
the past 7 years as an instructional aide/paraeducator and
as a substitute teacher for over 8 years. Lilly’s principal, Dr.
Kerry Rush described her as someone whose positive attitude
always makes the “glass half full.”
“Perhaps her greatest asset is her seemingly relentless
supply of encouragement to everyone,” Dr. Rush said.
“Working as an instructional aide she often uses kind words
mixed with a sharp wit to redirect a reluctant learner or to
snap a frustrated teacher into a smiling mood.”
Dr. Rush said Lilly never waivers in her professionalism
and that she always treats the students with fairness and
kindness.
“She is a sister to one and all and truly has a passion to
foster a unified school where the Golden Rule is the only rule,”
said Dr. Rush. “To me personally, she knows how to tell me,
without telling me. While she thinks she’s anonymous in the
notes and cards she leaves me, it’s not her handwriting that
gives her away. It’s the wisdom of her short, from-the heart,
and to-the-point words, such as…. ‘Don’t second guess, be
blessed,’ or ‘Do what you do, that is all that is required.’ The
Continued on page 4
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Continued from page 3
“Love is in the details.These words describe the pure
essence of Angie Smith, who is the epitome of a loving,
motivated, and conscientious employee,” said her principal,
Dr. Resia Brooks. “She focuses on the tiny, minute details and
actions that make others feel special and valued.”
“Her love for her work and compassion for others is
demonstrated in all that she does-from placing hot chocolate
in the office for teachers on cold, dreary mornings, to
amusing the kids in the serving line with Elf on the Shelf
mischief at Christmas, to voluntarily spending the night at
school to ensure that students and faculty were fed during
the great snowstorm and even whipping up birthday cookie
cakes to celebrate the birthdays of two teachers who were
stranded that night,” Dr. Brooks said.
When she was forced to change careers due to an injury,
Smith thought something in the area of nutrition would be
a natural fit, but she wasn’t too sure about having to wear a
hair net. After discovering invisible hairnets, she applied for
the job and immediately realized she loved the new plan for
her life.
“How could I not love my job?” she said. “I am blessed
beyond measure to get to see hundreds of wonderful
children daily. It makes me feel like a child to see their
excitement for learning and living. Being able to be a small
part of the larger picture is a wonderful gift.”
Allen Jones has worked for the past three years at
Facilities and Maintenance as the Warehouse/Dispatch
Technician. Jones was described by his co-workers as
a friendly, all around fantastic person with a wonderful
attitude. More importantly, he was also described as a great
employee due to his attention to detail and diligence in
making sure that the job gets done.
Jones said the work they do at the warehouse is often
behind the scenes, but it is a very important job. “Every day
is busy and hectic, with lots people calling with spur-of-themoment requests.” Jones said. “But I love my job and I am
very appreciative of it. I know that what we do is important
and ultimately it supports the students.”
Nikki Vrana has worked the past three years as an
accounting clerk and Chief Clerk at the Central Office. She
was described by her supervisor, Tom Ferguson, as someone
who understands dedication and what it takes to get things
done.
“As a Central Office employee, Nikki has served this school
system with integrity and the utmost professionalism,” Mr.
Ferguson wrote. “She has brought a level of efficiency and
organization to my office that is unparalleled. Personally, I am
very lucky to have her as my administrative assistant. With
so many issues and challenges that come through the office
of the Deputy Superintendent she has been the rock that
maintains composure, confidentiality and most importantly
compassion.”
“Do I love editing documents, keying invoices, reconciling
project worksheets, following up on open work orders, and
providing information to people when asked?” Vrana asked.
“Yes, actually I do! But my job is much more than that. All of
the jobs in support services are much more than the routine
clerical tasks that we perform.”
Vrana went on to explain all the elements of her job that
she loves, from helping others to being able to display her
•
•
•
Sarah Sumler – CNP Manager - Oak Mountain Middle
Maxie Glover – Custodian - Oak Mountain High
Vonda Vanderdray, Professional Development
Secretary - Shelby Co. Instructional Services Center
• Alison Joiner – para-educator - Shelby Elementary
• Tim Driskell - custodian – Shelby County High School
• Arika Sandridge – pre-K teacher assistant – Vincent
Elementary School
• Angela Horton – nurse - Wilsonville Elementary
Job category winners were Vickie Quinn, Vincent Middle/
High School - Accounting; Michelle Rood, Calera High
School - Custodial; Angie Smith, Forest Oaks Elementary
School - Food Services; Karen Lilly, Columbiana Middle
School - Instructional; Nikki Vrana, Central Office - Secretarial;
Allen Jones, Facilities and Maintenance Department Maintenance; and Steven Yeater, Transportation Department
- Transportation;
Vickie Quinn has worked for 24 years as the bookkeeper
at Vincent Middle/High School. She was described by her
principal, Dr. Michele Edwards, as being someone who
brings a depth of knowledge and professionalism to her
role. Dr. Edwards said Quinn’s wisdom of her job role is not
only refreshing, but a tool that helps keep the office running
smoothly.
Ms. Quinn, a native of Vincent, said she loves her job,
because it allows her to give back to a community that has
been part of her life since birth.
“I have often told my friends and family I have been
blessed by God to have a job where each day I am allowed
to show kids I love them and have genuine concern for them
and their families,” said Ms. Quinn “I know I am here for that
purpose and I attempt to do that daily. Being support staff
in a school where you can see students grow and become
successful is a great reward. It is very gratifying to stand
behind teachers that make such a difference in the children’s
lives. I don’t consider this work. I consider it an opportunity
to fulfill my goals of helping others and becoming a
successful part of this school and community.”
Michelle Rood has worked for 10 years as the custodian
at Calera High School. Principal Joel Dixon said Rood
exemplifies all the characteristics of diligence in her duties
and a commitment to excellence in all she does - including
her support of ensuring every child is a graduate and is
prepared for their journey.
“In any school, kids seek out mentors,” Dixon said. “Michelle
is that person for several of our students. I regularly see
her giving them guidance that is wise and kind. It is no
understatement to say that she is a critical piece of the
puzzle for our school’s success. There are kids that might not
have graduated without her.”
“Working at Calera High School is not a job, it is a pleasure,”
said Ms. Rood. “I want others to know that I enjoy my job
and that work, not matter at what level, is an example of the
character of a person. If I can serve as the fuel that motivates
one person into becoming something they desire to be, then
I have not worked in vain.”
Angie Smith has worked for Shelby County Schools for
10 years and is currently the CNP manager at Forest Oaks
Elementary.
Continued on page 5
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Continued from page 4
leadership skills, being a team player, and building positive
relationships with others.
“I love the feeling of accomplishment I get every single day,”
Vrana said. “I love shifting gears all day every day, sometimes
a dozen times per hour. I love being a part of our strategic
planning committee to help foster change that may result in
impacting the lives of real people. I love my job because it has
provided me with opportunities to provide financial stability
for my family and fosters an environment of teamwork and
respect. I truly love the ability to make a difference and be a
catalyst for change.”
Steven Yeater has worked over three years as a master
mechanic in the Transportation Department. He is described
by his supervisor, Rick Vines, as a valuable and reliable
employee of the Transportation Department.
“Steven is always willing to learn new concepts and expand
his knowledge of transportation, as well as safety issues,”
Vines said. “He is a self-motivated, hard worker who is always
ready to assist his fellow co-workers. Steven comes in daily
with a great attitude. He is an asset to the Board of Education
and it has been my pleasure to be his supervisor.”
“I love my job because of the responsibilities I assume
every day when I arrive there,” Yeater said. “Our job is simple make every bus as safe as possible to transport children. Our
department takes pride in our track record. Shelby County
buses transports thousands of students over millions of miles
yearly and the mechanics are the first line of defense in doing
so.”
Being a father myself, I can relate to parents when they put
their children on our buses and they rely on those buses to
safely transport their children to school. I am very proud to
say I have a hand in making that happen and bringing peace
of mind to those parents.”
Accounting Winners
Food Services Winners
Custodial Winners
Secretarial Winners
Instructional Winners
Instructional Winners
Transportation and
Maintenance Winners
Shelby County School District Holds Annual Bus Road-E-O
“Anyone can drive a car. It
takes someone special to drive a
bus.” Thirty-nine Shelby County
bus drivers recently proved
this statement to be true by
competing in the district’s annual
Bus Road-e-o on April 15 at the
Alabama Traffic Safety Center on
the campus of the University of
Winners of the Bus
Road-E-O were: 1st
Place, Susan Price,
Columbiana Middle;
2nd Place, Nancy
Hamm, Chelsea High;
3rd Place, Allison
Stancil, Shelby County
High; 4th Place, Kenny
Dukes, Montevallo High;
5th Place, Wayne Price,
Montevallo Middle
Others in the top
ten were: Ron Collins,
Helena High; Allan
Lowe, Elvin Hill
Elementary; Raul
Martinez, Montevallo
Middle; Patsy
Broadhead, Montevallo
Middle; and Shane Loth,
Linda Nolen Learning Center.
Montevallo.
The Bus Road-E-O event tests the driver’s skill in
maneuvering their bus through a challenging obstacle
course designed to simulate various situations that the
drivers would encounter every day while driving their bus,
such as railroad crossings, backing the bus into a parking
space, making a right hand turn and picking up students.
The drivers also had to maneuver their buses through cones
in a serpentine line and stop the bus at a stop line with the
appropriate amount of distance between the bus and the
line. Drivers were awarded points for doing the maneuvers
correctly and not knocking down any of the orange cones on
the course.
5
Top Five Drivers
Top Ten Drivers
Samantha Adams and Leah Van Deren
Named New Teachers of the Year
The Shelby County Board
of Education will honor two
teachers as New Teachers of
the Year at the May 28 Board of
Education meeting. Samantha
Adams, a kindergarten teacher
at Montevallo Elementary School
was selected as the elementary
level winner. Leah Van Deren,
the Culinary Arts teacher at the
College and Career Center, won
at the secondary level.
Dr. Allison Campbell, principal at Montevallo Elementary,
said Ms. Adams consistently exceeded expectations as a firstyear kindergarten teacher.
“Since starting her first year, she has continued to impress
those around her through her commitment to her students
as well as her commitment to growing as a professional,” said
Dr. Campbell.
“As a first year teacher, Ms. Adams clearly embodies the
motto of Montevallo Elementary: Expect Excellence” Dr.
Campbell continued. “She expects this of herself and of
her students. She believes, even at this point in her career,
that she is the pivotal force that can make an unforgettable
impact in the lives of children. Ms. Adams exercises this belief
every single day. She is truly a blessing to MES!”
Adams said when she graduated from college last May
she felt she was ready for her own classroom, having been
prepared well to teach standards, give formative and
summative assessments, ask higher order thinking questions,
and write an Individualized Education Plans.
“Little did I know, I only thought I knew everything about
teaching children,” Adams said. “I was so surprised to find
that college can only prepare a teacher so much. “
“College did not teach me how to comfort a child with a
tummy ache, how to listen to a child as they tell me heart
breaking stories about their home life, or how to have
patience with a child as we wait for the special education
process to take place so that they could get the services
they need to be successful,” she continued. “College did not
prepare me for the tug my heart feels when I worry that my
students may not have lunch over the weekend. College
prepared me so much, but the most valuable way I have
learned to teach is by being a teacher. “
Adams said her advice to other first year teachers is to be
prepared to be a life-long student because teachers learn
something new from their students every single day. She
also warned that sometimes a new teacher will feel like they
do not know how to handle things beyond the curriculum.
On those days, she advises new teachers to just remember to
love on their students.
After all, at 180 days of school, we see our students’ fortynine percent of one year. What will they remember most
about their childhood? Will they remember which teacher
taught them how to add using manipulatives or will they
remember the teacher who cared for them every single day
without question? I can honestly say that while I do teach
my students so many things, I know that my students will
remember me because of how
I care for them. No Praxis exam
could have ever told me that I was
prepared for that.
Russ Cofield, said Van Deren’s
Culinary Program is a perfect
example of how to train and
prepare students for work,
postsecondary training, and the
experiences of the real world.
“Mrs. Van Deren keeps
our students on the cutting
edge of the food industry through constant exposure to
postsecondary and industry facilities,” said Cofield. “Our
students participate in multiple field trip opportunities and
learn from team-teaching experiences which bring the food
industry into her classroom.”
“She has already done more to impact students than many
teachers do in an entire career,” he continued. “She pushes
our students to be the best and does it consistently. Mrs.
Van Deren is a natural educator with a wealth of diversified
experience which she uses to prepare our students for a
successful career in the Food Industry.
Van Deren said as a first year teacher with zero teaching
experience, she was nervous about how to translate her
work knowledge into the classroom and teach students the
culinary skills they needed to learn.
“Little did I know that teaching wasn’t the only role I would
play as a teacher, it’s not a one-dimensional profession,”
she said. “My greatest surprise as a first-year teacher has
been the other roles that I play in the lives of the students.
On a daily basis, often hourly depending on the day, I am a
parent, confidant, referee, comedian, soother, psychologist,
cheerleader, coach, disciplinarian, nurse and chef. I share
with them in their victories and agonize in their defeats.”
Van Deren said they are not just students, they are family
and she proudly plays those roles because she knows that for
some of her students, going to school is the best part of their
day.
“It is my mission to make their day better in some small
way, by putting a smile on their face with a silly joke or
sharing a homemade cookie that we made in lab,” she said.
She recalled that one of her students was sent to jail during
the first semester of school. A bright student, he had simply
made the wrong choices. She visited him in jail on his 18th
birthday and they talked about his plans for the future.
“When he was released he came back to school on a better
path, started dual enrollment at Jeff State in Culinary Arts
and was awarded a full scholarship based on merit for the
upcoming fall semester,” she said. “He cried tears of joy, we
both did. That was the first time I realized that what I do as a
teacher, inside and outside the classroom really does matter
and can have a lasting impact on my students, sometimes for
the rest of their lives.”
Continued on page 12
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CodeHS Co-Founder Encourages Students
to Explore Careers in Computer Science
Pictured are Susha Roy and Jeremy Keeshin
with CodeHS, along with Faith Pack (holding
Karel the dog), Jason McGinnis and Randy
Pugh from the Shelby County Schools
Technology Department.
Jeremy Keeshin, the CEO and CoFounder of CodeHS recently visited
schools in Shelby County to encourage
students to explore careers in the
field of computer science. Keeshin, a
graduate of Stanford University, helped
develop CodeHS - an interactive online
learning platform offering computer
science and programming instruction.
The Shelby County School District
implemented the online course at the
beginning of the 2014-2015 school
year, utilizing Technology Department
staff members Jason McGinnis and
Faith Pack serving as co-teachers of
the course. Randy Pugh, also from
the Technology Department, is being
added as a third teacher for the course
next year.
According to Pack, a total of 18
students from Chelsea High School,
Montevallo High School, and Vincent
High School participated in the online
CodeHS course this year. Next year, the
course is expanding to Helena High
School and is expected to serve 55
total students across the district.
Keeshin, along with fellow CodeHS
employee Susha Roy, are on a road trip
visiting schools across the country to
encourage students to study computer
science and to stress the important
role of technology in our world today
and in the future.
“Coding has become another skill
that students need to learn,” said
Keeshin. “Reading and writing used
to be skills of the elite in society and
there was a big divide between those
who had those skills and those that did
not. We are now at another crossroads
where coding is becoming one of
those skills that all students will need
to have.”
He told the students that learning
computer programming skills enables
them to go from being a consumer of
technology to the producer of it. He
then stressed the opportunities that a
computer sciences background would
create for them, including a wide-open
job market with a limited number of
qualified applicants.
“There will be 1.4 million jobs in
computer science by 2020,” Keeshin
told students during his visit to Helena
High School. “But only 30 percent of
those jobs will be filled, leaving about
one million open positions.”
Keeshin said despite the
growing need for students in the
computer science field, there are
few high schools offering computer
programming courses. Nationally
only 1 out of 10 schools are teaching
coding, he told
students.
That is one of
the reasons why
CodeHS was
developed – to
provide a way
to offer a coding
course online.
“So many schools are looking at
the job numbers and realizing they
need to be teaching coding,” Keeshin
said. “We now have 11,000 teachers
trained on CodeHS so that schools can
use it as a way to get coding into the
classroom.”
In the introductory learning module,
students on the site practice computer
science concepts and programming
skills by giving commands to a dog
named Karel, who is named for the
original programming language.
Later learning modules teach more
advanced concepts using languages
like JavaScript, Java, and HTML.
Pack cautioned students who plan
to take the course in the future not to
become complacent with the fact the
course starts with the simple basics.
“It will get really hard, really fast. It
ramps up quickly,” said Pack.
Pack said because the online
course requires students to have a
lot of maturity and self-discipline the
district will now limit it to sophomores,
juniors, and seniors.
7
Duong “Katie” Nguyen
Named Vern Davis Legacy
Scholarship Winner
Helena High
School Senior
Duong “Katie”
Nguyen, has been
awarded the Vern
Davis Legacy
Scholarship, a
$500 scholarship
awarded annually
to a graduating
Shelby County senior enrolling into a
four-year college with a planned major
in education.
The Vern Davis Legacy Scholarship
is named in honor of J. Verner Davis,
who served the Shelby County
Schools for other 30 years as a teacher,
Federal Program Administrator,
Associate Superintendent and Deputy
Superintendent until his retirement
in 1992. During his more than 39
total years in education, Mr. Davis
never lost his love for the classroom
or his compassion and understanding
of the needs of classroom teachers.
His family and friends established a
permanent memorial fund to finance
annual scholarships for deserving
student entering the education field.
The principal and counselor select
recipients of the scholarship, which is
rotated annually between all Shelby
County high schools.
Nguyen, the daughter of Oanh Ho
and Tuyen Nguyen, is planning to
attend the University of Montevallo.
Her high school honors include
National Honor Society, Mu Alpha
Theta National Math Honor Society,
National Spanish Honor Society, and
National English Honor Society. School
counselor Kim Bailey described Nguyen
as a caring, hard-working student who
will one day have a lasting impact on
every child she teaches.
“Moving to the United States at the
age of 8, she spoke very little English,”
Bailey said of Nguyen. “She says that it
was a struggle at that time, but she was
determined to excel. Now, as a senior,
Duong has a 4.12 GPA and is at the top
of her class. She is the perfect example
of how hard work yields results. Having
that experience will only add to her
ability to help her students succeed in
difficult circumstances.”
Owens Young Technology Award Winners Announced
Pictured are Janice Young, Danny
DuBose, Tami Genry, Robby Owens, and
Superintendent Randy Fuller. Not pictured:
Kristal Lawrence and Ashli Polizos.
This year’s winners of the Shelby
County Schools Owens-Young
Memorial Technology Innovation Award
were announced during the Shelby
County Board of Education Meeting
on April 23. The award recognizes
teachers who excel at using technology
to improve teaching and learning. It
was first awarded last year, but will now
be given annually in order to promote
leadership in the area of 21st Century
teaching.
The award honors two former
employees whose work paved the
way for teachers to use technology
in the classroom. Denise Owens, who
taught in Shelby County Schools for
22 years, became one of the District’s
first Technology Resource Teachers in
1998. Her work helped hundreds of
teachers to design innovative lesson
plans using a wide range of technology.
Mrs. Owens, the wife of former District
Attorney Robby Owens, retired in 2000
and passed away in 2007. Michael
Young, a computer programmer
who came to work for Shelby
County Schools in 2007 as a network
technician, also made an impact in the
classroom by providing outstanding
technical support to teachers and
students.
“Denise and Michael contributed
greatly to our technology program.
We’re happy to establish this award
to recognize their past contributions,
the hard work our teachers put into
being 21st Century educators, and the
teamwork that success in this arena
takes,” said Technology Coordinator
Susan Poling last year when the award
was first established.
This year’s winners were Danny
DuBose, Oak Mountain High School;
Krystal Lawrence, Shelby Elementary
School; Tami Genry, Helena
Intermediate; and Ashli Polizios, Oak
Mountain Middle.
“One thing that these award winners
have in common is that they share
with fellow faculty members,” said
Poling. “Their success is breeding
success in others.”
Danny DuBose said he has embraced
technology and made it a part of
who he is as a teacher. Danny DuBose
uses a wide variety of technology in
his high school Geometry classes. He
has come up with a number of very
creative ways that students can use
mobile devices, whether their own
or the schools, that make learning
Geometry a more interactive and
collaborative experience. Mr. DuBose
gets his students involved in coming
up with new ideas on how they can
use technology to improve their
understanding and mastery of his
courses.
Shelby Elementary parent and fellow
teacher Lisa Carden applauds Shelby
Elementary School’s Kristal Lawrence
use of technology in her fourth grade
classroom. “It’s been a pleasure to
have my daughter in Ms. Lawrence’s
class.”
Ms. Carden also cited her coworkers
dedication to helping her fellow
teachers embrace technology.
“My confidence level as well as my
students’ sky rocketed all because
of Ms. Lawrence’s patience and
dedication to helping me use
technology in new and effective ways,”
Ms. Carden wrote in her nomination of
Ms. Lawrence for the award.
Tami Genry serves as the library
media specialist and local school
technology coordinator at Helena
Intermediate. Genry is constantly
helping students utilize technology in
ways that help them learn all subjects
and get more from their school
experience. She designs activities
for students using technology that
are fun, but also challenge them to
do their best research first and then
design a great product that reveals
what they have learned. She also
works with every teacher in the school
to help them integrate technology
into their class activities.
Oak Mountain Middle school
teacher Ashli Polizios has created a
8
collaborative learning environment
in her middle school history class.
She uses various technologies to
collect information and feedback from
students and enables them to work
together so that they can learn from
each other in addition to the course
materials. She gives her students
opportunities to take control of their
own learning and become independent
explorers. She believes that developing
these skills in the middle school
grades will help them throughout their
student career and knowing how useful
technology can be in the process will
be very valuable to them.
Nathan Holt Wins $2,500
National Merit Scholarship
Nathan Holt,
a senior at Oak
Mountain High
School has
been awarded
a National
Merit $2,500
Scholarship.
According
to the
National Merit
Scholarship Corporation, the $2,500
Merit Scholar designees were chosen
from a talent pool of more than 15,000
outstanding Finalists for 2015. National
Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are
the Finalists in each state judged to
have the strongest combination of
accomplishments, skills, and potential
for success in rigorous college studies.
The number of winners named in
each state is proportional to the state’s
percentage of the nation’s graduating
high school seniors. These Scholars
were selected by a committee of
college admissions officers and high
school counselors, who appraised a
substantial amount of information
submitted by both the Finalists and
their high schools: the academic record,
including difficulty level of subjects
studied and grades earned; scores from
two standardized tests; contributions
and leadership in school and
community activities; an essay written
by the Finalist; and a recommendation
written by a high school official.
Shelby County Schools Holds Annual PTO Forum
PTO Leaders from schools across the Shelby County School
District recently attended the annual PTO Forum, held April
22 at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center. At
least two PTO leaders from each school were invited to
attend the event, which gives district leaders the opportunity
to share important updates and to share best practices.
Superintendent Randy Fuller welcomed the PTO leaders
and told them how important they are to the success of their
schools.
“As a former principal, I can tell you that a good relationship
with my PTO was very important to the success of my school,”
Fuller said.
Professional Development Supervisor Angela Walker shared
with attendees the topic of the district’s Professional Learning
Unit (PLU) for the year, which has focused on community
partnerships. Walker shared that the district decided on
community partnerships as the focus of the year-long PLU
based on research showing its
importance to student’s success
and that it was an area in which
the district felt it could improve
upon.
Dr. Walker shared with PTO
leaders that the PLU focus
has been shared with school
administrators, assistant
principals, Central Office leaders,
and teachers monthly in order to help them build stronger
community partnerships. Topics have included the four types
of school-community partnerships – student centered, family
centered, school centered and community centered. The PLU
has also looked at highly effective communication strategies,
improving communication with families, and the differences
between parent involvement and parent engagement.
Walker stressed that while parent involvement is certainly
not bad, the
research
has shown
that parent
and family
engagement
activities treat
the parents as
partners who
are involved in
planning and
decision making process.
The PLU has also focused on educating administrators
about the Learning Supports Initiative, which is pulling
together all available community resources in order to
overcome barriers that are prohibiting students from being
successful. The Learning Supports Initiative is another
example of forming community partnerships to address the
needs of families and students.
PTO leaders also learned about effective strategies with
Social Media – from using it to promote their PTO’s and
schools – to ensuring their children are creating a positive
digital footprint through their use of various Social Media
platforms. Technology Coordinator Susan Poling shared great
information on how colleges and employers are checking
student’s Social Media accounts and relying on them to
either approve or deny college acceptance or employment.
She also shared tips on how parents and students can use
Social Media to their advantage in attracting colleges and
employers attention.
The event concluded with the attendees sharing their
own best practices and ideas with each other. PTO leaders
from each school zone shared ideas regarding events and
fundraisers. The ideas were archived through a website
where they will be able to print them off for future reference.
Shelby County Education Association Presents Scholarships
The Shelby County Education Association presented
scholarships in two categories, student and member, during
the April Board of Education Meeting.
The student scholarships are awarded to graduating high
school seniors who are children
or grandchildren of current
SCEA members. The member
scholarship is awarded to
an SCEA member who is
furthering his or her education.
Each scholarship is worth
$1,000.
SCEA educators from
across the county review the
anonymous applications and award the scholarships based
on the quality of the essays and letters of recommendation.
This year, the two student scholarship recipients both happen
to be from Montevallo High School.
Kelsie Ann Sanders is the daughter of SCEA member Sandy
Weeks, who teaches at Montevallo Middle School. Sanders
plans to attend the University of South Alabama.
MyShael Thompson is the daughter of SCEA member
Michael Jones, assistant principal at Calera High School. She
plans to continue her education at
the University of West Alabama.
The member scholarship was
awarded to Leah Van Deren, culinary
arts teacher at the Shelby County
College and Career Center, who is
pursuing her Master’s degree. Van
Deren wrote in her essay that she
truly enjoys helping students see
beyond themselves and their needs in order to help them
succeed in life.
“A student can choose to live in a room full of mirrors or a
in a room full of windows, the choice is theirs to make,” she
said. “As a teacher I have realized that I can only help build
the window, they are responsible for creating the view.”
9
Shelby County Board of Education Approves Administrative Positions
The Shelby
County Board of
Education has
approved Cristie
Muehlbauer as
the district’s new
Human Resources
Coordinator.
Mrs. Muehlbauer
has 20 years
experience as an
educator and 12 years experience in
human resources. Currently, she serves
as the Human Resources Supervisor
for Shelby County Schools. Mrs.
Muehlbauer earned a Bachelor of
Science Degree from the University of
Montevallo. She also earned a Master’s
Degree and an Educational Specialist
Degree in Administration from the
University of Montevallo.
Jay Peoples was also approved
by the board to
be the district’s
new High School
Coordinator.
Presently Peoples
is the principal
of Helena High
School.
Prior to that
position, he
served as the
principal at Chelsea High School.
Peoples has worked in public education
for twenty-three years. During that
time he has served as a teacher and/
or administrator at every level of
education: elementary, middle, high,
junior college and college level.
Peoples has a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in English from Lee University.
He also acquired a Master of Arts
Degree in English and a Master of Arts
in Administration and Educational
Leadership Certification from the
University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Dr. Linda Campanotta was approved
for the position of
Federal Programs
Supervisor.
Dr. Campanotta
has over 27 years
in education and
is currently the
principal at Vincent
Elementary
School. She has
a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Early Childhood/
Elementary Education, a Master’s
Degree in Elementary Education and an
Ed.S in Elementary Education from the
University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She also earned a Certificate in
Educational Leadership from UAB
and has a Doctorate in Educational
Leadership
from Samford
University.
Dr. Resia
Brooks was
approved by
the Board as
the new Human
Resources
Supervisor.
Dr. Brooks has
over sixteen years of experience as an
educator and is currently the Principal
of Forest Oaks Elementary. She
received a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Elementary Education and Middle
School Language Arts and a Master’s
Degree in Education Administration
from the University of Montevallo. She
also received a Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Reading Education from
Auburn University.
April Brand
will serve as the
new principal
for Helena
High School.
Ms. Brand has
over 17 years
experience in
public education
and currently
serves as an
Assistant Principal at Helena High
School. Prior to coming to Helena,
Ms. Brand served as Assistant Principal
at Oak Mountain High School and as
Program Area Specialist for Shelby
County Schools. Ms. Brand earned
both her Bachelor’s and Master’s
Degree in Secondary Education
from Jacksonville State University.
She completed her certification in
Educational Administration and her
Educational Specialist Degree in
Instructional Leadership from Samford
University. Currently she is enrolled
at UAB pursuing her doctorate in
Educational Leadership.
Dr. Tonya Borden-Hudson will
serve as the new principal for Vincent
10
Elementary
School. Dr.
Hudson has
over 17 years
in education
and is currently
the Assistant
Principal
at Vincent
Elementary
School. Dr.
Hudson has a Bachelor’s degree, a
Master’s degree and an Educational
Specialist degree in Elementary
Education from Jacksonville State
University. She earned a Doctorate
in Educational Leadership from the
University of Alabama at Birmingham
and also attained National Board
certification.
BaKari Young was selected as the
new assistant
principal at
Helena Middle
School. Mr.
Young has over
eight years of
experience as
an educator
and is currently
an assistant
principal for
Jefferson
County Schools. He has a Bachelor’s of
Science Degree in Physical Education
from Jacksonville State University
and a Master’s Degree in Instructional
Leadership from Samford University.
Caroline Gluck-Obert was approved
as the new assistant principal for
Oak Mountain
Middle School.
Ms. GluckObert has been
an educator
for over nine
years and has
recently served
as an Assistant
Principal with
Jefferson County
Schools. She has a Bachelor of Arts
in English Language Arts from the
University of Alabama in Huntsville and
a Master of Arts Degree, an Educational
Specialist degree and an Educational
Doctorate in Educational Leadership
from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice Makes Surprise Visit to OMIS
State Superintendent
of Education, Dr.
Tommy Bice, recently
made a surprise visit
to Oak Mountain
Intermediate School.
“He shook my hand
and warmly explained
he had spent most of
the day interacting
with adults, many of
them attorneys, and
he really needed a kid
fix, just some time with students and teachers,” said Principal
Pat LeQuier. “He remembered that some of our students had
led the Pledge of Allegiance at a program he presented at in
the fall. He thought reconnecting with those students, their
classmates, and teachers would be a great end to his work
day.”
Bice spent the afternoon visiting various classrooms and
interacting with students and teachers. Teachers at OMIS
said they were honored to welcome Bice and were impressed
with his warm and open personality and his interactions with
the students.
“He took such an interest in our math lesson. We were
working a real world math problem and he asked if he could
have a copy to take with him,” said
OMIS teacher Rachel Paul. “I could
see in his interactions with my
students that he really cares about
kids.”
Tara Schultz, whose classroom
was also visited, remarked “I had
never met him before and didn’t
know what to expect. He was very
approachable. You could see in
his interactions that he genuinely
cares for children. Students were
taken with how tall he is so he
engaged them in a little fun to
figure out students in our class who were closest to his
height.”
“With all the schools he is responsible for, I was surprised
when he walked into our classroom,” stated Jeff Renfro.
“You would think someone in that position would be a bit
intimidating to be around, but he was very personable and I
enjoyed observing him interacting with kids.”
Karen McDonald reported that when he arrived in her
room her students were taking a timed math screener.
When she apologized that her students still had a minute
left to complete the screener, he said he was in no hurry and
promptly sat down at the desk of an absent student.
“He was so warm and sincere and while we checked our
screeners he cheered the students on,” she said.
Ms. McDonald shared with Dr. Bice the powerful
conversations she was having with her students regarding
their growth on Global Scholar. Dr. Bice validated that what
was important was student growth and progress.
As they stepped into the hallway after visiting the last
classroom, Dr. Bice paused and said to Dr. LeQuier that it
was rather late in the afternoon and yet, in every learning
environment he had experienced, students and teachers had
been engaged in meaningful instruction.
“I said, ‘Dr. Bice, it’s not the end of the school day, sir. We
are still working. And it’s not the end of the school year even
though we have completed ACT Aspire and have almost
completed Global Scholar. We still have a few weeks left to
get our students ready for next year’,” said Dr. LeQuier.
“That’s right,” Dr. Bice replied with a smile.
Two days later, at the Lifting Literacy Summit in Tuscaloosa,
Dr. LeQuier and
two OMIS teachers
listened with
delight as Dr. Bice
publicly shared
his experiences
at Oak Mountain
Intermediate. He
expressed his
pleasure with finding
all students and
teachers actively
engaged in such meaningful work toward the end of the day
and near the end of the school year.
“Being recognized by the State Superintendent in front of
peers from all over Alabama was a rewarding and uplifting
experience that I was proud to come back to school and
share with my hardworking faculty and staff,” Dr. LeQuier said.
Montevallo High School Holds College Singing
Day Event for College Bound Seniors
Photo courtesy of Alabama Possible
The senior class of Montevallo High School recently held a
special assembly to announce what colleges and universities
they will attend. The Alabama Signing Day event was
coordinated by the nonprofit group Alabama Possible, which
seeks to eliminate poverty through strategic partnerships,
community engagement and education.
During the ceremony, school officials recognized 42 seniors
who will attend 18 different colleges and one student who is
joining the United States Marine Corps. The senior class, who
wore T-shirts from their college of choice, were recognized
Continued on page 12
11
Continued from page 11
Oak Mountain Art Student Makes Top 16
in Rising Design Start Challenge
during the event attended by their families, Montevallo
Mayor Hollie Cost and representatives from Alabama
Possible, the University of Montevallo and Jefferson State
Community College.
“These students committed to attend college so that they
can compete for today’s high wage, high skill jobs,” said
Kristina Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible. “Our
state is no stranger to recognizing the accomplishments of
talented athletes. With College Signing Day, we aim to show
that academic excellence is just as worthy of celebrating.”
Many of the graduating seniors were participants in
Alabama Possible’s Blueprints College Access Initiative.
Blueprints connects high school students and their families
with helpful resources and relationships so they are
equipped to graduate from high school college and careerready.
Currently, only 33 percent of Alabama’s working-age adults
have a two- or four-year degree, but by 2020 a majority
of Alabama jobs will require a postsecondary degree or
certificate. As part of this process, the Blueprints initiative
teams high school students up with college student mentors
to navigate the college admissions process and the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid form, which is required
to pursue student loans, grants and other scholarship
opportunities.
Montevallo Principal Wesley Hester said he was very proud
of the accomplishments of the MHS Class of 2015. Hester
noted that two of his students were awarded both of the
Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce awards for “Student of
the Year.”
“Seniors Meredith Goggins and Payton Edwards were
awarded the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce ‘Student
of the Week’ for college-track and career-track respectively,”
Dr. Hester noted.
Hester added that the MHS Class of 2015 also boasted the
ACT College and Career Readiness Award winner for Shelby
County Schools. Gregory Spence, Student Body President,
was awarded this first-ever honor in February.
He, along with Meredith and Payton, were selected for the
acclaimed awards among a pool of talented and capable
candidates representing all high schools across Shelby
County. It is rare and amazing honors to have three students
from MHS win these prestigious awards, especially among
the group of impressive candidates from which they were
chosen.
Charlee Vawter, pictured below in the center, is shown with two
of the dresses she created for the Rising Design Star Challenge
during Birmingham Fashion Week. Pictures used with
permission by Tamika Moore (Al.com photographer)
Oak Mountain
High School student
Charlee Vawter was
honored recently
as one of the top 24
finalists in the Rising
Design Star Challenge
during Birmigham
Fashion Week.
Her designs were
selected to be featured
during the runway
show, which also
showcased the other finalists.
The Birmingham Fashion Week (BFW) Rising Design Star
competition was created to promote, encourage and inspire
talented youth within the state through the creation of
wearable pieces of art.
Contestants had to submit a sketch of their design, which
was reviewed by a panel of judges from the Birmingham
Museum of Art. Vawter was one of 40 contestants whose
sketches moved on to the second round of the competition,
before eventually making it into the top 24 for the BFW
runway show.
In addition to being featured during the runway show,
her design was also displayed in March at the Birmingham
Museum of Art.
Continued from page 6
warm up and become comfortable. Over this past year they
have become some of my best students.
“One student in particular did not utter a word the first
three months of school, but now she is my go to student
in the lab, keeping others in line, helping me with catering
events and she was on our FCCLA culinary team who won
4th place in the state competition,” Van Deren continued.
“Her other teachers were astonished that this shy girl who
sat quietly in their class was a standout in mine! That makes
me smile.”
Van Deren said she would advise beginning teachers to
not lose hope when students seem disinterested. Instead,
she encourages them to use that as fuel to find what the
students are passionate about and search for ways to relate
the lesson to them in new and exciting ways.
“I would also tell a new teacher to talk to and get to know
your quiet students who sit in the back of the class and don’t
seem to want to participate,” Van Deren said. “Those students
are usually just shy, unsure, and need a little extra time to
12
Calera High School’s ShaKeith Tyes Winner
of the Bryant Jordan Achievement Award
Calera High School star football player ShaKeith Tyes was recently honored as
the recipient of the Ken and Betty Joy Blankenship Student Achievement Athlete
of the Year Award as part of the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program. The
award recognizes an athlete who has overcome extremely difficult circumstances
to achieve success in their chosen sport, in the classroom, and in life.
Tyes, a senior, has overcome a challenging childhood to become a student
leader both on and off the field. When he was in middle school, he and his
younger siblings moved in with his uncle, Matthew Stafford. His parents were
routinely incarcerated, leaving the children with no one to care for them and very
little food at their home. Stafford has provided a secure home for Tyes and his
siblings ever since.
Tyes has a 3.0 grade point average, is a volunteer firefighter with the City of
Montevallo, and is very active in his local church. He also set some impressive
records on the football field his senior year, running for 2,268 yards and finishing
as Calera’s all-time leader in rushing yards, touchdowns, yards per carry and total
offense. Those stats also make him the 14th most successful running back in the
state’s history.
“ShaKetih is one of those kids who makes everyone around him better,” said
Principal Joel Dixon. “He possesses a positive attitude and a humble, teamoriented mind set. He brings his best effort to everything he does every day, be it
academics, athletics, or community events. His spirit, coupled with the influence
of his coaches, teachers, family members, and church members, has set him on a
road toward success.”
Tyes, who won over $8,500 in scholarships for the Bryant Jordan honor, plans
to play football at Highland Community College in Kansas in route to his ultimate
dream of playing for an SEC school.
Braxton Stokes, another senior football player at Calera High School, was also
honored through the Bryant Jordan Scholarship Awards program. Stokes, was the
recipient of a $2,500 scholarship as the Class 5A, Region 4 Scholar Athlete award.
Stokes will be attending Georgia Tech this fall to major in Engineering on more
than $80,000 in scholarships.
Photo courtesy of AHSAA
Shakeith Tyes (left) and Braxton Stokes (right)
representing Calera High School at the Shelby
County State of the System Showcase.
College and Career Center Students Take Top Honors at State SkillsUSA
Several students from the Shelby
County College and Career Center took
top honors during the state SkillsUSA
competition, held April 22-23 at the
Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.
Congratulations to all the first place
winners who will now be representing
the CCC and the state at the National
Leadership and Skills Conference in
Louisville, KY in June.
COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY
Franklin Razo – 1st place
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Jonathan Hensley – 2nd place
Colby Hopkins – 3rd place
FIREFIGHTING
Cecil Lawley – 1st place
FIRST AID / CPR
Madison Andrews – 2nd place
Destanie Howard - 3rd place
MEN’S HAIR DESIGN
Myranda Willis – 3rd place
PREPARED SPEECH
Kiera Hiatt – 1st place
TECHNICAL DRAFTING
Logan Williams – 3rd place
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (TEAM)
1st place
Samantha Garlick, Savannah Shores
and Alyssa Duncan
2nd place
Bailey Ledbetter, Juliana Lindsey, and
Kylee Loth
13
3rd place
Mary Reynolds, Lauren Zigler, and
Gina Kent
OPENING/CLOSING CEREMONY (TEAM)
3rd place
Jamie Baskaran, Stephen Paine, Sarah
Presley, Patrick Sheridan, Kyle Paul,
Payton Jebeles, and Jordan Halstead.
Shelby County Schools Hold Battle of the Books Tournament
The Shelby County Battle of the Books
Competition was held April 14-16 at the
Shelby County Instructional Services
Center.
Battle of the Books is a Scholar’s Bowl
style tournament where students
answer questions about six books they
are required to read.
Oak Mountain Intermediate School
took top honors for the intermediate
competition for grades 3-5. Chelsea
Park Elementary School placed second.
Chelsea Middle School took
top honors for the middle school
competition with Columbiana Middle
finishing in second place. Oak
Mountain High School won the high
school competition. Helena High
School finished in second place.
Indiviual winners from each school
included:
Intermediate Pool A
• Chelsea Park Elementary - Sydney
Schwallie
• Elvin Hill Elementary - Sam Tallie
• Forest Oaks Elementary - Maddie
Cargile (Intermediate Pool A
Overall Top Scorer)
• Helena Elementary - Jacob
Ritondo
• Montevallo Elementary - Kaitlyn
Ozley
• Mt Laurel Elementary - Maddie
Larkin
Intermediate Pool B
• Calera Intermediate - Lola
Marheine
• Oak Mountain Intermediate - Sara
Grace Vines (Intermediate Pool B
Overall Top Scorer)
• Shelby Elementary - Jade Pate
• Vincent Elementary - Lexie
Henson
• Wilsonville Elementary - Abbey
Walton
Middle School
• Calera Middle - Josie Turner
• Chelsea Middle - Caroline Parisher
(Middle School Overall Top
Scorer)
• Columbiana Middle - Billy Fryer
• Helena Middle - Richard Oehrlein
•
•
Montevallo Middle - Jazmine
Williams
Oak Mountain Middle Akhila
Oak Mountain Intermediate - 1st Place
Chelsea Park Elementary - 2nd Place
Chelsea Middle - 1st Place
Columbiana Middle - 2nd Place
High School
Battle of the Books Teams
•
Maruvada
Vincent Middle - Caylie Irby
High School
• Calera High - Madi Haynes
• Chelsea High - Morgan Garrett
• Helena High - Alexandra
Abernathy
• Montevallo High - Baylee
Easterling
• Oak Mountain High - Sarah
Whitley (High School Overall Top
Scorer)
• Shelby County High - Tyler Morris
• Vincent High - Shannon
Montgomery
The Intermediate book selection
included Eight Keys by Suzanne
LeFleur; Below by Meg McKinlay;
Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd;
14
14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus;
Eruption!: Volcanoes and the Science of
Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch; and
Elvis and the Underdogs by Jenny Lee.
The Middle School reading list
included Conspiracy 365: January by
Gabrielle Lord; Sure Signs of Crazy
by Karen Harrington; Left for Dead:
A Young Man’s Search for Justice for
the USS Indianapolis by Pete Nelson;
Tesla’s Attic by Neal Shusterman and
Eric Elfman; Romiette and Julio by
Sharon Draper; and Counting by 7s by
Holly Goldberg Sloan.
High School book titles included
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill;
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson; All
the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry;
Noggin by John Corey Whaley; We
Were Liars by E. Lockhart and The Nazi
Hunters by Neal Bascomb.
Helena High School Graduates First Class of Students and
Buries Time Capsule to Commemorate Inaugural Year
Helena
Mayor Mark
Hall donated
a variety of
city items to
include in the
capsule. The
organizers
also added
a copy of
one of the
first Helena
City News
magazines from this year along with a Sports Illustrated
magazine, a social media screenshot, the special education
prom banner and a lunch menu.
To finish out the time capsule, a copy of the original Alma
Mater for Helena High School was included.
The time capsule was purchased by this year’s SGA officers
- Kendal Featherstone, Casey Pierce, Reed Henderson and
Todd Millsap. It is a 14x14 metal,
custom welded container. Each
item is sealed in a special bag or
sleeve to help protect the item.
The container is then sealed for
added moisture protection. An
engraved plaque will be placed at
the site.
The plan is to open the time
capsule 25 years from now to see
how things might have changed
with the school and student body.
Helena High School graduated its inaugural class of 190
seniors on May 19 at the historic Alabama Theatre. The event
capped off the first year of operation for the school, which
opened its doors in August 2014.
The following day, the Helena High School SGA,
administration and study body watched as a time capsule
representing the first year in the life of the school was buried
in the courtyard of the school.
According to SGA sponsor Mrs. Cissy Johnson, the SGA
officers came up with the idea of burying the time capsule as
a way to commemorate and remember the inaugural year of
HHS.
The courtyard was chosen because students felt it would
be a nice place where school leaders could also make certain
the time capsule remains secure and protected. Ms. April
Brand contacted the necessary personnel to determine
where irrigation lines were located and then some of the
custodial staff dug the hole.
The SGA worked together with faculty and students to find
things that represented the 2014-2015 school year. Some
of the things included in the time capsule were rosters of
the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes; sports
T-shirts for baseball, volleyball, basketball, soccer. There was
also a baseball hat, a tennis ball, photo of the softball area
tournament team, a signed football from the first win of the
season, and a list of all the sports teams that represented the
school in area playoffs.
Many of the departments also contributed various items
such as band, choir, homecoming, science T-shirts. The
band contributed several DVDS from the programs this year
along with a winter guard medal when the team won state
champions and regional champions. The foreign language
department donated some letterhead with their logo on it
while the art department contributed a paint brush.
Also included to document this year were a yearbook,
literary magazine, senior DVD, a graduation tassel, program
from graduation, senior class photo, 2015 faculty photo, Miss
HHS photo and program, shaker, and a student agenda.
15
Mt Laurel Elementary Student Kapil Nathan Places in
Top Ten of National Geographic Geography Bee
Mt Laurel Elementary student Kapil
Nathan recently earned national
recognition and won $500 as a top 10
finalist in the National Geographic Bee.
Nathan, a fifth grader at Mt
Laurel Elementary School, won
the opportunity to compete at
the National Geographic Bee after
winning the state preliminary round
in March. He joined 53 other state and
territory level winners in Washington
D.C. for the National Geographic Bee
Championship, held May 11-13.
Nathan made the top ten during
competition held on Monday, May
11 which advanced him to the final
round of competition on May 13 at
the National Geographic headquarters
in Washington, D.C. According to
National Geographic, four million
students competed in local geography
bees this year from 11,000 schools,
representing roughly 12 percent of U.S.
schools.
Nathan said participating in the event
Board of Education
Aubrey Miller
Peg Hill
Jane Hampton
Jimmy Bice
Kevin Morris
was a good learning opportunity.
“You can travel the world without
leaving your seat,” Nathan said. “It’s
really fun.”
Sam Scott, Nathan’s fifth grade
teacher accompanied him on the trip to
Washington, D.C.
“My initial thought as I observed
students in grades 4-8 compete in the
geographic bee was, ‘Wow, these kids
are amazing!” Scott said.
The national event was won by
14-year-old New Jersey eighth-grader
Karan Menon. As the winner, Menon
won a $50,000 college scholarship,
lifetime membership in the National
Geographic Society and an expedition
for two to the Galapagos Islands aboard
the Lindblad ship “National Geographic
Endeavor.”
The final round of competition was
moderated by journalist Soledad
O’Brien and was broadcast Friday,
May 15 on the National Geographic
Channel.
Kapil Nathan is pictured with his teacher, Sam
Scott and Fox 6 reporter and anchor Vanessa
Araiza, who moderated the state competition.
This year marked Nathan’s second
time to compete at the state level. He
won the 2015 State Geography Bee
at Samford University in March after
winning his school’s first Geography
Bee in February.
Nathan is the son of Archana
Subramanian and Vaidyanathan
Sahasranaman Venganullur and has a
younger brother, Krish.
Superintendent
Randy Fuller
The Journey Newsletter is a publication of the Shelby County School District.
To submit story ideas e-mail Cindy Warner: cwarner@shelbyed.k12.al.us