MADISON COUNTY SCHOOLS David A. Copeland, Ed.D.

Superintendent

FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Geraldine Tibbs

Director, Public Relations and Communications

256-852-2557 X 1263

“SHOUT-OUTS”

May 2011

Todd Markham, Principal

Buckhorn High School math students and Buckhorn

Middle School students teamed up to celebrate Pi Day

on Wednesday, March 14th

.

Congratulations to our Lady Bucks basketball team for their outstanding performance at the state

tournament. Thank you to the numerous students that filled seven buses in support of the team.

Buckhorn Middle School Allen Perkins, Principal

Student Ambassadors collected $2,764 for

Aeropostale’s Jeans for Teens Drive. Buckhorn

Middle School ranked 11th

in the nation. More

information can be found at

http://www.dosomething.org/teensforjeans/blog/top-

100-teens-for-jeans-schools . Paige Ward was the

student that donated the most with 96 pairs of jeans.

Aeropostale’s back room could not hold ALL of the

donated jeans.

Congratulations to the 7th

Grade Boys Basketball Team for winning the Madison County Basketball

Tournament.

The BMS conducted a softball tournament to benefit

the East Limestone High School Softball Program.

Their facilities were previously affected by weather.

The team traveled to East Limestone to deliver a check

and was able to meet players and coaches.

Congratulations to the BMS softball teams for their success so far this season. The ―A‖ Team already has

a 12-1 record and finished first in the Ardmore Lady Tiger Invitational Tournament. The ―B‖ Team has a

record of 19-4 and placed first in the Buckhorn Benefit Tournament and second in the Madison County

Middle School Classic Tournament.

BMS Archery Team won first place in the North Alabama Regional Archery Tournament and currently

ranked second in the state.

Buckhorn Middle School was nominated and selected to receive the 2012 NATIONAL EXEMPLARY

BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM AWARD. This prestigious award was presented at the

National Conference on Bullying on Friday, February 18, 2012 at 8:00 am at the DoubleTree Resort at

Seaworld in Orlando, Florida. The National Conference on Bullying is a joint effort between the School

Safety Advocacy Council, Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) and the Florida Association of

School Resource Officers (FASRO). With over 30 nominations, choosing agencies/individuals to be

recognized is never an easy task. Buckhorn Middle School was selected by a committee of experts in the

field who have the difficult task of deciding who is selected for this award.

Congratulations go out to the Buckhorn Middle Advanced Band at their Music Performance Assessment

Contest at Decatur High School. The band received ―Excellent‖ ratings on their stage performance and

they received ―Superior‖ ratings on their sight reading performance.

Congratulations to the Central Lady Colts basketball

team for winning the 2011-2012 Madison County

Tournament. The Lady Colts beat Madison Academy in

the championship game with a final score of 32-26.

Madison Baggett, Alice Lenoir, and Morgan Haywood were selected for the All Tournament Team.

Congratulations to the Lady Colts on a successful year!

Robby Bradford, Central School 8th

grader, has placed first in our district for the Alabama All- State

Band! This is a statewide band competition in April and only 2 middle school French horns were accepted

from our entire district. The highest honor for a middle school band member in Alabama!

NJHS participated in the "Teens for Jeans" contest sponsored by Aeropostale. We were able to raise 202

pairs of jeans. Each NJHS (6-8 grade) member was rewarded with a 25% off coupon for their next pair of

jeans from Aeropostale. Students placed boxes around the campus and advertised through posters and

commercials on the CNN morning show. This is our 2nd year to participate and we have more than

doubled our collection from 73 the first year to 202 this year. Next year we want to WIN!

The students whose outstanding work has been selected to represent Central in this year’s Youth Art

Month exhibit are as follows: Lanee Phillips-3rd

grade-Chalk Pastel Flower; Shelby Whitlock-4th

grade-

Toucan picture; and Adena Malone-6th

grade-Fantasy Forest.

National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) recently sponsored the pull-tab contest at Central School.

These pull tabs will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, Tennessee. They recycle the

tabs and use that money for the many operations of the Ronald McDonald House.

Central School

Mr. Alex Hughes, Principal

Central’s History Department had a wonderful display of artifacts during the Second Artifact Museum of

the year. Students in grades 6-8 created artifacts from specific time periods and performed the duty of

museum curators explaining the artifact, how it was used, why it was used, how it created a better life,

and how it affected us today. Central’s kindergarten through fifth grade students visited the museums and

learned a lot about history.

Marilyn Hicks, Principal

Endeavor’s Literacy and Art Department offered the first

ever ―Pop, Paint, Poetry‖ workshop for third, fourth, and fifth

grade students. The participants were taught how to write a

―Haiku‖ by Dr. Clemons, Endeavor’s Reading Coach; then

Mrs. Sweet, Endeavor’s art teacher, taught them how to paint

a swirly tree on canvas that represented their poetry. The

students loved creating both their poems and art while

enjoying popcorn and fellowship with their friends. The EES

students read their poetry and displayed their art work at the

―Literacy Night‖ PTA meeting that was held March 6th

.

Ethan Zibas Grace Turner

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! to Tina McKenzie, Melissa McKay, and Christina Turner. Tina McKenzie

was selected to serve on the Alabama State Science Course of Study Committee. Melissa McKay was

selected to serve on the Alabama State Social Studies Curriculum Guide (SSCG) for Higher Functioning

Students with Disabilities team project. Christina Turner was elected to serve on the board of directors

for the Environmental Education Association of Alabama (EEAA). EEAA is a non-profit group

comprised of educators and professionals involved in teaching about the environment.

Read Across Endeavor Week!!!

Students celebrated a week of fun filled Dr. Seuss activities during the week of March 5-9. The week

started off with students wearing their favorite hat as a way to celebrate hats off to reading. Throughout

the week, student’s participated in activities such as crazy hair, crazy socks, dress up character day, and

Lorax Environmental Day. Teachers, parents, and students joined in more of the fun at the March 2nd

PTA Literacy Night.

EES Student Council Projects

The EES Student Council participated in spreading some Valentine cheer with the residents of

Madison Village Retirement Home. The students surprised the residents with Valentine's Day cards,

goodie bags, and refreshments. What a great time they had playing bingo with the residents.

The Student Council will also be participating in Pennies for Patients. The funds, collected during a three-

week period, benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Everyone who participated was a winner! Way

to go Mrs. Fletcher and the EES Student Council! Keep up the great work!!!

EES Celebrates African American History

Mrs. Henson's fourth grade class celebrated African

American History February 15th

by creating a

beautiful African American Art Museum at EES.

Throughout the month of February, the class

researched historical facts about African

American lawyers, military heroes and reporters.

Students presented their historical findings each day

on the EES News broadcast. Parents, teachers, and

students were invited to tour the museum and to

listen as prominent African American guest speakers

from the community shared their personal

experiences. A big thank you goes to Chief Counsel

Audrey Robinson of NASA, Renee Kelly of

Redstone Arsenal, David Sampleton of Redstone

Arsenal and Jamel Lanee' of WAFF Channel 48 News for being guest speakers at EES. CONGRATS….to

Mrs. Henson and the class for a job well done!

Stephanie Burton, Principal

ACE Field Trip to Dauphin Island

Students in Mrs. Bodine's 5th grade ACE class spent

the weekend at Dauphin Island Sea La, taking classes

on plankton, barrier reefs and ocean animals. They

even got to dissect a squid!

Students in Photo:

Front Row L to R:

Austin Scivally, Grant Cheatham, Calen Acosta-

Rivera, Scott Sisk, & Trey Howard

Back Row L to R:

Mary Wilkenson, Santana Manchego, Mrs. Angie Bodine (ACE Teacher), Jessica MacLean, Maria

Mastando, & Paige Chandler

Dr. Seuss/Read Across America

Students in kindergarten and first grade classes

dressed up as their favorite storybook character in

honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on Friday, March 2.

Students in the photo:

Shonardria Carter, Savannah Franks, Sofia Sasan,

Ri’Leigh Willis, Sydney Seyboth, and Kaliyah

Anderson

HES Write Ups:

Soldier Christmas Cards - Third graders from Harvest Elementary created and mailed cards to soldiers in

Kabul Afghanistan. The soldiers mailed an American flag, certificate and pictures to the third graders.

Spelling Bee - Grant Brines was the winner of the local spelling bee and Rachel Sanchez was the runner-

up.

Campus Cleanup Day – Student Council members assisted parents with campus clean up on Saturday,

March 10.

Spring Book Fair – Honor Society 5th

grade students assisted with the Luau Dance and Game Night at the

Scholastic Book Fair on Thursday, March 15th.

HAZEL GREEN ELEMENTARY

Dr. Shelia Jones, Principal

Students at Hazel Green Elementary school show their love for

science! Pictured are Reagan Brady, Claire Walker, Sierra Berry,

Rylee Phillips and Nathan Giles. Miss Monique Gordon, fifth grade

teacher, gave an assignment to spark creativity and give the students

an opportunity to use various learning styles demonstrating a

knowledge of the science material ASA#10/ACOS#10. They were

studying (Course of Study #10/Contents Standard #10): Identify the

spheres of the Earth, including the geosphere, atmosphere and

hydrosphere.

Miss Gordon decided to use the idea that children LOVE music. The students were to select a song

(country, rock, pop, rap, nursery rhyme, etc.) using only the instrumental version to: create original lyrics

and show understanding and comprehension of the layers of the atmosphere.

The students took notes in their science comprehension notebooks during the week. They had to insert the

information discussed in class about the layers of the atmosphere into their song. Once selected, the

students worked together in a group and decided how they would express their song. This particular

group chose the song, If You’re Happy and You Know It. They took their original lyrics and created a

dance to go along with it. This took almost three class periods to complete and the students truly enjoyed

it.

ZooFari Earth came to our school and shared animals from

six different continents:

North America – Emerald Toucanet (Toucan) South

America – Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-Eating Tarantula

(world’s 2nd largest spider!) Africa – Dark Mongoose

Europe – European Legless Lizard Asia – Burmese Python

(10 feet!) Australia – Bennett’s Wallaby (Kangaroo) Asia

– Burmese Python (10 feet!)

The presenter is sharing important facts about the Burmese

Python as a group of volunteer students and Amy Adkins, PE aide.

Panoply Billboard Contest Winners

1st place—Rebecca Kennedy

2nd

place—Khadut Yafai

3rd

place—Alexa Wistafke

It is Youth Art Month Celebration at Huntsville Museum of Art. Gage Swann and Josie Groves will have

art in the exhibit. Their work will be on display from March 11-April 29, 2012.

HAZEL GREEN HIGH SCHOOL Darrell Long, Principal

2012 Class 6A Boys’ Basketball State Runner-Up

Congratulations to the Varsity Basketball Team

and their coaches for winning the 6A Area 16

Championship as well as the Class 6A Northwest

Regional Championship and for being the State

Runner-up!

Ninety-six HGHS students were recognized by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for their outstanding

academic achievement. Congratulations to Della Riddle who was awarded a scholarship for four years in

the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Program.

At the 2012 DECA State Career Development Conference which took place in Montgomery, Hayley

Meagher placed first in the Principles of Marketing Event while Ryan Frazier was selected to participate

in the International DECA Leadership Development Academy. Both students will be attending the 2012

DECA International Career Development Conference April 27th

– May 2nd

in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Nelson Britton, Alyssa Gatlin, James Powers, Madison Keller, Samuel Satterfield, Christina King,

Hannah McComb, and Cameron Stanley represented HGHS at the Alabama State Thespian Festival at

Troy University in February. Nelson Britton and Madison Keller received First Place Awards for their

Duet Dramatic Scene. Nelson Britton and Cameron Stanley received the Second Place Award in the

State of Alabama for their Duet Improvisation Scene. Based on an acting audition, James Powers won a

$1000 scholarship to the college of his choice for theatre.

Junior Austin Hammock’s self-portrait was chosen as the winner of the

juried Congressional Art Competition. This drawing will represent

Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District in Washington, D.C. for one year.

Congratulations to Vicky Scites, Maggy Rodgers, Joanie Bottomley,

Jordan Romano, and Kalista Olszewski for representing HGHS at the

Madison County Honor Choir Festival.

Congratulations to the Hazel Green High School Symphonic Band for

receiving Superior ratings at the State Competition.

Sarah Darby participated in the Auburn University Honor Band on Feb.

9-10.

The Varsity Cheerleaders finished eighth at the National Championships in Orlando in February.

Congratulations to Coach Christy Baeder, Coach Douglas Glenn, and the young ladies for their hard

work.

Congratulations to Rashad Anderson, Parker Cothren, Austin Dempsey, Rodney Held, Jr., and Tyler

Lassiter for being selected to the Huntsville Times All-Metro Football Team.

Senior Haley Thompson was recognized in the Huntsville Times ―Head of the Class‖ section for her

achievements in softball and basketball, as well as a 4.12 GPA. Junior Austin Dempsey was also

recognized in the ―Head of the Class‖ section for his achievements in basketball and football, as well as a

3.6 GPA.

Congratulations to Mr. Greg Davis for being chosen by the Alabama High School Athletic Association

as the Region 8 Athletic Director of the Year.

In February, English teacher Emily Brady took home the 2011 Adnia Rice Award for Best Performance

in a Major Supporting Role at this year’s Carriage House Player’s Awards Banquet. Emily won for her

role as ―Frick‖ in the children’s musical Hansel and Gretel.

Dr. Claudia Styles, Principal

LEARNING WITH PRIDE, LEADING THE PACK, AND LEAVING A LEGACY!

Dr. Seuss Café

Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Kolenich’s 4th

grade classes celebrated Read Across

America Week on Friday, March 2nd

by hosting Legacy’s Kindergarten and

First Grade students at the 3rd

Annual Dr. Seuss Café. Students were greeted

by Cindy Lou Who, Cat in the Hat, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 who introduced

them to their servers. Students enjoyed eating One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish,

Blue Fish (also known as goldfish) while being read their favorite book they

ordered off the menu. The weather caused a few reservations to be

rescheduled for the following week. It was a great time for all the students.

As Dr. Seuss said, ―The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.‖

Congratulations to Carla Tipton!

Our amazing bookkeeper was selected as alternate Madison County Support Person of the Year!

Legacy Artists Get Creative

Winners of the Panoply Billboards Art Contest:

Kiera Collins—1st place

Georgia Peto—2nd

Place

Lauren Brinkley—3rd

place

Youth Art Month

Representing Legacy at the Huntsville Musem of Art exhibit from March 11th-April 29th

are Mattie Ellis

and Samantha Griner.

Congratulations to Sarah Chase!

Sarah is a 3rd

grader in Mrs. McDonald’s class. She participated in the African-American Essay Contest

held at Indian Creek P.B. Church in February. Sarah won $100 for her outstanding essay.

Catch and Release at Legacy Pond

Exploring and learning from our pond and pond area, our Student Pond

Committee has made several discoveries this year. Our student pond committee

went out to the pond after students shared reports on their assigned study items.

Before going outside, they also watched a short video on how to construct a

Compost Bin and how the bin operates. Some of the highlights at the pond were

watching two mallards fight, catching a large catfish, and seeing one of our

ducks sitting on 7 duck eggs! Thanks to Joe Towry, our always helpful Plant

Manager, who goes above and beyond the call of duty every day.

SGA Talent Show Winners

Congratulations to Emily Frith, who won 1st Place in the SGA Talent Show. Second place winner was

Alivia Davidson. Third Place went to Caleb Hammock. The talent show is a fundraiser sponsored by the

Student Government Association. Students from all grades tried out for a chance to participate in the

contest. From singers to ventriloquists to dancers to magicians the variety of soloists, duets, and groups

wowed the crowd on February 13th.

5th

Graders Visit VBC Playhouse

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater presented ―Many Moons‖ at the VBC Playhouse on February 24.

Fifth graders were able to see one of Legacy’s own, Colby Deason, perform in the play.

4th

Annual Father/Daughter, Mother/Son Dance

This fundraiser is sponsored by the Special Education Department at Legacy. Students, parents, and our

very special ―specials‖ had a ―footloose‖ good time dancing the night away. Pizza and concessions kept

everyone energized and a great DJ kept the beat.

LYNN FANNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Sherri Plant, Principal

Lynn Fanning Elementary celebrated Read Across

America Day on March 2 between tornados and then

again on March 5. Each grade level chose an author on

which to focus with fun, learning activities. Mrs.

Douglas’s class made Green Eggs and Ham.

The faculty and staff of Lynn Fanning enjoyed a Pinterest Party as they shared instructional ideas and

recipes they found on Pinterest. It was a fun staff development activity and everyone enjoyed the new

ideas shared with colleagues.

Today, Staff Sergeant Robert Grandberry surprised his

twin daughters T.K. and Ty as he returned home from

Afghanistan. The girls had no idea that dad was due home.

They were quite surprised when he walked in on our

―ARMT+‖ Assembly. Thanks to Mrs. Pogue, Mrs.

Lightfoot, and Ms. Tate for helping with such a wonderful

surprise for the 5th

grade.

The Lynn Fanning Safety Committee and faculty are to be commended for their quick action and care

taken during the tornados on March 2. Many of our children had damaged homes. Several staff members

rode buses with the children to insure safety, help drivers, and add that extra comfort for children.

Becky Meador, Principal

Teacher and Support Professional of the Year Winners:

Congratulations to Madison County Elementary School Teacher and Support Professional of the Year

Winners – Mrs. Tina Hamlet, Math Teacher and Mrs. Sharon Cissell, Instructional Assistant. Thank you

for serving our students and their families.

Panoply Billboard Contest Winners:

The three winners of the Panoply Billboard Contest were Kalee Murdock (1st Place), Andre Towers (2

nd

Place) and Macy Gaines (3rd

Place). Kalee Murdock was a billboard winner. She is a fourth grade student

in Ms Lewis’s class. Andre Towers is a first grade student in Mrs. Carter’s class. Macy Gaines is a first

grade student in Mrs. Weaver’s class.

Basketball Star Jasmine Baker:

Jasmine Baker and her teammates from Owens Cross Roads and Buckhorn Middle placed 2nd in the

Alabama Recreation and Park Association State Basketball Tournament! Congratulations to all the

players!

African American Heritage through Literacy:

MCES held their ―African American Heritage through

Literacy‖ program on Thursday, February 23, 2012.

Special guests were invited to read and or do special

activities with our students in their classrooms. Special

activities included poetry and drama readings, reader’s

theater, and short stories. A special thank you goes to

co-chairs Mrs. Marie Maddox and Mrs. Andrea

Thompson.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

The PTA and Library hosted a Dr. Seuss Birthday party on Thursday, March 1, 2012 in the MCES

Library. Students and their family members attended a birthday celebration and book fair. The PTA

provided refreshments and donated Dr. Seuss books to the library.

Future City Competition:

On January 14, 2012, two middle school teams

competed in the Future City Competition at

University of Alabama in Huntsville. The teams

worked together to create a city 150 years in the

future. The teams had a variety of tasks to

complete. The tasks included creating the city

using the Sim City 4 software, writing a research

paper and narrative on alternative energy sources,

building a scale model of the city, and presenting

the city to a group of engineers. Team Nishati

included Jared Sandner, Seth Rose, Samantha

Thompson, Cannon Sloan. Team Tesla included

Nikki Guzzetti, Kade Rogers, Cole Milam, and

Cooper Flynn. Team Nishati won an award for

the most innovative use of water systems from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Jeremy Lowry, Principal

Madison County High School’s 2011 yearbook, ―The Mark,‖ recently received an Award of Merit from

the Alabama Scholastic Press Association. The state-wide competition was held in February 2012 in

Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The yearbook sponsor is Julie Cyr.

The 2011 literary magazine, the ―Word Riot‖, also received an award of Merit from the Alabama

Scholastic Press Association. Senior SueAnne Griffith tied for 3rd place for her design of the cover,

Junior Kenzie Cook received Honorable Mention for her student artwork titled "Masquerade", and MCHS

2011 graduate Megan Nordlund received 2nd place for her landscape photo titled "Looking Up."

SueAnne Griffith was named to the All Star's Team for the County Scholars Bowl Tournament. Scholar’s

Bowl sponsor is Kathleen Outlaw.

Five students in Coach Jason Scott’s Pre-AP History class won the school level essay competition contest

and will compete further in the Gilder-Lehrman Institute’s annual Civil War Essay competition. The

students representing MCHS are: Savannah Holland, Ragan Holland, Nicole Robinson, Emily Gangl, and

Julie DiFranco.

MCHS Volleyball stand-outs Hannah Nichols and Syretha Pride have been selected to play in the North

South All-Star game in Montgomery.

The Varsity boys’ basketball team finished their season with a 25-5 record. In addition to winning the

WQSB tournament, they won the 5A Area title and the Sub-regional game. Congratulations to Coach

Bubba Webster and the MCHS team for an outstanding season.

MCHS Band was awarded an overall ―Excellent‖ (II)

rating in this year's MPA. This includes a "Superior"

(I) rating in sight reading. Congratulations to the

MCHS Band and their director, Jennifer Merritt.

Courtney Fern’s Sophomore English class recently read The Hunger Games and participated in their own

Hunger Games competition. Students competed in a variety of physical and mental challenges. Regan

Holland was the winner of the competition, and was awarded two movie passes to see The Hunger

Games, courtesy of Rave Motion Pictures in Huntsville. The challenge was a joint project between the

MCHS

Library and the Gurley branch of the Huntsville-

Madison County Public Library. Following are

members of the class. Also shown are Laura Houk,

MCHS Librarian; Tina Wright (dressed as Effie

Trinket), Director of Children and Youth Services

for the public library; and Courtney Fern, MCHS

English Teacher

MADISON CROSS ROADS SCHOOL Mitzi Dennis, Principal

Justin Cox and Linea Stark-Honored Artists from MXR

These Madison Cross Roads’ students had their artwork featured in the

YAM (Youth Art Month) Art Show at The Huntsville Museum of Art.

They were honored at a reception Sunday, March 11th

. Justin is in Mrs.

Davis’ 5th

grade class and Linea is a third grader in Ms. Powers’ class.

21st Century After-School Program

This is the second year Madison Cross Roads has participated in the

21st Century After-School Club Program. We have offered over 16

different clubs this school year including Archery, Ipad, Sci-Quest, and

Drums. We plan to offer our very first COOKING in "K" club. This

club will offer culinary experiences to the Kindergarteners at Madison

Cross Roads. We are very excited about the new things happening at

MXR!

Family Reading Night-An Awesome Success

On Thursday, March 1, MXR held a Seuss Celebration Family Reading Night. Over 300 students and

parents were greeted by Dr. Seuss Characters – the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the Grinch!

Attendees participated in many activities such as making Oobleck, visiting the Seuss Café, enjoying

birthday cake, and playing games inspired by Dr. Seuss books. All children attending the Seuss

Celebration also received a free book. Special thanks to our guest readers, including Mr. David Vess,

Madison County School Board member.

These students enjoyed one of the special

days by dressing as their favorite book

characters. Shown from left to right: Twin

sisters-Kayla Sanders, Kaytie Sanders,

brothers-Braydon Hall and Colten Hall.

Community Project Continues

Madison Cross Roads Elementary School students and faculty are making a difference in the fight against

cancer! A community service project supporting the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham began at

the school several years ago. The students collect the aluminum can pop tops, which are measured by the

gallon before being sent to Birmingham to be turned into funds that support the Ronald McDonald House

families. Last year the school collected 78 gallons! This year the goal has been set for 80 gallons and they

have already collected 57! These little tabs help provide housing for families staying in Birmingham with

their children who are having cancer treatments. Madison Cross Roads has shown their love for others

with this meaningful service project.

Meridianville Middle School

Tom Highfield, Principal

Bradley Belt, Meridianville 7th

grader in Susan Henry’s art class, won

Fourth place (honorable mention) in the State Superintendent’s Art

Contest. His original painting is in the art show, along with the other state

winners, in the Old Supreme Court Library of the Alabama State Capitol in

Montgomery. Congratulations, Bradley!

Congratulations to the 6th

grade Lady Eagles Basketball team who finished first in the Madison County

Recreational League. They also took first in the Monrovia End of Season Travel League Tournament and

first in the District Tournament held in Albertville, Alabama. They received a play-off bid to the State

Tournament in Russellville, AL on March 10th

and 11th

, where they became State Champions!! The

members are: Aubrey Lewis, Imari Martin, Brooke Hample, Grace Eakes, Caitlin Hose, Kendall

Markham, Tara Pruitt, Jabrea White, Claire Newby, Presley Cox and Catherine Crabb.

Congratulations to Ann McDonald, Meridianville Technology Coordinator, for winning Madison County

Secondary Support Person of the Year! Also, congratulations to Monica Gray, Special Education

Teacher, for being Meridianville Teacher of the Year.

Meridianville Middle School students were pictured in the Huntsville Times for showing their community

spirit by cheering on the Hazel Green High School basketball team as they went to the State Playoffs,

March 1st.

Meridianville Middle School students cheer

the caravan taking Hazel Green High School

boys' basketball team to the state tournament

Thursday morning. (The Huntsville

Times/Kay Campbell)

Adrianna Young, Meridianville 8th

grader was

awarded a prestigious 4 year scholarship (full

tuition and boarding) to Darlington School in

Rome, GA. Way to go, Adrienne!

Dr. Cheryl Davis, Principal

Mrs. White’s Classroom Blog:

Dr. Laura Riffel, consultant, will be sharing Mrs. Michelle White, 5th

grade teacher at MES, "Twitter

Door" idea and picture at an International conference in Atlanta, Georgia on Positive Behavior Support.

She plans to also share Michelle’s classroom blog website: Mrs. White's 5th Grade Class Quote from Dr.

Laura Riffel, “I love your use of technology with children.”

On February 8th

, MES hosted a Recycling Pep Rally to

celebrate the successful start of recycling at the school.

MES is the only school presently piloting a recycling

program in the county. Allied Waste has partnered with

MES in the program. The school administration and

teachers participated in a ―Who will Kiss the Cute little

piglet contest?

Read Across America Week:

Monrovia Elementary celebrated ―Dr. Seuss’ Birthday with

many fun and exciting activities all week long! During the

week, different guess read to students, had ―Go Banana’s

Over a Good Book‖ day, as well as many other fun activities.

Mrs. Arredondo, reading coach, was ―Thing 1‖ from the ―Cat

in the Hat‖ on the morning broadcast. She read to all of the

students at MES.

Making Connections in Math & Technology:

The students in the 4th

and 5th

grade at Monrovia Elementary are participating in a grant received by

Madison County Schools called MARS, This program allows students and teachers to use Mobi Systems,

the Ipad and the Elmo in the classroom to enhance instruction in the areas of math and technology. The

students have been exposed to many educational apps. It is a great way for students to increase their

knowledge of some cool math activities while using technology too. Teachers in the 4th

and 5th

grade are

receiving some great professional development as well.

Monrovia Elementary Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year honored:

Congratulations to Ms. Carolyn Simpson, 4th

grade teacher at MES and Mrs. Jo Siega, Computer Tech.

They were honored at the Madison County program, March 6, 2012. We are so proud of you both!!

DANCE TEAM

The Monrovia Middle School

Dance Team competed in 2 state-

level competitions in January with

two routines. The team is coached

by Caroline Morris and

choreography is done by Sarah

Hawk.

American All Star competition at

Samford University: 1st in Pom,

3rd

in Hip Hop

Universal Dance Association

competition at Spain Park High

School: 2nd

in Pom, 4th

in Hip Hop

SCHOLARS BOWL

The MMS Scholars Bowl Team has

continued to excel in their competitions.

Listed below are their most recent

accomplishments:

1st Place - Albertville Middle School

Invitational, January 14, 2012 (7th and 8th

grade division);1st Place - Albertville Middle

School Invitational, January 14, 2012 (6th

grade division);1st Place - District

Tournament, January 28, 2012; 1st Place -

Deep South Academic Challenge, February

18, 2012 (Questions Unlimited National Qualifier); 5th Place - ASCA State Tournament, February 25,

2012

Chris Little made the STATE All-Star team and was the number one student in the State of Alabama for

Scholars' Bowl for 2012 at the State Finals.

“Home of the Hawks” Derrell Brown, Principal

Mt. Carmel Elementary

Deborah Smith, Principal

Youth Art Month

Ross Cannon 3rd

grader and Cooper Lee 1st grader were honored at the Huntsville Museum of Art,

Sunday, March 11. Their art work, created in Mrs. Salge’s visual arts class here at Mt. Carmel, was

selected to hang in the museum during Youth Art Month.

Black History Presentation

Ms. Tiffany Montgomery, from the US Army Department of Defense- Joint Attack Monition Systems,

gave an outstanding presentation honoring Black History Month at Mt. Carmel. She involved the students

with questions about famous African Americans they had studied as well as having them recite a poem

with her.

NAEA

Teresa Salge, the visual art teacher at Mt. Carmel and Lynn Fanning, was

chosen to present at the sixty-fifth NAEA National Convention in New

York. The presentation slots were very competitive. Her presentation,

Enriching Every Minute, was presented on Thursday, March 1. Mt. Carmel

is honored to have such an outstanding teacher.

STAR Student

Madison Daum, a second grade student, along with her teacher Mrs. Love were treated to lunch at Chili’s

on Wednesday, March 14 courtesy of Flint River Baptist Church. They were transported by limousine.

This is all a part of the church’ STAR Student Program. Congratulations to Madison Daum!!

Valentine’s Day Luncheon

Members of Church Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Flint River Baptist Church provided a

most delicious lunch to some unsuspecting faculty and staff members at Mt. Carmel on Valentine’s Day.

Mt. Carmel is proud of our partnership with these two churches and we appreciate the support they

provide year round!

Chili Cook-Off Winners 2012

Mt. Carmel’s Library sponsored a chili cook-off for the community. The winners were:

Best Tasting Elizabeth Phoumavong

Most Original Elizabeth Phoumavong

Hottest Cleere Rubert

Best Tasting Low-Fat Brad Harr

Together Everyone Accomplishes More T.E.A.M. Members—Teachers, Administrators, Computer, PE & Library Aides, Secretaries, School Nurse, Lunchroom Workers,

Custodians, Plant Manager, PTO Members, Parents, Students, Community Members and The CARE Center

March Madness Reading Challenge

Students in grades Prek-8th

recently participated in a

reading challenge. The challenge ran March 12-April

12. Each class had a chance to win many prizes during

the challenge. This year we used the basketball bracket

system to determine winners. Our theme was MARCH

MADNESS READ IN. Basketball graphs were used in

the hallways and in the lunchroom to help students keep

up with who was winning in each grade level. We were

privileged to have many guest readers which included,

board member Mary Louise Stowe; PTO president

Melissa Brown; NHHS principal Lavell Everett; NHES

principal Andy Caves; NHES assistant principal Carolyn

Creighton; NHES secretaries Stacey Burgess &Teresa

Shaneyfelt; PE teacher Shelia Mitchell; several community members; and, MCHS assistant principal

Craig Hill. Mr. Hill read to Mrs. Ragan’s 3rd

grade class. His son Hudson is a student in the class.

Faculty & Students Utilize IPADS at NHES

Our classrooms have become iRooms with the

introduction of iPads at NHES. An iPad lab and

individual classroom iPads have been added to

the toolkits of many of our elementary and

middle school teachers. Our teachers collaborate

to find programs that will benefit students and

share apps that will enhance their iPad

experience.

Karen Walls Receives Golden Apple Award

Ms. Karen Walls, an 8th

grade Language Arts teacher at NHES, is the recipient of the Huntsville Times

Golden Apple Award. Ashley Gulley, an 8th

grade student, submitted a letter to nominate Ms. Walls. The

following is an excerpt from Ashley’s letter:

Great Things Are Happening at

NEW HOPE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Andy Caves, Principal

Ms. Karen Walls is my all-time favorite teacher. She has taught me so many things in the two years I have

been in her class. She taught me in both 7th

& 8th

grade literature. She is an amazing teacher. She will try

to help you with anything she can help you do better. She wants you to do well in her class, but not just

her class, your life.

We are so proud of Ms. Walls and we have been blessed to have her as a member of our faculty at NH for

36 years.

NHES Student Play—―Free To Be You And Me‖

The 21st Century New Hope Community Learning Center at New Hope Elementary School recently

staged a Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical production entitled ―Free To Be You and Me‖. Independent

Musical Productions of Huntsville helped our students and club leaders in this endeavor. Over 30 students

in Grades 3-8 participated in the after school clubs such as acting/drama production, theater costume

design, art and stage design, and technical support which made flyers, posters and other promotional

items as well as doing make up and lighting. The musical production focuses on friendship and

acceptance of others which supports our program’s Bully Free Zone initiative! The students had 2

nighttime performances and also performed for the entire student body.

NHES 1st Grade Students

NHES first graders spotted a bluebird in our Outdoor Garden Songbird Habitat area and this sparked their

interest in what exactly bluebirds ate. Their reading stories were dealing with gardens and nature so they

decided to learn more about these birds. NHES reading coach, Nancy Honea, had a lot of information to

share with the students. As the students continued their study, they decided to make a bluebird trail. They

have been watching with high anticipation as bluebirds began making a nest in the first bluebird box.

Over the next few weeks, the first graders along with the help of some of our eighth grade students, will

site and install 6 more nesting boxes along a bluebird trail they have created.

New Hope High School Student Annie Holcomb nominated Special Needs Teacher, Kathy Williams,

for the Pay it Forward program sponsored by WHNT Channel 19. Here is the Link:

http://www.whnt.com/videobeta/fa223998-c6c6-4e4d-a375-336f19e48b3a/Community/Pay-It-Forward-

Kathy-Williams

Mitchell Brown and the Twickenham Orchestra performed a benefit concert for New Hope High

School’s Marching Band Program. The event raised approximately $30,000!!

Thanks to many financial contributors in the New Hope community and a grant from the Daniel

Foundation, iPads are being used every day by the teachers and students at New Hope High School!

Students are able to use the technology to learn beyond the classroom.

NEW HOPE HIGH SCHOOL Lavell Everett, Principal

Congratulations to Ms. Alexia Roberts!! She won the 2012 Teen Library

Card Design Contest. Alexia’s design will be on the Madison County

Library Card this year! Her art work will be on display at the Huntsville

Museum of Art for Youth Art month representing New Hope High School

until April 29th

!

On Feb. 23rd

the New Hope High School Special

Forces participated in the Area Bowling

Tournament held at Plamor Lanes in Huntsville.

Several of the Anchor Club members attended the

event as ambassadors to assist with athletes.

On Feb. 27th

the Anchor Club was invited to

assist with the Adult Area Bowling

Tournament. Fifty two members of the Anchor

Club were responsible for keeping bowlers in

order, assisting with athletes, celebrating success

by placing ribbons on the athletes, as well as

providing moral support with high fives and pushups.

On February 9

th and 10

th, 25 students and 5 teachers from NHHS attended training through the YWCA of

Central Alabama to create a Heritage Panel at school. The Heritage Panel program empowers students

to become leaders in the fight against bullying and harassing behavior to create a more welcoming and

tolerant school environment

Ms. Amber Bryant’s AP English Literature class held the Second Annual English Tea Party during their

study of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Students dressed in period costumes borrowed from a local

theatre and practiced etiquette of young ladies and gentlemen of the time period while they ate petit fours,

mints, high tea cookies, and other snack foods. They also performed a period dance they learned in class.

NHHS held the Third Annual AP English Language Lifeboat debate on February 23rd

and 24th

. After

the world has been devastated by a horrible nuclear war, there is a group of academic-types trying to get

on the life boat. Students in groups of three researched, prepared, and presented arguments to determine

what would be the most important invention to take with the survivors to build a new civilization. Congratulations to Hannah Graves, Peyton Hicks, and Peyton Lawler for their winning argument on the

plow!

Congratulations to Librarian Amy Largen for being nominated Teacher of the Year and Computer

Teacher John Finley for Support Person of the Year!

Dr. Mark Minskey, Principal

New Market wants to recognize Holly Franklin, Kindergarten teacher, for being Madison County

Elementary Teacher of the Year.

New Market Archery Team came in second place in the Regional Tournament.

OWENS CROSS ROADS

Dr. Donna Goode, Principal

Owens Cross Roads 5th

Grader Receives the Advanced/Gifted Education Award

Brady Parker, 5th

grade student at Owens Cross Roads Elementary, has been nominated for inclusion in

the official 2012 United States Achievement Academy National Yearbook. This recognition is more than

a tribute, it is also rare. He will receive the Advanced/Gifted Education Award for the 2011-2012 school

year. The Owens Cross Roads School and community are very proud of this achievement.

OCR Student Organizations Give Back to the Harvest Community The Owens Cross Roads Student Council and Honor Society members are collecting items to fill Easter

baskets for students at Harvest Elementary School that were affected by the March 2nd

tornadoes.

Through this learning service project, students at Owens Cross Roads Elementary will learn the

importance of helping others. This is a quality that will benefit them throughout their lives.

OCR Principal Elected into Office

Owens Cross Roads would like to congratulate Principal Dr. Donna Goode for being elected Vice

President of the Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators. Your faculty, staff and

students are very proud of you!

The “ALL-STARS” Shine at this Year’s Recreational League State Championship

The Owens Cross Roads girls’ recreational basketball team won 2nd

place at this year’s Recreational

League State Championship tournament. The following OCR students played for the 12 and under ―All-

Stars‖ team: Brittney Toney, Gabrielle Hall and Deja Sanders. Congratulations girls!

Commissioner Jerry Craig celebrates Dr. Seuss Day with OCR

Owens Cross Roads School celebrated Dr. Seuss’

birthday by participating in NEA’s READ ACROSS

AMERICA activities. The entire school held a parade of

students and faculty dressed up like their favorite Dr.

Seuss character. We ended the parade in the gym where

Madison County Commissioner, Jerry Craig, was waiting

to read Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Mr. Craig is retiring

after 28 years of service as our commissioner. He has

been a dedicated supporter of our school, and it would be

impossible to list all he has done for us! When he

finished reading, the best dressed character from each

classroom gave him a letter from each student expressing

his or her appreciation for all Mr. Craig has done for

Owens Cross Roads. Finally, Mr. Craig was presented with a huge tub of gifts that he can use in his

retirement. One of the gifts was a shovel and he commented, ―I’m going to get my grandson, Brady, to

use this shovel to dig some worms so we can go fishin’!‖

The OCR Archery Club Participates in Their

First Competition

The Owens Cross Roads Archery Club competed in

their first ever competition at New Market School on

February 27th

. The students had a great time testing

their skills against students from Riverton, New

Market, Walnut Grove and Endeavor. The archery

club’s next competition is set for April 23rd

at

Endeavor. Team members are Delaney Bates,

Andrew Craig, Wyatt Drake, Tayler Furlough,

William Glover, Max Guida, Cody Hearn, Ethan

Lowhorne, Brady Parker, Sydney Schultz, Hunter

Thompson, Drew Pinkerton, Peyton Perry, Alexa

Craft and Rachel Bunch.

Dr. Vince Edmonds, Administrator

PACE ―STAFF SPOTLIGHT‖

Congratulations to Lisa Power, “Teacher of the Year” and Jennifer Snyder, “Support Employee of the

Year” for the 2011-2012 school year! We want to recognize their diligence, hard work, and dedication to

our school’s success!

We congratulate Coach Claude Lang for receiving a grant to purchase a pool table, ping pong table, and

air hockey table for PACE physical education classes!

AP Honoree:

Congratulations to Rebekah H. for ranking the highest in her class on the Mock AP Language and

Composition Exam!

Service Learning Project:

During the spring semester, students have

participated in a service learning project helping

the Children’s Advocacy Program. Students

created ―worry dolls‖ and hope boxes that will be

donated to the CAC and will be distributed to

Madison County abuse victims.

Lisa Power’s ―Star Students‖

Ms. Power recognizes her ―star‖ students who

show a strong work ethic and always have a great

attitude:

Zack E.

Rebekah H.

Christian A.

―Jeans for Teens‖

Our school participated in the community effort to raise awareness about teen homelessness. ―Jeans for

Teens‖ is a community program of DoSomething.Org. Students and staff donated jeans that will be given

to help fund programs reaching out to homeless teens. Thank you for all your participation and for always

being willing to ―Do Something!

Riverton Intermediate School

Randy Hill, Principal

Pennies for Patients

Students raised $970 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, whose mission is to cure leukemia,

lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, melanoma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Archery Team

The archery team is ranked 7th

in the State, and

has qualified for the NASP (National Archery

in Schools Program) tournament in

Birmingham on April 5th

.

Winter Dance

Sixth grade students had a fun night dancing and socializing at the winter dance, sponsored by librarian,

Mrs. Lisa Rogers. Colored lights, music, food, and beautiful decorations added to the entertainment.

Round tables with white cloths bordered the dance floor for students to socialize and have refreshments.

Radio Station

For the latest happenings and upcoming events at RIS, tune in your radio station to 93.4 on your FM dial

as you wait in the carline. You will hear students broadcast the current information.

Television Station

It is beautiful, amazing, and we are finally about ready to begin using our own school television station.

This will be student operated, and students will be the broadcast journalists. You must see it to believe it!

Madison County Support Person of the Year

Our very own Yvonne McAllister was named Elementary Support Person of the Year for Madison

County! We are so proud and thankful for her hard work and dedication to our students and school.

ART Entries

Congratulations to all the students who submitted art for the Panoply Billboard Competition. Everyone

did an excellent job. The five students who have the winning entries are Maria Erskine, McKenzie

Brewer, Justin Clark, Nyah Brack, and Lauren Wright. The Arts Council will pick a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

place winner. The first place winner of overall schools will receive a "billboard" advertisement. Good

luck to our five finalists!

Congratulations also go out to Brandon Adams and Juliana Gray. Their art was selected to be exhibited at

the Huntsville Museum of Art during Youth Art Month, which began March 1st. They will receive a

certificate of achievement from the Museum and be invited to attend the grand opening of the exhibit.

Rocket Launch

Volunteers from the Rocket City Space Pioneer Club hosted a rocket launch for the fourth grade classes to

witness. Two lucky students had the privilege of pressing the button to start the motor which launched

the rocket. The goal of this activity was to stimulate interest and excitement about us going back to the

moon! Some career thoughts came into discussion with this experience.

Vocabulary Parade

Students and teachers dressed the part, as each grade level

took turns walking the halls, wearing a sign with the written

definition of their special word. Drummers and shakers added

rhythm to the parade. Some parents attended the fun.

School Pagent

Students of all grade levels had the opportunity to compete for the school title, sponsored by Miss

Lindsay Jones. Competition was based on confidence, poise, and public-speaking response to a question.

Winners are Katherine Turner, Erin White, Delaney Peterson, Marc Williams, Brannon Emperley, and

Tyrin McNeil.

Manuel Wallace, Principal

Twenty-one students were selected for All-State band and 28 selected for District 1 Honor Band. This is

the most students from any one school in the district, which includes Huntsville, Madison, Athens and

Decatur city and county schools.

Congratulations to the Winter Guard for winning first place in Scholastic AA classification at the Fred J

Page Field Day competition. This competition win marks the first of the year after an undefeated season

and Championship Title in 2011.

Zachary Stewart was chosen from hundreds of kids who auditioned, as one of only 30 boys in the state for

All State Show Choir.

Congratulations to the Medical Academy who placed in the top 3 in 19 of 24 events in the Health

Occupations Students of America State Competition. Here are the results: Ashli Moore - Medical

Spelling - 1st Place; Bethany Herndon - Medical Terminology - 3rd Place; Amberley Sims - Human

Growth and Development - 1st Place; Garrett Wilson - Pathophysiology - 2nd Place;Kelly Futrell -

Nutrition - 3rd Place; Shelby Yates - Biotechnology - 3rd Place; Courtney Boleware - Home Health Aide

- 1st Place; Jennifer Hengel - Physical Therapy - 3rd Place; Lakin Law - Sports Medicine - 1st Place;

James; Leslie and Adam Haverkamp - CPR/First Aid - 1st Place; Carron Stone and Alexyis Gossett -

Emergency Medical Technician - 2nd Place; Caitlin Walters - Epidemiology - 2nd Place; Claire White -

Extemporaneous Health Poster - 1st Place; Anna Brainerd - Extemporaneous Writing - 1st Place; Micky

Bruno - Medical Photography - 2nd Place Holden Spears - Prepared Speech - 1st Place; Brad Bayuga,

Camren Tomblin, Jake Higgs and Logan Owens - Creative Problem Solving - 2nd Place;Alexa Maier and

Rebecca Blanco - Career Health Display - 1st Place; Meg Willis, Bailey Mehok, and Kaylan Harper -

Medical Reading - 2nd Place.

Congratulations to the Sparkman Indoor Drumline for their first place finish at the Prattville High School

Indoor Drumline contest this past weekend. The drumline competed against groups from Alabama,

Tennessee, and Mississippi. The drumline’s next contest was on March 3rd

in Spring Hill, TN.

Congratulation to wrestlers TJ Edwards, Cody Watson, and Mica McGlathery for qualifying for the State

Wrestling.

Vanessa Do, Delaney Hicks, Tiffany Reed and Brandi Whyte all received Honorable Mentions for their

photos. Meghann Kennedy received Honorable Mentions for both her single works and her photography

portfolio. Emily Woods received 2 Honorable Mentions and a Silver Award for her photos. Also,

congratulations to Dakota Olinger for receiving 3rd

place and Beckii Hushka for receiving an Honorable

Mention in the Alabama State Superintendent’s Art Competition in Montgomery. They competed against

student artists from over 100 school districts throughout the state.

Congratulations to the following varsity girls basketball

members: Alexis Jennings for being selected to

participate in the State 3-Point Shootout at the

Birmingham Civic Center tomorrow; To Breonn Walker

for being chosen to play in the Senior All-Star Basketball

Game; and to Nicole Martin for being named a National

Youth Scholar. Journalism students take a breather at left

on the steps of Columbia University’s library after

receiving a Silver Crown award the Columbia Scholastic

Press Association on March 16th

.

The following received awards from the Alabama Scholastic Press Association at the annual spring

conference held at the University of Alabama. Newspaper: All-Alabama Rating Crimson Crier

News.com-Superior Rating; Meghann Kennedy awarded the Bailey Thomason Editorial Award and the

JB Stevenson Scholarship; Carry-In: 2nd

Place-Entertainment Design-Michelle Jeffries; 2nd

Place-Front

Page Design-Meghann Kennedy; OnSite Awards: Editorial Writing-Honorable Mention-Nastassja

Pruitt; 3rd

Place-Jason Frost; Newswriting- Honorable Mention-Amber Brettel; 3rd

Place-Chandler

Shields; Sportswriting-2nd

Place-Daniel Judge; 1st Place-Grant Taylor; Feature Writing- 2

nd Place-

Michelle Jeffries; 1st Place-Riley Wallace; Newspaper Layout- Honorable Mention-Meghann Kennedy;

3rd

Place-Kelly Walters; 1st Place-Rebecca Arnold Individual Awards: Feature Writing-Honorable

Mention-Heather Webster;1st Place-Michelle Jeffries; Page One Design-Honorable Mention and 2

nd

Place-Meghann Kennedy; Sports Story-1st Place-Krista James; Art/Graphic-1

st Corban Swain

Spread Design-1st, 2

nd, 3

rd Place-Kelly Walters; Cartoon-Honorable Mention-Brittany Robertson;

Editorial Column-Honorable Mention-Nastassja Pruitt; 3rd

and 1st-Jason Frost; Yearbook Awards-

Superior Rating; Onsite Competition: Yearbook Caption and Copywriting-Honorable Mention-

Morgan Armstrong; 3rd

Place-Leanna Brignola; 2nd

Place-Lauren Ratliff; Yearbook Design: 3rd

-Emma

Green; 2nd

-Bailey Mehok; 1st-Krista James; Individual Awards: Division Spreads-3

rd Place-Holly

Judge; Sports Spread-3rd

-Krista James; Theme Development-3rd

-Holly Judge and Kachi Ezeibe;

Literary Magazine Awards: Superior Rating Individual Awards Landscape Photo-Honorable

Mention-Brandy Lankford; 1st Place-Corban Swain; Portrait Photo-1

st Place-Brandy Lankford; Cover

Design- 3rd

Place-Silhouette Staff; Photograph Portfolio- Honorable Mention-Darrick Dawkins; Long

Fiction-1st Place-Jason Frost; and Poetry: 3

rd Place-Jake Rice.

Ronnie Blair, Principal

The 8th

Grade Computer Applications Class at Sparkman Middle

recently created Stop Motion Animation videos for the first time using

the iStop Motion App on the iPad2. Students used the art skills learned

in their 1st semester visual arts class to create the clay objects that

would star in their movie. Students recreated scenes from some of

their favorite games like Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and Portal while

others created public service announcements about bullying and

reading. Their completed movies will be featured on the school’s local

news broadcast and the next SMS Parent/Student technology night.

The SMS boys and girls soccer teams played in a pre-season

tournament on the 17th

and 18th

of February. THREE players were

recognized as All-County players: Emily Baucum, Brennan Bell, and Blake Atchley.

The Sparkman Intermediate and Advanced Bands participated in the Music Performance Assessment

Festival on February 24 at Huntsville High School. The intermediate band was rated as ―excellent‖ which

was our goal with this young group who were mostly participating for the first time. The advanced band,

mostly 8th

graders with some 7th

graders, was rated as ―superior‖ for the second year in a row! This is the

highest rating the band could achieve, and it is very difficult to achieve. The advanced band had the

highest individual scores in school’s history. The students in both bands represented the school very well

and made us proud. The advanced band will participate in a competition against bands from the southeast

region in Gatlinburg, TN in May.

The Sparkman Middle School baseball team placed FIRST in the Madison County Middle School pre-

season baseball tournament in Gurley in February with a record of 3–0. Team members include Nick

Beatty, Jesse Beck, Devin Bromley, Chase Clinard, Austin Delk, Will Duskin, Matthew Gay, Le’chauz

Langford, Jabari Robinson, Ethan Thomas, Evan Thomas, Jeremiah Woody, Shelby Vest, and Andy

Ysalgue coached by Jonathan Curnel.

The Sparkman Middle School cheerleaders placed 2nd

in the Junior

Non-Building division of the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s

national competition at Walt Disney world in Orlando, Florida in

February. Hats off to the SMS Competition cheer team and their

coach, MRS. BROOKE WATWOOD!

Martin Hester, Principal

Sparkman 9 is the new Scholars’ Bowl Team Junior Varsity

Champions for Madison County. This all Freshman team

beat out the JV teams from the other Madison County High

Schools to earn the top position in their competitions. Way

to go team!!!

Sparkman 9th

Grade School: School Wide Read -

Hunger Games Competition

Congratulations to Michael Ferrans, winner of the 2nd

Annual Sparkman 9 Hunger Games!

Friday, February 10th

, 24 students participated in book

trivia, archery, and other mental and physical

challenges signifying portions of Suzanne Collins’s best-selling novel, The Hunger Games. Michael

represented District 12 and its teachers, Ms. Shafer and Mr. Bartolotta.

WALNUT GROVE SCHOOL

Barbara Maness, Principal

“Developing students academically, morally, and socially to achieve in the 21st century.”

Chester Drawers Visits Bulldog Country

Author Eddie Bowman, appearing as Chester

Drawers, visited Walnut Grove Elementary

school on Thursday, February 2nd

. Students

enjoyed listening to his stories and singing

along with the songs based on his books. In

addition, Mr. Bowman used humor to deliver

his positive message about living a healthy

lifestyle and making responsible choices. After

the program, Mr. Bowman signed autographs in

the library for all the students taking time to

speak to them about their favorite books. It

was a great opportunity for our students to meet

an author. We’re still humming the tunes and

checking the books out of the library.

Reading to Succeed

Read to Succeed is a free educational program from Six-flags and Discovery Education that inspires K-6

students to engage in recreational reading. Sixty-four students from Walnut Grove completed six hours of

reading and are eligible to receive free admission tickets to Six-Flags Theme Park. Congratulation!

2012 Panoply Billboard Winners Announced

We would like to congratulate the amazing artistic talent of the following students.

Aubrey Stubblefield – 1st Place; Jami Clark – 2

nd Place; Kinsley Gilliam – 3

rd Place. We are very proud

of their accomplishment. We greatly appreciate Mrs. Bonnie Harrison and her ability to teach students to

express themselves through art.

Star Student

Logan Mayo was recently selected as our Star Student. Logan chose Mrs. Yolanda Wright, our reading

coach, to experience STAR treatment along with him. Logan and Mrs. Wright were chauffeured by

limousine to Chili’s for a delectable lunch. Logan enjoyed ordering all the things he said his mother

would not let him order. This opportunity was compliments of Flint River Baptist Church.

21st Century – Archery Club

We would like to congratulate Hunter Williams, Nathan Lones, and Steven Clapp. They represented the

21st Century WGS Archery Club in their first competition at New Market School. Job Well Done!

American Red Cross

Mrs. Evans, the WGS Physical Education Teacher, and the second through fifth grade classes participated

in the American Red Cross Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser. They raised $818.00. Good Job WGS

Jumpers!

WGS 21st Century Cheer and Dance Club

The WGS 21st Century Cheer and Dance

Club wrapped up its 7 week session with a

performance for family and friends. Over 100

people were in attendance and had a wonderful

time! They were treated to 3 cheers, a chant, a

special dance, and an Awards Ceremony where

all 28 children were presented with certificates

of participation.

The Cheer and Dance Club was open to grades

K-2 at Walnut Grove and was a huge success.

The girls (all 28 of them) learned cheerleading

fundamentals, jumps, and arm positions. They

also learned cheers, chants, and a dance.

Special thanks to our great instructors,

Christina & Amelia Willett (juniors and Basketball Cheerleaders at HGHS), Mrs. Fowler, Mrs. Cook, and

Mrs. Willett. Visit our WGS Cheer and Dance Blog at www.wgscheerdance.blogspot.com for more

information, photos, and videos.