ALBERTVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

2011-2012 S U P E R I N T E N D E N T ’ S N E W S L E T T E R OCTOBER

Nathan Spence has been named as a Semifinalist in the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.  Nathan is one of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists be selected in the nationwide program. The pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the stateʼs percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

Nathan and the other academically talented high school seniors who qualified have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $34 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the studentʼs earlier performance on the qualifying test. The Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes the studentʼs essay and information about the Semifinalistʼs participation and leadership in school and community activities.

Nathan has worked diligently to maintain an overall weighted GPA of 4.31 on a 4.0 scale with a 100.95 numeric grade average.  This average currently ranks him number one out of a class of 243.  Nathan has pursued a challenging college prep schedule at AHS by taking Honors English in grades nine, ten and eleven and also taking advantage of Advanced Placement classes and participating in the various math teams and competing at the district and state levels.

Spence Named National Merit Semifinalist

Nathan has been involved in numerous extracurricular activities including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Mu Alpha Theta, and the National Honor Society.  He has also contributed many volunteer hours with the youth soccer program in Albertville serving as referee and coach.

Nathan is the son of Randy and Lisa Spence.

Congratulations to Albertville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ric Ayer, named District 9 Finalist for the 2012 Alabama Superintendent of the Year Award.

Ayer Named Alabama Superintendent of the Year

Finalist

Nicole Holliday enjoys a plant cell sandwich c r e a t e d i n J e n n y Sanders ʼ 5th grade Sc ience C lass a t Evans Elementary.

Evans Teachers Provide Hands-On Learning and Fun

Sixth Grade G.A.T.E. students at Evans Elementary studied the monopoly created by John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil.    Students then tried to create their own "big businesses" by playing  the game, Monopoly.

Fifth grade G.A.T.E. Students at Evans created Kachina Masks after completing a study of early American cultures.  Displayed on the board behind the students are examples of their weavings and the hand-eye artifact of the Mound Builders of Alabama.

AHS Recognizes Distinguished Alumni through Wall of Fame

Nearly 200 community members gathered on October 21, 2011 at Albertville High School's gymnasium for the AHS Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame 2011 charter class luncheon. The luncheon was followed by an AHS student assembly, with a presentation of all of the distinguished alumni and a speech by inductee Gerald Smith.

Inaugural class members include 1959 graduate Pat Courington Jr., 1951 graduate Kathryn Rains Reed, 1968 graduate Judge Edward Carnes, 1969 graduate John Hannah, 1987 graduate Rusty Greer, 1978 graduate Susan Nolen Story, 1964 graduate Dr. Bennett Alford, 1957 graduate Robert "Hal" Hayes, 1957 graduate Gerald Smith, 1990 graduate Jonathan Paul Killian, 1920 graduate Dr. Lelias Eugene Kirby, 1945 graduate T. J. Carnes, 1959 graduate Charley Pell, 1942 graduate Robert O. Johnson, and 1976 graduate Jeffrey Alan Thrash. Inductees for the AHS Wall of Fame each have an 11 X 17 biography hung in the high school and a brick paver with their year of induction in front of the Fine Arts Center.

The AHS Wall of Fame Selection Committee plans on inducting between five and 10 new members each year for the next four years, then only three members per year after that.

Jackson Shell has been selected as the DAR Good Citizen for Albertville High School.  Jackson fulfills the criteria of:  dependability (which includes truthfulness, loyalty, and punctuality); service (which includes cooperation, courtesy, and consideration of others); leadership (which includes personality, self-control, and ability to assume responsibility); and patriotism (which includes unselfish interest in family, school, community, and nation) to an outstanding degree. Congratulations, Jackson, on the well-deserved award.

Jackson Shell named DAR Good Citizen for AHS

Misty Brothers, counselor of Albertville Primary School, was recently awarded the RAVE Award for school counseling programs. The Recognition of Accountability, Verification and Excellence (RAVE) is awarded based on exemplary implementation of the Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Model for Alabama Public Schools.Mrs. Brothers is an asset to APS. She is a very hard worker, and her dedication and commitment to the students of Albertville Primary School is evident throughout the school.

Mrs. Brothers started the application process in April 2011 and submitted it to the committee in September 2011. She received notification that she had won the award in October 2011. Mrs. Brothers will be recognized during a luncheon at the Alabama State Counselors Conference on November 17, 2011, in Birmingham.

The Albertville FFA Land Judging Team won 2nd in the Marshall County Contest in October.  The winning team included Carlos Farias, Zach Clark, Mitch Gore and Noah Campbell.  With this win, they earned the opportunity to compete in North Alabama FFA Land Judging Contest in November.

AHS FFA Wins Award

APS Counselor to be Recognized at State Conference

The Albertville High School JROTC Color Guard posted the Colors for the Sergeants Major/Chiefs Association Retirement Dinner on Saturday, October 1, 2011, at the Pelham Civic Complex in Pelham Alabama. This formal event is held twice a year by the State Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard. The event recognizes and honors retiring E9ʼs in both the Army and Air National Guard for their many years of service.

The Color Guard team posting the colors included CDT LTC Chris Knott, CDT CPT Chelsea Jackson, CDT 2LT Sandra Botello, CDT SGM Zac Moore, and CDT SGT Tyler Abney. In addition to doing an outstanding job of posting the National and State Colors, the team also got to meet and talk with two Major Generals as well as many other Officers and Sergeant Majors of the Alabama National Guard. The two Major Generals were MG Sheryl E. Gordon, who made history earlier that day by becoming the first female Major General in the Alabama National Guard, and the States Adjutant General MJ Perry G. Smith.

Albertville JROTC Color Guard Selected to Participate in State National Guard

Retirement Dinner

Sgt. Will Elkins spoke to Evans Elementary students on the anniversary of 9/11.  He visited his sister, sixth grader Jeannie Elkins, and also shared his experiences with her class.

Elkins Shares Combat Experiences with Evans Students

Albertville Primary School participated in several activities during Homecoming Week. The school had three dress up days, senior football players came to read to all 1st and 2nd graders, and APS ended the week with a pep rally by the AHS Varsity Cheerleaders. What a great way to show Aggie spirit!

Pictured (left): Austin Smith, senior football player, read to Mrs. Baugh's first grade class at Alber tv i l le Pr imary School dur ing Homecoming Week.

APS Celebrates Homecoming Week Activities

APS Students Enjoy Farm Day

High School FFA Brings Farm Fun

Shown (left and below) are 1st grade students from Ms. Brooke Bishopʼs class.

Three Albertville High School students were honored as winners of the Jr. Civitan Annual Essay Contest. First Place - Evan Shaver received $100. Second Place - Emily Donald received $50. Third Place - Juan Tercero received $25. Evan, Emily and Juan are pictured along with Albertville Civitan President Greg Henderson at the Civitan luncheon.

AHS Students Win Jr. Civitan Essay Contest

Pictured (left): Soledad Cortes (1st place in 1 Mile Fun Run), Reina Lopez (1st place in age group), Rogelio Lopez (2nd place in age group), Sonia Lopez (1st place in age group), and Daniel Garcia (1st place in age group & 7th overall).

Albertville High School made a great showing at the recent Race for Recovery. These students, former students, faculty and staff members participated in the Second Annual Mothers Against Methamphetamine 5K Run for Recovery to help raise funds and awareness:

Emily NicolePacia Gautney (2nd place in age group)Kaa Laa SelfDevon SmithAnna Beth CordellLynsie Holmes (3rd place in age group)Megan VealKeenan SmallwoodKathy Dahlke not pictured (2nd in age group) Donna Sims not pictured (3rd in age group) Leigh Ann Thomas not pictured

AHS Participates in 5K Run for Recovery

Jumpstartʼs Read for the Record at BSLK on October 6, 2011

BSLK students joined 2 million others across the globe to read Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.

Students in Ms. Bishopʼs class investigated what a pumpkin looks, feels, and smells like on the inside and out.  They also created a pumpkin book, using describing words about the pumpkin, as well as using pumpkin seeds and yarn to create what a pumpkin looks like on the inside.

APS Students Use Investigation Techniques to Learn

Evans Student Wins Garden Club Award

Fifth and sixth grade social studies students from Evans Elementary entered the national Constitution Day Poster Contest. 

Winners from 6th grade:  Back Row – Isabela Bartlett, Angie Ochoa,  Ashley Graham, Clara Vasquez

5th grade winners:  Front Row – Carmen Gallardo, Austin Reese, Emilio Lopez

Constitution Day Poster Contest Winners at Evans Elementary

Caitlin Holt, a sixth grader at Evans  Elementary, won the first place award from The Garden Club of Alabama, Inc., for her Smokey Bear poster.  She represented the Greenlawn Junior Garden Club of Albertville.  Caitlin was honored on October 19, 2011 at a regional luncheon in Cedar Bluff, Alabama. 

Fifth Grade G.A.T.E. student Jackson Simmons is shown painting his “Chihuly-inspired” creation.

Fifth Grade G.A.T.E. students Caroline Nolan, Alli Reno and Carlee Fleming display a confetti-covered “Chihuly- inspired” creation.

G.A.T.E. Students Create Inspired Artwork