April 2024 Student Spotlights – Prattville, Autauga, & Elmore County

Eight grade students at Millbrook Middle School explored the career cluster of manufacturing recently during a visit with career coaches who brought their Made in Region 5 box of goods. Students passed around items such as cement siding, plastic containers, artificial turf, and even a catfish model as they examined what has been provided by local manufacturers to showcase products from our region.

Seniors from ECTC visited Career Discovery alongside the career coaches for Elmore County. This event hosted by Central AlabamaWorks (the regional workforce council for our region) allows students to explore potential career opportunities and speak with representatives from with small and large employers in our area.

Students in their second and third year of the Teaching & Training program at ECTC traveled to Tuscaloosa to attend the Future Teachers of Alabama Conference.

Mrs. Bingham’s gifted class at Prattville Elementary School recently competed in the WordMasters Challenge™—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students annually. Competing in the difficult Blue Division of the WordMasters Challenge™, fourth graders Rhett Beam and James Verhoff each earned a perfect score of 20 on the challenge. Nationally, only 69 fourth graders achieved this result.

PCA Senior, Aidan Cockrell recently won the first state championship in PCA Wrestling’s history. Aidan had 37 wins on the season and 109 wins in his varsity career, concluding with an AHSAA State Championship.

Students at Prattville Elementary School celebrated Read Across America Week with guest readers, special activities and super fun dress up days. Each day students and teachers alike were greeted with interesting characters as they celebrated their love for reading!

Prattville Christian Academy recently furthered its partnership with Faulkner University.
Faulkner University President Mitch Henry and Prattville Christian’s Head of School Katie Furr signed an agreement that invests in students’ futures by paying 50% of tuition costs at Faulkner for PCA graduates. PCA students can further their education through this scholarship program in a supportive, Christian environment that fosters intellectual growth, spiritual development, and professional success. Whether students enter programs like health sciences or computer engineering, Faulkner University offers various undergraduate and graduate programs to suit their interests and goals. Faulkner professors throughout the business college, health sciences, computer science, digital media, and others visited PCA’s campus and shared information about the Faulkner experience and informative career advice. This scholarship will benefit PCA graduates tremendously and support them in their education.

Prattville Elementary kicked off their National School Breakfast Week with the help of a special guest! Tyson the Lion, from Prattville High School, made the trip to greet the Bobcats when they came to breakfast. Allison the Bobcats were super excited as he gave fist bumps, signed autographs and showed off some seriously mad dance moves!

PCA’s 5th-grade students and teachers recently embarked on a transformative journey to the StarBase Maxwell program at Maxwell Air Force Base. Over five days, students were immersed in a world of innovation, discovery, and hands-on learning, courtesy of the Department of Defense’s cutting-edge STEM awareness and outreach initiative.

At the FCCLA State Leadership Conference, four students competed from ECTC’s Teaching & Training program. Pictured are the four students – left to right Lea (Elmore County), Zoe and Olivia (Wetumpka), and Grace (Holtville). Olivia placed first in Early Childhood Education and moves on to the national level of competition in Seattle, Washington, this summer.

Dalton, a senior from Wetumpka High School and second year Welding student at ECTC, competed against 250 others in Jacksonville, Florida, in a Tulsa Welding School contest and placed 11th! He brings home a $500 scholarship, a $500+ welding helmet, and several other prizes.

Congratulations!! PCA’s 6th-9th grade Science Olympiad team placed 3rd at the regional tournament over the weekend and will head to the State Tournament at Auburn University for the 11th consecutive year!

Prattville Intermediate School students got to hang out with a special guest during National School Breakfast Week. Launch Trampoline Park’s mascot, Joey, came to surprise students and get them excited for a day of learning!

The HOUSE of Reveur’s Animal Shelter Drive at Prattville Intermediate School was a huge success! We are so thankful for each family that donated to help our local humane society, PAHS.

Congratulations to Hyeryn Lee of Prattville Intermediate School for winning the Gifted Education Month Infographic Contest for grades 6-8!

Medical Sciences students at ECTC have completed 6 weeks of sessions in Teen Mental Health and became certified in how to assist their peers.

Elmore County Career Coach, Katie Jackson, visited Coosada Elementary School to participate in their Career Day event representing ECTC and showcasing tools and pieces of equipment the students could explore including the Van de Graaff generator that led to some hair-raising fun.

Local artist, Julianne Hanson, came to teach a class of 3rd graders how to make clay pots. She taught them about the history of clay pot making and how archeologists are still finding clay pots from thousands of years ago. These clay pots will be used in the students’ upcoming Plant Unit in Science.

Pine Level Elementary School held its first Numeracy Day for students and parents. Parents were invited to listen to Dr. Seuss’s 123 book and have a friendly adding competition with their child. Congratulations goes to Ava Marie Cleveland in Mrs. Thomas’ Kindergarten Class for winning the competition. Ava Marie used her fast addition skills to win the Number Cross Off Game against her mom and classmates. Students and parents were engaged in this fun addition game. All of the students in Mrs. Thomas’ Class received a Dr. Seuss’s 123 Book.

First graders at Pine Level Elementary have become penguin experts over the past few weeks. During their research with media specialist Amy Turner, students learned that penguins can live in both polar and tropical locations. They studied penguin diets, lifespans, and how they toboggan on their bellies. They also learned that emperor penguins can be up to 4 feet tall – the height of most first graders! They were excited to share their penguin facts with their teachers and parents.