August 2024 Student Spotlights – Montgomery

The Macon East cheerleaders had an amazing time this past week at AISA cheer camp at Troy University. They grew their skills and grew even closer as a team. We are so proud of their hard work and accomplishments!
Varsity placed 2nd in their sideline performance and placed 5th in cheer. The JV team took home the superior award.
AISA All-Stars: Alexis Davis, Katie Kitchens, and Shamaiah Thomas
Varsity All-American: Alexis Davis
JV All-Americans: Ava Noffsinger, Gillie Phillips, Bella Ann Spires, Sophie Clark, and Avery Wilhoit
Pin-it-forward award for great character and leadership, given by the UCA staff: Alexis Davis
Jump off finalist: Katie Kitchens
Second round of jump off: Sophie Clark
Our teams took home the final day banana. The Top Banana is the physical embodiment of what it means to attend UCA camp. The Top Banana is rewarded to the teams at camp that demonstrate qualities of leadership, spirit and the overall ability to work hard while still having a blast! This accomplishment made the week that much better!
Huge thank you to all those who came out to support the girls on Thursday. Thank you to the parents who made this week possible and thank you to our Cheer Coaches, Kindall Bishop and Summer Kyser.

Mattie Pugh was chosen to represent Macon East Academy at this year’s American Legion Girls State. Mattie ran for the position of mayor in the city of St. Stephen’s, located in Andrews County. She was responsible for overseeing 29 girls during this time. As part of her mayoral campaign, Mattie gave out bracelets that said, “Vote for Pugh is a vote for you!” and stickers that said, “Vote Mattie Pugh for Mayor”.
In recognition of her exemplary performance as the mayor of St. Stephens, Mattie received a $16,000 scholarship to attend Troy University at a mayor’s luncheon. On her last day, she gave an exceptional speech about her city, the importance of supporting each other, building confidence, and pursuing one’s dreams. In her speech, Mattie quoted Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who said, “Sometimes the best man for a job is a woman,” which received applause from her peers and the audience.
Mattie comes from a family of four brothers, and she thoroughly enjoyed her experience at Girls State, where she made many new lifelong friends. This week at Girls State is an experience that Mattie will never forget.
Sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, Alabama Girls State is a top youth leadership program that offers a unique experience to its delegates. The annual Alabama Girls State took place on the campus of Troy University. During the American Legion Auxiliary Alabama Girls State program, delegates learn about local and state government through various speakers, workshops, and sessions. The American Legion members and veterans provide a special understanding of our government and a love of country to each participant at Girls and Boys State.

Rising senior Anna Brown represented Montgomery Academy at the American Legion’s Girls State earlier this summer. Alabama Girls State is one of the highest honors granted to Alabama students. Students from across the state are chosen based on their demonstration of leadership, hard work, strong morals, and motivation in school and community activities. Anna was elected as Mayor of her city on the first day and served as leader to 31 girls throughout the week. After participating, Brown said, “Alabama Girls State was an unforgettable experience in which I am incredibly thankful for. It allowed me the opportunity to meet amazing girls from all over the state, and make lasting friendships!”

Recently “graduated” FAAM 5th grader, Noah Cortner, was selected to play in the Future Masters Tournament.
Noah had a rough start on the first round of the Future Masters, but rebounded with a strong performance during the second round and won the Bill Maddox Award. The Bill Maddox Award is awarded to the participant who improves the most from round 1 to round 2. He also had his very 1st hole in one! We are so proud of Noah! Keep swinging!

Saint James School is proud to announce its Global Seal of Biliteracy recipients for 2024. Saint James School is proud to announce that six of its students earned the prestigious Global Seal of Biliteracy. According to Spanish instructor, Mrs. Rhea Grate, these students worked very hard to achieve this level of language fluency.
Woochan Kim received two certificates. He achieved working fluency status in Korean and English, as well as functional fluency in Spanish and English. Mia Moran earned the functional fluency certificate for Japanese and English. Nicole Jung earned functional fluency status in Korean and English. Jaxon Mason earned functional fluency in Spanish and English. Sung Woo Shin was awarded the certificate for functional fluency in Korean and English. Cole Williams was awarded the certificate for functional fluency in Spanish and English.
According to The Global Biliteracy Seal website, “In a global society where intercultural communication has become increasingly important, the Global Seal provides a unique and recognizable certification of language skills. The Global Seal of Biliteracy provides a universally consistent and inclusive micro-credential to increase opportunity for bilinguals from middle school through adulthood. It is our hope that those with language proficiency will credential their skills at one of our three certification levels and then continue to grow their skills in order to ‘Level Up’.”

Congratulations to Forest Avenue 2nd grader Ethan Jang. Ethan’s art work was chosen as the winner for the DE&I 2024 Alabama PTA Essay Contest.
The theme was to be ready to Raise awareness For Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Ethan received the Certificate and Prize. Congratulations, Ethan!

This summer, MCS launched its first summer school program. With incredible support from local churches and organizations, our students have had many exciting activities including several Vacation Bible School weeks, Olympic Games Swim Week, roller skating, a soccer camp, literacy and math tutors along with daily enrichment. MCS teacher Audrey Crawford has set the bar high for success with her students this summer. Photo from soccer camp, where an MCS student led the group in prayer.

Leadership within Montgomery Public Schools means more than just administration. It’s a collective effort, encompassing every teacher, staff member, parent, and community member. It’s about fostering a culture of support, empowering our students, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
Our principals, the heart of each school community, have been tirelessly working to set the tone for a successful school year. We are particularly excited to welcome new leaders within our schools, adding fresh perspectives and energy to our ongoing journey. We are confident that this school year will be one of remarkable growth, achievement, and inspiration for our students.

Over the weekend of May 3-5, the Saint James School Middle School Choir traveled to Georgia to compete at the Music in the Parks Festival. The students sang at Chapel Hill High School before distinguished judges, where they received Superior Ratings and placed 2nd in their division of Middle School Mixed Choir. Seventh grader Aditi Shyam was also named Outstanding Accompanist for the entire festival. The students also enjoyed a fun day together at Six Flags, riding rides and building the Trojan Community.
The Saint James Middle School Choir is taught by Dr. Sallye York.

Saint James School is proud to announce many of its art students submitted works and won awards in the Middle School and High School Scholastic Art Awards.
From the middle school division, Zoe Cortell won a Silver Key in Drawing and Illustrations. Charlie Jenkins won the Silver Key in Mixed Media and also won a Gold Key for her original poem submitted independently.
From the high school, Cole Williams won two Gold Keys for Drawing and Illustrations as well as Photography. Elaine Vo was awarded the Gold Key for Mixed Media. Tatiana Shuford won a Gold Key for Photography while Katie Irving took home the Silver Key in Photography. Two students receive Honorable Mention: Lillian Archer in Drawing and Illustrations and Kaitlyn Smith in Painting.
The five Gold Key winners will move on to the second round of judging for National Recognition and Awards.

The kids had a blast at summer camp diving into a whirlwind of fun activities. Every day is a new adventure, from splashing around in the pool and cooling off under the summer sun to engaging in epic laser tag battles that spark their competitive spirits. They also explored the enchanting world of Newtopia, where their imaginations ran wild. With a variety of activities to choose from, each day was filled with laughter, excitement, and unforgettable memories.

Congratulations to Forest Avenue Fifth Grader Eric Deweese for winning in the National PTA’s Reflections program. He was given an Award of Merit for his artwork in the Visual Arts category—Don’t Crush Mr. Crabs’ Hope—submitted to the 2023-2024 I am Hopeful Because… National PTA Reflections program.
Congratulations on your accomplishment!

Last school year, MCS added an additional kindergarten class. In August, we will add another first grade classroom. Each year, MCS will continue to grow in capacity until there are two classrooms per grade continuing the mission to provide an academically challenging education in a Christian environment to families with a limited school choice. Photo from first grade from Awards Day in May 2024.

Students finished the summer off strong as they completed their last summer tour with the Traveling Librarians. MPS students, rising seniors, from BrewTech, Percy Julian, LAMP, JAG, and G.W. Carver joined forces to explore different colleges. Pictured are the students at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. Also, students visited Jackson State University and Millsaps College.

Nine Montgomery Academy student-athletes, across five different sports, participated in the annual AHSAA All-Star Week in Montgomery this summer. They include: John Alford (boys tennis), Gabby Barrera (girls tennis), Sophia Cho (girls soccer), Mary Elizabeth Cole (girls soccer), Thomas Floyd (boys golf), Elle McBride (volleyball), Skyler Stovall (boys basketball), Addi Vinson (volleyball), and Edwin Wu (boys tennis). As members of the South squads, John Alford, Sophia Cho, and Elle McBride claimed MVP awards. Congrats Eagles!

The fourth-graders at Alabama Christian Academy had been reading the novel The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson. The book is about a family in need who find themselves homeless at Christmas and how an old man who is homeless himself becomes family to them. The 4th-graders decided to reach out and help the homeless of the Montgomery area with new blankets and socks. They collected 38 blankets and 217 pairs of socks for the Salvation Army homeless shelter.

The Student Government Association at Macon East Academy partnered with Dixie Electric Cooperative for its annual canned food drive during WSFA’s 12 Days of Giving. Will Desmarais, president of the SGA, said this year they wanted to do something special with everything going on and thought this was the best way to help our community. Macon East collected 1,870 canned goods and hopes this will help make the holidays a little brighter for less fortunate families. The SGA held a competition for the class that collected the most cans; the winner of the lower school was the 2nd grade, and the upper school winner was the 12th grade. All donations benefit the Montgomery Area Food Bank (MAFB), which provides assistance in 35 Alabama counties in the fight against hunger.

It’s been a fun and busy summer on Montgomery Academy’s Vaughn Road Campus! From football and volleyball to woodworking and Minecraft, kids at MA’s Camp Eagle have done it all! Camp Eagle Programs are not only for MA students, but are open to the broader community. We are looking forward to offering another fun Summer@MA in 2025!

On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Saint James School students participated in the events surrounding the Alabama Holocaust Commission’s Annual Gathering of Remembrance in observance of Yom Hashoah Days of Commemoration. Saint James School High School Choir performed at the Alabama Department of Archives and History as a part of the ceremony. Governor Kay Ivey along with members of the legislature were in attendance.
This day was impactful for the students who participated as choir performers. The Holocaust and its effects are taught yearly as part of the history classes at Saint James School.

This summer, Saint James School counselors Mrs. Laura Gibson and Mrs. Sarah Moncrief hosted a “Girls in Real Life Situations” camp for elementary school students. The camp explored topics related to effective communication and understanding motions, healthy friendships, positive self-esteem, and self-awareness. Students participated in empowering activities to develop coping strategies and strengthen peer relationships. The camp included an interactive etiquette lesson and celebratory tea party. Initiatives like this support Saint James School’s commitment to student emotional health and wellness.

This summer, several special guests stopped by Montgomery Academy’s Camp Eagle to visit with campers and share more about what they do. Our sincere thanks to Air Force Lieutenant Colonels Todd & Emily Arthur (who are also MA parents!) for spending time with our campers to talk about what they do as members of our nation’s Armed Forces. The Arthurs discussed life as a military family, what it’s like working in the Air Force, all the places they’ve lived, and answered questions from a very curious audience that wanted to know all the details of what sorts of airplanes they’ve been in! Also, thank you to Montgomery Fire & Rescue for dropping by Camp Eagle to talk about the work they do in the Capital City, share their expertise on fire safety, and to give campers a tour of their fire engine.

Directly after the end of the school year, rising Montgomery Academy senior John Alford participated in the annual Boys State experience at Troy University. John served as a Senate representative and Senate President Pro Tempore for the week. Alabama Boys State is one of the highest honors granted to Alabama students. Students from across the state are chosen based on their demonstration of leadership, hard work, strong morals, and motivation in school and community activities. After his experience at Boys State, Alford said, “This week has shaped my interests, character, and future in a way that I could have never thought possible. I am truly grateful to the MA community for selecting me as their delegate for this amazing experience.”