The Prattville Junior High theatre class has been making props for aFall Showcase. Students are learning the secrets behind the scenes of plays and how they make food look real, how to interject sounds, how to fake injuries, etc. The students love hands-on learning!

The Pine Level Fire Department came and spoke to the students of Pine Level Elementary School about ways to be proactive if there ever was a fire. The students got some goodies and even got to see the fire truck!

Prattville Christian Academy’s Naomi Taake signed a Letter of Intent to play volleyball with Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga. She is the fifth player to join a collegiate team in the school’s program and continue her volleyball career while advancing her education.

Taake is an outside hitter for the Lady Panthers. During her high school volleyball career, she earned 115 kills, 20 assists, 16 blocks, 210 digs, and 31 aces. She was an integral part of the 2020 history-making season as the Lady Panthers advanced deeper into postseason play than ever before and gave it all she had during her senior season this year when the team was consistently ranked in the area’s top teams.

“Naomi is one of the most dedicated players I have ever coached,” said Kaylon Cantrell, PCA’s head volleyball coach. “Not only is she a skilled player, but she also knows and understands the game well. I’m so excited to watch her continue to grow as an athlete and young woman in this next chapter of her life.”

Taake has put in the work needed both in and out of season for many years to make this dream a reality. She had a tough season-ending knee injury, but that didn’t stop her from being the team’s biggest cheerleader and supporter! She continued to attend practices and games in support of her teammates as the team’s unofficial “hype girl.” She was honored with the team’s Panther Spirit Award this year which is given to one player for their spirit, support and encouragement during the season.

As a new Baron, she will play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as a part of the Southern States Athletic Conference. In addition to her athletic affiliations, she will become a part of the rich Christian heritage of Brewton-Parker College, a private Baptist college founded in 1904.

Experience being a Holtville Bulldog by watching Slapout Show 2.0. Viewers are welcomed and guided through each segment’s sampling of life as a Holtville High School student by student hosts Kenai Jones and Reagan DeVaughn. Various students, faculty, classes, facilities, teams and groups are featured throughout four video segments. Thirty-six students from two different classes (Business Essentials and Internet Marketing) planned, filmed and directed the entire YouTube video in hopes of winning a $1,000 educational grant from Reach and Teach.

Fall 2020 was the first season of the Reach and Teach: Campus Tour contest and The Slapout Show won with more than 2,000 views. Fall 2021 is a new school year with two completely different classes and HHS is hoping for a repeat win.

The four segments that were selected: Cooking with Coach, Mascot Matchup, Extra Eats, & All Access.

Cooking with Coach features the students’ three favorite coaches—Reese Claybrook, Trey Fetner and Scott Tubbs—in a heated cooking competition hosted by culinary teacher Chef Beau Myers.

Mascot Matchup follows mascot Brutsie throughout a regular day at school.

Extra Eats features five of the students’ favorite restaurants in the local area—Sheila’s Pizza, Anna’s Place, Coaches Corner, Joe Mama’s and Hog Rock BBQ.

All Access gives a behind the scenes view of Holtville’s last home football game of the season and features countless students—football players, cheerleaders, mascot, band, majorettes, dance team, color guard and student section.

Slapout Show 2.0 will premiere on YouTube on Monday, November 29, at 6 p.m. and views will be counted toward the Reach and Teach: Campus Tour contest through Monday, December 13, at midnight. The winner will be determined using the following metrics: 40% total views, 30% technical & creativity rubric, and 30% professional panel review.

On October 21, students at Billingsley High School participated in a Powder Puff football game. The girls, dressed in jerseys, were coached by some of the senior football players. Proceeds from the game will help fund activities for the Billingsley High School Class of 2022.

Ms. Dorsey’s third-grade class at Pine Level Elementary School had “mini” trick or treating around the class for one of our friends who was sick and did not get to join in on Halloween fun. We are so thankful for such a loving group of students. Everyone was so excited to be able to give him some candy!

Prattville Primary School students participated in student-led conferences. Each student conferenced with his or her parents. They went over their goals, how they are doing at meeting their goals, as well as things they need to work toward. Student-led conferences were a great success.

Wetumpka Middle School has named Coach Shelby Nobles (for 5th and 6th grades) and Ardrinnia Strum (for 7th and 8th grades) as Teachers of the Year. Nurse Rachael Garrett was named Support Staff of the Year.

Students from Billingsley School participated in the Montgomery BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics Competition November 6. The theme of the competition was DEMODAZE. Students created a robot that could sort trash and recyclables on construction sites, focusing on safety and precision. Billingsley students brought home two awards for Team Exhibit Design and Construction and Founders Award for Creative Design.

Maggie, Pine Level Elementary School’s facility dog, visits all our classrooms. This student loves taking a break to enjoy her. Maggie helps students with anxiety, social or emotional issues.

The Prattville Junior High cheerleaders and softball teams volunteered with the YMCA Field of Dreams. We are grateful to partner with community members to make a difference.

Billingsley School participated in the world-wide student initiative, Rock Your School, on October 21. Students, faculty and staff dressed up like rock stars and enjoyed a fun day of engaging and rigorous learning.

Under the guidance of P’zazz Art Studio, students at Prattville Intermediate School took part in an after-school art program.

The Prattville Junior High STEM class is finishing up a unit on orthopedics. Students were given a list of specific requirements to create a working product. They then had to test their product, make adjustments, and present their findings to the class.  It’s a great way to pique their interest with real-life applications.

Third-grade students at Pine Level Elementary school worked in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) lab to create animal life cycles. The students had to collaborate with their partner to decide which animal they wanted to research, draw and build to complete the activity. Some questions the students had to research were: length of each stage of life of the animal, food the animal eats in each stage of life, and habitat of the animal in each stage of life.

Billingsley School students Baylor Stange, Caydin Green, and Kayden Bland attended the Alfa Youth Leadership Conference November 1-2 at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana. The conference teaches students how to advocate for agriculture, identify their potential and fill leadership roles.

Students at Coosada Elementary School get fired up about Red Ribbon Week. During this week students learn the importance of being drug- and bully-free in fun and engaging ways. The faculty and staff at CES go all out to help students make good choices to grow in a safe and healthy manner. Students enjoyed a kick off parade led by the band, cheerleaders and football players from Stanhope Elmore.

The students also enjoyed a full week of dress-up days to help them remember to be drug-free. Monday was “Don’t get caught sleeping, Say no to drugs.” The students really enjoyed wearing their pajamas to school. The rest of the week’s dress-up days included “shade out drugs”- wear sunglasses, “friends don’t let friends do drugs”- dress like a friend, “combat drugs” -wear camo/military gear, and “Don’t let drugs trick you, they are not a treat”- the students wore costumes. Teachers all over the building participated in the dress-up days as well as a door decorating contest. Saving the best for last, students participated in a Super Mario Candy Grab. They visited Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road throughout the school in a safe, nurturing environment to grab some candy.

Students at Prattville Junior High performed some great activities for the inaugural visit from the STEM bus. The bus presents an on-campus field trip for students with materials and equipment to perform experiments, make discoveries and foster creativity. These Cats are working on an electricity project and will then write up their findings in a report.

The Marbury High School Show Choir performed the National Anthem before an Atlanta Hawks game and our Marbury Northstar Band gave an after-game performance. Our students were so excited to be able to perform at an NBA game!

Elmore County Tech Center hosted speakers from the local Montgomery chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) in October. Pictured is Josie Young from Russell Construction of Alabama, Inc. sharing with seniors about careers in construction.Young was featured as a contractor in HGTV’s Home Town Takeover in Wetumpka.

Every year, grade-level teachers and department groups at Pine Level Elementary work together to develop themes and costumes for Fall Fun Day. Each group submits a picture to Principal Christen Harry. Administrators use a rubric to judge the costumes, theme, cohesive concepts, etc. Not only do student love that their teachers, counselors, custodian, front office staff and administratorsdress up but they also dress up and participate in a costume contest within their grade-level peers. It increases the sense of teamwork, community and family which defines the climate and culture of Pine Level. Winners are announced at the end of the day and prizes are distributed! Pictured are the two faculty/staff teams that TIED for 1st place!

Two more former Elmore County Tech Center students have been spotted working on the new building construction site at the ECTC campus. Dylan Giddens is a 2018 graduate from Wetumpka High who took both Electrical and Construction at ECTC while in school. Caleb Eady is a 2021 graduate from Holtville High who took both Electrical and Computer/IT courses at ECTC.

Elmore County High senior Kirsten from the Medical Sciences program was named Elmore County Tech Center student of the month in October. She’s pictured with Career Tech Education Director Emilie Johnson, left, and  Medical Science instructor Lori Higgins.

Freshman students from Holtville High School participated in a goal-setting session hosted by Elmore County’s career coach in October preparing for their futures and writing their goals on a banner that will hang in the school hallways through graduation in 2025.

Four Elmore County Tech Center graduates from the Public Safety & Law program joined the newest recruit class with Montgomery Fire/Rescue to begin their careers in public service: Katie Reeves (Holtville High 2020), Alex Drinkard (Wetumpka High 2017), Logan Thornton (Elmore County High 2021), and Tanner McCord (Stanhope Elmore High 2021).

On November 8, Airport Road Intermediate School held its STEM Expo and Rock Your School Day. The STEM Expo/Rock Your School Day is an annual schoolwide event which showcases individual and group projects focused on various STEM topics. It allowed our students to flex their creativity in solving and presenting challenges and issues that are relevant to them. This year’s theme was “Caution….Future Leaders Under Construction.”

Five Wetumpka baseball players have signed National Letters of Intent to play college baseball. From left are Coach Russ Brooks, Dawson Fuller, Garrit Terrell, Noah Jones, Douglas Johnson, Kyle Morrison, and Coach Michael Dismukes. Morrison has signed with Troy, Terrell with Snead State, and Fuller, Jones and Johnson have each signed with Southern Union State Community College.