March promises to be another eventful month in Elmore County Schools! We have completed our spelling bees and science fairs, and I am proud to share the results of these important events for our students.
Each of our elementary and middle schools held their spelling bees in January and the school winners competed in the county spelling bee in February. Makenna Burton from Wetumpka Middle placed first again this year, and Cooper Baxley from Southside Middle in Tallassee placed second. Congratulations Makenna and Cooper!
Our district science fair was held recently and the following students placed first in their respective categories: Elementary Division (grades 4-5) were Zander Little, HES; and Hannah Greene, RMS. The Elementary Division had two second place and two third place winners. Junior Division (grades 6-8) first place winners Lilly Garner, HMS; Maddy Stanfield, WMS; Ellakate English, RMS; Jessie Messer & Ali Goff-Scott, WMS; Andrew Shelton, MMS; Carson Kompelien, MMS; and Trent Smeland, RMS. The Junior Division had three second place winners.
Senior Division (grades 9-12) first place winners in their respective categories were Victoria Bullock & Michelle Burleson, HHS; Elijah Harris, SEHS; Perrin Novak & Katie Bloch, SEHS; Kira LeFevre, WHS; Jeremiah Ray, WHS; Hayden McKenzie, WHS; Joseph LeFevre, WHS; Dominic Vilardi & Nicholas Davis, WHS; Parker Thompson, WHS; and Jackson Taylor, WHS. The Senior Division had fifteen second place and twelve third place winners. Participating in science fairs can open doors to career opportunities and help students learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills they can use throughout their lifetime.
Our second graders recently culminated a 10-week Super Citizen Program, utilizing the “Hands on Liberty” DVD series with activities on civics, character, financial literacy, and social studies. The students gathered to celebrate their accomplishments and honor local heroes in a county-wide assembly. We are proud of our students and thank our generous sponsors for making this program possible.
Pre-registration has begun for the First Class Pre-K random selection process for the 2025-2026 school year. Children must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2025 to be eligible for the drawing. More information is available at www.elmoreco.com.
Spring break is March 24-28. Enjoy the warmer weather and take some time to relax, recharge, and return ready to finish the 2024-2025 school year strong!
Richard Dennis is the Superintendent of Education for Elmore County Schools. He is a 1983 graduate of Holtville High School. He served 21 years as a high school principal at Holtville High, Wetumpka High and most recently, Prattville High. He and wife, Leslie (also an educator) have three sons and a daughter.
