Montgomery Student Spotlights – April ’22

Lanier High student-athlete Ja’Quarius Harris has been awarded the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship for the region in 6A sports. He will be honored at the state award banquet in Birmingham on April 11.

The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program was created by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame along with the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

Forest Avenue Academic Magnet third-grader Nathan Jang took part in the State Gymnastics Championship in Huntsville and was named the 2022 Region 4 state champion, a regional qualifier and an Academic All-American. He will take part in the Region 8 Championship in Florida in April.

A very impressive group of scholars visited the Montgomery County Board of Education during its March meeting. These EdFarm Student Fellows from Bellingrath Middle joined science teacher Tina Lewis to talk about some of the exciting things happening thanks to the partnership between MPS and EdFarm.

“These students are learning to code, create and cultivate change in their community,” said EdFarm Student Fellows Specialist Emma Courington, who is working with 10 MPS schools. Lewis and several Student Fellows also talked to the board about all the exciting things happening through this program.

MPS has partnered with EdFarm along with Apple and the city of Montgomery to bring new technological learning opportunities to students.

Macon East Academy seniors Teron Wright and Maurice Poole were recognized at the elite Alabama A&M Scholarship Recognition Program. The top seniors in the tri-county area were recognized for their accomplishments and scholarship awards. Wright received the gold scholarship and Poole the silver!

Evangel Christian Academy’s elementary students had a whimsical week celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America. Students enjoyed several special dress-up days that centered around Dr. Seuss books. The students wore crazy socks for Fox in Socks and green shirts for Green Eggs and Ham. On Wacky Wednesday the students came to school in wacky outfits and hairstyles. They also had a special Cat in the Hat Day in which they dressed like the famous cat, the “Things” or wearing a silly hat. To culminate the special week, the students came to school dressed as their favorite Dr. Seuss character.

Macon East Academy Kindergarten students enjoyed reading books written by Dr. Seuss including Bartholomew and the Oobleck. After reading the story, students made their own Oobleck. It was lots of green, sticky fun! They also enjoyed having a “Dr. Seuss” snack which included green eggs and ham, Cat in the Hat cheese sticks, and colored goldfish.

February was engaging as each classroom studied famous black Americans.  From reading to social studies to art, Montgomery Christian School highlighted influential black individuals. The third grade, taught by La’Tosha Williams, conducted research, created posters, crafted speeches and presented reports to their families and other classes.

Trinity Presbyterian’s 8th-graders entered a statewide essay writing contest sponsored by the Alabama Peace Officers Association entitled “Why I Will Say No to Drugs and Alcohol.” Trinity was the only school to have multiple award winners! Emory Harris won 3rd place, and Jemison Willis won 4th place. The students won monetary awards and their essays will be published in the Alabama Peace Officers’ Journal. Officer Champlin presented certificates and checks to the students.

Amir Robinson and Zion Easterling of Booker T. Washington Magnet High had their artwork selected for the @WeCreateChangeAL Art Exhibition at Alabama State University’s Tullibody Gallery. The goal of the exhibition was for Alabama artists to unite to build awareness, organize community and instigate social and political change, in celebration of Black History Month. It was presented by 21 Dreams Arts & Culture in collaboration with The King’s Canvas and The Creative Xtremist. These two young men were at the opening reception, and on the following day they showed up to be interviewed for an Alabama Arts Alliance video for Arts Education Month.

Booker T. Washington Magnet High students and instructor Jesmelia Williams had a great trip to the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC). Students auditioned for more than 120 universities and acting schools.

Senior Treavor Evans received callbacks from 20 schools for theatre and musical theatre, automatic admissions, and on-the-spot scholarship offers totaling $112,000 over the course of four years.

Junior Adarius Snell received callbacks from 37 schools. He will be on the contact roster for talent scholarships when he enters his senior year of high school.

Senior Jaylen Boyd received callbacks from 35 schools for theatre, musical theatre, film and dance, along with automatic admissions.

Montgomery Public Schools held a series of Elementary VEX GO Robotics Competitions, which were the first of their kind anywhere. Representatives of the REC Foundation and VEX Robotics monitored these live-streamed events to pilot the process.

The competitions involved schools in five different feeder patterns. Highland Avenue Elementary came in first overall, followed by Bear Exploration Center and Wilson Elementary. The individual feeder pattern winners were T.S. Morris, Seth Johnson, Highland Avenue, Wilson and Bear elementary schools.

Alabama Christian Academy’s students were given the opportunity to help collect supplies to send over to Ukraine through Dalraida Church of Christ. Buckets and supply lists were available to give students the opportunity to play a big part in this service project. A full week was dedicated to prayer over the Ukraine; each morning we had a devotional and prayed for specific people involved in the war.

After the whole week of prayer ended, we had every bucket filled and more bags to send over for anything extra they may need. We even had a class who wrote scripture in Ukrainian. This project has opened the eyes of many to just how blessed we truly are.

Art in the Garden Extravaganza
Thursday, May 12
1919 Hull Street, Montgomery

Art Splash has become a premier event for our city when individual and corporate sponsors come together to support more than 25 of the River Region’s finest artists and to raise scholarships for students at Montgomery Christian School. This year’s event will include an afternoon Garden Preview Event ($25), an evening Sponsor Preview Party and a Virtual Auction.

Montgomery Christian School provides an academically challenging education in a Christian environment to families with limited school choice. For more info or to become a sponsor, please call (334) 386-1749 or visit www.MontgomeryChristianSchool.org.

Several Saint James high school students placed at the District 2 Visual Art Achievement Program (VAAP)Exhibition. Alice Chen’s drawing, Ann, was chosen as a wild card and will move onto the State Visual Art Achievement Program for a second round of judging at the state level.

In the Drawing category, Natalie Magee placed second with her drawing, Famine. In the Painting category, Aroa Jung placed second with her painting, New Shoes. For Photography/Digital Media/Film/New Media, Cole Williams placed third with his piece entitled Crown of Decay. In the 3D/Crafts category, Luke Beasley placed second with his piece, Monster Energy.

The students’ artwork hung in a gallery in Troy until mid-March.

Above from left are Alice Chen, Aroa Jung, Cole Williams, Natalie Magee and Luke Beasley.

Led by Melissa Stefos, ninth-grade Montgomery Academy physics students learned about Newton’s Laws, Momentum and Energy this semester. Groups assigned energy sectors and tasked with creating companies in that particular industry. Students created posters, models and flyers to distribute at an “Energy Convention,” describing their company’s history, why their company is involved in this energy sector, and why we need their type of energy. At the “Energy Convention,” prospective clients and investors (eighth- graders) voted which company from each energy sector they want to partner or invest with. This project included some cross cutting concepts, too: marketing, research, finance, history, economics (local & global), and environmental impact.

These were the winning companies: 1st: “Blinky” Nuclear Energy: Anna Stevenson and Elizabeth Anne Parsons; 2nd: “Potamoi” Hydropower: Lexie Gray and Olivia Smith (shown); and 3rd: “Geotricity” Geothermal Energy: Ella Chancellor, Sam Perry and DJ Vinson.

Nineteen members of the Alabama Christian Academy sophomore class helped out MANE (Mongomery Area Non-Traditional Equestrians) on their service day. They removed old fencing line and replaced it with new around several pastures, pruned and weeded three separate rose gardens, picked up cartloads of branches, raked and leveled the small arena, and even scooped horse manure from an outdoor stall. They dnded the day grooming a few horses and taking pictures. The students worked hard for almost four hours and accomplished a lot for MANE.

Trinity Presbyterian School students in Madame’s French IV class experienced quite a field trip recently. The students went to Birmingham to dine at Chez Fonfon and enjoyed an incredible lunch of Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame, poulet rouge, and more. And if the day couldn’t get any better, James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Chez Fonfon, Frank Stitt, visited each table, explaining how his time in Paris influenced his cooking. Stitt and Madame conversed (in French, of course) about Paris, French foods and favorite sites.

Kindergarten students at Trinity Presbyterian celebrated Dr. Seuss week with all sorts of fun activities! They made “Cat in the Hat” top hats, practiced rhyming words, made green slime, and baked a yummy version of green eggs and ham!

The Alabama Independent School Association East vs. West senior all-star basketball game was held February 18 at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex. Representing Macon East on the East boys’ team were Tyler Daniels and Maurice Poole, and Maddie Ross was selected to the East girls’ team. Each of these outstanding athletes enjoyed some practice with their opponents from other AISA schools and the opportunity to get to know the other athletes as members of the same team. It was a fun night of great basketball, and the East girls’ team was victorious in the girls’ game. Daniels was also selected as MVP for the East team. Hendley Culpepper represented MEA as a member of the East cheerleading squad.

Eastwood Christian School congratulates Grant English, Gantt Higginbotham and Talley Hamilton for receiving the ACAA Athletic Award for outstanding achievement in ACAA All-State Basketball – First Team.

During the weekend of March 11-13, seven Saint James choral students attended the Alabama Vocal Association All-State Choral Festival at the BJCC in Birmingham. The All-State Choral Festival is a three-day event that culminates in a professionally recorded concert. The Festival is an opportunity for students with outstanding ability and initiative to receive public recognition, to sing under the direction of nationally recognized choral clinicians, and to perform choral literature of the highest quality.

Saint James students who attended were as follows: seniors Emily Headley and Hamilton Cunningham, junior Anna Dickey, sophomores Austin Oh and T.J. Vance, freshman Nicole Jung and seventh-grader Abigail Roark.

The students had fun working in rehearsals with amazing conductors, attending and performing in wonderful concerts, and even had time for some fun at places like Cheesecake Factory at the Summit, Davenport’s Pizza Palace in Mountain Brook, Dave and Buster’s at the Galleria, and a late-night cookie party in the hotel.

Saint James choral students work under the direction of Dr. Sallye York.

Brewbaker Technology Magnet High health teacher Amy Patterson created stress management/relaxation stations for her classes. Students took part in activities such as coloring and stretching. They also had stations for sudoku, crossword and word search puzzles, and some students made stress balls. The stations were designed to teach students healthy ways to cope with stress.

Eastwood Christian School produced its 19th spring musical, Les Miserables. This was the second year in the school’s new Arts and Athletics Campus. Due to a generous grant from The Harris Foundation, the theater department was able to upgrade lighting and sound systems. Les Miserables tickets went so quickly that a fifth show was added. More than 1,000 people attended in all.

Two Montgomery Catholic Robotics teams competed in the State VEX Robotics Competition on February 19. Their hard work and numerous hours of practice paid off during the competition and both teams have now successfully qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas this May. The High School team consists of 10th-graders Turner Clements and Hunter Dailey. The Middle School team is composed of 7th-graders Lucy Logsdon and Tye Rountree, and 8th-graders Gavin Cummins, Erik Ojala, Will Tarkowski and Bennett Webb.

Saint James School sophomore Logan Hartson earned the title of state champion for 1A-4A for his weight class at 120 lbs. Seven Saint James wrestlers qualified for the AHSAA State Championships in Huntsville after Sectionals. The team placed third overall at the AHSAA Super Sectionals.

During his first match, Hartson pinned Deshler’s Brian Hill. During the semifinal match, he defeated Baron House of Pleasant Valley by a decision of 6-2.

In the championship match against Cleburne County’s Austen Mayfield, Hartson scored a takedown in 21 seconds during the first period and another in the second period. Hartson went on to win, 6-3.

In the final Alabama Wrestling Coaches Association poll, Hartson was ranked No. 3. He finished the season with a record of 41-3.

The Saint James wrestling team is coached by Jeff Corley, with assistance from Wes Smith and Darin Boyd.

Two Saint James School seniors, Hamilton Cunningham and Jack Catchings,  have qualified for the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Cunningham will compete in Humorous Interpretation, and Catchings will compete on Original Oratory.

Several members of the Saint James Speech and Debate Team competed in the District Speech and Debate Tournament in Birmingham at Samford University February 25-26. Jaden Rossell, in addition to Cunningham and Catchings, represented Saint James in the tournament which is a qualifier for the National Tournament.

Cunningham was awarded first place in Humorous Interpretation and Catchings placed first in Original Oratory. These scores qualified them for Nationals, which will be held June 12-17 in Louisville, Kentucky.

From left are Jaden Rosell, Hamilton Cunningham and Jack Catchings at the District Tournament at Samford.

Saint James School held its annual Trojan Day festivities March 17. Originally set for March 18, the events were moved due to predictions of inclement weather.

The day of indoor and outdoor games pit the Navy Team against the Gold Team. The grade level teams compete in activities all over campus including kickball, scooter races, three-legged races, scavenger hunts and more. Lunch was enjoyed outdoors on the Quad for the older students. Nancy’s Italian Ice provided sweet treats for all.

After lunch, the entire school came together on the football field for a number of culminating activities. The afternoon activities include the Sponge Soaker Relay, 5th grade tug of war, 8th grade tug of war, and senior tug of war. Each grade competed in one final event to see whether Gold or Navy would finish the year on top. This year Gold won with an overall score of 72 to 70. It was a great day of outdoor fun and comradery among the student body!

Seniors Ellie Welch and Chelsea Johnson and their K5 buddy Kimora Ross enjoy Nancy’s Italian Ice between events.

Several Montgomery Public Schools students were recognized for winning The City of Montgomery’s art contest designed to commemorate Rosa Parks. Students created a birthday card for Parks with a message they would share if she were alive today.

The City Council celebrated the winners at its monthly meeting. The winners are:

Grades K-6 1st place – Aubrey Rose, Bear Exploration (2nd grade); 2nd place – Josiah Monson, Baldwin Magnet (6th grade); 3rd place – Elena Olson Shimp, Baldwin Magnet (6th grade); and Honorable mention – Quinstasia Shuford, Fitzpatrick Elementary (4th grade).

Grades 7-12 1st place – Jade Price, Baldwin Magnet (7th grade); 2nd place – Hayun Park, Baldwin Magnet (8th grade); 3rd place – Jiyu Lee, Baldwin Magnet (8th grade); and Honorable mention – Diane Lee, Baldwin Magnet (8th grade)

Grades K-12 Digital contest 1st place – Margaret Lewis, Carver Elementary (2nd grade); 2nd place – Vashiyah Roberson, Booker T. Washington, (10th grade); and 3rd place – Da’Nadia Ross, Booker T. Washington (12th grade).

Alabama Consortium for Technology in Education (ACTE) spring competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their technology skills in many forms. First- and second-place winners qualify to go on to State ACTE in April. The competition was virtual this year and met one-on-one online to present to the judges. All Middle and Upper School students qualified for state.

Montgomery Academy winners in the Video Production (Level 3) category include: Davis Philhower and John Harris Taylor (1st, group); and Ian Farley and Sid Spear (2nd, group).

Animation (Level 3) category winners are: Freddy Hunt (1st, ind.); Eric Bailey and Oliver Steen (1st, group).

Digital Game Design (Level 3) winners are: Drew Phenix (1st, ind.) and Duncan Serrill (2nd, ind.).

Multidimensional Design (Level 3) winners include: Bea Farley and Anne Emery Smith (1st, group).

Computer Programming (Level 3) winner is: Rob Ashworth (1st, ind.)

Productivity Design (Level 3) winner is: Maggie Whitt (1st, ind.)

Robotics (Level 3) winners are: Aiden J. Haecker and Viplove Sharma (1st, group)

Hardware Modification (Level 3) winner is: Adarriah Wright (1st, ind.)

Digital Art (Level 3) winners are: Anton Yang (1st, ind.) and Apollo Avezzano (2nd, ind.)

Multidimensional Design (Level 4) winner is: Jocelyn Gleason (1st, ind.)

Digital Game Design (Level 5) winners include: Picasso Avezzano and Charles Norris (2nd, group)

Computer Programming (Level 5) winners include: Ted Lee (2nd, ind.)

On February 25, Montgomery Christian School girls in grades four and five attended Alabama Department of Education’s GEMS event. GEMS (Girls Engaged in Math and Science) was held at Alabama Nature Center-Lanark, where the girls got to see other schools’ science projects, heard from Miss Alabama Lauren Bradford, took part in a nature hike to the aquatic roundup and saw a live animal presentation.

The Alabama Christian Academy junior class spent its service day at the Montgomery Zoo. Activities included storing Christmas decorations, raking and bagging leaves, laying mulch, and cleaning the display cabinets and floors of the Mann Wildlife Museum. The zoo personnel commented that we were one of the most fun and hardworking volunteer groups they have worked with! We appreciate these students and staff who spread ACA’s serving spirit wherever they go.

More than 100 high school students at Trinity Presbyterian School made up the cast and crew of the spectacular play Newsies! The spring musical was performed for three nights with audiences filled with parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches and friends.

In 1784, the English mathematician George Atwood created a machine to verify the mechanical laws of motion with constant acceleration. In 2022, Ms. Anderson’s Montgomery Academy Honors Physics class is using the same type of machine in their lab work to study Newton’s Second Law of motion, but now using a Smart Pulley, a photogate, and a computer to record their data and results.

The Alabama Nature Center’s Nature on Wheels visited The School at Sylvan recently. Middle-schoolers participated in an interactive, in-school field trip about reptiles and amphibians of Alabama and were able to experience live animal encounters. This supported their unit of study on characteristic animal behaviors.

From left are the Montgomery Academy choral students who traveled to Birmingham for the Alabama Music Educator’s Association All-State Festival: Lilly Crawford, Avery Williford, Sarah Stevens, Charles Norris, Carlyle Chandler, Katie Brown, Sadie Sease and Isabella Carnes. The All-State Choral Festival is a three-day event that culminates in a professionally recorded concert. The Festival is an opportunity for students with outstanding ability and initiative to receive public recognition, to sing under the direction of nationally recognized choral clinicians, and to perform choral literature of the highest quality.

Macon East Academy announces 14 new inductees into the National Honor Society. New members received their certificate of accomplishment from NHS advisor Raymond Clinton. The following students in 10th-12th grades were inducted: Sidney Brown, Jameson Byrom, Kaiden Byrom, Will Dekle, Pressley Graham, Hannah Ray Hubbard, Ethan Jones, Dalton Nickles, Kacy Rutland, Jacob Simpson, Barret Spaeth, Gabe Spencer, Tanner Surles, and Anna Watson. Serving as officers for the national honor society are: Rachel Major (President), Sawyer Nelson (Vice President), Tyler Brown (Treasurer), Ali Churchwell and Jack Jones (Chaplains).

Trinity third-grade students read to kindergarten students as they celebrated “Read Across America” Week. This was the highlight of the kindergarteners’ day!

Jeff Davis High welcomed back former Lady Volunteer and current WNBA player Jasmine Walker for a jersey retirement celebration at the school.

Walker led JD to state championships in 2015 and 2016; was named the 2016 Gatorade State Player of the Year and the 2016 USA Today Alabama Player of the Year; and was the first MPS student ever to be named Alabama Miss Basketball.

She went on to lead the University of Alabama to its first NCAA tournament berth in 22 years. In 2021, she was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Sparks.

During February, the Robin Goodfellow Chapter of the National English Honor Society conducted a book drive to help Valiant Cross Academy bolster its middle and high school libraries. Hundreds of books were donated— by far the most successful book drive Montgomery Academy’s English Honor Society has ever sponsored. Key to its success were the efforts of Society President Mary Evelyn McLemore. McLemore worked with Society members, MA students, and Valiant Cross Academy administration in planning and conducting the book drive. Many thanks to Connie Johnson and H.E.A.R.T., as well as the English Honor Society leadership and membership in helping make this year’s drive a tremendous success.

The Montgomery Academy has appointed Katie Lavelle as Middle School Director, effective July 1. Lavelle’s appointment was the result of a national search that took into consideration input from The Montgomery Academy school community including students, parents and faculty.

Lavelle currently serves as the seventh-grade dean and a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, where she has served for the past nine years. Prior to her position at Holton-Arms, Lavelle taught math and served as a Technology Integration Specialist at the Westminster Schools of Atlanta for eight years, where she was the recipient of the Alumni Fellow Award for Distinguished Teaching and the William A. Parker Award for Exceptional Service. Before shifting careers into the world of education, Lavelle was an accountant for Ernst & Young. She holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Georgia.

“I’m thrilled to have Katie Lavelle join our senior leadership team at MA,” said Head of School John McWilliams. “She brings tremendous experience as an educator and a school leader at several outstanding independent schools across the country.  She has demonstrated a passion for working with middle schoolers, and I look forward to seeing how she will build on the excellent work that continues to be done by our dedicated faculty, staff and administrators in the Middle School at MA.”

Lavelle added, “I am so excited to be joining The Montgomery Academy community! Throughout this entire process, I was impressed by everyone I met: the faculty, parents, administrators and students. The warmth, sense of community, commitment to excellence, and student focus was evident in every interaction I had.”

Downtown Montgomery has a plethora of learning opportunities, and the Honors English 9 class from Alabama Christian Academy took advantage of them recently. On March 2, the students began their day by visiting the Civil Rights Memorial and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church before taking a drive through downtown Montgomery identifying the civil rights plaques. This was followed by a morning spent at the Legacy Museum, lunch in The Alley, and an afternoon visit to the Peace and Justice Memorial. The field trip brought reality to their study of the literary classic To Kill a Mockingbird as well as Just Mercy, authored by Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.

During the weekend of February 18-19, three members of the Saint James Marching Trojans performed as part of the District VI Honor Band hosted at Auburn High School. Saint James high school students Matthew Ohliger and Rose Statam, shown above, along with middle school student Matthew Baker, performed alongside students from all over the district.

Saint James School offers a number of summer opportunities for the children of the River Region. From Sports Camps to Camp STJ, students can find activities and experiences for the summer months.

Camp STJ is a childcare option for parents with a limited number of slots available to the wider Montgomery community. It is for children entering K3 through 5th grades.

STJ Sports Camps are available throughout the summer. Offered by Saint James coaches, the camps work on skills for the various sports. Camps are divided by age groups.

For girls, Saint James offers camps for basketball May 31-June 3; soccer June 14-16; softball June 20-23; volleyball July 5-7; and cheer July 25-27.

For boys, camps offered will be baseball June 6-9; basketball June 13-16; wrestling June 20-22; and football July 25-27.

For more information about all of these camps, the age groups served, and registration, please visit stjmontgomery.org/admissions/summer-camps.

Montgomery Academy celebrated Black History Month with several events during February. Students and teachers attended a movie night to see Hidden Figures sponsored by the History & English Honor Society and Culture Awareness Society. Upper School students Jai Ivy Raines, Claire Gary, Cydney Pepple, Chelsea Trimble and Zoe Zink created “A Gallery Walk – Black Excellence on Display” that showcased the contributions of famous black historical figures in the arts, technology & engineering, and science & math. All Middle and Upper School students visited the exhibition during their history and English classes.

Eastwood Christian School students Sarah Stephens, Nini Hodges and Caroline MacLeod participated in the Boykin Piano Festival, which took place at BTW Magnet High School February 12. All three students received double “O” ratings (OUTSTANDING) for performance and theory, which is the top score. They each performed two memorized pieces with contrasting styles. The theory component consisted of playing the scale and cadence in the key signature for each piece.

Stephens was also chosen as an Honor Student, which allowed her to play in the Boykin Honor Recital February 13 at Dalraida Baptist Church. She was one of 21 students chosen for the Honor Recital.  Around 225 piano students from Montgomery and the surrounding area competed in the Boykin Piano Festival this year.