Every month we compile a list of students doing great things across the River Region. We have so many talented students in our area. River Region Parents joins with their families and schools to celebrate their achievements!
PCA Student Scores 1000th Career Point
Avery Rogers ’24 scored her 1,000th varsity career point during the Jack Schweers Capital City Classic basketball tournament last week, joining an elite group of Panther student-athletes to surpass this milestone.
PCA Juniors Write Novels
PCA juniors Matthew Post, Noble Hudson, Sydney Lee, Avery Rogers, Danielle Scott, and Sarah Birchmeier, as a part of a Troy University dual enrollment English class, wrote 50,000-word novels during November’s National Novel Writing Month.
The Stand for Freedom: Loki Mulholland's Campus Visit to PCA
Virginia native Loki Mulholland, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, and activist, recently spoke on campus about his experiences growing up as the son of civil rights icon Joan Mulholland. He has a passion for unity of all people groups through education and has spoken all over the country on the topic of current race relations and the Civil Rights movement, employing his mother’s incredible story to inspire and incite change among communities.
Loki used his mother’s experiences and his perspective as Joan Mulholland’s son to educate students on the violent history that, for many years, was happening on the doorsteps of our communities. His educational approach to some of the key events during the Civil Rights Movement was presented as a reminder to the next generation of family and community leaders to continue holding tight to God’s command to love others through the words of Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 25:40.
“Doing nothing is not an option.” – Joan Mulholland
This is an excerpt of full article written by Genesis Russell ’24, Journalism Student
PIS Resource Round-Up Keeps Parents Informed & Prepared for ACAP
On Tuesday, February 7th Prattville Intermediate school welcomed parents and students to don their favorite college gear and join together to enjoy pizza, comradery, and ACAP support at the Resource Round-Up. Teachers prepared and shared wonderful materials and sat one-on-one with parents and students to discuss and answer questions.
Coach Staggs Celebrates 200th Dual-Match Career Win as PCA’S First and Only Wrestling Coach
Coach Staggs just celebrated his 200th dual-match career win as one of the highlights of his more than two decades of coaching. His passion for wrestling wasn’t an overnight phenomenon but a love of the sport that pulses through every fiber of his being.
Except for PCA’s first wrestling season, there has been at least one individual state qualifier every year, and several have placed in the state tournament. These program gains aren’t the results of one coach but a team of coaches who desire to see the sport thrive on campus and in the local area. “I could not have the impact I do without the help of Jason Furr and Robert Holt,” said Coach Staggs.
Like any head coach, he wants to keep growing the program and raise the competition within it. Every season they work toward developing top-notch student-athletes with the goal of winning a state championship. He would also like to start a youth program on campus. He wants to share his love of wrestling with future student-athletes by building a brotherhood of camaraderie, trust, and others-first attitude, showcasing the sport’s developmental benefits, and making young men physically and mentally tougher.
Congratulations, Coach Staggs!
PIS 6th Grader Wins Autauga County Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Prattville Intermediate School 6th Grader C. Vest, who won the Autauga County Spelling Bee on Thursday, February 9th! C. Vest also serves as the PIS Jr. Beta Club President.
PCA Opens New Weight Room with Community Ribbon Cutting
Prattville Christian Academy continues to celebrate its milestone 25th anniversary school year by unveiling the campus’ newest facility, a weight room for Panther student-athletes. The 40’ x 80’ climate-controlled building is the new home for PCA’s approximately 240 student-athletes in grades 7-12 to condition year-round. The new building also allows the “dome” – PCA’s original weight room – to be used as a flexible space for various groups. The covered and enclosed dome is a much-needed area for lower school PE classes and recess times on cold or rainy school days.
The capital project was truly a grassroots effort by so many people as evidenced by the donor wall hanging in the space as an appreciation for the time, material, talents, and money given to benefit current and future students. This facility would not exist without the dozens of parents, community members, contractors, coaches, and PCA’s Booster Club who were dedicated to finishing the multi-year project. Championing this dream after multiple setbacks, including COVID and the subsequent materials shortage, was no small feat. Kenny Gunn, active parent and Booster Club board member, was instrumental in pushing the project across the finish line. He was presented a special token of the school’s appreciation during the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce’s ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this month.
“Thank you for showing your support of this new building,” said Katie Furr, PCA’s head of school. “We are so grateful to our PCA families and community members who do so much for our school.”
ECTC Med Science Students Visit Southern Union
Medical Sciences students from ECTC visited Southern Union Community College to learn about their Health Sciences program and tour the campus speaking with faculty and learning about scholarship opportunities.
ECTC Welding School Enjoys Special Guest
Welding students at ECTC heard from a guest speaker from Tulsa Welding School during CTE Month. He presented information to the classes about the workforce, described how employees must be motivated to excel and advance, and offered options for furthered education and future employment.
Area Homeschoolers Demonstrate “CAN-DO” Attitude
Homeschool students at Academy Days Co-op in Millbrook delivered 270 canned items to Millbrook’s Welcome Inc., a food bank which serves West Elmore County families in need. The homeschoolers represent 60 families in the tri-county area who participate in the homeschool co-op held weekly during the school year at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery. Academy Days Co-op offers preschool through high school classes in subjects such as science labs, literature, foreign languages, creative writing, art, and PE. Visit AcademyDays.com for more information.
Tie-Tying Workshop at ECTC
Public Safety and Law students at the Elmore County Technical Center are learning about the importance of proper uniform attire, so they participated in a tie-tying workshop recently to ensure all were prepared.
ECTC Med Science Students Learn Intubation
Medical Sciences students at ECTC have been working on intubation, telling military time, and cleaning/changing patient diapers. They are preparing to use all their skills learned in class when they enter the workforce and further educational opportunities.
Pine Level Students Learning Greek Mythology
Students in Mrs. Shavers’ 4th grade class at Pine Level Elementary School have been learning about Greek Mythology. They specifically have been learning about allusions to Greek Mythology in literature. Students worked in groups to create a tableau, or still scene, to portray a common allusion to Greek Mythology. Students created props, practiced their scenes, and then presented them. Their classmates then guessed which allusion and myth they were portraying. Everyone had fun and learned so much!
Pictured is a group portraying the story of snake-haired Medusa turning people to stone with just one look. This is where we get the common allusion “if looks could kill”.
Wetumpka Elementary School 100th Day
Wetumpka Elementary celebrated 100 days of school with fun classroom activities, dressing up as 100 year olds and Family Math Night.
ECTC January Student of the Month
ECTC’s January 2023 Student of the Month is Parker from Wetumpka High who is in the Public Safety & Law Program. Parker is pictured with CTE Director, Emilie Johnson, and instructor, Fitzgerald Sheppard.
Tallassee's Show Choirs Show Out!
The show choirs of Tallassee High School had another great weekend, this time at the Southern Showcase in Opelika. Keep in mind, we are the smallest school to participate in these events – most are 7A and 6A size high schools. This made it even more amazing that we had a student recognized in a very special way!
Sarah Jane Patterson of Tallassee Voltage was “Best Soloist” Grand Champion at the competition!
Tallassee Voltage won 2nd Place in the Small Mixed category.
SMALL MIXED CHOIR RESULTS:
(1) Chelsea High School “Out of the Blue”
(2) Tallassee High School “Voltage” [Directors: Kelley Hill & Michael Bird; Choreographers: Megan Watkins Schaffner & Santana Shelton Houston]
(3) Pell City High School “ShowStoppers”
MEN’S DIVISION RESULTS:
(1) Auburn High School “Men at Work”
(2) Tift County High School “Tiftosterone”
(3) Tallassee High School “Gold Edition” [Director: Michael Bird; Choreographer: Amanda Norfleet Glasscock]
Tallassee “Divas” were in 6th place. [Director: Kelley Hill; Choreographer: Santana Shelton Houston]
These three show choirs are but a part of our music program at Tallassee High School. 206 students from all parts of the school participate in Choir and Band at THS.
RES Fun with Rocks
The 4th graders at RES explored how rocks form with some yummy treats!
Prattville High Student Named a National Merit Finalist
Inman Hebert has been identified as a Finalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Inman is one of approximately 15,000 Finalists in the 68th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship, Inman fulfilled several requirements to advance to the finalist level of competition and more than the half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. He will be notified in March whether or not he will receive one of the 7,250 Nation Merit Scholarships worth $28,000,000.
Inman is a senior at Prattville High School. He is involved in the band, where he plays the mellophone during marching season and the French Horn in concert season. He has represented PHS as a member of the both the All-State Band and Orchestra. Inman is also a member of the French Club and the National Honor Society. Inman wants to attend the University of Chicago to major in political science. His dream is to work abroad for the State Department as a diplomat. His other college choices are the University of Virginia, the University of Texas in Austin, the University of Alabama, Illinois, and the Indiana Jacobs School of Music. His hobbies are playing chess and being a part of the Pride of Prattville Marching Band.
Pictured (L-R Inman Hebert and PHS Principal, Daniel Farris)
