This just in...from MPS | News

This Just In…

For the week of January 7-11, 2013

Congratulations go to Lee High students Markese Manora and Anthony Thomas who were selected for the Alabama All State Choral Festival. They were given 6-7 choral pieces to learn, one in a foreign language, and a CD to assist them. These young men will represent Lee in the Tenor/Bass Men’s Choir at Samford University in March. The 200-voice choir will be comprised of young men from around the state.

Kudos go to kindergarten and second grade students from Dunbar-Ramer for participating in the Student Government Association Thanksgiving Basket Contest. Kindergarten students won first place and second grade students won third place in the contest. These students donated their winning baskets to the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham in honor of all the families and students within the MPS system who receive treatment at the hospital.

MacMillan International Academy at McKee’s faculty was trained on their newly installed SMART Boards. Teachers are eager to use this technology in the classroom.

Congratulations go to the MPS Educational Technology Department for receiving a $21,000 grant from the Montgomery Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). Steve Blair wrote a grant which was selected to receive AFCEA’s Chapter Initiative Award of $20,000 to fund the purchase of 33 iPads and associated peripherals and mobile device software for three schools: Georgia Washington Middle, Goodwyn Middle, and Lee High. Last month, AFCEA awarded Dunbar-Ramer Principal Rod Sellers a $1,000 to purchase iPads for the school.

Kudos go to students who won the Career Tech “Careers at Christmas” Ornament Contest. The K-5 winners are: Dalen Henderson, Blount Elementary; Sarah Guilford, Bear Exploration Center; and Zach Underwood, Bear Exploration Center. Winners in the 6-8 category are: Shakia Johnson, Anthony Jordan, and La’Jaevain Patterson, Dunbar-Ramer. The winners in the 9-12 category are: Nautia Sparks, Jakobi James, and Doug Brown, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High.

Wilson Elementary has a dedicated classroom for a Sensory Integration Lab, thanks to the Auburn University at Montgomery Outreach Grant awarded in 2011. Through sensory integration, anxiety levels, over-stimulation, avoidance of people, lack of interest in the environment, transition difficulties, and the highs and lows of behavior can be addressed and lessened. Partnering with the Auburn Montgomery School of Education program of Special Education, teachers Elisabeth Newell and Lauren Breeding researched and equipped a lab for their students with autism as well as a learning environment for future special educators.

Lee High’s Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG) program sponsored the “Share the Love” fundraiser to help provide meals at Faith Rescue Mission during the holiday season. Over 250 hot meals were served due to the $522.71 donation made by students, teachers, and staff. Sixty-three homerooms participated in this year’s event and only 70 cents separated the top two homerooms. Denise Bedolla’s homeroom donated $42.15 and Tikia Young’s homeroom $41.45 leading the way in contributions. Sixteen other homerooms donated $10 or more.

Brewbaker Intermediate Character Trait Wall Decoration winners are Amber Tuberville’s third grade class, Katina Timmon’s fourth grade class, and Veronica Stinson’s fifth grade class.

Congratulations go to fifth grade students at Catoma Elementary in Victoria Reese and Nancy Lowery’s classes for achieving Master Class status through Renaissance Learning.

Kudos go to Brewbaker Technology Magnet High’s Advertising Design Academy Skills USA, student organization for adopting two families for Christmas. The academy worked with the Montgomery Christmas Clearing House to select their families. Walt Thomas is the teacher for the Advertising Design Academy.

Kudos go to fourth grade students at Vaughn Road Elementary in Alicia Bell’s class for achieving their nine week goals in Accelerated Reading.

Montgomery Public Schools winter magnet application process is now open. The deadline to turn in applications is Tuesday, January 22, 2013. The transcript deadline is Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Notification of acceptance status for kindergarten and first grade will be February 8, 2013. Grades 2-5 notification of acceptance status will be March 8, 2013. Middle school and high school notification of acceptance status will be March 8, 2013.

Monday, January 7

Montgomery Public Schools Career Academies application period opens and applications will be accepted through March 8, 2013. The academies include Health Science, Teaching, Advanced Manufacturing, Hospitality & Tourism, Law & Public Safety, Business & Finance and Information Technology. The career academies combine hands-on training with core academic courses, internships, dual enrollment and professional experiences. Students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to fulfill college or technical school entrance requirements, receive industry certification or immediately move into the workforce after graduation.

Tuesday, January 8

Bellingrath Middle’s basketball teams will play at Capitol Heights Middle. Carr Middle’s basketball teams will play at McKee Middle. Georgia Washington Middle’s basketball teams will play at Goodwyn Middle. Dunbar-Ramer’s basketball teams will play at Brewbaker Middle. Floyd Middle’s basketball teams will play at Southlawn Middle. Seventh grade boys play at 4:45 p.m.; girls at 6 p.m.; and eighth grade boys at 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, January 10

Brewbaker Middle’s basketball teams will play at Carr Middle. Bellingrath Middle’s basketball teams will play at Southlawn Middle. McKee Middle’s basketball teams will play at Georgia Washington Middle. Capitol Heights Middle’s basketball teams will play at Dunbar-Ramer. Goodwyn Middle’s basketball teams will play at Floyd Middle. Seventh grade boys play at 4:45 p.m.; girls at 6 p.m.; and eighth grade boys at 7:15 p.m.

Friday, January 11

Booker T. Washington Magnet High will present Showcase 2013, at 7 p.m. at the Davis Theatre. A $5 donation is suggested.

This Just In…is a weekly publication of the MPS Communication Office. Events are submitted to the Communication Office by schools and are subject to change.