Wallace State Community College Physical Therapist Assistant students work on skills required to treat patients. Physical Therapist Assistant is of the nation’s fastest growing occupations projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and one of several occupations taught at Wallace State to make a list compiled recently by the Wall Street Journal. Using information provided by the Dale Carnegie Training Global Leadership Study and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Wall Street Journal compiled lists that include the projected growth of employment from 2014 through 2024 and the median annual wage for each occupation in 2015.

HANCEVILLE - Based on an article published by The Wall Street Journal, Wallace State Community College can be the starting point for people seeking to take advantage of opportunities in what are expected to be the fastest-growing occupations in the nation and the occupations expected to have the most new jobs over the next several years. The publication recently listed the top five fastest-growing occupations in the nation and the top five occupations with the most new jobs. Among the occupations mentioned in both lists, Wallace State Community College offers certificates, degrees and non-credit certification options for almost all of them.

Its list of Fastest-Growing Occupations included:

1. Wind turbine service technicians; 108 percent growth; $51,050 median annual salary
2. Occupational Therapy Assistants; 43 percent growth; $57,870 median annual salary
3. Physical Therapist Assistants; 41 percent growth; $55,120 median annual salary
4. Physical Therapist Aides, 39 percent growth; $25,120 median annual salary
5. Home Health Aides, 38 percent growth; $21,920 median annual salary

While Wallace State does not have a course dedicated to wind turbine service technicians, its Electronics Technology program can provide the knowledge and skills used in the occupation. “The skills overlap,” said Electronics Technology instructor Michael Johnson. Due to the nature of the business, the states with the highest number of employment include California, Texas and Minnesota, followed by North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa.

The next four on the list are all taught at Wallace State either through its Health Science programs or the Continuing Education department.

Wallace State’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) and Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs both have high marks in successful completion for its graduates, with both boasting 100 percent pass rates on their licensure exams.

The OTA and PTA programs are five-semester programs, with each offering an Associate in Applied Science degree. The first two semesters are pre-requisite courses that can be taken before applying to the program. The final three semesters consist of the professional components of the program. A new cohort starts each fall for both programs, with applications accepted April 1 through June 1 for entry into the program.

Wallace State’s Continuing Education department offers non-credit courses for both physical therapist aides and home healthcare aides. The Physical Therapy Aide course is a 50-hour course; it does not include national or state certification. The Home Healthcare Aide course is an 80-hour course and prepares students to sit for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice Home Care Aide Certification examination.

The list for Occupations with the Most New Jobs included:

1. Personal Care Aides; 26 percent growth; $20,980 median annual salary
2. Registered Nurses; 16 percent growth; $67,490 median annual salary
3. Home Health Aides; 38 percent growth; $21,920 median annual salary
4. Food preparation and serving workers; 11 percent growth; $18,910 median annual salary
5. Retail salesperson; 6.8 percent growth; $21,780 median annual salary

Personal Care Aides fall in the same realm as Home Health Aides, therefore the Home Healthcare Aide course through Continuing Education could be a source for training.

Wallace State’s nursing program is one of the best in the nation. The WSCC Department of Nursing Education earned the distinction of being named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing through 2020, and graduating classes consistently achieve high pass rates – well above the national average – on their licensure exams.

Wallace State offers a five-semester associate degree program for registered nursing, with an option of sitting for the practical nursing license exam at the completion of the third semester. Applications for Fall 2017 admission will be taken from March 15 through May 15.

Wallace State’s Culinary Arts program offers a five-semester associate degree program, as well as an advanced certificate (4 semesters) and a short certificate (2 semesters) for those looking to become cooks, chefs and food preparation workers.

Registration for Spring 2017 is currently under way. Classes begin Jan. 4, with registration continuing through Jan. 10. Go to www.wallacestate.edu/register-now to register for classes. For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256-352-8000.

CULLMAN - The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)-established system to monitor the academic achievement of all of Alabama's public schools is called the Alabama Accountability System (AAS). The AAS recently released the long-awaited and controversial 2015-2016 ALSDE “A-F Report Card,” albeit without letter grades assigned. There is a website, however, where parents can see percentile results by state, school district and school: https://ap.alsde.edu/accountability/atof.

Alabama State Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance is a vocal opponent of letter grades for schools. Back in November, after working with lawmakers, the state board of education approved revised rules to get the grading system, which is state law, implemented. The revision tabled the A-F letter grades for 2015-2016, but left the delivery of all of the data intact. That data is what has been released. At the end of 2017, however, letter grades are expected to be assigned.

The official purpose of the AAS reads:

"Alabama ACT No. 2012-402, requires the State Superintendent of Education to develop a school grading system reflective of school and district performance. Alabama's goal is to provide another transparent layer of accountability as it relates to Elementary and Secondary education in the State.

This law requires the state to use state-authorized assessments and other key performance indicators that give a total profile of the school or school system, or both, a school’s grade, at a minimum shall be based on a combination of student achievement scores, achievement gap, college and career readiness, learning gains, and other indicators as determined by the State Superintendent of Education to impact student learning and success."

For this report card, AAS rated schools and school systems with a percentile score based on the following:

1. Learning Gains (for schools that have no grade 12) - Determined based on individual students who demonstrate improvement in reading/math from one year to the next using multiple years of data.
2. Student Achievement- Determined based on the percentage of proficient students in the area of reading/math utilizing assessments in tested grades.
3. Graduation Rate (for schools that have grade 12) - Determined based on the percentage of high school students who graduate within 4 or 5 years of first entering the 9th grade.
4. Local Indicators- Created by individual schools, approved by the ALSDE and required to be tied to student outcomes.

According to the ALSDE, the 2017 report card will also include data on learning gains for schools that include grade 12, attendance, achievement gaps and college and career readiness indicators.

It should be noted that the gains and achievement categories focus specifically on reading and mathematics skills, and do not directly reflect a school's performance in sciences, social studies, athletics, arts, etc.

This year’s findings for Cullman County and City Schools are eye-opening.  Both systems, as collective wholes, exceeded overall state scores; the real story is in the details of individual schools. 

“Cullman City Schools continues to have outstanding success in our students' achievement. Our scores are a reflection of the dedicated work our staff and students do as well as the committed support of our parents and community,” said Cullman City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Susan Patterson. “Our focus will continue to be on daily providing the learning gains our students need to ensure they graduate with character, citizenship and scholarship that will make them successful. This focus is much more than a score, it is the foundation of our school system's vision and the expectation of our community.”

“The Alabama State Department of Education did release a portion of the school report card that they are developing.  It is not complete and it does not assign letter grades as of yet,” said Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette. “While I am not satisfied with our overall achievement, I am optimistic about our improvement and our upward trend.  When compared to other districts of similar size and demographics we continue to be one of the leaders.  While much of this report card data is based on one test, it is important to know that the success of students from Cullman County will always be determined by much more than one score. Cullman County Schools are doing many wonderful things that could never be measured by one test.”      

Following is an alphabetical listing of all public schools in Cullman County, with the exception of West Elementary, which is listed with its sister school, East Elementary, under Cullman.  All point values represent percentages.  For obvious reasons, elementary and middle schools have no graduation rates.  High schools did not display learning gains.

State of Alabama--Learning Gains: 89.08 / Student Achievement: 59.27 / Graduation Rate: 89

School Name                            Learning Gains    Student Achievement    Graduation Rate

State of Alabama............................89.08........................59.27..............................89

Cold Springs Elementary                 88.3                          63.37                             NA

Cold Springs High                            NA                           38.06                              87

Cullman Middle...............................100...........................86.51.............................NA

Cullman High                                   NA                           71.31                              94

East Elementary                              96.63                        87.39                             NA

West Elementary                             98.38                        83.67                             NA

Fairview Elementary........................ 83.13........................57.58.............................NA

Fairview Middle                               98.41                        74.91                             NA

Fairview High                                   NA                           33.61                             96

Good Hope Elementary....................89.27........................68.2...............................NA

Good Hope Middle                           89.28                        65.29                             NA

Good Hope High                               NA                           32.8                               89

Hanceville Elementary.....................76.42.........................57.4..............................NA

Hanceville Middle                            96.68                        64.01                            NA

Hanceville High                                NA                           38.58                            87

Harmony School                               69.5                          49.13                            NA

Holly Pond Elementary.....................88.7.........................73.47............................NA

Holly Pond Middle                           98.64                        66.8                              NA

Holly Pond High                               NA                           29.17                            91

Parkside Elementary                         100                          74.13                            NA

Vinemont Elementary.......................94.44........................69.18............................NA

Vinemont Middle                              96.08                        69.77                            NA

Vinemont High                                  NA                           39.67                            89

Welti Elementary                               100                          76.75                            NA

West Point Elementary..................not available................69.79............................NA

West Point Intermediate                    79.89                        61.21                           NA

West Point Middle                             94.67                       66.56                            NA

West Point High                                 NA                          41.91                            93

The top performing schools in Learning Gains:

• Elementary - Parkside and Welti tied, with a perfect 100
• Middle - Cullman, with a perfect 100

The top performing schools in Student Achievement:

• Elementary - East, with 87.39
• Middle - Cullman, with 86.51
• High - Cullman, with 71.31

The top performing high school in Graduation Rate:

• Fairview, with 96

The poorest performing school in Learning Gains:

• Both Elementary and Middle - Harmony, with 69.5 (Harmony is a combined K-8 school, and scored lower than any other school in either category.)

The poorest performing schools in Student Achievement:

• Both Elementary and Middle - Harmony, with 49.13
• High - Holly Pond, with 29.17

The poorest performing high schools in Graduation Rate:

• Cold Springs and Hanceville tied, with 87

When each school's two categories are added up for an overall score, the two top performers are both in the Cullman City system: No. 1 Cullman Middle School and No. 2 East Elementary School.

West Point Elementary School is at the bottom of the list, due to an incomplete report.  Holly Pond High School and Harmony School scored lowest among those schools with complete reports.

Data from https://ap.alsde.edu/accountability/atof and https://www.alsde.edu/

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Team members include (left to right) Alex Millwood, Seth Campbell, Leigh Ann Smithson, Mykenzie Lamb, Miguel Perales and Damon Gustafson.  Their teacher is Shannon Bridges.

VINEMONT - A group of Vinemont High School students took first place in a portion of a NASA-themed competition at the University of Alabama in Huntsville recently. Students from Alabama high schools compete in UAH’s InSPIRESS program twice a year.

The InSPIRESS competition has three different categories: Open House, Final Review and Final Paper. While there is an overall winner – which Vinemont has won in the past – Vinemont came away with first place in the Final Review.

InSPIRESS, the Innovative System Project for the Increased Recruitment of Emerging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Students, is an outreach project that provides the opportunity for high school students to develop and design a scientific payload to be accommodated on a spacecraft which is designed by undergraduate students from UAH. InSPIRESS teams compete for selection by the undergraduate engineering teams.

Students are given a topic by representatives from UAH, which must be researched and designed. Students then present resolutions to NASA officials and receive practice and application experience while researching real-life problems and answers related to features in outer space.

The students at Vinemont High School named their team ICON, which stands for Investigating Carbon on Neptune, the subject location for this year’s competition.

The schools use the weeks leading up to the competition to research and prepare to present their research. The different schools decide what to research and how they will go about researching. The entire project is theoretical, but the students use actual data recorded by NASA for their calculations.

According to Shannon Bridges, the science and physics teacher who leads the InSPIRESS program at Vinemont High, in previous years the winner of the Final Review portion has been awarded a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the NASA headquarters to give their presentation to a team there.

Bridges allows the students in her class to work on their InSPIRESS project in the classroom. She weaves the subject matter of the class’ textbook with the project, which gives the students a chance to experience scientific concepts in action.

Vinemont has been competing in the InSPIRESS competition since it began in 2009.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reservved.

Melanie Patterson worked in the newspaper industry for 20 years before deciding to enroll in Wallace State’s Welding program in 2015.

HANCEVILLE– Maci Key wasn’t sure of the career field she wanted to pursue until Wallace State’s Jonathan Minyard visited her high school to discuss the college’s Machine Tool Technology program.

Meanwhile, Melanie Patterson was ready for a new challenge after working nearly 20 years in the newspaper industry.

Key and Patterson both decided to pave a unique path as women enrolled in Wallace State’s Technical Division programs and haven’t regretted the choice one bit.

As a dual enrollment student, Key, 18, began taking Machine Tool Technology classes at Wallace State during her senior year at Hayden High School.

“I was fascinated by the things Mr. Minyard showed us when he visited my high school. He showed us the different items the program had made, and I was impressed with the attention to detail and how they could take a piece of metal and make something so defined and small,” Key said. “I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do and decided to take a stab at machining. I fell in love with it the first day I walked through the doors.”

Key had no reservations joining a program and profession traditionally dominated by males. Since she began at Wallace State, a healthy rivalry has developed between Key and her male classmates.

“Of course, I get picked on a lot, but it’s all in good fun. If I do anything embarrassing, the guys are definitely going to point it out,” Key joked. “They also don’t like it when I do things better because it makes them look bad.”

Salon and Spa Management, formerly Cosmetology, has traditionally been one of the technical programs most popular among women. Programs like Engineering Technology and Culinary Arts are increasingly popular among both men and women. But other programs, like Machining, Diesel, Welding and the Automotive Technology and Collision Repair have been slower to attract women in large numbers.

Key and Patterson are among the female students at Wallace State bucking the trend.

“It is always special to watch people who are able to fulfill their passion and even more enjoyable when it’s something you see that goes against the grain or what you might expect. It’s gratifying to see females succeed in fields not normally dominated by that gender. It proves again that people can do what they really want to do as long as they set their mind to it,” said Jimmy Hodges, Wallace State’s Dean of Applied Technologies. “I love seeing the females in our programs capitalize on the opportunities presented.”

Added Key: “I think me being in this program shows that it’s all right to step out of the box and try something others may not think we should try. I think women can fit into the technical programs well because they are more detail-oriented than men.”

While Key is in the early stages of her collegiate career, Patterson is nearing completion of her second act at Wallace State.

Patterson, 42, gained nearly two decades worth of experience in the newspaper industry, fulfilling a variety of roles at stops in Cullman, Gardendale and in multiple cities in Colorado, before determining she needed a change in life. Patterson, who also served in the Army Reserve as a military journalist before beginning her newspaper career, chose to enroll in Wallace State’s welding department in the fall of 2015.

Patterson, a Fairview native, wasn’t initially sure which Wallace State program she wanted to enroll in until talking with welding instructor Jim Thompson.

“I wanted to do something different for a long time. When I was a reporter, I loved human interest stories and I would go out and interview mechanics, welders, carpenters or people who worked with their hands and thought how it would be neat to do those things. I loved their environment,” Patterson said. “I looked at the programs at Wallace State and welding did stand out the most, but I wasn’t convinced until talking with Jim. I got into it not knowing if I would truly like it or not. I came in for one semester and told myself if I hated it, there wasn’t too much lost. I absolutely loved it and have ever since.”

Patterson is on track to graduate in May with her degree in welding, making a rare transition from a career in journalism to welding.

Patterson was one of three females in the welding department during the fall semester, and like Key, isn’t uncomfortable pursuing a male-dominated profession.

“I haven’t had a hard time at all. I sort of expected to, but it hasn’t happened whatsoever. It may actually be easier being a female because I’m not expected to know as much as a male might know. I can get away with a dumb question here or there and not get ripped for it,” Patterson said. “I’ve never felt like I’m judged in this program and don’t feel like less or more is expected of me. I feel like I’m on equal footing. I’m a better welder than some people, and I’m a much worse welder than some people. I just try to do my personal best.”

Patterson added that she pondered a welding career upon graduating high school in the 1990’s, but decided to pursue a more conventional career for a female at the time.

“Things are different. There is probably more acceptance now of a female in welding than there might have been 20 years ago. It doesn’t matter who you are. The best thing you can do is follow your dreams and heart and do more than what is expected of you,” Patterson said.

For a list of Wallace State’s Technical Division programs, visit: www.wallacestate.edu/programs/technical-division.

For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.

Maci Key discusses her decision to choose the Wallace State Machine Tool Technology program:

Maci Key works on a machine in the program:

Melanie Patterson discusses her decision to join the Wallace State Welding program:

Shiloh Walker, who describes herself as an introvert, loves her garden, reading and the personalized education that being homeschooled affords her.

CULLMAN - In the Walker household, school attire often consists of pajamas. That’s right, two of the three Walker children are homeschooled, and for them, lessons might start as soon as their feet hit the floor, or later in the morning, after mom, Laura Willingham Walker, has taken their sister, Tekoa, to public school.

“I don’t think that homeschooling is either a right or wrong decision,” said Walker. “It can be decided per kid, per year.”

Laura attended college at Florida University, graduating with a major in biblical studies and a minor in Koine Greek. She knew she wanted to home school her own children long before meeting and marrying their father, Ryan Walker, in 1997. The couple has three children, Shiloh, Tekoa and Jude. When the time came to make the choice about where their children would attend school, Laura had much more enthusiasm for the project than Ryan, who had some reservations, mainly concerning sports and interaction. Ryan, an extremely intelligent jock, wanted his children to experience team sports and other aspects of the high school experience; however, Laura convinced him to let her try.

She was determined to make it work, but a long battle with Lyme disease contributed to the fact that some of her children’s early education was done by Cullman’s public schools because she was extremely ill.

Later, when she was in remission, she picked up the routine, but by that time Tekoa, the middle child, had decidedly blossomed in public school, where she excelled academically while enjoying the social interactions in school. “She is a social butterfly,” laughed Laura.

In summing up their homeschooling experience, Laura reflects that she and her husband knew that one of the perks of homeschooling was the individual attention that each child would benefit from. Other considerations were the protective atmosphere, and the security that homeschooling affords. Laura is also able to interject life and religious lessons and references into her curriculum.

The downside might be, for some children, less socialization; however, the Walkers make sure that their children are well adjusted by scheduling several field trips with other homeschoolers and their families, playing sports in the summer with their peers and taking extracurricular classes, like pottery and art. Their church offers more socialization for the Walkers, who also engage in community outreach programs through organizations like The Link of Cullman County.

One of the best advantages of homeschooling, according to Laura, is that she can focus on what her children need extra attention in, something that is hard for public school teachers to do in a class full of children and a ticking clock. Homeschooling also allows the children to spend more time on the subjects that interest them most.

Seventh-grader Shiloh, for example, enjoys integrating her love of gardening with science classes, and is responsible for maintaining her own greenhouse. An exemplary student, Shiloh never enjoyed the “drama” she says was a part of her public-school experience even in elementary classes.

Jude, a fifth-grader, is easily distracted and benefits from the one-on-one attention, as well as the freedom to learn at his own speed. “He would much rather be out in the woods looking for frogs than in class,” laughed Laura, “but he has also set a goal for himself of finishing before his sister, so that keeps him on task.”

Shiloh and Jude start school at home at 8:30 a.m.; she has four 45-minute sessions, while Jude has five 45-minute sessions. Most of their work is done using workbooks approved for homeschooling curriculums.

Shiloh also takes pottery, cello and piano lessons. Jude builds intricate forts, often mapping them out on paper. “He’s very creative,” Laura observed. “He does well in hands-on projects.”

Meanwhile, Tekoa does stage performances, like the Missoula Children’s Theatre, and is currently in her fifth year with the group.

One of the obvious differences in home and public schooling is that the mothers of homeschooled children, and in some cases, the fathers, have little time to themselves. Laura even works from home, which is easier in her case, because she is an artist. “I used to take my children to the shop, but last year I started working from home, and it’s much better all ‘round,” she said. “The children got too distracted at the shop with people coming in and out.

“One of the best things about having the children schooled at home is that I can see the joy of learning being instilled in them,” Laura observed. “However, all three of our children have chosen their preferred method of learning and it is working well,” she continued. “They are able to identify what their hearts need.

“When people say that they are concerned about their children being socialized in a home environment, I think about some of the things I’ve heard that happen in public schools and I thank God that they are with me at home.”

Laura makes an extra effort to involve her children in the community. “Shiloh helps with food for the sick at church, and Tekoa makes it a point to look for kids who need to be included in school activities,” said Laura.

“I really love the personalization that is part of homeschooling,” said Shiloh. “I get to concentrate on what I am interested in, like gardening and science, that way I can learn what I need to know for later in life.

“There are homeschooling groups available, also, but I love having time to myself to read and do the things I’m interested in; however, the groups suit some people very well,” Shiloh added.

By allowing the children the opportunity to have a say in the way they learn, the Walkers say they are seeing the results- children with impeccable manners, who can carry on adult conversations and are developing their personalities in ways that will benefit not only themselves, but the communities in which they will live and serve.

The Walkers will be the first to tell you that homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but if you can identify your child’s needs, and you are financially and emotionally disciplined enough to handle homeschooling, they contend that it does provide an alternative to private or public, city or county school systems.  

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The Wallace State-Oneonta welding facility features 10 state-of-the-art booths for its students.

ONEONTA– Wallace State-Oneonta has its first welding classes underway.

The 10-booth welding station at Oneonta features state-of-the-art Lincoln Electric equipment. Like in Hanceville, welding students spend part of the day in the classroom and the other half working in the welding lab.

“The welding classes are going great so far. The students enrolled in the program are excited. Welding is a sought after trade, and Blount County has a high rate of people commuting out of town to work in the welding profession,” said Dr. Kelley Jones, the Wallace State-Oneonta director. “We are glad the welding option has come to fruition here.”

Welding students in the Wallace State-Oneonta program can earn an associate’s degree in general technology, a 4-semester certificate or multiple short-term certificates. The program offers training in industrial blueprints, structural and pipe welding symbol interpretation, blueprint reading for fabrication, pipe fitting, weld inspection and weld testing instruction.

“This is a great opportunity to expand the welding program for Wallace State. We are always attracting a lot of students from Blount County, and the Oneonta campus is closer for them to attend,” said Wallace State welding instructor Randy Hammond. “I see it opening up many avenues to students that they otherwise wouldn’t have. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Wallace State’s welding program boasts yearly job placement rates of 100 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, welding students at Wallace State can expect to earn entry-level salaries of up to $40,000 and increasing to $80,000 with just one to two years’ experience.

Wallace State-Oneonta is located off Highway 75 at 728 Second Ave. E., and can be reached at 205-625-4020. You can also visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Wallacestateoneonta/.

For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.

Shane Barnette explains why he feels the state’s “report card” doesn’t tell the whole story.

When you measure a school or a school system, you've got to take into account all the wonderful things that they're doing outside of that one test.”

Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette

 

CULLMAN - The Alabama State Department of Education’s (ALSDE) Alabama Accountability System at the end of December published the long-awaited and controversial 2015-2016 ALSDE “A-F Report Card,” albeit without letter grades assigned. Cullman County Schools as a whole exceeded overall state scores; however, many of the system’s schools did not fare well individually.  

(Visit http://qrne.ws/afreportcard to read more about the report card results. Parents can see percentile results by state, school district and school at https://ap.alsde.edu/accountability/atof.)

The Tribune sat down with Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) Superintendent Shane Barnette to talk about what those results say about county schools, and what they don't say.

What does this the report card tell us about the county schools?

Barnette began, "We are a really good school system.  Compared to surrounding county systems and districts throughout the state similar to our demographics, we continually achieve greater than they do.  But...being good is the worst enemy to being great.  It's very easy to say 'I'm satisfied with being good,' and I'm not."

For Barnette, being able to point elsewhere to systems with lower scores is not a bragging point; but it does put the CCBOE's published results into context.

He continued, "I think we're an exceptional school system, but it does give us room and a target to shoot for.  Is there room for improvement?  Absolutely, and we need to.  The first step in that is to make sure that every single classroom, every single day, there are excellent educational opportunities going on.  Can I say that happens in every classroom every day?  I doubt it, but that's what we're striving to do."

What does the report card not tell us?

Barnette shared, "Many states are moving away from the state-based letter grade report cards, and here we are in Alabama moving toward it, while other states have tried it and it wasn't very successful.  They decided it didn't represent everything they wanted it to represent, so they're moving away from it.  It's based on one score, a lot of it is.  Something we've been trying to do, and having a lot of discussions about in Cullman County, is that a lot of the things we do in Cullman County and are proud of can't be represented by just one test.  Our kids are successful on many levels: we consistently try to educate the whole child.  That will never show up on a report card."

Barnette lists numerous achievements on the part of students, faculty and staff in the county school system, including:

*County Career Center Culinary Arts program ranked first in the state in 2015 and 2016, and ranked top in the nation in 2015.

*Cold Springs FFA string band won state competition and placed fourth in national competition.

*Cold Springs Boys’ Cross Country team was 2015 state champion.

*Two county teams (Team MARE and Team ATTACK) won first place honors in three competitive categories in InSPIRESS (University of Alabama in Huntsville-based program promoting STEM).

*Cullman Area Technology Academy engineering students won first place in UNA's TARC rocketry challenge.

*Career Center Cosmetology and Automotive Service programs ranked first in their fields in TORCH.

*West Point Intermediate School achieved "Lighthouse" status as a "Leader in Me" school.  Lighthouse is the highest status in this student leadership development program sponsored by Franklin Covey, and West Point Intermediate is one of only 260 schools worldwide to have achieved that status.

*Additionally, Barnette shared nine awards to be announced at Thursday’s CCBOE board meeting, which the Tribune will wait until then to publish.

Barnette himself has been named by the Alabama Education Association as the 2016 Alabama Professional Developer of the Year, an award given to principals and superintendents who lead teachers to increase their base of skills and educational strategies.  He points out that the 1,500-member county school workforce is highly qualified.  While only a bachelor's degree is required to teach, CCBOE's roster includes 428 with master's degrees, 13 with doctorates, 67 education specialists and 17 national board-certified employees.

Barnette shared about several programs in the county system that are unique or have received widespread attention:

*The Health Science program at the Career Center is using a virtual reality program created by Tennessee Tech, that allows them to view inside virtual bodies to see how things work, as well as the effects of diseases.  This program was created especially for the CCBOE.

*The CCBOE is working on a partnership with Cullman Regional that will allow Health Science students to participate in clinical rotations at CRMC.  Health Science students will be able to enroll in programs at the Career Center, and graduate from high school already certified in various medical technology fields.  From there, they will be able to transition into advanced programs at Wallace State in Hanceville, or even enter the workforce immediately.

*Through "Fast Track to Industry," CCBOE partners with REHAU to send students to Wallace for both high school and industrial classes.  These students work in paid part-time positions at REHAU, and are guaranteed jobs at the company upon graduation.

*Through the CCBOE academic fast track program, qualifying juniors and seniors can take credit classes at Wallace State, and can potentially receive associate degrees at the same time they graduate from high school.  In A unique pilot program, these students might even qualify for Pell Grants.

*Through dual enrollment, students can complete a year or more of college credits at Wallace State.

*Through a partnership with Wallace State, CCBOE has created a "Fine and Performing Arts Academy."  Students can take courses in art, dance, music, theater and visual communications at Wallace at substantially reduced costs for high school and college credit.

Barnette is realistic; he understands that there is always room for improvement, including within his system.  There's no doubt, though, that he's proud of the big picture he sees.

When asked to share his final thoughts on the report card and the state of the CCBOE, Barnette stated, "When you measure a school or a school system, you've got to take into account all the wonderful things that they're doing outside of that one test.  Do we want kids to learn?  Absolutely.  I want kids to be successful, and what does that mean?  Does that mean being successful at taking standardized tests?  Not necessarily.  Not every child has to go to college.  Go get somebody to repair your vehicle or build your house, and you'll find out how much you're going to pay them to do that.  Our goal is to help kids be college and career ready.  We're working right now in our Career Center to help kids earn a certification, where they can go out of high school straight into an occupation, and be the absolute best employee they can possibly be.  If they don't want to go to college, we want to help them be successful by other means.  And that'll never show up on a report card."

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Once we get everything in place, it's going to meet the basic adapted physical education needs, hopefully, and sensory needs of students with severe needs, occupational therapy needs, physical therapy needs, and things like that.  Our goal is to make it a public-use playground in the future.” CDC Principal Chris Chambers

CULLMAN -The Cullman Child Development Center (CDC) is, for the most part, a state-of-the-art facility for the education of special needs students.  Since Principal Chris Chambers came on board a few years ago, the entire facility has been made wi-fi capable, bandwidth has been increased, overhead digital projectors and screens have been installed in classrooms and keypad locks have been installed on all exterior doors.  He has overseen the repainting of halls and classrooms, and the creation of specialized teaching and therapy spaces.

Now it's the playground's turn.

Chambers said, "What we have right now is outdated, and needs to be updated."

The current playground is short on handicapped accessible equipment, and on equipment designed to give students a sensory experience.  The principal hopes that is about to change.  He's looking at a project that will make the CDC playground more accessible, and provide a wide spectrum of special needs students with activities geared toward them.  He doesn't want a quick fix; he wants it done right.  The project could take three years and potentially cost more than $400,000.

Chambers said, "We're looking at pieces of equipment that'll be specially designed for kids, but also kids can just enjoy going and playing on, just like they would at any school.  Some pieces are going to be specially designed to meet different needs, so it's going to be a lot more inclusive.  We need the equipment to meet that inclusive part.  Once we get everything in place, it's going to meet the basic adapted physical education needs, hopefully, and sensory needs of students with severe needs, occupational therapy needs, physical therapy needs, and things like that.  Our goal is to make it a public-use playground in the future.  When we get our big project finished one day, it'll be a place where kids can come and have birthday parties, special needs adults can come.  A lot of places are not accessible; we've got very few pieces of equipment in the county that are accessible, so we're trying to make it accessible for our kids, but also for use in the community as well."

The CDC has started working with experts in the field, and is reviewing preliminary concept designs drawn up by J.A. Dawson & Co./GameTime playground equipment suppliers.  Chambers hasn't neglected the consumer end of the project in considering the playground's needs.

He said, "We've interviewed the kids and asked them what they want.  One of the kids said, 'We need a lot of action things for lots of kids, all kids, us kids.'”

For the time being, everything is still preliminary.  The CDC and designers are still in the planning stages, but parents of CDC students and school staff are already getting excited about the prospect of a new and better playground.  The Cullman County School Board’s Dr. T.J. Franey has begun working on grant applications to help with construction, and CDC parents have taken fundraising into their own hands.

On Jan. 25, they will sponsor a Swamp John’s dinner for a special fund the school has set up for the project.  At the Cullman VFW post (112 Veterans Dr. SW) from 3-6 p.m., folks will be able to purchase fish, shrimp or chicken dinners for $11.

"Right now," said Chambers, "this Swamp John’s fundraiser sponsored by some of our parents is just to get everything started.  We're going to donate all proceeds to get our project off the ground.  And we've got a lot more planned for our playground.  When we do get a website and some other things going, people will know exactly where their donations are going or what the grants are being written for."

Chambers is excited to see his school take this next step in becoming the best service provider it can be.  He said, "We've got our purpose, we've got our goal.  We know it's a need, and it's going to be an ongoing need, not just for this school, but for the community as well."

For more information, visit http://cdc.ccboe.org.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - Wallace State Community College in Hanceville congratulates the 839 students named to the President’s List and Dean’s List for the Fall 2016 Semester. To earn a spot on the Wallace State President’s List, students must maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester while taking a course load of 12 or more hours. Placement on the Dean’s List is awarded to students maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher while also taking a course load of at least 12 hours.

PRESIDENT’S LIST

Addison: Macy Lake
Alabaster: August Newberry
Albertville: Tracy Borden, Susan Click, Autumn Stephens, Torrea Talton, Jesse Till
Altoona: Candace Light, Lukas Owens, William Summerford
Arab: Luke Barksdale, Trent Coker, Cole Cranford, James Crawford, Autumn Dennis, Hunter Garrett, Andrew Harnack, Blake Hicks, Mary Hill, Danielle Kozinski, Chase Milligan, Savannah Moore, Nicole Myslinski, Emmanuel Reynoso Arce, Andrew Walker, Mary Wallace
Arley: Lesleigh Cleghorn, Jed Cross, Kayli Downs, Colby Million, Seth Newton, Landon Ory
Athens: Kayla Carter, Payton Chittam, Holley Day
Baileyton: Justin Clayton-Hodges, Joseph Turnage
Birmingham: Keith Montgomery, Katherine Pea, William Schilleci, Spencer Smith, William Smith
Blountsville: Samantha Chamblee, Brianna Denney, Jordan Duncan, Justin Johns, Jon Martin, Brady Pettit, Sage Rich, Hallie Saye, Britton Smith, Jimmy Snell, Brittany Suhy, Kelli Whitmire, Marissa Wilemon
Boaz: Kaylena Randolph, Stephanie Scarbrough, Caitlyn Sumners, Colby Wigley
Bremen: Alyssa Holderfield, Randolph McLaughlin, Bethany Tuggle, Victoria Vinson, Michael Wester
Calhoun, GA: Abby Connally
Centre: Charlsie Bryant
Cleveland: Randy Culwell, Tricia Henson, Kylie Melvin
Cordova: Kortney Perry
Crane Hill: Damon Calvert, Brooke Edwards, Anna Waldrep
Cullman: Brandon Akers, Nathan Appling, Derik Arendall, Carli Ashley, Anna Avery, Danica Ball, Savanah Barnett, Donald Camp, Joseph Cobb, Karla Contreras, Alesia Cupp, Ethan Drake, Marjorie Edmondson, Laura Ellard, Charlie Rose Evans, Ashley Freeman, Theodore Freeman, Krystal Garcia, Brandon Gentry, Maison Goodwin, Seth Graham, Emily Haigh, Caleb Hamm, Haley Heaton, Story Hogeland, Madison Hunkeapillar, Haley Jacobs, Alena Jakway, Alaina Kennedy, Brady Kent, Trent Key, Ariana Knighten, Johnny Kretzschmar, Ashley Leak, Brooke Ledbetter, Shawnelle Little, Tanner Lowev, Kaylee Maddox, Megan Marks, Julie Martin, Jeremiah McClendon, Landon Moon, Lesly Morales Torres, Summer Neal, Tammy Netherton, Leslie Osborn, Janna Osborne, Rebecca Overton, Peyton Parker, Melanie Patterson, Chadra Powell, Savannah Powell, William Pruitt, Jeanie Rakestraw, Cheri Ramos, Brittany Ransom, Tammy Riebe, Kolby Robinson, Ashley Sanders, Hannah Shaddix, James Shavers, Yusuke Shimizu, Sophie Slaten, Christopher Smith, Adalynn Smithson, August Stancil, Candace Tabor, Mindy Taylor, Makayla Thompson, Tyler Townson, Jordan Van Gundy, Jacob Vest, Riley Voce, Lydia Waters, Haley White, Myles Williams, Kristin Yahn, Kristopher Yearwood
Danville: Zachary Watts
Deatsville: James Henry
Decatur: Mariah Campbell, Maylen Fantocone, Tabitha Freeman, Judea Hullett, Allen Wells, Jr.
Dora: Macie Calvert, Hollie Fuller, Carly Stewart, Emilee Tanner
Double Springs: Erica Roberson
Eva: Audra Beard, Lauren Reeves, Shawn Ricketts
Fackler: Jessica Jones
Falkville: Thomas Baker, Savannah Childers, Sydney Hughes, Brittany Tanner, Kaitlyn Tolbert
Fayetteville, TN: Morgan Higgins
Florence: MaKaylin Abernathy
Fultondale: Tyler Higginbotham, Landon Warnock
Gadsden: Adam Tomaszko
Gardendale: Joseph Bailey, Ashleigh Bain, Paul Knetter, DerekSmith
Geraldine: Jamie Pittman
Glencoe: Traci Faulkner
Good Hope: Joshua Royster
Grove Oak: Kindra Barksdale
Guntersville: Sarah Bors, Hannah Glasscock, Erin Pankey
Gurley: Neeki McNeely
Hanceville: Savanah Allred, Holly Benson, Laura Campbell, Taylor Chambers, Madison Cobbs, ShannonEdwards, Elizabeth Garrison, Sarah Hinkle, Hannah Keller, Joshua LaPrade, Hannah Lowery, Meghan McPherson, Angel Mernatti, Julie Newton, David Odell, Benny Pettit, Brianna Sims, Kailey Smith, Amy Stansell, Lucas Stansell, Royce Sutton, IsaacTeichmiller, Cyndi Turney, Makenna Weeks, Caleb Woods
Hartselle: Bailey Anders, Kristin Dobbins, Victoria Graham, Bryan Holmes, Challie Johnson,  Nolan Norwood, Rachel Ryan, Karlie Tolbert, Jordan Westmoreland, Sullivan Wilson
Hayden: Robin Akins, Noe Chavez, Emily Dia, Christy Hightower, Michael Hutchins, Lesley O'Donnell, Emily Rivers, Dax Scarbrough, Jake Smith, Tracy Wilburn, Jada Woods
Helena: Amy Schwartz
Holly Pond: Ashley Reid, Jennifer Thrift, Rachel Weaver
Homewood: Catherine Sellers
Horton: Madalyn McGeorge, Morelia Tinajero
Houston: Levi Hammack
Huntsville: Palmer Ford, Sarah Gregory, Beth Ignatiuk, Daniel Lockley, Aaron McCoy
Jasper: Cameron Nichols
Joppa: Kaylan Blake, Hunter Ellis, Layla Helton, Leslie Pecina
Killen: Billy Johnson
Kimberly: Ryan Tucker
Kinsey: Sarah Dworek
Leeds: William Battles
Locust Fork: Stormie Copeland, Candice Mason
Logan: Tyler Elrod, Austin Rogers
Lynn: Payton Harbin
Madison: Ashley Acker, Gloria Delaney, Allen Knowles, Harlee Westmoreland
Meridianville: Kaitlyn Thacker
Montgomery: Jaylen McCoy
Morris: Bess Crane, Jennifer Merrill, Morgan Riddlesperger, Mary Rushton, Lindsey Wilson
Moulton: Jesse Childress
Mount Olive: Cheryl Guthrie, Austin Perkins
Muscle Shoals: Courtney Jones, Kelley Logan
Nauvoo: Jessica Bennett
New Hope: Athena Bolton
New Market: Ryan Shields
Oneonta: Jose Arriaga, Andrew Baldwin, Matthew Baldwin, Jennifer Bates, Clint Bicknell, Zachary Cardwell, Gustavo Cervantes, Jessica Crim, Kayla Gonzalez, Olivia Heptinstall, Grace Hollis, Mayra Jimenez, Amanda Matthews, David McCarl, Elizabeth Roden, Stephanie Ruiz, James Stephens, Jr. , Kara Weaver,
Parrish: Autumn Lineberry, Trent Lineberry
Pell City: Jessica Batson, Amber Loftis
Phil Campbell: Zachary Marbutt
Piedmont: Demi Highfield
Pinson: Nicole Fisher, Andrew McDaniel, Winfred Payne, Ashley Price, Daniel Vann, II
Pisgah: Lashauna McBride
Ragland: Mary Bunt
Remlap: Madison Dickson, Reagen Smith
Rogersville: Bailey Belue
Sheffield: Ashton Adderhold, Christian Olive
Somerville: Virginia Hines, Lucas Randolph, Jason Sanford, Riker Tanner
Springville: Isabella Dickie
Sulligent: Kenzie Jackson
Sulphur, LA: Allison Goad
Trafford: Elijah Dodd, Joseph Glass, James Moore
Trinity: Jonathan Johnson, Brayden Terrell
Trussville: Alexis Gray, Bridgette Gray, Emily Hurst, John Marlin, Kelly Sargent
Tuscumbia: Kayla Elom
Vance: Jodie Farnetti
Vinemont: James Allred, Aljon Celis, Maria Cipollari, Jason Dyer, Kimberly James, Wyatt Jones, Nicholas Parrott, Nicholas Trull, Arthur Watson, Jr., Angela Young
Warrior: Tabetha Ausborn, Steven Ballard, Emily Carlisle, Matthew Curtis, Hunter Graves, Kalyn Hallmark, Timothy Lawson, Ashley Marsh, Allie May, Dillon McAvoy, Kristy McKerley, Madison Miller, Travis Putman, Diana Sellers, Dianne Wood
West Blocton: Tanner Cail, Tracie Reed, Kaleb Winfrey
Wilsonville: Sarah Henry

DEAN’S LIST

Addison: Courtney Hamilton, Reilly Hood
Alabaster: Tara Miller
Albertville: Makenzie Bearden, Corina Hollis, Dianna Korsmo, Destin McClendon, Kayla Mosley, Susan Tanner
Altoona: Maribel Bentura, Hannah Williams, Mandy Wood
Arab: Cayla Bagwell, Alex Carter, Jolene Chasse, Edmund Johnson, Carlos Jordan, Miranda Kellar, Laura Lewis, Taylor Murphree, Stephen Pardue, Leah Price, Lucas Smith, Nicole Stewart, Cheyenne Toler, Stephanie Tymczy, Makenzie Wilks, Macy Williams, Brittany Wilson
Arley: Jacob Brown, Paul Bryant, Brooklyn Ferguson, Alexus Kilpatrick, Joseph Storms
Athens: Grace Humphries, Bradley Rippey, Seth Mays
Atlanta, GA: Miah Starks
Attalla: Lexie Whitehead
Auburn: Jonathan Smith, Austin Triplett
Baileyton: Hannah Burks, Chloe Lee, Macy Ray, Samantha Scott, Samantha Thompson
Bessemer: John Lucas
Big Sandy, TN: Karlie Hudson
Birmingham: Circe Baskin II, Hayward Black, Byron Brewer, Blakely Groover, Ryan McAphee, Ngoc Tuyet Nguyen, Gregory Sisel, Rachel Smith, Stacey Williams
Blountsville: Omar Aguilar, Blake Chonoski, Connor Franks, Olivia Hand, Andrew Hawkins, AmandaMartin, Stephanie Peeples, Kimberely Stange
Bremen: Steve Bell, Houston Calvert, Jon-Hays Calvert, Casey Capps, Katie Cates, Kathy Davis, Drakken James, Ciara Parker, Eric Pate, Joselin Pulliam, Brennen Stricklin, Emily Vintson
Bridgeport: Courtney McCloud
Carbon Hill: Joseph Howard
Cave Spring, GA: Lacey Shaw
Chelsea: William Reed
Cleveland: Clara Campbell, Gwin English, Howard Oden, Justin Weems, Maria Zavala
Collinsville: Haley Hughes, Amanda Reed
Crane Hill: Bobby Bunn, Kristen Cryer, Raeanne Lee
Crossville: Briley Bruce, Lacey Coffey
Cullman: Bryce Allen, Spencer Allen, Sarah Bagwell, Landen Ballew, Leah Barnett, Savannah Beard, Alexis Bell, Matthew Bell, William Brooks, Magan Buchanan, Whitney Buettner, Trent Campbell, Trevor Campbell, Caleb Clay, Paul Cleghorn, Dorothy Collins, Ryan Corley, Fatima Covarrubias, Kayla Crandall, Jayla Crawford, Hannah Crumbley, Danny Currier, Jr, Emily Edmonds, Karra Elam, William Ellard, Bryant Farley, Chester Freeman, Abby Gambrill, Jamie Garner, Ganeana Gean, Emily Graves, Logan Guffey,  Lindsey Guy,  Austin Harris, Clayton Hooper, Billy Horton, Stephen Hudson, Amanda Hyjek, Amy Johnson, Ben Johnson, Justin Jones, Ryder Jones, Kevin Kelley, Ally Knight, Anna Laidley, Jacob Lambert,  Levi Laney, Olivia Law, Amy Leonard, Rodney Lubert, Christopher Mickle, Mariah Miles, Amber Mitchell,  Karissa Moody, Trent Morton, Shelby Mulberry, Joshua Murphree, Jarrett Oden, Rebecca Oden,Deanna Orear, Dylan Owen, Elijah Parker, Cheyenne Patterson, Megan Pendley,Kara Pettus, Aaron Prater, Heather Rasco, Kaitlin Richards, Lindsey Rodgers, Fatima Rodriguez, Kelisha Rutherford, David Schwaiger, Jeremy Shaddix, LukeSims, Toddric Stallworth, Piper Stewart, Tyler Stewart, Noah Stricklin,  Adriana Suarez, Jamie Thomason, Shelby Threadgill, Jessica Wells, Bailey West, Valarie Yarbrough
Danville: Whitney White, Joshua Brown, Hayley Johnson, Victoria Swinea
Detroit, MI: Ahziala Wright, Danielle Holder, Landon Payne
Dublin, GA: Jasmine Hollis
Dutton: Casey Fowler
Elkmont: Anna Mealer, David Hinds
Empire: Caleb Grayson
Enterprise: Kevin Donovan
Eva: Anna Baker, Chelsee Campbell, Lyndsey Martin, Stephen Miller, Ryan Oden, Duane Owen, Victoria Roberts, Jackson Smith
Falkville: Cynthia Cox, Kemberley Crosswhite, Josie Luker, Brittany Smith, Haley Stone, Caitlyn Waddell
Faunsdale: Hannah Willis
Florence: Fallyn Bevis, Janey Rohling
Fort Payne: Emily Bryan, Magnolia Orozco
Fultondale: Joyce Calloway, Kala Cockrell
Gadsden: Donnie Adcock, III, Kimiesha Brown, Chris Jones, Summer Nelson, Catherine Word
Gardendale: Christian Abston, Ryan Bradley, Evan Buchanan, Ian Buchanan, Shannon Burnett, JoRoadan Chappell, Lee Emond, Jr, Mary Matthews, James Penton, Shelby Ponder, Hannah Quick
Goshen: Katherine Thomas
Grant: Winter Bolding, Jared Denney
Grove Hill: Mary Nelson
Guntersville: Bryant Hernandez, Nathanial Mason, Saraya Morrow
Gurley: Christina Staggs
Hamilton: Cynthia Shaw
Hanceville: Nels Baker, Jr, Victoria Clark, Jordan Cobb, Elizabeth Coulter, Sydney Ellis, Paula Flynn, Michael Graveman, Erica Harris, Summer Hollis, Carter House, Mark Jimenez, Patrick Jimenez, Michael Jimentel, Haley Johnson, Marc Johnson, Daniel Leach, Niyanna Malcom, Mariah McSwain, Haylee Moon, Emily Mullins, Kiefer Quick, Mason Tidwell
Hartselle: Haley Bryson, Morgan Corum, Kaitlin Couch, Morgan Eddy, Hannah George, Trey Moody, Ciara Owen, Megan Rodgers, Anthony Sanders, Elizabeth Taylor, Austin Wakefield
Harvest: Tessa Wensyel
Hayden: Toby Blackwood, Houston Calvert, Johnathon Cates, Catrina Garza, Emma Heptinstall, Jody Jones, MaciKey, Jesse Newell, Mary Nichols, Cailin O'Donnell, Joshua Phillips, Ashley Sawyer, Halie Updike, Joshua Wissinger
Helena: Shannon Kailey, Melissa Little
Henagar: Jeremy Wisner
Holly Pond: Stephanie Horton, Colton Patterson, Coleman Shivers
Homewood: David Galloway
Hoover: Faith Kauhn, Vi Vo
Horton: Tanner Dickerson, Meaghan Mosley
Huntsville: Judson Crump, Amberly Euper, Jessica-Alexandra Forrester, Chelsea Gore, Peyton Hayes, Brooke McMoy, Tanner Robertson, Rita Vernon, Cathryne Ward
Ider: Kennedy Wootten
Irondale: Kyle Falkner
Jacksonville: Ashton Gaddy
Jasper: Cody Brown, Logan Farley, Ashley Fincher, Krista Legg, Janie Lopez, Kaytlin Noles, Emily Wilson
Joppa: Judith Cater, Justin Earwood, Natalie Hinton
Killen: Tasha Butler, Audrey Montgomery
Kimberly: Katie Martin
Lacey Springs: Abby Borden, Haley Flack, Cassandra Knytych
Leighton: Kaitlen Fisher
Locust Fork: Arielle Clay
Logan: Kerragan Baker, William Gammon, Madison Lindley, Tanner Rusk, Bryan Strevel
Maceo, KY: Bailee Daugherty
Madison: Stephen Mitchell
Marion Junction: Christopher Howard
Maylene: Madeline Lee
Meridianville: James Boyd
Mobile: Kylie Chase
Montgomery: Mateusz Szustek
Morris: Michael Crane, Emma Willis
Moulton: Lyndsey Lunn, Nancy Nevarez, Makayla Owens, JoRoadan Simpson, Lila Walker
Mount Hope: Lelia Daniel
Mount Olive: Sarah Allen, Ashley Brooks, Shiann Harper, Jeri Todd, Kelli Edwards
Nauvoo: Micheal Dill
New Market: Baily Rutherford
Oakman: Jennifer Windham
Odenville: Devon Robinson
Oneonta: Lesli Acosta, Jacob Blakely, Robin Brannon, Ashley Cain, Yessica Chacon, Alberto Chavez,  Joseph Colunga, Susana Espinoza, Jason Faile, Candace Garrison, Gustavo Gonzalez, Brian Hawkins, Dustin Hogeland, Jolene Jones, Grace Lohner, Jared Marcum, Kristina Martin, Angela Moody, Mary Moody, Bethany Murphree, Eric Nesmith, Laura Richards, Andrea Tafolla, Maria Vargas Pineda, Joshua Vogel, Chelsea Weston, Zane Womack, Tanner Yates
Oxford: Brandy Miller
Parramatta Park, Australia: Garrett Senia
Parrish: Josiah Reese
Pelham: Zachary Allison, Rebekah Fox, Justin Moore
Pell City: Ashlyn Perrigin
Phenix City: Dalton Sinquefield
Phil Campbell: Christopher Self
Pinson: Wendy Garner, Kira Matthews, Rodger Menzies
Pisgah: Christina Hilley
Prattville: Dameyun Nettles, Brett Spires
Rainbow City: Janekia Horton, Hannah Winningham
Remlap: Ashley Armstrong, Amber Doherty, Andrew Farrow, Madilyn Goode, Christopher Wathen, Jr, Colton Watkins
Richmond Hill, GA: Justin Henle
Saraland: Molly Whitlock
Somerville: Jake Bryant, Kailtin McCaleb, Kelsey Owen, Linda Ryan
Springville: Alice Lowery
St Petersburg, FL: Eric Townsend
Sulligent: Jerrin Hester
Sumiton: Sara Taft, Kolby Twilley
Town Creek: Rachel Stowe
Trafford: Bryan Jackson, Garret Sisson
Trinity: Joshua Holcomb, Kaitlyn Roberts
Troy: Megan Johnson
Trussville: Jonathan Campbell, Parker Hale, Kevin Hicks, Bernard Scott, IV
Tuscaloosa: Ranika Lee, Kelsi Wilson
Tyler: Thomas Spivey
Union Grove: Ethan Glass, Daniel Johnston, Colton Pritchett, Maegan Stegall
Vinemont: Chandler Aldridge, Brittany Arrington, Kimberlyn Compton, Cassidy DiLeva, Aaron Griggs,  DaraHand, Marianela Harshman, Allison Holmes, Lauren Hunt, Dalton Kahlstorf, Ethan Kelley, Emily McClurkan, Stephanie Renz, Danny Robertson, Kylie Williams
Warrior: Raymond Arnold, Lauren Box, Evan Brownlow, Spencer Crane, Lexi Friday, Brenna Garner, Taylar Hodo, Alana Hopper, Kaleigh Kennedy, Sylvia Kennedy, Hunter Mahaffey, Anna Main, Bryanna Neely, Jessica Olinger, Autum Reid, Jeremy Richardson, Madison Sandlin, Jessica Shears, Terrence Shears, John Southern, Samantha Thomas
Weaver: Anna Davis
Wellington: Melinda Ward
Woodstock: Ethan Kennedy
Woodville: Brianna Geiger

MONTGOMERY - Attorney Gen. Luther Strange is inviting public and private schools throughout the state to submit applications for the 2016 school year Alabama Safe Schools Initiative Awards of Excellence. The program was reinstituted by Strange in 2013 with a new emphasis on encouraging technological advances to deal with the challenges experienced by today’s schools and students.  The Attorney General’s Office will honor private school winners from north, central and south Alabama, in addition to the winners from each of the state’s eight public school board districts.

“These awards have previously provided the opportunity to identify and recognize excellence in school safety.  In recent years, the judging criteria has placed special emphasis on the use of technology in the safety plan,” said Strange.  “Through the highlighting of outstanding safety standards, schools throughout Alabama have implemented better programs and continue to make strides that will protect our children.”   

Strange plans to visit winning schools this spring to personally present the award in honor of each school’s accomplishment.

Applications are being accepted now through Feb. 24. More information about criteria for the awards may be found at http://www.ago.alabama.gov/Page-AL-Safe-Schools-Initiative. 

The nominations will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges.

Cold Springs cross country coach Claborn Campbell, left, with Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette

CULLMAN - On Thursday evening, the Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) held its regular meeting.  The first item on the agenda was the recognition of various achievements by groups from schools across the system.

*Vinemont High School InSPIRESS Team Icon won first place in a final review at UAH in a NASA space exploration competition. 

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2017/01/08/vinemont-high-school-wins-1s....

*Good Hope Middle School robotics team was the top middle school team in the BEST robotics competition at Auburn University.

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/12/09/driving-future-part-2-good-h... takes-top-middle-school-honors.

*Good Hope Middle School won the 2016 Cullman County middle school football championship. 

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/17/county-champs-good-hope-s-38....

*Cold Springs Middle School girls and West Point Middle School boys won their respective county middle school basketball championships. 

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/keyword/cullman-county-middle-school-basketball-....

*West Point Middle School won the county middle school volleyball championship. 

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/05/west-point-takes-1st-place-c....

*Fairview High School took both varsity and junior varsity honors in the county high school volleyball championship. 

See our stories at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/11/fairview-claims-first-county...

and

http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/06/fairview-defeats-cold-spring...

*Cold Springs won both the boys’ and girls’ county cross-country championships. 

See our story at http://cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/20/cold-springs-cross-country-a....

Following these awards, recognitions were made of the members of the board: Chris Carter (Fairview), Jason Speegle (Good Hope), Heath Allbright (Holly Pond), Kenny Brockman (Hanceville), Gene Sullins (West Point), Wayne Myrex (Cold Springs) and Mike Graves (Vinemont). Several of the members were presented cards, plaques, goodie bags or other gifts by parents, teachers and students attending the meeting.

The board then officially seated its three new members: Gene Sullins, Heath Allbright and Wayne Myrex.  Following this, the last meeting's minutes were approved without discussion.

The following personnel items were approved without discussion and without the listing of any names: resignations, leaves of absence, voluntary transfers, appointments, substitutes, 2016-17 non-faculty coaches, contract/salary changes. According to Superintendent Shane Barnette, the list of personnel affected will be released Friday, Jan. 20.

All remaining items were also approved without discussion:

* 2016-17 after-school program at Harmony School.  Teachers Elaine Wren, Pam Mack, Monica Smith, and Heather Lynn will be paid $15 per hour from local school funds.

* Request from Fairview HS to pay Robert Strane $120 for running the basketball game clock during middle school games, to be paid by the Fairview Booster Club.

* Request from West Point HS to pay a $250 supplement from the West Point Quarterback Club to non-faculty coaches Bryant Farley, Tyler Hunt, Ryder Jones and Paul Quattlebaum.

* Request from Good Hope MS to pay James Ponder $80 and Eric Barnes $60 for keeping the clock at the county middle school basketball tournament, paid by the Cullman County Middle School Basketball Association.

* Request from Good Hope HS to pay $125 from local school funds to Sherry Blackwood for cleaning the gym during the Christmas holidays.

* Request from Good Hope HS to pay the following coaches through the Quarterback Club for 2016 summer work: Taft Dillashaw $725, Chris Creel $83, Eric Barnes $400, Patrick McDonald $1475, Tyler Hudson $400.

* Request to pay Kathy Day $13 per hour/game for keeping the books at the county basketball tournament, paid by the Cullman County Basketball Association.

* Request from Harmony School to pay $25/hour stipends from Title I parental involvement funds for an upcoming "Fam Jam" event to Elaine Wren, Monica Smith, Angela Baggett, Sherry Motes, Heather Lynn, Marta Dollar, Rhonda Bagwell, Carla Davis and Ruby Reasonover.

* November 2016 financial statement, reflecting a general fund balance of $9,477,394.40, a 1.7 million dollar increase over Nov. 2015.

* November 2016 bills totaling $5,392,379.16 and salaries totaling $2,746,632.32.

* Change Order #3 for Holly Pond ES window replacement phase 1, deduct $3656.59 for sales tax reconciliation.

* Change Order #1 for Vinemont MS re-roofing, deduct $1,892.17 for sales tax reconciliation.

* Request from the Child Nutrition Department to pay the following their hourly rate from the CACFP At-Risk program at Hanceville Cafeteria: Sonia Burgess, Keisha Wright, Miranda Pullman, Janet Gaston, Elizabeth Busby and Alicia Powe.

* Recommendation for Board President Kenny Brockman, Superintendent Barnette, and the board Attorney to negotiate contract renewal with the current Chief School Financial Officer Ed Roberson.

* Request for reimbursements for Overnight Travel allowances on hotel/motel to increase from $150 to $225 per day or the conference hotel rate, whichever is higher for travel within the state.

*Out-of-state field trip requests from classes at:

•    Vinemont HS to attend a pro basketball game in Atlanta, GA, Mar. 5
•    Holly Pond MS to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN, Mar. 20
•    Parkside School to Science Education Day at Six Flags in Atlanta, GA, Apr. 7
•    Good Hope HS to Science Education Day at Six Flags in Atlanta, GA, Apr. 21
•    Holly Pond MS to Science Education Day at Six Flags in Atlanta, GA, Apr. 28

No general fund money will be used for these trips.

Barnette closed the Board meeting with his report.  He made the following announcements and notes:

* The state superintendent has approved his waiver request related to the Jan. 6 weather closure, so county schools will not have to make up that day. 

* The county basketball tournament will begin this Saturday, Jan 21.

* He attended the Cullman County Honor Band concert last Saturday, and said of it, "I was extremely impressed.  We were very well represented."

* CCBOE has just started its after-school supper feeding program at the Child Development Center and Fairview High School, with upcoming expansion to West Point and Hanceville.  Kids 18 and under can come to the schools and eat supper for free.  This does not cost CCBOE anything, as it is a federal program for districts with high numbers of students on free or reduced lunches.

The next CCBOE meeting is at the board office on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m., with work session at 5:30.  The public is invited to attend.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - Among the state of Alabama’s top five largest community colleges based on enrollment, Wallace State Community College, with locations in Hanceville and Oneonta, is the only one with consistent growth over a three-year period.

Top Rank Alabama 2017, published by Business Alabama, ranked Alabama’s two-year colleges based on enrollment for Fall 2015. Wallace State Community College ranked third on the list with a 2015 enrollment of 5,420. Calhoun Community College, Jefferson State Community College, Gadsden State Community College and Shelton State Community College completed the top five, but only Wallace State-Hanceville showed a consistent increase in enrollment from Fall 2013 to Fall 2015.

While the majority of the state’s community colleges experienced decreases in enrollment from 2013 through 2015 (some by 10 percent or more), Wallace State was among only a handful of colleges that increased enrollment each year.  From 2013 to 2015, the college’s enrollment increased by almost 3 percent.

While 3 percent may not seem to be a significant amount, the growth is substantial considering the nationwide trend of declining enrollment at community colleges. In an October 2016 report by Inside Higher Ed, enrollment at community colleges fell by 6.6 percent in the same time frame of Fall 2012 to Fall 2015, with the highest drop in Fall 2014 by 4.4 percent.  A survey of admissions directors by Inside Higher Ed found that 88 percent of community college experienced a decrease enrollment compared to two years ago. Community college enrollments often go down as the economy improves and unemployment rates go down.

Wallace State also reported a fall-to-fall enrollment increase in 2016.

“I attribute Wallace State’s growth to programming that addresses job market demand and ensures transferability of credit to the baccalaureate degree, as well as our reputation for excellence and an untiring commitment to student success,” said Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State.

Wallace State Community College offers day, evening, weekend, hybrid, and online classes through its campuses at Hanceville, Oneonta, and off-site locations at Brewer High School, Hayden High School and J.B. Pennington High School. Academic, Health Science, and Applied Technologies programs offer a wide variety of certificate, degree and transfer opportunities. Dual enrollment options are available for area high school students wishing to simultaneously earn high school and college credit as a way to advance their education. Fast Track programs are available for high school students to earn up to two years of college coursework – and possibly an associate’s degree – before high school graduation.

For more information about Wallace State visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256-352-8000 or toll free at 866-350-9722.

CULLMAN - At its January meeting Thursday, Jan. 19, the Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) approved a number of personnel changes without publishing the names of affected staff, saying a list would be available the following day.  On Friday, the personnel list was sent to local media outlets, and is as follows:

Approved Resignations

Name, location and position, reason

• Cynthia L. Myrex, Cold Springs bus driver, no reason given
• Rexie B. Motes, Good Hope bus driver, retirement
• Shannon Harris, Good Hope Primary child nutrition worker, retirement
• Tara S. Twilley, Hanceville child nutrition worker, no reason given
• Amy D. Chambers, Hanceville HS boys and girls golf coach, no supplement

Approved Leave of Absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act

• Stacy K. Howard, Good Hope MS reading teacher/librarian, maternity leave

Approved Voluntary Transfers

Name, original position, transfer position, reason

• Karen M. Butts, Vinemont HS secretary, Vinemont HS bookkeeper, Replacing Sondra Kelley
• Mickey D. Gay, bus shop level A mechanic, bus shop level B mechanic, none given
• Phillip M. Gay, Cold Springs ES Principal, CATA Principal, none given (Philip Gay is under contract, and his assignment to CATA will be effective through 6/30/17.  The transfer follows Gay's Christmas Day arrest for misdemeanor DUI.)

Approved Appointments

Name, location and position, reason

• Brett M. Johnson, Cold Springs HS custodian, replacing Joey Graves
• David T. Melton, CATA automotive service tech instructor, replacing John Thrasher
• Lindsey M. Chapman, Fairview MS and ES bookkeeper, replacing Anita Burns
• Kelli J. Lowery, Good Hope MS temp. 6th grade reading/library, replacing Stacey Howard
• Miranda L. Pullium, Hanceville HS child nutrition worker, replacing Teresa Campbell
• Julie J. Smith, Hanceville HS child nutrition worker, replacing Tara Twilley
• Keisha H. Wright, Hanceville HS child nutrition worker, replacing Charles Paine
• Renee Lee, West Point HS family and consumer science teacher, replacing Karli Amonite

Approved Substitutes

Name, position

• David Wayne Huffman Jr., bus driver
• Haynes Carden Riddle, bus driver
• Tara Sandlin Twilley, child nutrition worker
• Pamela Griffin Gunter, teacher
• Kevin Michael Knight, teacher
• Morgan Price Long, teacher
• Tyler Corley Morgan, teacher
• Logan Kay Sellers, teacher
• Emily Hope Vaughn, teacher

Approved 2016-17 Non-Faculty Coach

• Tyler Morgan, Vinemont HS Baseball

Contract/Salary Changes

• Brittany M. Bryan, upgrade to Masters
• Michael L. Jones, upgrade to educational specialist
• Anita Jones, West Point MS child nutrition worker, increase hours from 6.25 to 7 per day
• Sherrie Swindall, Fairview HS bookkeeper, increase from 10 month to 12 month
• Kathy Day, Hanceville HS bookkeeper, increase from 10 month to 12 month

The CCBOE will hold its next meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the board office in Cullman.  Work session at 5:30. The public is invited to attend.

 

We're a school like any other school.” 

CDC Principal Chris Chambers

 

CULLMAN - There are folks who think the Cullman County Child Development Center (CDC) is a daycare facility, but it is far from that.  The Tribune sat down with CDC Principal Chris Chambers to find out more.

He said, "We're not a daycare.  We're a school like any other school.  We're a stand-alone school for special-needs kids." 

CDC is a school for students with special needs from preschool to age 21.  A fluctuating body of approximately 120-130 students with physical or intellectual disabilities is served at any given time by a staff of 72 under Chambers’ supervision: teachers, aides, various therapists, nutritionists, bus drivers and bus aides, and custodial/maintenance workers.

The principal spends his time performing a balancing act, bringing together those numerous resources to create an individual educational plan custom fitted to each student.

Chambers said, "All those people have to collaborate.  I always say that's probably one of our biggest strengths: how many personal conversations we have about a child and meeting their needs- not just physical, but their overall well-being, knowing their culture at home, really being involved with their day-to-day needs, even their nutrition.  My parents go above and beyond about trying to communicate with the teachers, and the teachers do the same thing with them."

CDC offers its students a wide range of activities, both in the classroom and out.  Students arrive each morning on the bus, eat breakfast together, then go to class.  They go to the school's library and gym, and eat lunch together.  In the classroom, students are grouped with others who have similar abilities and needs, and engage in a spectrum of learning activities tailored to their needs.  While they try to create certain routines, the staff places individual student needs above those routines; so, there's no really "typical" day. 

A student activities director plans special on- and off-campus events for the kids.  All classrooms have wi-fi, and Librarian Andrea Radcliffe brings a cart of iPads around to classrooms.  There's even an active arts and music program.

Chambers shared, "We have a grant we won two years in a row through the Alabama Art Alliance, and Mr. Krel Buckelew is our art and music instructor.  We have it two days a week, and every student on campus gets art and music instruction.  It gives them an outlet, behavior-wise.  We've seen our attendance go up, and bad behavior go down.  Some kids get overly stimulated when we have functions out in the gym or if we go on a field trip.  We've seen those kids actually be able to cope better, and I attribute part of that to our music and arts program."

Student artwork lines the school's hallways, and the performers in the student body will get the chance near the end of the school year to take part in West Point High School's performing arts spring showcase under the direction of West Point’s band director, Ty Parker.

For some of CDC's intellectually and medically challenged students, graduation is a real possibility.  According to Chambers, "Our goal is to transition those kids out.  If they can ever be successful in a typical classroom, we want them to go out and be with typical peers."

CDC has transitioned 43 students into regular classrooms over the last few years, and only four of those ended up back at the school.  Some of those successfully-transitioned students have received high school diplomas.

The constant pressure of offering a multi-tasked approach to meet so many needs of so many students takes a tremendous toll on the faculty and staff, and their principal and selected helpers strive to recognize and respond to the need for support and encouragement.

Said Chambers, "You leave here mentally, physically and sometimes spiritually exhausted at times, so we do special things for the faculty as well.  We have a faculty feast: we all get together and eat, and get together to do fun things.  It's a monthly thing; we call it CDC Family.  I've got a faculty committee chairperson.  She looks for things to keep us together.  We're in constant need of support, and we need for people to know who we are and what we're about, about the service the people provide here every day.  It's tough being here, working with so many kids that have so many different needs, but it's also very rewarding at the same time."

The CDC is located at 17600 Highway 31 N in Cullman and can be reached at 256-739-0486. Find out more about CDC, visit http://cdc.ccboe.org.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Casey Guthery, center

CULLMAN - Saint Bernard senior athletes who participated in fall sports such as volleyball, cross country, bowling and basketball were honored during halftime on Jan. 19 during the basketball game with J.B. Pennington High School.

Many of the students have celebrated state championships and set personal records and goals for the school. In the past six years, the girls’ cross country teams have celebrated two state championships and been the runner-up state champions twice. The boys’ cross country teams have had one state championship and been the runners up once. Bowling team members have been a part of the newest sport added to the roster; they formed two years ago.  Volleyball teams made it to super regional play two years in a row.

Parents joined their seniors to be recognized for their participation in the athletic program at Saint Bernard Prep.

Seniors honored were as follows:

Arnel Calinao, of Vinemont, has participated on the bowling team for the past two years. Arnel is the son of Lisa Calinao and Joey Bonilla. He plans to study business at Jacksonville State University in the fall.

Samuel Augustine Chiodo, of Cullman is a two-year member of the bowling team. He is the son of Drs. Vincent and Mary Ann Chiodo.

Isabella Cline, of Kimberly, Alabama has participated in volleyball for six years and basketball and bowling for two years. Isabella is the daughter of Mary Ann Cline and the late Michael Cline. She plans to study biology, pre-med at the University of Alabama in Birmingham this fall.

Katelyn Cowie, of Warrior, Alabama has been a member of the cross country team for four years and bowling for the past two years. Katelyn is the daughter of Mike and Christie Forsyth.  She plans to study biology at Birmingham-Southern College in the fall.

Jaden Edge, of Cullman has blazed a trail with the cross country team, as well as the basketball team, for the past six years and served on the volleyball team for two years.  Jaden is the daughter of Melissa Edge.

Casey Guthery, of Gardendale, has run six years on the Saint Bernard cross country team and played basketball for five years. Casey is the son of Chanda Dabbs and Dan Guthery. He plans to begin studies at Lee University in the fall, with a concentration in English.

Geonwoo Kim, of Seoul, South Korea has participated in bowling for two years. Geonwoo is the son of Mr. Gyuhyeong Kim and Mrs. Soobin Oh. He plans to study environmental science at the University of Hong Kong.

Jalen Lee, of Cullman has participated in cross country for four years and bowling for the past two years. He is the son of Dr. James and Mrs. Janine Lee.  Jalen will pursue studies in engineering.

Yujin Leem, of Seoul, South Korea has been a member of the bowling team for the past two years. Yujin is the daughter of Youngsun Lee and Sung A. Kim.  She plans to study food science and technology.

Garret Marti, of Cullman has been a member of the bowling team for one year.  Garret is the son of Roger and Betty Hestla.  He plans to study chemical engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Morgan Matz, of Cullman has participated in cross country for the past six years and bowling for the past two years. Morgan is the daughter of Jeffry and Kris Matz. She plans to study meteorology at the University of South Alabama.

Sarah Anna McCarthy, of Cullman has participated in volleyball for one year and been a cheerleader for three years, the last of which she has served as co-captain. She is the daughter of Rebekah Lily and Brian Capers McCarthy, Sr., of Cullman. Sarah Anna plans to study pre-medicine.

Anna Michelle Myers, of Alabaster, Alabama was recognized for participating in volleyball and basketball for the past four years and bowling for the past two years. Anna is the daughter of Hal and Michelle Myers. She plans to study in the medical field at the University of Alabama.

Caitlyn Norman, of Cullman has been a cheerleader for six years, serving as captain for her senior year. Caitlyn is the daughter of Mark and Shawna Norman.  She plans to study marine biology.

Dominic Pautler, of Birmingham, has participated on the bowling team for two years. Dominic is the son of Bill and Betsy Pautler of Birmingham.  College plans are being determined.

Isaias Robles, of Holly Pond, has participated in cross country for the past six years. Isaias is the son of Samuel and Leticia Robles.  He plans to attend Auburn University.

Miguel Sanchez, of Blountsville, has been a member of the basketball team for one year. Miguel is the son of Miguel Sanchez. He plans to study nursing at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Graham Sanders, of Cullman has participated in cross country and bowling for two years and been a member of the basketball team for one year. Graham is the son of Rodney and Lauren Sanders. He intends to study chemistry, but is undecided as to where at the time of recognition.

Marco Tona, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida has participated in cross country for two years and bowling for one year.  Marco is the son of Richard and Sheena Tona.

Xueyi (Sherry) Wu, of Suzhou, China has been a member of the bowling team for two years. Sherry is the daughter of Leng Jung and Xiao Hu Wu.  She plans to study interior design at Pratt Institute this fall.

Nick Watford is featured during a performance of the Wallace State Jazz Band at Preview Day 2016 for the Fine and Performing Arts program at Wallace State Community College.

HANCEVILLE - This Friday morning, anyone with an interest in learning more about the Wallace State Fine and Performing Arts programs or who would like to see and hear what the students are currently working on for the year may do so at the annual Preview Day. Preview Day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday in the recital hall of the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Admission is free and to open to the public.

“Each year, we invite current and potential students, parents and the community to get a little preview of the work performed by our Fine and Performing Arts programs,” said Ricky Burks, chair of the Fine Arts program at Wallace State. “This will be our third Preview Day and it’s proved a useful tool to communicate with students, show them around the facilities and give them an idea of what options are open to them at Wallace State.

“I think one misconception people may have is that students have to be majors in music, dance, or drama to participate in the Fine Arts performing programs,” Burks added, “but that’s not the case. Students from across all of Wallace State’s academic, health and technical programs are welcome to try out for the performing programs. We offer scholarships to students who want to participate in the performing arts.”

Part of Preview Day will include providing information about upcoming scholarship auditions. Those auditions will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 10 and March 3. Information offered at Preview Day will provide students with tips on how to prepare for the auditions.

Time will also be set aside to learn about the Fine and Performing Arts Academy offered through Wallace State’s Fast Track program. The academy offers high school students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to take courses in art, dance, music, theatre and visual communications, along with their academic courses.

Wallace State’s performance groups include the Jazz Band, Concert Band, Pep Band, Wallace State Singers, Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz and Wallace State Theatre. While the groups most often perform separately, there are times when they combine talents for productions, such as the recent holiday production of “In the Mood for Christmas,” where the Jazz and Concert Bands provided the music for the Singers and Theatre students’ performances.

For more information about Wallace State’s Fine and Performing Arts programs, contact Stefany Pate at 256-352-8277 or stefany.pate@wallacestate.edu. Visit www.wallacestate.edu for more information about Wallace State Community College.

HANCEVILLE - The University of Alabama at Birmingham will offer two outstanding Wallace State Community College students a UAB Presidential Scholarship, which will cover the cost of tuition and academic-related fees for four semesters beginning the 2017 Fall semester.

The application packet should be turned in to Wallace State's Financial Aid office by Feb. 17. Visit the Other Scholarship Opportunities (www.wallacestate.edu/financial-aid/other-scholarship-opportunities) section of the Wallace State Financial Aid page for more information and to download the application.

In order to qualify the nominee must meet the following criteria:

1. The student must apply and be admitted to UAB by March 1.
2. The student must have earned as associate degree at the end of the spring semester before the fall semester in which they enroll. (An official transcript must be provided, indicating graduation date.)
3. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (non-transferrable coursework will not be calculated in the GPA).
4. The student cannot have any 4-year institution credit (exception: courses taken while enrolled in high school).
5. The student cannot be a former degree-seeking student from UAB.
6. The student must be an Alabama resident.
7. The student must be willing to assist with transfer recruitment events and efforts as a transfer ambassador for UAB (estimate: 2-3 hours a week; event examples: tours, Community College visits, Transfer UAB Day).

For more information about this and other scholarship opportunities at Wallace State, contact your student advisor or Financial Aid at 256-352-8182 or visit www.wallacestate.edu.

West Point Elementary winner Hunter Graves and runner-up Charlie Ashley. Hunter will represent West Point Elementary at the Cullman County Spelling Bee on Feb. 27.

CULLMAN - The Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) has announced the 90th annual Cullman County Spelling Bee, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 at Temple Baptist Church in Cullman (30 County Road 1184).  Though hosted by CCBOE, the competition also includes city and private elementary and middle schools.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee program is open to contestants in grades 3 through 8, who must win local school spelling bees before going to county competitions.  Winners at the county level will advance to the state spelling bee on Mar. 11 in Alabaster, for a chance to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland May 28-June 3.  The overall winner of the national competition will receive a $40,000 cash prize plus a savings bond, reference works from Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica, and a trip to New York to appear on television. 

Cullman area schools have already held their competitions.  County Coordinator and CCBOE Elementary Curriculum Administrative Assistant Leah Sapp provided a list of the winners who will compete at the county bee next month:

• Cold Springs Elementary.....Ella Stephenson, grade 7
• Cullman Christian................Nic Ruse, grade 6
• Cullman Middle...................Jadon Li, grade 7
• East Elementary....................Jessie Godbee, grade 6
• Fairview Elementary............Laci Segrest, grade 5
• Fairview Middle...................Cade Hardin, grade 8
• Good Hope Elementary........Jordan Edwards, grade 5
• Good Hope Middle...............Adam McCluskey, grade 7
• Hanceville Elementary.........Brady Cleek, grade 5
• Hanceville Middle................Airiyanna Eakin, grade 6
• Harmony School..................Amelia Ward, grade 3
• Holly Pond Elementary........Ellie Burks, grade 5
• Holly Pond Middle...............Abigail Kusz, grade 7
• Parkside School....................Kaley Wilson, grade 6
• Sacred Heart School.............Chloe Lambert, grade 6
• St. Bernard Middle...............Christopher Posey, grade 8
• St. Paul's Lutheran School...................Carter Daily, grade 4
• Vinemont Elementary...........Grayson Anderson, grade 4
• Vinemont Middle.................Ava Lewis, grade 7
• Welti Elementary..................Dawson Simmons, grade 5
• West Elementary...................Alex Jiang, grade 3
• West Point Elementary.........Hunter Graves, grade 3
• West Point Intermediate.......Gabriel Hasting, grade 5
• West Point Middle................Nolan Kelley, grade 6

At a glance:

Cullman County Spelling Bee

Monday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.

Temple Baptist Church, 30 County Road 1184, Cullman

For more information, contact Leah Sapp at the CCBOE office at 256-736-2483 or LSapp@ccboe.org.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This is what happens when you tell performing arts folks you want to take their picture!  Mark Neal and department chair Ricky Burks with WSCC performing arts students.

HANCEVILLE - On Friday morning, the faculty, staff and students of Wallace State Community College's (WSCC) Performing Arts program opened the doors of the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts to prospective students.  Nearly 30 guests were introduced to all instructors, and were treated to performances by the WSCC Jazz Band, Wallace State Singers and a song and dance number from the program's recent production of "Singin' in the Rain."  Then instructors and guests divided into smaller breakout sessions focused on specific options within the program.

Performing groups and opportunities

*Concert Band - open to anyone who has previously performed on or played an instrument

*Jazz Band - membership by competitive audition

*Pep Band - membership selected from the Concert Band; performs at WSCC home basketball games

*Concert Choir - open to anyone; performs multiple styles of choral works

*Wallace State Singers - membership by audition; a music revue/jazz ensemble

*Wallace Vocal Jazz - vocal ensemble focused on the genre of jazz music

*Theater - puts on one play and one musical per year, plus student-directed scenes

*Dance - a new offering, with classes in modern and jazz dance

Faculty

Ricky Burks, chair of Fine and Performing Arts, Jazz Band

Jacob Keisler, instructor in music theory, Symphonic Band

Mark Neal, instructor in guitar, bass, percussion, recording technology, Pep Band

Tiffany Richter, director of choral activities

Sara Markham, instructor in piano, voice

Lauren Cantrell-Salerno, director of theater

Program size

According to Burk, around 126 students are currently enrolled in the program.  Department Secretary Stefany Pate noted that more than 50 of those students are on scholarships.  The small department size translates to smaller class sizes, and more personal attention from staff and instructors.

"We're small enough to help you," said Neal.  "You're not just a number.  We think we set you up so when you transfer, you're ready to take the next step.  A lot of times, I think, we're more active than some four-year colleges."

"I enjoy singing/playing/etc., but..."

If you enjoy performing arts and WSCC's program sounds interesting to you, but you don't see yourself pursuing a career in the field, that's okay.  They are also interested in part-time players, and will even give scholarships to people enrolled in non-arts majors, based on auditions and departmental needs.

According to Burks, "The biggest misconception is that you have to be a music major, or art major or theater major to come in and receive scholarships, and that's not true.  Anyone can come in.  If you've had prior band experience, played in any of our area high school bands or anything like that, you can come in and we'll give you scholarship money to play in any of our ensembles, any of our choirs.  Just because you're not a music major doesn't mean you're not a valuable part of our department.  With the Jazz Band, there are kids up there who are nursing majors, engineering majors, the whole gamut."

Getting in

In addition to a student's regular application for admission to WSCC, the Performing Arts Program requires auditions, which can lead to scholarships.  Two audition days are currently scheduled for the 2017-18 academic year: Feb. 10 and Mar. 3; on both days, auditions will be held from 8 a.m.-noon in the Burrows Center.  Appointments are not necessary on those days.  Anyone who can't attend either day can contact the school for an appointment.

According to Pate, "All they have to do is contact us, and we'll be happy to see them for auditions.  It's just better to come to the audition dates, because we're going to be giving out our scholarships, and we don't want them to miss the opportunity."

The final word

Neal summed up the performing arts student experience: "It's a family.  Just watch our kids here.  It takes them a while, but they become a small family.  They're always attached at the hip, and they support each other, and that's good."

For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu, or contact Stefany Pate at 256-352-8277 or stefany.pate@wallacestate.edu.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - Wallace State’s Adult Education program has added a new alternative for students who didn’t complete their high school education.

The nontraditional high school diploma, which was recently approved by the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama State Department of Education, allows students who either dropped out of high school without earning the essential number of credits to graduate or who failed certain sections of the former Alabama High School Graduation Exam to complete their high school diploma.

Students must be 17 years old to be eligible for the nontraditional diploma and must have attended an Alabama public high school.

“I think we are going to see a lot of positive responses from people, who for whatever reasons decided to drop out of high school and put off getting their GED (General Education Development). They can now see this as an option that will hopefully change their lives,” said John Glasscock, Wallace State’s Adult Education Coordinator.  “I think this is a great idea and with having been in adult education for several years now, I think the more options you give to a student, the better. It’s a perfect opportunity for a student to go back and get the diploma they thought was never possible.”

Between the two options, a student either has to have completed all the credits necessary for graduation and received a Certificate of Attendance but failed a portion of the exit exam, or they have to have completed at least 10 credit hours in high school, they can pursue the required 24 credit hours to earn the diploma. The other option has several paths that would take the place of the Exit Exam.

Students interested in the nontraditional diploma are required to contact the high school they attended, and complete a transcript request for the nontraditional diploma program and notify the school they plan to pursue a nontraditional diploma. The school will then send an official transcript and transcript audit form directly to Wallace State.

The nontraditional diploma classes are taken on Wallace State’s campus.

“We determine the best path for the students once we receive all of the paperwork and once we have an opportunity to speak with them. Once they complete the program, the high schools issue the diplomas just as if they had been completed 10 years ago,” Glasscock said. “This should provide students with a lot of motivation.”

Alabama Community College System Adult Education Director Dr. David Walters recently said in an AL.com article that more than 500,000 adults in Alabama lack a high school diploma or its equivalent in the GED.

The nontraditional diploma was initiated with hopes of decreasing the number.

“Students who have slipped through the cracks for whatever reason can take advantage of this diploma and ultimately find themselves eligible for jobs with family-sustaining wages,” Glasscock said.

For more information about the nontraditional high school diploma and the Wallace State Adult Education program, contact Glasscock at 256-352-8077 or 256-352-8078.

For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.