Missoula Children's Theatre Tryouts Monday

Open auditions will be held on Monday, December 1 for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Robin Hood." Auditions will be held at the Ritz beginning at 5:00 P.M. Any student in grades K-9 may audition.

Numerous roles will be cast, all with local students. No advanced preparation is required. After a week of focused rehearsals, there will be two public performances of "Robin Hood" at the Ritz. These performances will be December 6, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

The productions include professional lighting, sets, costumes, and music. Most importantly, it is a great opportunity for local students to perform in a theater production and have a wonderful educational experience.

Our partnership with the Historic Ritz Theatre is just one example of how Talladega City Schools is moving forward!

Making Quality Time Out of Everyday Activities

You hear a lot about “family time,” but what does it really mean, and why is it important? This Report to Parents from the National Association of Elementary School Principals provides some tips on the essentials.

The Importance of Play

Play is an important part of a child’s development. It develops imagination and builds motor and social skills. In today’s world, often little time is left for play. This Report to Parents from the National Association of Elementary School Principals provides suggestions for how to get your child playing.

11 Steps to Online Supervision

Vicki Davis is a technology teacher in Camilla, Georgia and a national leader in technology education. In this post, she offers 11 very specific ways to help keep your child safe on the internet.

Long-Range Facility Plans for Schools

ABC 33/40 aired a news story regarding long-range plans for Talladega City Schools. The story has at its root a facilities study conducted by Lathan Associates Architects and the results which were shared with the Board of Education during its latest work session.

The Daily Home has shown interest in the topic and published its opinion, which can be read by clicking here.

If you did not see the ABC 33/40 newscast, it is presented here in its entirety. It should be noted that Hal Henderson being pictured was simply due to the fact that 33/40 was on that campus already to cover a story on the pre-kindergarten program.

As you listen to Dr. Horton's comments, you will see that what is being addressed is a long-term solution that involves consolidating all five elementary schools into a single, new facility. To view the news segment, click here.

The plan is in the discussion phase and all views are not only welcomed, but encouraged. As a school system, we cannot move forward by standing still. We need fresh, thoughtful ideas from those who have at heart what is best for children .

You Want Heroes?

This article is now several years old, yet it's message is eternal. In the world of journalism, there is perhaps no truer friend of education than Frosty Troy. His message is that if we are truly looking for heroes in our society, the classroom is an awfully good place to start. His article can be read here.

As we begin this American Education Week, there is perhaps no more appropriate time to remind ourselves of how essential teacher are to the prosperity of this nation--past, present, and future.

Is there a teacher, past or present, who has made a significant impact on you or a family member? Have you taken the time to tell that teacher how much he or she has meant? What are you waiting for?

Ellis Jr. High School Students to Compete in National Geographic Bee

The first round of the 2009 National Geographic Bee will be held at Ellis Jr. High School, Talladega, Alabama on Tuesday, December 2, 2008.

For the 21st year, the National Geographic Society is holding the National Geographic Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades in thousands of schools across the United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world.

The winner of the Ellis Jr. High School Bee will advance to the next level of competition, a written examination to determine state competitors. All school winners are eligible to win the national championship and its first prize, a $25,000 college scholarship, at the national competition May 19 and 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

You may contact Mr. Scott Bailey, Principal, at 256-315-5700 for more information.

Patriot's Pen Local Post Winner Advances to District

Patriot's Pen is a VFW sponsored youth essay competition that gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy with the prospect of winning U.S. savings bonds. Ellis Jr. High student, Nicholas Pennington, wrote an original essay on Why Veterans Should be Honored, which was chosen to advance to the VFW Distriction level. Congratulations to Nicholas and thank you for representing Ellis Jr. High School and the city of Talladega.

American Education Week and the "Blueberry Story"

Jamie Vollmer used to be one of public education's biggest critics. Propelled to fame when People magazine proclaimed his blueberry ice cream to be "the best in America," Vollmer was fond of telling everyone that "schools should be run like a business." The Blueberry Story is all about the day one of public education's biggest critics became one of its biggest supporters. I invite you to read that story by clicking here.

Vollmer's message today is that of the incredible responsibility placed upon our schools, and that educators cannot do it alone. During American Education Week, there is perhaps no more appropriate message than this need for each of us doing what we can to help American public education.


"There is a place in America to take a stand: it is public education. It is the underpinning of our cultural and political system. It is the great common ground. Public education after all is the engine that moves us as a society toward a common destiny... It is in public education that the American dream begins to take shape."
—Tom Brokaw

Missoula Children's Theater Coming to Talladega

Open auditions will be held on Monday, December 1 for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Robin Hood." Auditions will be held at the Ritz beginning at 5:00 P.M. Any student in grades K-9 may audition.

Numerous roles will be cast, all with local students. No advanced preparation is required. After a week of focused rehearsals, there will be two public performances of "Robin Hood" at the Ritz. These performances will be December 6, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

The productions include professional lighting, sets, costumes, and music. Most importantly, it is a great opportunity for local students to perform in a theater production and have a wonderful educational experience.

Our partnership with the Historic Ritz Theatre is just one example of how Talladega City Schools is moving forward!

Ready, set, VOTE!

Children at R. L. Young are learning about elections and the right to vote. Mrs. Vincent's second graders held a mock election this week. McCain received 11 votes, Barack Obama received 4 votes. The students did a secret ballot with an official Weekly Reader ballot sheet that included a voting check box beside each candidate’s picture.

Each child voted behind the patriotic cubicle. There were even poll workers. The children studied how to get from their state to travel to the candidates' states using directional words. They studied their candidates favorite food, hobby, book, family members and if elected what kind of history each candidate will make.

This is an example of good teaching and how teachers can incorporate everyday life into the curriculum.

Thanks for sharing, Mrs. Vincent!

Communicating in the Electronic Age

When was the last time you had a real conversation with your child, face-to-face, with no TV in the background, music blaring, or computer blinking nearby? The "sit down together" interaction that makes strong bonds between parents and children can be a challenge in the electronic age. This Report to Parents from the National Association of Elementary School principals gives some tips.