May 2023 Student Spotlights

Congratulations to BCS junior Bax Blanton for winning 1st place in the Alabama History Day contest. Bax wrote a 10-page essay, voted best in the state. He will now go and represent Alabama at National History Day.

Congratulations to Elberta Middle School seventh grader, Avie Busby, on placing 3rd in the Alabama Junior and Senior High School Beef Cook Off! Her recipe for a Beefy Tortellini Skillet is delicious! If you want to try it at home, her recipe is in one of the pictures! We are proud of you Avie!

It’s time to garden at Renaissance School! Student’s love applying their education!

As Fairhope East Elementary 6th graders study different decades, they had an extra groovy 70s day

Essays written by Bayside Academy’s Isabelle Rutland ’24 and Andrew Ray ’30 won first prize in their divisions at the state level of the Alabama Independent Schools Association’s creative writing competition last month. The organization sent both winners gold medals, which were awarded at division-level assemblies held on campus. “Being called to the stage to receive this award was a huge honor,” said 5th grader Andrew. Their essays, “Pronto!” and “Kindness Cafe”, will now move forward to represent Alabama at the AISA’s regional competition for the 9–12 and 3–5 divisions. Pictured: Bayside Academy students Andrew Ray and Isabelle Rutland win gold medals in the AISA’s creative writing essay competition.

The North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassador Program would like to extend an invitation to apply for the 10th Class of Junior Ambassadors for the 2023-2024 school year. The Junior Ambassador Program will add meaningful memories and experiences to your senior year, helping to prepare you for your journey into the world ahead of you!
Students have the opportunity to interact and connect with community leaders, business professionals and elected officials throughout the program. They have the opportunity to volunteer at events, attend meetings of their local government, learn about business and industry, understand the importance of civic responsibility and experience firsthand the role of the Chamber of Commerce in a community.
For an application, qualification and additional information visit www.northbaldwinchamber.com/junior-ambassadors. Deadline to submit is Monday, May 8, 2023 by 4pm.

Two Baldwin County schools received recognition from the American School Counselor Association receiving the RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) Award: Belforest Elementary School and the Baldwin County Virtual Secondary School. Both of these schools will receive their awards during a special Awards Gala that will be held this summer during the ASCA National Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Girls grades 5th–11th in Baldwin County who are interested in attending a STEM-themed summer camp/program are invited to apply for a Girls in STEM, LLC scholarship. Girls in STEM, LLC was started by local Robertsdale High School student Olivia Ryan, who is a junior in the STEM Academy at Robertsdale. Olivia had the opportunity to attend a neuroscience program at Duke University last summer, and recognizes that not all girls are able to attend such camps due to financial barriers. In turn, she decided to create Girls in STEM as a way to give back to the community. Girls in STEM will be accepting applications from local girls through May 24th. Each winner will be provided with funds to attend the approved STEM program/camp of their choice. Once awarded, Girls in STEM, LLC will work directly with the chosen program or camp to ensure the funds are applied to that participant’s camp costs. The goal is to send as many girls to summer camps as possible. To apply visit https://forms.gle/t7mDuv3joj62u32CA or email GirlsInSTEMScholarship@gmail.com. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or contributing to the scholarship program, please send an email to GirlsInSTEMScholarship@gmail.com. Pictured: Olivia Ryan, founder of Girls in STEM, LLC

Belforest hosted the very first Mathlete competition in Baldwin county. Participates came from Silverhill, Mathis, Belforest, Elsanor and Loxley. The competition consisted of three rounds with an individual math competition, a group competition and a lighting round.
THANK YOU TEACHERS for going above and beyond to provide this unique academic experience for the kids! It takes a lot of dedication and enthusiasm to organize such a rigorous competition. It was GREAT to see kids shine for their MINDS!

Baldwin County Classical Conversations students imitate Claude Monet’s Water Lillies.
Students practice in a 6-week study of great artists throughout history each year.

Bayside Academy fourth grader Phoenix Vivier was awarded first place in the 2nd–5th grade division of the Baldwin Humane Society’s “Shelter Pets are Super Pets” Spring Art Contest 2023. All of the winning artwork can be seen on the Baldwin Humane Society’s website at www.baldwinhumane.org/2023-art-contest-winner and was displayed during the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival in March. Congratulations, Phoenix! Pictured: Phoenix Vivier’s winning artwork.

Baldwin County Public Schools hosted this year’s Driver Education Rodeo in Daphne. Two students from each high school, one male and one female, who do not have their driver’s licenses participated. Students completed various challenges including parking, backing, changing lanes, and three-point turns. Driver Education curriculum specialists from the Alabama State Department of Education judged the event. Thank you to our driver education teachers who equip our students to be safe and knowledgeable drivers. Congratulations to all our students who participated.

BCS Upper School students enjoyed dancing the night away at Spring Formal last month! Such a wonderful & cherished event!

Bayside Academy held its 8th annual Great Day of Service on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. The Great Day of Service is a day when students of all ages partner with local non-profits and community agencies to help fulfill needs within our community. Students partnered with the City of Daphne, Daphne Animal Shelter, Daphne Gardens, Fairhope Youth Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, Konbit Haiti, Literacy for Young Citizens, Montrose Bay Health and Rehab, Oak Lawn Cemetery, Osprey Foundation, Prodisee Pantry, Ronald McDonald House, The Brennity, and The Exceptional Foundation.

On March 20, Bayside Academy senior Harry Brown signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Spring Hill College. We are so proud of Harry. Pictured: Bayside Academy senior Harry Brown is pictured with Head of Upper School Cindy Frederick, his parents Aimee and Chip, and baseball coach Matt Limbaugh.

Baldwin County High School presented Academic Banners to the students who have dedicated themselves to excellence in academics and involvement in their school and community. To receive the banners, the senior students must have a 21 ACT score or better, involved in two or more extracurriculars, 3.5 GPA or better, and completed a Career Ready Credential. The banners will be display in the gym lobby and will also be displayed during Awards Night services. On graduation night, the banners will be hung from the graduate’s chair and recipients will be seated at the front of the class as their final recognition for their hard work at BCHS.
During today’s presentation ceremony, each banner recipient shared their college or career plans and a few words of wisdom for underclassmen in attendance. Many students shared advice about working hard, having no regrets and relishing the moments while some offered inspirational quotes from public figures ranging from Hannah Montana to Winston Churchill. Recipients included Brayden Allen, Luke Aplin, Brianna Broadus, Gabriel Bryars, Kelsey Burford, Savannah Catrett, Julia Ching, Sam Day, Rebecca Dean, Coltan Duncan, Jillian Dute, Christopher Earl, Delaney Faircloth, Nathan Garner, Audrey Garrett, Aspen Gerald, Sydney Gilmore, Haven Godwin, Erika Hall, Austin Hartley, Gavin Jerkins, Lily Lambert, Langston Lewis, Ceanna Livermore, Luke Mcintyre, Dakota McKinley, Noah McNeil, Kierra Means, Taylor Mitchem, Trevor Murphy, Courtney Phillips, Madison Presley, Kadence Pyles, Kyle Reaves, Will Roley, Mason Smith, Amber Stacey, Ella Stapleton, Arionna Tutor, Abigail Vice, Alex Wasden, John David Weatherford, Emma Weatherford, Hannah White, Lillie White, Haley Wicker, Josie Williams, and Jacob Ziegler.
This marks the second year for BCHS to award Academic Banners to students. The banners were provided through a grant form the North Baldwin Coalition for Excellence in Education. Pictured: Senior Sam Day shared his plans and a few inspirational words for underclassmen in attendance.

Daphne East Elementary Student, Don Chen, participated in the Gulf Coast Talent Showcase for the Distinguished Young Woman Program. He won first place which came with a $500 donation to the school program of his choice.
He donated to Daphne East’s Art Club.
Pictured are Lauren Street, Art Teacher, Don Chen and Principal Mark Doherty

Twelve seniors at Baldwin County High School have answered the call for a career in education as part of the Future Teachers Signing Day. The signing ceremony was held in the school’s library. Taking part included Future Teachers of Alabama members Tre’Kerria Smith, Kierra Means, Ashlyn Latham, Annalee Barnett and Allison Smith, Coastal Alabama Community College; Malaysia Andrews, Auburn University at Montgomery; Leslie Odom, Jacksonville State University; Brianna Broadus and Mallory Hastings, Troy University; Ella Stapleton, Bishop State Community College; Alex Wasden, Huntingdon College; and Mason Smith, University of South Alabama.
As part of the ceremony, each student shared their college and career plans as well as their motivation to become a teacher. Many cited the desire to make a positive influence on students as their driving force, the impact teachers had made on their own lives, and to help students excel to their full potential. Their career paths were also varied with many headed into elementary education, some to the secondary level and one shared plans to become a college professor. Future Teachers of Alabama is an organization within the Aspiring Educators/Student Division of the Alabama Education Association (AEA). It is for middle and high school students who have expressed an interested in the field of education as a career choice. In addition to taking part in job shadowing of educators, the members also take part in various service projects. Chapter sponsors include Chantelle McPherson, Misty Morries Byrd, Vickie Locke and Diona Davis. (Not pictured is Ella Stapleton who attended the event but had a prior commitment and missed the photo)

Belforest Elementary first graders spent the day at Linda’s Learning Farm. The children learned about farm animals and how they benefit us. Horses were fed, turkeys, calves, (and even rats) were petted. In the garden, each student planted corn. It was hands-on learning at its best, correlated to the Alabama Science, Reading, and Social Studies Standards.

Daphne East Elementary School Peer Helpers visited The Brennity to play Bingo. Everyone enjoyed it! Thanks to The Brennity in Daphne for having us!

Mrs Sims and Ms Bunn’s classes at Bay Minette Elementary School had special guest helpers as the students studied geodes. A special thanks to Mr. Luke and Mr. Edwin Nelson, Elias’ dad, for coming out and cutting a geode for each student. Such a neat and fun experience!

The Robertsdale High School FFA placed with great scores landing them a place at State! Congratulations Bears!
2nd out of 12 teams in scrapbook.
2nd of 20 teams in aquaculture.
2nd of 28 teams in floriculture.
2nd of 18 teams in nursery landscape.
2nd out of 18 teams in meats.

Congratulations to all of the Central Baldwin Middle School students who participated in the 2023 District 7 Honor Band! They had a marvelous performance and we could not be prouder of all their hard work!

Daphne High School has been recognized as part of the Alabama Purple Star program for Military Families and their students. This program recognizes schools that show a major commitment to supporting military families and their children, and we are honored to receive this recognition.
Congratulations to DHS teacher Nikki Minoso, our Daphne High School Military Liaison, for guiding Daphne High through this process and her dedication to the service of others. Mrs. Minoso hopes to honor the memory of her father – Commander Ralph E. Gaither, Jr, United States Navy (Pilot, Vietnam Prisoner of War, 1965 – 1973, and SERE) by ensuring that our military families feel supported and included within our school community.
At Daphne High School, we understand the unique challenges that military families and students face, including frequent moves and long periods of separation from loved ones. We are committed to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all our students.

Congratulations to the following students on winning the Central Baldwin Middle School drawing for the CBMS Bear Pride Program for the month of March.
1st Place $20.00- David Howard
2nd Place $10.00- Davionna Oliver
3rd Place $5.00- Robert Sledge *not pictured*
The Bear Pride Program is a drawing for good citizenship deed performed at CBMS.

5th graders at Foley Elementary School had the opportunity to fly drones at school. The students had an amazing experience!

Ms. C is proud of her dedicated students at Bay Minette Middle School who are striving for excellence in their work. Honors and Awards were received for participation in the Visual Arts Achievement Program celebrating Youth Art Month. A high honor for Peyton Chain being awarded the Best of Show for 2022 Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival Youth Art Contest.

Special shout out to all the students and parents who came out to enjoy our Literacy Night. Students enjoyed games, crafts, and a scavenger hunt. At the end of the night they were able to choose a book to take home!

Congratulations to Amy Barker of Foley Elementary School for being named the 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year for Baldwin County Public Schools! Mrs. Amy Barker is humbled to be selected as the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year for Foley Elementary School. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Troy University of Dothan and later received her Master of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the University of West Alabama. Her next endeavor will be to pursue her National Board Certification.
Mrs. Barker began her teaching career as a fourth-grade teacher at Abbeville Elementary School, where she was fortunate enough to have her third-grade teacher as her principal and mentor. During her two years there, she received her AMSTI Math and Science Certification, as well as her Alabama Reading Initiative Certification. She was honored to serve as grade-level chair for two years before she and her family relocated to Baldwin County.
She was given the opportunity to begin working at Foley Elementary School as a first-grade teacher for fourteen years before she was asked to serve as the ARI Reading Specialist for kindergarten through third grades. While at Foley, she has served as Grade-Level Chair, Mentor Teacher, Math PLC Chair, Leader in Me Lighthouse Team member, Adult Learning Action Team Chair and STEAM PLC member.
Her most memorable accomplishments thus far have been assisting her school in becoming a “Leader in Me” Lighthouse School and becoming Cognia Certified, as well as completing an intense course in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.
Mrs. Barker is honored to serve the students, teachers, and community of Foley.

Congratulations to Mr. Jimmy O’Cain, Mrs. Ashley Arnold, and our Music Production and Marketing classes for hosting the greatest rock concert to hit Foley High School! For the Reach and Teach program, students did all the marketing and planning for the event. These students even ran the sound and LED screen during the show, which was the first time this has ever happened at a Reach and Teach event! The Noise performed alongside the infamous Velcro Pygmies! In all of Reach and Teach, The Noise was the first full-student rock band to perform. In addition to putting on this event, Full Sail University has become interested in our Music Production courses and visited our campus. They are excited about the things happening on our campus to the point that they are interested in building a school partnership that would include scholarship opportunities for students that have gone through this program. These programs are moving music education forward, and we are so excited to have them at Foley High School.

Mrs. Cissel and three of our Loxley sixth graders participated in the Mathletes Competition at Belforest Elementary this weekend. Loxley took home the silver medal with 2nd place in the team competition! The Banana Bro’s/River Eagles were Grant B., Ryan W., and Briley D. Thank you so much to their parents for their support.
We are so proud of these kiddos and all of the qualifiers, some of which were not able to attend: Tripp C., Sadie M., Rae D., Laci S., Aubrey B., Kamryn F., Phelicity R., Isaac S., Beesan B., Liliana A., Tucker T., Micah P., Allie W., Serenity P., and James B. Way to go Loxley 6th grade Mathletes!

J Larry Newton students are enjoying the new STEAM materials their Library Media Specialist, Terri Frank, and their STEAM teacher, Kylee Henseler, recently acquired with the help of the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation. Last year, the school focused on fostering interest in the STEAM fields by introducing their students to hydroponic gardening and chicken egg incubation. Building on that interest, the students are learning to work through the Engineering Design Process themselves during their STEAM activities this year. Mrs. Frank wrote a FEEF grant for 33 picture book biographies that tell the stories of how everyday items, like Monopoly and Ramen Noodles, were invented. The students spent 6 weeks researching and learning about various inventions and the growth mindset their inventors had to get their inventions from an idea, through the entire Engineering Design Process, to mass production and sales. One of the inventions the students learned about was the Slinky. After learning how Slinky became a household item, students had the opportunity to work through their own design process building stairs and inclines to test out the original Slinkies! Newton students have shown so much interest in the engineering field this year that Mrs. Henseler wrote a FEEF grant to purchase more KEVA planks and sets of KEVA Engineering Challenge Cards for the students. JLN students have loved creating and designing architectural pieces, all while developing spatial awareness and working through the engineering design process. The KEVA building club is very popular this year!

Congratulations to our newly inducted National Junior Honors Society! CTKCS inducted almost 30 students into the CTKCS National Junior Honor Society chapter in April.
In addition to the strong academic records which established the eligibility for membership, our chapter members are leaders in many student organizations and serve our school and community through many activities.

Fairhope High School celebrated the 17 senior athletes that have committed with colleges to continue their athletic careers from football, cheer, cross country, baseball, softball and girls soccer. Their dedication has paid off and we are so proud of their accomplishments.
Mrs. Orfanello’s Events Planning class did a fantastic job decorating and hosting with refreshments for the student athletes and their families. GO PIRATES!

Congratulations to our nine 6th grade boys who participated in the Mathlete competition at Belforest Elementary on Saturday! They did an amazing job representing Silverhill Elementary School!
Christian Boutwell, Landon Shaw, and David Marie placed 1st in the team competition round.
Christian Boutwell placed 1st in the speed round!
Special thanks to 6th Grade teacher Ms. Daphne Clark for sponsoring our students in this competition! We are all so proud of you!

Fairhope West Elementary 5th grade students have been researching states. Students in Ms. Johnson and Mrs. Gerstenschlager’s classes had the option to create either a poster or a pillow to represent the information they have learned about the state they researched.

St. James lower school students recently visited Hummingstar Alpaca Farm to learn more about alpacas and including ways their fleece is used. Pictured here are the students showing off some of their creations made during field trip.

#1 ranked 2A Bayshore Christian School baseball team defeated #1 ranked 4A Bayside 5-4 in a thrilling ball game last month! Go Eagles!

BCS Logic School students enjoyed a wonderful evening dancing at the Cotillion last month! So many precious memories were made by students!

Congratulations to Renaissance School’s fearless Mrs. V! She has been selected to attend the US Naval Academy STEM Educator Academy this summer in Annapolis, MD. Mrs. V is caring, relentlessly giving, kind, brave, and brilliant. Mrs. V was not only 1 of 28 teachers on a national level that were selected, but the entire trip is free. She truly reawakens education!

During the first semester of Debate, our students explore the history of the United States through easy-to-read, positive stories about famous Americans whose actions and decisions shaped the nation. Students then spend the second semester applying these critical thinking skills to public speaking, without the pressure of outside research. Taking on roles of attorneys and witnesses, students decide on the most effective way to present their case and perform it for a judge and jury as well as their parents and friends at the end of the semester.

Congratulations to Daphne Middle School Boys and Girls track teams who are 2023 County Champs!! Congratulations and Go Trojans!!

Congratulations to Blake Cornell and Alex Seahorn on winning the Best Ball Championship with a score of 65 at the Azalea City tournament. Blake Cornell went on to finish tied for second in individual play at the event. Daphne had it’s best finish ever at the grueling 54 hole event.
Outstanding performance by the entire Varsity crew. The varsity team is made up of Blake Cornell, Alex Seahorn, Sam Wages, Shane Burns, Garrett Jones, Brayden Davis and Hayden McLaurin”

Mrs. Hodges’ class at Robertsdale Elementary School had lots of laughs and giggles trying to complete building a structure out of ten marshmallows and ten spaghetti noodles!

8th grade students worked incredibly hard creating rockets from a variety of materials in Mrs. Williams Science Lab. The school then gathered for Rocket Launch Day to see them take off! The rockets flew through the sky, opened their parachutes, and landed for the retrieval team to find. These rockets went far and students were amazed with how they zoomed! This tradition here at CTKCS is a favorite for many families!

Mrs. Vivar’s first grade class surprised J Larry Newton’s Library Media Specialist, Terri Frank, and Library Instructional Aide, Marion Moore, with special handmade cards to show their appreciation and help them celebrate National School Librarians Day which falls on April 4th each year.

A HUGE congratulations to FOUR Fairhope High School juniors who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT in March! Those students are (from left to right) Noah Sugg, Tucker Goodin, Jack McKenzie and Payton Null. Noah, Tucker, Jack and Payton are all weighing their options as to which college they want to attend. We are so incredibly proud of these guys.

It was an amazing day for Rockwell Elementary Special Olympics athletes! Thank you to Project Outreach for making the day special for everyone!

Addition word problems were the focus in math for Nature Connect’s kindergarten class, and the students did a great job listening to determine what numbers were needed to solve the problem. They even made up some of their own word problems.

On April 5th, the Call to Discipleship class at St. Michael presented the Living Stations of the Cross for the student body. It was a beautiful and moving experience for everyone! Pictured here: Aiden Roh, Justin Helper, Jeb Bathrick.

On April 10th Renaissance School enjoyed a field trip that was 3 years in the making! To Kill A Mocking Bird in Monroeville truly brought the novel to life.

Renaissance School’s talented students wowed us with their incredible abilities. Our talents included ukuleles, singing, rubrics cubes, and comedy! We truly enjoyed it.

Our NBTech students love to give back to our elementary students. Our building construction students built a great bench for the nurse at Pine Grove Elementary and our welding students built a rack to hold jump ropes for Stonebridge Elementary.

Students have been enjoying the De-Stress After ACAP Stations that have been set up in the library this week. Some of the stations include coloring, origami, puzzles, chess, drawing, magnetic cubes, and sticker art.

It’s a great day to be a Toro! Spanish Fort High School choirs participated in the State Choral Performance Assessment this afternoon. The Mixed Ensemble received an overall Superior rating and the Women’s Ensemble received straight Superior ratings So proud of their hard work!

Congratulations to Spanish Fort Middle School student, A’Nia McPherson, on your outstanding achievement in spelling as a Baldwin County Finalist.

The SFHS Lady Toros Golf Team competed in The Battle of the Bridges, a 2-day tournament in Enterprise, AL. They played well and took 2nd place out of 10 teams. Spanish Fort was the only team to have all 4 varsity players finish in the top 10 for individual scores. Sara Carter Hare (8th grade) placed 8th and Ainsley Madden (7th grade) tied for 9th, out of the 42 girls competing in the tournament. Way to go ladies!

Way to GLOW 2nd grade! Mrs. Luckie’s class earned a Glow Day because all of her students reached the class AR goal. Even beyond that, 17 of her 23 students went on to achieve “Top Reader” for the third quarter! Great job 2A! They celebrated by getting a classroom make-over day of their choosing. This was such a fun classroom transformation!

Florence B Mathis Elementary was awarded the Purple Star School Award by the Alabama State Department of Education! The Purple Star School Award recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Stonebridge Elementary Red Ribbon Project! The funds were used to purchase a needed vest to help protect K9 Rexi with Loxley Police Department.

Welcome to the greatest review on Earth! Fourth grade teachers at Spanish Fort Elementary School prepared for the ACAP with a circus theme and the students loved it! Students moved from “tent to tent” all week reviewing all they have learned this year!

Congratulations to KC and Antonio for earning the first Alabama Home Builders Association Credential for Baldwin County Public Schools. Both students attend classes at North Baldwin Center for Technology in Carpentry.

At Spanish Fort Elementary School Dana Lambert and her students, Campbell Sculley and Carter Sendelbach, are all smiles! This grant is for a sensory path that each student says can help them get their wiggles out, calm down, and help them focus on learning. The whole school will benefit too!

St. Michael students Rachel Tusia and Phoebe Cisneros attended the Alabama Key Club convention in Montgomery in late March. They were both chosen as delegates to vote for the next Key Club District and Lt. Governor!

Ms. Chism’s class at Florence B Mathis Elementary went outside to work on a science activity that involved determining which items are solid, liquid or gas!

Students in the South Baldwin Center for Technology Culinary Program toured the Rane Culinary Center at Auburn University. What an amazing experience!

The 7th annual St. Michael gala, “Cardinals in the Courtyard” was a huge success, by all measures. Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy our beautiful courtyard, the fabulous tastings from The Wash House, the talented Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos, and our fantastic live auction. The final amount raised for our school was an impressive $179,601! We are truly blessed with the most generous sponsors, families and community!