In-Flight N E W S AV I AT O R
Volume 10, Issue 1 | Fall 2023 alliancecityschools.org
SU PE R INTE N D E NT ’ S M E S SAG E
Hello Alliance Aviators!
In This Issue
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In our world of social media and 24-hour breaking news alerts, sometimes there’s nothing quite like a good, old-fashioned piece of paper. That’s why I’m excited to present you with the first edition of our brand new Aviator In-Flight News! In our inaugural edition, amongst other things, you’ll see: • Countless examples of students and staff who are high-performers, leaders, and caring citizens • Acceptance and support of diversity • Our focus on providing a positive teaching and learning culture • Smart, responsible use of our resources to stay progressive We’re serious about preparing our students for life, college and careers and this year you’ll notice our renewed commitment to that. It’s no secret that businesses are in dire need of qualified workers. It’s also no secret that our graduates need to be on the right pathways to find financial independence and personal fulfillment in their lives. As such, I’ve created a working group of teachers, aides and administrators who will work to create activities and experiences to ensure students in K-12th grade start discovering not only what they are interested in, but what they are good at, and take that knowledge to formulate a plan... a real plan... for life beyond 400 Glamorgan Street. We’ll be calling on you to join us in these efforts and I hope you’ll answer the call! So - make sure your seat backs are up, your tray tables are in their upright and locked position, and your personal devices are off so that you can fully enjoy reading about your Alliance Aviators!
AHS Homecoming Week Highlights 2023 Winter Music Performances Upcoming Events
P.3 AIS Staff Connect with Families AIS Raised Funds With Slime Time AHS Students Paint Parking Spaces
P.4 Convocation Sets Tone for 23-24 School Year Little Free Library Honors BOE Member
P.5 #LikeAGirl ACS Celebrates Start With Hello Week
P.6 Notable Alumni Recognized
P.7 CTE Programs Receive 5 Stars Rob Gress, Superintendent of Schools #ProudSupt
ACS Updates Athletic Facilities
P.8 AHS Students Take Part In Black
ACS Implemented New Bus Safety Procedure Alliance City Schools implemented a new student ridership card system this year for all 1st-5th grade students who ride the bus to and from school. “The main purpose behind implementing the student ridership systems on our school buses was to further enhance our safety protocols to help keep students as safe as possible,” said Nick Cowles,
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director of operations. “The cards and systems on our buses help to ensure correct students are getting on and off of our buses and at the correct bus stops. The systems also allow us to know what students are on our buses at any time in the event of an emergency.” Each student was given a card customized with their name. They are attached to their backpacks to help ensure the student has it at all times. The cards are swiped each time they enter and exit the bus. If a student is boarding the wrong bus or trying to leave at the incorrect bus stop, the bus driver will be alerted immediately when the student swipes their card. Parents can see when their students board the bus in the
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morning and when they depart from it in the afternoon using the Here Comes the Bus app. If you have any questions related to the student ridership cards or busing in general, please reach out to the bus garage at 330.829.0348.
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AHS HOMECOMING WEEK
Highlights
Students entered Alliance High School on Saturday, Sept. 30 to see the lobby transformed into a sea-themed wonderland for the fall homecoming dance. The lobby had bubbles hanging from the ceiling and decorative statues of a clownfish, whale and seahorses that served as great props for pictures.
The event is planned annually by the AHS Student Senate and their advisors. They spent hours decorating for the dance the night before and day of in preparation for the over 450 students who would attend. Homecoming is open to all students at Alliance High School and this year’s event drew in the most students it has in the past few years. The AHS students enjoyed seathemed snacks, dancing and hanging out with friends. This year’s homecoming court included: Royalty: Jillian Lohnes & Aaron Farmer Senior Attendants: Sophia Thomas & Lucius Rowser Junior Attendants: Alexis Blair & Brady White Sophomore Attendants: Katelyn Garvin Phillips & Cole Pasco Freshman Attendants: Samiyah Rowe & Amir Burt The coronation of homecoming royalty took place before the varsity football game on Friday, Sept. 29. Spirit week was included in the homecoming festivities at AHS. Each class decorated a hallway, or the lobby, to prepare for the week. The halls were filled with signs, streamers, balloon arches and more in celebration of homecoming/spirit week. The daily themes were: Monday - Dress like a student/Dress like a teacher day Tuesday - Jersey day Wednesday - Band T-Shirt/Decades day Thursday - Under the sea/Beach day Friday - Aviator spirit day The spirit week led up to a pep rally on Friday morning where students and staff participated in cheers and fun games.
2023 Winter Music Performances Elf: The Broadway Musical Thursday, December 7 Saturday, December 9 7:30 pm at Alliance High School Sunday, December 10 3:30 pm at Alliance High School Tickets will be available on the Alliance High School website or at the door. Alliance Early Learning School Winter Concert Monday, December 11 6:30 pm at Alliance High School Alliance High School Winter Choir & Orchestra Concert Tuesday, December 12 7:00 pm at Alliance High School Alliance Middle School Winter Arts Night Wednesday, December 13 7:00 pm at Alliance Middle School Alliance High School Winter Band Concert Thursday, December 14 7:00 pm at Alliance High School Alliance Elementary School 3rd Grade Winter Concert Monday, December 18 6:30 pm at Alliance High School Alliance Intermediate School Winter Concert Tuesday, December 19 6:30 pm at Alliance High School
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UPCOMING EVENTS ACRONYM KEY: AHS - Alliance High School AMS - Alliance Middle School AIS - Alliance Intermediate School AES - Alliance Elementary School AELS - Alliance Early Learning School AP - Alliance Preschool THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 AELS Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30 pm AIS Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30 pm FR I DAY, N OV E M B E R 3 AHS English Department Blood Drive SAT U R DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 AHS Band Booster Craft Show 9:00 am - 3:00 pm T U ES DAY, N OV E M B E R 7 No School - Teacher Day AP Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30 pm AIS Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:00 pm T H U RS DAY, N OV E M B E R 9 AELS Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7 pm AHS Jetsetter Send Off Concert 6:00 pm T U ES DAY, N OV E M B E R 14 AP Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:00 pm W E D N ES DAY, N OV E M B E R 15 AHS Fall Sports Awards 6:00 pm
T U ES DAY, N OV E M B E R 21 Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm
FR I DAY, FE B RUA RY 9 AIS Valentine's Dance 6:00 pm
N OV E M B E R 2 2- 2 4 Thanksgiving Break
SAT U R DAY, FE B RUA RY 10 AHS Winter Homecoming 7:00 pm
T U ES DAY, D ECE M B E R 19 Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm D ECE M B E R 21 - JA N UA RY 2 Winter Break T U ES DAY, JA N UA RY 9 AHS Drama/Musical Theater Open Mic Night 7:00 pm T H U RS DAY, JA N UA RY 11 Early Dismissal End of Second Quarter FR I DAY, JA N UA RY 12 No School - Teacher Day Top Gun Wrestling Tournament SAT U R DAY, JA N UA RY 13 Top Gun Wrestling Tournament M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 15 No School - MLK Day
T U ES DAY, FE B RUA RY 13 AMS City-Wide Spelling Bee 6:00 pm M O N DAY, FE B RUA RY 19 No School - Presidents’ Day T U ES DAY, FE B RUA RY 2 0 Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm AHS Diversity Night 7:00 pm SAT U R DAY, FE B RUA RY 2 4 Royal Aviation Show Choir Competition THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 AES Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30 pm AMS Winter Sports Awards 5:30 pm
T U ES DAY, JA N UA RY 16 Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm FR I DAY, JA N UA RY 19 Second Quarter Report Cards Distributed
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AIS Staff Connect with Families The Parent Teacher Home Visit Program (PTHVP) at Alliance Intermediate School started in 2022-2023 and was designed based on a nation-wide model. The PTHVP is focused on improving family engagement through authentic relationships. AIS was ready to try something different to establish those relationships; especially after the pandemic. The staff felt it was more important than ever to change the way they build relationships with the 4th and 5th grade families at AIS. The program itself is voluntary. Both families and staff members sign up if they would like to participate. While the staff cannot serve every family that shows interest, they try to match staff partners with two or three families each. The program has grown for the 2023-2024 school year, allowing more families to be included. There are four other non-negotiables in the PTHVP which include: 1. Visits are scheduled in advance. 2. Staff go in pairs and families can choose alternative locations. 3. Visits focus on the hopes and dreams that families have for their child. It is not a parent/teacher conference. 4. There are two visits; one in the fall/winter and another in the spring. Last year, family participants shared that their student(s) showed an increased enjoyment of coming to school and students looked forward to the visits and to seeing the staff member in and outside
of the school building. Staff enjoyed getting to know families, hearing their stories, learning about their cultures and traditions, and celebrating their AIS student. It’s important to point out that the staff members that visited the family weren’t always necessarily one that had the student in class. Classroom parties, field trips, and conferences help build bridges between families and teachers. Having someone else in the building as a PTHVP partner creates an additional connection for that child and family. After all, it takes a village! The PTHVP highlighted what the staff already believed- all AIS families truly want to help their children be successful. They have hopes and dreams for their student and want to work together to help support him or her. It was an honor for the staff to provide the space and time for them to communicate and advocate for those dreams.
AIS Raised Funds With Slime Time
"S-L-I-M-E Slime Time!" The students and staff at Alliance Intermediate School chanted on Friday, Sept. 8 before watching as Principal Stephanie Garren and Assistant Principal Erica Jackson got slimed not once, not twice, but four times. Throughout the week leading up to Slime Time, students purchased raffle tickets for the chance to slime either Garren or Jackson. Slime Time was created as a fundraiser to help pay for the cost of the monthly PBIS incentives AIS has planned throughout the school year. The fundraiser was a success with over 800 raffle tickets being sold and over $800 raised to help cover a portion of the costs of the PBIS Incentives.
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PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. PBIS is a framework used throughout the district, and many schools across the country, that promotes positive behavior among students and encourages a positive school climate within each building. At AIS, if a student meets the PBIS goal for the month, they get to take part in a fun activity. Some of the activities planned for the school year include a picnic at Butler Rodman Park, watching a movie at Alliance High School and taking part in the annual dodgeball tournament. The Slime Time fundraiser was a great way to raise money for the incentives and to help set the tone for a great year at Alliance Intermediate School!
AHS Students Paint Parking Spaces Alliance High School seniors had the opportunity to show off their creativity and paint their own parking space. This activity has been a popular one in surrounding districts for many years, and this was the first time AHS students have had the chance to participate. Students purchased the spaces as part of a fundraiser to help cover the cost of this year’s junior/senior prom at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After purchasing their spot, all seniors taking part got together on Saturday, Sept. 11 to paint. It was a fun evening with parents
and family members helping the seniors as they used their creativity to paint their very own parking spot however they chose. Some of the spots are inspired by TV shows and movies, like Disney’s “Up” or “Spongebob Squarepants,” while others are fun patterns or sports related. There’s even a “Monopoly” themed space. Each one is completely unique and meaningful to the student who designed it. The parking spaces can be seen in the front parking lot at AHS near door #1. AV I AT O R I N - F L I G H T N E W S | 3
Convocation Sets Tone
FOR 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR Alliance City Schools staff members kicked off the 2023-24 school year on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 17 with a convocation designed to highlight community partnerships and how ACS has an impact on the surrounding community. The annual convocation helped to set the tone of the school year. This year, the district has a renewed commitment to its vision of All Aviators will graduate prepared for Life, College and Careers. The community partners help to achieve the vision in a variety of ways. Some offer employment opportunities during and after graduation, some offer college scholarships for students who chose to further their education and others offer services throughout the school day to ensure all students have their needs met while attending ACS. The partners highlighted at convocation included: the University of Mount Union, Rodman Public Library, Greater Alliance Foundation, Early Childhood Education Alliance, YMCA, Family Empowerment
Ministry Inc., Stark County Education Service Center, State Support Team 9, The Salvation Army, Guys With Ties, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital, Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health, Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce, Alliance Area Development, MAC Trailer, YWCA, Alliance City Health Department, Stark Education Partnership, Alliance Police Department, Ben Curtis Foundation, Stark County Hunger Task Force and Alliance Ohio Rotary. Along with the recognition of the community partnerships, the staff also heard from a panel of community members who spoke about how the district can help to prepare the students for their time following graduation. The panel included: • Rick Baxter, President of Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance Area Development Foundation • Greg King, President of the University of Mount Union
• Kim Cernansky, Assistant Clinical Officer and School-Based Program Manager of Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health • George Maier, Stark County Sheriff • Dr. John Richard, President of Stark Educational Partnership The staff learned from Superintendent Rob Gress that there are over 187,000 unfilled jobs available in Stark County. There are ample opportunities for students following graduation to enter the workforce. It is the district's responsibility to prepare students with the skills they need to enter the workforce following either high school or college graduation. This will enable them to have fulfilling careers and lives. The morning also featured a performance from the Pride of the Sky - Alliance High School Marching Band, fun games and prizes.
• Andy Grove, Mayor of Alliance
Little Free Library Honors BOE Member
Visitors of Alliance Preschool may have noticed a new little free library located at the entrance of the school building. The library is dedicated to Elayne Dunlap for her dedication to the students and staff at Alliance City Schools over the years.
Gress, superintendent of schools. “Throughout her career she has proven that leadership is about influence, not about titles. In her role as a teacher, she has influenced countless students and adults in a very positive way.”
Dunlap served as an educator at ACS for more than 30 years. During her time with the district, she taught 1st-8th grade before joining central office for the remainder of her career. Retirement wasn’t going to stop her from making a difference at ACS. She was soon elected to the Alliance Board of Education, where she is currently serving her second term.
Dunlap was honored this past spring with the Lifetime Educator award from the Stark County Education Service Center. This award is given to one Stark County educator annually who has shown great dedication to the schools and students.
“Elayne has been a steadfast role model for me and numerous other educators in Alliance and throughout Stark County,” said Rob
Throughout her career, Dunlap has had a passion for literacy and encouraging students and families to begin reading at a young age. The little free library helps to ensure the families of our youngest Aviators have access to books at all times. “Every Child. Every Day. Enjoying Reading,” Dunlap said. “The sharing library is an outreach project to promote literacy and encourage lifelong learning. Join me in keeping a book in a preschooler's hands.” Families and community members are welcome to take a book to enjoy with their little one or to add books to the little free library for others to enjoy. Dunlap plans to help keep the library stocked and hopes others will help her with this initiative.
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#LikeAGirl
After five years of planning, Stephanie McKnight’s dream of creating a mentoring program for young female students at Alliance City Schools has finally been achieved. The idea came about after the success of the #LikeAGirl photo campaign created by Alliance High School alumni Mia Holt and Chloe Pasco in 2019. While taking part in McKnight’s Sports Medicine Career Tech program, they were tasked with identifying an issue that affected the community. They partnered with students from the Digital Art and Design class to create a photo campaign featuring female athletes at AHS with the hashtag “Like A Girl.” It addressed the stereotypes associated with girls sports and aimed to empower female athletes. When posted to social media, the campaign drew positive attention and was shared over 130 times prompting news coverage from a variety of news outlets. After seeing the success of #LikeAGirl, McKnight wanted to continue with the momentum and create a mentoring program that would pair female AHS students who are leaders in sports, clubs and academics with girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. The first meeting took place on Oct. 3 with 35 girls signing up to take part in the program and 24 AHS students attending as mentors. “The first #LikeAGirl meeting was amazing,” Mcknight said. “This has been five years in the making and to see it come to life was incredible.” The first meeting began with a quick discussion about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship from Allison Morrison, a school counselor at AHS. The girls then had the chance to take part in a variety of activities that demonstrated teamwork and encouraged the young Aviators to try new skills and sports. Coaches for volleyball, softball, basketball, soccer and wrestling were there to help teach the students some basic skills while the high school mentors went around and worked one-on-one with the mentees. Also in attendance were the tennis team and the speech and debate team who helped the girls learn about teamwork through fun activities. “I was so happy with the turn out,” McKnight said. “Sometimes you get these big ideas in your head and you just aren’t sure how it is going to work out. I think this just goes to show that the community wants our girls to grow. I believe this is going to be just as impactful for our high school mentors as it will be for the young girls in the District.” While helping the mentees, the AHS mentors will have the ability to hone their leadership and communication skills, which is helping to prepare them for the future. The #LikeAGirl mentoring program will take place monthly. Each month will feature a different guest speaker and activities for the students to take part in. Information about the monthly meetings can be found on the Alliance City Schools social media accounts.
ACS Celebrates Start With Hello Week The students and staff at Alliance City Schools celebrated Start With Hello week Sept. 18-22. Every year, Start with Hello week is celebrated in schools across the country as a way to promote inclusivity, positivity and acceptance. The activities held throughout the week help to prevent students from feeling alone and feeling isolated while at school. The week allows schools to be more proactive in helping students to feel like they belong. “We want students to not just connect with each other, but we want them to know where to go to get help, resources and support,” said Allison Morrison, a school counselor at Alliance High School. Start With Hello week pushes students out of their comfort zone and encourages them to interact with others they may not otherwise talk to. Some of the activities included asking students to wear name tags or to sit with a new group of students at lunch. The activities push the students to branch out. “Start With Hello week pushes them out of their comfort zone and that’s huge,” Morrison said. “We know in order to grow and change, you have to be a little uncomfortable. We’re asking our kids to sit with someone new at lunch - that’s uncomfortable. But some of them will say ‘Oh, I met a new friend today.’ They never would have done that if we hadn’t pushed them a little bit.”
At Alliance High School, the school counselors sent out a positive survey to students to gather feedback about what they like about AHS, what teachers have made a positive impact, what goals they have and what ways the school can improve. Nearly 500 students filled out the survey. The results of the survey were positive and inspiring for Morrison. “We live in a world that’s so negative, and to hear some of those positive responses, it was like ‘Yes, we need more of this all the time,’” Morrison said. While the week is about creating a welcoming environment for all, it’s also about equipping the students with the knowledge of resources available to them. The Say Something reporting system is available to students at Alliance Middle School and Alliance High School. If a student sees that another student is in need of help, they are able to report it anonymously through the app or website. The idea is that if a student sees something, they say something. Counselors are also available at each building for students in need of assistance.
One thing the staff saw throughout the week was who the student leaders are. It’s important for other students to see the ones who are going out of their way to be kind and make new friends. It encourages others to do the same. “It feels good when they’re kind to other people and it feels good to receive that kindness, as well. We want to continue to build on that kindness the rest of the school year,” Morrison said.
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NOTABLE ALUMNI
d e z i n g o c e R
JOYCE HARMON CRAIN is a 1959 graduate of AHS. She went on to receive a bachelors of fine arts in painting from Bowling Green State University. From there she received a masters of fine arts from George Washington University in conjunction with the Corocoran Museum in Washington DC. Crain has received many honors over the years, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and two New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships. She has excelled in three-dimensional designs using unique materials to illuminate artistic and architectural spaces. Her works have been displayed in many museums, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art. She has also been commissioned by IBM, Apple Computer, AARP, Texas Instruments and UPS Worldwide Logistics. Her work can be seen at JFK Airport, Knoxville Convention Center and the Center for the Arts Fellowship in Chandler, Arizona.
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On Monday, Oct. 2, Alliance High School inducted four members into the ranks of distinguished alumni during an all-school assembly. The new class of inductees brings the total to 103 distinguished alumni recognized since 1967. “With the induction of these four graduates into our distinguished alumni, we’re making sure you realize that people from little ole Alliance, Ohio, graduates of ordinary ole Alliance High School, have gone on to do things that are not ordinary - that are actually extraordinary,” Rob Gress, super-intendent of schools, told the high school students during the ceremony. The 2023 class of distinguished alumni includes Sarah Morris Brown ‘61, Joyce Harmon Crain ‘59, Lionel “Dowdy” Grimes ‘68 and Valerie Vananman ‘61.
LIONEL “DOWDY” GRIMES graduated from AHS in 1968. He was a successful athlete during his time at AHS, earning letters in football, basketball and baseball along with being named an AllOhio Football Selection. He chose to continue his education and football career at the University of Wyoming. Unfortunately, due to the disparities at Wyoming, 14 African American members of the Wyoming football team were removed, this included Grimes. The group became known as the Black 14. After his departure from the University of Wyoming, he attended Findlay University where he played baseball. Following graduation, Grimes was presented with the opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he chose to take the corporate route and accepted a position at Ford Motor Company. Grimes was honored with the Barrier Breaker Award from the National Consortium for Academic and Sports (NCAS) at the University of Central Florida in 2017. In 2019, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the African American Diaspora Studies at the University of Wyoming for his vision, contribution and dedication to the struggle of Black liberation. He was selected as the 2022 Alliance City Schools Pathfinder Award recipient and had the opportunity to present to students at Alliance High School and Alliance Middle School about his experience growing up in town and as a member of the Black 14.
SARAH MORRIS BROWN graduated from AHS in 1961 at the age of 16. She attended her freshman year at Mount Union College before transferring and graduating from Barnard College, Columbia University, NYC in 1965 with a degree in history. In 1968, she graduated from CaseWestern University School of Law, where she was one of two women in a class of 120. Brown married her husband Charles E. Brown and had three children. She chose to be a stay at home mother while her children were younger, but as they got older, her engagement in public service grew. Brown successfully co-chaired a 6-mil levy campaign for Alliance City Schools and was elected to two terms on the Alliance Board of Education. Brown played a key role in helping to facilitate the auctioning of the closed Franklin School to create a Head Start program at the building. She was also a founding member of the AHS Top 10% Banquet and has served as a board member for the Alliance High School Alumni Association since its inception 35 years ago, including serving as board president for 25 years.
VALERIE VANAMAN graduated from AHS in 1961. She continued her undergraduate education at the Ohio State University (OSU) before attending the OSU College of Law in 1964. In 1967, she was designated by the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity as one of the 50 Reginald Herber Fellows to work in legal services following law school. Vanaman traveled to California for the fellowship where she worked at the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach. During her career, she was a teaching fellow at Harvard Law School in the mid seventies and worked with the Children’s Defense Fund. Most of her law career was in California. She is a founding partner of Vanaman-German LLP, the largest law firm in California providing representation for children with disabilities. Since the beginning of her career, Vanaman has represented people who need help obtaining services from private and governmental agencies and providing legal representation to families with special services. She has received many awards throughout her career including the Reginald Herber Smith - National Legal Aid Defender Association award for outstanding service and achievement advancing the cause of equal access to justice in 1979 and the Civil Rights award in 1997.
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CTE Programs Receive 5 Stars The Alliance Career Tech Planning District (CTPD) earned the highest rating possible with five stars being awarded on the annual CTPD report card released by the state. The Alliance CTPD includes the career tech education (CTE) programs offered at Alliance High School, Marlington High School and Salem High School. In total, 15 programs are available to the students during their junior and senior years. This was no easy task. It shows the dedication and determination of the staff and students taking part in the workforce development programs at the three schools. “Together, we are shaping the future of our students through career preparation,” said Beth Hirschman, director of career programs for the Alliance CTPD. “I couldn’t be more proud of their remarkable accomplishments.”
Of the students taking part in the CTE programs, 88.8% scored proficient or better on the CTE end of course exams. This surpassed the state requirements by 18.8%. A resounding 97.2% of students in the CTE programs successfully transitioned to employment, post-secondary education, apprenticeships or military service within six months of graduation. The students are leaving the programs wellequipped with skills in their area of study - 64% of the students earned at least 12 points of an industry recognized credential, which they can take into the workforce or use towards a pathway for graduation. “We will continue to build on our achievements by attracting and retaining CTE students who are ready to learn
valuable sets of skills, analyzing our assessment data to continually improve instruction and providing students with valuable work-based learning experiences,” Hirschman said. The success of these programs stems not only from the instructors and students, but from the community, business partners, parents, school administration and more who show constant and steadfast support of helping to fulfill the vision of preparing all students for life, college and careers.
ACS UPDATES ATHLETIC FACILITIES
“We’re firm in our belief that successful athletic experiences lead to successful academic experiences for our students - and it all starts with the facilities. Facilities that won’t just enhance the district, but the entire community." - Rob Gress, Superintendent of Schools Alliance City Schools is proud to offer athletic facilities the students and community can take pride in. Over the past couple of years, the district worked to make a number of updates to the athletic facilities that will leave a lasting impression on all who visit. The Rockhill soccer field, which was previously grass, is now an all turf field. It was completed in the fall of 2022 and provides the soccer teams with a field that is more resistant to the weather and reduces the need to relocate practices and games. The soccer teams are also getting a new field house at the Rockhill soccer complex following an unfortunate fire in November of 2022. Work on this is scheduled to begin in late winter and be completed by the Fall of 2024. At Alliance High School, the baseball and softball fields were replaced with all turf fields this past spring. The softball field, which was previously back-to-back with the alliancecityschools.org
baseball field, was relocated to the end of the athletic complex allowing spectators more room to enjoy the games. Two parking lots were added to the complex to allow for more accessibility for patrons unable to go up and down stairs or walk long distances. One parking lot is by Len Dawson football field and the other is by the new softball field. Construction on the all turf football field and new track at Alliance Middle School is underway. In the past, the AMS track team would have to travel to the high school to practice or attend a home track meet. With the addition of the track, they will now be able to stay on the AMS campus. Many of the facility updates were paid for using ESSER funding provided by the federal government. “We’re proud to be able to offer topnotch facilities that our students, staff and community can be proud of,” said Rob
Gress, superintendent of schools. “We’re firm in our belief that successful athletic experiences lead to successful academic experiences for our students - and it all starts with the facilities. Facilities that won’t just enhance the district, but the entire community. We're pleased that our team found a way to use federal dollars that unexpectedly came to us and would have had to be returned if not used before September of 2024.” The ACS administration believes the facility updates will draw in more opportunities to host large-scale athletic events in the coming years. This will in return help to increase the economic well-being of the town. When people visit for an athletic event or tournament, they stay at the hotels in Alliance, they eat at the restaurants and shop at the stores. It helps to better the local economy.
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AHS STUDENTS TAKE PART IN
Black 14 Institute
Alliance High School seniors Jayce Crockett and Dariana Thomas spent a week of their summer learning about themselves and leadership during the Black 14 Social Justice Summer Institute at the University of Wyoming.
AHS Senior Jayce Crockett
In 1969, 14 African American men were removed from the University of Wyoming's football team after requesting to wear black armbands in protest of the prohibition of African Americans joining the priesthood of the Mormon church. The men became known as the Black 14. The institute was founded at the same university to provide high school students with the opportunity to explore social justice, civil rights and individual freedom of expression. Crockett has a direct connection with the Black 14. His uncle Lionel “Dowdy” Grimes, a 1968 graduate of AHS, was one of the 14 men removed from the team. Grimes encouraged Crockett to attend the institute during the summer of 2022. He enjoyed it so much that he returned for a second year. “I wanted to see what my uncle had to go through and what the experience was like,” Crockett said. “I wanted to learn more about the Black 14.” Thomas chose to attend for the first time this year after receiving information about it from her school counselor. “I thought it was a really good opportunity,” she said. The days were packed full of activities. Crockett, Thomas and the other attendees would wake up at 7:30 a.m. and have a full day ahead of them. They would attend different
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We were all different, but at the end of the day, we all came for the same thing, so we had that in common. We just kind of grew together over that.” —Jayce Crockett sessions that encouraged them to reflect on themselves and learn how to be leaders. All of the sessions lead up to a final presentation they created about the Black 14 and themselves. “A lot of it was about getting to know each other and finding out about self-identity and stuff like that,” Crockett said. The final project involved the participants walking around and taking pictures. They selected a few pictures and discussed how they related to them. “We narrowed the pictures down to identify and see how we related to the pictures in everyday life being African Americans or just in general,” Thomas said. “We compared the pictures to what we go through and how we feel and what we see.” What stuck out the most to Crockett and Thomas about their experience at the institute was the free time they had to get to know the
AHS Senior Dariana Thomas other participants. They were able to talk, play games and get to know the other students who attended from all across the country. Even though they were from different locations, they all had a connection and desire to learn from the institute. “We were all different, but at the end of the day, we all came for the same thing, so we had that in common. We just kind of grew together over that,” Crockett said. Crockett and Thomas hope to encourage other AHS students to take part in the institute in the future. It will help to empower them and teach them to speak up and use their voices. It’s a great opportunity for students from Alliance to explore the world and meet new people they otherwise would not have met.
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