Education

Peterson

From front page

“You can take out your anger and you can just fly around, and I just go out there and fly around and have fun with my teammates.”

With high energy and determination, Peterson was able to finish out his final season of football. As he prepares to graduate, he is now looking forward to focusing on track in college. He will

Clay-Chalkville senior Kameron Peterson (7) was recognized as the school’s homecoming king on Oct. 29, 2020. Photo: Cynthia Young. Myisha Peterson, Kameron Peterson and Antoine Arrington. Photo: Erica Thomas.

go to Texas Southern and he hopes to make a life for himself in Texas. But Peterson said he will always remember where he came from.

“Clay-Chalkville was the first school that I got to experience new things,” Peterson said. “It really opened me up to a lot of new things and I just got to meet a lot of new people. It’s where I started taking sports really seriously. I really found my true self here.

Myisha Peterson will miss her boy. But she knows she did what she could to help him get to where he needed to be.

“It was a very proud moment to see him excel as he did,” Myisha Peterson explained. “To see his determination, his motivation, and just his will to not give up. It was something that he had in himself. We were there to push him, but we didn’t have to because he would push himself.”

Peterson said she has always made sure she wasn’t pushing Kameron to do what she wanted him to do, but rather what he had a passion for.

“Once he figured out what made him happy, I pushed him to do that,” Myisha Peterson explained. “With me, I know I have always went hard at whatever I loved. So, once I knew what it was that he had

a passion for, I knew that it would be something that he would go really hard for. It was something that he wanted, not just what I wanted.”

If not for the love of his dad and coach, on and off the field, Antoine Arrington, Peterson said he doesn’t know where he would be. Arrington said the same thing about his son.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am,” said Arrington. “He has been a joy to watch. His accomplishments were all him. The support system that he had showed, and it pushed him. When he said he was not wanting anybody to be disappointed in him, he was serious about that.”

Arrington said it was hard to watch his son hurt and go through rehab, but he said it has been rewarding to see him fight and accomplish so many things.

“All of the rewards that

he received this year are just a testament to how hard he worked to get them,” Arrington reflected. “So, it’s been fun to watch but I am going to miss it.”

Peterson’s nine-year-old brother, MJ Watson, will miss him, too. He’s been watching his big brother’s every step.

Before he packs up and moves away, Peterson has some great advice for all those younger kids who have looked up to him for so many years:

“I would say if you want to get somewhere in life, stay on top of everything you need,” Peterson said. “I know, when I was a kid, I had a lot of dreams. When you get older, don’t let that younger you down. Keep your dreams and work hard for those and make a good life for yourself.”

Football and track star Kameron Peterson has defied odds and faced challenges while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Photo: Erica Thomas.

Antoine Arrington (left) and Myisha Peterson (right) have served as guiding forces in the life of Clay-Chalkville standout, Kameron Peterson (center). Photo: Erica Thomas.

Hewitt-Trussville High School teacher among 16 finalists for Teacher of the Year

From The Tribune staff reports

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama State Department of Education announced finalists for Alabama Teacher of the Year.

Jeff Schrupp was selected as the District VII Secondary Teacher of the Year. He is now one of 16 finalists up for the title of Alabama 20212022 Teacher of the Year.

The pool will soon be narrowed down to a top four and the winner will be announced in August. Alabama’s Teacher of the year will then go on to be a candidate for National Teacher of the Year. During the school year, Alabama’s representative will serve as a full-time ambassador for education and teaching profession and will present workshops to various groups.

The following is a list of all 16 candidates.

Julie Matranga Neidhardt

Mobile County School System – Hutchens Elementary School

District I Elementary Teacher of the Year

Krista N. Marcum

Gulf Shores City School System – Gulf Shores High School

District I Secondary Teacher of the Year

Sherlita Gilchrist

Phenix City School System – Phenix City Virtual Learning Academy

District II Elementary Teacher of the Year

Kimberly Johnson

Auburn City School System – Auburn Junior High School

District II Secondary Teacher of the Year

Allison C. Phelps

Homewood City School System – Shades Cahaba Elementary School

District III Elementary Teacher of the Year

Pamela McClendon

Hoover City School System – Riverchase Career Connection Center

District III Secondary Teacher of the Year

Sabrina Wright

Birmingham City School System – Sun Valley Elementary School

District IV Elementary Teacher of the Year

Leah Hughes

Tuscaloosa County School System – Hillcrest High School

District IV Secondary Teacher of the Year

Catherine B. Jackson

Pike County School System – Banks School

District V Elementary Teacher of the Year

Lilian U. Zekeri

Macon County School System – Tuskegee Institute Middle School

District V Secondary Teacher of the Year

Megan Kreitlein

Pell City School System – Eden Elementary School

District VI Elementary Teacher of the Year

Mashell Wehn

Arab City School System – Arab High School

District VI Secondary Teacher of the Year

Rachel Graves

Florence City School System – Weeden Elementary School

District VII Elementary Teacher of the Year

Jeff Schrupp

Trussville City School System – Hewitt-Trussville High School

District VII Secondary Teacher of the Year

Candilyn Renee Holt

Limestone County School System – Elkmont School

District VIII Elementary Teacher of the Year

Kierstan Bell

Huntsville City School System – Hampton Cove Middle School

District VIII Secondary Teacher of the Year

Trussville City schools going to the dogs: Meet Skye, Bullet and Atom

From The Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE — If a dog is a man’s best friend, there are three very special new members of Trussville City Schools.

Skye, Bullet and Atom are trained facility dogs now roaming the halls of Hewitt-Trussville High School and Hewitt-Trussville Middle School.

TCS and Service Dogs Alabama (SDA) teamed up to make the new additions possible. The facility dogs were approved before the coronavirus pandemic, but we are sure they will help ease the daily stresses of students and teachers while facing unique challenges. The three dogs completed training and are Certified Facility Dogs.

Skye is at the high school. She will assist students and staff.

“Skye has been skillfully trained to serve her new educational setting by assisting with intervention tasks and breaking patterns of disruptive behaviors in classrooms, counseling sessions, and in testing spaces,” TCS said in a statement.

Counselor Laura Stalls is Skye’s handler. With the duo at the helm of the new program at HTHS, the SKYE is the limit.

Bullet and Atom are in the middle school. We aren’t sure, but we assume that Bullet is very fast and Atom’s favorite subject is science.

Krista DeMent, Counselor at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School, is Bullet’s handler and Erin Piper, Assistant Principal, is Atom’s handler.

The purpose of the K-9 helpers is to reduce stress and increase motivation, focus and task persistence.

The program was facilitated through a program with the Alabama State Department of Education.

Continued training and monitoring will be in place by SDA for the remainder of the dogs’ working lives.

Bullet and Skye

Leeds Board of Education recognizes students, passes budget amendment

By Nathan Prewett

LEEDS – Six Leeds High School (LHS) students who scored a 30 or higher on the ACT were recognized at a meeting of the Leeds Board of Education on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

Leeds High School tennis coach Jeff Thomas brought his team to the meeting where he thanked the board for their help in expenses for a trip to Mobile. In addition to playing tennis games there, the team spent time at the beaches and toured the U.S.S. Alabama.

Afterward, the board recognized the six LHS students. These were: Zachary Flowers, Josie McGuire, Hannah Stone, Emma Terry, Joseph Whitcomb and Jonathan Robbins. Each student was given a plaque and a certificate. Robbins was not in attendance at the meeting.

“Congratulations,” LHS Principal Rayford Williams said. “They’re all fine students. They worked hard and they deserve this.”

Schools Finance Officer Ryan Miller gave a presentation for the amendment of the fiscal year 2021 budget in May for the consideration of the board. The amendment adds new personnel, supplements or extra pay – including extraordinary compensation and 2% state raise – and expenditures after the original budget was approved.

In a copy of the amendment was included a number of added state revenue. Among these were funds from the Alabama Reading Initiative for summer reading for $25,800 and intervention for $4,816, as well as a donation from the state legislature of $32,000.

Others were: • Foundation Program –

Current Units – $191,280 • ETF Advancement and

Technology Fund – $538,867 • Series 2020-B Capital Bond Proceeds – $2,222,088.39 • GAP Coverage – $4,901 • AAEI (Art) Grant – $20,000 for Leeds Middle

School • Mental Health Services grant – $45,625 • Medicaid – $25,000 • Sale of buses (Nine busses were sold) – $40,000

The amendment adjusted local revenue in the following: • Transfer in from extended day programs – $50,000 • Sale of fixed assets (vehicles sold) – $50,000 • Jefferson County 8.2 Mills

Countrywide to Actual – $85,000 • Clair County 10.5 Mills

Countrywide to Actual – $18,000 • Shelby County 16 Mills

Countywide to Actual – $7,000 • Jefferson County Commission Lump Sum to Actual $14,000

Miller said that they are still in the application process for funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund or

ESSER II for $1,166,153 and ESSER II ALSDE Reserve for $85,032. The amendment’s second page listed expenditures not included in the original budget. These were for various equipment, grant expenses, furnishing and upgrades to the stadium.

The budget amendment was later passed by the board. Financial reports can be seen on the Business and Finance section of the Leeds City Schools site.

During his comments Superintendent John Moore said that graduation for Leeds High School students will be held on May 27 at 6 p.m. Ceremonies will be held at the Church of the Highlands, Grants Mill Campus. No tickets are necessary for this event.

Moore also mentioned the recent passage of the TEAMS Act, which will raise the pay of teaching positions for science, math, and computer science.

In other business, the board: • Reelected members Scott

Sisk and Kathy Dutton as president and vice president respectively, • Passed a policy where the board has to authorize funds from donors and that the funds have to be used for future expenses benefitting the schools, • Declared a walk-in cooler at Leeds Elementary

School an emergency to speed up the process of getting quotes for a new one,

• Amended its policy regarding virtual school to encourage traditional, in-person learning, • Accepted a low bid for fencing at the stadium at

Leeds Middle School, and • Agreed to enter along with others nationally into a class-action lawsuit against the vaping company Juul, citing concerns of vaping and its effects among youth.

The next meeting is scheduled for June 8 at 6 p.m. at the Leeds City Board of Education Building, which is located at 1517 Hurst Ave.

From left to right: Joseph Whitcomb, Emma Terry, Hannah Stone, Josie McGuire, and Zachary Flowers.