24 • Thursday, January 26, 2017
SCHOOLS
Out of Africa
BGIS Students Spent MLK Day Volunteering
The students of Brock’s Gap Intermediate School’s community service group, BUCS Club, spent their day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day serving the community. The students joined forces with Youth Serve Birmingham and helped clean the historic Bethel Baptist Church in the Collegeville community, where the late civil rights leader the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth served as pastor. According to school officials, students in the BUCS Club, which stands for Believe, Unite, Contribute, learned through the service day about the rich history of Birmingham. Students prepared care packages for senior citizens and backpack programs in area schools, as well as delivered packages to Birmingham police officers at the North Precinct.
CBS Teacher of the Year Makes Connections from Uganda to the U.S.
‘The most important part of an elementary classroom is the community that you foster as a teacher.’ profit organization that supports and builds children’s homes in Uganda. “School in Uganda is very different from Mountain Brook,” Lunceford said. “Class sizes are much larger – 40 to 60 students per classroom – in Uganda, and they do not have materials such as books, computers or even pencil sharpeners.” According to Lunceford, about the only materials they use in a Ugandan classroom is the chalkboard and their pens and papers. Regardless of the material differences between Ugandan and Mountain Brook classrooms, Lunceford said she found the same curiosity and willingness to learn in the students. “They can all be coached to solve 1 col by problems 5 inchesand think for themreal-world selves. $250 That is one of the things I enjoy
Apply: https://spire-careers. silkroad.com/
Lauren Lunceford, who recently was named Cherokee Bend Elementary Teacher of the Year, had the opportunity this past summer to volunteer with Sozo Children, a local nonprofit organization that supports and builds children’s homes in Uganda.
place where they feel their contributions and work are valued, and she calls on other teachers to do the same. If they feel that their voices are being heard, they will speak up more often, she said. “One of the most important things I teach my second-graders is that they can do anything they put their mind to,” she said. “Problems may not always be easy to solve, but if you keep trying and learn from your mistakes, you will find a solution.” ❖
recommendations with their classmates,” she said. “Sometimes it is difficult for students to find that just right book, and they need a little extra help and encouragement from me.” Even if it takes a bit longer, seeing a student find a book that they truly love and want to share with their friends makes any extra effort worthwhile, Lunceford said. Lunceford also works to make the classroom a safe place for students, a
Homewood City Unix Systems Engineer III at Spire, Inc. in Birmingham, AL. Schools Names
Unix Systems Engineer III at Spire, Inc. in Birmingham, AL. Install & operate Unix & Linux servers, storage, sftwr, processes & components; Support maintenance & upgrades to hardware, operating systems & sftwr; Lead recovery testing; Troubleshoot servers, desktops, networks, apps & databases; Identify security issues; Dev. & maintain server architecture; Dev., document, & enforce server standards. Requires Bachelors (CompSci/Acct/Stats/Math/rltd) & 8 yrs. exp. Must have exp. w/: design, install, diagnose, & test computer operating systems & sftwr; operating systems & components; IT support, networking, end user computing policies & procedures; systems administration; network connectivity & communications sftwr; shared storage concepts; Unix & Linux servers, LAN/ WAN, AIX, JFS2, RHEL/SLES, ext2/ext3, NFS, samba, bind & DNS, DHCP Server, FTP/VSFTP, GPG/PGP, NTP, sendmail, syslog & syslog-ng, TCP/IP, Operation of Power & Intel servers, IBM products p-Series (p570/740/770) servers, DS series (DS4800, DS8000), XIV storage, TS3300 series tape libraries, VIO, LPARs, HMCs, IBM Director, RPM Packaging Manager, NIM, shell scripting (bash, PERL, AWK & SED), mksysb & NetBackup, HACMP sftwr, GPFS, Workload Analyzer, Adv. Power Virtualization & VCS, SANs, SANS SVCs & VTLs.
VHEW Third-Graders Perform Holiday Musical
sftwr, processes & components; Support mainHomewood Middle School tenance & upgrades to hardware, operating sysstudent Nathan Jones took tems & sftwr; Lead recovery testing; Troubleshoot servers, desktops, networks, apps & databases; home first prize at the 2017 Identify security issues; Dev. & maintain server District Spelling Bee. Our Lady architecture; Dev., document, & enforce server of Sorrows Catholic School standards. Requires Bachelors (CompSci/Acct/ Stats/Math/rltd) & 8 yrs. exp. Must have exp.student J.T. Weisberg was w/: design, install, diagnose, & test computernamed runner up and Shades operating systems & sftwr; operating systems & Cahaba’s Margaret Keith took components; IT support, networking, end user third. computing policies & procedures; systems administration; network connectivity & communica-Next month, Jones will tions sftwr; shared storage concepts; Unix & Linux participate in the Jefferson servers, LAN/WAN, AIX, JFS2, RHEL/SLES, ext2/ County Spelling Bee. ext3, NFS, samba, bind & DNS, DHCP Server, FTP/VSFTP, GPG/PGP, NTP, sendmail, syslog & syslog-ng, TCP/IP, Operation of Power & Intel servers, IBM products p-Series (p570/740/770) From left, Margaret Keith, servers, DS series (DS4800, DS8000), XIV storage, Shades Cahaba; J.T. TS3300 series tape libraries, VIO, LPARs, HMCs, IBM Director, RPM Packaging Manager, NIM,Weisberg, OLS; and Nathan Jones, Homewood Middle shell scripting (bash, PERL, AWK & SED), mksysb & NetBackup, HACMP sftwr, GPFS, WorkloadSchool. Analyzer, Adv. Power Virtualization & VCS, SANs, SANS SVCs & VTLs.
Apply:Korduroy https://spire-careers. The Krocodile
You'll Love Our Selection!
Spring Clothing now Arriving!
Make your appointment today!
2912 Linden Avenue • Homewood • 879-0030 Open Tues. thru Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Send school news to: editorial@otmj.com
Will Pearson, co-founder of the magazine Mental Floss and former Simmons Middle School student, spoke to students at a recent all-school assembly. He spoke with students about the opportunities he created by bringing his own ideas into reality. Pearson, a Hoover native, and a friend wanted to combine knowledge and education in a fun and entertaining way. According to Pearson, as college students he and his partner had no idea what it took to run a magazine, but they knew what they were passionate about and worked hard to create Mental Floss magazine in 2001. Pearson has appeared on “The Today Show,” traveled the world, served as an executive producer on National Geographic Channel’s “Brain Surgery Live,” and co-authored books. “Be exceptional. If you do well, you gain so much more,” Pearson said in his speech. Another idea Pearson shared with students was one of respect. He said that the most successful people he has encountered in his life are those who have a true respect for others regardless of gender, religious choice, residence, race, disability, finances or age.
Spelling Bee Winner Install & operate Unix & Linux servers, storage,
silkroad.com/ Homewood’s Unique Consignment Shop
Third graders at Vestavia Hills Elementary West entertained family, friends and fellow students with a Christmas program Dec. 8 and 9. Under the direction of West’s music teacher, Trudye Confessore, the students performed new and familiar tunes, incorporating music from different time periods and parts of the world. The students sang a Jamaican song accompanied by tubano drums and other percussion instruments. A rendition of “Silent Night” was presented both lyrically and in sign language. The show concluded with a sing-along, inviting the audience to join them for “Deck the Halls” as the students sang a partner song.
Simmons Hosts Mental Floss Co-Founder
Photos special to the Journal
Cherokee Bend Elementary secondgrade teacher Lauren Lunceford may have started her teaching career at the Mountain Brook school, but her experiences volunteering in Africa have shaped her approach to education. Lunceford, who recently was named the school’s Teacher of the Year, had the opportunity this past summer to volunteer with Sozo Children, a local non-
most about teaching in both of these contexts,” she said. Through her experience working with teachers in Uganda and elsewhere around the world, Lunceford has developed a passion to help make education available to all children. She also tries to educate her students about other cultures. One of the favorite moments of her career was when the Sozo Children’s Choir traveled from Uganda to the states and performed at Cherokee Bend. “It was when my two worlds collided,” she said. “My students at CBS already knew so much about Uganda and the Ugandan culture from me sharing stories and pictures from my travel, but it all came to life when they were able to interact with the children from Uganda.” Regardless of class size and location, Lunceford is a lover of elementary education – teaching the basics and seeing each student become confident in reading, writing, math and science. As she’s grown from instructional aide to teaching kindergarten and then second grade, Lunceford said her teaching style has remained the same: take each student’s unique needs into account. “The most important part of an elementary classroom is the community that you foster as a teacher,” she said. Her favorite thing about second grade is the students’ growing passion for reading. Taking into account each student’s interests and skill levels, Lunceford and her students pick out those “just right books.” 1 col byabout 4 inches “They get really excited making their book choices $200and sharing book
Journal photo by Emily Williams
By Emily Williams
From left: Simmons Middle School Principal Brian Cain; Will Pearson, cofounder of the magazine Mental Floss and former Simmons Middle School student; Tonya Rozell, Simmons assistant principal; and Kevin Erwin, assistant principal.