OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011 • 31
SCHOOLS to come to school dressed as their favorite nursery rhyme character for the day. This year the students rocked it out to Mother Goose by performing various nursery rhymes from “Jack and Jill” to “Humpty Dumpty.” The students put a modern-day twist to traditional nursery rhymes by rapping and using chipmunk voices during their performance. Parents and grandparents joined in on the fun and made the event a success. Afterwards, the students were treated to a muffin and juice.
Fun Run Aids Crestline Elementary Vestavia Hills High School varsity cheerleaders include, from left, front: co-captain Maci Warren, Sarah Gabel Burdette, Morgan Cecil, Callie Barganier, Callie Garrison and captain Kaitie Benos. Middle row: Abby Graham, McClain Wheeler, Riley Logsdon, Sarah Elizabeth Hyde and Meredith Thomley. Back: Greer Burkett, Marilyn Gray, Caroline Smith, Madison Escue and Francie Puglia. All the seniors, pictured on the front row, received invitations to serve as UCA instructors for next summer’s cheer camps. Photo special to the Journal
VHHS Cheerleaders Take Top Awards
The Vestavia Hills High School varsity cheerleading squad recently received top honors at two Universal Cheerleading Association camps. The squad won the leadership award at camps in Panama City, Fla., and the University of Alabama. The leadership award, which recognizes team unity and sportsmanship, is voted on by the UCA staff and all cheerleading squads attending camp. The VHHS cheerleaders also won two first place trophies for their home pom and extreme routines and second place in the cheer category in Panama City. Several members of the varsity squad also won individual honors. At the Panama City camp, Kaitie Benos, Callie Barganier and Maci Warren were named All-American cheerleaders. At the Tuscaloosa Ironman competition, seniors Sarah Gabel Burdette and Callie Garrison and juniors Abby Graham, Sarah Elizabeth Hyde, Riley Logsdon and Meredith Thomley won All-American honors. Students from Rebakah Reach’s class dressed up for Nursery Rhyme Day were from left: Reagan Miller, Ani Webb, Muhammed Zeinou, Caid Finn, Olivia McGrew, Adan GuerreroCamacho, Madeline Spraul, Hela Shairi and Aiden Quigley. Photo special to the Journal
Sophomores Anna Cate Parker, Emilee Benos, Hannah Dean, Alex Tankersley, Elizabeth Caputo and Nicole Pierluisi and freshmen Anna Leigh Rumbley, Libby Franks, Elizabeth Bennett and Carly Biven also received All-American honors. All-American winners received invitations to march with UCA in the New Year’s Day parade in London, the first official event of the 2012 London Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The school’s competition squad is now preparing for the Alabama high school cheer championships Nov. 19 at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville. The competition squad will also compete in the December UCA Southern Regionals with hopes of winning a return bid to the National High School Cheerleading Championships in February at Walt Disney World. VHHS cheer sponsors are Melissa Caffey and Kim Whitten.
Gwin Kindergartners Raps to the Rhymes Gwin Elementary kindergarten classes held their Annual Nursery Rhyme Party Sept. 23. Kindergartners were encouraged
EPIC Adventure – Encourage, Play, Invite and Celebrate – was the theme of this year’s Boosterthon at Crestline Elementary. Over the past four years, Crestline and Boosterthon have raised more than $360,000 for the Crestline Parent Teacher Organization. Country music star Sara Evans, a Mountain Brook resident, kicked off the fun run by singing the national anthem. Children raised funds by asking parents, other family members and friends to pledge money for every lap they ran. Students raised an average of $150 each. Proceeds from Crestline School PTO fundraisers will go to Operation Playground, which will break ground next summer.
Troop Treats Patients to Halloween Bags
Members of Edgewood Elementary Brownie Troop 217 made Halloween trick or treat bags for patients at Children’s Hospital. Troop members include, from left: Ellie Willcutt, Claire McKibbin, Abby Brown, Emmie Neely, Mary Callen Darnell, Leland Young, Claire Lambert, Maggie Stana and Maggie Loegler. Not pictured: Alyssa Langford, Liza Jane Ponder and Sarah Parker Lowery. Photo special to the Journal
Earning National Merit honors were Indian Springs School seniors, from left: Emily Cutler, Isabelle Shallcross, Leah Fox, Harrison King, Ilana Engel, Michael Miller and Chris Edmunds. Photo special to the Journal
Children at Crestline Elementary helped raised money for the school playground at EPIC Adventure. Photo special to the Journal
ISS Seniors Win Honors
Seven seniors from Indian Springs School have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their achievements on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, PSAT/NMSQT. Leah Fox and Isabelle Shallcross, both of Birmingham, were named 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists. They scored among the top 1 percent of the 1.5 million students who took the exam last year as high school juniors. As semifinalists, they can continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $34 million that will be offered next spring.
Emily Cutler of Hoover, Chris Edmunds of Birmingham, Ilana Engel of Mountain Brook and Harrison King of Birmingham are 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students, recognized for placing among the top 5 percent of students taking the exam nationwide. Michael Miller of Birmingham is among a select group of African-American high school seniors who are semifinalists in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program, another NMSC initiative. Miller earned the designation by being among the top scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT who requested consideration in the program. He can continue in the competition for about 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $2.4 million that will be offered next spring. ❖