Shelby County Schools

Congratulations to Chelsea High School which was named to the 2023 AP School Honor Roll! The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose Advanced Placement programs are delivering results and broadening access for students. Schools can earn the Honor Roll recognition annually based on their ability to increase their school’s college-going culture, provide opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximize college readiness. The AP School Honor Roll offers four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Chelsea High School is a Bronze member of the Honor Roll. Chelsea had 48 percent of seniors who took at least one AP exam during high school, 29 percent of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam, and 16 percent of seniors who took five or more AP exams. Chelsea was also recognized with the AP Access Award for ensuring AP coursework is equally available to students no matter their backgrounds.

Several Shelby County Schools' district leaders participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Veterans Park to raise awareness and funding for suicide prevention. The district also had a booth to highlight student artwork submitted as part of the district's Art of Kindness contest. Art of Kindness was a collaboration between Shelby County Schools and NAMI Shelby County with the goal of educating students and community members about the power of kindness and connection as powerful protective factors against depression and suicide. Research has shown that kindness is an antidote to isolation and helps create a sense of belonging. Kindness also increases self-esteem, empathy, and compassion.

Let's show some love for these rock-star principals of our Centralized Schools for #PrincipalAppreciationMonth! Thank You, Daniel Richards, David Butts, and Todd Crenshaw for the dedication and service you give your students and staff every day!

This dream team of administrators is making a difference in the lives of students and staff in the Columbiana school zone! Thank You to Courtney Madison, Staci Aderholt, Melody Bryne, Dustin Smith, and Kyle Dudley for being amazing leaders! #PrincipalAppreciationMonth

We are starting the week off with another big Thank You to our principals from the Oak Mountain school zone to honor them for #PrincipalAppreciationMonth. Brooke Dunham, Jan Curtis, Tina Neighbors, Laura Junkin, Sandy Evers, and Andrew Gunn are an exceptional group of leaders!

A tremendous Thank You to our principals from the Helena school zone! Genet Holcomb, Sasha Baker, Matthew Epps, and Ashley Bahr lead with love every day! Happy #PrincipalAppreciationMonth to this amazing group of leaders.

We continue to recognize October as #PrincipalAppreciationMonth by honoring this amazing team of leaders from the Montevallo school zone. Wendy Cespedes, Jenise Hampton, and Steve Bromley are making a difference in the lives of their students and in the Montevallo community.

The American Association of School Librarians hosted its national conference in Tampa on October 18-22. The event featured a collection of workshops led by popular authors and illustrators, innovative school leaders, and professional librarians. Superintendent Lewis Brooks was one of five school administrators selected to serve on the AASL School Leader Collaborative and presented two sessions at the conference on leadership and professional responsibility. Oak Mountain Middle School Library Media Specialist, Whitney Howton and Kelci McCaleb also led a workshop on modernizing the library space through the gentrification of non-fiction books.

October is #DyslexiaAwarenessMonth, an important time to spread understanding and support for those with dyslexia. Greater awareness leads to earlier identification and intervention, which can make a major difference in helping dyslexic individuals thrive academically and beyond. We'd like to thank our employees who have gone through extensive training and learning in order to best serve students with dyslexia by becoming Certified Academic Language Therapists. Hailey Morris (HLIS), Shelley Blocker (INES), Hannah Burton (CPES), and Lauren Davis (SCISC), were recognized by Governor Ivey in Montgomery on October 23rd for their dedication to the field of dyslexia.

October is #PrincipalAppreciationMonth and today we are celebrating Tonya Borden-Hudson and Lauren Yancey from the Vincent school zone. Let's take a moment to celebrate and honor these incredible leaders who guide our schools and inspire our students!

October is #PrincipalAppreciationMonth and today we are celebrating our amazing team of principals from the Chelsea school zone. Thank you to Mary Anderson, Stevi Sims, Cynthia Cruce, and Brandon Turner for your outstanding leadership in the Chelsea community.

October is #PrincipalAppreciationMonth and today we are celebrating the remarkable principals from the Calera school zone. Thank you to Shannon Montgomery, Haley Franks, Desaree Jackson, and Christopher Myles for your unwavering dedication to the Calera school community!

One of the 5 commitments in the Shelby County Schools' Strategic Plan is Leadership Development. The Teacher Leader Academy consists of teachers who want to grow in non-administrative roles and leverage their passion to make a positive difference in our district. Today was the initial meeting of the Teacher Leader Academy and they were hard at work!

Shelby County Schools has implemented the Anonymous Alerts reporting system (AARS) that empowers individuals to report safety concerns and warning signs of potentially threatening behavior before they can escalate into a crisis. The Anonymous Alerts reporting software helps students, timid or not, to come forward and use their voices. It is designed to be an anonymous two-way communications channel, allowing students across the district’s 31 schools to securely share issues and concerns privately with school officials. "We always encourage students across all of our school communities to come forward with critical concerns. Student safety is always a top priority along with mental health support rounding out our holistic approach to creating safer academic environments for individual learning,” said Dr. Lewis Brooks, Superintendent of Shelby County Schools. It's easy and completely confidential for Shelby County Schools students to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies. A report can be made through the Anonymous Alerts app, which can be downloaded for free on Apple and Android. Additionally, Shelby County Schools has placed an "Anonymous Alerts" button in various key areas of its website and its schools’ websites for students to access a reporting form. The Anonymous Alerts system has helped schools stop suspected school shooting plots, suicides, gun threats, and concerning behavior. The system works to reduce other acts of violence like bullying, self-harm, drug use, threats, cyberbullying, and online harassment. As the name illustrates, reports made in the app are anonymous, although tipsters can provide contact information if they would like to do so. As more and more schools throughout the United States place an emphasis on providing safety initiatives and tools, Anonymous Alerts will become the cornerstone of threat assessment documentation. Reporting is available in English, Spanish, and a dozen other languages, and photos, videos or screenshots may be attached to any report. The mobile reporting app offers a "helpful links and resources" section with informational websites and videos related to cyberbullying, social and emotional learning, self-harm prevention, and mental health self-help content.

Congratulations to four Shelby County schools that were recently honored for having the highest average daily attendance to date. The schools were Mt Laurel Elementary with 97.1%, Chelsea Middle with 96.6%, and Helena High and Chelsea High (tied) with 95.5%

Denise Garibay will serve as the next Assistant Principal for Oak Mountain Middle School. Mrs. Garibay has 13 years in education and most recently served as the Assistant Principal at Odenville Middle School in St. Clair County.

Students who attend school regularly have access to many supports that enable them to be successful. Some of these supports include: ✅ Teachers' Expertise: Teachers are there to help students understand difficult topics, answer questions, and guide their learning journey. Missing school means missing out on their valuable knowledge and support. ✅ Access to Nutritious Meals: Schools provide access to nutritious breakfast and lunch, helping students who may be facing food insecurity issues at home. ✅ Counseling Services: Schools provide access to counselors who can help students dealing with mental health issues and with future planning. They're a great resource for mental well-being. ✅ Extracurricular Activities: Clubs, sports teams, and other extracurricular activities offer opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and making lifelong friends. ✅ Library Resources: School libraries are treasure troves of knowledge. They offer books, research materials, and a quiet space for studying. ✅ Structured Routine: Attending school helps students establish a routine, which can improve time management skills and boost productivity. ✅ Access to Technology: Many schools provide access to technology and the internet, which is crucial for research and online learning. #MissingSchoolisMissingOut #ShowingUpTogether

Many of life's most valuable lessons are learned through collaboration. By attending school regularly, students can actively participate in group projects, extracurricular activities, and sports, fostering teamwork and cooperation skills that are essential in both academic and real-world settings. #MissingSchoolisMissingOut #ShowingUpTogether

Congratulations to our 2023 National Merit Semifinalists! #DoGreatThings #PreparedfortheJourney

Jay McGaughy will serve as the new Transportation Supervisor for Shelby County Schools. Mr. McGaughy has over twenty years of experience as an educator teaching World History, coaching various sports, and serving as athletic director. He is currently an assistant principal at Oak Mountain Middle School.