Equipping Everyone for Excellence
Sylacauga City School's Monthly Update
Superintendent’s Message
October 2022
October is Parent Engagement Month. Thank you for being involved in your child's school. We had such a great turn-out at Grandparent's Days, the Title 1 Meetings, and the Tutor Me Too Night. Please be sure to join us for all of the Homecoming activities next week. Go Aggies!!
Dr. Michele Eller,
Superintendent
Sylacauga City Schools Celebrates 125 years!
Sylacauga City Schools has proudly stood as a light of learning and education since
opening ceremonies were held for its first school in 1897. At the monthly meeting of the Sylacauga Board of Education on August 23, 2022, board members signed a proclamation commemorating the 125th anniversary of the small school system that is known for its heritage of educational excellence.
It all began in 1895 when the Alabama legislature established an act to build the Fourth District Agricultural School in downtown Sylacauga. This building was located on the corner of Broadway and Eighth Street, where the J. Craig Smith Community Center now stands. Communications director Kelley Wassermann described the building as having three stories with a girls’ dormitory on the third floor, the president’s suite and classrooms for upper grades on the second floor, and the cafeteria and lower grades on the ground floor. Historical documents indicate that young men were expected to board elsewhere in town.
According to the board’s proclamation, in 1908, lower grades were moved across the street into a bank building on the site of what is now Legion Stadium. Mr. Charles S. Crowther was appointed the first superintendent in 1922. Two years later, construction was completed on the first unit of the school, then known as the State Secondary Agricultural School, on the same property in downtown Sylacauga where Sylacauga High School still stands today.
As the town grew, more schools were added to include Main Avenue Elementary, Sylavon Elementary, South Highland Elementary, East Highland High, Mountainview Elementary, Pinecrest Elementary, Indian Valley Elementary, and Nichols-Lawson Middle schools.
Sylacauga superintendent Dr. Michele Eller stated, “For the last 125 years, Sylacauga City Schools has proudly stood as a light in partnership with the community. The focus is to encourage, equip, and empower all students to own their future by providing diverse pathways to an excellent education. This is the legacy of our school system and one that many graduates cherish. We celebrate this legacy with an eye on the future by training today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders.”
Sylacauga City District News
Sylacauga City Schools was selected to participate as an Alabama MTSS Cohort I school district. Alabama Multi-Tier System of Supports (AL-MTSS) is a comprehensive, prevention-based framework aligned to the Alabama Achieves Strategic Plan that creates comprehensive support to meet the academic, behavioral, and foundational wellness needs of the whole child.
This year Sylacauga City Schools will be going through the accreditation process. Part of the process includes completing a self-assessment and gathering feedback from students, families, and our SCS staff. We ask that you each take a few minutes to complete the anonymous survey below. Your feedback is welcomed and appreciated!
Mrs. Miller, SHS English teacher, was selected as ABC 33/40 Teacher of the Month for September.
Mrs. Vineyard, SHS Family and Consumer Science teacher, was awarded the One Class at a Time for September.
Mrs. Dennis, SHS Science teacher, was one of 24 teachers chosen nationwide to participate in NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program! She spent a week training with NASA and flying into the stratosphere.
Indian Valley Elementary School
IVES students are shining bright! Many students have received a positive behavior referral, learning about all the colors of the rainbow, celebrating Lady Liberty, and so much more. Our Title I parent meeting was a success; thank you to all who came to learn more about IVES. Congratulations to the 2022 - 2023 IVES Aggie Ambassadors. We enjoyed visiting with all of our grandparents during Grandparent's Day. We are blessed to have you a part of our school.
Upcoming events:
October 3-5: Homecoming Week
October 3 - 14: Winter Wonderland Fundraiser
October 11: Report Cards sent home
October 11: Math and Literacy Night
October 20: Early Release
October 21 and 24: eLearning Days for students
October 24: Parent Conferences
Dr. Paula Bruno, Principal
Mrs. Cindy Cleveland, Assistant Principal
Pinecrest School
Pinecrest students are working hard to have a growth mindset in Math and ELA. We enjoyed visiting with all the grandparents for Grandparent's Day in September. Students are excited about homecoming week and dressing up. We can't wait to celebrate 125 years of our Aggies. Our 5th-grade students participated in the Lady Liberty assembly and learned how to be good citizens. 5th-grade students also participated in Student Council elections. Congratulations to the new Student Council representatives. Exciting things are happening at Pinecrest!
Upcoming Events:
October 3 - 5: Homecoming Week
October 5: Fall Pictures
October 11: Report Cards sent home
October 20: Early Release
October 21 and 24: eLearning Days for students
October 24: Parent Conferences
October 27: Fall Festival
October 28: Fun Pass/Snack Day
Mr. Monte Barron, Principal
Mrs. Jodi Shaw, Assistant Principal
Nichols-Lawson Middle School
NLMS students continue to work hard in all classes. Students are looking deeper into the content and pushing to a higher level of thinking. Many projects and group activities encourage students to collaborate and research. Ms. Watson entered a giveaway by Owl's Nest Publisher and won an autographed copy of Son of the Deep by K. B. Hoyle. She donated the book to the NLMS library. Parents were invited to attend the first Tutor Me 2 math tutoring session. Be on the lookout for more dates to come soon.
Upcoming events
October 3 - 5: Homecoming Week
October 3: NLMS Football @ Talladega 5 pm
October 11: Report Cards sent home
October 13: Nacho Day
October 20: Early Release
October 21 and 24: eLearning Days for students
October 24: Parent Conferences
October 26: 8th grade Class Picture
October 27: Fall Pictures
Mr. Chad Littleton, Principal
Mrs. Kristin Cox, Assistant Principal
Sylacauga High School
Sylacauga High School is BUSY! Students continue to dive into the new curriculum, research, develop online products, collaborate, develop positive relationships and the list goes on! We are gearing up for an exciting week as we celebrate 125 years of Sylacauga City Schools. Homecoming week will be filled with opportunities to reflect on our rich traditions and continue to build new memories. Come support our Aggies with the community parade and bonfire on Thursday, October 6th and tailgate in front of the stadium before the game Friday, October 7th.
SHS Health Science Internship at Coosa Valley Medical Center recognized as a Region 2 Governor’s Work-Based Learning Best Practice Winner.
SHS seniors attended the South Talladega County College Fair at J. Craig Community Center. Colleges from Alabama were available to speak with our students about the importance and requirements of attending college. We look forward to learning where our students will continue their education.
Congratulations to the 400+ students who participated in the Attendance Matters campaign. These students had perfect attendance during the month of September. Thanks to PTO and DJ Todd for helping us celebrate this accomplishment.
On October 5th, 10th-grade and 12th-grade students will participate in the Pre-Act or Work Keys assessment. Students are to report to school by 7:45 am with their charged Chromebook. 9th and 11th-grade students will have an eLearning day. Teachers will share their expectations for this day.
Congratulations to the SHS Volleyball team on winning Varsity County Champs! We are proud of your hard work and dedication!
Upcoming Events
October 3-5: Homecoming Week
October 5: Pre-Act and Work Keys assessment (10th and 12th grade), eLearning Day (9th and 11th)
October 6: SHS Volleyball @ Westminster
October 7: SHS Football vs Clay Central HOMECOMING
October 10: SHS Volleyball (H) Senior Night
October 11: Report Cards sent home
October 14: SHS Football @ Tallassee
October 20: Early Release
October 21 and 24: eLearning Days for students
October 22: ACT
October 24: Parent Conference
October 28: SHS Football vs Piedmont
Mr. Gary Rivers, Principal
Mr. Bennie Lewis, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Rhonda Courson, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Deana Goodwine, Director of Workforce Development
Sylacauga City Schools Foundation
Join us on Saturday, October 15, 2022, for the Seventh Annual SCS Foundation 5K/10K Run
Legion Stadium
Registration and sign-in begin at 7:00 am
Runs begin at 8:00 am
Registration and corporate sponsor forms are below.
Sylacauga City Schools
Website: https://www.scsboe.org/
Location: 43 North Broadway Avenue, Sylacauga, AL, USA
Phone: 256-245-5256
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SylacaugaCitySchools