How To Really Love a Child

Spotted this wall hanging on a recent trip out of town and just had to share it with the awesome parents 

of R. L. Young students. 

A Little Envious....

I have to admit sometimes when I am talking with parents that I am a little envious that they still have young children. My two are 20 and 23, a far cry from being elementary school age. I am sure you have been told this before, but savor these moments now. They will be grown quicker than you think. 


This video sums it up perfectly. Enjoy! Grab your kid, snuggle up with a book, and savor the moments.

Cell Phones NOT allowed at R. L. Young

Parents, we need your help. Cell phones are not allowed at school. Several have been taken up this week. Even if they don't work and children are just "playing with them" they should not be brought to school.
The phones that are taken up will NOT be returned until the end of the school year. This is non-negotiable. 
This policy can be found in the Talladega Ctiy Schools elementary handbook. Thank you in advance for your help with this problem. 

PTO Meeting Tomorrow!

Join R. L. Young for the February PTO meeting AND the first grade performance beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 24!


See you there!

The Daily Home - From here to Alaska

The Daily Home - From here to Alaska

Laura Nation-Atchison/The Daily Home 
Students at R. L. Young Elementary School in Talladega were busy Wednesday getting their package to Alaska ready to mail. The children are becoming pen pals with students at Denali Montessori Elementary School in Anchorage and are sending gifts with an Alabama twist to their new friends. Pictured with the children are teacher Danni Odom-Winn, top left, and Ophelia Nash, top right.

Read more:The Daily Home - From here to Alaska

R. L. Young Student Comes to the Rescue

It is a myth that children are too young to perform services for their communities. A perfect example is Anna Belle Allen, a third grader at R.L. Young. When she learned that Golden Living Center in Oxford lost their 20 year old Cockatiel, a favorite pet of many of the residents, she came to the rescue. She purchased 4 parakeets that are now adjusting to their new home in the front lobby of the Center. 


Great idea, Anna Belle. And Kudos to your parents for supporting your efforts to bring joy to others. 

Second Grade-Armstrong....Trophy Winners!

Mrs. Armstrong's second graders surprised everyone and took the trophy for last week. Each week, a report is run to see which class has the highest % in comprehension. The giant trophy is relabeled and moved to the winning classroom. Of course, Mrs. French's group will not rest until they have it safely back in their classroom. 


When students read, they are ALL WINNERS!!!

2-11-11 P.E. Star Student of the Week!

Jessica T. is always on task. Jessica is one of the best behaved students here at R.L. Young. Jessica is always fair and honest. Great job Jessica for always being the best student that a teacher could ever ask for. Keep up the great work and keep being a bright shinning star.

The Purpose of the Dance

Yes, the Father/Daughter Dance was beautiful. It was a night our girls will always remember. The purpose...to send a strong message that our girls are special, loved, and beautiful. The girls shared the night with grandfathers, uncles, family friends, or their fathers. The escorts were so handsome and proud to be there. There was magic in the air.


To one family, this dance was a milestone, an accomplishment, a goal that was finally reached. Mark and Michele Wilson, parents of Tyler and Meagan, have had a rough year to put it mildly. Mark, was diagnosed last spring with Leukemia. He has endured a successful bone marrow transplant. His goal this month was to take his little girl to the dance. On February 10, Meagan and her dad had the biggest smiles of the night because for a brief span of time they could take in the sweet songs, delicious food, and happiness that surrounded them. This night was a reprieve from the pain and suffering that has been such a part of all of their lives. I glad I could witness this sweet reunion and see the loving bond this family has for each other. It was a gentle reminder about what is important....people, relationships, and love.


Thanks to all who made this event happen. You know who you are and why you made the dance possible. It was for our girls, to let them know they are special, loved, and beautiful. 

ANNOUNCING THE 2011 YOUNG ARCHERY TEAM

REVISED 2011 YOUNG ARCHERY TEAM

Lauren Holbrook

Diamond Ogletree

Charisma McKinney

Kayla Wetuski

Jaelyn Cross

Zarria Chatman

Miranda Louallen

Caitlin Keefover

Lexi Williams

Cohen Davidson

Coy Carpenter

Riley Keith

Ben Folsom

J.R. Allen

Jaylon Peters

Hunter Smith

Dylan Campbell

Malachi Dial

Caleb Canada

CONGRATULATIONS! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU....

We are a "Cool" bunch of 2nd Graders!
We just had to go outside for one minute to take a picture of the snow.
No snowball fights were allowed!

January Good Citizens 2011

Here are the GOOD CITIZENS from grades K-2 for January: Gavin C., Brendan T., Logan E., Malorie B., Abigail P., Kayleigh F., and Emma W.



GOOD CITIZENS in grades 3-6 are as follows: Carolyn H., Payton H., Arden H., Alex C., Kaley B., Riley K., and Tori P.
not pictured: Amber Trisch

Good Citizens are selected monthly from each classroom by classmates and teachers. We appreciate
 and strive to recognize students who are well rounded and make our school a better place to learn and grow. 



2011 6th Grade District Wide Science Fair Held at R. L. Young!

     Graham Elementary and R. L. Young students really know how to showcase scientific knowledge, which was perfectly displayed at the annual Science Fair. This year R. L. Young offered the auditorium and with the generosity of Bemiston Baptist who loaned us tables, we were ready to go. 
     Mrs. Stephanie Graves, a teacher at Graham, did a splendid job organizing and overseeing the event. All projects were due on Thursday, Feb. 3 and judging took place during the school day. Normally an open house occurs to allow families to view everyone's project. Due to bad weather, the night event was cancelled. 
     R. L. Young students were most fortunate to be able to tour the projects and get a glimpse of what sixth grade science is like before students carried them home. Many winners came from our school and we are very proud!

Categories and Winners
OVERALL 1ST PLACE WINNER
 1st Place  Simon Trescott & Austin Hurst  "That's the "SEIS" of It!"

ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION

1st Place   Michael McKay-"It's Rocket Science"
2nd Place  Ben Folsom & Caleb Canada "What is the Correct Composition of Biodiesel Fuel?"


ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
1st Place  Hunter Smith "What Happens When Baking Soda & Vinegar Mix?"


ANIMAL SCIENCE
1st Place  Ethan Stillwell "Incubating Fertilized Chicken Eggs"


ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
1st Place  Lexi Williams & Natalie Merrell  "Wacky World of Water"


PLANT SCIENCE
1st Place  Lauren Holbrook  "How do Plants Breath?"


PHYSICS
1st Place   Peyton Hallmart & Meagan Wilson  "Colors Within Colors"
2nd Place  Brady Limbaugh  "Juicy Fruit???"
3rd Place  Clay Twymon & Malik Weed  "Keeping It Chill"


CHEMISTRY
2nd Place   Nicolas Hudgins & JR Allen  "The Great Crystal Race"
3rd Place   Noah Moore  "Which Stain Remover Works Best?"


HEALTH
1st Place   Miranda Louallen & Kiara Jones  "Corrosive Sodas Light vs. Dark"
1st Place   Drew Wesson "Treatment for Syringomyelia"
2nd Place  Lizzie Gray  "Is There Taste Without Smell"
3rd Place  Quintasia Kelly & Jaelyn Cross  "Love Your Body & Control Diabetes"


EARTH SCIENCE
1st Place  Simon Trescott & Austin Hurst  "That's the "SEIS" of It!"


BEHAVIOR SCIENCE
1st Place   Arden Horn  "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire"
3rd Place  Caitlin Keefover & Kayla Wetuski  "A Tasteful Brain"


ENGINEERING
2nd Place  Austin Hazel  "The Power of the Lemon"
2nd Place  Ragan & Sloan Perkins "How Does an Electric Motor Work"
3rd Place  Madison Stephens  "Applied Robotics"

You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for ICE CREAM!

The day finally arrived for the 2nd Accelerated Reader 75 point ICE CREAM party with the principal. The requirements to attend the party are that you must have at least 85% in comprehension and have earned 75 points in AR. I close the party at 15 guests, but if someone earns the points on cut off day, I squeeze them in. 

Look at all of these smiling faces. The students are excited about getting a cool treat. R. L. Young is smiling about the amazing progress our school is making in reading comprehension using AR as a focus. 

The school's overall comprehension % is 89! Amazing and it just keeps going up. Thanks to the teachers who work everyday with these students, to Mrs. Beard who helped set up the party, and our wonderful PTO who funds the treat. 

On to the next party with already 3 names on the party board. Woo Hoo!

Many Ways to Help Schools

Schools need help now more than ever before. Does someone have to have a child or grandchild enrolled to offer a helping hand? Absolutely not! I recently received a call from a Talladega resident asking if the school collected Box Top labels. I gladly replied, "Yes". Well, arriving in the mail a few days later was an envelope brimming full of labels. So thank you, Mrs. Upchurch for thinking of the school, picking up the phone to ask, arranging for postage, and sending them on. 
We appreciate folks like you! For more information on the BOX TOPS program, click here.


p.s. The school also collects Campbell soup labels. After the year ends, a member of the PTO sends them off to redeem them for items for the school. 

Check Out These Awesome Scientists at R. L. Young!

VERY PROUD of our Spelling Bee Representatives

Kayla W. (on right) was the Talladega City Schools Spelling Bee representative, and Jasmine W. (on left) was 1st runner up for the annual Talladega County Competition. These two girls could be seen daily in the hallway studying for the big day. 


Although they did not place at today's meet, we are extremely proud of their efforts and consider them winners. Thanks for going to the top at the school level and congratulations for moving on to compete with other districts in Talladega County. R. L. Young is PROUD OF YOU!

THEY'RE BACK......Highest % in Comprehension for the Week

Look who is BACK in the LEAD in AR at R. L. Young! Mrs. French and her awesome 6th grade readers took the trophy this week, even with the Science Fair going on! 

After having the trophy for 3 weeks in a row, they were disappointed when Mrs. Lamberth's second graders snagged the lead last Friday by .1%. French's group made a startling comeback with 95.1 % in comprehension this week. Congrats for sticking together and regaining the trophy!                                                                       

  

2-4-11 P.E. Star Student of the Week!

Carolyn H.

This week's star student is a very special student. She is always treating others the way she wants to be treated. She has a big heart that is full of love and kindness. She is a determined student. She is determined to be the best student and best person she can be. She is a true leader who leads by example. Great job, Carolyn H. for being an awesome student.

You Can't Get Away from Mathematics!

Does your child think that math is only about working problems on paper? Show them this video!