Early Release...Feb. 29th

Students will be released at 11:30 a.m. on February 29th to allow the community an opportunity to attend the State Championship and support our Talladega City School Lady Tigers! Buses will be running and lunch will be served before students are dismissed.

Go Lady Tigers!

Six Flags...Here We Come!

Here are the final results from the Six Flags 6 hour reading program:

Kindergarten-24

1st Grade-15

2nd Grade-24

3rd Grade-17

4th Grade-17

5th Grade-14

6th Grade-17

Total-128

Raymond L. Young teachers, staff, and students would like to extend a special "Thank You" to:
Mrs. Jana Hadley for the beautiful hall display,

to our Reading Coach, Mrs. Nunn for monitoring the program,

AND for all of the parents that helped track tons of READING!

Congratulations to everyone who participated!

Young Goes to Writing Boot Camp!

Raymond L. Young recently participated in a weeklong Writing Boot Camp. Several objectives were met, along with a bit of fun for everyone.

• Fifth graders received support from the whole student body as a special emphasis was placed on writing.



• Students had an opportunity to create and display some of their best work.



• Young students were able to wear camouflage (Don't hide your writing skills) and hats (hats off to good writing) to celebrate that writing is fun.



• Teachers were able to share their own writing skills in a faculty and staff display of Things We Love About R. L. Young! (Main building in hallway)



• Our school is filled with wonderful student writing!

Enjoy these snapshots of our writing-filled week.

Even Mrs. Hodnett participated in Dressy Camo!

Talladega City Schools will SHINE!

Tomorrow begins Talladega City School District's Accreditation Week. So much work has been put into preparing for the team's visit. Thanks to Mr. Jemison and Mrs. Diane for sprucing up the buildings. Young teachers have been wonderful about sharing the VISION statement with students and straightening their classrooms. Many teachers will serve as interviewees. R. L Young's Building Leadership Team has agreed to meet with the visiting team, too. Instructional assistants will be invaluable to the school as we manage a very busy day on Tuesday, February 26th when schools will be visited.

A special thanks is extended to parents who agreed to be interviewed, donated bulbs for the front yard, and continue to support Young everyday. I only needed a small group of parents and there are SO many willing ones in which to choose.

Everyone with ties to the district may attend a Board Meeting which will feature a final report from the Accreditation Team to be held at Graham Elementary Cafeteria on February 27th at 1:30 pm.
I just know Talladega City Schools will SHINE!

Thank YOU Mr. Douthitt

There is a book by Patricia Polacco titled "Mr. Lincoln's Way." It is a story about a black principal of an elementary school who looks for the good in others when they can't find it in themselves. If you know Mr. Douthitt at all, you know this is also how he operates as an administrator. Mr. Douthitt has graciously agreed to read this book to our second grade students at R. L. Young Elem. for two years to help us celebrate African-American History Month. Thank you, Mr. Douthitt, for helping us help our students. The pictures below show Mr. Douthitt as he reads the book and stops along the way to answer the many questions and listen to the many comments from the students.





Again, thank you Mr. Douthitt. They are all already excited about being one of your students at Talladega High School a few years from now. One of the second grade students has a grandmother that subs here at our school. She was the substitute yesterday for one of the teachers and she was so moved by Mr. Douthitt's delivery of the story that she suggested he read it to everybody in the system. "Mr. Lincoln's Way" is a wonderful story with a wonderful message. Thank you, Mr. Douthitt, for living that message and being the example our youth needs.

Today is February 14, 2008, and school children
all over America are enjoying good times, good
food and fellowship with their friends and teachers.
Enjoy the pictures below and the slide show above.

Colby and Brandon enjoy a Valentine's Party moment
with Mrs. Nelson during their class party on 2-14-08.

Food: $20.00
Soda: $ 1.00
Valentines: $5.00
Friendship: Priceless

Hey, who said we have to be straight-laced all
the time? It's Party Time, Y'all!!!!!

Were you talking about me?

Yes, we are this good all the time.

R. L. Young Experiences Africa

The day was filled with anticipation, as students awaited the arrival of buses to carry Young's 4th and 5th graders to the Ritz Theater to see the African Children's Choir. In fact, this opportunity was open to all of the district's 4th and 5th graders thanks to the generosity of Friends of the Ritz Campaign and the initiative of Mr. George Culver.

Dr. Frank Buck from Central Office arranged for buses, completed paperwork, and communicated with school adminstrators to assure that all the details were covered. This event made it possible for many students to learn about another culture "up close and personal" .

You can see from their faces that they were happy to be at the performance, but it was from the students' writings that I really discovered what this trip meant to them.

Quotes from R. L. Young students:

My favorite part was when the cheetah chased after the kids. It was funny even though you could see the boy inside it.

I know every 5th grader had a terrific time at the Ritz.

Thank you for letting us go to the wonderful Ritz Theater. The trip was grand.

Thank you again for the trip, it was amazing!

For them to be from Africa, they sure can sing really well. One day I would like to visit Africa.

I have never seen African children before, but I did know that they talked a different language than me.

They were awesome.

They are really talented.

p.s. I want to see them again.

Thanks, Mr. Culver, Friends of the Ritz, and Dr. Buck! We appreciate you making this possible.

INSIDE OUT...A Must-See Documentary

Watch InsideOut as it makes its broadcast debut on Sunday, February 10th at 8 PM on Alabama Public Television. InsideOut is an emotionally powerful documentary that highlights one man’s journey to reduce the drop out rate in America.

Through the eyes and encouragement of Dr. Shelley Stewart, President of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, prison inmates deliver a powerful message about the consequences of not having an education and the tragic toll it takes on their families and community. Dr. Stewart compassionately interviews the inmates and unveils their genuine hope to give others the chance they no longer have, to avoid the pitfalls of dropping out of school.

All of the prisoners interviewed are serving long or life sentences in a maximum-security prison. InsideOut has become a popular tool for educators in middle and high schools throughout the Southeastern United States. This documentary stresses the importance of staying in school and receiving an education.

What R. L. Young Student met JUAN PABLO MONTOYA ?

An essay opportunity, with a prize of meeting Juan Pablo Montoya, was sponsored by the R. L. Young Parent and Teacher Organization, and was open to all fifth and sixth graders.

The lucky winner was sixth grader Dean Ponder. Pictured above, Dean had the opportunity to meet and present Juan Pablo Montoya his winning essay at the Talladega Walk of Fame Davey Allison Memorial Park. Congratulations, Dean!

R. L. Young Spelling Bee Winners

Hillari Hallmark (first place winner) and Alex Horn (alternate) represented Raymond L. Young recently in the Talladega County Spelling Bee. We are proud of both sixth graders!

Raymond L. Young is Closed Today!

Talladega City Schools will be closed today due to bad weather. Storms are predicted between the hours of 6:30 and 8:30.

Thanks for checking our BLOG for this important information!

January Good Citizens

Being a GOOD CITIZEN is a BIG deal at Raymond L. Young. Each teacher has specific criteria that students must meet to be considered for this honor. This month, the January Good Citizens enjoyed a treat of French fries, compliments of Burger King.



I wonder who will be our February GOOD CITIZENS?

RAYMOND L. YOUNG TOY

The 2007-2008 Teacher Of the Year and Jacksonville Teacher Hall of Fame candidate from Raymond L. Young is Mrs. Becky Armstrong. Becky has been a teacher in the Talladega City School District for 16 years. She has taught Kindergarten, first, and second grade. Mrs. Armstrong is a very creative teacher and uses her computer skills to jazz up her teaching.

Congratulations, Mrs. Armstrong!

Grammy Loves Them All!

Mrs. Porter is helping Grammy with Mrs. Nabors'
class and their birdfeeder.

Grammy is proud to be in the photo with Mrs.
Lamberth's class.

Mrs. Liner's class is happy to pose with Grammy
outside their window.

Grammy is talking to Mrs. Lamberth's class
about the upkeep of the birdfeeder.

Grammy is showing them how to put the
birdfeeder together.

At the beginning of the year, especially in Kindergarten, you truly don't know what is in store for the year. The kids are new, the parents are new and you always hope for the best. This year, our entire Kindergarten class is blessed with a certain grandmother, Maxine Cole. Her grandson is in Mrs. Nabors' class but when she treats Mrs. Nabors' class, she treats Mrs. Lamberth's and Mrs. Liner's too! Each week, she reads a story to all three classes and the students receive a memento from that story. They call her Grammy and she is the epitome of the word. If Grammy is in the dictionary, the definition would probably be Maxine Cole. Her latest gift to the Kindergarten wing is a new birdfeeder, installed outside each class' window, complete with birdseed to last the remainder of the year. She put them outside the windows so the children can enjoy the birds that enjoy the birdseed. She demonstrated to each class how to care for their birdfeeder and how full the seed trough should be. She also gave the classes a reference book about birds so they can look up the names of the birds that visit the birdfeeders. How thoughtful! Thank you, Grammy, for the kindness you have shown to our kindergarteners and our school. We will all enjoy watching the birds enjoy your kindness.