Shelby County Schools

Engineering students from Oak Mountain High School recently presented the details of a NASA TechRise project that will take flight this summer. OMHS was one of 60 schools selected to participate in the NASA TechRise Student Challenge. Students from Paula Hughes' class have been working with the NASA TechRise team to design and build an experiment for a Virgin Galactic suborbital spaceship test flight, which is scheduled to fly sometime this summer. The experiment, "Creating Gravity With Centrifugal Force," will simulate gravity using centrifugal force in an anti-gravitational environment.

Today, we celebrate the leaders who shape the culture, vision, and success of our schools.

Our principals wear many hats - mentor, problem-solver, encourager, etc. - and they do it all with a commitment to students, staff, and their communities.

We are grateful for the impact they make each and every day.

Happy National Principals' Day.

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Congratulations to all of our nominees who were recognized yesterday at the 2025-2026 Shelby County Chamber's Student & Educator of the Year Awards Luncheon.

We are proud to be represented by some of the very best of Shelby County Schools.

A special congratulations to Mr. Derek Dupuis, who was named High School Educator of the Year, and to our student honorees - Jackson Toney (Calera High School), Natalie Bevilacqua (Shelby County High School), Joseph Alonzo Cardoza (Oak Mountain High School), and Andrew Blackmon (Oak Mountain High School) - for being selected as winners among an outstanding group of nominees.

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Our Edtech team and students from Chelsea Park Elementary and Chelsea High School recently traveled to Montgomery for the 2026 Computer Science Summit. During this event, students competed in the final round of the Governor's App Challenge, a statewide computer programming competition for Alabama students.

Chelsea High School students Chase Diamond and Landon Hartline received first place in the high school division! Their app, "College Education & Navigation" (C.E.A.N.), allows high school students to effortlessly explore college options, calculate GPA, and even find potential roommates. They were awarded by State Superintendent Dr. Mackey and had a chance to speak with him about their app.

Chelsea Park Elementary students Kenia Bravo, Logan Dobson, and Hudson Harris were selected as state finalists for the Elementary division. Their app, Monkey Math, aims to help students develop math fact fluency in a fun and engaging way.

Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Congratulations to the Chelsea High School and Shelby County High School bands for representing Shelby County Schools at the Fiesta Flambeau Parade in San Antonio, Texas - the world's largest nighttime illuminated parade.

Performing in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators and millions more watching live, these students showcased their talent, dedication, and school pride in a special way. We are very proud of how they represented our district!

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Shelby County Schools and the Addiction Prevention Coalition worked in partnership on Friday, April 24th to have all SCS nurses trained in the Youth Mental Health First Aid course. Our SCS school nurses are frontline responders for student wellness. School nurses are often one of the first trusted adults students turn to when they are struggling. This comprehensive training teaches staff how to recognize warning signs, respond effectively, and connect students struggling with mental health issues to the right supports to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Having SCS staff members trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid strengthens SCS' multi-tiered approach to supporting student mental health. We are grateful to the Addiction Prevention Coalition and our other community partners that support this initiative.

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Congratulations to the following fine arts teachers for being recipients of the Alabama Arts of Education Grant:
Lilly Langford (Elvin Hill Elementary), Kymberlee Lewis (Montevallo High School), Marjorie Eubanks (Shelby County High School , Garrett Lindsey (Shelby County High School ) and Katie Justice (Calera Middle School ) recently attended the Alabama Arts Conference to receive this award.

We are so proud of our teachers of the arts for investing time to write grants that will give our students new equipment along with supporting fine arts instruction and programs. We look forward to seeing your projects come to fruition!

Shelby County Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award from the NAMM Foundation for outstanding support and commitment to music education. Now in its 27th year, the awards program continues to spotlight and celebrate school districts and individual schools across the United Sates for their exemplary dedication to music education and ongoing efforts to ensure access to music learning as part of a well-rounded education.

The award reaches K-12 communities nationwide, offering both recognition and momentum to strengthen and expand music education programs. In 2026, more than 1,000 school districts and schools have been recognized for outstanding achievement in providing access to high-quality music education. Shelby County Schools is one of nine school districts in Alabama to be honored with the award.

Recipients of the 2026 BCME Awards were selected through a comprehensive application and review process that evaluates key indicators, including funding, instructional time, participation rates, facilities, and community support. To uphold the program's rigor and credibility, all applications were independently reviewed and verified by WolfBrown, a leading research and evaluation firm specializing in education and the arts.

The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants.

Students and staff have recently enjoyed farm-fresh strawberries as part of the Child Nutrition Program's Farm to School program. These beautiful berries came from Josh Jones from C & J Farms. Our CNP staff have added them to the menu as fresh fruit options and have also made delicious desserts like Strawberry Shortcake. YUM!

April 20-24 is National Home Visiting Week. We want to send a special thank you to our HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) team - Kerri McGaughy, Phyllis Peterson, and Arletth Patino-Peña. Every lesson taught, every word of encouragement, and every extra effort you give makes a lasting difference in the lives of your students and our community.

Julia Tanner will serve as a new Assistant Principal at Linda Nolen Learning Center. Ms. Tanner has 13 years of experience as an educator, serving first as a general education teacher and most recently as a special education teacher specializing in behavior. She has served the past three years teaching in a self-contained classroom at Oak Mountain Intermediate School.

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Erica Hogge will serve as the next Assistant Principal at Montevallo Elementary School. Ms. Hogge served as a 1st grade teacher at Calera Elementary School from 2008-2021, and then as the District Instructional Coach for Math & Science for grades K-5 in Shelby County. Most recently, she has served as Assistant Principal at Calera Intermediate School since 2023.

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

It's hard to measure the impact of a career spent serving others. Last night, we honored our retirees at the We Honor You reception, celebrating the difference they've made in the lives of countless students. Thank you, and best wishes as you begin this next chapter!

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

🎭Huge congratulations to our incredibly talented students who recently competed at the state Trumbauer Competition!

🏆 Trophy Winners

Chelsea HS
1st Place: Hannah Engle, Isabella Beasley, & Julian Griffin (Novice Ensemble Pantomime); Cassidy Short (Musical Dramatic 1980-2015 Varsity); Barrett Ponce (Makeup Design Novice); Alexa Lewis (Sound Design Novice).
2nd Place: Addie Adams (Makeup Design Varsity).
3rd Place: Barrett Ponce (Varsity Pantomime); Riley Wilder (Prop Design Novice).

Oak Mountain HS
1st Place: Aiden French (Classical Dramatic Novice); Connor Crossland & Miya Brooks (Duet Acting Dramatic Intermediate).
3rd Place: Connor Crossland (Classical Dramatic Novice).

Helena HS
1st Place: Layla Terry & Willow Glasgow (Varsity Ensemble Pantomime).
3rd Place: Anna Williams & Connor Wright (Duet Musical Comedic Varsity).

Shelby County HS
2nd Place: Russell Yongue (Classical Dramatic Intermediate).

🌟 One Act & Studio Awards
Recognizing excellence in ensemble performance.

Shelby County HS
All-Star Cast: Ava Tortorigi, Lynleigh Lowery, Russell Yongue, & Temperance Dailey.

✨ Superior Scores
Achieving the highest standard of excellence in their individual events.

Calera HS
Carly Bailey – Dramatic Monologue Novice
Dakota Jenkins – Dramatic Monologue Intermediate
Samira Holmes – Dramatic Monologue Varsity
Ace Connell – Dramatic Monologue Varsity
Ja'Kaia Marsh – Original Works Novice
Lilly Barnes – Classical Musical Novice
Lauren Bennett – Lighting Design Novice

Chelsea HS
Dalton Jones – Classical Dramatic Varsity
Colton Agee & Madison Fant – Comedic Musical Duet
Ashdyn Gamble – Prop Design Novice
Zoey Watkins – Prop Design Varsity
Harlee Bearden – Puppet Design Varsity
Cassidy Short – Puppet Design Varsity
Caylee Cothron – Scene Design Varsity
Derrick Bush – Lighting Design Novice

Helena HS
Jon Cheever – Comedic Monologue Novice
Mabrie Weatherford – Comedic Monologue Varsity
Savannah Herring – Original Works Varsity
Rory Humphrey – Classical Musical Intermediate & Musical Comedic Intermediate
Connor Wright – Musical Dramatic Intermediate
Willow Glasgow – Musical Comedic Varsity
Anna Williams – Musical Comedic Varsity

Oak Mountain HS
Leighton Morrow – Dramatic Monologue Novice
Alice Rodgers – Classical Musical Intermediate
Alice Rodgers, Evelyn Huffstetler, Sofia Herrero – Group Musical
Elliott Dennis – Musical Comedic Varsity
Sofia Herrero – Musical Dramatic Novice
Aiden French – Costume Design Novice

Shelby County HS
Johnny Johns – Comedic Monologue Novice & Duet Comedic Novice
Kellen Houston – Duet Comedic Novice
Marcus White – Comedic Monologue Intermediate
Ava Tortorigi – Makeup Design Novice

Montevallo HS
Atticus Plott – Comedic Monologue Intermediate

Our district-wide business competition entered an exciting new chapter this year with its rebrand as the Next Gen PRO Challenge. Formerly modeled after a traditional FBLA-style competition, this updated event reflects our commitment to evolving alongside our students' needs and interests.

The Next Gen PRO Challenge expanded beyond business-focused events to include a broader range of competitive opportunities, allowing students to showcase skills in marketing, communication, technology, digital and visual design, entrepreneurship, and even video production.

By broadening the scope of the competition, we aimed to create a more inclusive and dynamic experience that better prepares students for real-world challenges. The Next Gen PRO Challenge emphasized creativity, critical thinking, and professionalism skills essential for success in today's workforce.

We were excited to see our students rise to the challenge and represent the next generation of professionals!

#DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Happy Assistant Principals Week! 🎉

This week, we celebrate the leaders who keep our schools moving forward every single day. From supporting students and encouraging teachers to solving problems before most people even know they exist, our assistant principals do it all.

Thank you for your leadership, your heart, and your commitment to our school community. We are grateful for each of you!

#AssistantPrincipalsWeek #DoGreatThings #PreparedForTheJourney #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Nine of our school counseling programs have received national recognition from the American School Counseling Association. The Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) recognizes schools that have successfully implemented the ASCA National Model framework to show evidence of direct and indirect services to students, program planning, and improved student outcomes resulting from the school counseling program. The recipients were honored at the most recent Shelby County Board of Education meeting and will be later recognized at the ASCA National Conference this summer in New Orleans. School counseling programs receiving this national honor include Calera High, Chelsea Park Elementary, Forest Oaks Elementary, Helena Elementary, Inverness Elementary, Oak Mountain High, Shelby Elementary, Vincent Elementary, and Wilsonville Elementary.

Caption: 📢 Big news! Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is officially OPEN for all NEW Kindergarten students. Our new, mobile-friendly platform makes it easier than ever to join the Shelby County Schools family. at https://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/o/scs/page/enrollment to start your application today! #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence #SchoolRegistration #ClassOf2039