Heading AUGUST 2022 Tomato Sandwiches with Sean of the South PAGE 16 Altamont’s New Head of School Arrives PAGE 18 into a A round of applause for the WISE School’s recently opened preschool Page 24 New Year Tips for a Better Back to School Routine Page 27
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EDITOR’S
I know the school bells will be ringing soon, but there is still enough summer left to head to Cullman’s WildWater park for a day of splash fun. The newly opened attraction—with rides and slides for all ages—remains open this month through Labor Day Weekend, so head out for some major family fun before we trade in swimsuits for schoolbooks! Read more on page 22. Another option is to set aside the day for fresh pre-school haircuts and lunch, and I have the perfect spots for both. Wife, mom, and entrepreneur Tricia Williams just brought her D.C. salon to town with a second location in Homewood (page 14). Follow up with a fun lunch at the new Alpha Charlie Grill near the Birmingham airport, where you can dine in recycled plane seats and feel the rattle as jets take off (page 12). We also have the usual wit and wisdom from your favorite local writers— Just for Dads by Ward Williams (page 8); Sean of the South (page 16); Alana Smith of Holy Moly Motherhood (page 10); and Heather Brown of My Life Well Loved (page 27). I’m excited about incorporating some of Heather’s tips into our back-to-school routine, which begins in a few short weeks. We love to hear from you! Birmingham offers endless stories to tell, and we want to share them all. If you know of a person, event, or business we should feature, please reach out and share with us. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2022-2023 school year. In the words of Joe Fox, Tom Hanks’ character in You’ve Got Mail: “I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” NOTE
I truly can’t believe we’ve finally met the “end” of summer. Of course, I use that word in quotes, because it will be hot here till it’s time to fry the Thanksgiving turkey, but it is officially the month of last-minute family vacays and back-to-school prep. (It’s also my birthday month, and I am excited to celebrate—as my daughter says—my 22nd birthday. I don’t think it’s nice to hurt her feelings with the truth!) We recently took a little mama/daughter field trip to secure kindergarten school supplies with a side of milkshakes (shopping fuel, you know!). Even though it’s been a long time since I’ve had a first day, I felt the familiar nostalgia of picking out new pencils and crayons, fresh paper and a lunchbox, crisp uniforms and extra tissues for the classroom. Something about a 24-pack of new Crayolas for $.50 still gives me that new-beginnings excitement. We’re celebrating a few new beginnings in education this month: Chattanooga native Cecil F. Stodghill returns to the South from New York, where he most recently served as Head of School at The Doane Stuart School in Rensselaer. He comes to Birmingham as the new Head of School at Altamont, thus having his own “first day of school” this month as classes resume. He’s talking opportunities and vision for students on page 18. Another Birmingham gem, the Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Educaiton (WISE), will start the 2022-2023 preschool year in a brand-new facility that just opened in May. WISE provides tuition-free programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing children who are learning to listen and speak utilizing cochlear implants or hearing aids. The WISE Preschool is the only school in the state dedicated to teaching deaf children to speak. The school will use the new building to continue to provide therapy and other services to educate, support, and empower deaf and hard of hearing children. Read more on page 24. One more academic note: Be sure to flip to our monthly “Kids Who Shine” column on page 30 to read about Ramsay International Baccalaureate High School valedictorian Kylan Benson, who is off to Harvard this fall after receiving more than $3 million in scholarships and eighteen college acceptance letters—including four to Ivy League schools. He is surely headed to Cambridge to pursuit even greater endeavors!
Hoover residents Cora and Clara Winborn took a seat in “Big Blue”— built by Bham Family’s publisher, Allen—lastMatthewmonthat The World Games.
4 Bham Family August 2022
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6 Bham Family August 2022 These folks are the ones to thank for our magazine’s success — spend your money with them, and tell them you saw them in Bham Family! OUR ADVERTISING PARTNERS Aldridge Gardens 19 Amazing Grace Farms 11 Applause Dancewear 2 Brookwood Baptist Health 9 Children’s of Alabama 31 Compact 32 Deo Gloria Wood Works 19 Eyes on Chelsea Vision Care 6 Hoover Met Complex 17 Kasey Davis Dentistry 2 Birmingham Family Magazine @BhamFamilyMag RECYCLE ME!bhamfunandfamily.comBirmingham Family Magazine @BhamFamilyMag RECYCLE ME!bhamfamily.com ABOUT US Bham Family is published monthly by JBMC Media, LLC, P.O. Box 26432, Birmingham AL 35260. 10,000 copies are printed and distributed at more than 650 locations throughout Jefferson andCounties.Shelby DISTRIBUTION If your business would like to make copies available to customers, please matthew@jbmcmedia.comemailwithyourbusinessname,address,pointofcontact,andnumberofcopiesyouwouldlike. ADVERTISING To reach the largest audience of parents in Birmingham each month, partner with us. matthew@jbmcmedia.comEmailtogetstartedwithapartnershipthatwillbeakeypartofyourplan. Kingdom Kids Consignment Sale 26 Painted Personalities 21 Pediatric Smiles 19 Sike’s Children’s Shoes / Jack n Jill 3 Twice as Nice Sale 13 Urgent Care for Children 5 Vineyard Family Services 3 Vulcan Termite & Pest Control 21 Wrapsody 26 Schedule back-to-school eye exams! It may be summer, but school is just around the corner. Call our office today and schedule your child’s exam! 10699 Old Hwy 280, Bldg 2 Chelsea • (205) eyesonchelsea.com980-4530
Bham Family August 2022 7 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Photo provided by WISE director Nancy Gregg The Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education (WISE) opened the doors to their first permanent location earlier this year along the Highway 280 corridor. The school, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, serves preschool aged children with hearing loss, speech and language delays, and children with typical hearing and speech and their families. ON THE COVER Just for Dads Ward Williams gives advice. p. 8 Holy Moly Motherhood Finding confidence. p. 10 Food Review Alpha Charlie Grill. p. 12 Sean of the South Tomato sandwich etiquette. p. 16 Kids Who Shine Kylan Benson heads to Harvard. p. 30 FEATURE STORIES There’s a New Salon in Town A local mom balances family and a family business. p. 14 Back to the South Altamont’s New Head of School returns “home” with big plans for the future. p. 18 EndSplish-SplashofSummer Fun Cullman’s WildWater offers cool slides and rides. p. 22 A Back-to-SchoolBetter Routine Heather Brown’s tips for smoother mornings. p. 28 12 22
JUST FOR DADS
WilliamsWard BY VITOLDA KLEIN ON UNSPLASH
I recently read the book Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton, about the sailors of the Belgica being trapped in Antarctic water during the winter of 1898. Can you imagine being stuck on a ship in frozen waters in complete darkness with a large group of sailors? Every member of the crew suffered, multiple men died, and many who survived never regained their mental health. The environment of an Antarctic winter is filled with cold, dark, storms, and constant agitation, and the atmosphere for those on the ship matched.
We need the sunlight and to be outdoors. We have become sedentary people who are indoors way too much. God is a Creator, and his creation is meant for our enjoyment and health. We need to eat healthfully, watch our diets, and talk with doctors or nutritionists to make sure what we take in provides life. We must provide our households healthful options and teach our families the importance of healthy food choices. We must understand some of the answers to our physical and mental health can be improved by what we eat and drink. We must be proactive in addressing boredom and help our to children understand their purposes. We are losing the ability to invent fun and engage in meaningful conversations because we are allowing devices such as smartphones trap us into a world of idleness. If the environment of your house is full of light, life, and purpose, then the inhabitants will be as well.
The thought of being stuck or trapped in a situation has caused me great consternation and distress for as long as I can remember. If class rankings in high school were based on “least likely to sit still, not talk, and concentrate on task at hand,” I would have been valedictorian.
IN THE BOOK
In my years of working with families, the feelings of being stuck and hopelessness can lead to devasting results. In my mind, I see parallels between what caused severe mental adversity on the ship and some of the same challenges families face today.
8 Bham Family August 2022
There was darkness, a complete absence of light. Darkness can be overwhelming to our systems and can zap our energy. The darkness can make the cold weather feel even more severe. There was a lack of healthy, needed nutrients. In the book, the crew started to break down both mentally and physically. They developed scurvy. They learned that those who ate raw seal did better, but many still refused to eat the meat because of its taste. There was total boredom and lack of purpose. There was nowhere to go and nothing to do. Boredom and a lack of purpose can be deadly. Those who ventured away from the ship faced the possibility of being lost forever due to disillusion or mirage. IN OUR FAMILIES
Ward Williams is the founder and executive director of Vineyard Family Services. Contact him at ward@vfsdads. com.
PHOTOGRAPH
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“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
And then you will, “Live the life you have imagined.” One step at a time, y’all. Alana Smith is a boy mom (ages 7 and 2), nurse anesthetist, and writer in Birmingham. She shares her writing at Holy Moly Motherhood (on Facebook and Instagram), where she tackles all things motherhood and marriage. SmithAlana
Or what if you are 35, and your days are filled with sippy cups and diapers, and although this is what you wanted all your life, it’s just not quite what you had imagined?Oryou are 45, with teenagers and slamming doors. Feeling like you just can’t do anything right by them, and your dreams are something you don’t even recognize anymore? Or you were laid off. Or have been sick. Or you may have a steady income, but so many people depend on you that you couldn’t chase your dreams even if you wanted to. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. It doesn’t say to “find your dreams” or “create your dreams.” It just says to go. In that Takedirection.thenext step. Maybe you’ve always wanted to paint, or learn piano. Maybe you’ve wanted to take night classes and finish your degree. Maybe you’ve wanted to foster a child, or write a book. Maybe you’ve wanted to apply for that manager position. Go confidently in that direction.
Working night shift as a nurse, wasn’t exactly “living the life I had imagined,” but it was my next step, to get where I was going. With kids headed off to college this month, I imagine this quote is pretty fitting. And for those graduating or starting their first jobs, who are filled with excitement, and have more years in front of them than behind. But what if you are 28 and don’t know where you are going? Something has derailed you, and your grand plans.
-Henry David Thoreau
I received this quote, written on a wood door hanger, as a gift when I graduated from nursing school. It hung in my bedroom, mostly as free wall art while I navigated my next steps in life—a real job.
FindingConfidenceYour
10 Bham Family August 2022 HOLY MOLY MOTHERHOOD
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12 Bham Family August 2022
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DANIEL HARP
Now Boarding: Alpha Charlie Grill
Inventive entrepreneur Brian’s latest venture is located on East Lake Boulevard offers up-close views of takeoffs and landings, where, says marketing director Daniel Harp, “You can feel the building shake when a big jet takes off.”
A new culinary spot from Brian Kemp, owner of Kemp’s Kitchen in Gardendale, recently took flight near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport. Alpha Charlie Grill, an airplane-themed establishment complete with old jet parts and a tongue-in-cheek menu, is fun and delicious.
A new plane-themed restaurant lands near the Birmingham airport
All the aviation features are a fun draw for
Though patrons can certainly wave to passengers high above them, there’s plenty of plane parts and pieces inside the building to hold your attention, too. Chairs, tables, and a bar crafted from jet metal anchor the space; a set of functional exit doors signals the way to the restrooms. Look up, and you’ll find the roof of a plane with lights and exit signs. An airport tower with a wind sock and working lights, from Mobile Regional Airport, stakes claim on the restaurant’s patio along with crowd-pleasing cornhole to pass the time before the food comes.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
Bham Family August 2022 13 families, especially kids who love to watch the planes. Their meals—child-friendly fare like chicken fingers and grilled cheese from the “CoPilots” menu—are served in plane-shaped meal boxes with a cookie. Because of its proximity to their operations, Alpha Charlie serves lots of military during the week, as well. For the big flyers, Alpha Charlie has a selection of appetizers from the “Taxi” section that includes Cheese Curds and Tarmac Fries (fried pickles).
The “Take Off” offers a salad, wrap, and soup du jour—“Puddle Jumper”— while “In-Flight” choices range from sandwiches to pizza and burgers (there’s a black bean option for vegetarians). The Refueler has been a top seller, with its bison burger patty and Havarti cheese. The massive Warthog addition, halfpound cheeseburger topped with brisket and slathered in barbecue sauce, is definitely large enough to share. Though you might be to stuffed from the main meal, grab a made-from-scratch dessert to go from Alpha Charlie’s offerings like coconut pie or strawberry cake.
Currently serving breakfast hours through late lunch, Alpha Charlie hopes to extend their hours to dinnertime soon, and they’re also available for event bookings. Either way, if you find yourself on a little layover, be sure to pop in for some flight sighting and good food soon!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 ALPHA CHARLIE GRILL 4900 East Lake Boulevard Birmingham, Alabama 35217 Hours Monday – Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday – Sunday: Closed For more information, visit alphacharliegrill.com.
The ”Redeye” breakfast menu is fun and filling, with the Waffle Flight and PreDeployment Breakfast (eggs, meat, and bread), plus an omelet, tacos, and biscuits and sides to round out the choices.
WILLIAMS BUILDING
COURTESY
Long before she was a wife and mom, Tricia Williams and her sister, Cindy, did what so many siblings do: They spent years dreaming up their future, together. “She is a stylist and I have a business background. For years we dreamed of, and talked about, opening a salon together,” says Tricia. “She is also a mom to three kids, and it was her experience 10 years ago that many salons were not flexible for working moms.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
PHOTOGRAPHS OF TRICIA A FAMILY BUSINESS
Meanwhile, Tricia was pursuing her MBA at UAB, and she used an assignment to alleviate her sister’s frustration. “I wrote a business plan for her to open a salon.” But instead of leaving it at that, the sisters made their dream a reality. “We are from the Washington, D.C. area, and Old Town Alexandria is one of our favorite places, so we decided to open the business.” In 2012, they founded Salon 46. Tricia ran operations from Birmingham, with frequent visits back home, and her sister worked in
A wife and mom balances her new Homewood hair salon with her busy home life
BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE
14 Bham Family August 2022 FEATURE
Though Tricia remained in Birmingham, working her day job and handling salon business on the side, she had another dream to expand the business here. “I have wanted to open [one] in Birmingham for years, but there was always some life thing that was keeping me from it,” she says. “Losing my dad during the pandemic made me finally decide to do it. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so I am trying to make the most out of today.”
On top of her fierce devotion to family, Tricia’s enthusiasm for business ownership and excellence is evident. “I believe in our mission,” she says. “We understand what it’s like to be frustrated with your current hairstyle. You deserve healthy and beautiful hair, and we can help. Stylists are there for clients through the highest moments of life, like weddings, proms, and new jobs. And stylists are also there for their clients in the lowest moments of life, like funerals and cancer diagnoses. As a salon owner, I get to support and encourage my team through it all. Sometimes that’s providing them with continuing education on the latest trends or inspiration to become better at their craft. Other times, it’s listening to what they’re going through personally. And I want to preserve the integrity of the profession. This is highly skilled labor—stylists are artists. If I can create an environment where that creativity can serve people in this area, it’s a good thing.”
Together, modeling hard work to their boys is a priority. “My family is everything to me, and my kids are my heart,” Tricia says. “I became an instant mom—twice! I have three teenaged stepsons, and we recently adopted our fourth son from foster care. This is a family journey. We are all learning that pursuing your dreams is hard work. My boys have big dreams, too, and I want to model for them that having dreams builds a purpose and passion, but it’s not always an easy road. I left a job that I had mastered to pursue this. Some days, I question that decision, but never for very long. Just as this salon was started to honor the life of my father, I recognize that our kids are watching what we do, whether we want them to or not. They may not take every lesson we intend them to, but I couldn’t imagine not having the family team on board for this.”
Bham Family August 2022 15 the salon while maintaining a flexible schedule that fit into mom life.
The salon’s location in Homewood was an easy choice. “I have always wanted Birmingham to have a salon like Salon 46, which is a place where all feel welcomed and where stylists can thrive and clients feel at home while getting great hair,” Tricia says. “I lived in Homewood in my twenties and immediately fell in love with the community. It’s very similar to Old Town Alexandria, where our first location is, and it just feels right for our second one.” One thing that is different now: Tricia is married with kids. So, in addition to all the work that comes with opening your own business, there’s the added layer of family balance. “I haven’t really considered myself an entrepreneur until recently,” she says. “For 7 years, the salon was my side hustle, which meant I worked a lot! Now, it’s my main gig, so I guess I am officially an entrepreneur, but there is still not a balance and that’s okay. My family is in this with me, and I think that’s the only way I could do this.”
Leaning on her husband, Ernie—who also has an extensive business and marketing background—for support is a foundation of Salon 46. “My husband has been my unpaid business partner for years—working long hours by my side, encouraging me when times were tough (hello, pandemic), and believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” she says. “I truly feel that this support is why I was able to have a salon in D.C. for the last decade, and why I am opening one in Homewood.”
Salon 46 opens this month. They are currently hiring a great team who will be able to welcome clients with all types of hair, including stylists who specialize in blonding, natural hair texture, gray blending, and more. Salon 46 is located at 350 Hallman Hill E., Suite 71 in Homewood. For more information, visit salon46.com/birmingham.
Like the business plan, there is much thought behind the name of the salon, too. Salon 46 comes from the CH-46 helicopter that Tricia and Cindy’s father, Lt. Col. (USMC Ret.) Frederick Roland Wagner, Jr., flew in the Marines. It is one of the most difficult helicopters to fly, but he loved a challenge, they explain. “Though he developed a service-related terminal disease called frontotemporal dementia— which ultimately took his life—he passed his energetic, fun, and hard-working spirit on to everyone he knew,” says Tricia. “Salon 46 was founded in 2012 to honor him.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
Consequently, if all you have in your pantry is “gluten-free” or “keto” bread, please stop reading here and go back to California. Once you have your white, floppy, flaccid, tasteless bread ready, open a jar of Duke’s mayonnaise. Duke’s is the brand with the canary yellow lid, manufactured and packaged by real evangelical seminary graduates, so you know it’s sacred, mostly. If you don’t have any Duke’s, you’re not totally out of luck. Blue Plate mayonnaise will also work nicely.
Hellmann’s, however, isn’t fit for consumption by a golden retriever. Similarly, Miracle Whip is neither a “miracle” nor a “whip,” but the brainchild of communist sympathizers who don’t love the Lord. And Kraft mayo is industrial doorknob lubricant.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 SEAN OF THE SOUTH
Bama mayonnaise is also a winner.
The Sandwich
It bears mentioning, if all you have in your refrigerator is a kind of mayonnaise labeled “light” or “low-fat,” please forfeit your tomato to someone who will use it correctly and resume doing CrossFit until
16 Bham Family August 2022 Do this. Get a tomato. Not just any tomato. A Slocomb, Alabama, tomato. Make sure the tomato is firecracker red and softer than the hind cheeks of a 2-month-old. Find a serrated knife. Cut said tomato into thick slices about the width of the unabridged edition of Shogun.Tomatoes from Geneva County, Alabama, are different from common varieties. They are superior tomatoes.Infact, top archaeology scholars at Columbia University now believe that the original Garden of Eden was located just north of Highway 52 in Geneva County. And most experts agree that the forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve was originally purchased from the Hendrix Farm Produce tomato stand. Next, find two slices of Sunbeam bread. In a pinch, you can use Bunny Bread, Wonderbread, or Colonial bread. But stay away from any bread with packaging labels that read something like, “59 whole grains and seeds!” or “3,234 grams of dietary fiber!” This isn’t real bread, but an abrasive material meant for sanding boat hulls.
Bham Family August 2022 17 your buttocks turn into tiny shriveled prunes. Next, use a No. 8 masonry trowel to apply approximately one gallon of approved mayonnaise onto your limp, lifeless, nutrition-free bread. If the bread is still visible after mayonnaise application, you did it Stepwrong.Four.
To eat sandwich, open mouth wide, place one corner into mouth, and bite firmly. Your tomato wedges should slip from between the pieces of bread, shooting forward, falling directly into your sink, leaving you with two naked pieces of bread. If this does not happen, you did not use enough mayonnaise. Retrieve tomato hunks from the basin of your nasty, crud-covered, salmonella-encrusted sink while cussing liberally.Replace mangled remains of tomato onto sandwich and attempt to eat sandwich a second time, making sure to mash your soggy, glutenous, snot-like bread pieces together until they are indistinguishable from lumps of Elmer’sAfterGlue.thethird or fourth bite, the front of your shirt should be stained red, covered in tiny seeds, and your kitchen should look like a hog killing has recently been performed on the linoleum. When your sandwich expenditure is finished, you can slap yourself heartily on the shoulder because you have just eaten a proper tomato sandwich. You may now recite the ceremonial benediction uttered by Alabamians statewide every summer:
“Thank you, Lord, for bananas, Granny Smiths, and Tropicana. But most of all, for all the ’maters, raised in Slocomb, Alabama.” Amen.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
PHOTO BY KIRIAKOS VERROS UNSPLASH
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Carefully place slices of tomato onto your prepared bread. If, by chance, your bread has already absorbed too much mayonnaise and tomato juices and is now disintegrating into a papier-mâché-like puddle on your kitchen counter, and it no longer resembles bread, congratulations, you’re on the right track. Salt and pepper to taste. If you discover that you are tempted to add cheese or onions or lettuce or something else weird to your sandwich, thereby violating the Holy Trinity of tomatoes, mayo, and bread, please step away from the cutting board. Take deep breaths, open a can of Natural Light, and start sipping until the urge passes. Next, place both segments of your sandwich together slowly and softly. Warning: Do not compress sandwich. Do not cut sandwich in half. Do not even blink or your sandwich will fall apart. Now, gently lift your sandwich—very gently—as though you are assisting in a heart transplant operation. Walk across the kitchen and stand over the sink. Say grace silently. Go ahead, we’ll wait.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE ALTAMONT SCHOOL
BY SEAN FLYNT
The Altamont School’s new Head of School feels like he has come home. Chattanooga, Tennessee, native Cecil F. Stodghill, Jr., wife Kim, and son Cameron were in New York for three years as Stodghill led the Doane Stuart School through accreditation, growth, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but his extensive previous experience of educational leadership was here in the Southeast. Now returned to a spot near his Tennessee kin, Stodghill also finds a new family at Altamont, and is excited for his wife—principal of her own independent
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
New Altamont Head of School Returns South
18 Bham Family August 2022 EDUCATION
Cecil F. Stodghill is in his first year at the Birmingham school. Here, he talks vision for the future.
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To best serve students, he said, every school must adapt to generational values, new understandings about effective education, and changing expectations of parents beyond traditional academic work. “We want to make sure that when a family chooses the Altamont school, they’re choosing that their children and family will have an experience, that they will be engaged as a family, and that they will be in a partnership,” he said.
The Altamont experience, Stodghill said, should not only prepare graduates for higher education, but also help them to discern their calling and sustain them in every part of their lives. Serving families in that way requires partnerships outside of the school community, and Stodghill sees that Altamont is ideally situated for building those relationships.
“Any student who can walk across our stage and receive a diploma, with 10 hours of practical experience of anything that they want to pursue, is going to be more marketable and successful,” Stodghill said. Refining interests in this way before college also can help students avoid higher education stops and starts that can be costly in terms of both tuition and time. So, in Stodghill’s vision, an Altamont student dreaming of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology should be enriched by summer research experience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A student called to teach should find inspiration and opportunities to shadow local faculty in the city’s diverse educational settings.
Stodghill knows that, in a city of this size, there isn’t much limit to the ways students could explore their callings.
20 Bham Family August 2022 college counseling firm—and son—finishing his senior year of high school in New York—to become active with him in the life of the school. “I’ve never felt as welcomed anywhere as I do here,” he said, as he officially began his service in July. “I feel like I’ve found my people again.”
“We’re sitting on a goldmine, in terms of global education and practical experiences, right here in Birmingham,” he said. Taking full advantage of those opportunities would be good for the school’s families as well as the city, he observed. “My goal is to create a cultural shift by which we become not the independent school in Birmingham, but the school in Birmingham, not just because of our college matriculations or our AP scores, but because of the impact we truly have in this community.”
Stodghill said this cultural affinity adds extra inspiration to work hard to help Altamont evolve.
“I think that will serve not only the Altamont community, but also metro Birmingham,” he said. He noted that some of those opportunities can arise from an invigorated alumni network that links students with mentors in their fields of professional interest. Beyond these enriching off-campus experiences, Stodghill said preparation for rapidly changing college and professional expectations also must include helping students develop the intellectual tools they need to thrive anywhere. Digital fluency, understanding community needs, and the ability to navigate in cultures ranging from rural Alabama to the world’s largest cities are only some of the tools that help education grow and serve students beyond the basics. “It has to be academic, social and emotional,” Stodghill said. “We need to address mental health. We need to be more mindful of learned and expected behaviors, including executive functioning. Those things are part of the experience, and I think we have to balance traditional school with progressive learning and living.” Specific programs can support all that, he said, but the commitment must be deeper. “It needs to be a cultural shift, and that will help us initiate the next 50 years of the Altamont legacy.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
From left, Kim, Cameron, and Cecil F. Stodghill, Jr.
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“Cullman is growing, with nearly 25% of our population under the age of 18,” says Mayor Woody Jacobs. “WildWater is a great addition to the overall plans we have for the families and youth within our community.”
Guests can purchase food, snacks, and treats at Oasis Bistro—which offers a family pack with chicken tenders, chips, and fountain drinks—The Gully, and Iceberg, where ICEES and other “chilly eats” are the fare du jour. Breakers offers patio seating for guests ages 21 and up, or you can grab a beverage to go before you stroll the park.
Photographs courtesy of Brian Kirk and Lyndsey McCormick, Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism
Fifteen cabanas and a pavilion—ideal for parties or larger groups—are available for rental.Each week on Twilight Tuesday, park
AMAKINGSPLASH
Plunge into cool family fun with pools, waves, and slides at WildWater in Cullman
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In June, the vision of the Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism (CPRST), along with the efforts of Mayor Woody Jacobs and the Cullman City Council, was realized when WildWater opened on Main Avenue in this small town just north of Birmingham. The result of three years of strategic planning is the 12-acre waterpark, the first of its kind in the state. Aquatic Development Group designed the park; the slides and tower complex were designed by Proslide Technologies. Fun features include four splash pad stations, a 45-foot LED wall, nine “Funbrellas,” a 22,000-square-foot wave pool with eight wave patterns—the RipTide—18 water slides, a drift river, and more. A special kids’ zone—for children 48” and under—caters to littles with seven mini slides, a splash station, and play area. Bigger adventure seekers will love thrill slides like the Blue Hurricane, the only one of its kind in the country, featuring quick turns and speed; the 43-foot-drop Cannon Bowl; the superfast Torque; Turbo Twister high-speed body slide with a 55-foot drop; and more.
Bham Family August 2022 23 guests can enjoy discounted admission from 4 to 7 p.m., which includes access to the slide tower, wave pool, kiddie area, and The Gully, Iceberg, and Breakers. On select Thursdays, WildWater hosts Splash-In Movie nights in the wave pool. (The last one this season is August“The30.)development of WildWater is a key part of the larger sports and events district, centrally located in the heart of Cullman,” says Nathan Anderson, executive director of CPRST. “WildWater will draw thousands of people to Cullman and provide a great outlet for local residents to enjoy family fun without having to leave the area.” WildWater is open through Labor Day, so there’s plenty of time for one last splash to close out summer. For more information, visit wildwatercullman.com. WILDWATER 1707 Main Avenue SW, Cullman, Alabama 35055. Free parking is accessible through the main entrance. Hours • Monday, Wednesday –10Saturday:a.m.– 6 p.m. • Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Twilight Tuesday: 4 – 7 p.m.) • Sunday: 1 – 6 p.m. For more information, call (256) 7757946 or visit wildwatercullman.com. TRAVEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22
After 10 years of operating in temporary locations—including Canterbury UMC and Shades Valley UMC—The Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education (WISE) preschool starts the new school year in a brand-new, permanent facility. The new building comes as a result of growing too large to fit in the borrowed spaces and made possible by generous donors. Located on Corporate Parkway in Meadowbrook, the location—which previously housed a daycare—offers 9,000 square feet of classroom and therapy space, which was completely renovated before the ribbon cutting on May 3. The new space offers therapy session rooms, preschool classrooms, a parent resource room, CONTINUED ON
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WOOLLEY INSTITUTE FOR SPOKEN-LANGUAGE EDUCATION A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
24 Bham Family August 2022 EDUCATION
BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE
The Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education preschool opens the new school year in a permanent facility
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“We are excited about the opportunity to provide a language and literacy rich preschool environment in our new space in Meadowbrook,” says WISE director Nancy Gregg. “Children thrive in our small classes with highly trained teachers and speech language pathologists.”
A 501(c)(3) public nonprofit organization, WISE is—as noted in their mission statement—“dedicated to educating, supporting, and empowering children who are deaf or hard of hearing, children who have speech & language delays, and children who have typical hearing & speech and their families so that wise ears become wise minds.”
Bham Family August 2022 25 conference room, library, and waiting area.
The program is named for pediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Audie Woolley, who directs the cochlear implant program at Children’s of Alabama. Dr. Woolley helped start WISE with Dr. Robert Baldwin, an ENT who is also president of WISE. Their therapy programs provide deaf and hard of hearing children the chance to learn to listen, speak, read, and integrate fully into the hearing society. The statewide program works in collaboration with Alabama’s
The ultimate goal is for the children to enter mainstream neighborhood schools. And, with early intervention and enrollment in the WISE preschool program, most students are ready to integrate by kindergarten.Samfordsenior and WISE intern Julianne Hill says: “As a cochlear implant user myself, it is so exciting to now have such an amazing staff and facility for kids who are deaf or hard of hearing, as my family did not have such accessible options like WISE growing up!”
Through the Micah Fellows honors program at Samford, Julianne volunteers in a range of areas at WISE for at least 60 hours per semester, something she has done since summer 2020. “I am honored to serve at WISE, as it gives me an opportunity to give back to those who have helped me develop speech with cochlear implants. I also love the opportunity to encourage parents, children, and others on the journey of hearing loss! Having services like speech therapy and auditory verbal therapy be more accessible will change these kids’ lives and allow them to hear, listen, speak, and thrive in a hearing society. I am so excited about WISE’s expansion and can’t wait to see all of the lives these children touch!”
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A small student-teacher ratio combined with creativity, a focus on social skills, academics— such as math concepts and phonics—outside play, and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Music therapy, shown to have benefits in speech and language development by using instruments to help identify the differences between questions, statements, and commands, is also included.
26 Bham Family August 2022 Early Intervention System, school systems, and private and public entities that seek to further the education of deaf children who use listening and spoken language. The goal is to prepare these students to attend mainstream schools.
For more information, visit wise4al.org.
The WISE preschool is the only school in the state dedicated solely to teaching deaf children to speak. While the learning environment is similar to traditional school, WISE also addresses the special needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as those who need help with speech or languageStudentsdelays.are placed in small groups based on listening and language skill level, where they are then taught by Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists. The advantage of WISE over traditional preschools is that typical hearing and speaking children are also in each classroom, where they benefit from the school’s listening-focused, language-rich environment.
Bham Family August 2022 27 BY HEATHER BROWN
We all know school mornings can be rushed and crazy—and forget cooking a full breakfast every day! Most mornings, I know we will be running out the door with only seconds to spare. Enter: My holy grail of morning routine hacks to save some of your sanity as the craziness ramps up in the coming weeks.
#1 KEEP A CEREAL BOX IN THE CAR. We do this so it’s accessible for the kids to feed themselves on the way. This is a BIG game-changer for crazy mornings when we’re in too big of a rush to fix breakfast!
Better Back to School Routines CONTINUEDFEATUREONPAGE 28 PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HEATHER BROWN
#2 GRAB-AND-GO IS YOUR FRIEND. We always have a full stock of “monkey juice” (what my boys call the bottles of drinkable yogurt) or “moocow squeezes” (what they call yogurt tubes) because they’re yummy and easy to eat in the car on the go. 12 tips to get out the door smoothly in the mornings
#3 SHOP BACK-TO-SCHOOL SALES TO SIMPLIFY.
#5 PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE. This one goes along with laying clothes out the night before, but I also recommend preparing for your day the night before! Run through your planner and schedule, and make your to-do list the night before so you have a game plan for how to tackle the next day. (You can search my blog for my favorite planners, organizational desk supplies, and calendars.)
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This is a big part of our back-to-school morning routine! I try to say morning affirmations with the kids every day to help settle the chaos in the car. (See sidebar for a few of our favorites!)
#7 CAFFEINATE, CAFFEINATE, CAFFEINATE! I use my coffee time in the mornings to prep for my day and write in my journal. There are so many benefits to drinking coffee!
#9 BE INTENTIONAL. Set your day with the right intentions. Positivity and gratitude change everything! I’ve recently incorporated my motherhood journal (I use The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal for Mothers by Gretchen Rubin) at night to write down a few things that I want to remember about the boys’ day and things to be thankful for. In the mornings, I love to listen to either a devotional app or worship music that helps set my day on the right course. I also love devotional apps because they play audio, so I can listen on car rides to or from school.
AHEAD OF TIME. Choosing your kid’s clothes ahead of time so they (and you) know exactly what to put on in the morning is a great timesaver. This goes for you too, mom! I try to lay out my gym clothes the night before, and it totally saves me in the mornings. I head to the gym first thing, so if I don’t lay my clothes out the night before, it causes a snowball effect of delays in our mornings.
Look for sales this time of year on breakfast and lunch items at the grocery store for back to school. Many times, some of the boys’ favorite snacks and quick lunch box additions will be buy one, get one free. This is a great time to stock up on your little one’s favorite snacks and breakfast items. If you have the space in your kitchen and budget to store an inventory of backup snacks, definitely take advantage of the upcoming sales, and make your first month back at school a little easier! Save money now to keep your pantry fully stocked for the next few months instead of buying full price later. (Budget Hack: Try the Grocery Budget Challenge at mylifewellloved.com/40-weekly-grocery-challenge.)
#4 LAY OUT EVERYBODY’S CLOTHES
28 Bham Family August 2022
#8 REPEAT MORNING AFFIRMATIONS.
#6 SET AN ALARM FOR GETTING IN THE CAR. I usually set a timer on my phone to go off with an alarm so that when my kids hear it, they know they have 5 minutes till their booties need to be in their car seats. The timer signals them to grab water bottles, backpacks, and their other school essentials!
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#12 ESTABLISH A MEAL PLAN.
Y’all know that I am a huge advocate for meal planning because it really is the biggest help to me as a busy mom. When I take the time to plan ahead, then dinner is one less thing on my scattered brain. Make sure you reference the meal plan you made the night before, so you don’t forget to start the slow cooker in the a.m. or pull the chicken out of the freezer to thaw! (For all the meal-planning tips and tricks, check out my Meal Planning For The Busy Mom eBook at ebook.)product/meal-planning-for-the-busy-mom-a-mylifewellloved.com/
Bham Family August 2022 29
Make sure your kids know what the expectation is for school mornings. For example, no tv until they’ve made their beds, brushed their teeth, fed the fish, opened their curtains, turned off their sound machine, put their shoes on, etc.
Heather Brown lives in Birmingham with her husband, Eric, and two young boys. She is a blogger, speaker, content creator, work-from-home mom, and fitness enthusiast who has become a valued positive voice to the women in her My Life Well Loved community (mylifewellloved.com). She loves investing in people, getting her sweat on, and enjoying the little things in life!
#11 PACK BREAKFAST AHEAD OF TIME.
#10 SET THE EXPECTATIONS.
Communicate those expectations up-front so they can get into a rhythm each day. Another great idea is to use chore charts.
If you do have time in the week to stop and prep breakfast, pop it into baggies that you can easily grab as you are walking out the door. Set out some bananas, granola bars, or anything that’s easy to bring in the car with them on the way to school. That way, you aren’t having to tear the pantry apart looking for something for breakfast in the mornings! I also try to make sure everyone’s water bottles are full and in the fridge so that’s one less thing we have to worry about as we’re rushing out the door.
MY FAVORITE AFFIRMATIONSMORNINGFORKIDS
I am kind. I am smart. I am a child of God. I am brave. I am a good listener. Mommy and Daddy love me, and God does, too. I am a good sport. And I’m going to have a GREAAAAAT day!
30 Bham Family August 2022 Center Point native Kylan Benson has always enjoyed school. “When I was younger, I hated missing even a single day,” he says. “However, this past year, I’ve learned that it’s okay to miss a day or two when you need to recharge.”
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Since the Ramsay International Baccalaureate High School graduate’s acceptance into 18 schools—four in the Ivy League—it’s safe to say he’s earned a little recharge.
Kylan began his education at Sun Valley Elementary, then moved on to Smith Middle School, and finally Ramsay, from where he graduated as valedictorian in June. “I am Birmingham born and bred and a lifelong product of Birmingham City Schools, all of which I am proud of,” he notes. Though he acknowledges an innate love for learning, Kylan is partial to one subject. “History has always been my favorite; I find it fascinating. I’ve been fortunate to have some engaging history teachers,” he says. “My fifth-grade history teacher, Mr. Stracener, told me, “Knowing your past guides your future,” and that has always stuck with me.”
During his four years at Ramsay, Kylan was a member of the SpeakFirst Debate Team and the Ramsay YMCA Youth in Government Club, of which he served as co-captain and president, respectively, his senior year. “I will forever have a strong passion and love for these organizations. They both gave me great opportunities, exposed me to new places and ideas, helped me find my voice, and allowed me to uncover my passion for world politics,” he says. “I also served as my senior class president, which taught me many leadership lessons and some personal lessons that I needed to prepare for my future.”
He knows the college process isn’t easy for parents or students. “There’s a lot of anxieties that come, from wondering if you have crafted a good application to receiving admissions decisions to figuring out how to pay for college. It’s a journey with highs and lows,” he says. “I would encourage parents to be understanding and supportive and not to be overbearing. Choosing a college is one of the first major life-changing decisions that many young people make. Sometimes parents might want to steer their children in a certain direction, but this is the beginning of letting your children fully make their own choices. Embrace it and be proud of their future.” Ultimately, he knows it isn’t about where you end up. “The college process is unpredictable, and you may not get into your dream school,” he says. “Remember: It’s not about where you go; it’s about what you do when you get there. Be bold, dream big, and you will find success!”
When it came time to apply for college, Kylan’s hard work paid off big time. Of the 19 colleges to which he applied, he was accepted to all but his top choice, American University. In the end, he found the right fit at Harvard. In addition, Kylan was awarded scholarships totaling $4,057,988, covering his four years at Harvard. He also received the Rotary Club of Birmingham Scholarship and the Dubs Foundation Excellence First Scholarship, which will help with personal expenses, like books and travel.Kylan will be majoring in government with a focus on international relations. “My biggest motivation to work hard is my personality. I have always been an achiever, at times maybe an overachiever. Accomplishing things just gives me a great sense of personal pride. So, I keep my goals in front of me and that gives me the perseverance I need to continue to work hard. I would be remiss if I didn’t add that most of the things I work at, from school to extracurriculars, have been things that I am passionate about. When you have a passion for something, working on it is a joy.”
Kylan has certainly taken his own advice, but he also knows he didn’t get here alone. “I would like to give a sincere thank you to all my teachers; they have shaped me more than they know,” he says. “And my family, particularly my mother and grandmother, have been huge in helping me make it this far. They have always been willing to do whatever they have to in order to support me.”
WHO SHINE KYLAN
KIDS BENSON,
To learn more visit ChildrensAL.org/heart was actually through her leg. HER The path HEARTto
MENDING
Olivia Tetralogy of Fallot Patient
MENDING
To learn more visit ChildrensAL.org/heart was actually through her leg. HER The path HEARTto
Olivia Tetralogy of Fallot Patient
Olivia was born with a congenital heart defect requiring open heart surgery at 3 months old. She also required a second surgery as a teen to replace her pulmonary valve – but this time they went through a vein in her leg to insert the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve in her heart. This less-invasive path to replacement shortened her recovery time, and she went home the next day. Olivia was the first pediatric patient in the southeast to receive the Harmony valve, and it was here at Children’s of Alabama.
31 Bham Family August 2022
Olivia was born with a congenital heart defect requiring open heart surgery at 3 months old. She also required a second surgery as a teen to replace her pulmonary valve – but this time they went through a vein in her leg to insert the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve in her heart. This less-invasive path to replacement shortened her recovery time, and she went home the next day. Olivia was the first pediatric patient in the southeast to receive the Harmony valve, and it was here at Children’s of Alabama.
TEENS — Have questions? Concerned about things? Just need someone to listen? Talking helps. Whether you are having a great day or a tough day, give us a call. We are here to listen.
32 Bham Family August 2022 TEEN TALK LINE (205) PARENT605-1830TALKLINE(205)605-1827
PARENTS — Think your teen might be involved with substance abuse? Have questions? Concerned about your teen? Wondering how to handle your teen’s choices? Just need someone to listen to you? Talking helps.
