Mobile Bay Parents January 2013 by KeepSharing

Without the University of South Alabama Medical Center, our son would not be with us today. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Our son, Brandon, riding home from school, was in a bad car wreck.

He was taken to the Trauma Center at USA Medical Center in critical condition, on life support and with little hope of survival.

Thankfully, the Trauma Center doctors and nurses never gave up. As Mobile’s only Level One

Trauma Center, they treat the most serious of injuries. They had the education, heart and faith to save our child’s life.

Today, Brandon is back in high school. Without the USA Medical Center, he would not be with us. We are forever grateful.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

-Mike and Kelly Cooper Parents of Brandon Norwood, Mary G. Montgomery High School student Pictured from left, Emmie Lynn Cooper, Mike Cooper, Brandon Norwood, Kelly Cooper, Blake Wade

MEDICAL CENTER The highest level of care. www.usahealthsystem.com/usamc

Contents January 2013 Volume 2 Number 10

Features 44 Tips for Evaluating & Choosing a Private School

The factors are many when determining which school best fits your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Learn what to look for and the important questions to ask the schools on your list.

63 2013 Mobile Bay Private School Guide Our detailed listing of local private schools will help you in making the right choice for your child.

Columns

68 Goodbye, Crib

Find tips to help your child make a smooth toddler-bed transition.

2 From Mom of the Month 4 Living With Children John Rosemond, Ph.D.

Kids Health

On The Cover

Mike Little, D.O.

Departments 6 Bits and Pieces

40 Dave Says

14 School Bits

Dave Ramsey

42 Get This!

70 Family Calendar

43 The FlyLady

76 Parent Previews

Paige Gardner Smith

Marla Cilley

75 A Page in a Book Paige Gardner Smith

Mary Margaret Bledsoe, daughter of John & Ashley Bledsoe; Sahra El-Hamaki, daughter of Alice Anderson El-Hamaki and Justin Gamblin, son of Sanya Wilson & Julius Gamblin. All three are seniors at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School.

Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Mobile Bay Parents Mobile’s Foremost Parenting Source

Mobile Bay Parents Magazine is founded on the principle that parenting is an exciting, diverse, challenging, and significant, role in our community. Mobile Bay Parents Magazine is a community advocate for families and the parenting process.

Publisher Lynn Knighton lynn@mobilebayparents.com

Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@mobilebayparents.com

Associate Editor Kelly Watson

Research Editor Lucy Green

Advertising Sales Lynn Knighton Leslie Hall Danielle Nicholas ads@mobilebayparents.com or (251) 304-1200

Contributing Writers Marla Cilley Kate Duthu Malia Jacobson Mike Little, D.O. Dave Ramsey John Rosemond Paige Gardner Smith

Cover Photography

Victoria Webb www.victoriawebbphotography.com

President Jason Watson jason@mobilebayparents.com

Visit us online at www.mobilebayparents.com Mobile Bay Parents magazine is published monthly by KeepSharing, LLC. Mailing address: P.O. Box 81105, Mobile, Alabama, 36689. The phone number for voice and fax is (251) 304-1200. Mobile Bay Parents is copyrighted 2011 by KeepSharing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in Mobile Bay Parents magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

From Mobile Bay’s Mom of the Month... My family recently visited my husband’s nephew and his wife for the first time since their one-year-old daughter learned to walk, or should I say run. Watching that bundle of energy climb on chairs and pull ornaments off of the Christmas tree reminded me of when my two girls were toddlers and why I was so tired during those early years. I thought parenting would get much easier when I got them off to kindergarten. I didn’t know then how stressful it could be to choose a school for kindergarten and beyond. Growing up in Virginia, my sister and I walked less than one hundred yards from our house to the neighborhood public elementary school. Later we walked a little further to catch a big yellow bus to the public middle and high schools a few miles away. There were few private schools in the area and I didn’t know many people who attended them. On the other hand, my husband Mike attended 13 years of Catholic school in New Orleans and carpooled almost an hour each way to and from his high school. He helped me navigate the open houses, campus tours, and application process to select a private school in New Orleans for our older daughter, Renee. We thought our younger daughter, Rachel, would join her sister there and our work was done until high school. Then Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, less than two weeks after Renee started kindergarten. I never expected my child to attend my elementary school in Virginia but that’s what happened while we temporarily stayed with my parents. The playground was fancier and the hallways seemed smaller, but the warm memories were still there. It was bittersweet to leave more than two months later to return to New Orleans. In early 2006, we unexpectedly had only a few weeks to find a house and school in Mobile when my husband’s company transferred him to a new position. Unfortunately, we didn’t know anyone here or much about the area. As an attorney, I threw myself into researching the public and private schools. Touring private schools while classes were in session gave us a much better feel than you can get on a website. We decided to enroll our daughters in one of the private schools for August 2006 then moved to Mobile in June. When choosing a school, you should consider the unique personality, needs, and interests of your child. We later learned that a school that is the best fit for one of your children may not be the same for his or her sibling. Your child’s needs and interests can change or may not become evident until later. Today our fourth grader and seventh grader happily attend different private schools. We manage driving back and forth across town and keeping up with their different school schedules and activities. I have volunteered with fundraising projects to support both schools and been a room mom and Girl Scout leader. If you are considering private school, this issue includes a helpful directory of area private schools and a great article, Evaluating and Choosing a Private School, to guide families. Parenting still isn’t easy as my daughters enter the tween and teen years, but it has been amazing to watch them grow. Like most moms, I sometimes struggle to decide what’s best for my kids and appreciate resources like Mobile Bay Parents that can help. I am grateful for the dedicated educators at all of the public and private schools who help every child reach his or her own potential.

Kate Duthu

Mom of Renee, 7th grade at St. Luke’s Episcopal School, and Rachel, 4th grade at St. Ignatius Catholic School

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The Adventures In Math and Science summer program is an academic-oriented summer camp for rising 7th-10th graders.

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Don’t waste your summer! Spend it at the AIMS Summer Camp at the Alabama School of Math and Science! Learn while you have fun! Kayak Mobile Bay. Design a maze. Build a smart phone app. Solve a crime. Prepare for the ACT. Learn how to make jewelry. Build a robot. Launch a rocket...and much more! AIMS will run for two sessions! Session 1 (June 3-7) is an overnight or day camp. Session 2 (June 10-14) is an overnight or day camp. Who can enroll? Students entering the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grades.

Tuition

Tuition for overnight camp is $375 per week and is allinclusive. Tuition for day camp is $275 and includes lunch. The cost to stay the weekend between Sessions 1 and 2 is an additional $175 (includes trip to water park). Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Applications

Applications, more information, and course descriptions are online at www.asms.net.

Course Sampling

Photoshop, So You Want to be an MD?, Math Games, Marine Biology, Robotics, Alchemy of Harry Potter, Codes and Ciphers, Smart Phone Apps, CSI: Mobile, Labs of Doom, Geometry, Cyber Security, Weird Food Science, The American West through Film, ACT Prep, Painting, Field Biology for Beginners, American Sign Language, PHUN Physics, Amazing Mazes, Rocketry, Engineering the Future, Etiquette for the Modern Girl, Psychology, Rock ‘N’ Roll History, Jewelry Design, & many more...

What is ASMS?

Located in Mobile, ASMS is the state’s only fully residential and public high school for highly motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. 3

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Living With Children

By John Rosemond

Teaching Teens How to Budget Money and Manage a Checking Account Q:

My two teenage daughters, 13 and 15, are constantly begging me to buy them clothes. It’s become highly annoying. To stop the constant whining, I’ve decided to stop buying them any clothing and give them each an $800 annual clothing allowance. Should I give them the whole amount at once or give it to them on a monthly basis?

This is a great idea! However, I don’t think an annual clothing allowance of $800 is a realistic amount for (a) girls who (b) are outgrowing their clothes every six months to a year. If their clothing allowance is insufficient, then the whining is only going to worsen, and your plan is likely to blow up in your face. I suggest that you give each of your girls a monthly amount that is sufficient to purchase a certain amount of discretionary clothing. I generally recommend between $50 and $100. You would continue to purchase necessary clothes, but you would spend only a minimum amount in each case. For example, if one of them requires a new winter jacket, that is your responsibility. If she doesn’t like the jacket you’re willing to buy (from a discount store), then you would give her that

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

same amount of money and she would use her allowance to make up the difference in price. If she simply wanted an article of clothing that is nice but unnecessary, that would be her responsibility entirely. The “cleanest” way to do this is to set up a checking account for each child at your bank. As long as you have good credit, the account doesn’t have overdraft protection, and you are willing to back it, most banks are willing to do this. You deposit the child’s monthly allowance in her account at the beginning of the month and she manages the account from there. In the event of a bounced check, the bank and merchant fines as well as what the merchant is owed come off the top of the following month’s allowance. This plan teaches teens how to budget money and manage a checking account, but it also teaches them to curtail their spending impulses, plan ahead, and save for a rainy day. It’s a great way to prepare a youngster for the larger fiscal responsibilities of adulthood.

Q: Our 13-year-old daughter has been

mature for her age from early on. She takes advanced classes and makes straight A’s. She’s also very talented musically. We think, however, that she has become a media addict. She spends entirely too much time in her room on her computer, mostly using social media. When she’s not on the computer, she’s

using her phone to text her friends. We’ve asked her to limit her use, but our words are falling on deaf ears. What approach would you recommend short of cutting off the Internet and taking away her phone? She needs a computer to do her school work.

A: If she’s addicted to electronic media,

which may be the case, then I don’t think there’s any approach that’s going to work short of restricting her use of the Internet and taking away her phone. Move her computer to a family area so you’re able to monitor her use, which you can restrict to school purposes. No child her age should have a private password, by the way. At age 13, she doesn’t need her own cell phone, unless one defines need as “needing” to have what her friends have. You can give her a cell phone on select occasions, such as a camping trip where no other type of phone is available. You’ve asked her to limit her use? Who is running your household? I suspect that like many of today’s parents, you’re reluctant to do anything about this problem that might cause your daughter any inconvenience, much less distress. In the 12-Step world, that’s known as enabling, and in the real world, that’s how problems go from bad to worse.

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his website at www.rosemond.com.

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

bits & pieces Sanctity of Life Celebration

You are invited to a unique Sanctity of Human Life celebration, free to the public. Abby Johnson, author of unplanned is the Keynote speaker. The event will be held at Knollwood Church, 1501 Knollwood Dr., Mobile, Friday, January 18th at 6:00 p.m. There will be special music from Bridget Moses and her new cd The Seed. Dessert social, silent auction and more. Celebrate YOU – for the Young, Old & Unborn. For more information contact Jennifer Lopes via email lopesjennifer@bellsouth.net.

Celebrate Noon Year’s Eve at LuLu’s

LuLu's opens early every New Year's Eve Day for a very special family friendly way to bring in the New Year. Bring out the whole family and join Lucy Buffett for the big countdown to NOON! There will be lots of fun events including clowns, face painters, sand castle contests, bubble wrap and much, much more. Patti Hall with the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo will be on hand with some of her amazing animals. Musical entertainment is always a big part of our Noon Year's celebration with kid's favorites! This year we're proud to present Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys! Doors open at 10 a.m. and Suite Caroline performs immediately after the countdown. Too much family fun to miss! LuLu's will be closing that night at 5 p.m. Lulu’s is located at 200 East 25th Avenue, Gulf Shores. For more information on these great events visit www. lulubuffett.com.

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Giant MoonPie to Fall New Year’s Eve in Mobile to the Sounds of the Commodores

The corner of St. Joseph and St. Francis Streets in downtown Mobile will be the hot spot for New Year’s fun this year. The Commodores will be the headlining act as Mobile rings in 2013, along with the midnight MoonPie Drop, a laser show and fireworks from atop the RSA BankTrust Building and in Mobile Bay. The free events will kick off with a Mardi Gras-style parade at 7:30 p.m. that will parade through downtown. Such local and regional acts as Wet Willie Band, Hotwire, Grayson Capps and others will be performing on stages in Mobile’s historic Bienville Square. The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and History Museum of Mobile will be offering children’s activities as the clock moves closer to the magical midnight hour.

Kids Marathon Program Partners with First Light Marathon

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is proud to partner with the BankTrust First Light Marathon by organizing The Five Points of Life Kids Marathon program. Children in grades K-8th who participate in the program will run a total of 25 miles in the weeks leading up to the BankTrust First Light Marathon. The last 1.2 miles will be completed on January 13 at 2 p.m., at the Kids Marathon. Each child will receive a t-shirt and finisher's medal. For more information, visit www. firstlightmarathon.com and click on the kids marathon link. Also, the 12th Annual BankTrust First Light Marathon will take place on Sunday January 13, 2013. This full marathon (26.2 mile), half marathon (13.1 mile) and 5 person relay begins at 7:30 a.m. at Government and Claiborne Streets. The 1.2 mile fun run begins at the corner of Conception and St. Francis Street and will start at 2:00 p.m. This annual event is coordinated by and benefits L’Arche Mobile, which is a Christian Community that shares life with people with an intellectual disability. The web site is www.firstlightmarathon.com or contact Marty O’Malley 251-438-2094, www.larchemobile.org. Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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A New Year’s Eve Night to Remember

In conjunction with the City of Mobile, McKemie Place is again hosting a “Night to Remember” on New Year’s Eve at the Mobile Convention Center’s Cityscape Gallery overlooking the New Year’s Eve events of the City. The gala evening offers a fabulous menu, live entertainment including the Mobile Big Band Society, cash bar, and beautiful inside and outside view of the MoonPie Drop with complimentary champagne at midnight, followed by the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show. 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Tickets are $50 each. McKemie Place is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency, and $25 of each ticket is Tax deductible. The gala benefits McKemie Place, the only safe place for single, homeless women in Mobile, Baldwin, and Washington Counties. In 5 years, more than 1,600 women have been safe and off the streets away from the threats of violence. The shelter served 487 women in 2011. Though average occupancy is 50, capacity of 68 women is reached many nights. For every $100 contribution, you will provide 5 nights for a woman to be off the street, receive a hot supper, warm shower, and have a warm bed to sleep in, as well as all the other services they need to survive and to begin to go on in life. Make checks payable to McKemie Place, P.O. Box 82283, Mobile AL 36689 or visit www.mckemieplace.org and pay using PayPal.

Mardi Gras Parade, Spectronics Fireworks Display, Pep Rallies & Street Party

Greer’s/AL.com /Press-Register will be hosting a Mardi Gras parade in the streets of downtown Mobile on January 5th starting at 6:30 p.m. for the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Sixteen Mardi Gras societies will be represented with floats and throws for the crowd. Several local high school marching bands will join the parade, as well as the bands and cheerleaders from each participating Bowl team. A huge crowd is expected to pack the streets of downtown Mobile for this early rendition of the Mardi Gras season. Immediately following the Mardi Gras parade, a fireworks display over the Mobile River will highlight the festivities and set the tone for the official pre-game pep rallies and street party. Following the Spectronics fireworks display, the party will move to Water Street and South Plaza for team pep rallies. Following the teams pep rallies, the party will continue with live music and refreshments. The fourteenth annual GoDaddy.com Bowl will be played Sunday, January 6, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. The game will feature teams from the MidAmerican Conference and the Sun Belt Conference and will be televised nationally at 9 p.m. (ET)/8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. To learn more about the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl and Bowl Week Events, visit www.GoDaddybowl.com or call 251-635-0011.

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

bits & pieces Literary Contests and Awards for 9th-12th Grade Students

The Alabama Writer's Forum recognizes young writers, grades 9-12, and their teachers and schools each year for their work in creative nonfiction, drama, fiction, and poetry. The Literary Arts Awards, including the Literary Magazine Competition, are open to Alabama high school students in grades 9-12, and scholarships are available to seniors in Alabama high schools. Cash awards will be given, and official announcement of all awards will be made at the Literary Arts Award reception at the State Capitol in Montgomery. Teachers with winning students will be notified by e-mail prior to the Awards. Writers in the fields of creative nonfiction, drama, fiction, and poetry will choose the winning entries. For more information on the guidelines and entry form, please visit www.writersforum.org/programs/ competition.html.

Metro Mobile Reading Council’s Young Authors’ Programs

Students in Grades 2-9 are invited to participate in the 2013 Mobile Young Authors’ Program by submitting work for the 2013 Young Authors’ Anthology. This is not a contest, but a chance for students to showcase their work. Entries must be no more than 1 typed page. Entries can be poems, short stories, fiction or non-fiction. The deadline for submitting work is January 31, 2013. For more information on this program, please visit http://metromobilereadingcouncil.wikispaces.com. The 2013 Mobile Young Authors’ Conference (grades 2-5) and Young Authors’ Round Table (grades 6-9) with author Karen Lynn Williams will be held on March 2, at the West Regional Branch Library in Mobile. Student in grades 2-5 will participate in various writing activities and hear a presentation by our guest author, Karen Lynn Williams (www.karenlynnwilliams.com), whose books include Galimoto (a Reading Rainbow selection), Beatrice’s Dream, Tap Tap, Circles of Hope, A Beach Tail, and Four Feet, Two Sandals. Students in grades 6-9 will participate in a Round Table discussion with Ms. Williams. This program is sponsored by First Community Bank, Metro Mobile Reading Council, and the Mobile Public Library. For more information: email gillespiee@bellsouth.net or call 251-391-5376.

USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Kohl’s Department Store Renew Kohl’s Infant Safe Sleep Program

Kohl’s Department Store, has announced a grant of $106,755 to USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital to renew and expand a safe sleeping program for infants. The program is called KISS, which stands for Kohl’s Infant Safe Sleep. The funds are used to purchase educational materials for parents and other caregivers, promote infant safe sleeping habits in the community and provide free cribs to qualifying families. The Kohl’s Cribs for Kids initiative has distributed more than 400 Pack ‘n Play portable cribs to qualifying Mobile County families. The cribs can play a key role in reducing deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, and unsafe sleep. USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital, through MOM Care – Mobile’s Medicaid Maternity Program – provides education and training for qualifying families on proper sleep position and sleep environment for the baby. When a qualifying family completes the program, they receive a free Pack ‘n Play. The cribs are portable and can be taken wherever the baby receives care. The KISS program also emphasizes education, as USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital nurses go out into the community to teach parents and caregivers safe sleeping habits for infants. More than 1,000 caregivers received training last year from Children’s & Women’s personnel through the KISS program. To schedule a KISS visit, or for more information about Kohl’s Cribs for Kids, please call USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital at 415-1000 or visit www.usahealthsystem.com/ usacwh, then click on Education and look for the KISS link. Pictured, Tony Bondora, coordinator for the Alabama Baby Coalition, discusses safe sleeping habits for babies. Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Mardi Gras Schedule Mobile 2013

All Mobile parades roll on Route A unless otherwise noted. Parade schedule dates and times are subject to change. To view parade routes, please visit http://www.cityofmobile.org/mardigras.php.

Saturday, January 12 2 p.m. Krewe de la Dauphine (Dauphin Island) Saturday, January 19 2 p.m. Island Mystics (Dauphin Island) Friday, January 25 6:30 p.m. Conde Cavaliers Saturday, January 26 2:00 p.m. Order of the Rolling River (DIP) 2:30 p.m. Bayport Parading Society 6:30 p.m. Pharaohs' Mystic Society 7:00 p.m. Conde Explorers Thursday, January 31 6:30 p.m. Order of Polka Dots

Friday, February 1 6:30 p.m. Order of Inca

Thursday, February 7 6:30 p.m. Mystic Stripers Society

Saturday, February 2 2:00 p.m. Mobile Mystics 6:30 p.m. Maids of Mirth 7:00 p.m. Order of Butterfly Maidens 7:30 p.m. Krewe of Marry Mates

Friday, February 8 6:30 p.m. Crewe of Columbus Saturday, February 9 12:00 p.m. Floral 12:30 p.m. Knights of Mobile 1:00 p.m. Order of Angels 6:00 p.m. Mystics of Time 6:30 p.m. Coronation of Queen to King Felix III Mobile Convention Center

Sunday, February 3 6:30 p.m. Neptune's Daughters 7:00 p.m. Order of Isis Monday, February 4 6:30 p.m. Mobile Mystical Ladies 7:00 p.m. Order of Venus Tuesday, February 5 6:30 p.m. Order of LaShe's

Sunday, February 10 2:00 p.m. Arrival of King Elexis I (at foot of Government Street) 2:30 p.m. Joe Cain 5:00 p.m. Le Krewe de Bienville 8:15 p.m. Coronation of King Elexis Mobile Convention Center

Monday, February 11 11:00 a.m. Arrival of King Felix III (at foot of Government Street) followed by King Felix, III Parade at Noon 12:00 p.m. Floral Parade 3:00 p.m. MLK Business and Civic Organization Parade (rolls on Route D) 3:30 p.m. MLK Monday Nighter Mystics (rolls on Route D) 4:00 p.m. Northside Merchants (rolls on Route D) 6:30 p.m. Infant Mystics Tuesday, February 12 10:30 a.m. Order of Athena 12:30 p.m. Knights of Revelry 1:00 p.m. King Felix 1:30 p.m. Comic Cowboys 2:00 p.m. Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (rolls on Route B) 6:30 p.m. Order of Myths (rolls on Route C)

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bits & pieces Mobile Jewish Film Festival Announces Expanded 2013 Lineup

The Mobile Jewish Film festival, sponsored by the Mobile Area Jewish Federation and the University of South Alabama, will show seven films at eight different venues during its evening festival between January 6th and January 22nd. In addition, the festival will present a student film at four area high schools. The festival begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 6th at Springhill Avenue Temple with “Follow Me, The Yoni Netanyahyu Story.” Our next three films are on Tuesday through Thursday, January 8th-10th at Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama. Each film begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday night, “Nicky’s Family,” Wednesday night, “Kaddish for a Friend.” Our final film at USA will be “Remembrance.” Author and journalist Roy Hoffman will lead a discussion after the film which will be followed by a dessert reception. Our fifth film will be on Sunday, January 13th at Ahavas Chesed at 7 p.m. “Hava Nagila” (The Movie), a documentary, features interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy, Connie Francis, Glen Campbell, Regina Spektor and more. The film will be followed by dessert and Israeli folk dancing. “Nicky’s Family,” Tuesday, January 15th at 7 p.m. at the Baldwin County campus of the University of South Alabama. On Thursday January 17th, we collaborate with a new partner, “The Centre for the Living Arts” in downtown Mobile. Our film at 7 p.m. that evening is “As Seen Through These Eyes.” Art therapist, Jacqueline Glover will speak briefly following the film. The same film will be shown at four area high schools to 8th through 10th graders as we teach the lessons of the Holocaust to students at St. Paul’s, Davidson High, UMS-Wright and Bayside Academy. As is our custom, the film and speaker are presented at no cost to the schools. Our final film will take place on Tuesday, January 22nd at 7 p.m. at Bernheim Hall in the Ben May-Main Library downtown. We will partner with the Mobile Public Library and the Christian-Jewish Dialogue as we present “Torn.” Festival tickets, priced at $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors, may be purchased on line at mobilejewishfederation.org or at the box office before each performance subject to availability.

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Senior Bowl Game and Week of Activities

The Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the country’s best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South which are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two National Football League teams. The 2013 Senior Bowl is scheduled for Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday, January 26th. For tickets call 888-736-2695 or 251-432-4109, or visit the Senior Bowl ticket office at 151 Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile. Chick-Fil-A Fellowship of Christian Athletes Rally will be held on Wednesday, January 23rd at the Mobile Convention Center. This event is open to public (ticket required). Please visit www.southalabamafca.org for more information. The PressRegister Senior Bowl Experience & the Coca-Cola Meet the Players is held on Friday, January 25th from 3:00-7:00 p.m. and is free to the public. In addition to meeting the future stars of the NFL, fans can also meet NFL Cheerleaders and enjoy interactive displays from the New Orleans Saints, Under Armour, the Marine Corps, Coca-Cola and AT&T. These events are Family-friendly with interactive activities for children and adults. Baumhower’s Restaurant Senior Bowl Tailgate Challenge is on Saturday, January 26. This competition is to determine the Senior Bowl Tailgater of the Year. The Challenge is Free and open to anyone tailgating in the parking lot on game day, January 26th. Also held on game day in the East parking lot is the Food for Less Tailgate Party pre-game event. Passes for the event are free with the purchase of an $18 Under Armour Senior Bowl ticket and are limited to the first 3,500 people. Tailgate Party attendees enjoy free food and drink, interactive displays and other family-fun activities. For more information, visit seniorbowl.com.

Auditions for “Romeo and Juliet” at Playhouse in the Park

Auditions for Romeo and Juliet at Playhouse in the Park will be held Monday, January 7th and Wednesday, January 9th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The play will be in March & April. Shakespeare’s tragedy is edited to 80 minutes for middle school age and up. Playhouse in the Park is located at 4851 Museum Dr. For more information, please visit www.playhouseinthepark.org or call 251-602-0630.

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Sunny Side to Hold Auditions for “Annie”

Sunny Side Theater announces auditions for Annie January 21, 22, & 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Sunny Side Theater, located in the Azalea City Center for the Arts at 63 Midtown Park East. Everyone who auditions should come prepared to sing a song and read from the script. Everyone who auditions will receive a part in the show and each character will have lines as well as sing in multiple chorus numbers. Show dates are May 2 - 5 including school performances. For more information contact Owner/Director Chris Paragone at dramacamp@mindspring.com!

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Saraland Elementary Students Make Care Packages for Veterans

Saraland Elementary school students collected items to make care packages for the Veterans at the William F. Green Veterans Hospital in Bay Minette. Packages were delivered along with cards made by students. Pictured Left to Right: Front Row: Joshua Sharp, Preston Kiper; Middle Row: Maggie Elmore, Tori Granade, Carmen Flott, Natalie Mills; Back Row: Caylee Dean, Zachary Brown, Jaden Addison, Alonzo Whigham, Mrs. Danielle Guy.

St. Pius X Students Make Cookies at Ronald McDonald House

St. Pius X Student Government visited the Ronald McDonald House on Monday, December 3. The students toured the facility and prepared frozen chocolate chip cookie dough for holiday residents.

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Turner's Trek 4 Tech Fundraiser

J.E. Turner Elementary recently put together a fundraiser to raise funds for technology resources. The fundraiser was a cross country fun run called Trek 4 Tech which took place on school grounds. Students purchased t-shirts or paid an entry fee to raise funds. Trek 4 Tech kicked off the school’s annual Fall Festival and was a huge hit. Semmes Middle School’s running club also purchased t-shirts and came out to support the cause. The race included three divisions, middle school and up, Kindergarten through second grade, and third through fifth grade. Winners received prizes donated by local business, Meggie B.’s, and second and third place winners received free fall festival tickets. J.E. Turner Elementary thanks everyone who showed support for this cause.

McDavid-Jones Red Ribbon Project Benefits Samaritan’s Purse

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Brock Jones, a fifth grade student at McDavid-Jones, is our Red Ribbon Leader. For his project he is doing Samaritan's Purse where you fill a shoe box for a child in need. Brock has done an outstanding job on his project. Several companies have donated money for this project he has raised over $3,100 plus over 100 shoe boxes filled with school supplies and different toys. In November, this money was given to Brock for Samaritan's Purse to help with postage. Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Little Flower Volleyball is Back

The Little Flower Catholic School 7th and 8th grade girls volleyball team took 2nd place in the St. Dominic Volleyball Tournament on November 6th. The school resurrected the volleyball program last year as the school's upper grade classes have grown. Pictured with the trophy are team members: front row: Danielle Ponquinette, Sarah Pierre, Jakayia Cunningham, middle row: Amber Pearson, Mariah Carpenter, Koyasha Mizell, Stephanie Bettis, Reanna Burroughs, Thao Nguyen; back row: Smith Segars, Alex Pierre, Becky Bovier and Damia Scott.

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Alba Middle School Class Wins Pizza Party for Collecting Canned Food

Alba Middle School’s Student Council sponsored a canned food drive for the Coastal Recovery Pantry in Coden, AL. Coastal Recovery Pantry prepares monthly meals for the needy in the Coden/Bayou La Batre area. Dr. Bill Moor, President of the CRP, rewarded the homeroom that collected the most cans with a pizza party. The pizza was prepared by Hollywood Video in Bayou La Batre. Pictured, Mrs. Beverly Russell’s 8th grade homeroom won the pizza party. Back row: Kayla Winstead, Cameron Zirlott, Brant Womack, Erin Barber, Brandon Adams, Savannah Edwards, Jordan Hancock, Lois Bosarge, CRP Assistant Director. In back: Dr. Bill Moor, President, CRP; Front Row: Georgetta Hoag, Pat Creel, Assistant Director, McKenzie Perry, Jordan Blackmon, Student Council Secretary: Nancy Hua, Student Council Vice-President: Vivian Tran, Kody Newell, Kaly Tran, Thomas Le, Earlene Bryant, CRP Director.

St. Ignatius Scouts Learn About Service

The St. Ignatius Daisy and Girls Scout troops are learning about service to the school. They performed a flag ceremony on November 29 and sang patriotic songs. In December the fourth grade (Juniors) and kindergarten (Daisy) groups will travel to the Little Sisters of the Poor to sing Christmas Carols and will earn a patch. The St. Ignatius Girl Scout Troops are also taking on other service projects this season like Angel Tree. Pictured from back to front Left to right: Isabella Castillo, Kaytie Van Alstine, Telia Reed, Fer Patino, Rachel Duthu, Maury Redcliff, Mallory Sims, Lane Gottlieb, Sarah Farrell, Chamblin, Mary Faith Potent, Julia White, Laura Burch, Evelyn Hicks, Paige Yepsen, Amelia Johnson, Sophia Regan, Callie Waller, Campbell Baird, LeVella Courtney, Mary Parish Hutchisson, Emily McKellar, Avery Van Alstine, Anna Bell Muscat, Laurel Gottlieb, Frances Katz, Aggie Miller, Gabi DeMelo, Mattie McDonald, Ashley Beatty, Clair Welk, Elena Yepsen and Julia Green.

Pearl Haskew Pursues Responsibility

The PACE and ENTRADA students at Pearl Haskew Elementary completed a food drive for Bay Area Food Bank as a part of an important lesson. The students have been learning how the pursuit of greatness requires responsibility. They discovered “greatness” in our country, and how they can greatly affect their own communities. The students set a goal to collect 100 cans to donate to Bay Area Food Bank. Because Bay Area Food Bank is actually located in our community, many of our own students will directly benefit from the Haskew students’ hard work! The PACE and ENTRADA classes collected 107 cans of food and were proud to exceed their goal! To complete the activity the students were given a tour of the Bay Area Food Bank to learn how this “great” establishment makes a positive difference in the lives of many people. Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

S Mobile Students Collect School Supplies for Elementary School Displaced After Hurricane Issac

Members of the Mobile County Public School System's (MCPSS) Superintendent's Student Advisory Council (SSAC) turned over school supplies that were collected in high schools to faculty members of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary Wednesday morning. "It was important to do this drive because it's important the help people in their time of need," said Mecca Rashid, a junior at Blount High School. Lake Pontchartrain Elementary was closed after Hurricane Issac floodwaters badly damaged the LaPlace, La., school in late August. "We are so thankful to have the students in Mobile donate these supplies," said Shontrece Lathers, a 3rd grade teacher at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary. "We have lost everything due to the storm and are currently in three different schools. It may be two years before we get back into our school." The SSAC, a program sponsored by the Mobile Area Education Foundation, decided to collect supplies after they heard of the damage to the schools. "If it was us in this situation we would want them to help us too," added Rashid. "We put out a lot of fliers, and the students at Blount thought it was an important cause to take on and be a part of." The school supply drive is the first of many service projects to be completed by the SSAC during the 2012-13 school year. The projects are a result in the SSAC being 2012 recipients of the America's Promise Alliance 100 Best Communities for Young People monetary award.

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Open House Sunday, January 20th 2 – 4 pm         

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K4 – 8th Grade Relational Learning Environment Parent – Teacher Partnership Challenging Academics Mentoring Mind-Set Upholding Christian Values Interscholastic Sports Program Award – Winning Art Program Celebrating 30 years

7150 Hitt Road Mobile, AL 36695 251-633-8055

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Gilliard Elementary School Educators Receive National Recognition

Three Gilliard Elementary School teachers have earned national recognition for outstanding performance in advancing reading practice and proficiency. Faith Belle-Lucy, Leigh Vought, and Helen Ramsay were awarded Accelerated Reader Model Classroom Certification by Renaissance Learning, a Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., based company. Model Classroom Certification acknowledges that BelleLucy’s, Vought, and Ramsey’s efforts to promote personalized reading practice, assess comprehension, and monitor progress have resulted in measurable improvements in reading proficiency. Accelerated Reader Model Classroom Certification demonstrates that a majority of their students have met or exceeded goals for reading practice and comprehension. After reading fiction and non-fiction books at the appropriate level, students take quizzes to assess their comprehension. Accelerated Reader provides immediate feedback to help teachers facilitate reading level growth. This is Belle-Lucy, Vought, and Ramsay’s first year reaching Accelerated Reader Model Classroom Certification and they are also the first teachers to receive this certification for Gilliard Elementary School. Accelerated Reader, the world’s leading reading software program, enables teachers to personalize reading practice and monitor comprehension to optimize growth. Today’s real-time version provides access to more than 150,000 quizzes, more than half of which are for non-fiction books. This vast collection of quizzes provides opportunities for students to read and comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity from early grades through graduation. With a teacher’s permission, students may take quizzes on most mobile learning devices, reducing the need for students to wait for computers. Left to right; Helen Ramsay, Faith Belle-Lucy, and Leigh Vought.

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Academics • Arts • Athletics • Spirituality • Record $8.6 Million in College Scholarships Awarded to the Class of 2012 • Leading the State with 165 Athletic State Championships • Internationally Acclaimed Fine Arts Program • Practicing Faith Through Service ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL – EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD SCAN YOUR SMARTPHONE FOR THE ADMISSIONS VIDEO, AND JOIN THE FAMILY OF SAINTS. Photo Courtesy of Ben Harper, Mobile Symphony Orchestra

Admissions Testing and Tours Saturday, January 5th & 12th • 8:30 a.m. To schedule testing, please contact Julie Taylor in our Admissions office at 251-461-2129 or jtaylor@stpaulsmobile.net | www.stpaulsmobile.net SPS_MBParents_Ad_4-9x4-8_Symphony_color.indd 1

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

McGill-Toolen Cross Country Team Members Selected for All County

The following cross country runners were recognized as All County runners at a dinner December 6th: Conrad Collins, Tim Aguirre, Cameron Ellis, Philip Friedlander, Cameron Stokes, Sarah Glover, Ebie Douglas, and Annah Robinson. Carmen Carlos was recognized but was unable to attend because she was in California competing in the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships where she came in 12th to qualify as High School All American. Earlier in the week Conrad and Carmen were recognized by the Downtown Optimists Club as Runners of the Year.

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Saraland Elementary Spelling Bee Winners

Pictured left to right: 2nd Place - Cade Tisdale, Spelling Bee Champion - Will Beason, 1st Place - Caden Ryan. Congratulations, guys!

McGill-Toolen Girls Swim and Dive Team Win State Championship, Boys Runner-up

Congratulations to our swim and dive teams! The girls won the State Title with 174 points. Our 200 Medley Relay took 2nd place with Seniors Sarah El-Hamaki and Erica Dekle, sophomore Ellis Glass and 8th grader Margaret Carey. Senior Heather McDonald placed 3rd in 1 meter dive. Our Boys were the runner-ups with 237 points. Senior Will Glass broke 2 state records in the 100 Fly and 100 Backstroke. The team of seniors Will Glass, Will Anderson and sophomores Jackson Algiers and Russell Noletto broke the record in the 200 Medley Relay and our 400 Free Relay team won with seniors Glass, Anderson, sophomore Noletto and 8th grader Patrick Dunne. Other finalists include Will Anderson, 3rd in the 200 Back and 2nd in the 200 Fly and Russell Noletto with 3rd in the 500 Free.

St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spelling Bee Winner

Students at St. Luke's in grades 4-8 recently competed in the school's Spelling Bee. Eighth grader Nolan Lenard won the competition with eighth grader Kamran Kangal finishing in second place. Nolan will represent St. Luke's at the upcoming Mobile County Spelling Bee. Pictured are the grade level winners who qualified for the school competition. Front row: Miles Pollock, Garrett Upshaw, Abigail Lowry, and Bryce Eddington. Back row: Graham Driskell, Hannah Ellison, Lincoln Hammons, Nolan Lenard, Isabel Bela, Kamran Kangal, Nick Stuart and Andy Sykes. Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Faith Academy Beta Clubs Serve at Ronald McDonald House

“The atmosphere was a friendly one,” said junior member, Paityn Collier. The sound of chatter and the smell of taco seasonings filled the air as Faith Academy’s Junior and Senior Beta Clubs hastily prepared a meal for the families and workers who were currently occupying the Ronald McDonald House. After school hours, on Monday, November 26th, thirteen Junior (7th- 9th grade) Beta members and twenty-nine Senior (10th- 12th grade) Beta members carpooled over to the Ronald McDonald House where they served taco salad, dessert, and drinks to families of hospitalized children. The Ronald McDonald house is an organization which provides shelter, food, and love to the families of children staying in nearby hospitals. The night started off a little on the chaotic side, chopping lettuce and cooking hamburger meat. But it wasn’t long before each person jumped in and found a place to work. “My favorite part of serving was getting to bring a little bit of hope to the families of the sick children,” said senior member Sarah Barnes. Faith Academy students find joy in serving their community, especially an organization who helps others. Pictured, Faith Academy freshmen, Abbie Mitchell serves a young family at Ronald McDonald House.

ASMS Hosts French Café

In late November, the Alabama School of Math and Science French Club, sponsored by Muriel Hoequist, hosted a French café for the student body. There, participants enjoyed French snacks and coffee – after, of course, having to order them in their best French. “Students seem to enjoy the French café every year,” says club president Elizabeth Self. “The speaking practice is good for French students, and everyone likes free food.”

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

S St. Mary Catholic School B.E.S.T. Robotics Team Excels in First Year

St. Mary Catholic School’s very first robotics team, called Space Cowboys, had a thrilling first year as they competed for the first time at Jubilee B.E.S.T. on October 27th at the Mitchell Center. 35 middle and high schools from Alabama and Mississippi competed. St. Mary’s robot took third place and the team was chosen as one of the six schools to compete in South’s B.E.S.T. regional competition in Auburn, Alabama on December 1 and 2. Two of the six schools are not only middle schools but both are Catholic schools from the Mobile, Archdiocese. One of St. Mary Catholic School’s goals is to provide a real -world connection with our courses in math, science, and technology. In order to help with this goal, the school made the decision to have their very first BEST Robotics Team. McGill-Toolen High Catholic School, St. Mary’s partner school, was not able to have a robotics team this year; therefore, some of McGill-Toolen’s team members from last year decided to help St. Mary blast off into space and go “where no school has gone before.” They participated by mentoring St. Mary Catholic School’s new team. A high school team member was paired with each middle school student to guide them towards the new frontier and paving their way into space. The mustang is St. Mary’s mascot, hence the teams’ theme is, the “Space Cowboys” who saddle up and ride into new pace frontier adventures like the cowboys of old did back in the days of the Wild West. Pictured: Space Cowboys at the Auburn Competition: First row left to right: Will Armstrong, John Gibbs, Connor Murphy, John-Michael Davis, Thomas Repoll, Cole Murphy, Matthew Cortopassi, Oliva Paris-Harbinson, Olivia Murphy, James Zapatta, Dianne Davis, Robotics Team Faculty Coordinator Linda Thornton, and Dale Harbinson. Second Row: Will Vaughn, Catherine Repoll, St. Mary Principal Debbie Ollis, Alan Davis, Finch Gross, Monica Gross, Barbara Gibbs, Brandon Barnhill, Rachel Paris-Harbinson. Back Row: Brett Davis, Guy Gibbs, Trent Mitchell, Joseph Gibbs, Ross Paris-Harbinson, Matthew Davis, Mark Murphy.

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ASMS Student Visits Spain for Study Abroad Program

Alabama School of Math and Science junior Julia Rath visited Spain last quarter. Here she can be seen at the Plaza de Espana. Each year a few ASMS students have the opportunity to travel and study in Spain and Germany as part of a study abroad program.

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PACE Students Step Up for a Good Cause

The PACE students in Mrs. Talia Johnson's class from Meadowlake and Burroughs took a Step Up to beat diabetes. Upon hearing the journey of student, Myah Davis, the PACE students decided to do all they could to support her in the recent Step Up Walk. Between the three classes, the students were able to give Myah $146.80 to help her exceed her fundraising goal. Student, Karlee Walden (pictured) was the top collector out of all of the two schools. The PACE students were happy to exercise their social responsibility and help beat diabetes! Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

P St. Mary Catholic Middle School Students sponsor “Kids Combat Cancer” Spaghetti Dinner

Under the direction of St. Mary Catholic School Middle School Faculty member, Alicia Matthews, the middle school students held their first “Kids Combat Cancer” Spaghetti Dinner to benefit St. Mary parishioners who are fighting cancer. The event was held Saturday, November 3 at St. Mary Catholic School as part of St. Mary’s “Something Beautiful for God” Community Service Program. All students were involved including selling advance tickets, menu preparation, serving, and clean up. The students raised the importance of cancer research and prevention and raised over $1,000 for the cause. Pictured are St. Mary Middle School tickets accepting donations and selling tickets at the entrance to the event: Left to right: seated: Hayleigh Jones, Julia Kelley, Mathilde Naman, Juliana Roveda, Matysan McClendon, and Elsa Grow. Standing: Alan Andrews, Luke Miller, Ila Cummings, Johnathon Rodgers, Catherine Repoll, Addeline Wilson, Desi Tobias, Donavan O’Malley, and Andrew Snetsinger.

Davidson Holds Faculty vs. Students Basketball Game

As a fundraiser for the boys’ basketball team, the teachers from Davidson high school took some time to participate in a faculty v. student match. Various teachers around the school participated as basketball players while other teachers played their part as cheerleaders. The varsity and the junior varsity cheerleaders encouraged the boys to play their best, but the faculty displayed their exuberance for the players as well. The match came to a deadlock at a 45 point tie. The students proved their skills and defeated the teachers with a final three-pointer to total to a score of 52 points.

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Welcome to Riverview Camp for Girls!

We’ve do put Itogether everything you’re looking for in a perfect“I saw camp onemy of Why choose Riverview each summer? mysetting! first river Recognized on a mountain,as I rode Golf,times Dance, Dance, Outdoor Sports, Soccer,use Beach Volleyball, Basketball, “As go,Stomp it was one of the BEST.”Skills AndClass, what child couldn’t some of that these days?

Riverview Reﬁnement, Program, Campﬁres night,Recognized optional trips and more! We’ve put together everythingCIT you’re looking for in a perfect every camp setting! as one of the Southeast’s best all-around summer camps for girls, Riverview is an oasis of fun, friends and happiness. Spring and Fall &available 2 week Sessions ages to 16... Mother-Daughter Weekends1are also! Registeredfor Nurses and6 Physician on Staff. Entire full-summer staff is First Aid andand CPRFall Certified. Camper/Counselor Ratio 5:1 Spring Mother-Daughter Weekends...

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Phillips Prep School Eighth Grade Class to Present Check to Child Advocacy Center

Phillips Prep School’s eighth grade class will present a check to the Child Advocacy Center during the Honors program again this spring. The gift is part of the “Honoring the Communities” project sponsored by the Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education. Language Arts teachers Linda Goodson and Hope Herren use the study of Holocaust-related literature to help students discover the importance of speaking out against and working to end injustice. The project honors the memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children and teenagers murdered during the Holocaust. To honor these young victims, the eighth graders have chosen again to support the CAC. During the year, the students volunteer at the center, cleaning and organizing donated items. They raise money through several fundraisers, including jewelry sales and a talent show, as well as personal contributions. Nearly $28,000 has been raised for the Child Advocacy Center by Phillips Prep School eighth graders during the past fourteen years as part of their Holocaust service project. We appreciate these young people learning to volunteer and give back to their community to help children who have been abused.

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Corpus Christi School Collects Food for Over 40 Families

During the Thanksgiving season, students from Corpus Christi Catholic School collected food for those in need. Helping the Corpus Christi Church Women’s group, who distributed the food to more than 40 families this year, students sorted the food and loaded the boxes. Pictured L to R, James Ankiewicz, Luke Picicci, Maggie Picicci, Emily Gillis, Andrew Gillis, & Matthew Gillis.

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St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thanksgiving Education and Celebration

Each year the kindergarten students at St. Luke's celebrate Thanksgiving with a class feast featuring all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods! The weeks before the feast are spent learning about the Pilgrims and

Indians and the very early days in our country. Students make their own Pilgrim or Indian costumes to wear to the feast and love this tradition year after year! Pictured are the Pilgrims and Indians from Mrs. Gwin's K5 class. Indians are Addison Fairley, Emily Xu, Isabel Williams, Michael Blanton, Murray Goodman and Elliot Merrick. Pilgrims are Gavin Smith, Maria Koulianos-Anaya, Madelyn Audia and Luke Phillips, Aiden Smith and Arianna Ori.

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Wilmer Elementary Spelling Bee Winners

On November 16th Wilmer Elementary hosted their annual spelling bee. Students in grades 3rd-5th competed in a class spelling bee. The top two spellers from each class competed in the school spelling bee. Jillian Cavaseno was this year’s winner and Ashley Bartlett was the runner up. Jillian will represent Wilmer in the district wide spelling bee later this school year. Century Bank in Semmes, one of the school’s partners in education, provided the grand prize for the spelling bee--a $25 check. L to R- Jillian Cavaseno and Ashley Bartlett.

St. Pius X Students Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Sr. Joan Lorraine's St. Pius x second graders made gingerbread houses for the holidays. Under the direction of the cafeteria manager, Mrs. Brenda Shreeves, the group decorated their houses in preparation for Christmas.

Visiting Day

Wednesday, January 16 Early Childhood and Lower School (K3-5th Grade) 9:30 - 11:30 AM EXPERIENCE our phenomenal school in action! Visit our classrooms to see our teachers and students interacting, tour our facilities, meet our administrators and learn about the programs distinctive to St. Luke’s. It’s a great way to envision all that your child could EXPERIENCE at St. Luke’s! Middle and Upper School (6th-12th Grade) 6:30 - 8:00 PM Prospective 6th-12th grade students and parents are invited to join us for an informational meeting hosted by the SLES faculty and administration. This casual session provides information regarding our academics, arts, and athletics as well as the daily happenings that are the difference between an education and the St. Luke’s EXPERIENCE. Office of Admissions l www.stlukesmobile.com l 251.666.2991 Early Childhood and Lower School Campus l 3975 Japonica Lane Middle and Upper School Campus l 1400 University Blvd. S.

St. Luke’s accepts all qualified applicants without regard to gender, race, religion, national or ethnic origin.

Please email School News to Lynn@mobilebayparents.com by the 10th of the month. Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Co 5th Grade Mural Promotes Bully-Free Behavior at St. Paul

In conjunction with the Middle and Upper School participation in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, the 5th Grade created a "Bully Free" mural in the form of a jigsaw puzzle, which is now on display in the Media Center. Students drew symbols and descriptive words inside their individual puzzle pieces. This is a representation of the unique personalities / character traits that make up the class of 2020 and how they are coming together as a cooperative group, striving to get along and ultimately be bully-free. According to the Olweus website, "School bullying takes on many forms, and it is done by both girls and boys. A recent U.S. study shows that 17 percent of all students reported having been bullied "sometimes" or more often. This amounts to almost one in five students."

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St. Ignatius Students Swim/Dive Champions for McGill-Toolen

Congratulations to St. Ignatius students and Alumni who are state Swim/Dive Champions for McGill-Toolen High School. Pictured left to right: Caroline Lowe, Natalie Wagnon, Paisley Graham, F. Bry Shields, Coach Geoffrey Hart, Margaret Carey, Ellis Glass and Rachel Wagnon.

Little Flower Student Sheds Comfort with Blessed Bandanas

A Little Flower Catholic School 7th grade student is sending comfort to cancer patients in Mobile this Christmas. Joshua Ibanez has a special place in his heart for those suffering from cancer. He has seen family members, teachers and friends affected by breast cancer and other diseases. As a tribute to them, Joshua has spent the entire month of November collecting bandanas to bring to the patients at USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. He has collected over 650 bandanas so far from school children, parish families and friends. Joshua and two representatives from each class prepared the bandanas for delivery to the hospitals by wrapping them with pink ribbons and a special prayer. Joshua collected so many bandanas that he is now collecting itunes cards to send to the centers for patients to listen to music during chemotherapy. Joshua recently received the Red Ribbon Award at his school for demonstrating service and a caring attitude. As a Red Ribbon recipient, Joshua was asked to turn his attention away from drugs and focus on doing good for the community, so Joshua created the Blessed Bandanas campaign. Little Flower Principal Clara Brunk said, “Joshua was given this award based on his service and care giving nature. He truly has a service heart.” If you would like to donate to the Blessed Bandanas project, please contact Little Flower Catholic School at 479-5761.

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Davidson Students Participate in International Festival

Members of the French, German, and Spanish Honor Societies volunteer in the France, Switzerland, and Spain booths at the Mobile International Festival each year. Students from the service organization, Key Club, also participate as volunteers for the festival. The students were able to receive a new understanding of the world’s various cultures and give the visitors a glimpse of the cultures through the arts, language, food and traditions. Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Collins-Rhodes Students Help the Community Collins-Rhodes Elementary's Student Council has been working diligently to collect money and food items to feed the less fortunate this holiday season. Officers and members have been organizing fundraisers and contests centered around collecting donations to feed families in the community and donate food items to the Mobile Area Food Bank this holiday season. This year's Student Council officers are the following: PresidentAmaiyah Stewart, Vice-President-Kayla Everett, Treasurer Kameelah Pritchett, and Secretary- Tykeria Jackson. Thank you to all student council members and their sponsor, Dr. Wendy Clanton, for organizing such a worthwhile event for our community.

Corpus Christi Students Make Blankets for Homeless

During the first weekend of Advent, the Disciples of St. Michael participated in a service project where they made blankets for the homeless at 15 Place. Nearly 20 members of our eighth grade class made fleece blankets. Pictured L to R, Amanda Montgomery and Megan Lynn.

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Dave Says...

by Dave Ramsey

Buy It or Turn It In? Q. I made the mistake of leasing a car a while back, and the lease is up in about nine months. Should I save up the money between now and then to buy it, or save as much as I can to pay down my student loans? A.

At the end of a lease the price for which you can purchase the car is called the residual value. This amount is preset when you lease the vehicle. So the big question right now is, what’s the car actually worth? If the company thought it would be worth $12,000 and it’s actually worth $14,000, that would be a good deal, and you’d want to buy it instead of turning in the car. Even if you were going to turn around and resell it, you’d still want to go ahead and buy. Another big thing is that I’d never tell you to finance a car after the lease term. There’s no difference between that and walking onto a car lot and financing any other $12,000 car. Look at it this way. You basically have a $12,000 car loan right now, and you’d only be changing the format from leasing to payments if you financed the thing. Should you keep this vehicle? Only if it’s a small percentage of your income. If you make $60,000 or more, I’d probably say save up, pay cash, and keep the car. But if you’re making closer to $30,000 the answer is no.

Q. My old car has been having lots of problems lately. How do I decide when it’s best to fix an old car or get a newer one instead? A.

Mathematically, the first thing to look at is the car’s worth if you don’t make repairs. Should you spend $1,000 to increase the value of the vehicle $500? Dumb question, right? At that point, you sell the car as-is and put the $1,000 it would take to fix it toward something newer. On the other hand, let’s say you’ve got a little hooptie worth $1,000 but by putting $500 into it, you can have it up and running again. Suddenly it’s worth $2,500. That’s money well-spent, because what you’ve done has significantly increased the value.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

The other side is that at some point, the hassle factor of an old car can turn it into a money pit. If you can’t get anywhere because the car’s always busted, then you need to find something else for the sake of safety and reliability. If this happens, though, you should still pay cash for a better car. Even if you’re not taking a step up in price or fanciness, it’s still better than taking on a car payment. I’d ride a bike everywhere before I did that!

Q. My brother was killed earlier this year, and my mom is finalizing his estate. He had a couple of federally insured student loans through Sallie Mae totaling $8,000 at the time of his death, and the attorney probating the estate says mom now has to pay off those loans. Is that correct? A. I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. But no, your lawyer is not correct. Payment for federally insured student loans is not due upon the borrower’s death. They are waived. I’m going to give you two pieces of advice. The first is to fire your attorney. We’re talking about basic knowledge when it comes to probating an estate here. Second, you can take care of this by sending a copy of the death certificate to Sallie Mae. I’ll warn you ahead of time that it may take a while to jump through all their hoops. But once you’re declared permanently disabled or you pass away, federally insured student loans are discharged and not held against the estate. Don’t pay it! Dave is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Financial Peace. He is also the host of the nationally syndicated The Dave Ramsey Show. You can hear Dave online at www.daveramsey. com. Send your questions to askdave@ daveramsey.com. He resides with his wife Sharon and their three children, Denise, Rachel, and Daniel, in Nashville, Tennessee.

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What’s Knot to Love?

Recommending the Best Toys and Products for Kids

The milestone of tying their own shoes marks a turning point toward independence for kids. Learning the process of manipulating string, mastering the dexterity of making knots usually leads to a big confidence boost. Keep the self-confidence building with these projects and gadgets that help kids tie things together with great results. Manipulating string, yarn, fabric and cord into useable gifts and gear opens the door for children and teens to develop new skill sets while sharpening their manual dexterity. From hand-made blankets to hats and scarves, what’s not to love about knotted crafts!

by Paige Gardner Smith

Harrisville Pegloom

Knot a Quilt Kit (Alex Toys)

The simplest of working with yarn is weaving, with an over-and-under matrix that kids quickly understand once they put their hands to it. A hardwood loom with nylon pegs is easily threaded with the ‘woof’ yarn and then it’s a simple routine of weaving the ‘weft’ yarn over and under the vertical lines on the loom to create a ‘fabric’ of woven material (100% wool yarns are included). The resulting designs are colorful, sturdy and can used as potholders, coasters, bookmarks, computer pads or stitched together into beautiful textile wall hangings that any child (and adult) can take pride in. It’s ‘knot’ hard at all for kids to quickly weave a work of art!

Making fleece quilts on their own is “knot” a problem for little hands. No needles, sewing or padding is required for small fingers to tie simple knots in rows, adding squares one-by-one into their quiltwork masterpiece. The kit includes 48 nine-inch fleece squares that are pre-cut with tie fringed edges. Children tie the edges together on each side and watch their quilt grow with each new row. Self-contained with no other tools needed, the Knot-A-Quilt kit is ideal for camping, travel and quiet time. And when the project is complete, the master quilter can wrap themselves in a hand-knotted fleece quilt and a sense of accomplishment.

Alex Granny Squares

Knifty Knitter Loom Set

One of the easiest ‘craft’ knot stitches is crochet, making it ideal for kids to learn and master. With a simple repeated twist and hook, kids can produce ‘granny’ squares of crocheted yarn that can assemble into all kinds of wearable and shareable art. Because the craft produces units (squares), the final project can be determined by how many squares the young crafter is inclined to crochet (kids with shorter attention spans may opt to produce a short scarf or doll blanket while dedicated crochet square makers may envision an afghan or shawl). This award-winning kit comes with a crochet hook, plastic needle, plus 300 yards of richly colored yarn so the possibilities are “knot” limited. .

For kids and adults who’d like to fast-track creating knitted accessories, Knity Knitter builds on a set of round looms in graduated sizes will have you knitting in no time. Looping the yarn in patterns on the loom produces circular or flat knits that can be finished with a few stitches into hats, scarves and more. The littlest loom is best for doll-sized projects while the largest rolls out adult-sized hats and more. Easy enough for elementary-school age kids and addictive for its versatility to adult crafters, there are also additional Knifty Knitter projects and patterns online for young crafters to expand their knitting portfolio.

(Harrisville Designs)

(Boye)

(Alex Toys)

Paige Smith is a freelance writer and syndicated columnist living in Alabama. More on GET THIS! at www.PageBookMedia.com.

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by The FlyLady, Marla Cilley

With each New Year we resolve to eat less, move more and take better care of ourselves. We have all made these resolutions and end up with broken spirits because we have set ourselves up for failure once again. I would like to look at our expectations and come up with a way to do all these things in simple Baby Steps that can change our lives. We don’t need a new year to decide to take care of ourselves. What do we mean when we decide to “Take Care of Ourselves”? It all boils down to a lifestyle change for many of us. Now we could go cold turkey and go away for a month to some elaborate spa where they fix our meals for us, put us on an exercise regimen, run medical tests and pamper us or we can learn from them and do it ourselves. If you went away to one of these retreats for a month what would be the first thing they would do to you? You would have to sign a waiver, get a physical and blood work. Why do you think they would make you sign a waiver? This is to relinquish them from any liability that could result from you killing over from a heart attack. This in itself should be a wake up call for most of us. Our lifestyles are contributing to the increase of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes in our country. With this in mind it is up to each one of us to take charge of our bodies and our minds and go get a physical along with the blood work. We should do this before we start any new lifestyle changes. This is our barometer to help guide us. Talk to your doctor about taking these Baby Steps to change your life. Ask for help and as long as you are getting blood work done get them to run a full panel thyroid screen. At the spa you will probably be forced to go cold turkey when it comes to smoking, alcohol, and caffeine. So how can we limit these things for us while we are enjoying our Home Spa? Let’s look realistically at how much we are doing these things during a day, week or a month. For some people money can be a motivating factor, for others they just need to decide that moderation is Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

the key. So instead of 5 cups of coffee a day; just have one. Then replace the coffee with a bottle of water. With dinner have water and one glass of wine instead of a bottle. Smoking is a very hard habit to break so look at when your body is craving a cigarette and when it is just a simple habit to light up. You will be able to tell the difference. Be nice to yourself and don’t punish yourself by taking everything away cold turkey. You know how fad diets work. You feel deprived and then just throw the diet out the window and devour all you can get your hands on. During the process we are going to learn to nurture ourselves at the same time we are making the lifestyle changes. This way you do not have to feel like you are being tortured. We can turn our homes into nurturing spas with just a few little additions to our grocery lists. Spas have good wholesome snacks just waiting for you to enjoy. They require you to eat several times during the day. We don’t normally do this because we are too busy to eat. The main reason we don’t eat good wholesome foods is because there are not any in the refrigerator. So add whole fruits, cut up veggies, nuts, cottage cheese cups, yogurt, and salad fixins to your weekly grocery list. Remind yourself to eat between meals. Imagine that; you have permission to snack. At a spa you never see anyone without a water bottle. There are water coolers everywhere and little reminders to drink up. I am not talking about over doing here; just getting eight cups of water a day. If you eat 3 meals a day, and 3 snacks a day, then drink a small glass with each, you have had 6 glasses of water. Now add one when you get up while you are getting dressed and then another one before bed. You have done it; 8 glasses in a sixteen hour day. That is only one glass every couple of hours. Set your timer if you have to so you will remember to drink your water. Now for the hard part of being at a spa! They are going to force you to get into shape. We have been couch potatoes for a very long time and we have given them per43

mission to help us. Well let’s give ourselves this same permission. You may need to ask a friend to help you. It is much easier if you have someone that you are accountable to. Moving can be as simple as walking around your yard or on a treadmill. Start by adding a fifteen minute walk to your morning routine. Then gradually you will be incorporating other baby steps to your daily walk through life. Little things like parking farther from the front door at the grocery store or taking the stairs. Before you know it you will be playing in the yard with the children or taking the dog for a romp. When you make it fun it will continue to bless your heart. A spa has lots of ways to pamper you, starting with your bedroom. The beds are nice and inviting. They encourage you to go to bed at a decent hour by having a curfew. When was the last time you went to bed before 11 pm? There are fresh sheets on your bed and plump pillows to curl up with a good book for a few minutes of leisure time. Getting rest is one of the keys to helping our bodies renew themselves and heal. There have been studies that correlate obesity to not enough sleep. Let’s go to bed and quit making our bodies beg for sleep. Our bodies need good food, water, loving movement and rest to function properly. We also need to reward ourselves for the simple life changes we are making. At our home spa we can do things like manicures, pedicures, bubble baths, facials and other little things to help us feel good about the baby steps we are making part of our routines. These little rewards help you to feel good about you and teach you to FLY (Finally Love Yourself). And isn’t that what blessing your heart is all about? We deserve to live happy, healthy, productive lives. Enjoy your spa! For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out her website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net or her book, Sink Reflections, published by Random House and her New York Times Best Selling book, Body Clutter, published by Simon and Schuster. Copyright 2012 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

• H for •W do • I car • tio spe • pri • M at a Fo sch yo wh

Evaluating & Choosing a Private School You have your reasons: Maybe your child has special needs that you feel the public school system cannot provide. Perhaps you’re less than satisfied with the academic achievements or the safety records of the public schools where you live. Perhaps you attended private school as a child and you want your children to enjoy the same experience. No matter what the reasons are that you’ve decided to enroll your child into private school the fact remains that deciding which school to send your child to is a tough decision. With so many schools from which to choose, the matter of selecting a school is not simple by any standards. Several aspects of school and child must be considered before arriving to a final decision. This article will help you work out a process with which you can evaluate and choose from private schools.

Step I: Identify your needs

It’s important to look within your family and work out your child’s needs before you Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

ever set foot onto a private school’s campus. Why? Because comparing most private schools can be like comparing apples to oranges. They offer such different strengths that it doesn’t make sense to compare them in a vacuum. You need to consider instead which school is the best fit for you. Everyone has varied requirements regarding schools, and wants the school to fit their needs. While discussing your requirements, segregate every requirement on the basis of practical, desired, and extra curricular elements. This segregation will help you in taking astute decisions. Here is how we divide your requirements out: Practical requirements are those that you cannot budge from. These needs must be met. No matter how wonderful a private school may be in other aspects, if it cannot meet your practical requirements, then you must rule that school out as a possibility. Desired requirements are those that you’re really focusing on while looking at 44

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schools. It’s important that you keep these requirements “front and center” so you don’t get swayed by other aspects of a private school. After you’ve ruled out any practical requirements, this is really how you’ll decide which schools are in your short-list. Extracurricular requirements are those nice-to-have aspects that probably will be more important to your child than to you. They’ll help your child decide between two schools that made it through your practical requirements filter, and have otherwise equal academic programs.

Practical Requirements of your Private School

When you start to weigh your options, you’ll come across several practical constraints. You may want to find a school close to your workplace or your home. If you have more than one child, you may want them to attend the same school. For practical elements, consider: Advertising: 251-304-1200

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• How far must the child travel back and forth to school? • Will there be a need for transportation or does the school provide transportation? • Is there a need for before- or after-school care? • Does your child have any physical, emotional, linguistic or learning needs that require special attention? • What about costs? What is your budget for private school? • Must you have certain components in place at a private school before you’ll consider it? For example, are you looking for a military school? Do you want religion to be a part of your child’s education? Do you want a school where boys and girls are kept separate? With practical elements, you’ll usually find that they rule out schools pretty quickly for you. After you work through your practical elements, use them as a filter to come up with schools that would as least work on a practical level for your family.

Desired Requirements of your Private School

After you’ve filtered the schools, the next thing you need to do is look at the desired elements of your perfect private school. It is with these aspects that you’ll end up short-listing your private school list. For desired elements, consider:

• Is college preparation a priority? Some parents look for science curriculum and some want a top music program. • Are modern school facilities important to you? • Does your child need small school environment, or a large school? • Do you want a school with several grade levels, such as K-12, where your child can remain for several years? • Consider the instructional model. Do you want a traditional, back-to-basics program or an alternative approach to learning? • Do you want a school where parents are expected to be involved with activities and decisions? After answering these questions, make sure you prioritize your desired elements. For example, if academic achievement is more important to you than the instructional model, make sure you note that. After you’ve considered what is important to you in a school, you’ll need to survey your private school list and find out which schools offer what. You should be able to grade the schools on a weighted survey based on what was important to you in your desired elements list.

Extracurricular Requirements of your Private School

After you’ve worked out your practical

requirements and considered your desired requirements, it’s time to put the icing on top of the cake. These requirements are what you’ll use to pick over two equally stellar programs. Don’t consider extracurricular requirements without your child. For extracurricular elements, consider: • What music and art programs are important to you? • Are sports important? Which ones? • What clubs would your child like to attend at school?

Step II: Survey Schools

Now that you’ve worked out what you’re looking for in a school, you need to go ahead and find out as much information about your short-listed private school as possible. For every aspect that is important to you, make sure you get all of your facts and numbers about each school on your list. • Read the underlying philosophy of the school; ask about the beliefs that guide the school’s program and teaching approaches. • Check the services available at the school such as counselors, an on-site nurse, librarian, and a secretary. • Look at the structure of the school year. Is it a year-round school or a more traditional school calendar?

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• What is the background and qualification of the teachers? • Examine the school discipline policy to see if the rules seem fair and consequences seem appropriate. • Look at the school curriculum. • Find out about the facility in case of an emergency. How are parents notified in case of an emergency? What is the school’s policy on guns, knives, and other hazardous items, towards bullying etc.? • What type of relationship does the school have with local businesses and community groups for guest speakers, financial support etc.? This relationship can contribute to the quality of the school and the support that it enjoys in the community. • Is this school accredited? If so, how?

Step III: Visit the school

No written test or inquiring can take the place of visiting the school in person and forming one’s own opinion about the environment and quality of the school. While on campus, consider the following: What is the ambiance of the school? How do the adults interact with children? How does the school accommodate different learning styles as well as special needs. While visiting, parents can look for student work on the walls and in display areas, including writing samples and other evidence

of literacy projects and artwork. Displays that feature work samples of the students allow parents to see beyond test scores and decide what the children are learning and how they are learning. Has the school been recognized with any excellence awards or awards for dramatic recent improvements in achievement? Parents can ask during a visit about turnover of staff and the rate of student transfers. National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) recommends that parents consider the following when visiting a school; it will help them to observe the school more closely: • Look at the school’s facilities and infrastructure. Basic features which a school must have include a well-equipped library with good collection of books and periodicals, a separate lunchroom, auditorium or large classroom for meetings and presentations, and adequate physical education facilities. • How often are textbooks and classroom materials reviewed and updated? • What is the school homework policy? • What is the school’s discipline policy? • What about school’s extracurricular activities? Does the school have student council and clubs for special interests like music, drama, and chess? Make sure you ask about any activities with which your child is par-

Feed an alligator! Call for details.

See over 200 alligators up close! Nature walk on elevated boardwalk.

ticularly interested. • How does the school communicate with parents? Ask for a schedule of events and plan to attend the first meeting. • How many applicants are typically received for how many open seats? Another way to ask this is what percentage of the applicant pool are offered enrollment? The higher the ratio, the more competitive enrollment will be at that school. This should help you decide how many schools you’ll need to apply to in order to get a spot for your child the upcoming year. • What is their application policy? What selection criteria do they use? To which colleges were last year’s graduates accepted? • What about faculty turnover? 10-20 % turnover will occur in most schools, but telltale signs of potential problems would be a high rate of turnover (40% or higher). While going for Elementary Schools find out: • How does the school determine student placement in classes? • How does this school inform parents of school information and activities? • Is there an active PTA? • Is childcare available before or after school? In case you are looking for Middle Schools: • How does the school guide and prepare students for academic decisions that define their options in high school and beyond?

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• Are foreign language classes (French, Spanish, etc.) offered to students? If you are looking for High Schools: • Does this school have a particular academic focus, such as science or humanities? • Does this school have any school-to-work programs or specialized academies? • How much does the school emphasize college preparation? • Does the school have a good selection of Advanced Placement classes? • What percentage of students takes the SAT? What is the average SAT scores of students there? • Where do students go after they graduate? Are counselors available to help students make important decisions? While on campus, you may have an interview with administration and teachers. If your campus visit does not include a application interview, make sure you set up a preliminary interview for your sake so that you can:

Step IV: Make your Decision

After you’ve visited the private schools, you’ve hopefully gathered all the information you need to make a decision about which school to enroll your child in. After you’ve filtered out any schools that didn’t meet your practical requirements, you should be left with a short-list of schools which you researched. Careful research should have ranked these schools at which point you’d want to look at the extra curricular activities as well as scheduled campus visits. Now you should prioritize the schools that you want your child to attend and then apply to as many as you feel you need to in order to safely get your child into at least one of them for the following year. Many parents will apply to more than one private school so that they can reserve a spot at that school in case they should want to go. In doesn’t hurt to apply to your top three choices with the plan that if your first two don’t accept you or run out of seats, you can enroll into your third school. You can successfully sail through selecting the best school, if you do your own homework early! Prioritize your needs. Remember you must do this first or otherwise you’ll have a tough time picking one private school over another. Learn as much as you can about your candidate private schools. As long as you’ve prioritized your needs, you should be able to rank the candidate private schools. There’s nothing like seeing a school in person. Informative visits will definitely help you get a good feel for the school’s milieu, both academic and when the kids are out of class. The last thing we can leave you with is to start early! Give yourself plenty of time so that you don’t end up letting full enrollments make your private school selection for you.

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MORE THAN COLLEGE PREP...

We Focus on Life Prep!

Students in grades PK - 12 build lasting relationships with an outstanding faculty who challenge and support tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders, both in and out of the classroom.

Bayside Academy is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school which offers a superior educational opportunity to qualified students from Pre-K through twelfth grade.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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“At the heart of the Bayside experience you will find our students and teachers exploring the world around us in an environment that educates and develops the whole student.“ - Peter B. Huestis, Head of School

COME SEE WHY...

We are Bayside!

From a student’s first day at Bayside, lifelong learning is emphasized. An independent school fosters and develops a college-success culture. The focus is not merely on gaining college admission; the focus is on being equipped to earn a degree and make a difference in a chosen field, a community, and the world. Students are encouraged to use all available resources to answer questions, and they are urged to learn how to question, to be contributors to their communities, to be good stewards of their talents, and to be responsible, ethical citizens. As a college prep community, Bayside sees multi-faceted value in higher education and partners with students and families to guide the development of students in academics, extracurriculars, the arts, athletics, ethical reasoning and meaningful citizenship. Sound moral character and responsibility for one’s actions are goals. A hallmark of a Bayside education is the degree to which every Bayside faculty and staff member is invested in these efforts. Self-discovery is a critical component of growth in a college prep school. In an increasingly complex world, education is vital.

303 Dryer Avenue | Daphne, Alabama | 251-338-6300 | www.baysideacademy.org Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

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Covenant Christian School Open House Sunday, January 20th 2 – 4 pm         

K4 – 8th Grade Relational Learning Environment Teacher – Parent Partnership Challenging Academics Mentoring Mind-Set Upholding Christian Values Interscholastic Sports Program Award – Winning Art Program Celebrating 30 years

Cody Rd.

7150 Hitt Road Mobile, AL 36695 251-633-8055

Grelot Rd.

www.covenantschool.com Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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advertorial

McGill-Toolen Catholic High School

BelieveLearnGrow

N C s e a ( o o

McGill-Toolen Catholic High School provides a quality secondary education which enables individuals to grow in faith to search for knowledge and truth in mind, body and spirit and to continue building the Kingdom of God on earth. By active involvement in the learning process, students are prepared for lives of Christian leadership and service. Academics

Focus on Faith

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Council of Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI), McGill-Toolen boasts an academically challenging and comprehensive curriculum.

Emphasis on spiritual growth and moral responsibility contributes to the uniqueness of McGill-Toolen. We are proud to say that we have the best students, the best faculty and the best academic programs in a strong Catholic environment. We are the only high school in Mobile which features this incredible combination.

• Increase of average ACT scores across all areas, with overall composite score of 23.6 (up from 22.3)

• Theology is a required core curriculum for all students

• 46 members of graduating class scored 30 or above on ACT

• Retreats offered for all students each semester and once a year for each class

• 54 students earned prestigious AP Scholars Award

• Campus Ministry Programs

• 54% of graduates were awarded scholarships totaling over $16 million

• Chapel and School Chaplain on Campus

A G e

e h S H

I s s M a s W f

• 96% of students enrolled in college • 60% of professional staff have earned Master’s Degree or above

Student Life The extracurricular programs at McGill-Toolen are designed to develop students’ talents and skills as well as their qualities of scholarship, leadership, service and character. • 80% of students participate in extracurricular activities

(251) 445.2900 • McGill-Toolen.org

• More than 50 extra curricular activities are offered, including sports, academic teams, leadership organizations and service groups Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

1501 Old Shell Rd. • Mobile, AL 36604 54

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Where have we come from…? North Mobile Christian School had its beginning at First Baptist Church in Chickasaw in 1978 as a ministry of the church, with just 14 students. Mrs. Mary Dean Sikes was the first teacher. She set out to enable her students to experience in their education a focus on God as He makes Himself known through creation (generally), the Bible (specifically) and Jesus (personally). The school is currently located on the campus of First Baptist North Mobile at the corner of Exit 13 off of Interstate 65 in Saraland.

Where are we going…? At NMCS, we are striving to see God lead this ministry to produce Godly young people who will leave our school and see the secondary education institutions into which they will go as mission fields. In deliberately focusing on spiritual formation, while continually equipping students and expecting excellence academically, we hope to see graduates and students of North Mobile Christian School live in such a way as to please God, their Father and Jesus, His Son.

What is our mission…?

Academics: Academics are a PRIORITY at NMCS:      

Core Subjects include – Bible, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Phonics‐based Reading. Accelerated Reading and Math STAR Testing Fully Automated Library Elementary and Middle School Computer Labs st th Foreign Language (1 ‐8 Grades)



SAT‐10 administered annually for 1 ‐8 Grades

Athletics – NMCS offers competitive programs for 6th‐8th Grades         

It is the mission of North Mobile Christian School to provide students with a strong Christian environment that is conducive to spiritual, social, and academic development. By doing so, North Mobile Christian School will strive to help ensure that students attain academic excellence in preparation for advanced curriculum studies on the secondary level while emphasizing the Bible, the Word of God, in school life and daily studies so that students and faculty reflect sincere Christian faith and practice in their daily lives.

Volleyball Cross Country Archery Flag Football Basketball Baseball Softball Golf Cheerleading

Student Activities include:      **North Mobile Christian School admits students of any race, color, nationality or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and athletic and other school‐administered programs. NMCS accepts students for whom there is a reasonable expectation of success for this program. NMCS has the right to refuse admission of any student at the discretion of the Principal/School Board.**

National Junior Honor Society Yearbook Staff Scholar’s Bowl Spelling Bee Technology Fair

Extended Care: NMCS offers extended care beginning at 6:30 AM. Afternoon care is available until 6:00 PM.

55 Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013 Visit Phone: 251‐679‐3279 Fax: 251‐679‐3273 Website: www.northmobilechristian.org www.MobileBayParents.com

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imagine the possibilities

S T. PA U L’ S E P I S C O PA L S C H O O L P U T S E M P H A S I S O N E D U C AT I N G T H E W H O L E C H I L D. Imagine a learning environment where your child is exposed to a myriad of extracurricular learning activities: m A leading Microsoft computer program designed to enhance the learning environment in the classroom. m Playgrounds that are interactive and encourage children to participate and collaborate. m Buildings and facilities that are continuously updated to provide the very best surroundings for teaching and learning. m Nationally recognized music and art faculty who encourage young minds to discover their artistic talent and provide even further recognition for students by escorting them to perform and present at the national and international level. At St. Paul’s Episcopal School, students’ Imaginations are explored and fulfilled every day. St. Paul’s is a child-centered school that uses its mission statement as a guiding principle for the formation of students. Four pillars define a St. Paul’s education: 1) Academics,

2) Spirituality, 3) Arts, and 4) Athletics. Very talented and gifted faculty strive to teach twenty-first century skills to students in each of these areas. St. Paul’s Episcopal School puts emphasis on educating the whole child. Focusing on the four pillars, St. Paul’s exposes students to a world inside and outside the classroom by enhancing the core curriculum with technology. New methods, practices and critical thinking provide students with a collegepreparatory education. Students participate in regular chapel services and community service programs thus exposing young adults to faithinstilled traditions, including an inner obligation to help others. St. Paul’s offers its students opportunities in both the visual and performing arts, encouraging them to discover and develop their individual talents. And athletes are taught sportsmanship and teamwork from coaches dedicated to continuing a tradition of excellence in athletics. St. Paul’s is more than a place. It is an experience that has engaged, inspired and prepared generations of students for success in life with character, integrity and respect, exposing each and every student to a world of opportunity. From PreK through 12th grade, your child will be challenged, and his talents and skills will be identified and nurtured. Experience the possibilities!

ATHLETICS

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S T. PA U L’ S E P I S C O PA L S C H O O L • 1 6 1 D O G W O O D L A N E • M O B I L E , A L 3 6 6 0 8 • 2 5 1 - 4 6 1 - 2 1 2 9 • W W W. S T PA U L S M O B I L E . N E T

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UMS-Wright Preparatory School

enjoys a 119 year tradition of academic excellence. In 1900, our secondary school was the first in Alabama to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Currently, the school holds duel accreditation through SACS and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). Additionally, UMS-Wright is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. UMS-Wright Mission: For the UMS-Wright family to educate all students to their highest potential in mind, body, and spirit and to produce in each student character of the highest possible order.

—Mind— The UMS-Wright chapter of The Cum Laude Society is one of only three in the state of Alabama. Approximately 70% of the Class of 2012 attempted at least one of the 17 AP courses offered at UMS-Wright. In 2011, fifty-two students received AP Scholar Awards. Two UMS-Wright seniors were named National Merit Scholars, and one of these students was also recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar. Two other students were named Commended Scholars. The success of our students in the classroom is enhanced by our dedicated faculty and staff, along with an exciting utilization of virtual learning, 8 computer labs, SMART Boards in every classroom combined with an atmosphere for learning.

—Body— In keeping with the UMS-Wright mission statement, the Athletic Department offers a wide variety of programs including 13 team sports from lower school to high school varsity, well-rounded P.E. programs, and numerous intramural teams throughout the school year. Each coach, team, and individual participant is supported by an outstanding staff of dedicated and knowledgeable personnel. Healthy competitions and the accompanying lessons of self-discipline, personal sacrifice, and loyalty help students become individuals with superior character.

—Spirit— Student Life outside the classroom is an integral part of the UMS-Wright educational experience. We focus on two components: Co-curriculars and Service. Students of all ages are presented with numerous opportunities to interact with each other and with their teachers in one on one and group activities. Students are encouraged to be active in local, state, national and world communities with specific emphasis being placed upon our obligation to serve others. In addition to our co-curriculars and service opportunities, music, dance, painting, theatre, writing, journalism, debate...UMS-Wright arts programs offer a home for everyone. From our award-winning drum line to our nationally-recognized yearbook to our entertaining stage performances and fascinating art exhibits, students of all ages utilize those keys that “unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment.”

Always Advancing... UMS-Wright does not discriminate on the Visitof www.MobileBayParents.com basis race, creed or national origin.

UMS-Wright

PREPARATORY SCHOOL 65 Mobile Street Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013 UMS-Wright.org | 479-6551

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The 2013 Mobile Bay

Bayside Academy

Address: 303 Dryer Avenue, Daphne, Alabama 36526 Phone: 251-338-6300 Website: www.baysideacademy.org Grades: PK-12 Mission: Bayside’s Mission is to educate and develop the whole student, who, upon graduation, is fully prepared to pursue higher education and who possesses high moral standards, a sense of responsibility, respect for self and others, and pursues excellence Extra-Curricular: Art Guild, Bayside Believers, Books & Cooks Club, Boys’ Service Club, Chess Team, Computer Club, Debate Team, Environmental Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, French Club, German Club, Girls’ Service Club, Honor Council, Kayak Club, Key Club, Model United Nations , National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, SADD, Scholar’s Bowl, Science Olympiad, Spanish Club, Student Government Association, Yearbook Staff, Yoga, Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Dance, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swim, Tennis, Track & Field, and Volleyball

Corpus Christi School

Address: 6300 Mckenna Drive, Mobile, 36608 Phone: (251) 342-5474 Website: www.corpuschristiparish.com/school Email: school@corpuschristiparish.com Principal: Joan T. McMullen Grades: K3-8 Mission: The mission of Corpus Christi School is to provide a spiritual, academic, disciplined, and safe environment that encourages superior student performance. Extra-Curricular: Corpus Christi students participate in a variety of activities and special programs which allows them to pursue their interests. Seventh and 8th grade students have the option of taking Latin as part of their elective program. They may participate on the Scholar’s Bowl Team, our student-produced weekly news program: Corpus Christi News (CCN), and the Computer Club, Shakespeare-After-School Drama Club, the Green Club, the Running Club, Scouting, Elementary Band (5-8), the Cougar Quarterly student newspaper, Yearbook, and CYO Sports.

Cottage Hill Christian Academy

Church Campus (K2-8) Address: 4255 Cottage Hill Road, Mobile, 36609 Phone: 251-660-2427 West Campus (9-12) Address: 7355 Creekwood Dr. Mobile, 36695 Phone: 251-634-2513 Website: www.chcacademy.com Grades: K2-12 Head of School: Jim McMillan Mission: The mission of Cottage Hill Christian Academy is to nurture each child in his development as a

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whole person, one who, as an adult, will contribute with integrity and responsibility to his work, community, and nation. To realize the maximum potential of each student, Cottage Hill Christian Academy is devoted to the task of fostering not only mental growth but also physical development, social interaction, aesthetic appreciation and spiritual values. Toward this end, Cottage Hill Christian Academy provides caring, accomplished instructors, a rigorous academic curriculum, and modern facilities. Students work, learn and grow in an atmosphere that blends structure with freedom and academic demands with wholesome activities. Extra-Curricular: Basketball, Baseball, Running Club, Football, Softball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track, Cheerleading, Volleyball, Big Buddies, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Geography Bee, Robotics, Scholar’s Bowl, Science Olympiad, Spelling Bee, Student Council, Warrior Club, Art League, Key Club, Math Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, Science Club, Social Awareness Club, Spanish Club, and Young Women of Virtue

Covenant Christian School

Address: 7150 Hitt Road Mobile, 36695 Phone: 251-633-8055 Website: www.covenantschool.com Email: info@covenantschool.com Grades: K4-8 Principal: Keith Currie Mission: The mission of Covenant Christian School is to graduate students who are prepared to understand their world, to communicate with their world, and to influence their world for Christ through servant-leadership. Extra-Curricular: Volleyball, Flag Football, Basketball, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, Cheerleading, Spelling Bee, & Private Piano Instruction

Faith Academy

Address: 8650 Tanner Williams Road, Mobile, 36608 Phone: (251) 633-7267 Website: www.faithacademy.us Email: tim.skelton@faithacademy.us Grades: PK3 – 12 Headmaster: Tim Skelton High School Principal: Kindra Mason Middle School Principal: Barry Pickering Assistant Principal: Jessica Rapier Elementary Principal: Penny Skelton Elementary Assistant Principal: Geri Sikes Primary Principal: Dwan Kirby Mission: It is the mission of Faith Academy to offer quality Christian education in a safe, clean and orderly environment. Faith Academy seeks to enroll average ability students from primarily middle class

socioeconomic level. We believe that children have a right to a sound, Christian education. Faith Academy provides a learning center for students with special learning handicaps, as well as honors classes for gifted learners. Faith Academy endeavors to provide for our students’ spiritual, artistic, athletic, social and personal needs through our daily school program and extracurricular activities. Extra-Curricular Activities: Junior and Senior Student Government Association, Music, Fine Arts, Drama Club, Jr. High Outdoorsmen, Sr. High Outdoorsmen, Music Club, Military Support Club, Sr. High FEC, Jr. High FEC, Robotics Club, Sr. High/ Junior High Math Competition, Jr. High NHS/Middle School Math Competition, Writing Club/Writing Contest, Missions Club, Sr. High Pep Club, Jr. High Pep Club, School Online Newsletter/Yearbook Staff, Technology Club, Heart for Life Club (Pro-Life), Art Club, Art Competition, Foreign Language Club, Sr. High NHS, Sr. High Beta, Jr. High Beta Club, GROW Club, Jr. High FCA, Sr. High FCA, Scholars Bowl, Book Club, Student Mentorship Club, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Track, Cross Country, Soccer, Swimming and Golf, Volleyball, Fast-pitch Softball, and Cheerleading.

McGill-Toolen Catholic High School

Address: 1501 Old Shell Road, Mobile, 36604 Phone: 251-445-2900 Website: http://www.mcgill-toolen.org/index.php Grades: 9-12 Principal: Michelle Haas Mission: McGill-Toolen Catholic High School provides a quality secondary education which enables individuals to grow in faith, to search for knowledge and truth in mind, body, and spirit, and continue building the kingdom of God on earth. By active involvement in the learning process, students are prepared for lives of Christian leadership and service. We are privileged at McGill-Toolen through our ability to provide three important facets to our mission as educators: the best in the area of academic excellence, the best in the physical development of the body, and the most important, that which is our primary reason for existence, the spiritual development of the soul. Extra-Curricular: Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Softball, Soccer, Swim/Dive, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, African-American Club, Ambassador Club, Art Club, Band, Campus Ministry, Chess Club, Chorus, Color Guard, Drama Club, Friends of Exceptional Children (FEC), HI-Q Bowl, Key Club, Magic Club, McGillian-Student Newspaper, McGill-Toolen School Pride Club, Model United Nations, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Physics Club, Pro-Life Club, Robotics Club, Scholars Bowl, Servants of the Poor, Spanish Club, Student Government Association, Band.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

North Mobile Christian

Address: 1255 Industrial Parkway, Saraland, 36571 Phone: (251) 679-3279 Website: http://www.northmobilechristian.org Grades: K3-8 Principal: Christopher Reed Mission: It is the mission of North Mobile Christian School to provide students with a strong Christian environment that is conducive to spiritual, academic, and social development. By doing so, NMCS will strive to help ensure that students attain high academic excellence in preparation for advanced curriculum studies on the secondary level while emphasizing the Bible, the Word of God, in school life and daily studies so that students and faculty reflect Christian morals and ethics in their daily lives. Extra-Curricular: National Junior Honor Society, Yearbook, Scholars Bowl, Student Council, Cheerleading, Volleyball, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Archery, Flag Football, Cross Country, & Golf

St. Ignatius Catholic School

Address: 3650 Springhill Ave., Mobile, 36608 Phone: (251) 342-5442 Website: www.stignatius.org Email: office@stignatius.org Grades: PreK3-8 Principal – Mr. Gary Blackburn Mission: St. Ignatius Catholic School, a ministry of St. Ignatius Parish in Springhill, strives to educate the whole child by providing a quality Catholic education in a safe and caring learning environment. Focusing on Jesus the Redeemer, children are encouraged to strive for excellence in spiritual, academic, social, and physical activities. Through a variety of curricular and extracurricular activities, children are taught to become productive and exemplary Christian leaders for the future. Extra-Curricular: Academic Team, Science Bowl, Children’s Choir, CYO Sports (Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Cheerleading and Golf) Tennis Team, Cross Country & Track, Student Government Association, Scholars Bowl, Apostolic Service Program, Scrapbooking Club, Elementary and Junior Honor Societies, Computer Fair, Art and Music programs, Order of St. Ignatius, Pro-life Club.

St. Luke’s Episcopal School

Lower School: 3975 Japonica Lane, Mobile, 36693 Middle and Upper School Campus: 1400 University Boulevard South, Mobile, 36609 Phone: 251-666-2991 Website: www.stlukesmobile.com Grades: K3-12 Headmaster: Palmer Kennedy Assistant Head of School: Tom Johnson Mission: The mission of St. Luke’s Episcopal School is to challenge students through a rigorous academic curriculum in a supportive Christian environment. In helping students reach their full potential, St. Luke’s strives to instill character traits of personal responsibility, creativity, ethical behavior and respectfulness. The school recognizes the importance of physical development and teamwork and promotes a competitive sports program. In preparation for daily life, St. Luke’s fosters the development of self-confidence and positive self-esteem by relying on mind, body, and spirit as nurtured in a family oriented environment. Extra-Curricular – Latin, Spanish, Forensics/Debate, Student Government Association, Key Club, Outdoor Recreation, Drama, Technology Club, Robotics, National Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, High-Q Team, Scholars Bowl, Archery Program, Violin

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Lessons (Grades 2-12), Guitar Lessons, Piano Lessons, Children’s Choir, Strength and Speed Training, K3-K5 athletics (t-ball, soccer, cheerleading) Grades 1 and 2 athletics (basketball, football, cheerleading, soccer) Grades 3-6 athletics (football, cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, soccer) AHSAA (Grades 7-12): Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Volleyball & Swimming/Diving.

St. Mary Catholic School

Address: 107 North Lafayette Street, Mobile, 36604 Phone: (251) 433-9904 Website: http://school.stmarymobile.org Grades: K3-8 Principal: Deborah D. Ollis Mission: Our mission is to provide an environment where Jesus’ message of love meets the spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of our children. This mission is manifested through MARY: Moral, Accomplished, Responsible, Yearning to Learn. Extra-Curricular: Computer Lab with Internet Access for all students, Band Program (5-8 grades), Children’s Choir, Ballet and Jazz, Duke University Talent Search Program, Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Golf, and more), Spelling Bee, National Junior Honor Society, Bay Area Scholastic Challenge League, Regional Technology Fair, Local Science Fair, Pro-Life Club, Computer Club, Robotics, Geography Bee, Scouting.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School

Address: 161 Dogwood Lane, Mobile, 36608 Phone: 251-342-6700 Website: www.stpaulsmobile.net Grades: PreK-12 Headmaster: F. Martin Lester, Jr. Assistant Headmaster: Victor Helmsing Mission: St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Alabama is committed to providing the highest quality college preparatory education in a Christian environment. Through a variety of experiences and activities, we encourage individual growth and achievement. By example, the St. Paul’s community fosters respect, integrity, responsibility, service, tolerance, and the highest moral standards to prepare the whole person for a changing and challenging future. Programs of Study: Advanced Placement Program, Alternative Instruction Program, Honors Program Extra-Curricular: Lower School (PreK-4th Grade) - Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Ballet, Jazz, Piano, Strings, Reading Club (3&4), Techies Club (3&4), Study Club (3&4), Book Club (3&4); Intramural Sports: Soccer, Basketball, Football, Cheerleading, Volleyball (3&4); Morning Bible Story Time, BUCS (Boys United in Christ) and GEMS (Girls Enrichment Ministries), After School Care, Summer Day Camp. Middle School (5th-8th) – Art Club, Chess Club, Class Officers, Cheerleading, Academic Contests, Fellowship of Christian Students, Chess Club, Middle School Student Council, Scholars Bowl, Science Olympiad, Science Club, Rutledge Fellows of Philanthropy, National Junior Honor Society, BUCS (Boys United in Christ) and GEMS (Girls Enrichment Ministries), Football, Volleyball, Cross-Country, Basketball, Baseball, Track, Soccer. Upper School (9th-12th): Cheerleading – JV and Varsity, Culinary Club, Class Officers, Computer Club, Fellowship of Christian Students, Fine Arts Club, French Club, Interact Club, Interclub Council, Junior Interact Club, Key Club, Morning Saints,

Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, Robotics, Rutledge Fellows of Philanthropy, SADD & Partnership For Youth, Scholars Bowl, Science Olympiad, Science Research Club, Sierra Club, Spanish Club, St. Paul’s Players, St. Paul’s Singers and Concert Chorus, SGA, Student Newspaper, Yearbook, Forensics/Theatrics, Youth Judicial, Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track, Volleyball and Track &Field.

St. Pius X Catholic School

Address: 217 South Sage Avenue, Mobile, 36606 Phone: (251) 473-5004 Website: www.stpiustenth.com Email: office@stpiustenth.com Grades: PK-8 Principal: Lauren K. Alvarez Mission: St. Pius X School offers a quality Catholic Christian environment that promotes intellectual, spiritual and moral growth. We provide a solid education, rooted in the Gospel values and supported through parental and community involvement. In our students we cultivate knowledge and nurture faith, and in so doing, create the leaders of tomorrow. Extra-Curricular: Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Golf, and more), Scholars Bowl, Student Council, WSPX News, Scouts, Elementary Band & Childrens Choir.

UMS-Wright Preparatory School

Address: 65 Mobile Street, Mobile, 36607 Phone: 251-479-6551 Website: www.ums-wright.org Grades: PK-12 Headmaster: Dr. Tony W. Havard Mission: For the UMS-Wright Family to educate all students to their highest potential in mind, body, and spirit and to produce in each student character of the highest possible order. Extra-Curricular: Middle and Upper Schools: Fall Play, Marching Band, Swim/Dive Team, Youth in Government – Judicial, Concert Band, Spring Musical, Youth in Government – Legislature, Bulldog Review, Computer Club, Dance Team, Environmental Club, Honor Council, Interact Club, Key Club, Mind’s Eye Editors, Newspaper Editors, Physics Team, Science Olympiad, Scholars Bowl, SGA President and Vice-Presidents, Dunlap Tech Crew, Wright Players, Wright Singers, Yearbook Editors, Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Indoor Track, and Volleyball Lower School: Third-Fifth Grade Chorus, Piano and Strings Lessons, Southwest Regional and State Technology Fair, Science Expo, Intramurals in Swimming, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Softball, After School Enrichment Classes, Ballet, Baby Bulldog Cheerleaders, Bull Pups, Bulldog Athletic Association Football and Cheerleading in Grades 3-6

Weinacker’s Montessori School

Hillcrest location: 27 Hillcrest Road, Mobile, 36608 Phone: 251-344-8755 Tillman’s Corner location: 5739 Old Pascagoula Road, Mobile, 36619 Phone: (251) 653-4707 Midtown: 18 Pierpont Dr. West Mobile, 36606 Phone: (251) 478-7219 Website: www.weinackersmontessori.com

Advertising: 251-304-1200

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Ages: infant-age 9 Full and Part-Time classes offered for infants, toddlers, pre-school, and school-age children. Mission: We believe every child is born with unique potential. And in order for your child to reach their potential, it must first be revealed. That’s where our highly skilled teachers and unique approach come in. First and foremost, we at Weinacker’s Montessori School encourage the children to learn while playing and play while learning. Studies show that using a sensory approach to learning is the most effective way to learn and retain it. So, at Weinacker’s Montessori Schools students get to move around and explore, allowing them to learn while using their five senses in a safe and engaging environment. This not only gives them the freedom to explore their natural abilities, it allows your child to have a unique, individualized learning experience. This helps instill selfconfidence and a lifelong curiosity for knowledge. After all, we’re not just preparing your child for their education; we’re preparing them for life!

Calvary Christian School

6800 Three Notch Rd, Mobile, 36619 Phone: (251) 660-1951 Website: www.ccs-mobile.org Grades: K3-5 Principal: Beth Edwards Mission: Calvary Christian School exists to provide our students with a quality education in a loving Christian environment and help them reach their greatest potential academically, morally, personally, socially, and spiritually.

Evangel Christian School

Address: 1277 Jubilee Drive, Saraland, 36571 Phone: (251) 675-4619 Website: www.fountainoflifechurch.net/Evangel_ School.html Grades: PK-5 Mission: The purpose of Evangel Christian School is to teach, train, and lead young children to Christ. We also desire to reach the extended family of every child God entrusts to us. On a daily basis training is given in Bible, Christian character, language, and traditional subject matter. We believe the word of God which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” We also treasure Psalm 119:11, “Thy word (the Bible) have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” With a firm foundation from God’s Word and proper Christian training, students of Evangel Christian School can make wise decisions for the present and proper decisions for the future.

Good Shepherd Academy

Address: 5851 Plantation Rd., Theodore, 36582 Phone: 251-653-8579 Website: www.gscatc.com Grades: PK-12 (Good Shepherd Academy provides classes for K through 12 and offers homeschool for grades 1 through 12) Mission: Our business is seeing children educated. Not only in academics that will guide their careers, but in the saving knowledge of Christ that will guide their lives. We count it a privilege and an honor to be trusted with God’s most precious gifts.

Government Street Baptist School

Address: 3401 Government Blvd, Mobile, 36693 Phone: 251-660-7444 Website: www.governmentstreet.org/school Grades: K4-8

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Principal: Charles Matthews Mission: The Mission of Government Street Baptist School is to provide a quality Christian education within a caring, nurturing, and challenging environment; which develops the entire person and equips students with both the desire and ability to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives. Extra-Curricular: Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Fine arts academy, chorus, and an active chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society.

Grace Baptist Academy

Address: 8780 Howell’s Fairy Road, Semmes, Alabama 36575 Phone: 251-649-7398 Website: www.gbcacademy.com Grades: PK-12 Administrator / Principal: Pastor Tim Whigham Mission: Grace Baptist Academy is a private Christian school making available an excellent education to the members of Grace Baptist Church and, as space permits, other families in the Mobile area. Our purpose is to develop the mind of Christ in the lives of our students. We desire to be an extension of the Christian home.

Jackson Creek Christian Academy

Address: 10431 Old Pascagoula Rd, Grand Bay, 36541 Phone: 251-957-6052 Website: www.jcchristianacademy.com Email: jccawarriors@aol.com Grades: 3K-8 Principal: Gloria Massingill Mission: To Provide A Quality Academic Education In A Loving And Nurturing Christian Environment.

Knollwood Christian School

Address: 1501 Knollwood Dr., Mobile, 36609 Phone: (251) 661-1987 Website: www.kcsknights.blogspot.com/ Grades: 4K-8 Headmaster: Pastor Scott Williams Mission: Our mission is to lovingly train students spiritually, academically, physically, and socially, from a Biblical perspective with a God-centered point of view and to prepare them to influence others for Christ. Extra-Curricular: Sports, Robotics, SGA, Honor Society, Spelling Bee, Basketball, Flag Football, Volleyball and more.

Lighthouse Baptist Academy

Address: 6905 Nan Gray Davis Rd, Theodore, 36582 Phone: (251) 653-6542 Website: http://lbatheodore.com Grades: PK-12 Principal: John Felt Mission: Academics is a vital part of every young person’s life. Lighthouse Baptist Academy is committed to helping students achieve academic excellence in all disciplines and to providing students with the instruction and guidance they need to realize their own potential. We believe that a child’s education must aim for the total person: academically, spiritually, morally, and physically. We also believe that a Christ-centered curriculum and academic excellence can coexist. At LBA, our curriculum is developed to provide students with the best possible program of studies. Extra-Curricular: Athletics, Vocal Ensembles, Yearbook, Newspaper, Piano Lessons, Band Instrument Lessons, Community Outreach, Basketball, Volleyball & Soccer.

Little Flower School

Address: 2103 Government St, Mobile, 36606 Phone: 251-479-5761 Website: www.littleflower.cc/School_index.html Grades: 3K-8 Principal: Ms. Clara Brunk Mission: The mission of Little Flower Catholic School is to provide a quality Catholic education for all the children from the diverse economic and cultural backgrounds of the families in our community. We respect and encourage each individual learner to reach his or her maximum potential spiritually, developing a strong faith and relationship with God; academically, continuing to be a life-long learner; physically, having healthy living habits; and emotionally, becoming a self-disciplined, well-rounded member of our “Loop” community who tries every day to “do little things with great love” as did our patron, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. Extra-Curricular: Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Golf, and more), Academic Clubs such as National Honor Society, SGA, Robotics Choir, Chess, Our habitat, and other clubs.

Mobile Christian School

Address: 5900 Cottage Hill Road, Mobile, 36609 Phone: (251) 661-1613 Website: www.mobilechristian.org Email: info@mobilechristian.org Grades: 3K-12 Headmaster: David Pahman Mission: The mission of Mobile Christian School is to provide a quality education in a Christian environment which develops the entire person and produces young people with both the desire and ability to serve God, family, and fellow man. Extra-Curricular: Band, SGA, Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Standards, STARS, Art Club, Spelling Bee, Math Counts, Robotics, Chorus, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Service Club, Yearbook, Broadcast Journalism, Mu Alpha Theta, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Golf, Softball, Track, Volleyball

Mobile Junior Academy

Address: 1900 Cody Road South, Mobile, 36695 Phone: 251-633-8638 Website: www.mobilejunioracademy.com Grades: Pre K4-9 Mission: The Mobile Junior Academy family exists to show children Jesus, nurture their love for Him and others, teach them to think, and empower them to serve.

Most Pure Heart of Mary School

Address: 304 Sengstak Street, Mobile, 36603 Phone: 251-432-5270 Website: www.heartofmaryschool.org Grades: 3K – 8 Mission Statement: To prepare the students of Most Pure Heart of Mary for leadership roles in adult life by providing, at the elementary level, a strong educational program which engages the student in the learning process, assists in the conscience formation, based on Christian values and cultivates a sense of respect and responsibility for personal life choices. Extra-Curricular: Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Golf, and more), Academic Clubs, and other clubs.

Prichard Preparatory School

Address: 743 Mt. Sinai Avenue, Whistler, 36612 Phone: 251-380-7220

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Website: www.prichardprepschool.com Email: prichardprepschool@gmail.com Grades: PK-5 Mission: To educate students academically, spiritually, and culturally, and to develop their character in preparation for their pursuit of collegiate degrees. Extra-Curricular: Dance, Drama, and Sports

and proclaimed by the Catholic Church. Extra-Curricular: Academic Clubs, Student Council, Spelling Bee, Band, Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Golf, and more, Pro-life Club, Student Council, National Honor Society

Safe Haven Christian School

Address: 6571 Larkspur Drive, Mobile, 36619 Phone: (251) 666-8022 Website: http://www.svsschool.org Grades: PK-8 Principal: Mary McLendon Mission: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School provides a nurturing family environment that is traditional, yet progressive. Students are valued as individuals and taught to utilize their unique abilities to master essential knowledge and skills; actively solve problems; and produce meaningful, relevant work. St. Vincent de Paul champions each student’s success and teaches to honor the values of Catholic identity through moral integrity and service to others.. Extra-Curricular - SVS Robotics, Student Government Association, National Junior Honor Society, McGill-Toolen Elementary Band Program, Catholic Youth Organization Sports (Football, Cheerleading, Soccer, Basketball, Golf and more), Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Team S.M.I.L.I.E., Altar Servers

Address: 803 N. Dr. M.L.K Jr. Dr, Prichard, 36610 Phone: 251-457-6088 Grades: 4K-12 Website: www.safehaven803.com Mission: Our objective at Safe Haven Christian Academy is to educate our students, academically, socially, and spiritually, to provide Christian values as a learning tool for our youth today. Our goal is to provide the best in academic training based on the principals in the Word of God, in an atmosphere that promotes Christian values.

Satsuma Christian School

Address: 5600 Old Highway 43, Satsuma, 36572 Phone: 251-675-1295 Website: www.satsumachristianschool.com Grades: 3K-8 Headmaster: Tommy Hinton Mission: The mission of Satsuma Christian School is to include giving each student an opportunity to come to know God through Jesus Christ, giving each student full opportunity and the necessary resources to develop his or her full potential; spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. By doing so, Satsuma Christian School will strive to help ensure that students attain high academic excellence in preparations for advanced curriculum studies on the secondary level while emphasizing the Bible, the Word of God, in school life and daily studies so that the students and faculty reflect Christian morals and ethics in their daily lives. Extra-Curricular: Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Soccer, Cross Country, Flag Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Art, Band, and other clubs.

Shelton Academy

Address: 1050 Hillcrest Road, Mobile, 36695 Phone: 251-639-1311 Website: sheltonacademy.org Email: info@sheltonacademy.org Grades: 5-12 Mission Statement: To serve students of all abilities. Shelton’s philosophy is, obviously, that each student is unique, with a special combination of individual strengths and individual weaknesses. We feel that an educational atmosphere of encouragement and acceptance is the key to success for every student. We encourage all abilities and accept all real limitations. We do not, of course, accept unreal or self-imposed limitations! We believe that the purpose of education is to remove barriers and enhance opportunities.

St. Dominic School

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Address: 4160 Burma Road, Mobile, 36693 Phone: (251) 661-5226 Website: http://home.catholicweb.com/stdominicmobileschool Grades: PK-8 Principal: Mrs. Linda Mathias Mission: The mission of St. Dominic Catholic School is to provide an academic learning environment that develops students’ to their fullest potential. Each student is encouraged to live the beliefs taught by Jesus

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

The Arnold School

Address: 4308 Downtowner Loop, N Mobile, 36609 Phone: (251) 343-1700 Website: www.thearnoldschool.com Grades: 6-12 Mission: The mission of The Arnold School is to create an education environment that will enable each student to grow according to his academic needs. Some students are taught on a college preparatory level and others are taught according to their academic ability. Each student progresses at a rate that is comfortable to him, going as slow or as fast as he is able to achieve. Extra-Curricular: Student activities include: Student Government, Yearbook, and National Honor Society Athletic Program is through The Chandler YMCA on Downtowner Blvd.

The Learning Tree, Inc.

Address: 4979 Lott Rd., Eight Mile, 36613 Phone: (251) 649-4420 Website: www.learning-tree.org Mission: The Learning Tree, Inc. exists to provide a warm and loving environment to persons with significant challenges. Through systematic programming, we provide individualized instruction and behavioral intervention to maximize achievement in all areas in order to promote a quality of life enjoyed by non-disabled peers.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School

Address: 2668 Berkley Avenue, Mobile, 36617 Phone: 251-456-7960 Website: www.trinitylutheranmobile.org Grades: PK- 7th Grade Administrator: Mr. Theron Florence Mission: The Mission of Trinity Lutheran School is to know and serve God, to promote justice, and to render service to the community by offering parents a choice of school and providing a safe, caring, and productive environment in which children are equipped for responsible citizenship. MBP

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Public Library Activities Mobile Public Libraries Schedule Ben May Main Library

701 Government Street, 208-7086 Hours: M-Th: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. F & Sa: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Open Sundays 1-5 p.m. Individuals and families welcome to storytimes; no groups, please. Mother Goose: birth to 18 months. Caregiver required. Thursdays, 10 a.m. Toddler Time: 19-30 months. Caregiver required. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Good Listeners: 2 1/2 – 5 years. Wednesdays & Thursdays, 11 a.m.

Moorer/Spring Hill Branch

Family and Friends Storytime: Ages 2 & up; Thursdays at 10:30. Registration required; no groups, please.

Toulminville Branch

601 Stanton Rd., 438-7075 Hours: M & Th: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.; Tu, W, F & Sa: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m Good Listeners: Ages 3-6, Tues. 10 a.m. Registration required.

West Regional Branch

5555 Grelot Rd, 340-8571 Hours: M-Th: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; F & Sa: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m Registration required; no groups, please. Mother Goose: Ages birth to 14 months. Caregiver required. Wednesdays 10 a.m. Toddler Time: Ages 15 months to 2 years. Caregiver required. Thursdays at 10 a.m. Parent and Child: Ages 2 & 3. Caregiver required. Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.; Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Good Listener: Ages 4 & 5: Wednesdays at 11 a.m.; Ages 3-5: Thursdays at 11 a.m.

4 McGregor Ave. S., 470-7770 Hours: M, W, F & Sa: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tu & Th: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. Family Storytime: Ages 2 and up. Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Caregiver required.

Saraland Public Library 111 Saraland Loop, 675-2879 Hours: M, W, F & Sa: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tu & Th: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. Good Listeners: Ages 3-6 Stories and Crafts: Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Semmes Branch

9150 Moffett Rd., 645-6840 Hours: M & W: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Tu & Th: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Sa: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Closed Fridays Good Listeners: 3-6 years old. Wednesdays, 10:30, Registration required for groups.

Theodore Oaks Branch

5808 Highway 90 W, Ste. E, 653-5012 Hours: M & Tu: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; W - Sa: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

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Tips for a Smooth Toddler-Bed Transition by Malia Jacobson

Toddlers—and their milestones—move at the speed of light. Before you know it, your child is speaking in sentences, learning to run and jump, and building teetering block towers (only to knock them down again). One of the biggest milestones is also the most worrisome: the transition from a crib to a “big kid” bed. Parents worry that their toddler, freed from the confines of a crib, will wander the house at night or bounce out of bed at the crack of dawn. “We were worried about lots of up-anddown traffic at night and in the morning,” confesses Cheryl Oliver, mom to 14-yearold Rianne and 5-year-old Gabriella. But the toddler-bed transition doesn’t have to be terrible. In fact, it can be downright fun. “When Jack was two, we transitioned him to his own ‘big boy’ bed, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” says Lindsay Fisher, mom to fouryear-old Jack and one-year-old Will. “He slept through the night and was so proud of himself in the morning.” Smooth the way for a great toddler-bed transition with these tips: Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Don’t Worry—Be Happy

When parents are anxious about the transition to a toddler bed, they can unwittingly pass on their anxiety to their child, says psychologist and mom Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. “Children are like sponges, and they pick up on our fears and anxieties,” she says. Do your best not to transmit your nerves to your tot—talk about the new bed as an exciting new step, not a worrisome obligation.

Timing Clues

Climbing out of the crib, potty training, and becoming interested in toddler beds are signs that your child may be ready. And while you don’t want to ditch the crib prematurely, you also don’t want to wait too long, or you may find yourself in a stressful situation where you need to get your child out of the crib in a hurry (because a new sibling needs it, for example). When a new baby will need the crib, Lombardo recommends making the switch at least a month before the birth, to give the older child time to adjust to the change. 68

Control Tweak

Toddlers are notoriously hungry for more independence and personal power, so give them some control over the transition. Allow tots to pick out their new bedding or choose which toys get to come to the new bed. “We asked Jack to be a part of setting up his new big boy room. He picked out his bedding—Thomas the Tank engine, of course—and he got to pick out special pajamas for his first night,” says Fisher.

Calendar Countdown

Help your child prepare for the transition by creating a “big kid bed” countdown. One to two weeks before making the switch, tell your child that he’ll be moving to a special new bed. Then, cross off the days on the calendar and talk excitedly about the big day with your child. But don’t set the date too far in advance; a buildup of several weeks could make your child anxious instead of eager.

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that he will—install a baby gate at his bedroom door. When you hear him get up, return him to his bed promptly, every time. Once he realizes that he won’t be rewarded with parental interaction or be able to get out of his room, he’ll be more likely to stay in his bed all night long.

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Winning Ways

To help your child maintain positive associations with his new bed, never use the bed as a place for punishment or time out. It’s better and more effective to reward positive behavior, says Lombardo. Sticker charts, special outings, or a visit to the child’s favorite restaurant are good options. “When Jack slept all night in his new bed, we made him a special breakfast the next day to acknowledge his accomplishment!” says Fisher.

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Nap Trap

At naptime, opportunistic toddlers may capitalize on their newfound freedom by refusing to stay in bed. “Often, kids do fine with their new bed at bedtime—naps present a bigger issue,” says Lombardo. But most two-year-olds still need a daily siesta. Enforce your tot’s nap time by creating a solid, consistent naptime ritual and keeping the bedroom very dark and quiet during naptime.

Entertainment for Kids • Playground Boat Dock • Private Room for Birthday Parties

Clock Extra Minutes

Kids in toddler beds may be more inclined to get up with the roosters. Keep your early bird in bed a longer with a special clock that tells her when it’s time to start the day. “We bought a special alarm clock with nature sounds just before we converted to a toddler bed,” says Oliver. “She loved waiting for her alarm in the morning and getting up to press the reset button—no troubles with getting out of bed too early!” Whatever you do, “don’t give in and allow your child to go back to the crib,” says Lombardo. Make this transition an exciting milestone for your little one, and the crib will soon be a thing of the past. On to the next adventure!

3733 Battleship Pkwy • Mobile • 251-626-2188 Hwy 59 • Original Oyster House Boardwalk • 251-948-2445

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Images courtesy of So Life Studios, 217 Fairhope Ave

Malia Jacobson is a nationally published sleep journalist, columnist, and mom. She blogs about sleep and parenting at www.thewellrestedfamily.com.

Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Family Calendar Ongoing

Centre for the Living Arts The Memory Project is the first phase of the Centre for the Living Arts’ plan to create a national model for community building through the arts. Running through December 31, it involves a nine-month visual and performing arts program that examines the various intersections of individual and collective memory in the Gulf Coast and elsewhere. It will include a global to local exhibition of significant artists, as well as live music, film screenings, public forums and conversations, plus classes and workshops for all ages. Programming will be held at Space 301, the Saenger Theatre, and several offsite locations throughout the City of Mobile. Visit the link www.centreforthelivingarts.com/memory-project to learn about dates for specific events associated with the project. Mobile. For more info call (251) 208-5650. Civil War Fort Gaines Historic Site, Dauphin Island. For more info call (251) 861-6992. www.dauphinisland.org. Concerts in the Park Sponsored by Mobile Pops Band. For more info call (251) 679-4876. www.mobilepopsband.com. Fort Conde Welcome Center Sponsored by Mobile Convention & Visitors Corp. Mobile. For more info call (251) 208-7658. www.mobile.org. Gulf Coast Exploreum IMAX Born to Be Wild At Exploreum IMAX Theater September – January 5th. Documentary about the orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them—saving endangered species one life at a time. 10 a.m., noon, 2 & 4 p.m. Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, JL Bedsole IMAX Theater (65 Government St) Adults/ $8.75; youth and seniors/ $7.25; children/$6.50. Members: adults/ $6.75; youth and seniors/ $5.75; children/ $5.25; group rates. Contact: 251-208-6880/ www.exploreum.com/ www.imax.com/ borntobewild. Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center Government St. Mon. - Fri., 9 - 5; Sat, 10 - 5; Sun, noon 5. Adults (19 - 59)/ $14; youth (13 - 18) & senior citizens (60+)/ $12.50; children/ $12; Combo tickets include a viewing of an IMAX film: $18; $17; $15.50. HandsOn South Alabama (Formerly Volunteer Mobile, Inc.). For information on Local Volunteer Opportunities, contact 251-433-4456, www.handsonsal.org. History Museum of Mobile Up Up & Away. October 20, 2012 - March 3, 2013. Comic book superheroes are a mirror on modern America. Superheroes represent the very best image of ourselves. Their worlds are purely fictional but their experiences and struggles echo our own reality. Through superheroes we celebrate our triumphs and confront our fears. This is their story...” Joe Jefferson Players Mobile. For information call (251) 471-1534. www.jjp.com. LODA Artwalk Second Fridays in Downtown – LoDa Arts District. Exhibitions (with receptions) and entertainment in a variety of downtown galleries and other venues. City of Mobile Neighborhood and Community Services. 6 - 9 p.m. Check NCS website for complete list of activities/map after noon the day of the event. For more information, please contact: 251-208-7443 or visit www. ncsmobile.org. Mobile Ballet For information about performances call (251) 342-2241 or visit www.mobileballet.com. Mobile International Speedway Irvington. For information call (251) 957-2026. www. mobilespeedway.com.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

December2012/January2013

Mobile Opera Mobile. For information call (251) 476-7372. www.mobileopera.org. Mobile Symphony Mobile. For information call (251) 432-2010. www.mobilesymphony.org. Oakleigh Museum House Mobile. For information call (251) 432-1281. www.historicmobile.org. Richards-Dar House Museum Mobile. For information call (251) 208-7320. USS Alabama Battleship 2703 Battles Parkway, Mobile. (251) 433-2703. www. ussalabama.com. VSA Arts & Easter Festival Mobile. For information call (251) 343-0958.

Classes/Meetings

APAC - Mobile County Adoptive Family Group Meets the 4th Friday of each month from 6 - 7:30 p.m. Regency Church of Christ, 501 S. University Blvd., Mobile. Parent, Youth/Teen Group and Childcare Is Provided. Topic Discussions & ceu’s for foster families are offered. For more information please call 251-4602727 * 1-800-489-1886 * or estokes@childrensaid.org. Azalea City Harmony Chorus of Sweet Adelines Meets/rehearses each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Corner of Sage Ave. and Airport Blvd. For more info call 251-380-0579 or visit www. azaleacityharmony.com. Mobile Bay Area La Leche League Meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. and the last Monday at 6:30 p.m. The nighttime meetings are especially geared towards expectant/new mothers and working mothers, but any pregnant or breastfeeding mother is welcome at either. The number to call for the location is 251-689-2085. We can also be found on Facebook at mobile bay area la leche league. The Family Center of Mobile • Nurturing Parenting course Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 12-wk rotating series. Call to register. • The Family Center Responsible Fatherhood Program (RFP) classes are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m., but REQUIRE ADVANCE INTAKE APPOINTMENT. • Mondays: Together We Can, a cooperative parenting course, 8 wks. • Tuesdays: Quenching the Father Thirst, a new ”dads are important” course for dads, 12 wks. • Thursdays: Controlling Ourselves Stress/Anger Management training, 4 wks. (one/month). 251-479-5700 for information on all Family Center classes. RFP classes require intake appt. IN ADVANCE. All classes are free and offer free childcare WITH 24HR RESERVATION. Night class includes supper and giftcards. All held at 601 Bel Air Blvd, Suite 100, Mobile. www.familycentermobile.org or www.Facebook.com/ FatherhoodProgramMobile. The Family Center of Baldwin County opens in November at 27365 Pollard Rd, Daphne, with Quenching the Father Thirst classes and case management services. Please call Mobile office, 251-479-5700 for exact dates and other information. Mobile Infirmary Hospital For complete information about class dates, times, and locations, or to schedule a tour of our maternity center, please call the childbirth education office at (251) 4352000. • Alzheimer’s Support Group Meetings for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Meets every second Thursday

of every month. E.A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center, 169 Mobile Infirmary Blvd. Preregistration Not required. Free. Call 251-435-6950 for more information. 10-11 a.m. • Birthing Basics Class This course is for parents who either have already experienced childbirth or who prefer to attend just one class because of time constraints. The four-hour weekend session (with breaks) includes a tour and all birthing information. The fee is $30 for patients delivering at Mobile Infirmary. Pre-registration is required; call 4352000. Every last Sunday of the month. 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. • Cancer Support Group Meets every 4th Tuesday of the month from 10-11 a.m. • Gastric Band Support Meets every 3rd Thursday of the month from 6-7 p.m. • Gastric Bypass Support Meets every 2nd Thursday of the month from 6-7 p.m. • Preparation for Childbirth Series This series of classes includes all aspects of labor including natural coping skills and epidural anesthesia. Class participants will practice comfort measures and learn about post-delivery and newborn care. A maternity tour is included. Providence Hospital: www.providencehospital.org Providence Hospital is pleased to offer a variety of classes on childbirth issues. All classes are located in Conference Room I (located just inside the main lobby doors of the hospital beside the Gift Shop) unless otherwise specified. To register for classes or for more information, you may call 639-2938 to speak with our Childbirth Educator, Kathy Wade RN, or email kwade@providencehospital.org. For Daytime Breastfeeding classes only, you may call Marcia Ranew RN, our Lactation Consultant at 633-1749 or email mranew@providencehospital.org. Support Groups • Providence Hospital Breast “Friends” Meets the second Friday of every month at noon in the Moore Conference Room. The Moore Conference Room is located in the cafeteria. Call Robi Jones for more information, 251-639-2852. • Diabetes Support Group Classes meet in the Diabetes Center, Suite D-436 in the Providence Medical Office Plaza. Call 251-633-1987 for more information. Spring Hill Medical Center: www.springhillmedicalcenter.com • Better Breathers Support Group Meeting For people with pulmonary disorders. Meets on the fourth Monday of each month. 2-3 p.m. Gerald Wallace Auditorium. For more information, call 461-2438. • Breastfeeding Class One Wednesday per month. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at The Family Center. Benefits of breastfeeding, getting started, going back to work and FAQs are covered. Call 340-7770 early to pre-register. • Childbirth Preparation Classes Four consecutive Mondays (6:30-9 p.m.) at The Family Center. Register early. The class covers onset of labor, inductions, Cesarean sections, relaxation, anesthesia and postpartum. Includes a tour of the maternity units. Cost: $25 if delivering at Springhill Hospital.  Call 340-7769 early to pre-register. • Childbirth Preparation: Accelerated Course  One Saturday per month. 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at The Family Center. Ideal for those who live out of town or will be delivering soon.  $25. Call 340-7769 early to pre-register. • Me, Too! A Tour for Siblings Noon on the First Sunday of the month. Join us for an individualized tour and instruction for siblings ages 9 and

Advertising: 251-304-1200

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Family Calendar

December2012/January2013

younger. The event includes a tour of the maternity areas and tips on helping parents with the new baby. Parents must remain with their children.  By Appointment ONLY. Call 340-7769 to schedule an appointment. • Infant CPR  Learn this potentially life-saving technique while you are pregnant or soon after your baby’s birth. Covers infant CPR and choking. $5 if delivering at SMC. 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m. The Family Center (Bldg. 2, Fourth Floor). Call 340-7769 early to pre-register. • NAMI Mobile Support Group A support group for family members of those who suffer from mental illness. Meetings are held the third Monday of every month. For more information: Diane Kent at 591-8021. 6-7 p.m., Spring Hill Baptist Church Activity Center. • Resolve Through Sharing For parents who have lost a child before or immediately after birth. Meets the fourth Monday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Gerald Wallace Auditorium. Call 460-5323.

Mobile.The Santa Run is a 2 mile fun run, walk, bike ride, dog pulling family event that comes complete with a hayride that is pulled by an elf driven John Deer tractor! Location: 4072 Old Shell Road in front of Carpe Diem. 8 a.m. Contact: Adrienne Tate - 251-694-6873 or adrienne@rmhcmobile.org.

at midnight, followed by the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show. 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. For full details, visit www. mobilenewyear.com/

Thursday, December 27

Wednesday, January 2

USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital www.usahealthsystem.com/usacwh Classes: Advance reservations are required and may be made by calling 415-1069. No children at classes, please. Class size is limited. Advanced payment required to secure your reservation. If you are expecting multiples or having a c-section, please call for additional class information. • Preparing for Childbirth All-day Saturday class for the expectant mother and her support person (coach). Topics include: pregnancy changes, labor, role of the support coach, relaxation and breathing techniques, vaginal and cesarean births, postpartum care, and a tour of the maternity areas. Fee per couple: $30. You should plan on beginning the 3-week series when you are approximately 28 weeks pregnant. Class will meet in the CWEB2 Building behind the hospital. Every other month, 9-2. Next class Jan. 19. • Childbirth in a Nutshell This class includes a brief overview of labor and a tour of the maternity areas. Class meets first Tuesday every other month from 6:30-9 p.m. in the CWEB2 Building behind the hospital. Fee per couple: $15. Next class Feb. 5. • Breastfeeding This one-night class is for expectant and newly delivered mothers and their support persons who want to learn about breastfeeding. Topics include advantages, myths and facts, getting started, correct positioning, latching on, engorgement, returning to work and problem-solving. Class meets second Thursday from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the CWEB2 Building behind the hospital Fee: $5. Next class Jan. 10. Registration Information: Payments are accepted by check, money order, cash and credit card. Make checks and money orders payable to USACW Education Department. Credit card payments are accepted by calling 415-1685. Mail payments for classes to: University of South Alabama, Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Education Department, 1700 Center St., Mobile, AL 36604.

Greg Allman Concert at the Saenger The Centre for the Living Arts and AEG Live are proud to present Gregg Allman live and in concert at the Mobile Saenger Theatre at 7 p.m. As a founding member of the one and only Allman Brothers Band and in his own storied solo career, Allman has long been a gifted natural interpreter of the blues, his soulful and distinctive voice one of the defining sounds in the history of American music. Tickets on sale through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745 3000. 5 Rivers Sunday Matinee Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we learn about the multitudes of insects found in our gardens, and we find out whether or not they are harmful or beneficial in Garden Insects. For more information, visit www.Alabama5Rivers.com or call 251-625-0814.

Sunday, December 23

5 Rivers Sunday Matinee Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we celebrate the holidays with A Charlie Brown Christmas. For more information, visit www. Alabama5Rivers.com or call 251-625-0814.

Monday, December 24

11th Annual Carpe Diem Santa Run 11th Annual Santa Run in memory of Van Rusling benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of

Visit www.MobileBayParents.com

Azalea City Center of the Arts –Winter Camp The Center will be offering a Winter Camp for children wishing to spend two days with the arts from 8:30 - 3:00. Classes will be available in all of the areas offered at the Center including Drama, Music, Piano, Voice, Art, Creative Writing, and Dance. After care is also available. The cost is only $75 for both. For more information, please call 510-1808 or visit www.azaleacityarts.com.

Friday, December 28 Azalea City of the Arts – Winter Camp See December 27 for more information.

Sunday, December 30

Monday, December 31

Moonpie Drop on New Year’s to the Sounds of the Commodores The corner of St. Joseph and St. Francis Streets in downtown Mobile will be the hot spot for New Year’s fun this year. Instead of celebrating in a “Brick House,” Mobile will hit the streets in the premiere New Year’s Eve celebration in the Central Time Zone. The Commodores will be the headlining act as Mobile rings in 2013, along with the MoonPie Drop, a laser show and fireworks from atop the RSA BankTrust Building and in Mobile Bay. The free events will kick off with a Mardi Gras-style parade at 7:30 p.m. that will parade through downtown. Such local and regional acts as Wet Willie Band, Hotwire, Grayson Capps and others will be performing on stages in Mobile’s historic Bienville Square and at Government and Royal streets on the Austal stage in Mardi Gras Park where two of the city’s notable museums, the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and History Museum of Mobile will be offering children’s activities as the clock moves closer to the magical midnight hour At midnight, eyes in Mobile and across the Central Time Zone will be on Mobile’s Mardi Gras icon - the MoonPie. The 12-foot-tall electronic MoonPie will descend from the 34-story RSA BankTrust skyrise as the city welcomes 2013 and the beginning of Mardi Gras season. A New Year’s Eve Night to Remember Ring in the New Year in style at the New Year’s Eve ball at the Mobile Convention Center ball room to benefit McKemie Place. The gala evening offers a fabulous menu, live entertainment including the Mobile Big Band Society, cash bar, and beautiful inside and outside view of the MoonPie Drop with complementary champagne

Tuesday, January 1 New Year’s Day

Winter Wednesdays at Bellingrath Gardens and Home Each Wednesday from January 2 through February 27, Bellingrath Gardens and Home will present the Winter Wednesdays programs. Winter Wednesdays offers an array of seminars about gardening in the South and the unique Bellingrath history. Visitors are invited to participate and then tour the Gardens which have been planted with many winter blooming varieties. *All programs are free for Members of the Friends of Bellingrath and $12 for non-members. (the $12 fee for non-members includes admission to Bellingrath Gardens for the day of the program.) For reservations or more information, visit www.bellingrath.org or call Bellingrath Gardens and Home at 251.973.2217.

Friday, January 4

GoDaddy.com Bowl Mayor’s Luncheon The luncheon takes place at the Mobile Convention Center at 12 p.m. Special guest speaker Larry the Cable Guy will address city officials, media, corporate sponsors, traveling parties of each Bowl team and other guests at a special banquet. During the banquet, the GoDaddy.com Bowl will present “Champions of Life.” The Champions of Life honor is given to individuals who have achieved great success through dedication and hard work. These extraordinary individuals have overcome many obstacles and have given a great deal back to the community and country. Tickets for the Luncheon are $30 per seat or $300 per table. Tickets can be purchased by calling the GoDaddy.com Bowl office at 251-635-0011.

Saturday, January 5

Greer’s/AL.com /Press-Register Mardi Gras Parade A Mardi Gras parade will be held in the streets of downtown Mobile starting at 6:30 p.m. Sixteen Mardi Gras societies will be represented with floats and throws for the crowd. Several local high school marching bands will join the parade, as well as the bands and cheerleaders from each participating Bowl team. A huge crowd is expected to pack the streets of downtown Mobile for this early rendition of the Mardi Gras season. Spectronics Fireworks Display Immediately following the Greer’s/AL.com/PressRegister Mardi Gras parade, a fireworks display over the Mobile River will highlight the festivities and set the tone for the official pre-game pep rallies and street party. AL.com / Press-Register Pep Rally and Street Party Following the Spectronics fireworks display, the party will move to Water Street and South Plaza for team pep rallies. Following the pep rallies, the party will continue with live music and refreshments. Let’s Have a Parade! Mini Floats and Moon Pies at the Moorer Branch Library Calling all children – We will make mini Mardi Gras floats and parade around the Library on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Following the parade, enjoy a snack of moon pies. Registration required for groups. For more information or to register, please call 470-7770 or email mlmref@ mplonline.org. United Cerebral Palsy’s No Limits 5K Make no limits to your resolution! Start the New Year right and register for the UCP No Limits 5K. Lace up and work off those holiday pounds all while helping a great cause! This race benefits United Cerebral Palsy and Camp Smile. For more information, please visit www.productionsbylittleredhen.com.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Family Calendar Sunday, January 6

An Epiphany Procession with Lessons and Carols Under the direction of Christopher Uhl with organist Jeff Clearman, Musica Sacra Chamber Choir presents its annual Epiphany Procession with Lessons and Carols at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Mobile, at 4:30 p.m. Donations are welcome at the door. The Feast of the Epiphany (the twelfth day of Christmas) observes Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles. January 6 is the legendary arrival date of the three kings , the first non-Jews to see Jesus. This epiphany procession, then, is a symbolic representation of two journeys: a journey in time from the fall of man to the coming of a Redeemer and a journey in space of the Wise Men from afar to the Christ Child. For more information, contact our president, Sally McKenna, at 251-610-1931 or ssmckenna@msn.com. GoDaddy.com Bowl The fourteenth annual GoDaddy.com Bowl will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will feature teams from the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference and will be televised nationally on ESPN. To learn more about the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl and Bowl Week Events, visit www.GoDaddybowl. com or call 251-635-0011. Kevin Lee Book signing Kevin Lee author of Colonnade: A Decade of Essays from Beyond the Porch. 6 - 8 p.m. Page and Palette (32 S. Section St., Fairhope). For more information, contact: 251-928-5295 / www.pageandpalette.com. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival The Mobile Jewish Film festival celebrates its 12th year with an expanded number of venues and community partners. The festival, sponsored by the Mobile Area Jewish Federation and the University of South Alabama will show seven films at eight different venues during its evening festival between January 6th and January 22nd. Please visit www.mobilejewishfederation.org for a complete line up. In addition, the festival will present a student film at four area high schools. Tickets online (www.mobilejewishfederation.org), by phone (251-3437197) and at the door (subject to availability) 251-3437197/ www.mobilejewishfederation.org. 5 Rivers Sunday Matinee Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we dive into the world of ducks in An Original DUCKumentary. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. www.Alabama5Rivers.com, 251-625-0814.

Monday, January 7

Auditions for Romeo and Juliet at Playhouse in the Park Auditions for Romeo and Juliet at Playhouse in the Park today and Wednesday, January 9th from 6:30-8 p.m. The play will be in March & April. Shakespeare’s tragedy edited to 80 minutes for middle school age and up. 4851 Museum Dr. For more information, please visit www. playhouseinthepark.org or call 251-602-0630.

Tuesday, January 8

The Death of Booker T. Washington - Panel Discussion Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an African-American educator, author, orator, and advisor to Republican presidents. He was the dominant leader in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915. Paulette Davis-Horton has been a registered nurse for over 20 years and is the author of several books including Death in 60 Days: Who Silenced Booker T. Washington? – A Nurse’s View. Her book traces the last days of the life of Booker T. Washington, Founder of Tuskegee Institute now known as Tuskegee University. She will be among the participants for tonight’s panel discussion as to

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

December2012/January2013

whether or not Booker T. Washington was the victim of a cleverly planned assassination. Other panelists include Dr. Kern M. Jackson, Director of African-American Studies at the University of South Alabama; Councilman Fredrick Richardson, Jr.,Council Vice President for the City of Mobile; Dr. Joseph Mitchell, 103rd District Representative from the city of Mobile; Dr. Donald R. Perine, Professor in Chemistry at the University of South Alabama; Mr. Travis Davis, graduate of the University of South Alabama and currently pursuing a Masters Degree in African-American Studies; and Ms. Ada Fields, author, entrepreneur and popular television producer/director. Admission is free. For more information please call 2087097. Ben May Main Library at 6:30 p.m. Discovery Tuesday Boys & Girls, ages 9-14, bring a friend and learn something new! Meet and Greet - come join the fun and meet others for a series of new exciting after-school activities. For more information call 645-6840. Location: Semmes Branch from 3-4 p.m. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details. 5 Rivers StoryTime The 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month is StoryTime at 5 Rivers. Children under the age of 6 are welcome to stop by for a free reading of a nature based story followed by arts and crafts. This week we make our New Year’s Resolution with Squirrel in Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller. 10 - 11 a.m. 5 Rivers Outdoor Adventure Night Free, everyone welcome. Meet and mingle with local outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy monthly programs. Hunter’s Education Course 6-9 p.m. (registration required, call 626-5474); Mobile Bay Audubon Society 6:30-8:30 p.m. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. www. Alabama5Rivers.com.

Wednesday, January 9

Alabama Battleship Memorial Park – 48th year Anniversary USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park was dedicated and opened to the public. 2013 marks the 48th year and to celebrate, the park is offering free admission to all Alabama residents (with Alabama ID) on this day. 2703 Battleship Pkwy. Winter Wednesday’s at Bellingrath Gardens and Home See January 2 for details. Auditions for Romeo and Juliet at Playhouse in the Park See January 7 for details. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details.

Thursday, January 10

Art After Hours An informal gathering - with refreshments - for everyone involved or interested in any of the arts. Coordinated by Mobile Arts Council but each quarterly event is hosted by a different organization/ business. SHC Fine and Performing Arts Department. 5:30 - 7 p.m. Spring Hill College, Eichold Gallery (4000 Dauphin St.). Free, but if you plan to attend, email hanaya@mobilearts.org by Mon, Jan 7. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details.

Friday, January 11

Greater Mobile Home & Garden Show Don’t miss your opportunity to turn your home and garden dreams into reality! The entire Convention Center will be completely transformed, for one weekend only, into a Home and Garden Extravaganza. From the front door to the backyard you’ll find it all at the Greater Mobile Home & Garden Show. Shop til you drop in our Art, Gift, & Gourmet Center, Bring the kids - Interactive

Kid’s Zone by Mobile Museum of Art, Find a Furry Friend with Live Pet Adoptions provided by Mobile SPCA •Incredible DIY Seminars All Weekend Long This event takes place at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center from 2 - 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. & Sunday, January 13 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission: Adults 17+- $7.00, 16 and under-Free, Senior 65+ -$5.00, Active Military ID –Free. For more information, please visit www.mobilehomeandgardenshow.com. 300 Hundred Years of German, Russian, and American Masterpieces Concert performed by Kadisha Onalbayeva of University of Mobile – Free concert begins at 7 p.m. and is hosted by Broussard’s Piano Gallery, 1541 East I-65 Service Road South, Mobile. For more information call 251-3448856. Don’t Frack with Society Shell Play South of the Salt Line Theatre’s production of Don’t Frack with Society Shell. A new satire by Tom Perez. Directed by Daniel Mainwaring. Please visit http:// mobiletheatreguild.org for more information. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players A masterfully constructed Broadway thriller, Wait Until Dark moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene. The ingredients? A sinister con man, two ex-convicts, Greenwich Village apartment dwellers Sam and his blind wife Susy, a mysterious doll, murder – and darkness. Broadway theater critics have called it “a tense thriller” and “a first rate shocker.” Performance Dates: January 11 – 27. Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Joe Jefferson Playhouse (11 S Carlen St.). Adults/ $20; senior citizens and military/ $15; students/ $10. Please check www.joejeffersonplayers.com for more information. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details.

Saturday, January 12

Krewe De La Dauphine Parade at Dauphin Island This parade starts at 2 p.m. on Dauphin Island. For more information, please visit http://townofdauphinisland.org. Val Webb’s Draw & Paint Monarch Butterflies Working from actual specimens, learn a step-by-step process for creating a realistic monarch using gouache and colored pencil on handmade buff paper. No experience necessary and all art supplies are provided. Class size limited to 10. $65 per person. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Gift certificates are available. Email Val Webb at studio@ valwebb.com to reserve a spot. Piano Class Broussard’s Piano Gallery is hosting a Sonata Contest Master class for local piano students instructed by Dr. Robert Holm of University of South AL and local Steinway Artist. 3 – 5 p.m. 1541 East I-65 Service Road South, Mobile For more information call 251-344-8856. Broussard’s Piano Gallery is hosting an Afternoon with Steinway Artist (Portrait Unveiling) Dr. Robert Holm. 5:30 p.m. 1541 East I-65 Service Road South, Mobile. For more information call 251-344-8856. Don’t Frack with Society Shell Play See January 11 for details. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Greater Mobile Home & Garden Show See January 11 for details.

Sunday, January 13 Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Greater Mobile Home & Garden Show See January 11 for details. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details. 5 Rivers Sunday Matinee

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Family Calendar Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we take a trip around the world in the film Earth Navigators. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, www.Alabama5Rivers.com, 251-625-0814.

Tuesday, January 15

Discovery Tuesday Boys & Girls, ages 9-14, bring a friend and learn something new! Reading, Writing and Creating with Math - Elizabeth Gillespie shares math poems and stories. As we listen to the poems and stories, learn how to solve math puzzles by using pictures to explain the solutions. Students will also create and illustrate their own math poems. For more information call 645-6840. Location: Semmes Branch from 3-4 p.m. 5 Rivers StoryTime The 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month is StoryTime at 5 Rivers. 10 - 11 a.m. Children under the age of 6 are welcome to stop by for a free reading of a nature based story followed by arts and crafts. This week a twist on the story of the Three Little Pigs with Helen Ketteman’s The Three Little Gators. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, www.Alabama5Rivers. com, 251-625-0814. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details.

Wednesday, January 16

Mobile Symphony - Lecture @ Noon Bring your Brown Bag lunch and enjoy a Lecture @ Noon with Rob Seebacher, the conductor of the Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra, University of South Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra. Today’s topic of discussion will be about the French composers that set the stage for the Impressionism in music. Saint-Saens, Faure, Bizet, and Chabrier were masters of Romantic French music and paved the way for Debussy and Ravel. For more information please call 208-7097. Ben May Library at noon. Wednesday Art Club - Cool Canes Instructors from the Mobile Museum of Art will help children ages 7 and up create beautiful art projects inspired by Mobile Museum of Art exhibits. Travelers and shepherds have known for a while that sometimes all you need is a good walking stick. From Egyptian rulers to Sherlock Holmes, the cane has a history and style all its own. In tribute to the museum exhibit Carved Folk Canes, participants will have the chance to transform a simple stick into a work of art using a little “magic” (model magic). Registration is encouraged. For more information or to register please call 438-7075. Location: Toulminville Branch from 4-5 p.m. Winter Wednesday’s at Bellingrath Gardens and Home See January 2 for details.

Thursday, January 17

Thursday Art Club - Cool Canes Instructors from the Mobile Museum of Art will help children ages 7 and up create beautiful art projects inspired by Mobile Museum of Art exhibits. Travelers and shepherds have known for a while that sometimes all you need is a good walking stick. From Egyptian rulers to Sherlock Holmes, the cane has a history and style all its own. In tribute to the museum exhibit Carved Folk Canes, participants will have the chance to transform a simple stick into a work of art using a little “magic” (model magic). Registration is encouraged. For more information or to register please call 438-7075. Location: Ben May Library from 4-5 p.m. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details.

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December2012/January2013

Friday, January 18

Sanctity of Human Life Celebration You are invited to a unique Sanctity of Human Life celebration, free to the public. Abby Johnson, author of unPlanned is the Keynote speaker. The event will be held at KnollwoodChurch, 1501 Knollwood Dr., Mobile, at 6 p.m. There will even be special music from Bridget Moses and her new cd The Seed. Dessert social, silent auction and more. Celebrate YOU – for the Young, Old & Unborn. For more information contact Jennifer Lopes via emaillopesjennifer@ bellsouth.net. Mobile Mystery Dinner’s Presents Death In a Tutu This event takes place at 7 p.m. The place is Mobile’s Carnival Museum - 355 Government Street. Call 251479-3212 to make your reservation! EncouragED EncouragED College Fair Night events offer a venue for high school students, parents and the general public to meet with colleges and universities to share information and answer questions about their institutions. In addition to the open-fair setting, encouragED College Fair Night features workshops related to the college admissions process. The encouragED College Fair Night will draw the attendees from North West Florida, Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coast regions by partnering with local media outlets and local high schools to advocate this fun and exciting event. Local student government associations will serve as ambassadors and will assist in promoting encouragED College Fair Night to their student body. There will be prizes raffled throughout the night and entertainment. This event takes place at Bel Air Mall from 6-9 p.m. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre This contemporary rock musical touches on the classic themes of life, love and mortality — but the setting is an edgy look at big-city life today. The dates for Rent are Jan. 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and Feb. 1, 2, 3. Curtain times: Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Tickets: $15. Seniors (over 60) and students, $10 (cash and local checks). Chickasaw Civic Theatre is located at 801 Iroquois Street, Chickasaw, AL. ELM Masquerade Emerging Leaders of Mobile is hosting a masquerade! Come join us for a night of DISGUISE, DRINK, FOOD AND FUN! Learn all about the ELM and about the variety of arts that thrive here in Mobile Create your own mask themed around one of the various genres of art. It can be anything from Mona Lisa to fashion. FESTIVE ATTIRE REQUESTED to complement your crafted mask. 7-10 p.m. at the Mobile Arts Council, located downtown at 318 Dauphin Street. $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Contact (251) 432-9796 ext. 12 or hanaya@ mobilearts.org. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Don’t Frack with Society Shell Play See January 11 for details.

Saturday, January 19

Carnival of the Animals Mobile Symphony in concert – Carnival of the Animals. Mobile Saenger Theater in downtown Mobile at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Saenger Theatre (6 S. Joachim St.) $15 - $55. Students K-12 free admission to matinee when accompanied by paying adult; download Big Red Ticket from MSO website. Tickets: 251-432-7080. Information at www. mobilesymphony.org or 251-432-2010. Camellia Show – Colonial Bel Air Mall Annual Camellia Show - See why the camellia is

Alabama’s official state flower. Thousands of spectacular winter-blooming camellias from gardens throughout Alabama and five other states offer a dramatic ocean of color throughout the weekend. Open to public 2-7 p.m.. Saturday. and noon-4 p.m. Sunday at Colonial Bel Air Mall. Please visit www.mobilecamellia.org for more information. 2013 Panther Pride 5K Certified 5K course through the neighborhood surrounding historical Murphy High School. Race will begin and end on the lawn of Murphy High School at the Horseshoe at 8 a.m. For more information, please visit www.active.com. Island Mystics Parade Join us for the Island Mystics Parade at 2 p.m. on Dauphin Island. Don’t Frack with Society Shell Play See January 11 for details. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre See January 18 for details.

Sunday, January 20

Camellia Show – Colonial Bel Air Mall See January 19 for details. Carnival of the Animals See January 19 for details. Don’t Frack with Society Shell Play See January 11 for details. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre See January 18 for details. 5 Rivers Sunday Matinee Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we join the secret world of owls in the film Magic of the Snowy Owl. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, www.Alabama5Rivers.com, 251-625-0814.

Monday, January 21

Annie Auditions Auditions for Annie will be held on January 21, 22 & 23, at 7 p.m at the in the Sunny Side room at 63 Midtown Park East of the Azalea City Center for the Arts. The show will be held in May 2013.

Tuesday, January 22

Discovery Tuesday Boys & Girls, ages 9-14, bring a friend and learn something new! Basic Sculpting - Cecil Wright from the Delta Woodcarvers Group will share basic sculpting techniques. Today we will focus on the human face. For more information call 645-6840. Semmes Branch from 3-4 p.m. The Mobile Jewish Film Festival See January 6 for details. Annie Auditions See January 21 for details.

Wednesday, January 23

Senior Bowl Rally The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Chick-Fil-A Senior Bowl Rally, one of the nation’s largest FCA rallies annually held on the Wednesday of Senior Bowl Week, annually attracts over 3,000 students to the Mobile Convention Center to hear testimonials from several Senior Bowl players. This event takes place at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please visit www. southalabamafca.org. Annie Auditions See January 21 for details. Winter Wednesday’s at Bellingrath Gardens and Home See January 2 for details.

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Calendar Peebles Stadium, thousands attend the Food For Less Tailgate Party each year to enjoy free food and drink, interactives and other family oriented activities. The Food For Less Tailgate Party is a pre-game event held in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium parking lot on Senior Bowl Saturday. Passes for the event are free with the purchase of an $18 Senior Bowl ticket and are limited to the first 3,500 people. Tailgate Party attendees enjoy free food and drink, interactive displays and other family-fun activities. For more information, please visit www.seniorbowl.com. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre See January 18 for details. 5 Rivers Saturday Adventure Venomous vs. Nonvenomous Snakes of Alabama. Ever wondered when out a hike if that snake is venomous or not? Join the educators of 5 Rivers for a free talk and discover what makes a venomous snake. Stick around afterwards to meet some of the legless members of the 5 Rivers staff. 10 - 11 a.m. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, www.Alabama5Rivers.com, 251-625-0814.

Sunday, January 27

Jack String Quartet Mobile Chamber Music presents the Jack String Quartet at 3 p.m. USA Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. $10 for all students. Info at www. mobilechambermusic.com. 5 Rivers Sunday Matinee Come out and join us every Sunday for a free, family friendly film. The films play throughout the day. This week we learn about unlikely friendships in the film Animal Odd Couples. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, www.Alabama5Rivers.com, 251-625-0814. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players See January 11 for details. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre See January 18 for details.

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Tuesday, January 29

Rebecca Mindock, Faculty Oboe Recital with pianist Robert Holm This event takes place at the USA Laidlaw Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. $5 USA students. $8 General Admission. Info at www. southalabama.edu/music. Discovery Tuesday Boys & Girls, ages 9-14, bring a friend and learn something new! Instrument Petting Zoo - Erin Horan, director of education for the Mobile Symphony will share information on a variety of musical instruments.For more information call 645-6840. Semmes Branch from 3-4 p.m.

Friday, January 25

Press-Register Senior Bowl Experience and CocaCola Meet the Players Where else can you meet your favorite college football players and take advantage of free CocaCola products, games and interactives all under the same roof? It only happens at the Press-Register Senior Bowl Experience and Coca-Cola Meet the Players events. Admission to both events is free, making them two of the more popular game week events each year. In addition to meeting the future stars of the NFL, fans can also meet NFL Cheerleaders and enjoy interactive displays from the New Orleans Saints, Under Armour, the Marine Corps, Coca-Cola and AT&T. 3-7 p.m. at the Mobile Convention Center. For more information, please visit www.seniorbowl.com. Wait Until Dark by Joe Jefferson Players

Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

See January 11 for details. Rent at The Chickasaw Civic Theatre See January 18 for details.

Saturday, January 26

Senior Bowl The 2013 Senior Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 26, in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium . The contest will be nationally-televised by NFL Network. Kickoff is TBA. The Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the country’s best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South which are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two National Football League teams. For more information, please visit www.seniorbowl.com. Food For Less Tailgate Party Held on game day in the East parking lot of Ladd-

Wednesday, January 30 Winter Wednesday’s at Bellingrath Gardens and Home See January 2 for details.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.

Please send your calendar events to lynn@mobilebayparents.com Advertising: 251-304-1200

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Almost every child gets one of these: a full head of hair. For some, their hair’s an easily managed affair, tame and controllable. For others (and their parents), their crown is capped with a wonderful mop of trials and tribulations. Teaching kids how to take care of their hair, how to be still for their first haircuts (or at least not scream) is a rite of passage just like learning to tie shoes. The following books feature hair, and the taming of same, through stories new and old. Comb through these titles and take a little (book) off the top.

Even Monsters Need Haircuts

by Matthew McElligott When the full moon rises and most kids are settling into bed, one young son of a barber slips out of bed and into his Dad’s shop to care for the hair of a distinctly different clientele. Once a month, and with some help, the barbershop is redecorated and re-stocked to service monsters of every sort who, after all, have their own hair care needs. Just like his father’s regular customers, some customers always want the same thing (Frankenstein’s flat-top), while some heads of hair (or reasonable facsimile of) are more of a coiffure challenge. With dry humor and brightly-rendered monsters, the illustrations offer up smart details that a sharp reader will pick up and enjoy with repeat readings.

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I Won’t Comb My Hair!

by Annette Langan, Illustrated by Frauke Bahr Tanya has several things she sometimes doesn’t like to do (don’t we all?). Maybe she sometimes doesn’t want to wear boots when her sandals are so much prettier, or go home, or go shopping. But Tanya knows one thing ALL the time: She doesn’t want to comb her hair…ever. Her exasperated parents (and neighbors) get a regular earful of Tanya’s “I WON’T comb my hair!” So her mane grows and froths, becoming a jungle of hair that soon looks very inviting to wildlife, who quickly take up residence among the roots of her tresses. She can’t see what’s living up there, but she can hear them. The more sound they make, the more Tanya realizes that taming her hair is the best solution to her fear of the jungle that her head has become. Readers will enjoy Tanya’s promotion from jungle guide to (hair) landscape management!

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Rapunzel

Retold and Illustraeted by Rachel Isadora Adhering closely to the story’s origins, Rachel Isadora takes Rapunzel to the lush surroundings of Africa in this rich re-telling of the story that centers around a captive girl locked in a tower with only her long locks of hair to connect her to the rest of the world – for good or ill. Africa’s warm color palette and distinctive wildlife set the stage for Rapunzel’s flower-laced dreadlocks to tumble from the tower toward a young African prince on the savannah below. Illustrated with earthen colors, and a collage of printed and palette papers, the patchworks of color render the story into baser shapes that allow the reader to flesh out the images and story with their imagination. Perfect for fairy-tale fans who want to take a broader journey in the fairy-tale landscape. Find more A Page in a Book recommendations at www.PageBookReviews.com.

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Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

The Hobbit:

Les Miserables

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Overall: B Violence: C Sexual Content: A Language: AAlcohol / Drug Use: C The MPAA has rated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey PG-13: for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images. For the few, like me, who have not enthusiastically read the book, you can anticipate a road trip movie of massive proportions -- think Lord of the Rings with a little more humor and not quite as much blood. The tale opens with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) reminiscing to Frodo (Elijah Wood) about a time, 60 years ago, when he became the very unwilling 14th member of a Dwarf army determined to regain their lands from fierce invading dragon named Smaug. Led by the legendary warrior Thorin (Richard Armitage) and under the guidance of the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), the little group battles a new foe around every corner... and in every scene. Orcs, goblins, trolls, giant spiders and a variety of other nasty nemeses populate the screen en masse giving much opportunity for epic scenes of swordplay. Undaunted, they hope to find their way to the Lonely Mountain where the dragon lays amongst their riches and gold. Of courses the trip will also provide some pivotal meetings, the most notable being Bilbo’s discovery of Gollum (Andy Serkis) deep in the goblin tunnels where the young hobbit also comes across the emaciated being’s most precious possession -- The Ring. Perhaps the greatest issue with this film will be the question of its appropriateness for some of the youngest admirers of the novel. Unlike reading a book, where a child’s imagination is limited by his or her own experience, this movie often details battle scenes with fairly explicit imagery. Decapitations leave heads rolling, arms are sliced off and countless humans and other beings meet their deaths in massive battles. While the violence is a bit less explicit than the previous Lord of the Rings movies, and blood effects are minimal, there is still plenty here to keep children up at night. As well there are frequent jump scenes and moments of peril. Fans will undoubtedly love what they discover here, and so they should. This is a massive undertaking and while the story isn’t complete, there are positive messages about extending ourselves beyond our comfort zones and committing to a greater cause.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Overall: B Violence: CSexual Content: CLanguage: C+ Alcohol / Drug Use: C+ The MPAA has rated Les Misérables PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements. Despite the incredible musical score and a song designed for comic relief, Les Misérables deals with mature themes in desperate times. The portrayals of child abuse, prostitution, and a bloody rebellion may make this story too explicit for many younger viewers. However the unnecessary inclusion of a moment of sexual activity during the sole scene of comedy is the greatest factor in not being able to broadly recommend this film. But for adults and older adolescents, the narrative of Jean Valjean’s unjust imprisonment and ultimate redemption remains as forceful as ever. Released from jail after serving nearly two decades for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) finds the outside world as inhospitable as his prison cell. Forced to carry papers that identify him as an ex-criminal he can find neither work nor friend until a generous priest invites him to sleep inside a church. As repayment for the hospitality, Jean waits until his host is asleep and then stuffs the church’s silver into a bag before stealing away. When he is apprehended by the local authorities and returned to the Bishop of Digne (Colm Wilkinson) the man of the cloth, rather than revealing the truth, instead chides Jean for forgetting the silver candlesticks and sets him free. This one act of kindness in an otherwise cruel world offers a rebirth to the broken man. Years later as a successful businessman living under the alias of Monsieur Madeleine, Jean has the opportunity to reciprocate this kindness by offering mercy to one of his former employees who is driven to despair and prostitution by her vicious coworkers. As Fantine (Anne Hathaway) lies dying, Jean promises to find her daughter Cosette (played by Isabelle Allen and Amanda Seyfried) and raise her as his own. However, even while the reformed man attempts to fulfills his promise, he is haunted by his past in the form of Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), a zealous police officer with an aim to find and punish Jean for breaking parole. With strong moral dilemmas and personal heart wrenching dramas, Les Misérables’ complex characters and scenarios can push audiences to consider their own level of human compassion. Just leave the kids at home for this heavy tale.

What Parents Need To Know About The Hobbit...

What Parents need to know about Les Misérables...

An Unexpected Journey

Violence: Dragons attack a castle causing mass destruction and implied loss of life. Many large battles take place between humans and other mythical creatures, resulting in many deaths and some explicit injuries including decapitations and dismemberment (one creature’s arm is sliced off -- we see the stump afterward). Large creatures capture dwarves, rope them to a spit and attempt to cook them over a fire. The movie includes some scary “jump” scenes and depictions of characters in nearly continual peril. Sexual Content: None noted. Profanities: A single humorous colloquial reference is made about male anatomy. Drugs/Alcohol: A character smokes a pipe with an unknown substance, and at one point he offers it to another character to calm his nerves. . Mobile Bay Parents I January 2013

Violence: Corpses are seen, along with numerous sick and impoverished people. Characters engage in a sword fight. A child is subjected to cruel treatment. During a standoff, frequent gunfire is depicted and numerous characters are shot and killed (with blood shown in the streets). An explosion is set off. A child is gunned down. A police officer is captured and threatened with death by the rebels. A man commits suicide. Sexual Content: An employer makes sexual invitations to an employee. Prostitutes wear revealing clothing. A man hires a prostitute (brief sexual activity shown). Later a clothed woman is shown atop a man. A woman rubs a man’s private area and male buttock nudity is briefly shown. Language: The script contains several vulgar and sexual comments, profanities, some terms of Deity and scatological slang. Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters smoke and drink. 76

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