River Region Parents Child Care Issue

We are the dedicated doctors and teams employed by Baptist Health. Located throughout the River Region, we are experts in multiple specialties working together as a medical group using the health system’s expansive resources. Bringing the most current advances to patients, we’re the only health system in Central Alabama to deliver a full continuum of care. Our focus is to keep you healthy while providing an excellent patient experience, using the most advanced clinical technology and quick access to patient records for more coordinated, efficient care.

Primary Care

We know your health and wellness starts with primary care. Our Family and Internal Medicine providers offer comprehensive services from routine checkups to preventative care.

Specialized Care

For specialty care, you’ll find leading physicians specializing in a number of practice areas with numerous locations throughout Central Alabama.

Connected Care

When you choose Baptist Health, you’ll also benefit from our connection with Montgomery Cancer Center, Crossbridge Behavioral Health and nearly 40 outpatient facilities offering advanced services in many specialties.

The providers you know. The health system you trust.

Welcome to Baptist Health Care Partners.

The providers you know. The health system you trust.

Moving forward with Baptist Health Care Partners as our name signifies the next chapter for our family of practices and providers. Setting the course for continued innovation and advancement in care, Baptist Health Care Partners will offer the same high-quality service our patients have come to expect and trust.

Finding Mom Friends

Tips

Don’t Sweat It Tips for New Parents

Find

Sham

Isabella

Not many things in life are as exciting, scary, unique, challenging, and beautiful as becoming a parent for the first time. The memories that flashed through my mind as I wrote that sentence look like this. When our oldest was born, he didn’t cry as loudly as he should’ve, so they took him away to clear his lungs, and I ended up not seeing him for hours. It felt odd and scary to have just given birth to the child I had been carrying for nine months in my body, only to have him whisked away, leaving me alone to wonder and worry. By the next day, things had normalized, and there I was, breastfeeding my son, which was absolutely amazing. Fast forward a few days, and Jason and I are home trying to figure out how to get him to sleep longer, wondering if we were holding him too much or letting him cry too much. I was trying to keep the house clean but probably should’ve napped because I was sleep-deprived, and my emotional state was not good. All this while feeling blessed beyond measure every time I looked at his beautiful face. At the risk of sounding cliche, if I knew then what I know now, I would’ve tried harder not to sweat the small stuff and enjoy the experience more. Hindsight is always 20/20, right?

Whether preparing to be a first-time parent or welcoming a second child, you’ll want to check out Saray Lyon’s article, 8 Don’t Sweat It Tips for New Parents. Also, if you are a grandparent-to-be, share this article with that new mom and dad in your family, and it may help their first few months with your grandchild run more smoothly.

In this issue, you will find our annual Child Care Guide, listing local daycares, preschools, and mom’s day-out programs in the River Region. Where to have your child spend their days while you are working is a difficult decision in a parent’s life. You have spent months protecting them and tending to their every need, and you want the center you choose to be safe and have nurturing caregivers, a place you can feel good about each day at drop-off. Peruse our list of daycares sorted by zip code to make your list of potential options. Then visit their websites for even more information and, finally, plan a visit to see the center for yourself. Trust your instincts, Mom and Dad. You’ll make the right choice!

Whether you are heading back to work or staying at home with your kids, all moms need to find support for their parenting journey. Pam Molnar’s article, Finding Mom Friends, shares excellent tips for how to get out there and connect with other moms. It might feel a little uncomfortable initially, but kids make outstanding buffers until relationships start feeling more natural. Chances are you’ll end up making a lifelong friend or two just by meeting that neighbor or joining that group.

Enjoy this month’s issue, and if you are a veteran mom like me, please share it with a young parent in your neighborhood or workplace. You and I know new moms and dads need all the encouragement we can give them!

Editor’sNote DeAnne

River Region Parents Magazine principle that parenting is an exciting, diverse, challenging, and significant role in our community. River Region Parents Magazine advocate for families and the parenting process.

Marty Watson (1950-2006) editor@riverregionparents.com

Contributing Writers

Kimberley Carter Spivey Works of Wonder Therapy

Cover Photography www.judybarrancophotography.com

Publisher Jason Watson jason@riverregionparents.com

Advertising Department (334) 213-7940 ext. 703 adservices@keepsharing.com or Text 334.328.5189

Digital Manager

Scott Davis

Ad Design

Tim Welch

by Works of Wonder Therapy www.worksofwondertherapy.com

Teaching Kids to Communicate Effectively

Do you have difficulty engaging in healthy conversations with your coworkers, friends, and family? John and Julie Gottman are married PhDs who have dedicated their lives to researching the commonalities in healthy relationships. They have discovered four communication styles that predict family disruptions with 90% accuracy: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. The Gottman’s research has also determined that everyone can learn to communicate in a manner that heals the wounds caused by these destructive patterns and limits negative interactions from occurring in the future.

Replace criticism with a gentle start-up: Criticism is an attack that uses “you” language. Criticism says, “You never do what I ask you to do. You are so forgetful.” Instead, try voicing your complaints with a kind and honest, gentle start-up. A gentle start-up uses “I” language, addresses a specific complaint, and suggests a solution. For example, a gentle start-up says, “I do not like when you forget what I ask you to do. How can I help you remember these tasks in the future?”

Replace contempt with appreciation: Contempt is the most harmful of destructive communication patterns. Contempt is mean, extremely disrespectful, and full of sarcasm (which children do not understand). Contempt intends to make the recipient feel unwanted and unloved. The antidote for contempt is appreciation. We show appreciation when we take the time to notice all the positive actions and attitudes of the person we communicate with. Children need to hear what they do well. Even when they fail, we must praise them for every attempt they make to do the right thing. Research has shown that children need an 8 to 1 praise-to-correction ratio to persevere through discouragement.

Replace defensiveness with taking responsibility: As parents, we sometimes respond inappropriately toward our children out of anger or fear. When we do this, we must take responsibility for our wrongdoings. We cannot blame or justify our behavior on anyone else. As adults, it is our duty to take responsibility for all the mistakes that we make. When we admit what we have done wrong and apologize to our children, we repair any

fractures in the relationship, teach our children how to learn and grow from mistakes, and model humility.

Replace stonewalling with self-soothing: Stonewalling is when we separate from others to avoid conflict or show disapproval. Stonewalling children is extremely detrimental. Children need us to draw close, especially when their negative behavior is a reaction to big emotions. They need to know that we can handle their difficult feelings and behaviors as a building block for them to learn how to selfmanage. However, parenting is challenging and exhausting. Take the time to learn the skill of self-compassion and practice it. Knowing how to self-soothe allows you to parent well in challenging moments.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to teach these effective communication skills to your children. First, make sure that you do not model criticism, contempt, defensiveness, or stonewalling when you communicate with your children or others. Second, actively teach and make your children practice a gentle start-up, showing appreciation, taking responsibility, and self-soothing.

When a conversation goes completely wrong, have a “redo” when everyone is calm so that your children can see productive communication in practice.

Dr. Beth Long received her education in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Beth has worked in six unique clinical environments across the country and currently owns Works of Wonder Therapy in Montgomery. Beth utilizes the knowledge from a variety of different disciplines to give her patients the best care possible. To learn more visit www.worksofwondertherapy.com.

Somos Amigos: Songs on Common Ground

with Sonia De Los Santos & The Okee Dokee Brothers

Friday, May 12 • 7 p.m.

ANC’s 2023 Earth Day Festival

April 15 * 1 p.m.

Alabama Nature Center, Millbrook

Bring the family and join us at the ANC for our annual Earth Day Festival! During the event, we will lead a group down (or up) the creek to pick up trash etc. to help keep our beloved Still Creek clean! Tickets are free but please make sure to bring closed-toed water shoes or old tennis shoes to wear in the water. Foot washing stations are available after the creek clean-up. All ages are welcome. Call (334) 285-4550 or visit alabamawildlife.org/ for free tickets.

Alabama River Region Ballet presents

CoosaPalooza2023

April 15 * 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Merchant’s Alley, 231 Hill Street CoosaPalooza Brewfest is BACK in 2023!

Join us in Downtown Wetumpka for good beer, great friends, and awesome entertainment! General admission ticket holders will enjoy nearly 40 craft brews while taking in the beautiful backdrop of the Coosa River in downtown Wetumpka. General admission price also includes entertainment, souvenir tasting glass, and beer tastings. All proceeds from this event go to Main Street Wetumpka’s mission of downtown revitalization. Tickets start at $20. Visit www.bigtickets.com/events/g/ coosapalooza2022.

Healthy Kids Day

Saturday, April 29 * 10 a.m. Bell Road YMCA, 2435 Bell Road Healthy Kids Day is not just for Y members! It is a day of healthy and fun activities to celebrate kids being kids. We will have a bounce house, food, music, games, prizes and SO MUCH MORE! This is a FREE event for members and nonmembers. Visit www.ymca.org.

Fun with the Family at Montgomery Biscuits

All games are at Riverwalk Stadium. For more info or tickets, call (334) 819-7483 or visit https://www.milb.com/montgomery/.

Opening Night with MAX Fireworks

April 11 * 6:35

throughout the stadium!

Teacher Appreciation Night

April 14 * 6:35 p.m.

Presented by Whataburger

Jackie Robinson Day & The Nine Night

April 15 * 6:05 p.m.

The Nine is a black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball.

2000s Night * April 28 * 6:35 p.m. Say ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ to 2023 as we go back and celebrate 2000s pop culture!

Star Wars Night & MAX Fireworks

April 29 * 6:05 p.m.

Meet characters from the 501st Legion and the Biscuits will be wearing Star Wars themed jerseys that will be auctioned off to benefit MAX4Kids Foundation!

2023 Community Mommy Shower

Sunday, April 30 * 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library, 245 High Street, Montgomery The babies always get showered but its time for the Mommies! Doulas, lactation specialists, massage therapists, doctors, midwives, community organizations and more all under one roof just for YOU! Every service provided is free of charge for all participants during this event! Got a birth plan? Bring it! Need a birth plan? We’ve got you! Looking for community support? It’s here! Need breastfeeding help? Come get it!Got questions surrounding your pregnancy or postpartum? Get them answered! Want some giveaways? We have that covered too! Registration is not required, but strongly recommended. Visit eventbrite.com for information.

“An Afternoon of the Classics”

MMFA’s Flimp Festival

Alabama Herb Society's

26th Annual

Herb Day

Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring the family to a day dedicated to stirring your creative spirit and igniting your imagination! Outdoors, visitors will enjoy art activities for all ages with family-friendly grooves performed live by MEOWAcademy and local band Electric Blue Yonder. Inside the building, the Museum’s interactive gallery, ArtWorks, serves as host for a wide range of family-friendly activities. Admission is FREE! Visit www.mmfa.org.

On Earth Day !!

April 22, 2023

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

26th Annual Herb Day

Saturday, April 22,

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pike Road Theatre’s The Wizard of Oz

April 27 through May 14

Pike Road Intermediate School

Autism Walk the Walk

Herb of the Year

Ginger!!

Plant & Craft Vendors

Medicinal Herbs

Expert Gardeners

Growing Tips

Culinary Presentation

by Carolyn Strickland

Free Admission

Sponsored by Alabama Herb Society, held on the corner of 5 Bell Road and the Atlanta Hwy on the grounds of Grace Presbyterian, in Montgomery. The annual ‘Herb Day’ festival is a free, fun-filled, public educa tional event for the entire family. A variety of vendors will be there to sell their garden related wares including a huge selection of herbs and a variety of plants. Grace Presbyterian will be cooking up those delicious “Hot Dogs” and BAR-B-Q to raise funds for their mission work. Visit www. Alabamaherbsociety.org.

On

Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM Various dates

and times are available. Visit www. pikeroadtheatrecompany.org/shows/ the-wizard-of-oz for times and tickets.

April 29 * Ida Bell Young Park

Make positive steps and register now! Start building your team or walk individually to improve lives and support families. Proceeds from the walks fund camps, family grants, safety initiatives, and more. Now more than ever, individuals with autism and their families need you! Visit walkforautismal.com.

For 19 years, Kasey Baker has been an extraordinary teacher who exudes passion for shaping young lives and guiding them into successful futures. For fifteen years, she’s been fortunate to serve as a third-grade teacher. She graduated from Auburn University of Montgomery with a double major in early childhood and elementary education. She felt drawn to teach at Wetumpka Elementary because her child attends. She wanted to contribute to the community in which she lives by dedicating her time and energy to the people surrounding her.

Mrs. Baker teaches all subjects, but she has a love for STEM. Projects are fun experiences she incorporates into her classroom. She shares, “Science is always fun because you can do experiments and be hands-on. I also love bringing the past to life for my kids. While teaching social studies, I love telling students about monumental figures that have changed our world and opening their eyes to events that have shaped the world we live in brings me joy.”

Mrs. Baker’s passion for learning means wearing many hats, especially post-Covid, with kids having more social-emotional needs. She feels students spent so much time away from school that the gaps they have to fill could mean teaching one student on a first-grade level and another on a second-grade level. She’s learned to meet them where they are and push them to where they need to be. “You have to be versatile and able to adapt and overcome all obstacles to help meet the needs of your students,” she explains.

Mrs. Baker desires to be an effective teacher. She values her classroom time and dedicates it to quality learning. She prefers to avoid mundane worksheets, as she wants her students to be active and interested to learn daily. Her mission is to continue developing her expertise. She also admires what younger teachers bring and encourages them to rely on veteran teachers for challenging cases that need a resolution.

Wetumpka Elementary School

Kasey is married to Jessie Baker for fifteen years and they have two children: Eli (7) and Luke (5). She grew up near Lake Martin, went to school in Electic, and graduated from Elmore County High School.

hard on our medium- and long-term goals for the district.

to expand and grow our magnet programs. The magnet schools in MPS are among the best you will find anywhere. That is a boon for the citizens of Montgomery County and, rightfully, a source of pride. We feel that we can grow these programs to benefit many more students. To be clear, the magnet programs are not going anywhere. The goal is to expand, not contract, what we offer. What I envision is having impactful programming

continuous improvement, and we want MPS to to move to the area. Working together, we can

Montgomery County Schools

Montgomery Catholic Students Volunteer at Night to Shine Event

The Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine is a prom-like event for special needs young adults and adults. Montgomery Catholic had 19 students and 3 teachers from the Pro Life and Key Clubs volunteer for this year’s Night to Shine event!

Montgomery’s Night to Shine was hosted by Thorington Road Baptist Church at Wynlakes Country Club. MCPS students were trained in January then the majority of students were “buddies” and matched directly with a special guest! The buddies’ job was to make their special guest feel honored, comfortable, entertained, and happy! The event was a huge success and the Montgomery Catholic students had a wonderful time! Middle and High School Art teacher Mrs. Bethany Davis connected Montgomery Catholic to this wonderful event. Other faculty volunteers

and teacher recommendation to be inducted into the National Honor Society, and a 3.85 GPA and teacher recommendation to be inducted into the National Jr. Honor Society. We are so proud of their accomplishments and how they represent ACA.

LAMP Students, Teacher Win Technology Awards

Five LAMP High students and a teacher have won National Center for Women & Informational Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Awards.

From left, Natalie Pinrat is a Regional Rising Star, Siyun Kim is a Regional Runner-up, Logan Boone is a Regional Runner-up, Anaiah Morrissette is a Regional Winner, Namita Pradeep is a Regional Winner, and instructor

Paul Daniel won the NCWIT As pirations in Computing Educator Award.

accomplishment from NHS advisor, Mr. Raymond Clinton. The following students in 10th-12th grade were inducted: Camden Bell, Hannah Kate Hodges, Ar’monni Payne, Madison Sexton, Logan Wilds, Abigail Hardy, Fabiola Wittschen, Alexis Davis, Katie Kitchens, Chase Lashlee, Addison Little, Colton Lunn, Tiffany Marshall, Julia Mathis, Mary Taylor May, Mattie Pugh, and Hunter Wren. Congratulations to the students on their outstanding accomplishments in academics and leadership.

The Aspira tions in Computing Awards honors ninth through 12th-grade students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Daniel is the technology coordinator and head of the math department at LAMP.

100th Match Win by MA Tennis Player

Whit Davis won his 100th match at Montgomery Academy with a victory over Saint Paul’s from Covington, LA. Whit is only the fourth player in MA history to achieve that mark, and is closing in on the record for wins currently held by James Torbert (‘19) at 112. Previous Eagles to achieve the 100-Win goal are Brett Ialacci (‘96), Bo Torbert (‘16), and James Torbert (‘19).

Footloose at Trinity School

Over 100 Trinity School students participated in the high school play Footloose. These students were fantastic and performed for three nights for parents, grandparents, faculty and friends!

Saint James Math Teams Take Top Honors at AISA State Math Competition

The Saint James middle school and high school math teams competed on February 1 in the AISA State Mathematics Competition.

At the high school level, students from seven teams across the state competed against each other. Saint James represented District 5 and won first place. The team members

Haesoo (Jason) Jeong, Woohyun (Justin) Kang, Selina Sun, Woochan Kim, and Junseo Oh.

For the middle school team, after winning the AISA District 5 Math Competition, they also competed at the state competition where they were the State Runner Up.

The competing team consisted of Aiden Saldanha, Yuha Shin, Jayden Cho, Emily Trock, and Emily Darby. High school math team is sponsored by Mrs. Priscilla Hadden, and middle school by Mrs. Debbie Moncrief.

Montgomery Christian Celebrates Black History

Montgomery Christian School third graders celebrated Black History month by researching cultural heroes that have made an impact in their communities. Each student created a poster about their person, wrote a speech and presented quality information to families and class members.

This study allowed students to see how one person can influence the lives of many.

Montgomery Christian students are able to see that everyone has an opportunity to change their community for the better. MCS celebrates God’s gift of culture.

Montgomery County Schools

Macon East Students Graduate from D.A.R.E.

Our fifth graders graduated from their D.A.R.E. program with Deputy Ivey. Ty Sanford was awarded “The Most Improved Student.” Halyn Wren was awarded “The Top Student.” They were both given Daren the Lion. Mayson Lott and Bentley Faulk won for the best Dare Essay and were awarded a medal. We have loved our time with Deputy Ivey and learning about the “Decision Making Model Practice.”

Dr. Seuss Day at Lighthouse Christian

Lighthouse Christian Academy celebrated Dr. Seuss Day as a few special guests read to some of our classes and Principal Ford dressed in her Dr. Seuss attire.

Trinity Coach Leads Devotion at Hope Inspired Trinity School Coach

Smith enjoyed leading devotion at Hope Inspired Ministries.

Sara Grace Merrill and Margaret Roby plus all of the students at Trinity raised money for Hope Inspired Ministries!

Five Saint James Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Saint James School proudly announces that five of its members of the class of 2023 were named National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists on February 14, 2023. Woohyun (Justin) Kang, Matthew Ohliger, Kelsey Shaffer, Selina Sun, and Kendal Wright were all named as finalists. After being named Semifinalists in the fall, these students were reviewed and evaluated based on their academic record, information about Saint James School’s curricula and grading system, national test scores, school recommen dations, information about their activities and leadership, and an essay each of them wrote. Upon completion of these requirements, 15,000 students nationwide were notified that they had been named a National Merit Finalist. During the spring and early summer, approximately 7,500 of these students will be notified that they have been awarded scholar ships specifically designated for National Merit Finalists.

FMMS Spanish Club/1 Field to the Spanish Art and Dance Show

and songs. The students enjoyed the vibrant entertainment, some students even had the opportunity to dance on stage. It was indeed a very fun and culturally enriching experience for the students. This is evident of the students participating and becoming lifelong learn ers by using the language for personal enjoyment.

Montgomery County Schools

ACA Hosts Special Olympics Basketball Tournament

ACA had the privilege to host the Special Olympics Basketball tournament on campus again. This is such a special time for not only the Special Olympics athletes, but also for our students, faculty, and staff. We had over 35 Special Olympic athletes on campus and competing in the tournament. The athletes loved all the attention and love that our students showed them. We had a parade to lead them into the gymnasium full of signs and our band leading the group! They loved so much all the signs and appreciation our students showed them in everything they did. This event will always be a special thing for ACA.

Trinity Competes at UAB Science Olympiad

Trinity students traveled to UAB to compete in Science Olympiad! As a team, they came in 7th overall out of 17 teams. Our 15 members (7 seniors, 6 juniors, 2 sophomores) competed in 23 different events.

Here are the top 6 finishers:

1st in Forensics!

Sara Grace Merrill and Camilla Loard

4th in Write It Do ItCamilla Loard and John Russ Marshall

5th in Astronomy - Luke Harrison and Pruitt Bain

5th in Disease Detectives - Sara Grace Merrill and Luke Harrison

5th in Trajectory - Jon Paul Tankersley and Kaylee Henderson

5th in WiFi Lab - JT Mathinson and Christine Shelton

6th in Environmental Chem. - Christine Shelton and Lyndsey Vermillion

6th in Experimental Design - Sara Grace Merrill, Mary Massey McCulloch, Emily Cutler

6th in Forestry - John Rush Marshall and JT Mathison

6th in Scrambler - Pruitt Bain and Camilla Loard

Saint James Key Club Serves Montgomery Community

The Key Club at Saint James School has worked hard this year to embody one of the school’s core values, community service. Under the direction of high school Latin teacher Libby Conner, the high school club has focused on ways it can help others in Montgomery and the surrounding areas. Early in the school year, the group found many opportunities to help that would be available. In October, the club sponsored a cabin at Camp Chandler’s Halloween Carnival. In November, they mailed thank you cards to STJ families who have served in the military in honor of Veterans Day. The annual Logan Markham ‘00 Memorial Blood Drive was held on February 1 with LifeSouth. Students, faculty, and staff could donate blood in memory of Saint James graduate Logan Markham. Seventeen units of blood were donated which will help save lives. Key Club members worked the event throughout the day. The school’s on-campus community garden has also offered numerous opportunities. First the club members created the signs for each of the community garden plots, then planted collard greens back in September. The students have now harvested these collard greens twice to donate to the Montgomery Area Food Bank’s plant-a-row program.

MA Students Compete in Alabama History Day Event

Montgomery Academy Upper School students in Dr. Morris’ Capstone Seminar recently competed in Alabama History Day, a statewide competition for multiple media, including the essay division, in which Montgomery Academy scholars answered questions on historical papers. Anna Brown, Mary Elizabeth Cole, Matt Cone, Ways Holloway, Marianna Lassner, Valentina Rubio, Katherine Sinco and Kareena Singh all submitted excellent work for review, with Marianna winning Third Place in the state for “Alexander the Great: Murderous Fanatic or Decisive Leader?”

Montgomery County Schools

Basketball Grows at Montgomery Christian School

Basketball has become a popular sport at MCS as we have added 2 more Hoops League teams. This year MCS had a combined 2nd/3rd grade team coached by Connor Giordano (MCS PE teacher) and Akeem Johnson. The fourth-grade team was also combined with players from Trinity School. This team was coached by Oliver McLemore. The players had a great time learning the sport of basketball. With the addition of a 17-person cheer squad, our teams were cheered with a fun season! MCS is grateful for all of the volunteers and generosity of the community for making this basketball season a wonderful experience.

MA Speech and Debate Team Wins Runner Up at State

The Montgomery Academy Speech & Debate Team finished as State Runner-Up in the 2023 State Championship hosted by the University of Alabama. In the team awards, MA won the Betty S. Gunn Championship for Congressional Debate, second in Individual Events, and second Overall. Charlie Hill was named Student of the Year. Individual state champions were: Charlie Hill (Varsity Congress, Varsity Lincoln/Douglas Debate and United States Extemporaneous Speaking), Kareena Singh (Big Questions Debate), Allie Fitzpatrick and Holden Habermacher (Duo Interpretation), Mary Beth Arrington (Humorous Interpretation), and Holden Habermacher

BTW Student to Attend Prestigious Journalism Conference

Booker T. Washington Magnet High student

Ethan Lane has been selected to represent Montgomery as a National Youth Correspondent to the 2023 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University. Lane joins a select group of students from all over the country for an intensive study of journalism and media. Lane was chosen based on academic accomplishments and a demonstrated interest and excellence in journalism and media studies. National Youth Correspondents participate in hands-on, experiential learning through decision-making simulations that challenge them to solve problems and explore the creative, practical, and ethical tensions inherent in journalism and media.

The experiential portion of the program is complemented by speakers who are well-known leaders in the media community. Presenters include prominent journalists, CEOs of major media outlets, researchers, and recent college

Montgomery County Schools

Saint James School Promotes Neal Posey to Head Football Coach

Saint James School announced the promotion of offensive coordinator Neal Posey to head football coach.

“I am incredibly humbled to be selected as the head football coach for the Saint James School football program,” Posey said. “My family and I are so grateful to be part of the Trojan family, and we are excited to build on the success of our state championship program as we move forward. It is our honor to continue working with these students and their families and helping them grow and develop as individuals, students, and athletes.”

After he earned his Master’s degree from Auburn University at Montgomery in 2015,

he joined Jimmy Perry’s coaching staff at Saint James School as the running back, wide receiver, and special teams assistant coach. In 2018, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Under his leadership, the Saint James School offense has achieved individual and team career records in rushing yards, passing yards, touchdowns, and receiving yards. In addition to winning the 2022 3A state championship with the top scoring offense in school history, Saint James has been the region champion four of the last seven years. In 2019, Posey was named 3A AHSAA Assistant Coach of the Year. (Photo: Neal Posey with wife, Mallory, and son, Trey.)

Dr. Seuss Week at Trinity School

Trinity’s K3 students recently celebrated Dr. Seuss. Students wore silly hats while creating their own Cat in the Hat artwork. After some “green eggs and ham” and creative paintings, students celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday!

TEA Christian Academy, Inc. Learn Benefits of Knowing Your History

Year-after-year the students at TEA Christian Academy, Inc. take pride in presenting their Black History Program, and this year’s program highlighted Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was a historian and author. Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and was a scholar dedicated to celebrating Blacks accomplishments. Lead teacher Mrs. Bonnie Robinson encouraged the students to understand and know their family history, because history is vital to understanding who you are and what impact family can play in helping to shape your future.

“I am hopeful that Black History Month served as a reminder of the many obstacles that our forefathers endured, the many lives lost, the many families separated; simply put.

. . (Unethical Treatment!) As we celebrate this special month, my hope is that there will be a renewed purpose to celebrate.”

Keonia Davis, a 10th grade student at TEA Academy, Inc. challenged each student, parent, and educator to “Take a look into the past-and reflect upon the many milestones that we have accomplished, and assess what we as individuals should do to continue to make a positive impact-while continuing this journey into the future.”

Lighthouse Christian Students Celebrate Black History Month

Ms. McCall & Miss Faith Pre

K3 classes studied Garrett Morgan the inventor of the traffic light. The students made cars out of cardboard boxes as a demonstration to utilize the traffic light in the school parade. All grade levels participated in the black history program and parents were invited.

Montgomery County Schools

Celebrating Education and the Arts at Art Splash 2023

Montgomery Christian School is thankful and excited to announce our 11th annual city-wide fundraising event, Art Splash, benefitting the Scholarship Fund at Montgomery Christian School. This unique event, Art in the Garden, will include a series of special events that will feature the amaz ing work of some of the region’s finest artists. Art in the Garden 2023 will be held on Thursday, April 27th, at the home and gardens of Amy and Tom Methvin. Art Splash is featuring three events: a Garden Preview Party, Artist/Sponsor Preview Party, and the Virtual Auction, from April 27-May 1, an online auction open for bidding (free). We are so thankful to Beasley Allen our Premier Sponsor and all of our individual and corporate sponsors who are providing scholarships to our students at Montgomery Christian School. Please contact Ann Amster (334-3861749) for information on sponsorship, tickets, and the virtual auction or visit www.MontgomeryChristianSchoool.org.

ACA Celebrates National Nutrition Month

This month we celebrated National Nutrition Month by hosting a tasting of the rainbow food tasting. ACA’s nurse, Leann Burgess, with the help of several volunteers, set up a table that had food of all colors of the rainbow. These kids were encouraged to get some of each of the foods available and to try them. Many of those students and teachers walked away with a newfound liking of foods they had never tried before. It was such a fun

FIND YOUR FUN. FIND YOUR Y. Day and Overnight Summer Camp Options

At Y summer camp, your kids will make new friends and have tons of fun as they explore new adventures each day.

www.ymcamontgomery.org

Camp Grandview, Camp Chandler, and Summer Goodtimes Day Camp

Dr. Seuss Day at Lighthouse Christian

Lighthouse Christian Academy celebrated Dr. Seuss Day as a few special guests read to some of our classes and Principal Ford dressed in Dr. Seuss attire.

Montgomery County Schools

Saint James Students Perform Well at Model United Nations Event

Saint James School students participated at the Model UN event held at LAMP on February 2-3, 2023. Twelve students representing Saint James enjoyed the experience as they participated as part of the UN Security Council, Crisis Control, Press Corps, and other UN departments. Saint James Senior Anna Dickey spearheaded the organization of the Saint James team. This educational simulation of the United Nations helps students learn about diplomacy, international relations, and current world issues. Students from Saint James who participated were Brooke Bender, Anna Dickey, Henry Haughery, AJ Kavlick, Amolika Mishra, Austin Oh, Michael Phan, Preston Phillips, Jake Poling, Jaden Rossell, Jimmie Thompson, and Elaine Vo. A number of the Saint James delegates were awarded for their excellent participation. For the UN Security Council, AJ Kavlick was awarded Verbal Commendation. Outstanding Freshman was awarded to Jake Poling, and Best Delegate was awarded to Preston Phillips. In the department of Crisis Control, Verbal Commendation was given to Brooke Bender. For the Commissions on Narcotic Drugs, Most Promising Freshman was awarded to Michael Phan.

Dr. Montgomery Discusses Civil Rights at MA

Montgomery Academy was honored to welcome Dr. Valda Montgomery to campus where she shared with our Middle and Upper School students about growing up as a child during the civil rights movement. Her family home, located in the Centennial Hill neighborhood, played an integral role in hosting and supporting leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the late Representative John Lewis, and so many other activists during such a volatile time in our city. In preparation of Dr. Montgomery’s visit, and in honor of Black History Month, seniors Claire Gary and Cydney Pepple, members of the Cultural Awareness Club, shared through video stories of the Ben Moore Hotel and the Malden Brothers Barbershop, two often overlooked places in our city that played a critical role in the civil rights movement, and also discussed by Dr. Montgomery. These student-produced videos were shared in the Middle and Upper Schools, and were followed by advisor-led discussions with students afterwards.

his mother present him with his certificate.

Montgomery County Schools

BTW Dance Students to Receive Training at The Ailey School in NYC

Booker T. Washington

Magnet High dance students

Jamod Parham and Lauren Rudolph have earned a spot in an intensive camp at The Ailey School in New York City. The classes are limited to just 30 students from across the country. This five-week session -- from June 26 to July 28 -- offers intermediate to advanced danc-

TEA Christian Academy, Inc. Standardized Testing Preparation

Throughout the year, teachers are consistently preparing students for the next grade level, and standardized testing is essential, because this test plays one of the important factors serving as the teacher’s report card as well as the student’s report card. This summative test assessment will show how much the students have learned and retained at their grade level. In preparation for testing, the teachers go into review mode to ensure students are performing at their grade level. Demonstrating practical application of course work helps students better understand the importance of learning the material. We at TEA Academy look forward to a great testing session during this final nine weeks of school. It is our prayer that all students will do their very best on these tests.

Pictured: TEA’s lead teacher, Bonnie Robinson, conducts a one-on-one

Montgomery Catholic Announces Distinguished Service Award Winner

Mr. Ryan Beesley was honored by Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School on February 4, as the 2023 Charlie Harbin Distinguished Service Award winner for his service to the school. The Charlie Harbin Distinguished Service Award was established by the Harbin family and is awarded by the school to recognize those selfless individuals who have significantly served Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School and exemplified its values in their lives. Montgomery Catholic’s president, Mr. Justin Castanza, presented Ryan with an engraved clock at the school’s 15th Annual Monte Carlo Night, in appreciation for the gift of his time.

The 27th recipient of the Harbin Award, Ryan Beesley is a proud alumni of Montgomery Catholic and parent of an MCPS Alum that attended the school for 12 years. Ryan has served the school as a member of the MCPS Advisory Council, including as the Board Vice-Chair and Board Chairman. He has been a football booster as a parent, business person, and alumni for over 12 years. As a Montgomery Catholic supporter, Ryan has sponsored football radio, supported Monte Carlo Night, sponsored and volunteered for all alumni events, and even served as a field trip chaperone. He most recently served as a volunteer on the MCPS Strategic Planning Committee. As an active member of a local parish for over 50 years, Ryan has been a proud advocate for Faith and Catholic Education. He promotes Montgomery Catholic through business and the community, recommending MCPS to anyone looking for a school family. He sponsors all of our local parishes and goes out of his way to support Montgomery Catholic in every way possible. Ryan’s gift of his time has been an abundant blessing to our Montgomery Catholic commu nity over the years. We are so grateful for his service to our school.

ACA Participates in the Meredith Cup Classic

ACA joined with Prattville Christian Academy to go up against each other in the Meredith Cup Classic Golf Tournament. Brian Kasarjian and Steve Boreland were ACA’s team captains. We each had 12 teams that participated in the tournament. They played 18 holes in the morning with 9 holes being a scramble and 9 holes were alternating shots. They then played 18 more holes after lunch of the best ball. ACA was leading the tournament at the halfway point 7 matches to 5. ACA ended up winning the tournament 12 ½ matches to PCA’s 11 ½ matches. Some of the top matches were Chris Goodman and Bob Pittinger and Kenneth and Wesley Hill. We are so thankful for this event and being able to bring these two schools together.

Macon East Junior Honored Two-Fold

Congratulations to Junior, Anna Watson, on being chosen to be an alumni staff member at the Hugh O Brien Youth Leadership conference on the campus of Troy University this summer. Anna was also chosen to represent Dixie Electric Cooperative at the 2023 Montgomery Youth Tour in March. We are so proud to have Anna be selected to both programs and we know she will represent Macon East well!

Macon East Students Participate in AISA All-Star Football

Saint James School Performing Arts Presents Annual Cabaret

Macon East Fourth Graders Enjoy Field Trip

Ms. Johnson’s fourth grade class enjoyed an educational field trip this past Friday that goes along with their study of Alabama State History. The students were able to tour Alabama’s historic Capitol. They were able to view the beautiful rotunda, the spiral staircase, the Avenue of Flags, and the portraits of the former governors. The students also enjoyed touring The First White House of the Confederacy and The Alabama Department of Archives and History. Their special treat added to an already fun-filled day was eating lunch at Chris’ Famous Hot Dogs. Special thanks to Mrs. Custard and her daughter for taking time to guide us and give their expertise at all these historic places.

On February 9-11, the Saint James Performing Arts De partment presented its annual Cabaret. This year’s theme was We’ve Got Your Number. With 110 students participat ing from grades 2nd through 12th, the singing and dance numbers were per formed before a sold-out audience each show. The show featured 24 musical numbers, all with numbers as a part of the song title. The fun began with “1999” and continued until the finale of “Land of a Thousand Dances.” One song, “Two Birds,” was choreographed to showcase ASL (American Sign Language). Small group numbers including the elementary choir, Rising Stars, were featured as well as numbers designed for the full cast. Rising Stars is Saint James’s elementary choir for grades 2-5. Choreography was directed by Simbiti Wright, a major in Choral Music Education at Enterprise State Community College. Student choreographers who contributed were Taylor Potts, Kassidy Thompson, Lizzy Dickens, Sophie Caradori, Adeline Henry, Macy Potts, and Bailey Fife.

Eight Macon East student-athletes were honored to participate in the 2022 AISA All-Star Football game held December 2 at Cramton Bowl. Deonte Powell, Sanders Manning, Gabe Spencer and Hunter Tillman all represented Macon East for the East team. Gabe Spencer was honored as Most Outstanding Offensive Back for the East team. Madison May, Ar’monni Payne, Hannah Kate Hodges and Mikalah Belser cheered the East team on from the sidelines as part of the all-star cheerleading squad. The participants enjoyed a few days of practice with their fellow AISA teammates. The East team beat the West team this year 36-22.

The program was orchestrated by Director Lonny Harrison and Musical Director Sallye York. Dr. York (piano and keyboard) and band director, Andy (percussion), provided musical accompaniment, along with Saint James Kaelyn Morgan on guitar and on the cello. Matt King was the bassist.

Cabaret is an annual event at Saint James which brings together all division levels. This year’s production featured 45 members of Rising Stars, over 50 middle

Pike Road High School Leo Club Collects Chrismtas Toys for Kids

Our Leo club did a great job collecting toys to help make Christmas merry and bright for lots of children!

over 20 student crew members. All students who wish to participate may do so in any of the following capacities: production, house crew, backstage crew, lighting, sound crew, publicity, costume crew, or onstage performance.

BELIEVE WE

Community Day at Montgomery Academy

Montgomery Academy’s annual Community Day returned this year after a brief hiatus due to COVID protocols. Upper School students, faculty, and staff went out across the city (and slightly beyond) to pitch in with local organizations that needed an extra few sets of hands for a day of work. This year, we were proud to partner with over 20 organizations including: Medical Outreach Ministries, Respite Care, Mercy House, Brantwood Children’s Home, MCA Headstart, Montgomery Rescue Mission, Hope Inspired Ministries, Women’s Friendship Mission, Common Ground, Goodwill, Child Protect, Aid to Inmate Mothers, Mary Ellen’s Hearth, Reality & Truth Ministries, EAT South, Dream Court, Adullam House Thrift Store, Camp Grandview, Family Sunshine Center, Archibald Senior Center and MACOA. Middle School also played a part in this year’s Community Day with on-campus groups doing their part for local organizations: Food for Kids Backpack program, Common Ground and Respite Care. Middle School students also created a free little library inside of Garzon Library where students can freely give and take books outside of the standard library system. The sixth annual Dodgeball Tourney capped off Community Day. The tournament, sponsored by the H.E.A.R.T. Club (MA’s community service organization), is also an opportunity to present this year’s Dodgeball Court to the student body. The Court is charged with fundraising for votes with the top two earning the titles of Prince and King of the Court. This year’s Court raised a grand total of $35,363.46 for

TEA Christian Academy, Inc. Commemorates Black History Month

TEA Christian Academy’s students acknowledged Black History Month by researching and writing essays on black history makers and recognizing the national theme, “Black Resistance.’’ The students learned how Black History Month came to be and why it is even more essential that Black History Month continues to evolve. At the culmination of the month of February, TEA held its second nine-weeks awards program where students made presentations on black history makers in the areas of entertainment, poetry, science, politics, and inventions. One of the program presenters included senior student Lionel Ballard, an honor student. TEA’s Music Ensemble also sang songs from the civil rights movement that encouraged freedom for all. We are grateful for our rich culture and history, and feel it is necessary to learn about all areas of history. James Weldon Johnson so eloquently ended the first

Pike Road Intermediate

Beta Club Visits Dauphin Island

Our C6 Beta Club learners just came back from spending a few days at Dauphin Island, and they had a blast! Learners got to dive into a world of marine life while exploring the salt marsh and riding a research vessel where they got to to examine what they caught. They visited the Alabama Aquarium, dissected a squid, and learned about ROVs and built their own games for the water. Thank you to all of these organizations for hosting our learners, and thank you to our lead learners and parent chaperones for

Macon East Football Player Signs to Play College Ball

Macon East Academy football player Sanders Manning signed to play next year at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY. Sanders accumulated 2,363 yards for the Knights in just 2 years. He scored 16 touchdowns, 1,241 receiving yards with a 20.01 yards per catch average. Sanders was named to the AISA All-Star team,

Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in

Pike Road High Students Attend ASF Play

C10 learners enjoyed a SchoolFest performance of THE TEMPEST at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Learners read the play in class leading up to the performance and enjoyed speaking with actors, a costumer, and an assistant stage director in a question and answer session afterward.

PRIS Students Welcome Auburn University Visitor

Thank you Katherine Buck Chastain from Auburn University College of Architecture, Design, and Construction for visiting our PEP classes! Mrs. Chastain spoke with our learners about landscape architecture and talked groups through planning their own park. Learners got feedback from those in the room and talked about all of the aspects of landscape architecture and design.

Macon East Students Honored at Military Gala

Deonte Powell, Jacob Wilson and Gabe Spencer were recently honored at the 22nd Biennial Beautillion Militaire Gala and Dinner fundraiser on March 4, 2023 at the Maxwell Air Force Base. The Beautillion

Militaire is a timehonored tradition of the Montgomery Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. The event provides high school junior and senior young men in the community with an opportunity to develop their cultural, social, and academic potential through workshops, community service, and social activities. The activities culminate in an elegant night of dancing and military-style drills.

Founded in 1938, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated is a membership organization of mothers with children ages 2-19, dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty.

Pike Road Student Named National Merit Finalist

Congratulations to Jack Trew on being named a National Merit Finalist! Jack is among less than 1% of seniors in the United States who have received this prestigious distinction. Awesome job, Jack! Your PRS family is so proud of you!

PRHS Girls Golf Team Wins Runner Up at Tournament

Congratulations to the PRHS girls’ golf team for their runner up finish at the Auburn Invitational Golf Tournament! Go Patriots!

Career Day at PRIS

Thank you to our amazing parents, friends, and community partners who joined us for Career Day today at PRIS! Our students enjoyed getting to hear from you all and learn about all the different careers paths they could follow one day. Thank you, Mrs. Parker for organizing such a great event for our learners!

Autauga County Schools

Prattville Intermediate School Selected as 2022 CLAS School of Dis-tinction for HOUSE System

Students, faculty, and staff at Prattville Intermediate School were commended in the school’s selection as a 2022 CLAS School of Distinction for the celebrated HOUSE System. 208 schools were nominated and 32 schools were selected. Through the HOUSE system, students suc-cessfully learn and exercise various leadership skills in a fun, engaging manner.

PCA Lady Panther Signs With Shelton State

Prattville Christian Academy’s Lameria “Coco” Thomas, a three-time state championship stu-dent-athlete, committed to the Lady Buccaneers to chase her vocational dreams while con-tinuing to play the game she loves with an award-winning NJCAA Division I program. Coco is a dominating presence on the court, having played 155 games in her varsity career, with a current team record of 144-21 in the five seasons since her eighth-grade year. She has worn the Panther varsity jersey more than any other student-athlete in school history and holds the program record for offensive and total rebounds.

“It has been an absolute joy coaching CoCo Thomas over the past five years,” said Jason Roberson, PCA’s head basketball coach. “She’s had an incredible basketball career accom-plishing things that most studentathletes only dream about, but I am most proud of the

Billingsley Students Enjoy Read Across America with Special Guest

As part of the Read Across America celebration, Mrs. Gunter from the Autauga-Prattville Pub-lic Library vis ited with Billingsley School grades k - 6th on Monday, February 27th. She read stories and discussed events happening at the Billingsley and Prattville Public Library. She al-so showed students all of the great free resources available to students when they apply for a library card.

Prattville Intermediate Hosts Parents for Isibindi Career Fair

Prattville Intermediate School’s Isibindi HOUSE hosted a very successful Career Fair on HOUSE day, March 15th. Several parents and friends of faculty, including several members of the local fire department, came to share career information with students and help shape their futures. It was a fun and educational day for all!

learning a circle song, measuring ALL things round and edible (cakes, pies, round tortilla chips, and cookies), calculating area and circumference, and labeling the parts of circles. The culmination was tasting all of the delicious round items brought in!

Daniel Pratt Elementary Reads Across America

Junior Beta Club members at Daniel Pratt Elementary School spent time reading aloud to 1st and 2nd graders during their annual Read Across America week.

Read Across America at Prattville Intermediate

PIS started March with a fun Read Across America Spirit Week full of reading-related dress-up days and activities. Highlights included “Dress like your favor-ite book character day” and a display listing favorite faculty reads; there was also a contest where students tried to pair faculty members with books. It was a busy, wonderful week cel-ebrating reading!

Daniel Pratt Gifted Students Enjoy STEM Field Trip

DPES gifted students and their teacher, Mandi Suggs, experienced the ultimate STEM field trip and indoor sky-diving at iFly Atlanta. The trip included hands-on lessons, a lab activity, physics demonstration, and one-on-one wind tunnel flights with a certified instructor.

The widelyreported teacher shortage has had a significant impact on Elmore County Schools. While educator staffing has been an ongoing struggle across the state, shortages have worsened in certain areas. Openings for special education teachers are the most difficult positions to fill, followed closely by secondary teachers. Another contributing factor is the declining number of college students seeking education degrees.

At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, we assembled a Teacher Retention Task Force composed of a teacher representative, selected by the teachers, from each school which met several times to address teacher shortages in Elmore County. This Task Force has already met three times this school year, with three additional meetings planned. Their purpose is to

examine the reasons teachers are leaving, or contemplating leaving, the profession and what we can do to encourage them to continue teaching in Elmore County.

The Task Force developed a teacher survey which is administered annually in January. The surveys were sent out to each school’s faculty by the Task Force member at that school. All survey responses are anonymous. Task Force members analyzed the data from the surveys and presented a summary of the data to school administrators in grade band groups as well as Central Office administrators. After surveys were analyzed, discussed, and presented to school and Central Office administrators, they presented their findings and recommendations to our Board members.

The data from both the 2022 and 2023 surveys revealed specific areas of concern that were common across all three grade bands. The overarching theme was the need for more and better communication between administrators and teachers, to include establishing better relationships between central office administrators and

teachers, as well as school administrators and teachers. Survey results also showed curriculum and assessments as an area of concern. The Task Force has discussed options to address this concern while meeting state and federal requirements. Finally, student apathy was identified as a concern and the Task Force is exploring ways to combat this issue.

Research shows that compared to any other aspect of schooling, teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement. It is in the best interests of our students to keep our teachers in the classroom and remove or reduce barriers to their ability to focus on providing high-quality instruction. Our teachers are at the heart of our purpose: Every Student Empowered ~ Every Student Succeeds!

Richard Dennis is the Superintendent of Education for Elmore County Schools. He is a 1983 graduate of Holtville High School. He served 21 years as a high school principal at Holtville High, Wetumpka High and most recently, Prattville High. He and wife, Leslie (also an educator) have three sons and a daughter.

Elmore County Schools

Tallassee Students Excel at Alabama All-State Choir

The Alabama Vocal Association All-State Choral Festival was held at the BirminghamJefferson Convention Complex March 9-11, 2023. Students auditioned on a challenging set of musical compositions in November and were judged by a traveling panel of adjudicators. Approximately 1100 students from around the state were selected out of around 2500 applicants. These students were placed into three choirs:

SATB (Soprano-Alto-Tenor-Bass), SSA (Soprano1-Soprano2-Alto), and TTBB (Tenor1-Tenor2-Bass1-Bass2).

The students then had the honor of working with a guest conductor for three days in Birmingham in March. The men’s TTBB group was led by Dr. Charlotte Botha from Pretoria, South Africa; SSA by Dr. Meredith Bowen from Virginia; and the SATB by Mr. Francisco Nunez of New York City.

Front

Michael Bird, Anna Griggs, Danielle Bird, Maria Lynn, Kelley Hill.

ECTC Students Make and Donate Cornhole Boards

Students in Building Construction at the Elmore County Technical Center designed and constructed a set of cornhole boards to donate to the Wetumpka Senior Citizen Center.

Famous Book Characters Attend Local Homeschool Co-Op

From the Lorax to Madeline, and Sherlock Holmes to Hermine, popular book characters came alive for homeschoolers for Book Charac ter Day at Acad emy Days Co-op recently. The stu-dents dressed in costume to mark National Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2. Academy Days Co-op, held weekly during the school year at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery, is designed for preschool through high school students to learn subjects difficult to teach at home or best taught in group settings, such as foreign languages, science labs, art, and PE. For more information about the coop, visit AcademyDays.com.

Redland Elementary Choir Raises Support for Selma Tornado Victims

The support our choir received for the Selma Tornado Relief Drive was incredible. So many families will be impacted in such a positive way because of your generosity. Special thanks to our fourth grade teacher Mrs. Stead and her husband for getting the donations where they needed to go!

Read Across America at Eclectic Elementary

Eclectic Elementary School celebrated Read Across America Week with dress up days, guest readers, and activities.

Students participated in a math, reading, art, engineering, or science activity in every grade level classroom by traveling to different rooms.

row:

Second row: Trevor Towery, Robert Towery, Alex Hughey, Gaines Nolin, Dalton Williams, Draven Haynes, Noah Crouch.

Tallassee Choir Performs National Anthem at Auburn Game

The Tallassee High School 7th Period Concert Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Kelley Hill, performed the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the Auburn vs. Vanderbilt basketball game Sunday, February 26 at Neville Arena. Auburn won the game 78-76.

Big Eagle Little Eagle Program at Redland

This year RES started Big Eagle Little Eagle, in which each 4th grader is paired with a Kindergartner. The Big Eagles have been helping the Kindergartners get started with Code.org and they also got to read together during Read Across America! This has been so much fun for both groups! Each time they are together, they always ask when

Reading Rocks at Redland Elementary

Read Across America week at Redland ended with some sock hop fun during PE!

Elmore County Schools

Accelerated Reader Ice Cream Party at Eclectic Elementary

Protect yourself and your baby from COVID-19. Get vaccinated.

COVID-19 can be very serious in pregnant women and vaccination is recommended for women who are pregnant, were recently pregnant, are breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.

Women with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to experience complications than women who are not. These can affect their pregnancy and developing baby, resulting in preterm birth, stillbirth and other pregnancy complications.

The COVID-19 vaccine has gone through the same strict development studies that all vaccines go through to ensure they are safe. To learn more about COVID-19 and pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus or go to the Gift of Life Foundation’s website at www.golfound.org and click the Education tab for links to local COVID-19 resources. This message is made possible by a grant from the CDC Foundation.

When we moved into our new neighborhood, I was pregnant and still working full-time. Although the neighborhood was filled with moms, I never had time to do more than wave hello.

When my daughter was born that December, it was too cold to stroll outside for a chance meeting and I felt silly walking up to a door unannounced. When we got outside in the spring, I tried to put myself out there, but the responses were less than enthusiastic.

Who knew making friends as an adult would be so hard? Here’s some advice to help!

1. Make the first move. It may sound intimidating, but it is that easy. If you are enjoying small talk with a mom on the playground or the sidelines of the game, exchange contact information. Suggest a stop for ice cream on the way home to continue the conversation. If you feel you have a connection, don’t be afraid to invite her over next week for a play date with the kids or out for a glass of wine.

2. Join social media groups. Facebook has tons of “What’s Happening in Your Town” groups as well as those specific to your neighborhood. I found my current Bunco group after reading someone’s post who wanted to start playing again. If you are looking for a running buddy, book club or bachelor watch party, put yourself out there with a post asking if anyone else is interested in joining.

3. There’s an app for that. Yes, there is an app for everything, including making new friends. Peanut is like a dating app, but made for women of all stages of motherhood. Meetup is an app for finding people with common interests in your area or online. The Nextdoor app is a local app that allows you to find groups like dog owners, gardeners and other common interests. It also lists local events in your area, opening the opportunity to gather with others who share your interests.

4. Go where other moms go. Get out of the house with your child and head to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), Mommy and Me classes, storytime at the library or swim lessons. Moms can also be found on school committees and other activities your child is involved in. When you get there, introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. You never know who will be your next best friend.

5. Find groups of like-minded people through gyms, volunteer spots or churches. While it is nice to find friends who have children the same age as your kids, it is not a prerequisite for friendship. It is important to look for friends who have common interests like reading, running 5Ks or baking. If they are moms with older children, they could be a great source of advice for the next stage of parenting.

6. Introduce yourself to the neighbors. Some of my best mom friends live in my neighborhood. Even if you have only had a casual conversation with a few of them, consider hosting a driveway potluck or a game night like Euchre. If your neighborhood has events like a bicycle parade on the 4th of July or an Easter Egg Hunt, con sider getting involved in the planning committee to meet more people.

7. Be a matchmaker for your friends. While my preschool-aged son was playing outside with one of the neighbor hood girls, I mentioned to her mom, Tracey, that he didn’t have any friends who were boys. Tracey told me of another mom who said the same thing about her son. The next week, our mutual friend hosted a playdate for the three of them (and their moms) allowing us all to make new friends.

8. Don’t give up, it takes time. Like anything, it takes effort to be successful. Once you have made a connection with someone, keep feeding the relationship with opportunities to get together. However, realize that not every new connection will become a friendship and know when it is time to move on to the next person.

**You do not have to be a Girl Scout to register!

Pam Molnar is a freelance writer who spends much of her time in front of a computer. Despite that fact, she is blessed with many mom friends she has met over the years.

Social Media: Are We Addicted or Simply Bingeing?

Addiction and bingeing behaviors differ, although they often get lumped into the same conversations. I have been interested in our social media and device behaviors since I listened to a podcast by Dr. Sanjay Gupta titled Chasing Life. If you have yet to listen, it is definitely worth your time. Dr. Gupta is a neurosurgeon, and in the podcast series, he looks at our social media behaviors through the lens of professionals and his daughters. It was one conversation with a professional that had me thinking, are we addicted to social media? Or are we simply bingeing it?

A quick Google search of the definition of the two words pro vides essential informa tion that seems to focus a lot on food and drugs/ alcohol. The definition of binge is a period of excessive indulgence in an activity, especially eating, drinking, or taking drugs. And addiction is the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Unfortunately, any further research on addiction and binge behavior as it relates to social media comes up incredibly empty, which reminds me how new we still are to all this.

If we look at addiction, it is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-

control, which one could argue happens with social media use. Our brains are following a path that is algorithm-driven. It appeals directly to our reward centers, leaving us with what feels like very little self-control. We crave the next “hit.” We often look for the feel-good hit, but we must acknowledge that the “hit” of something shocking or disturbing also

priate support system to remain drugfree. With social media and devices, we have moved into an era where we almost can not function without them. Just as one with a binge eating disorder cannot live without food, everything from work, school, and social life is connected by a device. So, in reality, we can not simply remove the addiction. Instead, we must learn new behaviors and coping strategies, just as one does with a binge eating disorder.

How do we combat this? We learn new behaviors with monitoring systems to support us. It may look like setting a timer on our phone to remind us to get off the device after 30 minutes. Or the phone is turned off and moved to the other room at night. There are, ironically, apps that provide support and reminders to unplug.

If you feel you are addicted or bingeing your social media, please get in touch with a local counselor or coach and ask for help navigating the behavior. Like any disorder, it can feel incredibly difficult to carry and navigate independently.

holds an appeal. This becomes dangerous for our youth because natural curiosity can replace good decision-making. The more we look, the more we want. And the algorithm continues to support and encourage this behavior, much like a drug addict seeking drugs.

However, it makes sense if we look at our behavior in the context of a binge disorder, such as food. For example, as a drug addict, one can live without drugs. The person can go into rehab, remove the drugs, and place an appro -

Kristi Bush serves as a national education consultant and social media safety advocate. She is a licensed social worker with greater than 15 years of clinical practice and health care experience. She attended Troy and Auburn University where she studied social work and counseling. Kristi travels nationally and has spoken with thousands of children, parents, professionals and organizations about the benefits and threats associated with social media. You may reach Kristi through her website at www.knbcommunications.com.

Easter is quickly approaching, and it’s a time to spend memorable moments with loved ones, color and hide Easter eggs for the kiddos, and prepare delicious and savory dishes for everyone to enjoy. If you’re looking for a new or nontraditional dish to add to your Easter day menu, a local mom/wife shares one of her favorite meals that her family also loves. April Sexton is married to her best friend, Grant Sexton. The couple has been married for 13 years and has three children: Gage (22), Max (18), and Kate (12). After her son was born, April transitioned from her career as a court reporter to being a stay-at-home mom. Two years ago, she started working with Melissa Warnke Candles making candles and running their studio.

April fondly remembers having family dinners every night when she was growing up. Her mother taught her how to cook. April shares, “My mom is an amazing cook who learned from her mother. My mother was also a single mom who worked full time, so when I was 13 years old, she made me take one night a week to prepare a meal. I would call her after school, and over the phone, she would

walk me through prepping the meal so we could cook it together when she got home from work.

When April got married, she realized the importance of the fellowship around the dinner table. Her inspiration stems from providing her family with the best nutrients to help them grow and remain healthy. She has become increasingly aware of the correlation between food and health. “We are what we eat. Heart disease and Alzheimer’s run in my family, so I want to provide my family with nutrient-rich food to help fight diseases.”

The Sexton family plans to have family dinners at the table Sunday through Thursday. On Friday, they order in because it’s April’s night off from cooking. Taco Tuesday is a family favorite, quick and easy. Another favorite is chicken pasta, which April explains is a dish she made out of desperation one night, using her leftovers. It’s a family favorite in the Sexton household and on regular rotation.

April’s Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

Any pasta on hand

Onion

Garlic

Olive Oil

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt and Pepper

Bell Pepper

Tomatoes

Broccoli or Asparagus

Heavy Cream

Italian Seasonings

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. After the onion and garlic are soft, add boneless, skinless chicken. Season with salt and pepper. While that is cooking, dice bell pepper, tomatoes, and brocolli or asparagus. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and cook the vegetables until soft. While the vegetables are cooking, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add it back into the pot with the vegetables. Afterward, add the cooked pasta and a 1/4 cup of water from the cooked pasta to the vegetable and chicken mixture. Slowly add in heavy cream and Italian seasonings of your choice. Bring it to a boil (stirring constantly) for about 2-3 minutes. Finally, remove the dish from the heat and let it sit for several minutes until the sauce thickens. Let it cool, serve, and enjoy!

Kimberley Carter Spivey is a freelance writer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur. When she’s not working as an Instructional Systems Designer and copy-editor on Maxwell AFB, she’s busy freelancing, blogging, or toiling away at her next book. Her debut book Bloom: How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love can be purchased on Amazon and girlyouwrite.com.

Having a baby is one of the most amazing and anticipated moments in a person’s life. You have prepared the nursery, installed the car seat, read parenting books, and it’s time to bring your baby home and start life with a new family member. While having a new baby is a fun and exciting time, it can also be exhausting and overwhelming. Adjusting to having an infant at home takes time and there are several things you don’t need to sweat as you figure out your new normal.

What are some things that aren’t worth stressing over while you enjoy time with your new baby?

Housework

It’s nice to have a house that is neat and clean but the thing about housework is that it never goes away. Once you get the house clean, it’s messy again. While you enjoy your new baby, try to let some of the cleaning go. Do the bare minimum while you rest, recover, and recuperate from birth and snuggle your newborn.

Cooking

Immediately after bringing home a baby is not the time to cook elaborate meals, or sometimes, any meals at all.

However, you do need to eat regular and nutritious meals, so keep it simple. Stock the pantry with items that are quick and easy to eat while you care for the baby. Wendy Haviland, mom of two, says, “I prepared freezer meals before the baby was born so I had something to put in the oven or crock pot when I was tired from taking care of a newborn.” You can also ask friends to set up a meal train where family and friends can bring dinner during the first few days after the

birth of your baby. This will eliminate the need to shop and cook when you are recovering.

Spoiling baby

When I first became a mom I was warned that I shouldn’t hold my new-

born too much or while he was sleeping because it might “spoil” him, and then he would never sleep in his own bed or let me put him down for a few minutes. This is simply not true. There is no such thing as a spoiled baby. Newborns sleep most of the day and they find great comfort in being

held. It also creates a strong bond between parent and child. There is no such thing as sleep training a newborn or spoiling a new baby. Enjoy as much cuddle time as you care to and let that worry go.

Naptime

One old saying is certainly true... “sleep when the baby is sleeping.” This really is the best advice you will receive. As a person who likes to keep busy, I found it hard to allow myself to take naps during the day. Once the exhaustion of being up most of the night nursing my newborn hit me, I decided to give myself permission to take a nap when my baby does. Moms need rest and your body needs time to recuperate after the stress of giving birth.

Accept help

It can be hard to accept help when you are used to doing everything yourself, but when you have a new baby at home any help offered can be a huge blessing. Take people up on their offers to bring meals, help with older children’s carpool, or clean the house. Don’t just have them do the easy, quick chores that aren’t difficult to keep up on - let them vacuum

the house, do laundry, and wash dishes, which all seem to get behind quickly. While you have help, jump in the shower, take a nap, or run a much needed errand. People offer to help because they want to. You can always pay it forward when you find your new normal.

Take turns

It can be hard, especially for breastfeeding moms, not to get overtired. As much as possible, share the task of caretaking with your partner. Some moms will find it hard to pass the baby care to their husbands, but dads often feel left out and want to jump in. He may not do things exactly as you do, but that’s okay. As long as the baby is clean, fed, and happy there isn’t anything to stress over. This will also give Dad time to bond with the baby as well.

Take a break

Having a new baby can be physically and emotionally taxing. It is okay to admit you may need a break sometimes. If you are feeling overwhelmed, schedule a time your spouse or a friend can take care of the baby while you step out of the house for a short while. Breastfeeding moms may find it is hard to get away for extended periods,

but typically taking a break for an hour or two can do a lot to improve your mood.

Be flexible

When you are adjusting to having a new baby, it’s important to realize it will take awhile to find your routine again. When planning an outing, think ahead. Pack items you might need including extra diapers, clothes for you and the baby, and be prepared to feed the baby on the go if needed. It’s also important to accept that sometimes an outing will not go as well as planned and it’s okay to head home early. Be flexible and go easy on yourself when it comes to taking the baby out for the first time and when trying to get things done around the house. This is normal and will get easier in time.

Adding a new family member is both exciting and disruptive to a family. In time, you will adjust to your newborn and won’t be able to imagine your family without them. In the meantime, give yourself, your spouse, and your other children time to adjust to this big change. It’s okay to let go of some of the things that take up your time and focus on the baby.

Sarah Lyons is a frequent contributor.

River Region child care centers are sorted by zip code to help you find options that best suit your family.

36013

Macon East Academy

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15396 Vaughn Rd., Cecil

Curriculum: High Reach/Reading & Math for 3 & 4 year, McGraw Hill Reading & Math for Kindergarten.

Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.

Ages: 3, 4, and 5 years Meals: Hot

Contact: Glynn Lot, Headmaster

Plus: Extended day care and early arrival, Summer Enrichment Program. Multiple child discount. Call for monthly fees.

(334) 277.6566 info@maconeast.net maconeast.net

36043

Hooper Childcare/Early Learning Center

360 Fisher Road, Hope Hull

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 6:45 a.m. -5:45 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 years Meals: Hot

Contact: Salina Guest, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount. Annual Registration. After School Program offered for up to 14 years. (334) 288.2770 hooperacademy.org

36054

Cobblestone Learning Center

66 Penser Blvd., Millbrook

Curriculum: Teacher Led

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-5:45 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Sharon Clark, Director

Plus: Multiple child discounts. (334) 285.8517 cobblestonelearning.com

Cousin Jane’s Preschool

3080 Main Street, Millbrook

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 6:30 a.m. -6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Jennifer Cousins & Jane Aplin, Director Plus: Multiple child discounts. Summer program. (334) 285.2476

36064

AIM Academy

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530 Antioch Ln, Pike Road

Curriculum: Play-based curriculum

Hours: 6:45-6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks.-5 yrs

Meals: Hot

Contact: Leann Marion, Director Plus: Student/teacher ratio better than DHR standards. Before and after school program and summer camp.

(334) 509.4225 lmarion@youraimacademy.com youraimacademy.com

36066

The Learning Tree Child Development Center

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1816 Glynwood Drive, Prattville

Curriculum: Full educational program.

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Tammy McLemore Plus: Before and

After School care program offered. Summer program. Multiple Child Discount. (334) 365.1451 Learning-tree.org

Journey Preschool

435 Sheila Blvd., Prattville

Religious Affiliation: Christian/Non-Denominational

Hours: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 years

Meals: Hot

Contact: LeAnn Manning, Director

Plus: After School Care and Summer Program. Multiple Child Discount. Annual Registration fee. (334) 568.1259 preschool.journeychurch@gmail.com myjourneychurch.com

KinderCare Learning Center

701 Sheila Blvd., Prattville

Curriculum: Curriculum: Pre-School at KinderCare and Welcome to Learning

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Charlotte Hardy, Director

Plus: Before and After school care offered. Annual Registration fee. (334) 365.0470 chardy@klcorp.com kindercare.com

36067

First Presbyterian Church Kindergarten

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211 S. Chestnut St. , Prattville

Curriculum: Modified Abeka.

Hours: 8 a.m.- Noon

Ages: K3-K5

Meals: Children bring snacks and lunch.

Contact: Julie Cavnar, Director

Plus: Early drop-off and after school care program offered Monday-Friday until 5:30. Multiple Child Discount. Annual Registration fee. Please call for rates.

(334) 491.3411 firstpreskindergarten@gmail.com fpkprattville.com

First Baptist Church Preschool & Kindergarten

138 S. Washington St., Prattville

Curriculum: Curriculum: Kindergarten; Scott Foresman Language Arts Curriculum, Harcourt Math, The Wright Skills Phonics Program. 3’s-4’s use Frog Street Press.

Hours: 8:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Ages: 3K-Kindergarten

Meals: Brown bag

Contact: Heather Jolley, Director

Plus: Before school care begins 7:15 a.m., extended program offered for after hours until 2:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. FBC offers Mother’s Morning Out Program.

(334) 361.9481 heather@fbcprattville.org fbcprattville.org/kindergarten

PCC Impact

266 W. 5th Street, Prattville

Curriculum: Teacher Led

Hours: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 2-5 years

Meals: Morning snack and brown bag. Contact: Cherish Callaway, Director

Plus: After School program for Prattville school, Summer program, Sibling discount

(334) 491.0308 pccimpactkidspreschool@gmail.com pccimpactkidspreschool.com

36092

First Steps Mother’s Day Out & Preschool

1266 Dozier Road, Wetumpka

Curriculum: First Steps is a unique program that offers guided discovery as well as hands-on exploration. Your child will be involved in both large and small group instruction.

Hours: Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays

8:00am-12:00pm with extended hours until 2pm!

Ages: 12 Months through 5K

Contact: Diane Cox

Plus: Extended hours offered. (334) 221.5681 redlandbaptistchurch.org/first-steps

Wetumpka Preschool Child Development Center & Periscope

502 North Bridge Street, Wetumpka

Curriculum: High Reach Learning, Creative Curriculum

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks-5 years (before Kindergarten)

Meals: Hot

Contact: Cecelia Hatcher, Director Plus: Before and After school care offered. Special Summer Program and “Periscope”. Multiple child discount. (334) 567.4689 wps502@yahoo.com gatewaypreschool.weebly.com

36104

Children’s Learning Center

305 S. Perry St (inside First Baptist), Montgomery

Curriculum: Curriculum: Abeka and Pinnacle:

Ages: 6 wks - 5 yrs

Meals: Catering optional or brown bag

Contact: Kim Herbert, Direct Plus: Year round, Internal Scholarship Program. Large playground. (334) 834.7475 kherbert@fbc-cm.org

Montessori Academy

1025 South Hull Street, Montgomery

Curriculum: Montessori

Hours: 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 12 months - 6 years

Meals: Hot lunch (optional) or brown bag.

Contact: Erin Kilgore, Administrator

Plus: Programs available full and part time. Multiple child . (334) 262.8685 montgomery.montessori@gmail.com montessorimontgomery.com

Trinity Church Preschool

1728 South Hull Street, Montgomery

Curriculum: Curriculum: Abeka, Handwriting without Tears, Saxon Hands on Math.

Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Ages: 4 mths. - K5

Meals: Snack provided for one year olds, snack bucket for older children.

Contact: Lucy Freeman, Director

Plus: Early drop off and Late room available. Special Summer Program offered. (334) 262.8830 lfreeman@trinitypca.org trinitypca.org

36105

Sunnyside Child Care Center

3784 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Tracy Hill, Director

Plus: Before and After school care available. Special summer program. (334) 612.0903

36106 Evangel Christian Preschool

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3975 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Religious Affiliation: Assemblies of God.

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 3 yrs.

Meals: Catered

Contact: Rosemary Hean, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount. Activities: ORFF, Gymnastics, computer and dance offered. Annual registration. Please call for rates. (334) 273.0730 eaoffice@aol.com ecalions.org

Heritage Baptist Child Development Center

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1849 Perry Hill Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Star Fall and ABC Jesus Loves Me

Hours: 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Tamira Quattlebaum, Director

Plus: Activities: Dance and Flip Factory available.

Learning Tree Child Development Center

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4120 Carmichael Road., Montgomery

Curriculum: Full educational program

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 12 mths.. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Ruby Davis, Director

Plus: Before and after school care offered. Multiple child discount and Baptist Hospital Employee discount. Please call for rates. (334) 271.4733 learningtree.com

Bethany Child Development Center

714 Cedar Street, Montgomery

Religious affiliation: Seventh Day Adventist

Curriculum: Child’s World

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Laura Smith, Director

Plus: Annual registration fee. (334) 265.5521 bethanycdceagles@gmail.com

Cloverdale Preschool Academy

608 E. Fairview Ave. , Montgomery

Religious Affiliation: Christian/ Baptist

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 7:15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Jana Edmundson, Director

Plus: Special summer program. Call for rates. (334) 265.7488 snall@cloverdalebaptist.net cloverdalepreschoolacademy.com

First UMC Early Childhood Development

2416 W. Cloverdale Park, Montgomery

Curriculum: Child centered, Christian using spiritual enrichment learning activities to insure success.

Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Vicky Moore, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount offered. Development appropriate learning environment. Learn through play, making choices and guided discovery in a warm, loving environment. Gymnastics, dance, soccer, music and art offered. Annual Registration fee: call for rates.

(334) 834.8964 vmoore@fumcmontgomery.org fumcmontgomery.org

First United Methodist First School

2416 W. Cloverdale Park, Montgomery

Curriculum: Handwriting

Without Tears, Horizons

Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Ages: 2 mths. to Kindergarten

Meals: Brown Bag

Contact: Margaret Shanahan, Director Plus: Early and Late room available.

Activities: Music program, weekly chapel, field trips, gymnastics, dance, art and soccer. Please call for rates.

(334) 834.8990 mshanahan@ fumcmontgomery.org fumcmontgomery.org

Montessori at Mulberry

2034 Clubview Street, Montgomery

Curriculum: Each child is encouraged to reach his/her full potential in all areas of life. The specific needs of individual children are met at each developmental level. Our curriculum, which is challenging, interdisciplinary and real world related, provides a strong academic bridge to elementary school.

Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Ages: 12 mths. - Kindergarten

Meals: Brown Bag

Contact: Terri Jackson, Director

Plus: Activities include year round outdoor vegetable gardening. Registration is open as space permits. Personal interview for testing requirement. Please call for rates.

(334) 265.7733 montessori.mulberry@gmail.com

Second Mom’s Childcare and Learning Center

2703 Highland Avenue, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka and Baby Can Read

Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot breakfast, lunch and two snacks

Contact: Sandra Hill, Director

Plus: Before and after school pickups. Extended care and Summer program available. All certified teachers. Please call for rates.

(334) 832.9403

Second Mom’s Childcare and Learning Center, Too

2726 Highland Ave. , Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 2.5 yrs. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot breakfast, hot lunch and two snacks

Contact: Cheryl Shelby Howard, Director

Plus: Before and after school care pickup. Extended care and summer program available. All certified teachers. Please call for rates.

(334) 832.1876

Vaughn Park Church of Christ

Mother’s Day Out

3800 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Varies by age

Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Tuesday/Wednesday/ Thursday

Ages: 6 wks. - Kindergarten

Meals: Snack provided

Contact: Callie McDermot, Director

Plus: Please call for rates

(334) 272.2665 vaughnpark.com

Zelia Stephens Early Childhood Center

1100 Tuscaloosa Street, Montgomery

Curriculum: Saxon

Hours: 8 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Ages: 3 yrs. - 7 yrs.

Meals: Hot, Gourmet Food Services

Contact: Sandra Hinton, Director

Plus: Extended hours and after school care available. Registration fee. Please call for rates. (334) 229.4471 shinton@alasu.edu

36107

New Horizons Preschool

213 S. Madison Terrace, Montgomery

Curriculum: Little People’s Workshop, Hooked on Phonics, Wee Learn.

Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Cammie Thomas, Director Plus: Before and after school care offered. Special summer program. All certified teachers. (334) 834.9403

36108

New Generation Preschool

3461 Old Selma Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Cindl Straughn, Director Plus: Before and after school care available. Special summer program offered. Multiple child discount. (334) 263.9660 newgenerationpreschool.com

Southlawn Child Care Center

125 Greenleaf Drive, Montgomery

Curriculum: Creative

Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: Infant - 15 Years Meals: Hot

Contact: Elizabeth Sankey, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount. Annual Registration. Please call for rates.

(334) 286.9156 southlawn@aol.com

36109

Eastmont

Christian Kindergarten

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4505 Atlanta Hwy., Montgomery

Curriculum: Religious Affiliation: Baptist

Hours: 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.

Ages: K3-K5 Meals: Snack Bucket

Contact: Lynn Blackwell, Director

Plus: Registration fee: $140 per student. Please call for rates.

(334) 239.8555 eastmont.org

Covenant Kids Child Development Center

9 Arden Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 years.

Meals: Morning snack, Hot lunch and afternoon snack provided.

Contact: Donna Jones, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount. Please call for rates or to schedule a tour.

(334) 356.9110 covenantkids1@outlook.com

East YMCA Kindergarten & Child Care

3407 Pelzer Ave., Montgomery

Curriculum: High Reach

Hours: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 yrs.

Contact: Rachele Landers, Director

Plus: Multiple child discount. Activities: Wade pool, gym activities, music and Bible stories. (334) 272.3390 ymcamontgomery.org

Eastern Hills Child Care

3604 Pleasant Ridge Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 4 yrs. Meals: Hot

Contact: Lisa Montgomery, Director

Plus: Multiple Child Discount. Activities: Music and Big Green Bus.

(334) 277.5424 Lisa@ehbconline.com easternhillsonline.com

36116

Montessori at Hampstead

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5251 Hampstead High St, #111, Montgomery

Curriculum: Montessori

Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 12 mths. - 6 years

Meals: Hot meals available or brown bag.

Contact: Melanie Morrison, Head of School

Plus: Activities: Soccer, Music, Big Green Bus, Foreign Language, Library, art and a Farm Education program .Please call for rates. (334) 356.1969 info@montessoriathampstead.org mshmontgomery.org

St. James School

Kindergarten

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6000 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Curriculum: Pre-K2, Pre-K3, Pre-K4 and Kindergarten use an integrated approach with literature, art, music and science to introduce readiness skills with hands -on activities.

Hours: Half Day: 7:45-noon or Full Day: 7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Ages: K3-K5

Meals: Hot

Contact: Ms. Andrea Harris, Principle Plus: After school care until 5:30 p.m. Special summer program. Multiple child discount available. Please call for rates. (334) 277.8033 stjweb.org

The Learning Tree Child Development Center

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3335 Woodley Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Full educational program.

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Malkia Mathews, Director

Plus: Before and after school program available. Special summer program offered. Multiple child discount offered.

(334) 284.5560

Aldersgate Weekday Children’s Ministry

6610 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Curriculum:

Creative Curriculum, Letter of the Week, Abeka. We teach thematic units using social studies, science, math, language, art and music through a hands-on program.

Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - Pre K4 Meals: Hot

Contact: Rebekha Bye, Director

Plus: Summer program offered. Surveillance System, Code entry and 3 separate playgrounds. Please call for rates. DHR licensed and inspected. (334) 277.0880 aldersgateumc.org

Century 2000

4714 Virginia Loop Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: A Beka.

Hours: 5 a.m. - Midnight Ages: 3 wks. - 15 yrs.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and snack. (for those staying late, dinner and snack offered)

Contact: Mrs. Deramus, Director

Plus: Before and after school care. Summer program offered. Please call for monthly rates. (334) 288.7740 www.century2000daycare.com

JAAD’s Child Care & Development Center

4002 St. Louis Road, Montgomery

Established 1996

Curriculum: Self Developed.

Hours: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 4 wks. - 5 yrs.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and snack

Contact: Theresa Hardwick, Director

Plus: Before and after school care available. Night care available. Please call for rates and fees. (334) 284.9055 jaads_inc@yahoo.com www.jaadschildcare.com

Lighthouse Christian Pre-school

3570 Bell Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. or full day.

Ages: K2 - K4

Meals: Catered

Contact: Mrs. Janelle Ford, Principle Plus: Before and after school care available from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (334) 271.4200 info@lcapirates.com lcapirates.com

36117

Avalon Montessori

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395 Ray Thorington Rd, Montogmery AL 36117

Curriculum: Waldorf Inspired Art Curriculum; Materials are categorized into five key learning areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Culture.

Hours: Half Day, Full Day & Extended Day Options. Morning Care & Afternoon Care.

Ages: Toddler Program: 18 months to 3 yrs of age

Primary Program: 3 years to 6 years of age.

Contact: Sonia Chaudhuri, Founder and Director

Plus: Montessori Certified & Highly Experienced Teachers. Curriculum also includes Creative Arts, Outdoor Free Play and Mindfulness. (334) 725-6797 info@avalonmontessorischool.com www.avalonmontessorischool.com

Providence Presbyterian Preschool

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2130 Bell Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka, Handwriting Without Tears & Sing, Spell, Read & Write

Hours: Full day and half day offered.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 yrs.

Meals: 2 snacks and lunch

Contact: Megan Jolley, Director

Plus: Summer program for 6 wks. - 9 years. Early and late rooms available. Chapel and music daily. Enrichment classes offered. Please call for rates.

(334) 274.1018 providencepres. life/providence-preschool/

Vaughn Road Preschool

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8790 Vaughn Road (at Immanuel Presbyterian Church), Montgomery

Curriculum: Creative Curriculum; linked to the WV Early Learning Standards

Framework in Social and Emotional Development, the Arts, Physical Health and Development, Mathematics and Science.

Hours: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Ages: 6 wks. - 6 yrs.

Meals: Lunch and 2 snacks provided.

Contact: Barbara Anderson, Director Plus: Please call for rates. (334) 277.4815 vrpreschool@gmail.com

AUM Early Learning Center

7051 Senator’s Drive, Montgomery

Curriculum: Project based, Research driven, and thematic.

Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 5:15 p.m., Monday thru Friday

Ages: 3 yrs. - 5 yrs. (potty trained)

Meals: Sack lunch from home, two snacks

Contact: Laura Wildman Director

Please call for rates.

(334) 244.3772 LWildman@aum.edu education.aum.edu under Early Childhood Center tab

GracePointe Child Development Center

1565 Ray Thorington Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Play based, Beyond Centers and Circle Time

Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Ages: 6 weeks - 5 yrs. Meals: Brown Bag

Contact: Jennifer Mathis, Director Plus: Surveillance system, two separate playgrounds. Please call for rates.

(205) 799.7570 gracepointecdc@gmail.com grace-pointe.com

Frazer Christian Preschool

6000 Atlanta Hwy. , Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Ages: 6 months - 5 yr. Kindergarten

Meals: Snack Bucket or Brown bag for extended day.

Contact: Jill Struthers, Director Plus: Early drop off and extended day available. Activities: Music, field trips, chapel, and physical education Strong faculty with unwavering interest in your child. Please call for rates.

(334) 495.6370 preschool@frazer.church frazer.church/about/fcp

KinderCare Learning Center

6955 Halcyon Park Dr., Montgomery

Curriculum: Early Foundations

Hours: 6:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 5 yrs.

Meals: Hot

Contact: Courtney Tate, Director

Plus: Special summer program offered. Multiple child discount. Please call for rates.

(334) 270.5955 ctate@klcorp.com kindercare.com

Lakeview Child Development Ministry

9225 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka

Religious Affiliation: Christian

Hours: 6:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Ages: 6 weeks to 5 years old

Meals: 2 snacks per day. Children provide their own lunch.

Contact: Jackie Bair, Interim Director

Plus: On site extra-curricular activities offered. (334) 396.3944 daycare@lakeviewbaptist.cc lakeviewbaptistchurch.cc/daycare_info

Legacy Early Learning Center

2323 Bell Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Christian based Pre-school program

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 5:45

Ages: 6 wks. - 5K

Meals: Lunches and two snacks provided

Contact: Tara Harris, Director

Plus: Special summer program available. (334) 649.4601 tara@thelegacychurch.org

Little Explorers Learning Center

7735 Atlanta Hwy., Montgomery

Curriculum: Bible based

Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 wks. - 12 yrs.

Meals: Lunch and snack for toddler and preschool

Contact: Jennifer Mitchell, Director

Plus: Summer program available. Star rated Center. (334) 324.7103 contact.littleexplorers@gmail.com

St. James Preschool

9045 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Teacher developed including handson activities and age appropriate readiness skills.

Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. For Kindergarten and Mother’s Morning Out

Ages: 8 mths.- Kindergarten

Meals: Brown bag, snack provided.

Contact: Leah Winn, Director

Plus: Late day offered. Please call for Registration fees and monthly rates.

(334) 481.0722 sjlife.com under ministries.

Taylor Road Christian Kindergarten & Mom’s Day Out

1685 Taylor Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: Abeka & Handwriting without Tears

Hours: Kindergarten: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Three or four day options. Mother’s Day Out: 9 a.m.1 p.m., Monday - Thursday.

Ages: Kindergarten: K3-K5. Mother’s Day Out: 6 wks. - 36 mths.

Meals: Brown bag

Contact: Holly Nichols, Director

Plus: Before and after school care available. Special summer program offered. Please call for rates.

(334) 271.0845 taylorroad.org (link to preschool)

Vaughn Forest Preschool and Kindergarten

8660 Vaughn Road, Montgomery

Curriculum: High Reach and Letter People

Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Ages: 18 mths. - 5 yrs.

Meals: Brown bag and snack

Contact: Mary James Newsom, Director

Plus: Early and late offered. Certified teachers. Please call for rates.

(334) 277.0362 vaughnforest.com/weekday-preschool/

YMCA Goodtimes Before and After School Programs

2325 Mill Ridge Drive, Montgomery

Contact YMCA Goodtimes Center for additional information: (334) 279.8666 ymcamontgomery.org

Spring was in the Air for Alabama Dance Theatre’s Spring Gala: A Celebration of the Season

The Alabama Dance Theatre celebrated the Spring of their 36th Season with four spectacular performances of “Spring Gala: A Celebration of the Season.’’ Seven awardwinning choreographers created 12 cutting-edge new works that had something for everyone.

Audiences witnessed an evening of classical ballet, jazz, comedy – and a little bit of rock n’ roll. The Spring Gala featured new works from ADT’s resident choreographers Janie Alford, Sara Elyse Sanford, and Jenny Letner and ADT faculty member Jaclyn Speights. Guest choreographers Armando Luna and Ashley McQueen lent two new works to the production, originally created last July during ADT’s two-week summer intensive.

Alabama Dance Theatre was delighted to revive an important tradition of inviting area schools to attend a special daytime performance. Several hundred young people, parents and their teachers came to see the performance on Friday, March 3rd at a subsidized ticket price thanks in part to the Support the Arts Tag License Fund and support from Regions Bank. At intermission, Artistic Director Kate Seale Smith and ADT faculty member Jaclyn Speights engaged the young audience with a Q & A session and a short lesson in pantomime movements.

On Sunday afternoon, after four successful performances, the Alabama Dance Theatre gathered at the Montgomery Cultural Arts Center for a delicious Mexican Buffet from Salsarita’s and decadent desserts. ADT’s graduating seniors, Jane Abbie Alford, Shannon McGaughey, Camilla Ohme, Ja’Niya Kennedy, Morgan Calhoun, Arrion Rollins, and Lilla Kate Parkman, left their legacies to the younger dancers and spoke about their years dancing with ADT and what it has meant to each of them.

ADT would like to thank the sponsors of Spring Gala: A Celebration of the Season. ADT offers several free dance class opportunities each year. This year, Saturday, April 15, young people aged 8 to 19 with any level of dance experience may register for free to try

Cameron Caldwell, Amelia Kate Skala, Celeste Herod, Lilla Kate Parkman and Jane Abbie Alford in Wilson’s Way choreographed by Janie Alford

Georgia Vance, Martha Armstrong, Cara Barranco, Lorennah Harding and Tempe Grinstead

Skill

When my youngest child entered first grade, questions began.

“Are you going back to work now that your kids are in school all day?” “What will you do for six hours when your kids are in school?” You get the idea.

After correcting the misinformation—it is not really six hours when you factor in the varying bus schedules—I politely let them know that I wasn’t concerned about how I would occupy my time.

I was busy volunteering at the school and doing other household tasks, but I wanted to earn some extra money to help offset the high cost of college tuition. More importantly, I wanted flexibility.

So I began freelance writing for different publications. Over time, my income has increased, and I’m hoping to save enough to pay for at least one of my kids’ college educations.

Here are ways

Courage lives

Babysitter or nanny: Some moms I know tend other kids while watching their own. If you are unable to find a job through friends and family, try looking on websites such as Sittercity, Care.com, or UrbanSitter.

Pay range: $11–18 per hour

Customer service representative: My friend used to provide customer service from her house through Liveops. She was able to create her own flexible hours by signing up for time blocks. She started taking calls for infomercials, then auto claims for Allstate and orders for Pizza Hut. The only cost to her was a dedicated phone line, which was $22 per month.

Pay range: $10–20 per hour

Delivery person: A recent article in Money Magazine described the job of being an Amazon delivery person through Amazon Flex. Drivers must use their own car and an app to select a block of time to deliver packages. Rates vary by state and time of year; during Christmas you can receive higher rates.

Pay range: $18–25 per hour

Etsy shop owner: Etsy is a website where you can set up your own store. Most people sell crafts, jewelry, clothing, home décor, or vintage items. I bought a graphic design for my website on Etsy, though, so you are not limited to those categories. Etsy charges a $.20 listing fee, a 5% transaction fee, and 3% + $.25 payment fee. Pay range: The range varies, but one website claims that a shop owner earns $70k per month!

Most people cannot even imagine what it feels like to watch a child take on a battle against cancer. The courage, strength and resilience our patients demonstrate every day is what inspires us to give our best. We are here when families need us the most, caring for their children and never giving up hope in their fight against cancer. Learn

Fitness instructor: A few of my friends are fitness instructors, such as spin, body pump, or TRX teachers. These require taking certification tests that can cost around $300. Then you need to recertify every two years, which costs roughly $100. My friends enjoy the flexibility of the job and the fact that they get paid to work out. Pay range: $10-$30 per hour, depending on the gym and class taught. Plus, most gyms offer free membership to their instructors.

Online transcriptionist: There are several companies that will hire you to work from home transcribing audio speech to written documents. The audio could be from a doctor, lawyer, court hearing, or freelance

writer. Some companies don’t require any experience. There are transcription courses available for a fee. Some transcription companies are Rev, Scribie, and CrowdSurf. Pay range: The Rev website states the average earning is $245 per month.

Paid focus group participant: Market research companies pay focus groups for their reactions to or opinions of their products. Usually, group members participate for one to two hours. To participate in focus groups, you can sign up with companies such as WatchLab, User Interviews or FocusGroup. Pay range: $100–400 per group, and sometimes a free meal.

you can earn extra cash while remaining a stay-at-home mom like me:

Pet sitter: A friend of mine started a pet-sitting business to board dogs in her house five years ago. She used the website Rover to set up her rate and availability. In addition to boarding pets, you can also walk dogs or watch pets and the owner’s house. The Rover website is not limited to dogs. Rover takes 20% of whatever fees you earn.

Pay range: Set your own rates. My friend earns $40 per night per dog and sometimes has three dogs per week, or $840 per week minus the Rover fee.

Rent out your house for a movie set: You can list your house for free on the Set Scouter website to rent out for a movie or TV show. Even though I live in the Northeast (not remotely close to Hollywood), over ten different movies have been filmed in towns near me recently. I haven’t been lucky enough to have my house selected yet, but you never know when Hollywood might come knocking.

Pay range: $250–1,000 per day

You also must participate in an onsite training course.

Pay range: $14–16 per hour

Teach English: There are a few different companies through which you can teach English online from your home. Most of the companies require you to have a college degree and be proficient in the English language. Some of the companies to investigate are VIPKID, Qkids, and Teachaway.

Pay range: $15–25 per hour

Tasker: TaskRabbit matches you with people who need a task done around their houses such as cleaning, moving, furniture assembly, or home improvement. After you complete the job, you receive payment, minus a 15% TaskRabbit fee.

Pay range: You set the rate; certain skills earn more money.

Test Apps or Websites: Userlytics is a website that will match you with an app or website that is in the developmental

Tutor: You might think you need a teaching degree to be a tutor, but according to Tutors.com, anyone with a high school diploma or GED can be a tutor; you need only complete a tutor training program. Once you are certified, you can set up a free profile at Tutors.com to find jobs.

Pay range: $25–80 per hour

Umpire or referee: There are many different youth sports that need someone to officiate, such as soccer, softball and baseball, lacrosse, field hockey, and more. Most referees need to attend certification training and complete a background check. Contact your local sports league to find out the requirements. Pay range: $25–50 per hour or per game.

You probably won’t get rich doing any of these jobs, but the extra income might help pay for all the added expenses of having children like camp, sports, or college. Of course, you never know—with that side business of yours, you could end up being the next Martha Stewart one day. A mom

Psychology degree. She is married and the mother of twins and a daughter. You can find her at Twitter

Grading Family Movies: Streaming, Digital Rentals, and Theatrical Releases

Chang Can Dunk

Determined to increase his social cred and impress Kristy, the new girl in marching band, Chang makes a bet with his frenemy, Matt. In ten weeks, Chang will learn to dunk and will prove it in the school gym. This movie begins as a standard sports film with training montages and on court footage. It gets more interesting when Chan g has to undergo some serious self -assessment, acknowledge his errors, and rebuild the important relationships in his life. With minimal negative content and lots of empathy for the trials of adolescence, this is a slam dunk for families . Photo ©Disney+

PG-13 C- C- A C A

When Mills agrees to pilot a two year deep space voyage, he doesn’t expect to sustain damage in an asteroid belt and make an emergency landing on an unknown planet – Earth. There are no humans on Earth because it’s 65 million years ago and the planet is dominated by dinosaurs. Mills knows that one of those asteroids could hit the planet so he and the other survivor (a young girl) must make it to the escape pod quickly. This could have been an interesting film but terrible editing, bad special effects, and unconvincing dinosaurs suck out all the fun . Photo ©Sony Pictures

A series of bad choices leave basketball coach Marcus Marakovich unemployed and sentenced to 90 days community service, specifically, coaching a team of players with intellectual disabiliti es. Champions starts off as a typical underdog sports flick but it has the courage to shake up the formula in the service of its message about the value of having different ways of seeing the world. The movie overflows with positive themes about dignity, respect, and redemption but is undermined by crude sexual conversations and a transactional sexual relationship. Photo ©Focus Features

When Donnie Creed’s old friend, Damian appears at his gym after spending 18 years in prison, Donnie agrees to help him build a professional boxing career. But Damian has a bigger agenda – one designed to hurt Donnie. This production hits all the beats of a basic boxing movie but it stands out for providing an emotional character story and some highly skilled cinematography. It also contains a fair bit of boxingrelated violence and some profanity. Photo ©United Artists Releasing

While Ant-Man promotes his new book, his daughter Cassie spends her time investigating the Quantum Realm, an area of existence smaller than sub -atomic particles. Her equipment draws her, Ant-Man, and some friends into the realm, where they confront Kang, a supervillain who wants to conquer the multiverse. This film features infrequent profanity and non-stop, digitally enhanced violence. It also offers familiar messages about courage, loyalty, and determination, and a bland plot that will please fans and bore everyone else . Photo ©Disney Motion Pictures Studios

FamilyCalendar

Saturday April 1

Santuck Flea Market

6 a.m. - 12 p.m., Santuck Flea Market, 7300 Central Plank Road Wetumpka, AL, 36092 We have an average of 500 vendors each month that sell a wide variety of foods, merchandise, and crafts.

(334) 567.7400 Facebook: Santuck Flea Market

Steam Faire

9 - 3 p.m., Hosted by Children’t Museum of Montgomery, 300 Water Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 An outdoor museum experience for children and families in all things STEAM!

(334)357.6415 childrensmuseumofmontgomery.org

Wilson Pickett Music and Arts Festival

(Jennifer Levins Art Booth)

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Pratt Park, 460 Doster Road Prattville, AL, 36067 Jennifer Levins Art will have a booth at this years Wilson Pickett Music and Arts Festival. Original art, prints, note cards, and framed Giclee prints available!

(334) 595.0850 wilsonpickettfestival.com

Pysanky- Ukrainian Egg Dying WorkshopApril 1-Morning Session ($30)

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Southern Art and Makers Collective, 1228 Madison Ave. Montgomery, AL, 36107

Create a new family tradition by learning Pysanky, a traditional Ukrainian egg dying technique. Beeswax designs are applied to the surface of raw chicken eggs and then dipped in special dyes to create intricate and vibrant keepsakes. Participants will be working with candle flame. Suitable for ages 15 and up. All materials are provided and participants take home as many as they create.

(334) 303.2558 southernartmakers.com

Dino Dig Education Event

10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Montgomery Zoo, 2301 Coliseum Parkway Montgomery, AL, 36110 Our junior explorers get to experience an archaeological dig, discover bones from the past and have a great time while learning about creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago.

(334) 625.4900 montgomeryzoo.com

Monday April 3

Sew Easy ($135)

3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Avenue Montgomery, AL, 36104 This threeclass session familiarizes students with their sewing machines; teaches basics of pattern making, fabric choice, top - and hand stitches, and sew much more! Please, bring machine and thread. (334) 625.2787 montgomeryal.gov

Tuesday April 4

Craft Night at the Library: Spring String Art

6 p.m. - 7 p.m., Autauga Prattville Public Library, 254 Doster Street Prattville, AL, 36067 Come join us to make your own spring-themed string art, then take home your finished craft! Materials provided to the first 20 patrons. Patrons after the first 20 are welcomed but are not guaranteed materials. (334) 365.3396 appl.info

Wednesday April 5

Water Color Bootcamp III ($145)

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Town of Pike Road Arts Council, 944 Wallahatchie Rd Pike Road, AL, 36064 Dive into watercolors with Durinda (334) 272.9883 pikeroad.us

Thursday April 6

Water Color Bootcamp III ($145)

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Town of Pike Road Arts Council, 944 Wallahatchie Rd Pike Road, AL, 36064 Dive into watercolors with Durinda (334) 272.9883 pikeroad.us

Cupcake Bouquets Workshop ($20)

4 p.m. - 6 p.m., Town of Pike Road Agriculture, Recreation & Performing Arts Park, 6281 Trotman Road Pike Road, AL, 36064 We’ll create edible, elegant art and enjoy time with friends and neighbors. (334) 272.9883 pikeroad.us

Brothers Of The Heart ($27-$47)

7:30 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 What began as four award winning, talented friends making music together has quickly become a nationally renowned band. (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

Easter Family Fun

10 a.m. Let’s Sell Realty and Rods, 101 South Court Street Prattville, AL, 35054 Family fun event.. Easter Bunny will be present for photos, we will have a food truck, we will have out door activities, and just basically a fun afternoon for the family.

(334) 782.3346 letssellrealty.com

Open House Celebration

10 a.m. - 6 p.m., The Shoppes Downton, 211 Hill Street Wetumpka, AL, 36092 It’s time to CELEBRATE our *NEW* name and *NEW* look! Come shop all things *NEW* for this Spring & Summer while enjoying storewide sales, giveaways, and a pop-up permanent jewelry shop!

(334) 478.7056 martketshoppes.com

PikNik World of Whips

10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Capital City Motorsports Park, 2600

N. Belt Drive Montgomery, AL, 36110 Bass Wars Partnering with Piknik to bring an awesome show.

(334) 279.9356 capitalcitymotorsportspark.com

Reptiday

10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Alcazar Shriner’s, 555 Eastern Blvd. Montgomery, AL, 36117 This show features everything that you’ve come to love most about Repticon’s two days of fun and excitement rolled into one day!

(334) 279.9174 alcazarshriners.com

Spring Party 2023

Lake Martin Mini Mall, 7995 Kowaliga Road Eclectic , AL, 36024 Bring your family and friends and come enjoy live music, burgers, margaritas, beer, and more!!!

(334) 857.3900 lakemartinminimall.com

Saturday April 8

Easter Ornament Hunt 2023 (Free)

7 a.m. - 1 p.m., Historic Downtown Prattville, 101 West Main Street Prattville, AL, 36067 *Ornament cards are exchanged for real ornaments Please come and enjoy the fun! It’s FREE! (334) 301.0336 juliannehansen.com

Alice in Wonderland Montgomery

9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Montgomery, AL Alice is trapped in Wonderland and time is running out to save her! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole and enter a virtual world of adventure, intrigue and impossible things at this immersive Alice in Wonderland event.

www.cluedupp.com/products/alice-montgomery-april

Easter Egg Express

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, 1919 9th Street Calera, AL, 35040 Hop Aboard with ‘Some-bunny’ Special. This Easter weekend, there’s no need for your child to scramble for sugary Easter eggs with a jumble of other kids! Instead, plan to have a relaxing, gentle time onboard the train together.

(205) 668.3435 hodrrm.org

Easter Bunny Bash (Free)

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., The Party Palace, 1032A US 231 Wetumpka, AL, 36093 Join us for a magical day! The Easter bunny and Wonderland girl want to see you on April 8th for a Bunny Bash!

(334) 625.1120 thepartypalace.com

Puppy Palooza

11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Shoppes at EastChase, 7274 Eastchase Parkway Montgomery, AL, 36117 The event will feature live music by Wesley Hill, pet adoptions, a fido marketplace, doggy activities, K9 splash zone, and more! There is something for the whole family, two legged and four legged alike!

(334) 279.6046 theshoppesateastchase.com

Tuesday April 11

Adult Coloring Night

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Autauga Prattville Public Library, 254 Doster Street Prattville, AL, 36067 Join us for a relaxing night of coloring! Light refreshments will be served. We will provide coloring sheets, colored pencils, and felt markers. You are welcome to bring your own materials.

(334) 365.3396 appl.info

Wednesday April 12

Beginners Recycled Papermaking ($30)

6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Avenue Montgomery, AL, 36104 This monthly class takes a brief look at the history of paper and explores the how-to of pulp preparation, sheet forming, embossing, and other surface manipulation techniques.

(334) 625.2787 motgomeryal.gov

Saturday April 15

Annual Pike Road Lions Yard Sale

7 a.m. - 2 p.m., Town of Pike Road City Hall, 9575 Vaughn Road Pike Road, AL, 36064 Coffe, hot chocolate, sausage biscuits and lots of deals!

(334) 272.9883 pikeroad.us

FamilyCalendar

Prattville Farm Swap

9 a.m. - 2 p.m., 326 CR 62 Prattville , AL, 36067

Welcome back to the Prattville Farm Swap we are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones While swaping, selling, and shopping !!!

(334) 313.2607 Facebook: Prattville Farm Swap

10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Museum Drive Montgomery, AL, 36117

Bring the family to the MMFA’s Flimp Festival—a day dedicated to stirring your creative spirit and igniting your imagination!

(334) 625.4333 mmfa.org

Youth Spring Jam Fest ($10)

11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Ida Belle Young Park, 5400 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL, 36116 We’ll have TONS of FOOD, MUSIC , and FUN for our youth to enjoy . We will be HOSTING A DANCE CONTEST AND THERE WILL BE CASH PRIZES FOR THE BEST 3 DANCERS

(334) 625.4636 montgomeryal.gov

AWF Earth Day Festival (Free)

1 p.m. Alabama Wildlife Federation, 3050 Lanark Road Millbrook, AL, 36054 During the event, we will lead a group down (or up) the creek to pick up trash etc… to help keep our beloved Still Creek clean! Tickets are free but please make sure to bring closed-toed water shoes or old tennis shoes to wear in the water. alabamawildlife.org

(334) 285.4550 alabamawildlife.org

SpiritHorse at The Rex

5 p.m. Spirit Horse at the Therapeutic Riding Center, 3630 Edgewood Road Millbrook, AL, 36054 Come out for a fun evening and meet the SpiritHorse team and learn about our therapeutic riding center. The Rex is an awesome, family friendly place. There will be music, a food truck, door prizes, and a raffle drawing for a yeti prize pack!

(334) 531.7019 http://www.spirithorsetrc.org/

River Region Community of Hope

6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Village Green Park, 3160 Park Circle Millbrook, AL, 36054 Annual fundraising evetn benefitting the American Cancer Society. Please visit acsengage.org/communtiyofhopeal for more information and to sign up.

(334) 235.2634 Facebook: River Region Community of Hope

The Black Jacket Symphony Presents

Tom Pettys Full Moon Fever

($35+) 8 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 Public Onsale : Fri, 13 Jan 2023 at 10:00 AM

PRESALE : Wed, 11 Jan 2023 at 10:00 AM (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

Tuesday April 18

Caring Crafts

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Autauga Prattville Public Library, 254 Doster Street Prattville, AL, 36067 Spend a little time on a project for charity! (334) 365.3396 appl.info

Thursday April 20

Getting Started with Chicks

5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Tom Harbin Farm Center, Luverne, AL, 36049 Learn how to raise chickens successfully, safely, and effectively.

Facebook: Tom Harbin Farm Center

Tracy Lawrence ($27-$47)

8 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 Tracy Lawrence in concert. Visit Ticketmaster.com for ticket sales. (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

23rd Annual Dog u Tante Ball

6 p.m. RSA Activity Center, 201 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, AL, 36104 Open Bar, Buffet Dinner and Silent

Auction to help raise funds for our pet treatment program. (334) 409.0622 montgomeryhumane.com

Saturday April 22

Herb Day (Free)

8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Grace Presbyterian Church, 5 Bell Road Montgomery, AL, 37117 Plant & Craft Vendors, Medicinal Herbs, Expert Gardeners, Growing Tips, Culinary Presentation by Carolyn Strickland. (334) 245.3508 alabamaherbsociety.org

2023 Beaver Trail 5K

10 a.m. Lagoon Park Trail, 2635 Gunter Park Dr. E Montgomery, AL, 36109 Registration for the 2023 Beaver Trail 5K is now open! The race has moved to April 22nd to enjoy the Lagoon Park Trails in their spring spectacular form. Register now to lock in early bird pricing of just $15 through January 9th. That’s right, $15! Remember, “Get OFF your TAIL, and HIT the TRAIL!” https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Montgomery/BeaverTrail5K

Facebook: Beaver Trail 5K

Downtown Artists Art Show

10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Downtown Wetumpka, 100 Court Stree Wetumpka, AL, 36092 Join the Downtown Artists for our first art show of 2023! It is already shaping up to be an incredible show, with more than 30 artists who will be along the streets of downtown Wetumpka with their beautiful works!

(850) 496.5484 Facebook: Downtown Artists Wetumpka

Sunday April 23

Blackbird @ CIA Spring Concert Series

4 p.m. Cloverdale Bottom Park, 3100 Cloverdale Rd Montgomery, AL, 36106 Bring your lawn chairs and join us for an afternoon of live music and food trucks @ the Cloverdale Bottom Park. blackbirdpickers.com

Friday April 28

CEF CLAYSHOOT

8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Lower Wetumpka Shotgun Sports Club, 4758 Lower Wetumpka Road Montgomery, AL, 36110 Join us for our seventh annual clay shoot

event benefiting summer missions for CEF of Central Alabama!

(334) 213.7388 cefcentralalabama.org

Saturday April 29

GOTR 5K Celebration

7 a.m. 2415 W Cloverdale Park Montgomery, AL, 36106 At the 5K celebration, we gather as a community to celebrate the accomplishment of every Girls on the Run girl.

(334) 220.9157 gotrsouthcentralal.org/5k

“An Afternoon of the Classics”

11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Davis Theatre, Montgomery

The Spring Showcase presented by the Alabama River Region Ballet will be held at the Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts. FREE admission. www.AlabamaRiverRegionBallet.com

22nd Annual Auburn CityFest

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Kiesel Park, 520 Chadwick Lane Auburn , AL, 36832 The 22nd Annual Auburn CityFest sponsored by Max is set to take you back in time as we embark on a “Jurassic Journey”, with headlining entertainment from Jurassic Kingdom Lockdown and their team of dinosaurs!

(334) 501.2936 auburncityfest.com

Chilton County Strawberry Festival

10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Richard Wood Park, 8696 Franklin Street Thorsby , AL, 35171 Second annual Chilton County Strawberry Festival.

(334) 782.4507 chiltoncountystrawberryfestival.org/

Sunday April 30

Angels Among Us Special Needs Community

2 p.m. One More at the River, 4330C River Oaks Road Millbrook, AL, 36054 Angels Among Us raising money @One More at the River to support their beauty pageant. Gun raffle, booze cooler, 50/50, motorcycle ride, food, entertainment and more.

(334) 430.2991 aaucmty.org

BAMA Sound Band (Free)

4 p.m. - 6 p.m., Cloverdale Park, 2415 W Cloverdale Park Montgomery, AL, 36106 Sunday afternoon in the park with the Bama Sound Band featuring Cameron DuBois. Bring lawn chairs and a cooler and relax to an old school free concert in the park.

(334) 239.3134 bamasound.com

Thursday May 4

2023 Montgomery Prayer Breakfast

7 p.m. Alabama Activity Center, at 201 Dexter Ave. His Vessel Ministries invites local citizens to join them for a time of worship and prayer. The purpose of the prayer breakfast is to gather local Christians together to pray for all those in authority over the County and City of Montgomery. A full buffet breakfast will be served, followed by a time of worship through song and dedicated prayer. Tickets for the breakfast are $30. Purchase tickets online at www.hisvessel.org.

Friday May 5

Blues Traveler ($42-$67)

8 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 Blues Traveler in concert! Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets. (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

Friday May 12

Joe Gatto Comedy Show ($36.75-$56.75)

7 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 Please visit ticketmaster.com for ticket sales. (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

Sunday May 14

Grace Potter ($35-$60)

7 p.m. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery, 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, AL, 36104 Please visit ticketmaster.com for ticket sales. (334) 481.5100 mpaconline.org

Mother’s Day @ the Montgomery Zoo

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, 2301 Coliseum Parkway Montgomery, AL, 36110 A big thank you to all the Moms out there. With much gratitude and appreciation of your dedicated and loyal service to our sons and daughters, please celebrate Mother’s Day at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum. All Moms receive FREE admission to the Montgomery Zoo and the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum.

(334) 625.4900 montgomeryzoo.com

FUN FUN SUMMER SUMMER

Events with Multiple Dates

April 13 through May 7

ASF Presents Million Dollar Quartet

Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1 Festival Drive Montgomery, AL, 36117 through May 7. Million Dollar Quartet is a celebration of the contagious spirit, freewheeling excitement, and thrilling sounds of the once-in-a-lifetime event where four of music’s best talents came together. This is a rocking night of classic music! Asf.net for ticket and pricing.

(334) 271.5353 asf.net

April 20-23 and 27-30

Millbrook Theatre presents

“The Odd Couple” the Female Version

Millbrook Theatre, 5720 Main Street Millbrook, AL, 36054 Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful play, The Odd Couple, sees the lead characters transformed into Olive Madison and Florence Unger.

(334) 782.7317 millbrooktheatre.com

April 27 through May 7

Cloverdale Playhouse presents Next to Normal Cloverdale Playhouse, 960 Cloverdale Rd Montgomery, AL, 36106 Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart. Please visit cloverdaleplayhouse.org for ticket information.

(334) 262.1530 www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org/

May 4 through May 20

Wetumpka Depot presents “Something Rotten” Wetumpka Depot, 300 S. Main Street Wetumpka, AL, 36092 After an ill-advised trip to see Nostradamus’s food-obsessed nephew, they risk everything to produce what they believe will be the show of the future: the musical! Wetumpkadepot.com for tickets and pricing. (334) 318.2538 wetumpkadepot.com

Please check with each venue prior to attending the event to verify the information provided is still accurate and up to date.

them know that I’m their biggest supporter and will always be there for them, cheering them on.

RRP: How do you maintain your own identity while being a mother?

LD: I take the opportunity to incorporate time with friends and do things that bring me joy and mental stability. I enjoy playing tennis with the River Region Tennis Teams and working out when time permits. In addition, I love going to church and fulfilling my needs spiritually. In my spare time, I enjoy leading small groups. It’s a way to connect with other women and a passion I thoroughly embrace.

RRP: You’ve been married for nine years. How do you stay connected with your partner while being a mother?

LD: I stay connected to my partner by planning date nights. We have couple’s groups and get-togethers for date nights at various businesses in Montgomery. We connect with other couples to keep us grounded because I feel that iron sharpens iron. We enjoy our alone time, even if it’s just a night staying in without the kids. We love trying new foods and restaurants and enjoy getting pedicures together when time permits.

RRP: You’re a Recreational Therapist. How do you use your expertise to handle difficult conversations about mental health or emotional well-being with your children?

LD: I use my expertise in many ways, and it is not necessarily the talks we have but the experiences I try to give them. I want them to be emotionally and mentally healthy, so I expose them to different people, situations, experiences, and places. That is why having good friends, a supportive family, and a spiritual background are crucial to me. All of this ties into what I do daily, and having a healthy leisure lifestyle and positive outlet are all essential to being a healthy person holistically.

RRP: What have you learned about yourself through motherhood?

LD: I have learned a lot about myself. To be strong, caring, courageous, and loving. No matter what I do or try to instill in my children, they have their own minds and eventually make their own decisions. I trust myself and God that I’m being the best mommy I can be to my two heartbeats. I get teary-eyed thinking about it because I love being their mom. I learned there is no perfect way or rule book for parenting. You have to roll with it, especially when you have a teenager. It’s okay to make mistakes in parenting, and you need a support system to back you up. It does take a village, but overall I have learned that being a mommy is the best thing that has happened to me, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

LaVonda Daniels has been married to Keith Daniels for nine years. They have two children: Kayden (13) and Avielle (5). LaVonda grew up in Mobile, AL, and currently resides in Montgomery, AL.

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$150 DIAMOND GLOW FACIAL TREATMENT

15% MILITARY DISCOUNT & SPECIAL PRICING ON PEELS & LASER SERVICES

Dr. Porcia Love, MD, FAAD

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DEVELOPING LEADERS OF TOMORROW, WITH TUITION THAT WORKS FOR YOUR FAMILY TODAY.

TailorMAdeTuition

The Montgomery Academy is committed to attracting the area’s most talented and motivated students. Offered to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, TailorMAde Tuition allows families to pay the amount of tuition that makes sense for their financial situation. A wide range of families qualify for a reduced tuition, from those who can afford only minimal tuition to those who can afford almost full tuition.

To find out more about how our TailorMAde tuition might work for you, visit MontgomeryAcademy.org/TailorMAde, or contact Rachael Gallagher, Director of Admissions, at 334.272.8210.

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The Montgomery Academy