Teachers, students, community members recognized at BOE meeting

After some delays due to weather and athletics, the Mountain Brook Board of Education convened on Jan. 22 for their first meeting of the year. Early on the agenda was the presentation of each school’s teacher of the year. They were as follows:

• Sammye Davis, Kindergarten - Brookwood Forest Elementary
• Sarah Katherine Janicki, special education - Cherokee Bend Elementary
• Kimi Blanton, Spanish - Crestline Elementary
• Kendra Haddock, art - Mountain Brook Elementary
• Lisa Lewis, history - Mountain Brook Junior High
• Fred Major, statistics - Mountain Brook High School.

After each principal recognized their nominees for their hard work, dedication and passion, the district named Blanton and Lewis as their representatives for Alabama Teacher of the Year. 

“I’m just reminded when I look up here, and I see all of you teachers, I think that’s why our school system is so great,” Superintendent Dicky Barlow said of the nominations and supporting staff. “Y’all are just awesome teachers.”

MBHS principal Amanda Hood also took the time to recognize a group of people who responded to a student’s life-threatening medical emergency on the first day of school this year. 

Classmates Kade Worthen and Mason Johnson noticed the student in trouble while in gym class and notified their teacher of the problem, making sure to stay on site until first responders arrived. Teachers, coaches and administration then worked together to calmly and smoothly address the situation while following instructions from school nurse Barbie Sanak while she used her training to aid the student and utilize the school’s AED. 

“She is simply the best, and we are so proud she is part of the family at Mountain Brook High School,” Hood said of Sanak. Both the Mountain Brook Fire Department and Police Department quickly responded and were able to transport the student to the nearest hospital, where they recovered.

“You saved somebody’s life and they are walking around Mountain Brook High School right now because of you,” Barlow said of those who responded. “I and the board and this community are extremely grateful for you.”

Also during the Board of Education meeting, members:

• Recognized sixth grade Crestline Elementary student Alice Estes for earning first place in the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. For her essay, she chose to write about her fictional but historically accurate life in a diary format and included an entry where her father returned home from war, unscathed. Her essay will now move on to the state competition.
• Approved the previous meeting’s minutes.
• Approved the addition of mathematics courses Math 126 Calculus II and Math 227 Calculus III (dual enrollment) for MBHS.
• Approved a budget amendment to revise the starting amount for FY18.
• Tabled the edited curriculum for world languages and fine arts for one month to allow for community input.
• Approved a ratification of property donation after a local family, living adjacent to Mountain Brook Elementary, opted to donate a portion of their lot after learning that then school has an existing retaining wall encroaching onto their property.
• Declared that students do not have to make up the snow day from Dec. 8 after determining the schools meet the minimum instructional hours requirement, although employees will have to make up the school day since they are already paid for.
• Approved suggestions for personnel.
• Approved the sale of surplus items.
• Reviewed the financial statements to the board.

The next board meeting will be on Feb. 12 at Brookwood Forest Elementary. 

Editor's note: This article was updated at 7:14 p.m. on Jan. 22 to correct the spelling of Kade Worthen's name.