Laurie Stroud
Connie Kakoliris: Teachers Touching Lives Finalist
Teachers Touching Lives Connie Kakoliris qualifies as “Educator of the Year” for many reasons. Ms. K (as she is lovingly referred to) is an asset to Meadow View Elementary School. She teaches second grade. This year, she is our lead teacher for our virtual students in Champions Virtual Academy. She is also our technology coach …
Douglas Crabb: Teachers Touching Lives Finalist
Teachers Touching Lives Lt. Col. Douglas Crabb is an outstanding teacher and an exemplary model of excellence for all other educators to follow. He is fully committed to the success of all his students, and the connections and relationships he has with his students are amazing. His ability to work as part of a team, …
Racheal Trice: Teachers Touching Lives Finalist
Teachers Touching Lives It is with great pleasure that I recommend Mrs. Racheal Trice for the 2021 Teachers Touching Lives Award. Mrs. Trice has exhibited all of the aspects that I have wanted in a leader as well as a physical education teacher. She is passionate about students and has a determination to grow each …
Chelsea Shanks: Teachers Touching Lives Finalist
Teachers Touching Lives Mrs. Shanks is my son’s special education teacher. Noah has Sensory Processing Disorder which comes with a learning disability. Mrs. Shanks has a precious group of 14 students in the 4th and 5th grade. This year has been especially hard for all teachers. But that has not caused Mrs. Shanks to not …
Andrea Burk: Teachers Touching Lives Finalist
Teachers Touching Lives When you get a kindergarten teacher that has been teaching for 36 years, you know one of two things to be true: she’s either crazy or your child has just been blessed with the woman by whom all future teachers will be measured. With Andrea Burk, you get the latter. Once your …
OLS School Student Wins Homewood District Spelling Bee!
Education Extra Jimmy McMillan, an 8th-grader at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, won The Homewood City District Scripps Spelling Bee competition held at Homewood Middle School in January. He competed against five other Homewood area school students before clinching the title with the word “intoxications.” Jimmy is now scheduled to compete for the Jefferson …
Biking Across America for a Cause
Special Feature Vestavia’s Ben Cox is preparing to bike across America this summer for people with disabilities. Cox is a Psychology major at Troy University. In 2020, Cox was preparing to cycle from California to Washington in a 2-month event called Journey of Hope. However, due to COVID-19, those plans couldn’t happen like anticipated. Although …
Hidden in Plain Sight
Church Leaders Did you know? There are more than 40 million victims of human trafficking globally. It is estimated that 80% of human trafficking victims are women and children. The average age of victims is 13 years-old and their life expectancy once trafficked is 7 years. This trafficking is taking place right here in the …
Meet Nora & Steven: The Pediatric & Congential Heart Center of Alabama
Healthy Living Heart disease doesn’t affect just adults. For children in need of specialized cardiovascular care, families can turn to experts at the Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center of Alabama(PCHCA) at Children’s of Alabama, one of the largest pediatric cardiovascular programs in the Southeast. Here are the stories of two Jefferson County children impacted by Congenital Heart Disease and helped by Birmingham’s PCHCA. …
OLS Students Provide Support to Teacher Affected by Fultondale Tornado
Education Extra Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (OLS) students recently answered the call of service to help someone very close to their hearts. When 8th grade teacher Mrs. Renee Williams’ home was destroyed by the EF-3 tornado that ripped through Fultondale, the school immediately stepped in to help. They created a fundraiser for the …
