Grades one through six at Eastwood Christian School celebrated meeting, and surpassing, their summer reading goals at an ice cream party on Friday, August 20.  The Blue Bell treats helped to beat the summer heat as the students were honored for receiving a total of 2,208 book credits.  Top readers in each grade were: Mark Buxbaum, Rachel White, Anna Buxbaum, Mark White, Lia Foti, and Sarah Cate Stakely.  Each of the top readers received a gift card from Books-A-Million.  Special recognition was also given to Will Draper, Morgan Illman, and Millie Hodge for reading books with over 500 pages.

Pictured:  Back Row-Will Draper, Lia Foti,
Sarah Cate Stakely, Mark White
Middle Row-Millie Hodge and Morgan Illman
Seated-Anna Buxbaum, Mark Buxbaum and Rachel White

On August 19, Eastwood Senior Taylor Foxx was awarded the “Venturing Leadership Award” by Tukabatchee Area Council. This award is given to Venturers who have made exceptional contributions to Venturing on the council, area or regional level and who exemplify the Venturing Code in their daily lives. Taylor Foxx is the first youth recipient of the VLA in the Tukabatchee Area Council. Venturing is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America for older boys and girls ages 14-21.
Eagle Scout Taylor Foxx is currently the VOA (Venture’s Officer Association) President for the Montgomery area and the President of Crew 307 chartered out of Aldersgate Methodist Church.

The Montgomery Youth Orchestra, which is open to high school students and musically advanced junior high school students, held its audition on Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Eastwood is proud to announce that three of their students are included this year. Sophomore, Holley Bellenger and  junior, Maria Kometer, are first year members while senior, William Johnson has been a member for the past 6 years. Holley plays the flute, Maria plays the French Horn and William plays the violin. To audition, the students had to play scales, sight-read and perform solo pieces.  The Youth Orchestra is sponsored by the Montgomery Symphony League and conducted by Mrs. Yvonne Collins.

Pictured L to R is Holley Bellenger, William Johnson and Maria Kometer

Montgomery first grader Evan Nicholas Leary was among 12 elementary students and authors statewide to be selected winners in the PBS KIDS Go! Writers Contest, sponsored by Alabama Public Television. Leary, who was also a winner in APT’s 2009 writing contest, received a second-place award in the first grade category for his book, “Weasler and the Big Purple Blimp”.

The contest encourages children grades K-3 to celebrate the power of writing and illustrating by creating their own original storybooks.  First through third-place winners are selected in each grade level.  This year, a record 285 entries were submitted to APT’s Education Division.

Winning authors were recognized at a special awards ceremony held this past spring at the Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery and they were hosted with their family at an APT-sponsored luncheon in their honor at the historic Young House.  They were also presented with a gift package containing books and educational activities from APT.