The ABSS Board of Education and Dr. Butler approved six new Assistant Principals Monday evening at its regular monthly meeting.
Alexis Crumel was named the new AP at Southeast Alamance High School. Crumel previously taught at Hawfields Middle for six years before becoming an Assistant Principal in Thomasville City Schools.
Another familiar face taking on the role of AP is Aaron Acome at Eastern High School. Acome, who currently teaches Social Studies at Southern Alamance High School, will be joining Eastern this fall. He has previous experience as an administrator in both Orange and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Lauren Prinz, a longtime Instructional Specialist and Exceptional Children's Teacher at Graham High School, will assume a new AP role at Western Alamance High this fall. Prinz has been with ABSS since 2015.
Melissa Winant, who worked as an AP in Rockingham County Schools, will now serve as one of the Assistant Principals at Graham Middle School. Winant worked previously in ABSS as a teacher.
Audrey McBride was named the new AP at Hawfields Middle. McBride previously worked as an administrator, interventionist coach, and instructional specialist at Eastern Alamance High School, as well as in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Mark Lucas will be starting his first administrator role as the new AP at Highland Elementary. Lucas has several years of experience as an Exceptional Children's teacher within the District.
Athletic Trainers
After months of discussion, Athletic Trainers will be on the sidelines at all ABSS high school games. ABSS entered into an agreement with Stewart Physical Therapy to provide the services. They will be responsible for providing immediate onsite care, both in emergency and non-emergency situations, ensuring the well-being of the student-athletes. They will also play a crucial role in coordinating follow-up and rehabilitation procedures to facilitate the safe return of athletes who may be injured. The hiring of trainers is a proactive step that the Board, Administrators, Athletic Directors, and Coaches have pushed for in prioritizing the health and safety of student-athletes.
ACC Partnership
The Board unanimously approved a partnership between ABSS and Alamance Community College (ACC) through 2025 that will continue to enable high school students to earn college credits, certifications, and even an associate's degree while still in high school.
According to Revonda Johnson, ABSS Chief Academic Officer, this partnership offers significant cost savings for families and opens doors that may have seemed impossible otherwise. This collaboration over the years between ABSS and ACC has paved the way for various opportunities such as the Early College, Pre-Collegiate, AIMS, and Trade Skills programs at Graham High School, Fine Arts at Cummings High School, and the EMT Partnership, among others.
ACC Board Appointment
Mebane resident Ken Walker was selected to represent ABSS on the Alamance Community College Board of Trustees. In this role, Walker will serve as one of the four public school representatives on the board. The Board of Education opened applications for vacant positions, and Walker was the sole applicant. Board members congratulated Walker on his appointment and commend his willingness to serve in this important capacity.
Gifts and Grants
The following gifts and grants were also accepted:
A grant from Cone Health of $4,500 will be used to purchase four additional portable Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
Community members donated $10,997.72 for the continued upkeep of the historic McCray School.
Labcorp donated $2,030.00 to the Alamance-Burlington School System Needy Children's Fund.
Southeast Alamance High School received a donation of $1500.00 from Grace Church of Chapel Hill.
Recognitions
The Cummings Women's Track Team was recognized for their recent victory as they secured the 2-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association Track and Field State Champions title. This achievement adds to their already impressive track record of state championships in Women's Track. The 2023 title marks an impressive 17th championship win for the Cavaliers. A notable standout in their success is Cummings freshman D'Anna Cotton. She was victorious in both the high jump and triple jump events.
Paylor
Cummings High School’s Jonathan Paylor was also honored for his recent achievement as the state 400-meter champion. Paylor has garnered widespread recognition in football recruiting circles as one of the most highly sought-after running backs in the country.
Eastern Soccer
The Board congratulated the Eastern Alamance Women’s Soccer Team on their recent 3A State Championship. The lady Eagles shutout South Point High. Eastern Alamance wrapped up 2023 with a staggering 137 goals scored compared to just eight goals allowed. The win was a first for Eastern Alamance High School.
DARE Educator
Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary 5th grade teacher Erika Kennedy received a certificate from the Board Monday night. Kennedy was recently named the North Carolina D.A.R.E Educator of the Year. Ms. Kennedy began her teaching career at Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary 19 years ago after moving to the area from New York.
Student Support
The Board also recognized three student support services staff members:
Andrews Elementary, Brittany Myers - ABSS School Social Worker of the Year
Broadview Middle, Annie Goldberg - ABSS School Counselor of the Year
Broadview, Rebecca Hudson - ABSS School Nurse of the Year
The Board of Education congratulated the staff and the students for their well-deserved recognition and thanked them for their commitment and dedication which made these achievements possible.
