Here’s what’s happening in Mobile County Public Schools this week …

AWARD-WINNING COUNSELORS: Kristy McLain, a counselor at Alba Middle School, was named the Alabama School Counselor of the Year by the Alabama School Counselor Association. McClain is the third MCPSS counselor to receive this statewide honor in the past four years. In addition, five Mobile County Public Schools counselors recently received the Program of Distinction Award from ALSCA on behalf of their work at their respective schools. They are: Tonya Berryhill of Wilmer Elementary, Faith Hammons of Alba Middle, and DaVonte Williams, Mico Lucious and Tiara Cooper of Blount High School. This award recognizes counselors for their commitment to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program. The awards were presented at the ASCA’s Critical Issues Conference held at the University of Montevallo. As the Alabama School Counselor of the Year, McLain will be Alabama’s nominee for American School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year. (More information is available here: Alba’s Kristy McLain named Alabama School Counselor of the Year | Mobile County Public Schools; photo attached; a VNR with Ms. McLain that you may edit and use, slugged “Alba Middle School Counselor of the Year,” is available here: http://dmsftp.mcpss.com/tvnetwork/ ) 

NEW GYM AT MARY B.: Mary B. Austin Elementary School will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. to celebrate the official opening of the school’s multi-purpose gymnasium and auditorium. The school is located at 150 Provident Lane.

MOBILE LAUNCH: More than 2,700 MCPSS eighth-graders will attend the second Mobile Launch Career Exploration Event at Abba Shrine Center on Wednesday and Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event is designed to help students explore potential career paths and talk with local industry professionals. It’s one of many opportunities presented by the school district to give our students information about careers throughout the region. Photo from last year’s event is attached.

BROADCASTS: McpssTV is wrapping up its live football broadcasting season with some exciting games. Here is the schedule:

• Middle school football championships, games at 4 and 6 p.m., on Thursday, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. In the small division, Pillans will play Mobile County Training School at 4 p.m.; in the large division, Scarborough will play Burns at 6 p.m.
• McGill-Toolen at Baker High, 7 p.m., on Friday, at Baker High School.

The award-winning mcpssTV live broadcasts may be viewed on Mobile County Public Schools’ Facebook page and mcpssTV’s YouTube channel, as well as on Mediacom 85, AT&T U-verse 99, and Roku boxes.

VIRTUAL DAY: Because many of our schools serve as polling sites, Election Day (November 3) will be a Virtual Learning Day, with no in-person classes. School will resume on November 4.