By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

It didn’t take long for the Alabaster School System’s canine mascot, Warrior, to settle into his six new digs as he visited the city’s six schools on Jan. 24.

Throughout the morning, Warrior, a black-and-white, five-month-old Australian shepherd puppy, toured the city’s schools with Alabaster City Schools special education teacher Wendy McNish and ACS Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers admired local students’ handiwork as they judged the system’s dog house contest.

Over the past several weeks, students at each Alabaster school have been decorating plastic doghouses for Warrior to use when he makes school visits. On Jan. 24, Warrior got a chance to try out each house, which ranged in design from an elaborate native American motif to a black-and-red theme with zebra print accents.

Thompson High School’s doghouse – a significant departure from all other schools’ designs – took first place in the contest, and drew praise from Vickers as he visited the school’s art department.

“We are letting our students’ talent shine through,” Vickers said, praising the THS advanced placement art programs. “With talent like this, there is no doubt we are going to be the very best school system in the state.”

About 20 THS art students designed a wooden shell to contain the original plastic doghouse. The wooden shell was designed to emulate the look of a native American pueblo village, and included six miniature pueblos representing the six ACS schools.

The students worked with Jill McElhannon of the Never Ending Design firm in Atlanta.

“This is a real-world example of designing and creating something awesome,” THS Principal Dr. Daniel Steele said, noting the students followed the same path as a professional builder when constructing the house.

Meadow View Elementary School’s doghouse featured a small sidewalk, a large pillow, Warrior’s family photos and a small mailbox containing letters from students.

Creek View Elementary School’s doghouse featured a Thompson arrowhead with a feather dangling from it, a roof made of sections of rope and an illustration of “Warrior’s Path to Success” on the back.

Thompson Middle School’s house featured a detailed brick texture on the roof, Milkbones hanging from the sides and photos of Warrior’s mother and “girlfriend” inside.

Thompson Intermediate School’s house featured a red-and-black paint scheme, zebra print accents on the roof and corners, a fluffy bed and toys inside and battery-powered Christmas lights on top.

Thompson Sixth-Grade Center’s house also featured a red-and-black color scheme and a Thompson arrowhead logo on the roof.