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Brenden Alen and Madison Halvorson with Heath Sciences at C-Tech demonstrate some of the practice techniques they have worked on during class. (REPORTER PHOTOS/KEITH MCCOY)

Students from Calera High School show off the broadcasting and graphic design skills they have at school and how it benefits their future.

Rhett Zanthose from Inverness Elementary codes a Dash robot.

Jose Salazar from Montevallo High School uses Firia labs micro bit computers to play games with python coding.

The Helena High School robotics club's robotic lizard.

Cale Blevins from Shelby Elementary uses Sam labs to learn about coding and friction related to how the robots move on different surfaces.

Logan Samuels from Wilsonville Elementary uses Ozobots and coding to complete a certain task.

Calera High School student Jalin Carlisle shows a Wack-a-Mole game they built for special needs students.

Tess Gardner from OMMS shows the skills she has learned about programming tiny robots to respond and play games.

Anna Kathryn Sharp from Helena High School uses techniques learned in Health Science Academy to stimulate muscles in the arm of an injured athlete.

Rex Horton, plumbing teacher at C-Tech, shows how plumbing has evolved over the years.

Gregary Brashaw with Columbiana Middle School show how they learned to design everything from braces to buildings on a computer program and then build a real life model of the project.

OMMS robotics team.

Camden Davis with C-Tech building machines and programing them to run like those used at production plants like Mercedes.

Camden Davis with C-Tech building machines and programing them to run like those used at production plants like Mercedes.

OMES students talk about Impact Day at school.

Forest Oaks Elementary students Ella Catanse and Makenzie Moon.

Vincent High School students show off costumes from when they did the living museum at school.

The University of Montevallo's outreach program called Falcon Flight helps students in their 13th years of education.

All seven high schools participate in the School House Granola project. Moddy Harris from Chelsea High School stands with head chef Sean Butler.

Columbiana Middle School students present facts about the FCCLA, a Family and Consumer Sciences education curriculum.

OMIS student Corbin Hill shows off his robot he designed to work with coding.

Columbiana Middle School students present an explanation of Newton's Laws of Motion.

Vincent Elementary student Hannah Frengel presents facts about her favorite animal.

ALABASTER – The work and accomplishments of the thousands of students in the Shelby County School system was on display at the Showcase of Schools on Friday, May 3, at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center.

“Today, you get to see the best of what we do,” Superintendent Lewis Brooks said.

Brooks noted the system’s 95-percent graduation rate, which is well above the state average of 89 percent.

Other recent recognitions include Oak Mountain High School’s Hayden Belisle being named state Elementary Counselor of the Year, Chelsea Park Elementary School’s Vickey Bailey being named District Teacher of the Year and Montevallo High School being recognized for an increase in ACT scores.

Vincent Middle High School’s JROTC presented the colors before Kendal Williams of the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation welcomed those in attendance at the event, which was sponsored by Regions Bank.

The Montevallo (Elementary) Dance Crew and Oak Mountain Middle School Show Choir also performed before attendees broke off to various classrooms at the SCISC for the Student Interactive Showcase.

Eight different rooms at the facility were devoted to various areas of study, with students and teachers from schools across the system presenting projects and lessons they have learned.

In the English Language Arts room, Elvin Hill Elementary third grader Brayden Hutton could be seen on a video presentation he produced as part of a county-wide Imagination Book Festival.

Hutton researched his subject, wrote his own script and won first place in the competition, which included students in grades 3-5, teacher Jennifer Milstead said.

“It’s really student-driven,” Milstead said. “As a coach, I just point them in the right direction.”

Down the hall in the math room, kindergarteners Avery Akers and Jace Garner were demonstrating their understanding of the Base-Ten Number System through Counting Collections lessons.

Math coach/interventionist Barbara Reese said Counting Collections is offered across the district at least once a week.

“We cover every counting and number standard through Counting Collections,” Reese said.

Oak Mountain High School 10th grader Michael Baird won first place in the state Skills USA Competition, and demonstrated his knowledge of plumbing at the Showcase.

Though still in his first year in the plumbing program at the Career Educational Technical Center, Baird will work with a plumbing company over the summer to gain experience.

“We’ve learned pretty much everything we need to know about it,” he said.

Next door in the STEAM room, fifth grader Logan Samuels and teacher Allison Hobbs from Wilsonville Elementary School were demonstrating how young students can learn computer coding using Ozobots, devices for which Hobbs helped the school secure a grant.

“They’re great to start coding with because they’re color-coded,” Hobbs said about the Ozobots, which are about the size of a golf ball and perform simple commands such as traveling in various directions and spinning around. “This is preparing them for real, actual coding.”

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