Pride Award Winners

Service Awards

Lay Leader - Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Service Award - Rhonda Johnson
Ethnic Minority - Sherri Huff

Student Awards

Outstanding Student of the Year - Justin Foster (Athens State University)
Outstanding Majors Club of the Year: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Not pictured: Future Professionals Professional Development Award Winners: Kimberly Cook (UAB) and Jamila Gibson (Alabama State University)

Hoops for Heart and Jump for Heart

Hoops For Heart - Kristie Harris

Jump Rope For Heart - Patti Turner

Coaches of the Year

Female Coach of the Year - Susan Snedecor

Male Coach of the Year - Gary Graveman

Teachers of the Year

Elem. Teacher of the Year- Ginger Aaron (Shelby County Schools)

M.S. Teacher of the Year- Amanda Hayes (Trussville City Schools)

H.S. Teacher of the Year - Beth Ulman (Hoover City Schools)
Dance Educator of the Year - Yvette Bolen (Athens State University)

Administrator of the Year

Ms. Susan Wood-Child Nutrition Director from Hoover City Schools

Honor Award Winners with Pictures

Honor Awards: Suzanne Stone and Hank Williford

Suzanne Stone was present to accept her award, Dr. Williford was unable to attend due to family reasons but wrote an amazing touching speech.

2010 Award Winners

Please join me in congratulating this year's, ASAHPERD Award Winners. All winners will be recognized at the Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. Pictures will be posted later.

Honor Awards: Suzanne Stone and Hank Williford

Elem. Teacher of the Year- Ginger Aaron

M.S. Teacher of the Year- Amanda Hayes

H.S. Teacher of the Year - Beth Ulman

Lay Leader - Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Service Award - Rhonda Johnson

Female Coach of the Year - Susan Snedecor

Male Coach of the Year - Gary Graveman

Dance Educator of the Year - Yvette Bolen

Hoops For Heart - Kristie Harris

Jump Rope For Heart - Patti Turner

Administrator of the Year - Susan Wood

Outstanding Student of the Year - Justin Foster (Athens State University)

Ethnic Minority - Sherri Huff
Outstanding Majors Club of the Year: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Future Professionals Professional Development Award Winners: Kimberly Cook (UAB) and Jamila Gibson (Alabama State University)

Tailgate Auction

Please don't forget to donate items to be used for the silent auction on Monday night at the Fall Conference. The silent auction will start on Monday around 5:45pm and all items need to be in by Monday morning.

All money raised will be donated to the MS Society (Multiple Sclerosis Society)

Also, make plans now to play in the annual corn hole bean bag tournament, $5.00 per team. The tournament will begin at the end of the silent auction.

Thank you :)

Pre-Registration Deadline

Remember that the deadline for pre-registration is November 1, 2010. Go ahead and get your conference registration forms in or go online to www.asahperd.org and register online for the conference.

Also, remember that your membership needs to be current!!!!!

Fall Conference Keynote Speakers Bio

Debbie Goforth has been an educator and “keeper of hope” in the Texas school system since 1980. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She has taught at every level, but her primary focus has long been the tumultuous secondary school years. Debbie was a classroom teacher/coach for 24 years before stepping into the administrative role of At-Risk Coordinator 6 years ago. She has retired from the San Angelo school district as of May, 2009 completing 29 years of service in education. At the time of retirement, she entered a new phase of her life: public speaking as a means of advocating for kids of all ages. She has spoken all over the United States motivating and encouraging others who work with our precious children. Her upbeat and positive attitude is contagious and infects everyone with whom she comes in contact. She helps anyone wherever she can. Most importantly, Debbie has always advocated that students, mainly the ones labeled "at-risk," need our empathy not our sympathy. We reach these children by loving them where they are. Debbie has been promoting the phrase “No Child Will Be Left Behind” long before it came into vogue. She has been named Teacher of the Year numerous times on her campuses, but it is not the awards but the rewards of seeing a child succeed that mean the most to her.

Debbie has written a book about working with at-risk students – Scars of Love, Tears of Hope. This book explores the world of education in a surprising new light. It tells the story of numerous at-risk kids that Debbie has taught and counseled over her 29-year-career. It explores the remarkably effective approach she has developed in giving them hope for their future. Scars of Love is based upon eleven attributes that an effective “keeper of hope” must demonstrate, from being approachable and dependable to creating hopes and dreams and showing compassion. It represents the tools that will help acknowledge and validate kids, to making them feel good about themselves and their places in the world. A quote from Debbie, "As a teacher, woman, and keeper of hope, I have a choice. I can choose to leave scars of love on the kids I see and interact with everyday or I can leave scars of hurt. As adults, we all have the same choice. For me, the answer is the only one I am capable of leaving: scars of love."

“Debbie Goforth is the sort of teacher and mentor that every school wants and every child needs in their lives. Her years of experience in bringing hope to children from hopeless situations qualify her as a bona fide expert on the transformational power of love. Time and again, her stories illustrate the age-old truth that, in the absence of love, the most intellectual words simply fall on deaf ears. She brings the human touch to teaching, sharing wisdom that will benefit anyone who would invest in the life of a child.”
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas

Fall Conference

Start making your plans now to attend the Fall Conference from November 14-November 16, 2010 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, AL!!!

More information to come!

See you there!

District 7 Workshop

District 7 had a great workshop with over 35 people in attendance at Forest Hills Elementary School in Florence in their brand new gym.

The workshop hosted the following sessions:
The Busy School Day/Integrating Health into all Elementary Subjects
Elementary and Middle School Activities
Outdoor Education
Jump for Heart Presentation
Toppleball
Alliance for a Healthier Generation Presentation
Stress Management/Relaxation
High School Activities

Special thanks to all the presenters and Leslie Thorn whose school hosted the workshop and to the District 7 representative, Lori McGee for all their hard work in putting this workshop together!

District 6 Workshop

ASAHPERD partnered with the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Alabama State University, and the University of West Alabama to take the District 6 workshop to the people of West Alabama which turned out to be a huge success.

The morning started off with an introduction from Ms. Brandi Pouncey who is from the Strategic Alliance Division at the Department of Health who funded the workshop, and Dr. Satcher from the University of West Alabama that hosted the workshop.

Then Penny Edwards, the Future Professionals Advisor did the welcome from ASAHPERD and encouraged everyone to join ASAHPERD and come to the fall conference, then it was off to me to do the Ice Breakers where we did a jammin minute from the Alliance, greet your neighbor, and team work.

After that, we had the following breakout sessions:

• Introduction to WAY by Natalie Steed
• Spelling and Literacy in the Physical Education Classroom by Ann Holcomb
• Get on the Ball and Out of the Bleachers: ASU HPER Majors and Dr. Gary Grandison
• Technology Resources for the Classroom-Dr. Patricia Floyd·
  
• The Busy School Day and Health Education -Dr. Renfroe
• Science Education and the Physical Education Classroom-Sharon Smith
• Catch Kids Program for Afterschool-Dr. Satcher
• Math in the Physical Education Classroom-Shanekia Wiley
• Coordinated School Health –Dr. Evans
• Social Studies and Movement-Jackie Jackson
• Bullying in today’s Society-Dr Edmondson and Dr. Golightly
• Outdoor Education-Dr. Coates

Then we had closing remarks and door prizes from Heidi Hataway and Leslie Knox from the State Department of Public Health.

A huge thanks to everyone who was involved in making this workshop take place, especially to Heidi and her division at the Alabama Department of Public Health.

District 4 Workshop

Ann Holcomb, the District 4 Representative but on an amazing workshop at Fultondale Elementary School in early June which had about 40 people in attendance.

The workshop featured:

Basketball Skills for K-6
Useful Ways to Use the Playground
Ideas for Implementing Physical Fitness Testing (recording and reporting)

Thanks to Ann for all her hardwork and to all the Board members who attended this workshop to support Ann!

District 8 Workshop

Sharon Lowery, your district 8 representative hosted a wonderful workshop at Williams Middle School in Huntsville, AL.

The workshop featured the legendary Toni Leo who spent the morning teaching us how to use pedometers in every day physical education activities.

The afternoon was spent learning how to use the Trikke bikes, how to apply for grants to get them, and they fit into a quality physical education program.

Sharon ended out the evening giving away several great door prizes. It was well attended by over 35 people.

Thanks to everyone who presented and all the board members who came out to support this workshop.

Two Workshops Left

Wow, your district reps have been hard at work this summer providing some great workshops. We are down to two left:

July 22, 2010: District 6 at the University of West Alabama in Livingston from 9:00-3:30
July 28, 2010: District 7 Workshop at Forest Hills Elementary School in Florence, all day

For more information on these two workshops, please visit www.asahperd.org and click on the summer workshops link.

President's Message

Hello to all! The time has flown by, it seems like just a few short months ago I was nominated to become President of ASAHPERD. What a wonderful honor it is for me to serve in this capacity. I am excited about the upcoming year and know it will be a rewarding one for each one of us.

What an informative and fun spring conference we just had in Orange Beach. I had the opportunity to participate in the Student Leadership Conference providing ice breakers for our future professionals and getting to know many of them. Our profession is in great hands with these young professionals. I would like to thank all the future professionals and professionals that attended this event and helped to make it a success.

Upon becoming President-elect, I began thinking about a theme for my presidency. Our Vision Statement is: ASAHPERD envisions all citizens in Alabama to have the opportunity to enjoy a quality life through knowledge and active participation in healthy lifestyle choices. After reading our vision, I thought about all the individuals that provided me with the opportunity to enjoy a quality life. The list was endless: physical education teachers, classroom teachers, coaches, professors, administrators and the list goes on. These individuals that influenced my life taught me how to play several sports or activities that I still participate in as an adult. I thought what a great theme to have: “Playing it Forward”. What individuals have “Played it Forward” for you? Are you “Playing it Forward” for others such as your students, co-workers, or future professionals?

As members of ASAHPERD we have the opportunity to teach and share the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle through educating all citizens in Alabama. It is imperative that we support and promote our profession. I encourage you to be a role model and a mentor, supporting and communicating the value of our profession with individuals that cross your path, be it in the community or professionally.

I believe this year is going to be a pivotal one. Regardless of the career path you have chosen, the new initiatives happening all around our country such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Program” focusing on healthy, active lifestyles, there has not been a better time than now to begin “Playing it Forward”. Let’s focus on the future providing the knowledge and resources we have as an organization to assist others in making healthy, lifestyle choices.

Greetings To All!

This Year's Theme is "Playing it Forward". What comes to mind when you hear that "Theme"? Kindness, Helping others, Giving or maybe The Domino effect. As an organization we are in a position to do all of these things, whether you are a teacher, coach, health professional or an advocate for healthy living, you can "Play it Forward".

So let's get Playing ASAHPERD! I look forward to a great year as your president!