Spring has sprung and students at Alba Middle are excited about sprucing up the campus. The Alba Middle Ambassadors are building a deck in front of the gym along Alba Street. This beautification project has been in the works for two years and building has already begun. Current Alba Ambassadors and previous Alba students came out on Sunday March 19th to help build the deck. A special thanks goes out to Michelle Dai, Tavin Keovoravong, Rickaela Bosarge, Kayla Slade, Dena Slade, Hayli Wilson, parent Ricky Bosarge, Harun Perez (spouse of Mrs. Perez), and builder Kevin Collier (an Alba high school graduate). Funding for the deck project was made possible through fundraisers by the Alba Ambassadors and donations from Great Southern Wood and the Alba Class of 1994.
Sponsor of the Ambassadors, Mrs. Perez was also awarded a beautification grant through Keep Mobile Beautiful. Those funds acquired are intended to be used in purchasing a new school sign to be placed at the corner of Alba Street and Wintzell Avenue. Donations and funding are still needed to complete this project.
Other recent projects sponsored by the National Junior Honor Society include revitalizing both the September 11th Memorial Rose Garden and the Sarah McGuff Memorial Butterfly Garden. Visitors will also notice a complete redesign around the iconic little red caboose that adorns the front lawn. A special thanks to Ms. Veronica Wilson and crew from Roni’s Tropical Nursery and Landscaping in Theodore on the designs and implementation.
Eighth grader Joseph Souvannasy qualified for the state level National Geographic Bee after winning Alba’s local competition in January. Much like a spelling bee, students move through rounds of questions developed by National Geographic that focus on facts around the world. Jospeh edged out Abbagale Looney and Kyler Curtis to win in the finals.
In February, forty 8th graders went to the University of South Alabama to visit the College of Engineering during National Engineering Week. Students participated in engineering challenges and toured the facility. After visiting the College of Engineering, students rode the Jag Tran, visited the student center and the on-campus book store. Students also experienced college dining before returning to Alba’s campus.
College opportunities have been a focus of the National Junior Honor Society this year as well. Over the course of the school year members have toured South Alabama, Spring Hill College, and the University of Mobile. Almost one hundred students are using these opportunities to educate themselves about admission requirements, choices in majors, and campus life. The year long journey will end with a trip to Troy University in April.
Alba stays committed to providing learning opportunities to extend classroom activities. After a novel study on The Diary of Anne Frank, students travelled to the WWII Museum in New Orleans where they experienced the USS Tang submarine simulator, interacted with Vets, observed actual artifacts, and viewed the Beyond All Boundaries movie. The day ended at the Audubon Insectarium and Butterfly Garden with a tour of the facility.
