Greene Publishing, Inc.

By Lynette Norris
Green Publishing, Inc.

Victoria Crews has been teaching school since she was in second grade.
As a second grader, Victoria, the youngest of four children, discovered her lifelong desire to teach. However, since all her siblings were older than she was, she played school with her dolls.

A typical school day for her dolls included getting on and off the bus safely, going to the cafeteria and paying attention to their teacher in class. “I’d have roll call, give them tests, the whole nine yards,” said Crews.

Her mom and dad fully supported her dream, even providing her with chalk and allowing her to write on walls and the backs of doors while she taught her “second graders.” Her parents also played the part of school principals, occasionally looking on the “class” to see how things were going.

“Imagination can take you a long way if you just believe in your dreams,” she said. Now, she lives her dream every day with real children instead of dolls, commuting from Valdosta where she grew up, to Greenville Elementary School where she teaches a real second grade class. This year, she was also chosen as Greenville Elementary’s Teacher of the Year.

Her passion for teaching was inspired by her own second grade teacher, Mrs. B. Johnson. “She was one of those teachers who was also ‘mom.’ She was a teacher first, but she also wanted her students to feel safe, secure and loved.”

That positive environment awakened a desire to follow Mrs. Johnson’s example. Although she never learned Mrs. Johnson’s first name, she knew what she wanted to do with her life.

Teaching, her lifelong dream, is now her passion. “Just to see the smiles on the children’s faces after accomplishing a task. The ‘ooh’ and the ‘ahh’ and the ‘wow, I did it!’”

At least one other sibling shares her love of teaching. Her brother, William Crews, just moved to North Carolina to accept an instructor position at a community college. Another brother Eric Young, is an independent contractor for a military base in Pooler, Ga., and her sister Tammie Davis is a cosmetologist in their hometown of Valdosta.

She also has an eight-year-old son who goes to school in Valdosta, and a 20-year-old goddaughter.
Before teaching at Greenville, she taught another second grade class at Madison County Central School, where her teaching caught the attention of Principal Davis Barclay. When he transferred to Greenville Elementary, he remembered her, and when an opening appeared at GES and Crews applied for it, he made sure he hired her. “I was in San Francisco at the time, and I hired her from there,” he said. “Have I mentioned what a wonderful, wonderful teacher she is?”

It started with a dream, and that dream was inspired by another wonderful teacher who helped Victoria Crews realize what she wanted to be.

“My motto is ‘educating young minds for future times,” she said.

So perhaps even now, there is a second grader sitting in her class, who will one day realize his or her own dream of teaching, a dream that Victoria Crews herself will have inspired for the future.

By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.

As April draws to a close, high school senior celebrate the final countdown until graduation. Madison County High School seniors will have a little more than a month until they will cross the stage, turn their tassels and toss their caps into the air. The final month of high school is filled with awards ceremonies, Baccalaureate and graduation. Below are the dates for all of these events.

Baccalaureate will be held on Tuesday, May 29. The Madison Ministerial Association will conduct the program. It will take place at the North Florida Community College Van H. Priest Auditorium. The program begins at 7 p.m. Seniors are asked to be at the auditorium at 6:30 p.m. There will not be a rehearsal. Cap and gowns are to be worn for this ceremony. Baccalaureate is not mandatory.

Directly following Baccalaureate will be the senior awards night. This will begin at approximately 8 p.m. Seniors may participate in Awards Night without participating in Baccalaureate. Seniors must be present to receive your award (not the next day). Cap and gowns must be worn.

Graduation will be on Friday, June 1 at 8 p.m. on the football field. Rehearsal will be held at 9 a.m. on June 1. This is mandatory for all seniors who wish to participate in the graduation ceremony. Attendance will be taken and seats will be assigned at this time. No practice=No participation in graduation. A class picture will be taken at practice. Be there! Students will meet in the cafeteria at 7 p.m. before graduation begins. They will be able to pick up their diplomas following the ceremony.

Graduation attire is as follows: Do not bring purses or any valuables to the cafeteria. This is a formal ceremony. Girls will wear nice dresses or dress pants, under their gowns. They must wear high heels, dress shoes or sandals with a heel. Absolutely no jeans, shorts, boots, flip-flops, or tennis shoes will be permitted. Boys will wear dress slacks (khaki dress pants are permitted), dress shirt, dress shoes and a tie. Absolutely no jeans, shorts, flip-flops, or tennis shoes will be permitted. All students are asked to not bring any devices that make noise. Cell phones are to be in the off mode.

By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.

As FCAT approaches, many students and teachers are preparing to face the test. This year’s FCAT schedule is as follows:

Monday, April 16 – Grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 will take Session 1 of the reading test. Grade 6 will take session 1 and 2 of mathematics.

Tuesday, April 17 – Grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 will take Session 2 of the reading test. Grade 6 will take Session 1 of the reading.

Wednesday, April 18 – Grades 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 will take Session 1 of mathematics. Grade 6 will take Session 2 of reading.

Thursday, April 19 – Grades 3,4 and 5 will take Session 2 of mathematics.

Tuesday, April 24 – Grade 5 will take Session 1 of science.

Wednesday, April 25 – Grade 5 will take Session 2 of science.

Make up testing will be offered for all grades on April 17, 18, 19 and 20. Make up testing will be offered for grade 3-8 on April 23. Make up testing will be offered for grades 4-8 on April 25, 26 and 27.

Aucilla Christian Academy had the pleasure of sending two of their students to Gainesville for the Young Leaders Conference recently. Sophomores Hunter Horne of Monticello and Cole Davis of Madison attended the conference held from Jan. 27-29.

The weekend consisted of a strict schedule of workshops that covered what it takes to be a leader.

However, it wasn’t all work and no play, students were able to enjoy a dance social and a game night in the hotel ballroom. Cole Davis stated that his favorite workshop was one that built community and trust with the other students through an obstacle course. It really challenged him to work as a team but to also build trusting relationships with his peers.

Upon being interviewed about their weekend, both students agreed that they would want to attend the conference again next year. Hunter’s take home message from the weekend was, “Don’t follow the crowd, do what’s right even if you are the only one doing it.” Overall the two found the weekend to be very rewarding and made lasting friendships.

Aucilla Christian Academy is very proud to have had participants at the conference and look forward to sending more students again next year.

The Madison Office of Saint Leo University released the Dean’s List of students with high academic achievement for the Fall 2011 terms. These students completed at least 12 credit hours and received a GPA of 3.65 or higher. Thirty-two students from the Madison Office are on the Dean’s List for the Fall 2011 terms.

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration,
Specialization: Management
Timothy Dunn
Cynthia Foreman
William Hamm
Tamisha Mordica
Brittany Pittman
Elisabeth Schaffer

Elementary Education
Tracy Atkinson
Melissa Carter
Samantha Fletcher
Lorenzo Hickman Jr.
Edie Hotchkiss
Nikki Hunter
Jackie Jackson
Bryttany Martin
Jacqueline McDonald
Katie Miller
Brenda Raulerson
Marcy Richardson
Stephanee Skipper
Colleen Welsh

Human Services
Julie Adams
Kende Bodiford
Tammy Davis
Erika Grambling
Tangela Knight
Lauren Lynn
Christopher Morgan
Haley Radford
Violet Tipton
Cassandra Williams

By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.

The Gator Club of Madison started about 1984, and Gator Club Scholarships for local graduates headed for college at the University of Florida began soon afterward. Gator Club member Joe Akerman was the scholarship chairman for many years, and he always envisioned the Gator Club scholarship award as having criteria similar to that of a Rhodes Scholarship; an award that looked at not only the student’s academic achievement but also took into account service to his or her community.

Following Akerman’s death last year, Frances “Sissy” Adleberg, an NFCC English instructor, assumed the scholarship chairman duties for the Club.

The club raises most of its scholarship money through the Gator Club Golf Tournament it holds each year. B.F Killingsworth, another devoted Gator Club member, worked very hard every year to organize the fundraising event.

Sadly, Killingsworth also passed away last year, and the golf tournament has been renamed the B.F. Killingsworth Golf Classic in his honor.

“We’re thankful for all the businesses and individuals who participate in the golf tournament each year and contribute to our fundraiser,” said current Gator Club member Tim Sanders, Clerk of the Court, Madison County. “All the money raised goes toward scholarships.”

Any graduate of Madison County High School or North Florida Community College, who is continuing his or her studies at the University of Florida, is eligible and may apply. This year, six Madison County students were awarded Gator Club scholarships:

Clay Daniel Sapp
Major: Agriculture Education
MCHS Class of 2010 Salutatorian, Summa Cum Laude
AA degree from NFCC
December 2011
Enrolled at UF Spring of 2012

Caitlin Renee Tourangeau
Major: Agricultural Operations Management
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
AA degree from NFCC
December 2011
Enrolled at UF Spring of 2012

Hunter Jacob Elliot
Major: Exploring Engineering Studies: Intent – Electrical Engineering
FCCLA – Two years
Leadership Staff of MCHS Band
Enrolled at UF Spring of 2012

Kayla Leann Sapp –
graduated 2010, valedictorian, MCHS, currently at UF.
Major: Accounting
MCHS Class of 2010 Valedictorian
AA degree from NFCC May 2011
Enrolled at UF Fall of 2011

Daniel Sanders
Major: Hospitality Services/ Parks, Recreation and Tourism
AA from NFCC May 2011
Enrolled at UF Fall of 2011

Calaysia Jones
Major: Health Services/Pre-Med
FCCLA – Four years
Enrolled UF Fall of 2011