Stride Alabama December e-News As we close the final month of another year in our 9-year partnership with Alabama schools, we are so thankful for the gift of working with you! We wish every Stride administrator, teacher, student and parent a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Remember to encourage usage of Stride over the Winter Break with Holiday Stride Contests! (Here's how.) "Top Thinkers" at A.M. Windham Elementary  Congratulations to the winners of the "Thanksgiving Thinking" contest at A.M. Windham Elementary (Daleville City Schools).  These two Super-Star Second Graders, pictured below with their official Stride certificates, are from Mrs. Barbara Webb's math class and together earned a combined 57,272 Star Points during Thanksgiving vacation! Principal Chris Mitten, Mrs. Webb, your CLAS Academic Specialist Gina Price, and the entire crew here at LTS are SO PROUD of you! Keep setting an amazing example for your classmates! Litzy Diego is Dreaming BIG with Stride!Eighth grader Litzy Diego has dedicated herself to using Stride consistently after school. What's her motivation?  Litzy aspires to be a doctor one day! She chooses to focus her Stride skills practice mostly on Science content. Over Thanksgiving Break, Litzy correctly answered over 1,000 questions and accumulated over 3 million Star Points! We think her diligence and drive is going to prepare her well for the long hours of learning and helping others one day as a future MD!   Pictured below: Keisha Ragland (teacher), Litzy Diego, Rhonda Lewis (CLAS Academic Specialist)  Litzy attends Zora Ellis Middle School (Talladega City Schools). She says Stride is making a difference in her life by helping her learn more and make real-life connections to her school assignments. Her favorite game is Pigskin Passer. Litzy was awarded a Walmart gift card from CLAS Academic Specialist Rhonda Lewis for her success. Way to go, Litzy! Your dream is within your reach! Let's Talk Turkey at C.L. Salter Elementary! (Talladega City Schools) Stride Coordinator Linda Varnedore organized C.L. Salter's first Thanksgiving Stride Contest over the break (titled "Let's Talk Turkey!"). "Students really enjoyed it and asked me to please do another contest. What was funny is most of the students went back on Stride when given a chance to do any program!" said Mrs. Varnedore. Pictured below with Mrs. Varnedore are the Top Winners, having earned the most Star Points during the contest. Congratulations to: 1st Place Winner -  4th Grader Harmony Webb with 39,945 Star Points.  2nd Place Winner - 2nd Grader Corneilous James with 34,644 Star Points. DIY: Create a Stride Informational Video for Your School Website! Here's a great idea to communicate on your school website how Stride works and how parents and community members can support program use -- Create your own podcast or informational video! Media/Technology Specialist Jana Moon at Highland Elementary (Etowah County Schools) shared her own podcast with us as a great model that you can mirror for your own video. Make it a goal for second semester to storyboard, film and produce a Stride video of your own that your school can be proud of! Your students and teachers will love being a part of the production! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and we will see you in 2016! Amy Frith, editorStride Alabama e-news afrith@LTSed.com