By DREW GRANTHUM/Staff Writer

Several students from Clanton Elementary School were awarded some new wheels on Friday courtesy of Academy Sports in Prattville.

The 25 bicycles were presented by the store to some students in the school that have shown progress or improvement over the course of the semester, CES assistant principal Robin Cagle said.

“The way students were chosen…for showing improvement over the semester,” she said. “That’s what (teachers) were looking for. They honor one student from each of the 25 combined grade one and grade two classroom for improvement efforts.”

Teachers from each class were asked to submit the names of five students they felt best exemplified efforts to improve.

The areas of recognition to be nominated for the award included: Most improved in reading; most improved in math; most stickers, class “dollars,” tokens or other method of reward in class incentive systems; highest conduct average in a class and highest number of good citizenship awards.

Megan Sutton, team leader at Academy Sports, said the opportunity to reward students in Chilton County was too good to pass up.

“In the past few years, we’ve done a lot of Autauga County schools,” she said. “We wanted to expand to other areas that is still within our range, but doesn’t get maybe as much attention, so we picked Clanton.”

The presentation was held in the gymnasium at CES, where the bicycles were lined up in a row. Those who were selected to receive a bike were called one by one by Cagle from the audience consisting of classmates and parents, and stood behind a bike of their choosing.

Cagle encouraged the students in attendance who didn’t receive a bike to keep working hard.

“Lots of names were submitted, but we only have 25,” she said. “But that’s OK, you might be honored in a different way if your name’s not called today, because everybody’s a winner if they’re doing their best.”

Kaleigh Payton, a first grader who was selected to receive a bicycle, said hearing her name called caught her off guard.

“(I was) nervous,” she said. “I didn’t know I was going to win.”

Payton, who said she “rides bikes a lot,” received the award for demonstrating acts of kindness. Payton also said she planned to give her current bike to her cousin Ella, who “doesn’t have a bike.”

“She’s always doing very thoughtful things for other people,” her teacher, Heather Alford, said.

Second-grader Dayveon Archie received a nomination for showing his teacher a change in behavior and said he was glad his hard work paid off.

“I was happy,” he said. “I improved my behavior.”

Archie said he figured he’d ride his new bike “24 times.”

Sutton, as well as store manger Don Wagnon, said the store enjoyed the opportunity to encourage students to do their best.

“(It) gives kids incentives to do well in school and be better students,” Sutton said.

Wagnon agreed.

“It’s something that Academy’s been doing,” he said. “Trying to give back to the community.”
Cagle said CES appreciated the notion.

“This is a big deal,” she said. “We’re so honored Academy chose to our school.”