Lower School Science Teacher Attends Prestigious Workshop

Lower school science teacher Donna Plunkett was one of nineteen teachers who spent the week of June 25 –July 2, 2011, touring Alabama and learning about natural sciences in the prestigious Mountains to the Gulf workshop sponsored by Legacy-Partners in Environmental Education, McDowell Environmental Center, Alabama Water Watch, JSU Field Schools, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, and Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

Dr. Jim Lacefield, a geologist and author, Dr. Bill Deutsch of Auburn University and Alabama Water Watch, and Dr. George Cline, a herpetologist at Jacksonville State University, each helped the teachers hone their science skills.  Dr. Cline spoke about the different flora and fauna of the various regions, Dr. Lacefield discussed the characteristics of specific geology, and Dr. Deusch explained how the geology shaped the local watersheds.

The group enjoyed activities at McDowell Environmental Center, Little River Canyon, Cheaha State Park, Elkahatchee Creek near Alex City, and the impact crater in Wetumpka.  They canoed the Coosa River and searched for fossils near the Conecuh River before winding up at Dauphin Island's Sea Lab.

The Donoho School Names New Board Member

The Donoho School is pleased to announce the appointment of a new member to its Board of Directors. Dr. Pankaj K. Kashyap is in private practice at Anniston Gastroenterology Associates in Anniston, Alabama. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California-Berkeley in 1984 and his medical degree from the University of California-Los Angeles in 1988. 
 
Dr. Kashyap is board certified by the American Board of Gastroenterology and the American Board of Internal Medicine, and is a member of the board of trustees of Stringfellow Memorial Hospital where he has served as the chief of medicine. He is president of the Calhoun County Medical Society and is a member of both the American College of Gastroenterology and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.
 
Dr. Kashyap and his wife, Vandna, have three children – Nisha, a 2011 graduate of The Donoho School, Raj (class of 2014), and Sonia (class of 2018).  They reside in Anniston, Alabama.


Welcome, Dr. Kashyap!

Teachers and Students Meet Holocaust Survivor

Several Donoho teachers, students, and parents recently met Mr. Irving Roth, Holocaust survivor.  Mr. Roth, from New York, spoke at a recent community gathering at Temple Beth El, and he was the keynote speaker at a teacher-conference sponsored by the JSU Writing Project.  Students learned the importance of making informed choices about social injustice issues as they become world citizens.  Teachers learned more about connecting history to contemporary issues and how the power of one person, one decision, and one action can impact society in positive and negative ways.

Three Students Named to Anniston Star 1A-2A All-County Baseball Team

Congratulations to Walker Mason, Matthew Overton and William Nunnelley for being selected as members of the Anniston Star Class 1A-2A All-County Baseball team.

Team Members:

Walker Mason - Player of the Year

William Nunnelley

Matthew Overton

Congratulations to AP Students

Congratulations to the 2011 Advanced Placement students. Nine students attempted nineteen exams during May 2011; fourteen of those exams were scored three, four, or five. Brian Westbrook and Tate Thomas earned a five on each of the exams they attempted.  
 

Diana Thompson, valedictorian of the class of 2011, has earned the honor of AP Scholar with Distinction.  Diana achieved an overall average of 3.5 and scored three or higher on five of the AP exams that she attempted while a student at Donoho.