Stories of Impact

Patty Vance, Red Bird Mission School Alumna and Red Bird Christian School Elementary Teacher, goes beyond the expected to give our students opportunities leading to excellence in careers and life after graduation. One of her passions is involving our students in the 4-H Communications Competition because she knows successful people need to be effective communicators. Following is her Facebook post reporting the outcomes at this year’s 4-H Communications State Championships.

Sue and her husband, Craig, retired back in 2008 and came down from Indiana to volunteer. She had never met me before and had no idea who my family was—she just knew me from my stories. But as we sat there talking about her very first visits here, we uncovered a little piece of history.

Last Friday, the Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Appalachian Studies and Ag Science classes made a trip to the Sheep Shearing Days at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee.

Chief Red Bird’s Legacy of the Mountains Tournament was bigger than scores or trophies- it was proof that our little school deep in the heart of the mountains could dream something bold and turn it into reality. Over two days, 105 archers stepped onto that line and shot for score in Elementary, Middle School, and High School divisions.

Out here we don’t always have the finest feast, the nicest clothes, or the fattest wallets. What we have is people. The kind you can call when you’re broke down on the side of the road.

Read Across America has become quite popular among schools as special activities, dress up days and community leaders reading books...