DAPHNE, Ala. — Daphne Elementary recently celebrated Red Ribbon Week. Our theme this year followed right along with our Character Education Program: Good Characters Stay Drug Free!

On Tuesday, students wore their favorite sunglasses to “Shade Out Drugs.” On Wednesday, they wore a red shirt with uniform pants showing they are “Too Cool for Drugs,” and on Thursday students wore their favorite hat to help “Put a Lid on Drugs.”

The Daphne Elementary Art Stars are currently learning about the art of whittling. 

Thanks to two local artisans — Mr. E. Kates of Spanish Fort and our own Sgt. Snyder of Daphne Police — students have been able to view several wonderful and highly creative examples of whittling.  The students have also watched the process required to carve an image from a solid piece of wood. 

The DES Art Stars would like to thank these two gentlemen for sharing their craft with us.

First- through third-grade classes are learning about “spine labels” and how books are organized in the media center. 

We discovered how important it is to know ABC’s when coming to the library because there are a lot of resources organized in alphabetical order. Kindergarten classes met Mr. Wiggles, the bookworm, this week. He taught us the importance of taking care of books.

During October students have been learning about country music of the 1930s.

Music classes have identified country music instruments and learned about “singing cowboys,” like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. The classes have also learned that country music was first called “hillbilly” music. Everyone was surprised to learn that Gene Autry was the first to sing “Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer” on the radio in the 1930s.

Last week Mrs. Vereen’s first graders walked to Winn Dixie. While there, they were given a tour of the different store departments.

In the next couple of weeks students will be celebrating our Thanksgiving Feast along with Mrs. Davis’, Mrs. Stembridge’s, and Mrs. Utsey’s classes. It is going to be a lot of fun to share that special time with our friends and family.

Second-graders in Mrs. Simpson’s class are studying about Native Americans from different regions. Students are learning how the climate and geography affect their way of life. The class is creating crafts that represent each group.

Third graders in Mrs. Megginson’s class have begun working on their Christmas program. They will perform this program at the Dec. 3 PTA meeting. They’re already getting in the Christmas spirit!

Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Mamma Mia Cook-Off on Saturday, Nov. 10.

You can purchase your tickets from Mrs. Ginger Miller at DES or send a note to your classroom teacher. The tickets are $25 prior to the event or $30 at the door.

There will be many teams providing delicious Italian dishes for sampling, music, a live auction and big screen TV to watch the football game and other activities. It was a lot of fun last year and our DES team won first place in the seafood division with our “Crab Trapped Ravioli.” Our DES team also won second place in Best Overall.

Come join us on the grounds of Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch Engineering across from Lott Park, to celebrate Daphne’s Italian heritage.

All proceeds from this event benefit Supporting Educational Enrichment in Daphne Schools.

Show your support by attending this awesome event!