By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

Two Shelby County teachers were awarded a Fund for Teachers fellowship grant and are currently visiting European landmarks to aid in future history lessons to students, Shelby County Superintendent Randy Fuller announced at a board meeting June 21.

From June 4-July 2, Columbiana Middle School teacher Richard Scott and Thompson Middle School teacher Karen Scott are visiting World War II memorials, museums and historical landmarks in Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Munich and Amsterdam to help students understand how knowledge of the past must inform to better choices in the future and how history impacts our daily lives, Fuller said.

The teachers spent several hours of personal time brainstorming, researching planning and writing a proposal outlining the learning experience that would strengthen their teaching and meet students’ needs. Upon earning the Fund for Teachers grant, the pair joined 458 peers across the country on the trip.

In other business, Columbiana Middle School Principal Cristie Muehlbauer was approved as the system’s human resources supervisor. Muehlbauer has 17 years experience as an educator and nine years experience in human resources.

Stan Brown, currently a business/marketing education teacher at Chelsea and Calera High Schools, was approved as the systems’ school to career specialist. Before entering the teaching profession in 2005, Brown spent 20 years as a successful banker and educator with the American Institute of Banking. Brown also coached the Calera boys’ golf team.

Catherine Michele Bell, a history teacher and softball coach at Thompson High School, was approved as an assistant principal at Pelham High School. Wayne Trucks, a social studies teacher and the girls’ basketball coach at Chelsea High School, was approved as an assistant principal at Chelsea High School.

The board approved an emergency construction project to replace a wall at Valley Elementary School after it collapsed during recent storm damage. The board also approved the replacement of several HVAC units at Pelham High School, playground grading and pipe installation at Helena Intermediate School and classroom modifications to Calera Intermediate School.

The board also approved the purchase of 200 eBook Readers and Services for students at Oak Mountain Elementary School, anti-virus software for the systems’ computers and a walking track at Inverness Elementary School.

The board also approved new handbook policy concerning payroll direct deposits and use of vacation and sick leave, as well as policy concerning outside 501-C boosters, parent organizations and other school related organizations.