CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County middle school students on Wednesday, Dec. 11, gathered for the first-ever Cullman County Schools Middle School Student Expo, held at Temple Baptist Church.
Cullman County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette told the students, “Friends of mine have come to speak to you. It’s all about encouraging and motivating you guys. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I want you to have fun. We are going to play some games, and I have some great speakers for you.”
Guests spoke to the students about mental health, career options and the dangers of social media, keeping the middle schoolers engaged with games and on-stage interviews.
Speaking about social media and mental health, Cullman County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Jeff Lawson explained, “Snapchat doesn’t go away, guys. You think that it does; that’s why a lot of us like to use it. Everything goes to a big database. When I get that, I get everything.”
Lawson told the students that messaging inappropriate pictures to each other can cause embarrassment and is a crime.
Moving on to career options, Assistant Superintendent Richard Orr hosted three games. The first career topic was culinary arts, with students competing to decorate the best Christmas tree cookie cake. The second was health science, which had the students racing to cover their own Santa Clauses with medical gauze. The last topic was construction technology, seeing students trying to construct the best gingerbread houses.
The last speaker to take the stage was critically acclaimed author, motivational speaker, educator and coach Willie Spears, who talked about the importance of making wise decisions early in life.
“I made the better things happen for me. I want to encourage you that if you are going in the wrong direction that you can change,” he shared. “You don’t always have to be this person.”
To close the Expo, students were interviewed about what they learned. They spoke about being thankful for what their parents do for them and being careful when using Snapchat.
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