Photo by Sarah Owens.
A child has his face painted at Hall-Kent Elementary’s annual Fall Festival on Nov. 2.
Hall-Kent Elementary celebrated its annual fall festival on Nov. 2, raising $81,000 in the school’s only fundraiser. The event featured rides, inflatables, games, a cake walk, a bake sale, food sponsored by Pihakis Restaurant Group, face painting, a balloon artist, a silent auction and more.
In other school-related news, here are a few notable happenings:
- The Homewood High School Patriot Marching Band was surprised at the Oct. 4 game against Gardendale with a halftime announcement that they have been invited to perform in the 2026 Rose Parade. This will be the band’s sixth appearance in the Rose Parade, which is watched by millions of people around the world and has become an iconic New Year’s Day tradition in Pasadena, California. Homewood currently has the largest high school marching band in the state, with over 375 students participating.
- Homewood High School earned gold on the 2024 AP School Honor Roll, with 72% of the graduating class of 2024 taking at least one Advanced Placement class. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs have done outstanding work to welcome students into AP courses and support their path to college success. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that show they’re committed to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.
- Homewood City Schools hired a new director of communications, McCall Hardison. Hardison replaces Merrick Wilson in the role after Wilson moved to Hoover City Schools as their new executive director of communications and public information in October, after 18 years with Homewood City Schools.
