August 2026 Recap
College of Education & Professional Studies Newsletter
WELCOME BACK!
2026-2027
CEPS faculty and staff were so excited to attend the annual welcome back convocations that were held at the ROC! We are looking forward to a great 2026-2027 year.
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
Mission to Mars!
What a great day of hands-on learning at Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama!
The CEPS team had the opportunity to step away from a busy first week of the 2026-2027 academic year and enjoyed some well-deserved fun together. We even embarked on a mission to Mars! After a close call with an asteroid forced us to abort mission, our team successfully regrouped, landed safely, and returned home without incident.
We are grateful for this unique team-building experience. Challenger Learning Center is a fun, engaging, and one-of-a-kind resource located right here in Northeast Alabama. To learn more about all that Challenger Center has to offer, please visit the link below.
Aviation Exploration Day
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
September 25 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Challenger Learning Center-1986 Challenger Way, Rainbow City, AL 35906
Explore Exciting Careers in Aviation, Drones, and Aerospace Through Hands-On Experiences!
Learn about high-demand careers in aviation, drone technology, and aerospace.
Compete in exciting drone challenges, including Drone Basketball, Drone Delivery, and Drone Limbo.
Participate in interactive drone games and discover the skills and technology behind them.
Experience an Esports Drone Racing demonstration through immerse FPV goggles.
Get an inside look at a Challenger Mission and see teamwork, technology, and problem-solving in action.
Discover emerging technologies that are shaping the future workforce.
Explore. Fly. Innovate. Discover Your Future.
Reserve Your Spot Today!
Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama was excited to welcome Senator Tommy Tuberville this past month! It was an honor to host him and share our vision for Northeast Alabama. We believe that today's middle school students are tomorrow's workforce, innovators, and leaders.
STEM Sessions!
Drs. Weathers and Alhammouri had a great afternoon visiting DeArmanville Elementary as part of their after-school STEM sessions!
These amazing second-grade students learned how to program Texas Instruments Rovers and put their coding skills into action. We loved seeing their excitement, curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills on display throughout the session!
Future STEM leaders in the making!
Content Block
A Powerful Start to the Semester!
Content Block kicked off the semester with an electrifying first day in Dr. Troncale’s Elementary Science Methods course. Students participated in a team-building activity that merged collaboration with scientific inquiry.
Students formed a human circuit to demonstrate that humans are conductors of electricity. When everyone connected, the “energy stick” came alive with flashing multi-colored lights and sound providing visual proof that cooperation truly closes the loop.
Building Content Knowledge Through Collaboration
Content Block also started the semester with an exciting deep dive into science and math content knowledge! Our students participated in the Integrated ALCOS Standards Workshop, collaborating in groups to unpack standards and develop innovative cross-curricular lesson plans.
Mark your calendars for our Gallery Walk that is coming this October! We can't wait to showcase the amazing work our students have been doing. Stay tuned!
Early Childhood Block
What an exciting welcome back morning at Jax State!
Early Childhood Block welcomed over 70 new teacher candidates to campus for Orientation!
Dr. Weathers, Dr. Norvell, and Mrs. Stancil are excited to welcome this new group as they begin their journey in the Jax State Teacher Education Program. We are looking forward to a great semester together!
Fall Semester Support
Jax State Counseling Services is here to support you.
Special Education Teacher Candidates
We are so excited to have a new group of SPE Teacher Candidates this semester! We had such a great orientation to kick off the year!
Early Childhood Education
Dr. Weathers’ early childhood students turned a getting-to-know-you activity into a hands-on math experience! Using themselves and their “All About Me” pennants as data, they sorted and classified information, created categories, compared quantities, identified patterns, and represented their findings through human graphs. They discovered that math is all around us! We are excited and ready for the fall semester!
CEPS Doctor of Education In Educational Leadership
Stay connected with us by following our new Facebooks page. Learn more about the EdD program, including admission requirements, coursework, and program benefits. Please visit the link below.
CONGRATS TO THE OUTSTANDING CEPS FACULTY AND STAFF FOR AUGUST
Outstanding Faculty Member Nominations
James Todd McGahey
Shakenya Burch
Outstanding Staff Member Nominations
Anne Schmaeling
Angie Roberts
Adam Clark
August Birthdays
Jasmine Prater
Hannah White
Rylee Cook
James McGahey
Ahmad Alhammouri
Russell Hammack
Shana Smith
Liza Hallsten
#CepsDucks
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Email: amroberts@jsu.edu
Website: https://www.jsu.edu/education/index.html
Location: 115 College Street Southwest, Jacksonville, AL, USA
Phone: 256-782-8200
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Twitter: @JSU_SoE