The Thomasville City Board of Education approved Jan. 23 the annual field trip for Thomasville High School cheerleaders to attend UCA Cheer Camp on May 29-June 1 at Auburn University.
The cheerleading program will have tryouts for cheer members and the “Thomy” mascot for the 24-25 school year on Feb. 23 with clinic days on Feb. 13, 15, 21 and 22.
Signup deadline for cheer tryouts is Jan. 29, and a parent meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 in the THS library.
The cheerleading program at THS offers students “a sense of discipline and responsibility and a sense of community, both within the squad and then being a bigger part of the school,” said Elizabeth Ledkins, faculty advisor for the THS cheer program. “They are seen as ambassadors of the school. They are held to a higher standard. …They are seen as a face of the school.” They represent “the climate and culture” of the school, she said.
There is a serious time commitment being on the cheerleading squad. “It is a huge commitment. …That is the reason we require a face-to-face meeting with parents before they tryout – because this is not just a season. …It is all-year. We will finish up in the next few weeks most likely – and that goes straight into tryouts. As soon as we finish tryouts, we start fundraisers.”
The current squad is doing more than ever. Cheerleaders participate not only at athletic events but also pep rallies, other school events and off-campus events such as the Christmas Parade. “What I tell the girls all the time: let’s look beyond what has always been done. …Let’s see what more we can do or we might do it differently.”
They work hard to encourage fellow students to show school spirit. “There is a lot riding on their shoulders,” Ledkins said. The cheerleaders represent valued traditions at the school. “It is a very strong representation of your school. I want that to be the best that it can be.” Many former cheerleaders cherish and value their time and are vested in the THS cheer program.
Since cheerleaders are held to a higher standard that usually translates to better performance in the classroom, and you will usually see members of the cheer squad represented in the Top 10 of the graduating class.
Participating in cheerleading can lead to college scholarships. The 2023 graduates Marli Davis and Alaina Bohannon earned scholarships at the University of West Alabama and Auburn University at Montgomery, respectively. Ledkins is hopeful that a few members of the current squad will also tryout for scholarships.
The school board also approved a field trip by the THS Thespian Troupe No. 5073 to the Alabama Thespian Festival Feb. 16-18 at Vestavia Hills High School.
In other action from the Jan. 23 meeting, Anjelica Gibson, Chief School Financial Officer, gave the financial report for December 2023. Accounts payable totaled $765,173.45, and payroll totaled $953,310.80.
• The school board approved the following personnel items on Jan. 23:
(Leave Requests)
LaShonda Williams, Instructional Aide at Thomasville Elementary School, On the Job Injury;
Karli Baugh, teacher at Thomasville Middle School, Catastrophic Sick Leave;
(Resignations)
Marsha Sims, teacher at TES;
(Volunteers)
Coleman Anderson;
Jarvis “Tim” Robinson;
Walter Austin Mason;
Rhett Pilkington;
(Employment in Positions)
Heather Burroughs, teacher at TES;
Logan Pitts, Athletic Trainer, Contract Services.
• The next meeting of the school board will be held at 5 p.m. on Feb. 27 in the THS Library. The public is invited.