Spring 2014 Volume 2 Issue 2 2013-2014 Officers President Carla Armistead Vice President Randy Phelps Secretary Chris Armistead Treasurer William Billy Perrow Director Ben Wheeler ALUMNI MEETING in the Ag Department! Tuesday, April 22nd at 7PM! 2013-2014 Appomattox FFA Officer Team The Official Newsletter of the Appomattox FFA Alumni Volunteers Needed Immediately! As the spring marches forward, our FFA chapter is getting increasingly busy! Alumni volunteers are needed to help supervise, coach and train FFA members! It is our goal to see our students from Appomattox be successful in FFA and in their careers after high school. These are the places your help is needed most: 1. Central Virginia Livestock Show Practices: From now until the beginning of May. No experience needed, with almost 30 students, you will be walking with students as they exercise their lamb and goats. Exercise for you too which is a win/win! 2. Little Farmers Day: April 24th from 8AM - 3PM at Appomattox Primary School. Adults are needed to help chaperone each of the 9 stations. Students will do all the talking. All you have to do is be present to help where needed. This is a really fun day! 3. State Convention Practice: There will likely be over 30 students going to the State FFA Convention in June. The students have winning fever and want to practice! It is helpful to have some experience in the area of the contest. The FFA Advisors will prepare a lot of the practice materials, but having extra hands around to teach, encourage and prepare the students will help our FFA members to rise above the rest. Our wonderful Appomattox FFA Advisors need your help supervising and coaching students for the following contests: Ag Mechanics Crops Judging Horse Hippology Veterinary Science Middle School Events We understand how crazy Spring schedules can be, but if you could spare just an hour a week it will make a huge difference. If you are interested please call Ed McCann at 434-352-7146. WE ARE ON FACEBOOK! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/APPOMATTOX FFA ALUMNI
NEXT ALUMNI MEETING Tuesday, April 22nd at 7PM in the Agriculture Department! If you have an item to get on the agenda please call (434) 665-1792 Spring Cleaning Tips: Wipe your woodwork with 1 part lemon oil to 1 part white vinegar to remove dust and dirt buildup. Slip a pillowcase over your ceiling fan blades one at a time and wipe. Dust falls into the pillowcase instead of on your furniture and floors. Keep up with Appomattox FFA happenings and connect with other alumni and FFA enthusiasts through our Appomattox FFA Alumni facebook page. Our Email address: appomattoxffaalumni@gmail.com Get A Free FFA Official Manual You can download a FREE PDF copy of the Official FFA Manual online at www.ffa.org Put an old sock on one hand and spritz it with water. Grip each panel of your blind and pull from one end to the other. This allows you to clean both sides at the same time. Start at the top! Clean a room from top to bottom, left to right. That way you won t miss often-forgotten spots like door frames, windowsills, and crown molding. Blue Jackets - Gold Standards ~ Give the gift of Blue! In the Fall newsletter we introduced our Blue Jackets - Gold Standards Program. This program is designed to gift jackets to FFA members who would not otherwise be able to afford them, or for members that would like to earn their jacket. Our beloved blue FFA jacket is an icon of our American Tradition instilling pride and responsibility in those who wear them. Paying it forward is truly at the heart of our organization. Giving blue isn t just giving a jacket. It is part of the fabric of who we are and what we stand for. If you are out and about challenge the community to get involved. We would like for as many FFA members as possible to be able to benefit from this program. Ask friends, family and businesses owners if they would be willing to donate a jacket, or donate toward a jacket. Every donation counts and is for a wonderful cause. If you are interested in participating in this program or if you know someone else that may be interested in helping please contact Carla Armistead at 434-665-1792. Challenge Your Community ~ Share What It Means To Give The Gift of Blue
The Agricultural Career Network is a new, nationwide online portal system designed for FFA members and others with a vested interest in agricultural education. Developed by the National FFA Organization, AgCN participants can document achievements, link to educational opportunities, explore careers, become mentors and connect industry leaders with a career-ready workforce. If you donate to your local FFA chapter you can put that information into AgCN. Why? As you document your personal contributions, FFA can aggregate that number at a local, state and national level to demonstrate the support from local FFA alumni members. FFA Link is for college students and young professionals to connect their passion for agriculture with real-world career skills. Join Today at FFA.ORG/FFALINK S H O P P R O J E C T S WE ARE ON FACEBOOK! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/APPOMATTOX FFA ALUMNI
The Appomattox FFA has been busy! To highlight some of the recent chapter activities; community service has been a major focus for the chapter. After wrapping up a weeklong food drive, entitled F.F.A.: Food For Appomattox, FFA members collected over $600 of donations and canned good for a local food pantry. Members also hosted the annual school wide, Holes For Hope Angel Tree Charity Cornhole tournament during lunches in December. For a small donation students were able to play the popular bean-bag toss game for prizes. Over $200 was raised and Christmas gifts were purchased for a local needy family of three children. Lastly, several students in Mrs. Metts and Mrs. Duncan s classes collected 10 trash bags of litter along North Church Street. FFA week was a huge success. Students participated in many activities and fun was had by all. Spring Career Development Event (CDE) practices and contests have been underway. A full update of activities and contest results will be given at the alumni meeting on April 22nd. Information will also be discussed about the Central Virginia Livestock Show, The VA State FFA Convention and the Appomattox FFA Banquet. We look forward to seeing you there! Fellow Appomattox FFA Alumni Members, It is an honor to say our FFA is active and we have every reason to be proud of them! It is so great to know that they make LIVING TO SERVE a priority in life. The huge hearts these kids have and the dedication they have to our community is amazing! I would like to ask again that each of you encourage everyone you know to become involved with our Blue Jackets - Gold Standards Program. Our next meeting is April 22nd at 7PM in the Ag Department. I look forward to seeing all of you! The annual Appomattox FFA Banquet will be held this year on May 13th at 7PM. Our FFA members look forward to seeing the alumni attend so mark your calendars and come out for a fabulous meal and great fellowship. There will more than likely be another auction at the banquet so this is a great time to support our chapter. Proceeds go toward State Convention. If you are an annual member it is time to pay dues. You will receive a notice soon. Thank you to everyone for all you do. I appreciate you! Carla Armistead ~ (434) 665-1792
Appomattox FFA Alumni Meeting Reminder WHEN: Tuesday, April 22nd at 7PM WHERE: In Mr. McCann s classroom in the Ag Department at ACHS! Annual FFA Banquet - May 13th at 7PM ACHS Cafeteria Bring a friend to join the Alumni! Granny s Country Dressing 1/2 Oil 1/3 Cup vinegar of your choice 3/4 Cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp Dry Mustard 1/2 cup Mayonnaise 1. Mix all ingredients together in blender. 2. Pour into an air-tight container and store in refrigerator. Soon we will have delicious fresh vegetables from our gardens. This is a wonderful dressing that can be used on a garden salad or with shredded cabbage for cole slaw. From L to R are the winners of the FFA s Spoons Tournament Oralia De La Cruz (10th) Justin Pickeral (11th) Adam Fleshman (10th) Tyler Lucado (12th)