The Barbaric Belles, a Destination Imagination team at Heritage Elementary School, were one of numerous student groups recognized at the Madison Board of Education meeting on May 20. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – At their May 20 meeting, Madison Board of Education applauded the honors and awards that students garnered during the 2014-2015 school year.

Discovery Middle School Principal Melanie Barkley recognized art teacher Raquel Spiegel and her students for local, state and national awards in design.

Director of Special Education Dr. Maria Kilgore introduced students in special education who reached the National Honor Roll for Accelerated Reader. Teachers Emily Craig and Maureen Haas led their students during 25 weeks with 30-minute daily readings and comprehension exercises.

Ranae Bartlett, school board member and executive director of Madison City Chess League, aired a video of Madison contestants at the National Elementary Chess Championship in Nashville. Rainbow Elementary School’s team won first place in their age bracket. Chess players carried their trophies, many taller than the child, to the dais for audience viewing.

In Destination Imagination (DI) state honors, Principal Dr. Georgina Nelson from Heritage Elementary School introduced the Barbaric Belles team, who uses the logo, “We are buff in the brain.” Principal Dr. Daphne Jah from West Madison Elementary School acknowledged Wendy Tibbs’ DI team, Blue Ribbon Society, for their spirit award.

A pilot program for violin study at West Madison Elementary School was quite successful this year, Jah said. For grades K-6, 34 West Madison violin students trained in eight 45-minute lessons. At the meeting, two members of Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and two students played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

Principal Dr. Brian Clayton introduced Greg Ennis, MATE Underwater Robotics Team sponsor at James Clemens High School. This group won awards at Northern Gulf Regional competition at Dauphin Island with an underwater robotic device with microprocessors controlled by a joystick.

Horizon Elementary School Principal Rodney Richardson commended gifted specialist Beth Bero for the Best Environmental Education Programs (BEEP) award.

Coordinator of Elementary Instruction Judy Warmath congratulated Spanish teachers for grades K-1. She cited a report stating about only seven percent of college students enrolling in foreign language. Warmath believes the elementary study “isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ but a ‘need-to-have’ program to compete in the United States and globally,” Warmath said.