The Piedmont Housing Authority has been recognizing students who reside in the housing communities since 2002, who work hard to make academic excellence. Each nine weeks the Piedmont Housing Authority recognizes any student from the First Grade to the Twelfth Grade who make either all A’s, all A’s & B’s, or Perfect Attendance for each nine week period. Then the students, who truly excel and make this list for the entire year, are treated to several special treats.

The first is a year-end field trip and this year was no exception for these outstanding students. Keith Word, executive director of the Piedmont Housing Authority recently recognized 37 students who made the honor roll or perfect attendance for the fourth nine week reporting period. For year end, Word reported that 16 students made the honor roll or perfect attendance the entire school year for 2009-10. Word and his wife Kathy took the students who could make the trip to the U. S. National Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville on Friday, July 9th, 2010. Word said he had three students who were sick, two out of town spending the summer with their father, and five students playing or participating in All Stars baseball or softball. Six students were treated to a very fun day.

The day started out at the Piedmont Housing Authority office where each student was given a neon green tee shirt with Piedmont Housing Authority Honor Roll 2009-2010 on the front and BEST OF THE BEST on the back of the tee shirt. Then the students were treated to breakfast at the Piedmont McDonald’s. Then to Huntsville the students traveled with Word and his wife and enjoyed the many rides both outside and inside of the Space & Rocket Center Park.

The students enjoyed lunch at the Space & Rocket Center and more rides in the afternoon. The last part of the trip was the gift shop where each student was allowed to purchase up to $ 25 in souvenirs to take home as part of their reward of attending the trip to the U. S. Marshall Space Flight Center. The students then traveled back home and was treated to dinner at Ryan’s Steak House in Boaz.

The children and youth will be receiving a ride in limousine compliments of Folsom Funeral Home’s Heritage Chapel on Tuesday, July 20th to the Piedmont City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. While at the City Council meeting, each student will receive a medallion with their name engraved on it from Mayor Brian Young and $25 in McDonald Gift Coupons compliments of the Piedmont Housing Authority. One student, who has made the honor roll for four years in a row, will receive a special treat during this meeting. The students will then be taken to McDonald’s after the Piedmont City Council is over to be treated with ice cream.