Coosa Valley Academy Recognized as an AISA Blue Ribbon School for the 2009-2010 school year.

The Alabama Independent School Association is pleased to announce that Coosa Valley Academy has attained the AISA Blue Ribbon School designation again for the 2009-2010 school year. An AISA Blue Ribbon School exemplifies excellence in teaching, student performance, school life and school and community interaction. A Blue Ribbon School award winner is an excellent school involved in an on-going process of school improvement. The AISA Blue Ribbon School program is sponsored by the AISA to recognize member schools with outstanding educational programs. Coosa Valley Academy has attained a high level of excellence in the areas of student and teacher performance, plant and facilities, student life and community involvement and is a very worthy recipient of the AISA Blue Ribbon School Award.
Contact Coach Kimbo Rutledge at 205-542-7371 to schedule a varsity basketball game against CVA between December 6-18. CVA also has some open dates in November and January. Coach Rutledge would like to host a Thanksgiving basketball tournament November 22&23. If you are interested in participating in this tournament, please contact Coach Rutledge.
Attention CVA Parents and Friends:

Many of you have seen the box tops coupons on General Mills and Betty Crocker products. These coupons are also on Ziploc, Kleenex and other items. For those of you less familiar with the program, box tops for education is essentially "Free Money" for our school. Each coupon is worth $0.10. You don't need to purchase anything different than you already do. Just clip the coupons and send them in to the school. Please include your child's name and grade when submitting.

I will be sending home some information on the first day of school about the program and how you can help your child be involved. I have spent some time trying to get donations for prizes for students and am happy to say, so far, we have received items from Jack's, Chick-fil-A, Kookey's and the Birmingham Zoo. I will also be having a parents contest.

If you or the company you work for would like to donate items for prizes, it would be appreciated.

On to the real reason for my e-mail, it was to remind you that while you are purchasing your school supplies and snacks, keep you eyes open for BONUS box tops (some items have as many as 3 box tops (worth $0.30) on them). I have attached a listing of participating products so you can check them against your school supply list.

CVA is also still collecting Campbell's labels. We will be signed up to collect Nestle labels off the Pure Life Water bottles (individual labels off bottles, not labels off cases). We are also signed up with www.goodsearch.com . This is a search web-site that is fueled by Yahoo (so you get good quality results) that pays for each search you do via their web-site.

Thanks in advance for your participation during the upcoming school year!

Any questions, suggestions or comments are welcome!
CVA is participating in Campell's Labels for Education and General Mills Boxtops for Education

These programs are a great way to earn educational materials for our school. If you are purchasing any of these products, please send the boxtops and labels to the school office. For a complete list of participating products and more information about the programs, visit www.labelsforeducation.com and www.boxtops4education.com.

CVA is participating in recycling empty inkjet and printer cartridges as well as old cellphones. Please do not discard these items. Send them to the school office where they can be redeemed for cash. The SGA is collecting aluminum cans.

2011 Yearbooks on Sale NOW! Pick up an order form from the office to order your 2011 CVA Yearbook.

Show your Rebel Pride by purchasing school apparel (t-shirts, hoodie sweatshirts, hats, toboggans) on sale now in the school office.

Thanks to parents, grandparents and friends who made the Scholastic Book Fair a success.

CVA defeats Restoration Academy (Fairfield) 27-22 in the first round of AISA 1A state playoffs on Thursday night. John Bullen scored two touchdowns and racked up 284 total yards. (photo by Corey Nolen, Shelby County Reporter)

DiLorenzo takes over at CVA

By Kelsey Stein (Contact) | Shelby County Reporter

Published Thursday, July 2, 2009

HARPERSVILLE — After three years at Coosa Valley Academy, assistant coach and athletic director Vince DiLorenzo stepped in as head football coach when previous coach Stephen Mackin left at the end of the school year to enlist in the military.

DiLorenzo decided to take the head coaching position because “Coosa has just turned out to be a good place to coach with good kids and a great headmaster.”

File

Vince DiLorenzo coaches Coosa Valley during a 2007 7-on-7 camp at Kingwood Christian School.

He has been coaching for 25 years, first at Gadsden High School, where he won AHSAA Class 5A state titles in 1986 and 1991. After leaving Gadsden, DiLorenzo started the football program at Spain Park High School in 2001.

DiLorenzo said all head coaches have to manage problems with their players’ parents, discipline and academics, but less issues arise at a smaller, slower-paced school like CVA. DiLorenzo’s past three years as an assistant provided a welcome relief where he could focus entirely on football instead.

“If you enjoy football then it really doesn’t matter if you’re head or assistant coach, you approach it the same way,” DiLorenzo said.

The CVA football team won the state championship in 1984, but the team has experienced continuous ups and downs since then due to enrollment changes and graduating classes, DiLorenzo said.

Mackin and DiLorenzo arrived at the school three years ago, beginning their jobs the same school year. The team developed under their direction, going from a 1-9 season in 2005 to 4-6 last year.

DiLorenzo said he will make few changes because the two worked so closely together to enhance the program and agreed on the choices they made for the team.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the program has improved each year,” DiLorenzo said. “Sometimes your record doesn’t reflect that, but the people that come out to see us play and the people we play against recognize that.”

Joining DiLorenzo’s staff as assistant football coach is former South Montgomery Academy head coach Bobby Hughes, who will take over the baseball program.

Bobby Hughes plans to cultivate the talent on a baseball team that finished the season 20-9 last year in the AISA 1A semifinals and continue a strong, competitive tradition that helped lead CVA to a state title in 2007.

“I’ve been looking for a place where I can go in year in and year out where I have a chance to win consistently,” Hughes said. “I wanted to be competitive and comfortable where I’m at.”

Hughes served as athletic director and head coaches for football, baseball and basketball at SMA.

Because CVA is a small school, Hughes will work with some of the same athletes for baseball and football, which he says is an advantage as long as he can avoid “stepping on the toes” of the other sports.

Hughes has changes in store for the baseball team, including becoming serious about weights, building the Junior Varsity team and sticking to a year-round program.

“The team’s got a high talent level with a lot of returning talent,” Hughes said. “We’ll be aggressive, and we’ll play hard. I expect to go to state and have a chance to win.”