🎅✨ Thank you, Model Parent Organization! ✨🎁
As we head into winter break and count down to Christmas next week, we’re still smiling about one of our favorite holiday traditions. ❤️ A couple of weeks ago, the MPO Santa’s Workshop brought the holiday spirit to life, giving our students the chance to shop for their families right here at school. Parent volunteers wrapped each gift with care—making it extra special for families to enjoy surprises under the tree. 🎄
This festive event is more than just fun—it’s an important fundraiser that supports our students and school community. A huge thank-you to the MPO for organizing this magical experience and for treating our faculty and staff to lunch during this busy season. We are so grateful for everything you do to make Model such a special place!
Game time change: Tonight's (12/16/25) boys' basketball home game is varsity only beginning at 6:30 p.m.
After returning from Thanksgiving Break, Mrs. Dacci’s and Mrs. Spears’ 5th grade classes welcomed Evan from the Ohio River Foundation for a hands-on lesson about freshwater mussels and their role in local ecosystems. Students first examined and passed around mussel shells before getting an up-close look at live mussels. Together, they helped create a tank that replicates the mussels’ natural environment. Since then, students have continued observing the mussels in Mrs. Dacci’s classroom, building curiosity and strengthening their understanding of environmental conservation through real-world learning.
This fall, Model Lab’s High School Academic Team competed in the Lake Cumberland Academic League (LCAL), wrapping up the season at the LCAL Tournament last weekend on Saturday, December 6. Our students represented Model with excellence!
Varsity Honors
Mark Edwards (‘28) – Varsity Team MVP
Logan Combs (‘29) – Named to the LCAL All-League Team
JV Team Highlights
Finished 3rd place in Quick Recall
Logan Combs (‘29) – 3rd place, JV Science Assessment
Avnita Sherigar (‘29) – 5th place, JV Language Arts Assessment
Caleb Crispin (‘29) – JV Team MVP
Congratulations to our Academic Team on a strong season and well-earned recognition! We’re proud of your hard work and dedication.
🎁 Model Volleyball Toy Drive for Kentucky Children’s Hospital 🎁 The Model Volleyball Team is supporting Kentucky Children’s Hospital through its annual Winter Wonderland Toy Drive, which brings comfort and joy to more than 250 patients and siblings spending the holidays in the hospital. To keep everyone safe, the hospital is asking donors to use their online wishlists this year. Please help us spread kindness by sharing this opportunity or purchasing a gift. Thank you for helping brighten the season for children and families!
Shop the wishlists here:
Model Laboratory Schools and the Early Childhood Development Center will be on a two-hour delay today on Friday, December 12. Students should arrive at school by 9:50 a.m., and we will follow our normal daily schedule from that point forward.
Model students have been busy spreading kindness throughout our community this holiday season!
🥫 Model Girl Scout Troop 2109 organized a schoolwide Thanksgiving food drive to support God’s Outreach. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Model families, the troop collected more than 250 non-perishable items! The girls delivered the donations, toured the facility, and learned how God’s Outreach serves Madison County families year-round.
🎶 Our Kindergarteners shared the joy of the season by visiting Madison Health & Rehabilitation, where they sang carols and brightened the day of residents with big smiles and holiday cheer.
🎁 Model Student Council celebrated the upcoming holiday by doing a service project and stuffed stockings for the Active Senior Citizen Center.
We’re so proud of our students for leading with compassion and making a meaningful impact in our community. 🤍🤝
Holiday Spirit Week kicks off this Friday! 🎄✨ ALL STUDENTS, preschool through grade 12, are invited to join the fun each day with festive themes. Check out the full list of daily themes in the graphic and get ready to celebrate the season together at Model! 🎅🎁❄️
📝 Spelling Bee Spotlight! 🐝 Thursday was a big day at Model as our students took the stage for this year’s Spelling Bee. We hosted our Elementary division in the morning and Grades 6-8 in the afternoon, and every participant impressed us with their poise, focus, and hard work.
Congratulations to all of our spellers for their outstanding effort—and a special shout-out to our winners! We’re so proud of each student who stepped up to compete. 🐝📚
Elementary Division
Champion: Adaline Fosbenner (Grade 3)
Runner-Up: Flora Barker (Grade 5)
Middle School Division
Champion: Dawson Abney ('32)
Runner-Up: Jalen Liby ('31)
Don’t forget! We’ll have an early dismissal here shortly at 11:55 a.m. today (Friday, December 5). The Richmond Christmas Parade is gearing up for the evening, and the City of Richmond will close Lancaster Avenue from 5:00-9:00 p.m. EKU lots, including those around Model, will be inaccessible during this time and/or used as parade staging areas. All dismissal procedures remain the same as usual.
The parade begins at 6:30 p.m., starting at Alumni Coliseum, moving along Lancaster Avenue, and continuing up to Main Street. Enjoy the parade! 🎄✨
✨ Congratulations to Zara Maddox (’26)! ✨ We’re thrilled to share that Zara earned First Place in the 3-D category at Gallery on Main’s Annual High School Art Show! Her award-winning fiber arts piece, Seal and Sea Dragon Having a Picnic, impressed both the juror and the crowd.
This annual show features outstanding work from area high schools—including Madison Central and Madison Southern—and we’re incredibly proud of all our Model artists participating this year. 🎨 View the full list of Model participants here: model.eku.edu/galleryonmain
The show is on display through February 3, 2026 at Gallery on Main (inside Community Trust Bank, 128 W. Main St., Richmond). Visit the gallery Monday-Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. Fridays).
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Opening Reception on November 18, which featured a beautiful performance by Dr. Darville and talented Model Orchestra students. 🎻 📸 Enjoy a few snapshots from the event!
🎁 Cyber Monday is the perfect time to shop the Patriot Shoppe Winter Catalog! ❄️ Whether you’re grabbing gifts, spirit wear, or stocking stuffers, we’ve got you covered. Browse through the catalog or start shopping! ➡️ model.eku.edu/page/patriot-shoppe
🛍️ Order Online via Parent Portal:
Place online orders now using your Parent Portal account through Wednesday, December 17, to receive items before Winter Break.
• Elementary orders → delivered to classrooms
• Secondary orders → delivered during last period
• For special pickup arrangements, email Morgan Campbell at Morgan.Campbell@eku.edu.
🏫 Shop In-Person:
Visit us in the library December 1-19 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Debit and credit cards accepted!
✨Happy Holidays from the Patriot Shoppe!✨
Our Kindergarteners brought big smiles and even bigger gratitude to the halls on Friday during this year’s Thanksgiving Gratefulness Parade! 🦃💛🧡
Each student proudly showcased their handmade “floats” and posters—celebrating the people, places, pets, and little joys that mean the most to them. Their creativity was a heartwarming reminder of what this season is truly about. Thank you to our youngest scholars for filling Model with gratitude and joy as we headed into Thanksgiving Break! 🍁🍂
Thanksgiving Break begins after school today! 🍁 There will be no school Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28. Model offices will reopen on Monday, December 1. We wish all of our Model Families a safe and restful break!
Model Madness delivered all the energy, excitement, and school pride as we kicked off our Winter sports season last week. From basketball and archery to swim, cheer, volleyball, and the band, our athletes and performers showed what it truly means to be a Patriot. Thank you to every student, family member, staff member, and supporter who filled the gym and cheered loud. Your energy set the tone for an unforgettable season ahead! Now it's game time. Let’s carry that excitement into our first home matchups of the season! Come fill the stands and cheer on your Patriots:
🏀 Middle School Boys Basketball — Monday, November 24
🏀 Varsity Girls Basketball — Tuesday, December 2
🏀 Varsity Boys Basketball — Tuesday, December 9
Order Texas Roadhouse rolls for your holiday dinners from Model Laboratory DECA! Rolls and butter arrive frozen so you can store them until you're ready to bake. Order by Tuesday, December 2, and pickup is on Friday, December 5. Contact a DECA member or Haley.McCoy@eku.edu to order. Elementary students may send their money and orders in to their homeroom teachers.
Sunday, November 16, is the last day to place your poinsettia order! Support the Model Middle School Cheerleaders by purchasing red, pink, or white poinsettias from Pemberton’s Greenhouses—perfect for holiday decorating or gifting.
• 🪴 6" pot (1 plant) – $15
• 🪴 7" pot (2 plants) – $25
• All orders must be preordered and prepaid by Sunday, November 16. See any Middle School Cheerleader or MPO President Gerald Tatum to place your order. You may also text Gerald at 859-582-3890.
• Pick up your poinsettias in the Library on December 3, 2:00-5:00 p.m., or December 4, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
🇺🇸 Honoring Our Veterans 🇺🇸 Last Tuesday, our Model community gathered at the EKU Center for the Arts for our annual Veterans Day Program—a moving celebration of service, sacrifice, and gratitude. Students across grade levels led the program with music, poetry, and heartfelt tributes, honoring the brave men and women who have served our country.
We extend our deepest thanks to all veterans, especially those connected to the Model family. Your courage and dedication inspire us every day. ❤️💙
