🍁🎉 Fall Festival Fun! 🎉🍁 From games, inflatables, and the Haunted House to the always-popular Pie Toss (thank you to our brave teachers and students!), it was a fun-filled evening.
Thank you to the Model Parent Organization, volunteers, EKU students, and families who made it all possible! 📸 See more highlights from the event on our Facebook.
Grades 7-12 Theatre Auditions: Blood Brothers Students in grades 9-12 are invited to audition for Blood Brothers, one of Model’s theatrical productions for the 2025-26 school year. Blood Brothers is a dramatic and moving musical that tells the story of twin brothers separated at birth, exploring themes of class, fate, and friendship. Performances will take place January 25 - February 8, 2026 (ticket information to come).
Auditions will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 3:30-5:45 p.m. and Wednesday, October 22, 3:30-5:45 p.m. *Students should sign up for a specific time on Mr. Felix’s door (Room 2104). All audition materials and details can be found here, including the required Audition and Commitment Form and audition information.
Please note: there will still be a large spring musical for students in grades 4-12, with performances scheduled for April 2026—more information will be shared after winter break!
📨 The newest Parent Newsletter just dropped! Stay connected and informed: model.eku.edu/newsletter.
In this newsletter: Veterans Day Program information, theatre auditions, and yearbook & photo information.
Term 1 gave us so much to celebrate! 🎉 From pep rallies and Club Rush to Grandparents’ and Grand-Friends’ Day, our students came together to learn, lead, and connect across all grades. We celebrated success on the field with the Middle School Girls Soccer team earning back-to-back Commonwealth Conference Championships to close an undefeated season and the Varsity Boys Soccer team finishing as District Runners-Up. Moments of connection and service filled our classrooms, too—from buddy reading in the library with Early Childhood and sixth grade, to Public Speaking students sharing stories with our youngest learners, to students providing “Model Solutions” through service-learning. And in between it all? Countless smiles, friendships, and memories made. Here’s to another term of growth, creativity, and community!
🎉 It’s Fall Festival Day! 🎉 Join us TONIGHT from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Model’s Gym for an evening of family fun hosted by the Model Parent Organization! All proceeds benefit Model classes, athletes, and clubs.
Enjoy:
🎈 Inflatables
🎯 Games & Face Painting
🍰 Cake Walk & Pie Toss (with familiar faces!)
👻 Haunted House
🍕 Pizza, Ice Cream, & Kettle Corn
🛍️ Silent Auction (with incredible items—some valued at over $1,000!)
👕 New this year! Stop by the Snack Shack (by the Cafeteria & patio) from 6:00-8:00 p.m. to design your own Model t-shirt and create your own Model swag!
🕣 Pick up orders between 8:30-9:00 p.m.
🌺 Plus—don’t forget to pre-order your holiday poinsettias from our Middle School Cheerleaders!
💵 Bring cash or check for tickets, food, and auction bids.
🎟️ Tickets: $10 per bag | Inflatables: $5 wristband
🕗 Silent Auction closes at 8:00 p.m.
🎵 You’re Invited to Model’s Fall Chorus Concert 🎤 🎶 Join us for an evening of music that spans centuries and cultures! From classical works by Handel to modern favorites like This Is Halloween, you don’t want to miss the first choral concert of the school year!
📅 Thursday, October 16 | 🕕 6:00 p.m. | 📍 Model Lab Auditorium
🎪 Fall Festival is THIS Friday! 🎪 Join us for Model Parent Organization’s Fall Festival on Friday, October 17, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Model’s Gym!
Enjoy an evening of family fun with:
🎈 Inflatables
🎯 Games & Face Painting
🍰 Cake Walk & Pie Toss (with familiar faces!)
👻 Haunted House
🍕 Pizza, Ice Cream & Kettle Corn
🛍️ Silent Auction (items valued at over $1,000!)
🌺 Middle School Cheerleaders will be taking poinsettia pre-orders for the holidays!
All proceeds support Model classes, athletes, and clubs—so come out, have fun, and support our students!
🍂 HAPPY FALL BREAK! 🍁 Model Laboratory Schools and offices will be closed Monday, October 6 - Friday, October 10, 2025. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, October 13.
📚 Reminder for Dual Credit students: Eastern Kentucky University is only closed Monday and Tuesday. Students should attend class Wednesday through Friday, unless prior arrangements have been made with their professors.
Wishing everyone a safe and restful break!
📚🎥🧶 From circuits to storytelling to spinning yarn, our classrooms are full of creativity, curiosity, and hands-on learning at every level!
📖 In Mrs. Whitley Marcum’s secondary English class, students are developing personal narratives through “I Believe” statements and understanding how to develop multimedia presentations. As part of their “Challenges of a Hero” unit, each student created a Google Slides presentation about a hero of their choice and is presenting their work to the class.
🔌 In Mrs. Revis and Ms. Mullins’ fourth grade creativity class, students took their science lesson to the next level by creating video tutorials about how to build a circuit. They collaborated in Google Docs to write their scripts, filmed with the camera app, and used iMovie to edit their final videos—combining STEM skills with media and communication.
🧵 In Mrs. Willoughby’s third grade class, students have been reading about family traditions and how they connect us to different cultures. After one student’s grandparent—who is the resident yarn spinner at the 18th-century Fort Boonesborough historical site—offered to visit, the class had a hands-on history lesson in traditional yarn making. Each student used a spindle to spin their own yarn and take home a piece of living history.
📸 Say cheese! Picture Day is Thursday, October 2!
📅 Who’s up:
• Grades 1-11 – Individual Portraits
• Grades 1-6 – Class Photos
✅ Photos will be used for the 2025-26 yearbook, school communications, and official school records.
This year:
• Choose from new custom backdrops when ordering
• No clothing color restrictions!
• Take a closeup for the yearbook + a half or full-body shot to purchase
🖼 After Picture Day, a link will be emailed to parent/guardian addresses for photo viewing and purchase.
❓Questions? Email info@tripleplaypro.com
⚖️🌍 Model’s Mock Trial team competed in the prestigious Yale Bulldog Invitational Virtual Mock Trial Competition—an international event that brought together top teams from around the world! Our students dedicated more than 25 hours on campus between Saturday and Sunday, preparing and competing in intense rounds that challenged their critical thinking, teamwork, and courtroom skills.
👏 Great job to Jenny Taliaferro (’26), Teddy Mott (’26), Jules Combs (’26), Aaron Jenkins (’27), Bea McCoy (’29), Avnita Sherigar (’29), Colin Wangler (’29), Jiwoo Kim (’27), and Youngwoo Kim (’26). Also a big thank-you to coaches Brian McCoy, J.D. and Haley McCoy for their guidance and support!
Way to represent Model on the global stage! 🌎⚖️
🎶 The band is back! 🎶 From beginners picking up their instruments for the first time to returning students sharpening their skills, the band has spent the first month of school getting into the rhythm—literally!
These behind-the-scenes photos from Mr. Sokolowski offer a glimpse into the energy and focus as students in grades 4-12 began learning new pieces this month.
🎭🎨🎶 Last week was National Arts in Education Week, and Model Laboratory Schools is proud to support the arts in every form. From visual art and media arts to chorus, theatre, orchestra, and band, students have rich opportunities to create, perform, and design across all grade levels.
Save the dates!
🎺🎷 Band Winter Concert: Thursday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m. in O’Donnell Auditorium (Whitlock Building)
🎤 Chorus Concert: Thursday, October 16 at 6:00 p.m. in Model’s auditorium
🎻 Orchestra Concert: Thursday, October 30 at 6:00 p.m. in O’Donnell Auditorium (Whitlock Building)
You won’t want to miss these performances!
We can’t wait to welcome our special guests on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. for a morning filled with smiles, classroom visits, and donuts with their favorite students! 🍩😁 Grandparents and Grand-Friends, be sure to sign up so you don’t miss this sweet tradition.
📅 Reminder: Friday, September 26, is the last day to register! ➡️ Registration Link
Check out Model faculty member Dr. Melanie Smith's latest achievement! 🤩 After being named the 2025 Southern District Health Educator of the Year by SHAPE America and the KySHAPE Health Teacher of the Year, Dr. Melanie Smith was invited to contribute to a national health education blog. Dr. Smith provided tips for interdisciplinary learning and how her classroom is collaborative environment. She highlighted the collaborative work happening here at Model Lab between her health classroom and Mrs. Angela Hardin's English class. Model is proud to have quality educators leading our students! 👩🏫💡 Read the blog here.
Term 1 Midterm grades for students in grades 4-12 are available to view online in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. If you have any questions regarding the posted grade or assignments, contact your teacher directly.
Contact modelcounseling@eku.edu only for Infinite Campus assistance.
📰📪 Did you catch last week's Parent Newsletter in your inbox? If not, read it here: model.eku.edu/newsletter.
Our 6th Grade Academy spent Friday putting their problem-solving and leadership skills to the test—and having a blast while doing it! While visiting the EKU Student Recreation Center, students scaled the largest indoor climbing center on a Kentucky college campus and engaged in team-building activities. From conquering climbing walls to working together in new ways, this hands-on experience pushed them to grow, support one another, and step outside their comfort zones. A great day of fun and hands-on learning just across the street!
From civic engagement to community service and career exploration, our students have been learning and leading in meaningful ways:
📜 Constitution Day was celebrated schoolwide with a door decorating contest! Students explored the importance of our nation’s founding document through creativity and collaboration.
🎉 Congratulations to our winners:
Elementary: Mrs. Dacci, Mrs. Spata, Mrs. Willoughby
Secondary: Mrs. Saylor & Mrs. Gentry, Mrs. Herbst, Ms. Williams
🎥 In honor of September 11, Mrs. Marcum’s class participated in a thoughtful lesson exploring real-life stories like The Man in the Red Bandana. Students reflected on unity, resilience, and the emotional impact of media in today's world.
🧥 Mrs. Herbst’s class took their first Community-Based Instruction (CBI) trip of the year, delivering hundreds of donated clothing items from Tykes & Teens Consignment to a local clothing bank. Along the way, they practiced job readiness skills and gave back to students in need.
💼 In Business & Marketing, students welcomed Kentucky DECA President Reagan Morgan for an inspiring classroom visit. The impact was immediate—Model is officially starting its own DECA chapter!
🎶 And to end the week on a high note, Abhijay Ghimire shared his talent by providing live music in the Snack Shack on Friday—creating a fun and welcoming atmosphere for everyone passing through.
We’re proud of the meaningful work happening inside and outside the classroom.
Please join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Mr. Rodney Rhodus—either in person or online. We also welcome you to share a memory or photo on our Facebook page, or tag us (@ekumodel) in your posts or stories as we reflect together on his lasting impact.
SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS
Visitation - Friday, September 19, 2025 | 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Celebration of Life - Saturday, September 20, 2025 | 1:00-4:00 p.m.
The service will begin at 1:00 p.m. and is open for all to attend. Guests are welcome to come and go as needed.
Light refreshments (finger foods, appetizers, and drinks) will be available throughout.
There will be an open invitation for anyone to share memories, stories, poetry, music, or interpretive dance in honor of Mr. Rhodus.
The service will be livestreamed and available via Mr. Rhodus’ obituary page at cpcfh.com.
📍Madison Hills Christian Church, 960 Red House Road, Richmond, KY 40475
