The Robertsdale High Golden Bear Marching Band returned to campus Jan. 3, after performing at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. The band marched in the Gator parade in addition to playing with 12 other high school bands during the halftime show. Florida beat Ohio State to win the bowl game.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is now available online. You can go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to register, get a password and begin the application process.

Students will need their Social Security number, their parents’ numbers, their own driver’s license number, and the family’s 2011 federal tax information if a student is providing their parents’ information.

If a student’s family hasn’t filed their taxes, the student can still apply for FAFSA by estimating the family’s income. A full list of needed items can be found at the FAFSA site. Its well worth the effort to fill this out as nothing ventured, nothing gained.

With only 90 school days left before the summer break it’s only appropriate that we look back over the previous 90 that took place during first semester.

School began on Aug. 15, as students returned to campus and class. The school’s yearbook, The Robala, went on sale in the library and a Herff Jones rep was on hand to take orders from the juniors for their senior rings.

The new Silent Sustained Reading program, which was introduced at Robertsdale High at the beginning of the new school year, seems to be a success, as students were allowed to read the materials of their choice.

Those materials could be a book, magazine or newspaper. They can be brought from home, or signed out from a public, or the school’s library.

By the end of the day RHS’s students will have spent 40 minutes reading, or approximately three-and-a-half hours per week.

The RHS Band Boosters held a Play-a-thon on Sept. 17, in addition to selling barbeque plate lunches in an effort to raise money for the aforementioned Gator Bowl trip.

This past spring the following seniors were elected to the following leadership positions for the 2011-2012 Student Government Association with no opposition. They include: Erica Alexander, class president; Rachel Lomax, vice president; Kristen Curtis, secretary; and Taylor Ryals, treasurer.

Tim Cook, an RHS alum, was named Chief Executive Officer of Apple Computer in September. Cook took over the reins of the multi-national electronics corporation following the resignation of Steve Jobs, the former CEO, and founder of Apple, which is know world-wide for its Mac computers. Jobs died a few weeks later from cancer.

The Homecoming Court was presented prior to the Satsuma Gators football game.

This year’s Court was composed of: Erica Alexander, Hope Carnathan, Roselee Coggin, Rachel Lomax, Autumn Phillips, Sarah Sawyer and Danielle Swafford from the senior class. This junior maids include: Nakea Davis, Sydney Hoover and Weezie Jeffords. The sophomore class representatives were Regan Eakin, Danielle Johnson, and Hannah Priestwood. The freshman class maids were; Allee Bertolla, Bailey Ellison, and Taylor Mitchell.

Danielle Swafford was named queen prior to the game and Pete Lewandowski was named king. The Homecoming Parade was held on Thursday of Homecoming Week, with the senior class taking first place for their float. The Homecoming Dance was held the next night at the Baldwin County Coliseum.

Stasia May was named as a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. May was the only student in the Baldwin County School System to be so honored.

The RHS Interact students passed out dictionaries at Robertsdale Elementary as part of their community service efforts during the latter part of September.

Next week we’ll try and look at some of the events from October through December.