Since July 1 of this year, Helena High School has been a staff of one: Principal Jay Peoples.  Last night, the Shelby County Board of Education approved the following people to join the Helena High School staff in three key positions:

Kim Bailey, Lead Counselor

Kim Bailey has been an educator for twenty-two years and has been a counselor and college advisor for the past fourteen years.   As an English teacher at Minor High School, a counselor at Oak Mountain High School and Chelsea High School, and a gifted and college advisor for Montevallo High School, Thompson High School, and Shelby County High School, Mrs. Bailey has always considered it a privilege to work with students at this critical stage of their education.  Mrs. Bailey is involved both locally and nationally as a peer program trainer and has developed strong, active peer helper programs in three large high schools by focusing on peers educating peers on the many social issues facing our teenagers including social media use, bullying, diversity, study skills, and more.   Mrs. Bailey has two children in Shelby County schools including a senior which has allowed her the opportunity to experience the college process not only as a counselor but also as a parent.  Mrs. Bailey is very excited about working at Helena High School and is looking forward to working with the HHS students through the last four years of their education providing them with the academic, personal, and social support they need to ensure their success in their future educational and professional endeavors.

Watt Parker, Head Football Coach / Athletic Director

Watt Parker has been an educator and coach for the twenty-two years and an athletic administrator for the past twelve years.  As an assistant at Thompson High School and head coach at Chelsea High School, Coach Parker has fourteen years of experience in Shelby County Schools.  During his time at Chelsea High School, Coach Parker took his teams to the playoffs each year, reaching the third round for the first time in school history in 2005.  Under his leadership at Arab High School, Coach Parker’s team achieved the first playoff victory in the history of the school’s football program.  Coach Parker is also a talented, experienced athletic administrator and holds certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.  In addition to his achievements in the athletic realm, Coach Parker has also established himself as an excellent mathematics teacher, often carrying a challenging teaching load while serving as head coach and athletic director.  Coach Parker’s commitment to excellence in the classroom and on the field has been exemplary.  Known as a planner, a builder, and a tireless worker, Coach Watt Parker is well suited to lead Helena High School athletics and excited about the opportunity to build the program on a solid foundation of character, accountability, and hard work.

Jeff Burnside, Director of Bands

A graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education, Jeff Burnside has been teaching in Alabama for twenty-six years with the last fifteen years being in Shelby County Schools.  He is currently the Director of Bands at Pelham High School which has an instrumental music program that includes three concert bands, two jazz bands, marching band, and band techniques classes.  Jeff’s bands have performed in numerous events and locations across the country and abroad including the Fiesta Bowl Parade, the New York and Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parades, San Antonio’s Fiesta Flambeau Parade, Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  Jeff is also a member of the National Association for Music Education, the American Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.  Jeff’s wife Katy is also a teacher in the Shelby County System, and their two children are both active members of the Auburn University band program.  Under Jeff’s leadership, the Pelham High School band program has been a model of excellence in both concert and field performance.  Jeff looks forward to building a band program at Helena High School that advances the highest aims of music education while also contributing significantly to the overall culture of the school and the community which it serves.