SPARTAN ACADEMY

9th Grade Spartans,

Who’s coming out to see three of our lean, mean Spartan machines tomorrow.  What machines, you may ask?

• the Spartan Band under the direction of Mr. Chuck Wright.
• the Spartan varsity cheerleaders under the direction of Ms. Heather Heaston.
• the Spartan varsity football team under the direction of Coach Devin Rutherford.

Let’s support our Spartan teams tomorrow!

Lockers, essential for Spartan success arrived this week,  thanks to the masterful organization of our 9th Grade Principal, Mr. Melvin Harris.  Mr. Harris spent a great deal of time checking each and every locker this summer and updating locker combinations.  This is an arduous task.  Although some of the lockers have problems, 98% of them are working great. 

While locker visits are not limited by the administration, Spartan Academy members, we ask that you carefully schedule those visits.  Going to lockers can cause you to be late for class.  (Tardies will be addressed in a later blog entry.) 

Remember the directions of Mr. Harris – if your locker combination does not work, have someone else try it to see if the locker can be opened.  Also ask your 4th period teacher to try it out.  If your combination still does not work, come by the 9th grade office to get help.

9th Grade Spartans – are you ready for a great year?  We can’t wait to see you Monday.  Here’s the agenda:

1. when you get off the bus or out of the car, an adult will tell you where to go for Metal Detector Check.  (I know you got a sheet that said to go to the East Gym, but Metal Detector check was scheduled since then.)
2. In every Metal Detector Check location look for a BIG 9th grade sign. 
3. Under the sign will be a list of every 9th grade home room. Find your name (they’re in alphabetical order) in a home room.  At the top of that sheet where your name is you will see a room number.  WRITE THAT NUMBER DOWN IN YOUR PLANNER.
4. When you are released from Metal Detector Check, go to your home room (the room number that you wrote in your planner).  Almost all of the home rooms will be in the Academy.  
5. Can’t find the Academy, ask any teacher in the hallway.  DON’T PANIC.  We’re looking for you and every adult and/or senior in the building will help you find your way. 
6. Once you are in your home room you will receive a schedule.
7. When you are dismissed, go to your first period class.  Remember: two digit numbers (12, 20, 36) are in the Academy.  Three digit numbers are in the main building.  Rooms that begin with 0 (030, 034) are in the basement of the main building.  Rooms that have four numbers (1001, 2001) are in the South Annex close to Walgreens.
8. Come prepared to work on the first day – with your planner, paper and pens/pencils. 

Have a great weekend and see you Monday.

We were DELIGHTED to have 291students at our Spartan Academy orientation last Tuesday and Wednesday.  Students met in the auditorium and then proceeded to breakout sessions. 

The sessions were centered around 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, our WAVE program, a map/web quest and advice from our Leadership Association.  A highlight was two hours of team building led by our Student Council. 

On Tuesday afternoon we attempted to show The Great Debaters but technical difficulty prevented students from seeing the entire movie.  After classes on Wednesday Mr. Sutton cooked out hot dogs for everyone.  Games were available inside and outside. 

Students agreed that the orientation was a success. 

Thanks to students who came and to teachers and students who led the sessions.  We can’t wait to see you all on August 11.

Ms. S

To 9th Grade Spartans:

Put July 22 and 23 on your calendar for the Spartan Academy Orientation.  More details to follow.  See you there.

The new 9th grade reading list is hot off the press.   Before you go to the beach, visit your neighborhood bookstore or maybe your parents’ bookshelf to get a couple of exciting works of literature for the summer.

Traditional English 9

Choose either:Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt) or Waiting for Rain (Sheila Gordon)  and one of these - 

Good Poems (Garrison Keillor); Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea (Thomas Cahill) or The Winslow Boy (Terrance Rattigan) – either read the play or watch the video

Honors English 9

Read both Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) and The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexander Dumas) – Bantam Classis and choose one of the following

Good Poems (Garrison Keillor); Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea (Thomas Cahill) or The Winslow Boy (Terrance Rattigan) – either read the play or watch the video

CLUE English 9

Read both Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) and The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexander Dumas) – Lowell Blair translation                                             and choose one of the following

Good Poems (Garrison Keillor); Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea (Thomas Cahill) or The Winslow Boy (Terrance Rattigan) – either read the play or watch the video

Howdy partners!

 I’m so sorry we haven’t talked in a while.  The Academy has been DEEPLY (like the bottom of the ocean) entrenched in Gateway and End of Course tests.  WOW, do they take a lot of time. 

We’re confident that our students did extremely well on the Algebra Gateway Exam.  Results will be in next week.  Look for Quick Reports coming in your algebra classes.

So long – talk to you SOON – I promise!

Talk about being busy… (Who is? No one, but now that you mention it).

Many events happened Saturday for our freshmen students!

At the University of Memphis, there was a race going on for charity, which many of our students joined in.

There was also the State competition for National History Day. Congratulations to all the winners.  First and second place winners go to Maryland to compete nationally, and for some of us third-placers, we get to have the alternate spot for nationals. 

There was also the cultural “fair” going on at the same time.  Witnesses proclaim that White Station took home the house by a storm.

            “I performed a Spanish song.  I didn’t win, but the day itself was amazing!  There were so many people there, all waiting to learn something about different languages.” says an insider.

And speaking about performances, let’s go back at our school.  The athletic teams were all taking a different shift and volunteering for Showstoppers, the fantastic dance competition. 

            “It doesn’t look like our school, the cafeteria is covered in drapes, and the auditorium was, like, ah-mazing!” says a worker.

To top it all up, the busy day ended with the Memphis vs. UCLA game.  Go Tigers, go!

Every five years each school must go through an evaluation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  Next week is OUR week to shine.  The Academy is looking good – lots of excellent student work posted in classrooms and in the hallways.  The second floor teachers really have it going on.  And Ms. Farris and Ms. Coleman Terry on first floor are looking great.  A list of all our Spartan Scholars is on the wall coming out of the breezeway.  Did you find your name on the scholar list?

Anyway, lets be kind to our SACS guests next week and show them what Spartan Spartan Spirit is about. 

 We’re needing blog reports.  Respond to a blog entry or drop off your contribution in the 9th grade office. 

n  “I slept. I also went to a sleepover, finished my projects, and watched movies. Oh, and went shopping.” – Seo Jung K.

n  “I went to Louisiana. My uncle’s getting married.  I also had a sleepover with my best friend.” – Malli S.

n  “I went to Atlanta for my sister’s volleyball tournament. We also had our family trip along the way.  We didn’t get to many places because of the weather.”- Ashwini J.

n  “Just hung out like I do every weekend, ‘cept this was longer.” – Blake S.

n   “I went to Chicago, and it was, like, AWESOME!” – Sandhya S.

A large percent of the student population replied that they stayed at home sleeping, watching television, or on the computer.  All this was possible from the lack of homework over the break. “Thank goodness, too! This is the first time I’ve never had anything to do. I even had items over winter break.” says a bystander. 

“Well, I think they’re making up for the ‘lack of homework’ by giving us double this week!” says another student. 

            Teachers and students are both gearing up for the fact that Spring break is the last break until School’s OUT!

Do you have an interesting Spring Break story?  Send it on the blog.  Remember that all bloggers must identify themselves.

                                                            -S.V