Also George Washington’s birthday was originally February 12 under the Julian calendar that America followed till 1752. When America switched to the Gregorian calendar (shorter by 11 days), his birthday moved to February 22.And since some of us know the story about the George Washington and the  Cherry Tree, it is a tradition in some places to make cherry deserts and pastries More interesting presidential facts :

-  Did you know that we only have 43 presidents because George Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president which makes Baraka Obama the 44th.

-   George Washington borrowed books from the Manhattan Library which were never returned. Now if he were still alive he would owe at least $300,000.

-  Ulysses S. Grant once got a speeding ticket for riding his horse too fast and Millard Fillmore was the first president to have a bathtub installed in the White House.

Brenden, Age 7

”I was born with a “special heart”, and I have gone to see a cardiologist my whole life. I’m grateful to the doctors for fixing my heart. Now I can run and play without getting tired.” Now that was one of the kids we helped, hears another one.

Layla, age 6
Hours after she was born, an angioplasty revealed Layla’s aorta was pinched much like an hourglass. She needed open-heart surgery for a better chance to survive.  A generation ago, someone born with Layla’s condition might not have lived to start Kindergarten. Thanks to research funded by the American Heart Association, Layla will be blowing out candles for many years to come.

So that’s why Battle Academy students jump rope, and that’s why they call it Jump Rope for Heart. The money the school collects will give the parents of children with heart problems or the hospitals that care for them the funds needed for surgery and medical care that some parents can’t afford.

In the weeks prior to the event, Coach Darras prepares Battle students by teaching them the skills they need to jump rope safely and for a long period of time.  Coach Darras explained that “if all students participate during school hours we will raise over $6,000 for the American Heart Association.”  After the event the two boys and two girls who raise the most money will get to throw a pie in Coach Darras’ face. The two classes that raise the most money will get to pour a bucket of water on Coach Darras’ head. In addition, every student that jumps receives their own jump rope that they can take home to continue jumping for their own good health.

                The first thing robotics teams do to start their day is wake up early in order to ride a Charter bus to the event. The event lasts all day so rest was necessary and a lot of kids were asleep on the bus. Once they arrive, they must get ready for their first run on the table with the robots. First up to control the robot was Lily Rosenow and Rachel Kamuiru, completing the “Quilt Squares” and “Service Animals” challenges. Then Samuel Ellis took control to complete the “Woodworking” challenge. Last was Lily Rosenow again completing the “Transitions” challenge, which included programming the robot to track a black line, climb a ramp and end balanced in the center of the element. Each round lasts 2.30 minutes. They have 3 rounds spread throughout the day. Next they go and do a presentation based on their solution to their problem which was night blindness or vision problems. Their presentation was limited to 5 minutes or less. It was about a senior who has trouble seeing at night. The team invented a device called Smart Shield and showed how it works.

                They go back to the table to run more missions with the robot. Lunch was after that which was held at the Tennessee Tech University Cafeteria. It included a delicious buffet, deserts, and oddly breakfast cereal! Once stomachs were full everyone was ready to get back on a move. They next went rotation where judges ask questions about our teamwork, programming and robot design.        

                The final task for the team was to complete the last round at the table completing as many challenges as possible. Once that is over they wait awhile for awards.  Some people left but the Battle Bots chose to wait for the awards to be announced.  They were awarded a second place trophy (made of Legos) for their project presentation about the Smart Shield device.

                The Smart Shield device has been entered into the FLL Future Innovators competition.  Got a minute? Follow the link below to cast your vote for the SMARTSHIELD!  Invented by Battle’s robotics team, the SMARTSHIELD is a windshield integrated with an adjustable anti-glare layer and a GPS system that stretches across the complete windshield and incorporates real-time data collected from externally mounted HD cameras as well as the continuous satellite imagery. The intention was to assist seniors who found themselves dependent on others for transportation, especially at night, due to a variety of vision problems including glaucoma, cataracts, night blindness, etc. The device could be added to any vehicle, making it affordable and familiar to the senior driver. To be completely operable by a senior, most of the communication is voice activated. Vote here, and share the link with your friends! http://fllinnovation.firstlegoleague.org/smartshield

Battle students will participate in hands-activities to learn about ecosystems and the animals and plants that live in those ecosystem. The ecosystems they will be studying are the Tidal Marsh, the Beach, the Maritime Forest, and the Slough. Parents and guardians of fifth grade students have attended meetings about Jekyll Island, providing them with information about the learning experiences, housing, food, transportation and related costs. The teachers explained what supplies and clothing that would be needed to attend the trip to Jekyll Island.

Jekyll Island is located in Glynn County, Georgia, on one of the many barrier islands. The 4H center is actually a converted hotel that sits on the beach at the south end.  Students will be living “dormitory style” for a few days, eating in the “mess hall” and servking “KP duty” for one meal over the three days.  This is the first time for many students to see the ocean in person and to travel outside of Tennessee. 

The fifth graders MUST earn points to be able to go to Jekyll Island the points are based on their behaviors. If they do not act correctly they will not be able to go to Jekyll Island. All of the fifth graders have picked out 1 – 2 animals or plants to study, see and, touch at Jekyll.  They are working on presentations that integrate library research, technology and science, to teach others about their assigned habitats.  Learning that occurs as a result fo the field study experience will be added to their presentations. 

• “I should know, but I can’t remember.”
• “I don’t know.”
• “I think it is when parents and kids can come together.”
• “It has something to do with the ARTS… Allied Arts I think.”
• “Learning in creative ways.”
• “Where parents and kids can learn from different teachers.”
• “No.”
• “The eight intelligences,” which the parent listed each of them in terms familiar to our students.
• “Children learn in all kinds of different ways. Battle is an excellent school for teaching children different strengths.”

As you can see, very few parents that were interviewed could explain either what MI stands for, or what the different intelligences are, or both.  It might also be of interest to our readers to explain that all respondents were women and they were the primary adults participating in the planned MI activities. 

There was also some confusion about particular intelligences and activities that would support them.  For instance, one adult stated, “I like Visual/Spatial because I like to read.”  When in fact reading would be supportive of the Verbal/Linguistic intelligence.

When Stacie Jackson was asked “which multiple intelligence do you favor?” she explained that Visual/Spatial was her favorite intelligence because she grew up around art and enjoyed participating in art making. She also stated that “I love [MI] because everyone learns differently and teachers focus on each individual’s particular way of learning.” 

Jocelyn Wilcox explained that her two favorite intelligences were naturalistic and visual/spatial.  She state that, “I like the Naturalistic intelligence because I like to see nature and how the world works.”

Monica Delk said, “I like Visual/Spatial, Naturalist, Bodily/Kinesthetic and Verbal/Linguistic.”

Kathryn Faulkner explained that she liked the Bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence because she believes that human body needs exercise; the Musical intelligence because it uses specific parts of the brain and it can represent a form of expression or communication; the Interpersonal intelligence because it teaches you to relate to others; and the Naturalist intelligence because she believes “you can study and respect the world and its’ aspects.”

Katie Cook chose Bodily Kinesthetic, “because I can learn better by doing than listening.”

                When asked what has been learned from this arts integrated experience, Mrs. Painter, another first grade teacher said, “They (students) have been learning to concentrate at controlling their bodies in order to understand the world around them.”

                The students began this exploration by focusing on a variety of dance terms like strong, swing, smooth, bond, light and sharp.  These basic dance concepts will be combined to create a dance representing science learning throughout the third nine weeks.  The benefit of working with a local dance educator is that sessions can be spread out throughout the year because travel is not an issue.  The first graders had completed a series of lessons with Mrs. La Bianca in the fall as well as the current sessions. 

                Mary has been working with the first grade teachers for the past three years. Each experience combines academic and art content. When the teachers were asked how the students responded to these sessions the responded with great excitement explaining that “The students love it because they get to move around and show their body-smart intelligence.”  It was evident from the interview that Mrs. Calhoun’s students had a lot of energy to expel and this was a great opportunity to shift from their common focus on their word-smart intelligence. 

                Sounds like a great way to learn science that could be shared with other teachers and their students.

            Each day during Spirit Week students and staff dress as a different theme.

• Monday- dress like your teacher day
• Tuesday- dress like your favorite book character
• Wednesday- pajama day
• Thursday-dress like your future career
• Friday- jersey spirit day (any sports team)

                       Throughout the year students have been collecting box tops. Ten bins are placed in the central area of Battle, eight of them representing a different multiple intelligence. People will place their box tops in their favorite bin, and at the end of the week the box tops will be counted, therefore it will be easy to tell which multiple intelligence has the most votes. Also, students will get a chance to vote for their favorite Super bowl team, using Campbell’s soup Labels.

            School spirit is important! It can improve the atmosphere around a school building, build friendships, and improve fellowship among peers. A lot more enthusiasm can be seen around the school and may cause the student body to feel more like a family. It gives them a chance to work together for a good cause. Students will have a sense of stability, they have something to lean on and work towards. School spirit originates from the constant need for people to belong. The pride of belonging to a school and expressing that in various ways is a big part of school spirit. It’s a chance for people to get creative and show what they believe in and what they stand towards.

On Friday all of the bins were collected and the Box tops and Labels were counted the following week. The final results were:  8,741 Box Tops for Education total  were deposited in the bins. 1,539 Labels for Education, 679 in the Forty-niners bin and 718 in the Ravens bin, we predicted who would win. The number one favorite for MI was the Logical/ Mathematical with 2,042 votes.

CSAS……WITH 24 VOTES

CSAS is short for Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. It is located at 1000 East 30th StreetChattanooga, TN 37407. CSAS is a school where you have to apply for a space and wait till they call your number to say you got in. “We follow the principles of The Paideia Proposal, requiring the same curriculum for all students. The course study is general, liberal and humanistic. No honors or advanced placement courses are offered. Our school’s instructional philosophy focuses on three kinds of teaching and learning- – lecture, skill development in small groups with tutors, and discussion and questioning.”

 CCA…….WITH 22 VOTES

CCA is short for Center for Creative Arts. It is located at 1301 Dallas Road Chattanooga, TN 37405. CCA is a school where you have to make a portfolio and audition for the school. “The Center for Creative Arts offers students an opportunity to explore their gifts and talents. Art programs in Communication, Music, Dance, Theatre and Visual Arts, plus a well rounded Academics Program, direct students in a progressive pathway to a bright future. Students must be willing to take risks, to make commitments, and to give their best every day in order to receive the greatest benefit from the Center for Creative Arts. The unique atmosphere makes students feel comfortable and confident that they are being taught what will be necessary for success artistically and academically. The goal for the Center for Creative Arts is excellence in every area.”

NORMAL PARK MUSEUM MAGNET (Upper)……WITH 16 VOTES

Normal Park Museum Magnet Upper School Campus is located at 1009 Mississippi Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Normal Park is a school where you have to apply for a space and wait till they call your number to say you got in.

“At Normal Park-Upper, we seek to cultivate wisdom and citizenship in all of our students- preparing them for the future and challenging them to discover themselves and the world. We strive to instill lifelong intellectual curiosity, sound judgment and deep understanding by building a solid educational foundation based on meaningful exploration and discovery. We plan to accomplish this through collaborative partnerships with parents, museums, and the community in a unique, creative and dynamic environment. The school boasts comprehensive academic, arts and athletic programs.”

These three schools don’t have a dress code. They may help you decide but these are not the only Hamilton county middle schools. There are so many other schools to pick from if you can’t get in any of these choices.

This past spring, Ms. Goss and the current leadership team chose to change the dress code for 2012, by providing additional color choices, as well as the opportunity to wear different types of closed-toe shoes, and permitting Battle t-shirts like the fall festival shirts and the Battle Academy Rocket sweatshirts and hoodies that were offered for sale this fall, to be worn any school day.  We can’t wear Crocs or flip-flops, and we can not sag our pants.

New color choices for shirts include blue and grey, and you can also wear brown pants and girls can wear plaid skirts/skorts. In addition, there are lots of options for shoes, including boots, as long as they are still closed-toe – trying to protect those little flanges. 

So if you see a member of our school leadership team, remember to say thank you, because without them we might be wearing the same thing day after day. If you think we need a new dress code, first take a look at the dress code we already have. Second, if you still don’t like our dress code talk to the members of the Leadership team and explain your ideas and reasons why you think the dress code should be changed. Don’t forget that the dress code was created so that our clothing wouldn’t interfere with our learning and we would be positive representatives of our school. Nobody’s parents want their child to look like they aren’t ready to learn and distract others from a good education.

Did you know that Battle Academy has an annual cross-country meet? In fact, cross-country participants from the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades from 45 different Hamilton County schools participated in an all morning event on the 27^th of October. The course was located near the beach area at the Chickamauga Dam as it has been for 20 years. The course was precisely one mile long. Two hundred to two hundred and fifty runners competed in each of six races, categorized by gender and age. Students were chosen to participate in the cross-country race after running during PE classes. Their behavior during class was also considered, and teachers were consulted beforehand. Couch Darras, PE teacher at Battle, says “Endurance, determination, and the self satisfaction of doing their best are all qualities of a good cross-country runner.’’

The week before the race, the fifty-four Battle Students participating in the event stayed after school and practiced running short distances to build up endurance, they also practiced on their own and during PE classes. Fifth grader Jainy Walker says, “The practices were pretty fun. They helped teach us that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. It was also really good to practice and get a feel for what the race would be like.” 

Here are the results of the cross-country meet from Battle:

Third Grade Girls: Madeline Warren-25; Marley Marchand-119; Ella Ingalls-88; Norah Wells-131; Marlow Nichols-101; Bailey Hawbaker-123; Molly Brewer-129. Third Grade Boys:Charles Hayslett-183; Silas Wiltshire-119; Sebastian Rutledge-145; Kyle Helms-49; Juden Green-126; Finn Sparks-48. Fourth Grade Girls: Linen Cooper-10; Lily Cooper-4; Jamie Hayes-64; Olivia Mixon-72; Eva Hairrell-120; Zharia Fair-162. Fourth Grade Boys: Kaiden LaRose-159; B.J. Campbell-47; Eli Honeycutt-58; Samuel Ellis-139; Lumiere Strickland-72.  Fifth Grade Girls: Finnlea Basler-27; Eliza Moore-28; Lana Shae-97; Lily Sparks-69; Jainy Walker-100; Matilda Green-76; Rachel Kamuiru-152. Fifth Grade Boys: Demetrius Carter-26; Abel Cooley-162; Gabriel Davis-82; Nathan Lathrop-160; Owen Peterson-163; Isaiah Hansen-119.

First through fortieth place won a ribbon, no matter how many runners per school, and forty and above got a participation ribbon. Standings are not kept for each individual school. Third grader Marlow Nichols says, “I’ve been looking forward to this race for a long time. I liked the running and seeing how fast I could run. The race was longer than I expected, but it was fun.’’

The morning of the race was cool which could have had an effect on the participants. Usually, the weather has to be watched up until the last minutes before the race. If the schedule were to change, participants may not have been able to compete.

 Overall, in many opinions, the race was a great success. And remember, there’s always next year!