HOSA officers in regional competition

Three officers of the Health and Occupational Students of America (HOSA) from Haywood High School represented the school at regional competition recently held in Martin, Tennessee. Officers competing and their subjects were Erica Marbury (Medical Terminology), Leslie Rowe (Human Growth and Development), and Paige Austin (Concepts of Health Care).
 

Two Haywood High teams advance to State Academic Decathlon contest

A joyful crowd of Haywood High School Decathletes gathered in the school library to celebrate after the Academic Decathlon Regional competition Saturday night at Haywood High. Two of the HHS teams qualified to compete in the state contest at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville in March.

At the West Tennessee Regional Academic Decathlon competition this past weekend, two Haywood High School teams qualified to advance to the state competition. This marks the 22nd consecutive year that HHS teams have advanced to the state level. The Haywood Purple team placed fourth in over-all standings, and the Haywood White team placed eighth in over-all standings.

Our students won a total of nine medals and one plaque. The following students won awards: Chris Bradford, gold medal in math; Shanel Crawford-Harris, silver medal in math; Miguel Cobb, bronze medal in math; Amy Olmedo, bronze medal in science; John Evans, gold medal in math; and Hunter Burroughs, silver medal in music, silver medal in art, silver medal in economics, silver medal in Super Quiz, and he also received a plaque for being the fifth highest over-all scorer in his division.

The three HHS students who received the highest over-all scores were Hunter Burroughs, Angel Briseno, and Tequitta King.

Both teams will advance to the Tennessee Academic Decathlon State Competition at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville in March.

“The team members and coaches sincerely thank all students, faculty members, administrators, staff members, parents, and community volunteers who helped in any way. This truly involved a school-wide effort, and the successes are victories for all of us,” Academic Decathlon teacher and sponsor George Norvell said. Glynn Bridgewater is also a teacher and sponsor of the Academic Decathlon teams.

The final standings were: 1st place – Madison Academic Magnet High School, Jackson; 2nd – North Side High School, Jackson; 3rd – Obion County Central High School Blue Team, Troy; 4th – Haywood High School Purple Team; 5th – Liberty Technology Magnet High School, Jackson; 6th – Trinity Christian Academy, Jackson; 7th – Chester County High School, Henderson; 8th – Haywood High School White Team; and 9th – Obion County Central High School Red Team, Troy.

All nine of these teams will advance to the state competition in March, and will join other teams who qualified in Middle Tennessee and in East Tennessee competitions.

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Students exercising for good health

These HHS students follow an exercise video on Channel I as part of the schools’ Coordinated Health Program. Director for the program, Sharon Thornton, visited the school and handed out water bottles and T-shirts to random students who were participating in the new school activity.

Haywood County students are now exercising 90 minutes a week in school, according to Haywood County Schools’ Coordinated School Health Program Director Sharon Thornton. As part of the new program across the state, all schools were to include this amount of activity for students in their weekly routine by the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

Thornton said it was easy for the elementary schools to comply. They have recess every day for 30 minutes, and teachers help structure the exercise time for them each week. But Haywood Junior High School and Haywood High School were challenged to find the time to incorporate the exercise into the school day.

HJH has set its exercise time three times a week for 30 minutes in its exploratory classes – art, music and computer. They have videos to watch, lesson plans and games or the class can walk laps outside around the building. This seems to be the most popular choice, according to HJH Assistant Principal Don Sims.

Haywood High has adjusted its schedule to include three 30-minute exercise times at the end of the day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The in-school television Channel 1 plays exercise or dance videos for students to follow, or they are allowed to walk during their exercise time.

“I have been going around and observing different schools participating in the physical activity,” Thornton said. “I think it has been a big success,” she added.

The state-mandated program, that started in 10 pilot communities over the last few years, was expanded this year to 130 systems to promote comprehensive health education, health services, nutrition services, physical education, healthy school environment, school counseling, psychological and social services, family and community involvement and school-site health promotion for staff.