| |
| |
|
By MHS Principal Terry Howell |
| |
|
McKenzie High School will offer juniors the opportunity
to take the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 18, at the
high school library. PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is a
standardized test that provides firsthand practice for
the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the SAT II: Writing Test.
Students also have an opportunity to qualify for
National Merit Scholarship Corporation's scholarship
programs.
The test measures verbal reasoning skills,
critical reading skills, math problem solving skills,
and writing skills. Students generally take the exam to
enter competition for scholarships from the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation and to prepare for the
future SAT assessment. The test is administered in five
sections and will take about three hours with
appropriate breaks between sections. Students wanting to
take the test must register with Ms. Herrin. Twenty
slots are available. Registration is first-come, first
serve. Cost of the test is $10.50 with checks payable to
McKenzie High School.
McKenzie High School will again participate in Youth
Leadership Carroll County. This activity, sponsored by
the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and managed by
Brad Hurley and Joel Washburn, provides students
leadership training sessions along with practical
knowledge about Carroll County. Students applied for
YLCC and were chosen by an independent judge. They
submitted resumés and letters explaining their reason
for applying. The five students selected are Kate Hames,
Bryan Huffman, Ashley Lyons, Sydney Patterson, and
Amanda Rogers. The first scheduled session will be
Thursday, October 23, at the Chamber office. Students
will attend four sessions of YLCC and will complete a
project about our county. YLCC is an outstanding
opportunity to learn about our county and to develop
leadership skills.
During Homecoming several clubs and organizations set up
booths during lunch for students to play games and for
the club to raise money. The Leo Club, the student level
of the Lions' Club, set up a booth to raise money for a
community service project. They chose to donate their
proceeds to the Tennessee School for the Blind Christmas
Fund. I applaud those students and their sponsors for
working for those that are disadvantaged. Sometimes in
school the longest-lasting lessons are not academic.
On Friday, October 17, we will have a video preview sale
of our 2004 yearbook. Jostens, our yearbook company,
will present a short, 10-minute video explaining the
yearbook sales process and the deferred payment that
students can do. The base price of the yearbook for this
year is $35.00. After viewing the video, students will
have the opportunity to complete an order form without
sending any payment. Jostens will do a direct billing to
parents and students. If a parent decides not to order a
yearbook, he/she is under no obligation to do so. Often
the price of the yearbook is driven upward because of
the personalization and extra materials that students
order. Again, parents can adjust the order to get the
basic yearbook without all of the bells and whistles.
Jostens does allow parents to make installment payments
to get this high school keepsake.
The cross country team ran in the Obion County
Invitational with some excellent results. The girls team
finished sixth and were paced by seniors Amber King
(21:44) and Sarah Hartz (22:00). They completed the
course in 6th and 8th place respectively in individual
placement. Katya Kesterson, Samantha Doster, and Caitlin
Blackwell all finished under 29 minutes and placed 40th,
45th, and 49th. The boys' team had three athletes run
under 20 minutes. They were Caleb Owen (18:16 for 32nd
place), Matt Blaylock (18:45 for 43rd place), and Brice
Priestly (18:55 for 47th place). Holland Hames, Chase
Mitchell, James Lee, and Zach Drye all ran under the 21
minute mark. The next meet will be the Best of the West
at Dyer County High School on Thursday, October 16.
Upcoming dates of importance include the following:
October 22 - Math Competency test for seniors, October
23 - Language Competency for seniors, and October 25 -
Division I Band Competition at Murfreesboro.
The football team suffered its first setback with a
hard-fought 23-20 defeat at the hands of the visiting
Dresden Lions. The Lions showed the reason that it is a
force to deal with in the play-offs after they churned
out over 200 yards rushing. With a massive offensive
line, the visitors used excellent ball handling to keep
the McKenzie defenders off-balanced for most of the
night. The Rebels did manage to make the game
interesting with two fourth quarter touchdowns, but time
expired with the Lions running out the clock. This week
the Rebels return to region competition with a key
match-up at Chester County. The Eagles have an identical
6-1 record with the Rebels, and the winner of the game
will claim home field advantage for the first round game
of the play-offs. Game time will be 7:30 at Henderson.
We need to show the team that we will support them in
good times and following losses as well. Come out and
support the team.
The band competed in the Obion County Invitational on
Saturday and had positive results. In the Division I:
Red Class I, the band finished first. Overall in
Division I, the band finished in second place. Also, in
Division I overall, the percussion earned second place,
and Kayla Bomar, the field commander, had a second place
finish. A total of five bands competed in Division I.
These competitions serve as a means to prepare for the
Division I State Competition in Murfreesboro on October
25. Congratulations to the band and their success at
Troy.
Report cards will be issued on Thursday, October 16 for
all students. Students who owe money for fines, fees, or
other financial obligations will need to pay for these
prior to report cards being issued. |
|
