Annual Bus Trip Across Georgia set to visit two schools in APS

The 18th annual Bus Trip Across Georgia will make stops at two schools in APS next week, including The New Schools at Carver at 1:45 p.m. Oct. 27 and Charles R. Drew Charter School at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 28. More than 70 education stakeholders representing business, government, education and citizen groups will participate as riders on two tour buses visiting schools in Georgia on Oct. 26-28. The purpose of the tour is to honor high-achieving schools and provide education stakeholders from around the state a chance to see what is working in these schools.

Grady High’s mock trial team wins world championship

 

UPDATE: Read AJC article here.

Congratulations go out to Grady High School‘s vaunted mock trial team, which came home this past weekend with a unique world title. Twelve members of the team, which previously place third in national competition this past summer, won the Empire City Mock Trial Association Tournament held in New York City. The team had been preparing for a case since July and had to argue both sides in the weekend competition. After racking up one of the two highest scores through the four rounds of competition, the team faced, and defeated, a home-schooled team from North Carolina.

We took some time to speak to two of the top competitors, juniors Shaun Kleber and Elizabeth McGlamry, along with attorney-coach Carl Gebo (of Adorno & Yoss), who works with the team. Kleber won an award for best attorney and best witness, while McGlamry won best overall attorney for the competition. Here they explain how that plays out, and how participating in Grady’s program makes them better students.

The school’s mock trial team keeps getting better, having placed 13th nationally in 2000, 16th in 2005, eighth in 2009 and third this year. The team faced competition from 29 other teams including teams from Ireland, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Canada. The win earned the team coverage from WXIA (11Alive). Congratulations also go out to Grady head coach Brian Leahy and their teammates: Egan Allen, Abena Amoakuh, David Bufkin, Jasmine Burnett, Atiana Johnson, Troy Kleber, Miller Lansing, Katherine Sherwood, Sam Weinstock and Alix Youngblood. Leahy was assisted by Gebo and fellow local attorney Cecily McLeod.

The British are coming! (To share best practices)

Seven public school teachers from Cornwall, England, will visit half a dozen APS schools next week as part of an international exchange of best and alternative educational practices. The British teachers are scheduled to visit Coretta Scott King and Kennedy middle schools and Dunbar, Smith Primary, Jones and Parkside elementary schools Monday-Friday, Oct. 25-29.

The trip is funded by the British Department of Children, Schools and Families and organized by the British Council, which arranges educational trips abroad for British teachers around themes relevant to their schools. The British teachers plan to visit schools in small groups of between one and three individuals spread over the five-day period among the six APS schools. News media representatives are invited to cover the visits.

Save the date: Inman Middle School 5K Race, Nov. 6

The Inman Middle School 5K Race will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6,  (registration will be at 7:30 a.m.). The theme: “Walk, Run, Soar Like an Eagle.” The cost is $10 per student, $20 per adult and $25 on the day of the race. The school welcomed 200 runners last year and hopes to double the number for this year. There are several ways to register and scholarships are available for this event:

1. Runners can download a registration form from the Inman PTA website and then mail it in;
2. Obtain a form at Inman Middle School and then mail it in;
3. Register at www.active.com;
4. Register in person at Phidippides Shoes in the Ansley Mall (1544 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309 (404-875-4268);
5. Register at Inman at 7:30 a.m., day of the race.

Questions? Contact Michelle Hendry at 678-468-3736 or michellehendryusa@yahoo.com.