What A Game!!!!

Last night was why people love sports. It was also why people hate sports. The emotional drain that game placed on the fans from both sides was amazing. Each team's fans went from jubilation to dejection and back all night long. Athens had outstanding support all night - great job fans. It was a tough fought game that many thought was going to "be over before it started." Our Warriors showed-up big and stood toe-to-toe with the Trojans for 4 quarters. The game didn't end the way we all wanted but, I hope you are all as proud of the effort of our team as I am. I say, “Great season, Coach Knox and the rest of the coaching staff”. Football is the type of sport that takes most of a coach’s waking hours to prepare for, evaluate, reevaluate, prepare some more for, and then actually coach the games. The players put in long hours at practice and the coaches put in more work before and after to be ready each week. I believe that this staff and the returning players have a bright future. The seniors we are losing will be missed and their efforts have been appreciated for the past 4 years

Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Parents/Teacher conferences are just around the corner. These meetings allow parents and teachers the opportunities to discuss academic and behavioral progress of students. The idea is to try and remedy any negative behaviors or poor study/academic habits. It is important that both the parents and teachers take a chance to "get on the same page." In today's world, it is difficult to check grades every night on the computer. It is difficult to get your child to talk about school work, it is difficult for teachers to always make contact with parents when an issue arises. The conferences are a great time for everyone to meet. They are scheduled after the 1st quarter in order to get a sizable picture of what the student has done to this point. As well as, provide plenty of time to take corrective action and still reach an acceptable academic or behavior goal for the 1st semester. Conference time slots fill-up pretty quick. Be sure to have your student's schedule handy when you call. Hope to see you at the conferences.
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500 meters....

Ok, so I am sitting at the swim meet in PORTA. The PORTA team is comprised of PORTA, Athens, Greenview and Plains girls. I just watched a 500meter race. FIVE HUNDRED......that's 20 lengths of the pool! I have to say that it looked extremely HARD. I can just imagine how tired their arms must be. Tonight is Sr. Night for the Swim team and our own Emily Thomas is swimming her last "home" match. We also have Meg and Kali swimming tonight. It must be the ultra-competitive side of me -but I am finding myself caught up in A SWIM MEET. Never done that before. I have never been able to attend one before. Truth be known, I am rooting for PORTA for the 1st time I can remember:) "Go Blue Jays(WARRIORS, Bulldogs and Cards)!"
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Now Batting.....

This weekend I attended a wedding in the town I began a long teaching and coaching career. As the wedding party was introduced, I felt like it was 1999 again. The wedding party was similar to the line-up card I would fill-out each day prior a ball game. My starting CF, Catcher, DH, 1b, P and a couple of role-players were in the wedding party. As each member was announced, I was expecting to hear the voice of Terry Klein saying...."Now batting, number........" It was great to see many of them together again. As the evening continued, I was visited by other baseball players - some from other years and teams as well. Eventually I made my way to the "younger" side of the reception hall and ran into 2/3rds of the Power I backfield that led my JV football team to an 8-0 record with pure power football. It. That team was so talented, I only had to find a way to share the ball with 5+ outstanding players. Other football players, basketball players, and history students were on that side of the room as well. Of course, these "kids" were now 28,29,30 years of age. We visited about their lives since their playing days and their families and mutual memories from "back in the day." I was also able to reconnect with great parents who allowed me the chance to build relationships with their kids as a coach and teacher. This weekend was a great reminder of why I entered this profession 16 years ago - to build positive relationships with students and athletes and provide them an opportunity to reach their highest potential in the classroom, on the field and diamond, and in their own personal lives. Coaching and teaching are both easy for those outside of it to criticize, but if you put your time in and put relationships first - you can make a positive impression on most of your students and players. Nights like Saturday easily prove that many of the relationships and impacts are long lasting.
Have a great week.
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A Busy Weekend @ AHS

There was a lot going on @ AHS the weekend. Friday night's showdown with Auburn brought in one of our biggest crowds ever at the Sports Complex. Warrior fans showed up in full force! The Trojan fans made the trip up 55 in good numbers, as well. The Cheer Clinic and ACF recognition brought even more fans to the stadium. Today, the soccer team hosted Plains @ 10am and the Leadership Committee hosted a Car Show at the school @ 10am also. The sun came out and so did the cars! The FCCLA had a bake sale and sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Add in Saturday Detentions:), the Lions Club (thank you very much for cleaning up the stadium every Saturday), the football team on Saturday workouts, and the cheerleaders who were decorating the school for Homecoming and you can imagine how the place was hopping with people. That is the way I like to see it. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in these events. Have a great week!
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More Than Tests

Schools these days often get so caught up in the achievement test conversation that they lose focus on the other quality aspects of high school. I am questioning that high schools should strive to raise achievement for all students. I also believe they should be places were students can get a well-rounded education that provides many "out of the traditional classroom" learning experiences. On Thursday, many kids got an opportunity to get out of the building and play/learn on the Biology Club trip to Site M. The kids spent time learning a little about biology and a lot of time having fun as a group in the outdoors. The insects, ponds, water fowl, etc. were the educational focus of the day, but the fun is what will linger. I know the kids had a blast because I heard it from each one of them I talked to after school. Many still had muddy or wet clothes. Some, had changed into whatever they could borrow - which led to a couple of hilarious outfits. They had hundreds of pictures to show off. I was able to see a pretty cool video of a giant spider turning a grasshopper into a meal for later. If you stop to think about it, we all know how spiders and spider webs work. How many times have we have actually witnessed the trap and the wrap of prey? While the idea might not fancy everyone, it might spark someone's interest in biology. This is an example true biology captured on an iPhone outside of a classroom by a freshmen. If you stop in the school, I have posted several pictures on the new monitor in the foyer - take a look at them. I hope to post more later today. Thursday's fun had a specific purpose. Often it is something besides a chapter in a book that sparks curiosity or raises interests levels for students. Mr. Trueblood understands that it is possible to make learning fun and his field trip to Site M was a great example of just that.
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