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Known as the Smith School in 1894, when this photograph was made, the school was the first building built by the city for a public school. Erected on Market Street in 1872 as the Market Street School, the name was changed in 1878 to Smith School, honoring Thomas R. Smith, a member of the Board of Education. But it is remembered as the Christine School, in honor of Christine Reudelhuber, who was principal from 1882 until 1920. It was torn down in 1964. (Gift of Miss Irene Brignardello, Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Kortrecht High, class of 1891. Kortrecht, the first brick building built for African-American students would eventually become Booker T. Washington High School. G. P. Hamilton was a principal at Kortrecht and was the first principal of Booker T. Washington High School. Hamilton wrote "The Bright Side of Memphis" in 1908 spotlighting black Memphians who had made significant contributions to the city. Hamilton High School is named in his honor. (Gift of Ruth Wyckoff-Hunt, Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
September 22, 1992 - President George H.W. Bush joins Craigmont High School's choir in singing America the Beautiful.. About 3,500 people packed the school's gymnasium for the presidential visit - some standing in line for more than four hours before his arrival. President Bush was on the campaign trail against Democratic rival, Bill Clinton. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal)
Maury School, class 6-2 in 1910. The teacher was Miss Harris. (Gift of Mary Montgomery, Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
B.B. King (left) and Isaac Hayes visit on the podium in front of Manassas High School, 781 Firestone Blvd., Friday, September 8, 1995 where a historical marker was unveiled honoring the entertainment achievements of Hayes, a 1962 Manassas High graduate. (Robert Cohen / The Commercial Appeal)
Snowden School in 1912. The teacher was Miss Justice. (Courtesy Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
November 22, 2000 - When Nelson Mandela came to Memphis, the mutual love showed. Surely Cummings Elementary fourth-grader Lakeytra Addison will long remember her moment with the South African leader, in Memphis to receive the National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Award. ". . . The picture that shows his arms around the little girl, " reported Nelson Mandela Foundation vice chairman Nthatho Motlana two days later from South Africa, "that picture was all over South Africa, in most of the newspapers here." (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
Central High School, 12th Grade in 1913 Notes from back: Top Row: Henry Jones - Omega Davidson - Sam Goldberger - Anna Kummerer - Elretta Woods - Louise Carruthers - Herbert Able - Willie Andrews - Hyman Bronstein - Bessie Lewis -- Second Row: Martina Dolan - Elizabeth Schlemmer - Ina Kirby - Taleeta Meyers - Irene Moon - Catherine Landis - Marian Douglas - Lucille Sneed - Marguerite Adeylot - Irene Stahmer -- Third Row: Delilah Lighter - Ruby Stewart - Anna McNicholas - Rosalie Stiffel - Hannah Frank - Hazel Grieg - Marguerite McIsaacs - Herbert Lee Swepston - Anna Gordon -- Bottom Row: Sloay McMahon - Beatrice Harold (Courtesy Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
February 21, 2001 - Second-grader Brandon Jennings works a math problem in Kelly Wise's class at Cherokee Elementary School. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
Riverside class 3-one, 1914. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
January 16, 2002 - Second graders at Germanshire Elementary all brought rocks to class Wednesday. They were studying rocks and soil in Kristy Smith's class. Curiousity got the best of the students when the teacher handed out magnifying glasses. Seen here from left are Alyssa Wolf, Stephane Robinson, and Dedrick Horton, all 7 years old. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
Maury, class 1-1, circa 1918. Notes on back: Edward McGowan (Grad. Central '29), ___, ___, Benduncan Polk, ___, Malcolm Aiken, ___, Mary Carolyn Lee, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, Lena Miller (Grad. Central '29), Lucia Stockey, ___, Elizabeth Lyle, Me (Grad. Central '29), Frances Wilson, Thelma Hoffman, ___, ___, ___, ___, Elizabeth Carr (Grad. Central '29), Ester Wood, Hazel Haze, ___, Rose Bell, ___. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
June 25, 2002 - Members of the Craigmont High School co-ed Craigmont Cheerleading squad model clothes that conform to Memphis City School's new dress code for a photo shoot with freelance photographer Morgan Mukarram on Tuesday. The squad won first place in this year's 2002 UCA National Cheerleading competition. All Memphis City Schools will require the clothes in the fall. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
Lauderdale Elementary School second graders pose for a class photo in 1923. (Gift of Henry F. Beard, Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
May 16, 2011 - President Barack Obama gets a big hug from BTW graduate Tiesha Taylor after she received her diploma during the Booker T. Washington commencement ceremony at the Cook Convention Center Monday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
Riverside classes 3-1, 3-2 in 1925. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
May 20, 2013 - Manassas High School senior Christopher Austin jokes with classmates during a banquet lunch at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn Monday afternoon. The school is proud of it's post graduate placement this year with all of the graduating seniors going to some type of schooling after they graduate this weekend. Austin is trying to decide between the University of Memphis and University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
Cummings School, 1A - Social Science, 1932. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Perhaps the most notorious alumnus of Idlewild School, Machine Gun Kelly, died in 1954. Kelly attended Idlewild in the early 1900s. A Central High School dropout, cab driver and bootlegger, he was wanted for bank robberies and kidnapping when he was captured in Memphis in 1933. He spent the rest of his life in federal penitentiaries at Alcatraz and Fort Leavenworth. (The Commercial Appeal files)
May 16, 1938 - Winner of the Ninth Annual Gorgas Essay Contest on the subject "Achievements of William Crawford Gorgas and their relation to our health," Miss Frances Babin is pictured receiving the Henry L. Doherty First Prize of $500 from President Roosevelt at the White House. Miss Babin is a member of the 1938 graduating class of South Side High School. Mrs. Henry L. Doherty is at left. (Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress)
South Side High School, Senior Class 1938. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
September 6, 1939 - Weighted down with responsiblity is 9-year-old Herbert Stuart, who today will escort his sister, Ester Mae, 6, to Vollintine School for the first time. They are the children of Mrs. C.O. Stuart, 776 Auburndale and typical of the thousands of youngsters who are beginning school again this week. (Special Collections/University of Memphis Libraries)
Benjamin Hooks in his 1941 high school graduation photograph. Hooks grew up in a middle-class family in South Memphis and worked in his father's Hooks Brothers photography studio. After graduation from Booker T. Washington High School in 1941, he attended LeMoyne College and Howard University in Washington. Drafted in 1943, he served during World War II with the Army in Italy. After the war, he went to law school at DePaul University in Chicago on the GI bill. He returned to Memphis in 1948 and began practicing law, later serving as an assistant public defender and criminal court judge. In 1972, President Nixon appointed him to the FCC. He moved to the NAACP as its national executive director in 1977, replacing Roy Wilkins, who had led the association since 1955. Hooks retired in 1993 although he planned to continue pastoring his two churches, Greater Middle Baptist Church on Lamar in Memphis and Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit. (Hooks family photo)
The machine shop at Manassas High School, circa 1941. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Hamilton Jr. High School music class in a September, 1943 classroom photo. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Maxine Smith graduated from Booker T. Washington High School at the age of 15 and four years later graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta. She earned her masterís degree from Middlebury College, in Vermont. The state of Tennessee paid her tuition to Middlebury rather than allow her to attend a white college or university here. Seven years after getting her Masterís from Middlebury, Smith and Miriam DeCosta Willis tried to enroll in all white Memphis State and were turned away. ìI got mad and have been mad ever since,î Smith recalled in a 1977 interview. Smith and Willis filed suit against what is now the University of Memphis in 1957. Two years later, the first black students were admitted to the university although Smith and Willis were not among the group. Smith would later sit on the Board of Regents, the state board that sets policies for state colleges and universities including the University of Memphis. (Family photo/The Commercial Appeal files)
Guthrie Elementary, 1st grade, Mrs. Rhew - Mrs. Smith, 1946. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Porter School May Day celebration May 10, 1950. (Terry J. Kirk, Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Porter School, May Day celebration. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
Shouting, carefree youngsters left Memphis schools on December 21, 1950 to begin their Christmas holidays. Some of the children at Riverside School, 176 Wisconsin (at Pennsylvania) wore the costumes they had used earlier in the day when they presented a Yuletide playlet. ( Jack Meredith/The Commercial Appeal files)
Lauderdale School, 5th Grade of Miss Mertie Chapman. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
"Preparation of Nictric Acid from the Air" is the title of this chemical experiment performed at the Booker T. Washington High School exhibit by Sylvester Butler (Left) (16) and James Wheeler (Right) (17). The event took place at the Colored Tri-State Fair, which opened a four-day run on October 4, 1951 at the Fairgrounds. (Rudolph Vetter/The Commercial Appeal)
Roane Waring Jr. (Right) commander of American Legion Post No. 1, presents Cadet Commander Bobby Joe Johnson (Second Left) and Nancy Fisher (Second Right), both of Humes High ROTC, with a saber and red ribbon, first place awards in competitive marching at the Victory Day Parade on November 21, 1951. Looking on is Maj. John R. Ellis (Left), director of public school ROTC training. Patsy Young and Cadet Commander Walter Moore (Back Left) accepted the second place white ribbon for Messick. The third place blue ribbon was presented to Cadet Commander Thomas Neely and Joyce Lewis, both of Tech. The girls were sponsors of their ROTC units. (The Commercial Appeal files)
May 19, 1951 - Cadet Lieut. Col. Bryon Humphrey, commander of Messick High School's ROTC Battalion was wildly cheered when judges announced his battalion had won the award for being the best drilled ROTC unit in the parade. (Robert Williams, Special Collections/University of Memphis Libraries)
Elvis Aaron Presley in a photograph from the 1953 Senior Herald, Humes High School. Listings next to his photograph were - Major: Shop, History, English - Activities: R.O.T.C., Biology Club, English Club, History Club, Speech Club. (Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
ROTC "A" Company, Second Platoon at Humes High School in a photograph from The 1951 Senior Herald, Humes High School. Elvis Presley is in the third row, seventh from right. (Courtesy Memphis Public Library & Information Center)
George Klein and Elvis Presley in undated photograph. Klein went to Humes High School with Presley, where the two became close friends (they both served each other's weddings as best man). Klein flirted with a few recorded singles at Sun Records and then found his niche as the host of the popular WHBQ music show Talent Party from 1964 to '72. ( The Commercial Appeal files)
In sparkling and soundproofed, but far from new, classrooms at the modern, brick Booker T. Washington High School, these pupils learn secretarial arts on the latest equipment available and identical with that in use in white high schools according to a full page story in The Commercial Appeal of October 24, 1954. (Rudolph Vetter / The Commercial Appeal)
October 3, 1961 - Thirteen black first graders entered four of Memphis' previously all-white schools including Bruce School these students were attending. It marked the beginning of the Board of Education's "good faith" integration plan for the city's public school system. The children transferred to Bruce were from left; Harry Williams, son of Mrs. Romanita Williams, Michael Willis, 5, son of Mr. & Mrs. A.W. Willis and Dwania Kyles, 5, daughter of Rev. & Mrs. Samuel B. Kyles. Some 200 police guarded Bruce, Springdale, Rozelle and Gordon schools as school officials surprised the city with the first black first-graders that October morning. Willis, son of prominent black attorney A.W. Willis, later changed his name to Menelik Fombi. (Fred Griffith / The Commercial Appeal)
October 3, 1961 - Jacqueline Elaine Moore (left) and Deborah Ann Holt on their way to Springdale School. They were among thirteen black first grade students were admitted to four white schools in the first desegregation of Memphis public schools. ( Bob Williams/ The Commercial Appeal)
October 3, 1961 - Attorney Russell B. Sugarmon Jr. escorts a group of children and parents to Gordon School as a Safety council patrolman halts traffic for them to cross the street. The four children who integrated Gordon are Sharon and Sheila Malone, Alvin Freeman and Pamela Mayes. Thirteen black first grade students were admitted to four white schools in the first desegregation of Memphis public schools. (William Leaptrott, Courtesy Special Collections/University of Memphis Libraries)
Pictured are members of the 1962 Booker T. Washington High School basketball team. Team members include: (Front-left to right) Robert Cobb, Charles Powell, Sherman Yates, Coach William "Bill" Fowlkes, Hershel Boone, Edward Robertson and Willie Ward. (Back-left to right) Asst. Principal Joe Westbrooks, Julian Banks, Marion Brewer, Louis McCoy, Ronald Ester, Walter Cummings, Leroy Weakley and Principal J. D. Springer. The team won the City Championship and the Regional Championship, held in Memphis that year. The National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for African American schools was held from 1941 to 1967. In 1962, the tournament was held in Nashville and BTW defeated Carter-Paramore High School from Quincy, FL to win the title and finish the season 32-1. (Hooks Brothers photo, courtesy Thomas J. Milam)
A group of black marchers protesting school board policies were met by white counter marchers during a double demonstration in Memphis, Aug. 31, 1963. The blacks, estimated at about 600, and some 50 whites marched side-by-side through the busy Main Street shopping district without incident. (AP Photo/Bill Hudson)
Cybill Shepherd (center); Debbie Salter (left); Marcia Swett in October, 1966. Shepherd, who attended East High School, was the winner of the Miss Teenage Memphis contest that year. The actress, singer, songwriter and part-time Memphian who began her film career playing the promiscuous Jacy Farrow in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show, went on to fame with the Moonlighting and Cybill TV shows. (The Commercial Appeal files)
An integrated Fourth Grade classroom at Vollentine School in this 1968 photograph. Desegregation began in Memphis schools in the fall of 1961, when 13 black children were admitted to the first grades in four previously all-white schools. About 350 black students attended white schools in 1966-1967. The number rose to 900 in 1967-1968. (The Commercial Appeal files)
A group of 91 Northside High School students, who walked out of classes for a march in the rain to support striking sanitation workers, sang and chanted under heavy police escort as they hiked along Danny Thomas Boulevard to Clayborn AME Temple at 294 Hernando Monday March 11, 1968. (The Commercial Appeal)
Administrative Intern Willie Herenton gets a word of wisdom from Assistant Principal Mose Walker at Booker T. Washington High from their 1968 yearbook.
November 19, 1969 - Northside teacher Miss Mary Fisher normally had nine students in her advanced mathematics class, but only three this day as a boycott by the Memphis NAACP branch was demanding that blacks replace at least two elected white members on the Memphis Board of Education. (Robert Williams / The Commercial Appeal )
Maxine Smith (Left), executive secretary of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP, Rev. Ezekiel Bell (Center), president of the Memphis chapter and Norman Brewer (right) of WMC-TV talk after an hour-long television debate with Memphis city schools superintendent E.C. Stimbert and board president Edgar Bailey October 22, 1969. In 1969, more than half of the students in Memphis City Schools were black. But the five-member school board, whose members at that time were appointed by the City Council, was all-white. "Every time there was a vacancy (on the school board), I'd put on my Sunday dress and go make a public plea, " Smith said in 2009. The nonviolent school boycott campaign that came to be known as Black Mondays began in the fall of 1969, and ended less than two months later with the City Council's capitulation: the addition of two nonvoting black members to the school board. (Sam Melhorn / The Commercial Appeal)
Protestors on Main Street November 12, 1969. The protests were centering primarily on demands of the Memphis NAACP branch that blacks replace at least two elected white members on the Memphis Board of Education and a strike at St. Joseph Hospital by the AFSCME (AFL-CIO). (Robert Williams / The Commercial Appeal )
The custodian at Guthrie School watches as police prevent marchers from entering the campus November 13, 1969. Protests were centering primarily on demands of the Memphis NAACP branch that blacks replace at least two elected white members on the Memphis Board of Education. (Robert Williams/The Commercial Appeal)
Youngsters outside Porter School March 25, 1970, a day after President Richard Nixon delivered a 10,000 word statement on desegregation. Nixon, in the most extensive statement ever made by a chief executive on the subject, recommended spending 1.5 billion dollars during the next two years to make desegregation easier and more effective, to raise the standard of predominantly black schools and to promote interracial contact for pupils in predominately white schools. (Fred J. Griffith / The Commercial Appeal)
June 1, 1971 - Students at Bruce Elementary School, reports in hand, leave school for Summer vacation. In February 2000, the old Bruce Elementary closed in after 92 years. Bruce's 636 students crossed the street to a new school at Carr and Rosenfield. (Robert Williams, Special Collections/University of Memphis Libraries)
March 22, 1972 - Citizens Against Busing clustered around a battered, but freshly repainted orange school bus at 2150 James Road. The group buried it about 16 feet deep, then dug it up. CAB was dramatizing their opposition to busing on the basis of race in schools. (Barney Sellers / The Commercial Appeal)
Grahamwood School kids against busing in the spring of 1972. In August, 1972 the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that a desegregation plan requiring the busing of 13,789 students be implemented "forthwith" in Memphis city schools and that a "definite timetable" be established for additional desegregation. Court-ordered school busing in Memphis began Jan. 25, 1973. (Fred Griffith/The Commercial Appeal)
Eddie Burns Jr. (left) and Faithe Lambert were the only two on the bus from the Grandview Heights area to Shannon as court-ordered busing began in Memphis January 24, 1973. About 7,000 of the students eligible for transportation rode the buses that first day. Most of those studens were black. School officials and police reported no incidents. In August, 1972 the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had ordered that a desegregation plan requiring the busing of 13,789 students be implemented "forthwith" in Memphis city schools and that a "definite timetable" be established for additional desegregation. (Jim Shearin / The Commercial Appeal)
Classes at Frayser High School were dismissed at 2pm Feb. 28, 1974, after about 175 white students staged a walkout at the racially troubled school. School officials called the demonstration a "white backlash". Racial fighting and protests had been occurring at the school for a week. The school has a 30 percent black enrollment in a student population of about 1,300. (Richard Gardner / The Commercial Appeal)
Some 175 Treadwell High School students staged a walkout Monday, March 4, 1974 and police were needed to clear them from campus after what The Commercial Appeal described as a "racial clash" the previous Friday. "There is no one answer. Every student has some kind of complaint," said B.E. Hunter III, Treadwell principal. (By Jim Shearin / The Commercial Appeal)
Dr. Willie W. Herenton stands on the steps of his childhood home on the South side of Crump Blvd., west of South Third Street in this December 7, 1978 photograph. The building was torn down in later years. The photograph was made shortly after Dr. Herenton was named superintendent of the Memphis city school system. He went on to become Memphis' first elected black mayor in the 1991 elections. On June 25, 2009 as he resigned the mayoral office, he spoke at length about his humble beginnings and his rise from the city's rough and tumble streets to its highest office, holding up this picure of himself. (Dave Darnell / The Commercial Appeal files)
From Left: Marla Harris, Kim Turner, Sema Stagner, Paula Rush, Lori Maynard, and Mona Engram are shown during "theme week" at Central High School on January 25, 1983. That day's theme was "punk rockers". (Richard Gardner / The Commercial Appeal)
The rain didn't bother this hearty bunch as they rooted for Overton High School on Nov. 9, 1984 while it battled with Frayser at Greenhill Stadium. Cheering, Left to Right, are Melissa Phillips, Tiffany Robinson, Lynda Poole, Chuck Craig and Kim Gresham. Despite the group's effort, Overton fell to Frayser, 25-8. (Bill Kelley III / The Commercial Appeal)
Northside High School's Richard Madison is surrounded by admiring fans after being named to the McDonald's High School All-American basketball team on February 29, 1984. (David Smart / The Commercial Appeal)
Dorsey Patterson, principal of Booker T. Washington High School, talks with sophomore Eric Hannah in the hallway of the school during the 1986-87 school year. The principal had looked into a classroom and had seen the student sleeping. (Jeff McAdory/The Commercial Appeal)
Participants in the Memphis City Schools Class Piano Program practice for their recital at Wooddale Junior High School in May 1991. The 24 students occupying 12 pianos were rehearsing for their finale, "Patriotic Suite." (Robert Cohen / The Commercial Appeal)
Margaret Strong, a Vance Junior High School teacher, rounds up balloons as she and Johnnie Osborne prepare for the school's annual International Day on June 3, 1991. The day awards students for completing another school year. In addition to activities such as egg tossing and yo-yo contests, booths were set up to help raise money for classroom supplies for next year. (Michael McMullan / The Commercial Appeal)
Retiring Memphis City Schools Supt. Willie Herenton, receiving a hug from his mother Ruby Harris, was honored Tuesday, April 30, 1991, in dance and song during a two-hour tribute at The Peabody. The event - a surprise to Herenton - came during the 12th annual "Adopt-A- School" workshops, attended by about 750 people. The highlight was the Herenton tribute, which was conducted in a This is Your Life format that included voices of people from Herenton's past. The tribute, hosted by WMC-TV Channel 5 news anchor Joe Birch, traced Herenton's life from a young child in inner-city Memphis to his 1979 rise to city schools superintendent. (Steve Jones / The Commercial Appeal)
His next move absorbs White Station seventh-grader Jin Kim. He and nearly 100 other junior high and high school students gathered for the eighth annual Memphis City Schools Championship Chess Tournament at Sherwood Jr. High on Feb. 22, 1992. (Michael McMullan / The Commercial Appeal)
Carolers such as fifth-grader Cortez Reed of Hollywood Elementary share the sounds of the season at Mall of Memphis, entertaining shoppers on Dec. 14, 1992. Third through sixth-graders sing in Hollywood's choir, warming up the crowd for Fairley High School Jazz Band's offering of holiday spice. (Michael McMullan / The Commercial Appeal)
Craigmont High School ninth grader Christy Kinney goes over her schedule on Aug. 31, 1992. She is just one of roughly 1,900 students in grades 7 through 12 at the sprawling school which covers 7 1/2 acres under one roof. (Michael McMullan / The Commercial Appeal)
August 30, 1996 - Olympic gold medalist and Melrose High School grad, Rochelle Stevens greets Penny Hardaway at a celebration honoring local athletes who won gold at the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta. Hardaway, a Treadwell High School product and UM Tiger, was the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft and spent 14 seasons in the league. The event in front of City Hall at 125 N. Main lauded Stevens, Hardaway, soccer player Cindy Parlow and basketball player Nikki McCray. (Steven G. Smith /The Commercial Appeal)
September 5, 1997 - East High School students march toward Poplar Avenue from the south side of the school early Friday afternoon in a rally to support suspended principal, Dr. Lowell Winston (Kent Phillips/The Commercial Appeal)
Joseph Hardy (left) and Reginald Bateman (right) of the Dunn Ave. Elementary Boys Choir get ready to sing at the Dr. King Holiday Celebration for Young People at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. Saturday January 18, 1997. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was slain April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel which now houses the museum. Dr. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta. Monday is a national holiday in his honor. (Steven G. Smith / The Commercial Appeal)
November 14, 1997 - Rod Bonds (left), Eldridge Bonds (middle) and Antonio Patterson (right) practice a dance routine at Alonzo Locke Elementary under the supervision of Ted James in preparation for a talent contest held at Overton High School. Dancing and flipping have become a central part of the boys lives present in time spent practicing and even in the ryhthmic tapping of their feet while at a school desk. The youngsters entertain Beale Street crowds at night. (Leigh Daughtridge/The Commercial Appeal)
May 5, 1998 - Instructor David Hale of Memphis City Schools Driver Education, right, coaches student Ronald Watson, Jr., 18, for a West Tennessee Driver's Education contest on Friday. Watson, who has no arms, drives with his feet without using any special equipment on the driver education automobiles. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
December 4, 1998 - Melrose coach Tim Thompson gets the state championship trophy aloft as he gets carried off the field by his team after their 35-34 win over Roane County for the 3A state football championship. (Shoun A. Hill/The Commercial Appeal)
October 6, 1999 - Fifth graders Amber P. Young, left, and Aerial Ozuzu of Rozelle Elementary School practice their reading skills in class on Wednesday. The two were amongst a class that scored 98 percent on the writing portion of their achievement tests, a large gain from the 26 percent test scores from 1994. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
September 8, 1999 - Crossing guard Hattie Frost has been watching out for the safety of children crossing Hodge Road at Westhaven Elementary School for 23 years. But some day care busses drop off children before Frost's shift begins, and parents worry about the kids crossing the busy road unattended. (A.J.Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
October 19, 1999 - Courtney Stampley, 12, a fifth-grader at Hawkins Mill Elememtary in Frayser hangs upside down from the monkey bars at the school's new playground. A dedication ceremony was held Tuesday afternoon at the school to celebrate the adoptees of the school who helped make the project come to reality. (Mark Adams/The Commercial Appeal)
August 19, 1999 - John Troy, right, a teacher and coach at Kirby High School, asks Stan Platt, an administrative assistant at Kirby High School, to remove a metal object from his pocket as Troy searches Platt with a handheld metal detector in the halls of Kirby Middle School Thursday morning. The two were taking part in a training session for staff from Kirby High School and Kirby Middle School in the use of the devices. (Kent Phillips/The Commercial Appeal)
November 11, 1999 - Richland Elementary School second graders Trey Webb, 7, left, and Tyara Rodgers, 7, wait to perform a Pennies for Patriots chant Thursday to help kick off a Memphis City Schools fund drive for a national World War II memorial. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
June 2, 2000 - First graders Rometheas Spencer, 8 and LaShea Shaw, 7, read with each other Friday morning at Klondike Elementary School. Teacher Christi Bradshaw is at right background. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
November 15, 2000 - Renowned artist Tim Rollins, right, inspires students at Ida B. Wells Academy including Albert Grady, 14, and Precious Moore, 14, with a rhythmic quiz. "We draw all our knowledge out of what we're doing," said Rollins. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
February 18, 2000 - Sierra Ward of the Colonial Middle School Show Choir sings "Calling My Name" Friday afternoon during the Black History Month brotherhood program at the Shrine School. The school held a program to honor Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
May 23, 2000 - Arneshia Topps, left in stripes, Ketorra Roberts, next to her in pink, and other fourth-graders at Crump Elementary School in Hickory Hill sign the words for "Love in Every Language" as they sing the song at the dedication of their new "Peace Wall." The wall, made of 120 tiles painted by the students, was part of a semester-long project at the school. Made possible in part by a Rotary Club grant, the wall has a permanent home just inside the main entrance of the school. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
October 19, 2001 - Shane Battier of the Memphis Grizzlies tries to tell Snowden Elementary School students that he is a new student at the school. The students didn't believe Battier, who joined other team members for a Read to Achieve event encouraging literacy amongst students. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
October 17, 2001 - Dorothy Woodard, 7, (left) with other classmates at Gordon Elementary check out a Sulcotta Tortoise Wednesday during the Mobile Ark program. Tim and Toni Davies take their Mobile Ark to schools all over the U.S. to show their exotic animals to the students. They also run an exotic animal refuge in West Tennessee. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
December 20, 2001 - Members of White Station High School's Deaf Drama Club perform an act of "Signs of Survival" at the high school Thursday. The variety show celebrating the holidays and saluting America was put on by the club which is made up of both deaf and hearing members. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
January 7, 2002 - David Hyde Jr.,4, is eager to share an answer to a question put to his preschool class at Holmes Road Elementary School on Monday. Education Week's 50-state study on the state of early childhood education comes out next week. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2002 - Jerry Hughes , 18, shares a quiet moment with his date Amy Hannah, 17, at Shrine School's annual prom Thursday afternoon. (A.J.Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
January 25, 2002 - Students from Carnes and Georgia Avenue elementary schools look over Central Station as part of their career tour in downtown Memphis Friday. After the tour, students produced artwork that will serve as a model for art that will be made for the new downtown elementary school. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
March 15, 2002 - Manor Lake Elementary in Whitehaven is a study in how class size makes a difference. Carribean Wrice (cq) shares her cramped fifth grade class with 28 other students while some of the younger grades are broken into classes only half that size. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
January 24, 2002 - - Dogwood Elementary School PTA president Julie Ganey is one of dozens of Dogwood PTA members who are helping tutor children at Raineshaven Elementary School in South Memphis. Ganey helped first grader Nikia Hall, 6, with reading comprehension and rhyming words on Thursday at Raineshaven. Hall's teacher Sara Smith said that her kids need the one-on-one attention and called the effort, "a wonderful thing." (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
May 1, 2002 - Tammy Wilson watches over Darien Lofties, 3, as he writes the alphabet in Fonda Malone's pre-kindergarten class at Evans Elementary Wednesday. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
April 11, 2002 - Second graders from Dana Wright's class at Carnes Elementary take time to unwind with a game of dodge ball after their last day of TCAP testing Thursday morning. Dana Wright, right, said she was pleased with her kids' first exposure to the state standardized test. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
September 19, 2002 - Students at Idlewild Elementary School kicked off an observance of the 100th anniversary of the schools location on Linden by making a formation. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
October 12, 2002 - Overton High School strings teacher Cindy Dougherty tunes a violin as her daughter Katie Dougherty, who turned one on Friday, listens in. Over 500 Memphis City Schools students in grades 6-12 took part in the 19th Annual All-City Strings Fall Festival at Craigmont High School Saturday. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
November 13, 2002 - Kids from Crump Elementary School cheer their DARE Officer James Travis during a citywide graduation of the 2002 DARE class at Christ the Rock Metro Church Friday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
October 31, 2002 - Lincoln Elementary first grade teacher Tammy McDonald, in white, leads her class during the school's annual "Just Say No" parade against drug use Thursday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
November 20, 2001 - East High School senior Terrence Elsberry, 19, donned a surgical mask Wednesday morning outside the school in tribute to Donald Mister, a student who died from an asthema attack at home last Saturday. Elsberry joined hundreds of other students outside the schohol as they refused to attend classes because of toxic mold fears. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
December 7, 2002 - Team members from the Ridgeway High football team celebrate after their 12-14 Class AAA state championship win over Fulton at the State football finals in Murfreesboro Saturday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 25, 2003 - Wooddale High School senior Ebone Hatcher, left, speaks with student Francesca Davis in a Spanish III honors class. "She is perfection... the smile never stops," said teacher Julie Troy about Hatcher. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
May 12, 2003 - Craigmont Middle School 7th grader Chris Sorensen shakes water out of his soaked pants as language arts teacher Patricia Primrose, right, calls the other students in during the first day of their trip to Dauphin Island to study the Estuary. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 17, 2003 - East High School student Cherelle Walls gives thanks to her mother Carol Walls after completing commencement exercises at the Mid-South Coliseum. Walls, who graduated at the top of her class, is planning to go to college at M.I.T., with a host of scholarships and awards earned from her academic career. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
June 24, 2003 - Demolition of the old Lincoln Junior High School is well under way on Richmond. Not much remains except the gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium. (Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal)
October 16, 2003 - Members of the Overton High School Marching Band line up to perform in front of the Stax Museum Thursday morning during the Soulsville Soul-A-Thon to raise money for the Stax Music Academy and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Overton High School was officially adopted by the Stax Music Academy Friday as part of the Adopt-A-School Program. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
Setember 11, 2003 - Third grader Veronika Gallikova works on an English problem at her desk in Cathy Branan's classroom at Oak Forest Elementary School as Branan assist other students in background. Both teachers and students are under pressure to perform with the constant pressure of TCAP exams facing them later in the school year. (Michael McMullan/The Commercial Appeal)
January 27, 2004 - Tiffany Meeks, a student teacher at Peabody Elementary, braves the cold on Tuesday to assure the children are safe as they leave school. The University of Memphis student was wrapped in scarf and gloves as she watched the children as they went home. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal)
April 7, 2004 - Members of White Station's Deaf Drama Club practice the finale of their spoof of "The Wizard of Oz" during a dress rehersal in the auditorium. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
April 20, 2004 - Sharon Gill helps kindergartener Deandre Cooper with his reading Tuesday morning at Frayser Elementary. Gill is one of a group of tutors from Advent Presbyterian who have adopted Frayser Elementary as part of the adopt-a-school program which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 20, 2004 - White Station's players and fans celebrate their 82-71 victory of Jackson Northside 82-71 in the Class AAA championship game in Murfreesboro, Tn. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
April 20, 2004 - Sherwood Elementary School first grade teacher Dianne Pfund leads her class in from recess. Pfund, who got polio when she was 12 years old, is retiring after 38 years in the school district. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
May 10, 2004 - Jeter Elementary 4th graders stretch out while taking a break during Sandra Buchanan's music class Monday morning in the school's revamped music room courtesy of Jeter alum Justin Timberlake. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
August 13, 2004 - Winchester Elementary first grade student Quartarious Beale draws a picture while waiting in line to go back into his classroom at Winchester Elementary Friday morning. (Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal)
April 19, 2004 - Students swap classes at White Station Tuesday afternoon. White Station is an ethnic and academic hodgepodge struggling with a image problem when it comes to questions of whether an unfair level of attention is paid to the optional program. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
October 4, 2004 - Students walk home from school at Grahamwood Elementary Monday. Next week is International Walk to School Week. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
October 19, 2004 - LaRose Elementary School students warm up on their new violins as they prepare to perform for an audience of school and VH1 officials on Tuesday to celebrate a $50,000donation of musical instruments to the school. Time Warner Cable and VH1 have provided $415,000 worth of musical instruments to 16 Memphis public schools since 1999 to restore instrumental music programs. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
October 2, 2004 - The Frayser High School Band marched in a parade during the Frayser Fall Festival Saturday at Ed Rice Community Center on North Watkins. (Thomas Busler/The Commercial Appeal)
June 15, 2004 - On April 9th 1953, the Humes band presented its "Annual Minstrel" show in the Humes Auditorium at 8:00p.m. Elvis played guitar and sang "Till I waltz Again with You' by Teresa Brewer. Elvis said he became popular in school after this performance. Today this faded mural of Elvis and torn paper are the backdrop for the Humes High School stage. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
April 15, 2005 - Korey Dupree, 13, center, looks towards the ceiling for answers as he and other students participate in the Social Studies Knowledge Bowl at Trezevant High School Friday. About 240 7th-graders there took part to prepare for the TCAP test starting Monday. Local businesses donated prizes for the event. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
August 10, 2005 - Faculty members at Geeter Middle School show their school spirit at the Memphis City Schools District Assembly at the FedEx Forum Wednesday, August 10, 2005. Thousands of teachers and faculty members came to the second-annual back to school pep rally where Superintendent Carol Johnson addressed the crowd. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
August 10, 2005 - Levi Elementary School third-grader Michael Alexander hugs his grandfather Calvin Joyner after taking center stage and reciting a poem in front of a crowd of thousands of people at the FedEx Forum. Memphis City Schools teachers and faculty gathered for their annual district assembly. Michael's sister Jakara Alexander, 6, is at right. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
March 13, 2005 - White Station Middle Schoolers Danny Rice, left, and Craig Doyle take Doyle's hovercraft for a spin after judging at the city science fair Tuesday afternoon at the Midsouth Fairgrounds. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 6, 2005 - The Desti-Nations International Family Festival at Audubon Park was free to school groups Friday. Irish dancers, performers, games, animals, food and more was there to enjoy. Deirdre Gipson, kindergarten teacher at Riverview Elementary School leads her "leprachauns" (class)through the park Friday morning. The festival continues Saturday 10-5 and Sunday noon-5. Adults are $4, free to age 6 and under. On Sunday Mothers are admitted half-price. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
May 12, 2005 - Margaret Taylor helps student tutor Kryseana Harper tutor another student in algebra at East High School. Taylor taught at East High School before becoming principal at Grahamwood for 24 years. She retired in 1995 but came back to be a tutor for the Greater East High School Foundation. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
March 2, 2005 - Tyson Walker, 5, and Myia Hoskins, 8, work on their homework at the Balmoral Elementary after school care program Wednesday afternoon. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
March 28, 2005 - Downtown Elementary students cringe at the food to be sampled during a cooking demonstration by "bug chef" David George Gordon at Muvico Monday morning to promote the screening of "BUGS!". (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
August 17, 2005 - A Lanier Middle School student squirms after being made the center of attention as gym teacher Phillip Jett finds a creative way to punish her for teasing some of the boys in his class in 2005. Lanier, a school that once relied on 1200 to 1300 paddlings a year, is weaning itself off the hickory stick through increased counseling and greater parental involvement. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
August 19, 2005 - Levi Elementary School Third Grader Michael Antonio Alexander coaxes spelling answers from classmate Asha Kince Tuesday morning. (Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal)
October 19, 2005 - Students handprints are art hanging on the wall in the office at Southern Avenue Charter School. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
December 6, 2005 - Diamond Ross,7, a first grader at Westside Elementary, reacts after opening a backpack filled with goodies that she discovered on her desk upon arriving in her classroom Tuesday morning. Volunteer Memphis reached out to the students in honor of St. Nicholas Day. The volunteers also stayed to read the children a story. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal)
February 5, 2006 - White's Chapel first grader Kordarius Palton, 7, watches as lights dance across his fingers during a hands-on demonstration of electricity in the National Science Center's Mobile Discovery Center which visited the school Monday. The Mobile Discovery Center is a nationwide outreach program designed to raise students interest in science. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
February 20, 2006 - (l-r) Ridgeway High School sophmore Hannah Skehill, 15, and freshman Ginny Stanford, 14, try out their new costumes for the school's production of Once Upon a Mattress. The musical adaptation of the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea opens at the school Thursday and runs through Saturday. The performance is open to the public and is $10 for students and $12 for adults. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
March 18, 2006 - Hamilton's Tim Wright celebrates with teamates following the TSSAA Class AAA championship game Saturday March 18, 2006 in Murfreesboro, TN. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
May 18, 2006 - Jackson Elementary School principal Yolanda Thompson-Heidelberg speaks with first graders in the school's cafeteria. Thompson was recently honored as one of Tennessee's most effective K-8 principals. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
September 5, 2006 - Myra Govea de Arce, who teaches Spanish at Snowden School, has been recognized as the American Star of Teaching for the state of Tennessee. Her husband, Abel Govea de Arce, looks on as she is congratulated after receiving her award. She is one of 51 recipients of the award, presented by the U.S. Department of Education. There were 4,000 teachers nominated nationwide. (Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal)
October 3, 2006 - Students and faculty at Ross Elementary in Southeast Memphis deliver a fruit basket to Joe Lewis Donaldson. Donaldson sits along Ross road every day waving to passers-by. A fixture of the community, he puts teachers and students in a good mood every day, says Ross Elementary principal Ava Taylor, seen at upper right. (A.J.Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
November 14, 2006 - Egypt Elementary first-graders are all eyes and ears as they learn about home safety at The Great Safety Adventure. The exhibit, sponsored by the Home Safety Council and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, is a tractor-trailer converted into a replica of a 1000-foot home. There are two such displays that tour the United States. The exhibit will be open to the public Saturday at the Lowe's on Winchester Road from 10-4. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
November 1, 2006 - Cromwell Elementary first grader Melvin Jones, 6 (CQ, at right), keeps up with the rest of the kids during the while he races in the Harvest Hop at the Memphis Botanic Gardens Fall Festival. The festival started October 23 and runs through November 7. Over the two week period roughly 5,000 elementary school students will learn about how nature's processes in the fall. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
December 11, 2006 - Fairley High School tuba players (l-r) Freddie Norwood, 17, and Jewelian Hatcett, 16 practice with the rest of the band after school. If all the pledged donations come in the band has raised enough money to fund their trip to perform at the Orange Bowl. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
February 8, 2007 - Fox Meadows Elementary School first grade teacher Sarah Armstrong helps Calvin Williams, 6, with a science lab about ice and snow on Thursday. Armstrong is one of two state finalists for the 2006 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation's highest honor for K-12 teaching in these fields. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
February 27, 2007 - The Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, left, and Dahntay Jones join Tyrell Lewis from Alton Elementary in a celebration dance during the Read to Achieve Celebration Tuesday morning at the FedExForum. The celebration was a reward for some three thousand Memphis area students who competed in the five-week Grizzlies Reading Challenge. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
February 28, 2007 - Sherwood Middle School 6th grader Ebonie Cummings learns a sequence of dance moves during a visit by the Alvin Ailey Dance troop to her school Wednesday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
April 12, 2007 - Christina Nenon does some last-minute studying for a test with her classmates in her AP biology class at White Station High School. All of the students in the class will go on to college. Nenon plans to attend Tulane. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
April 3, 2007 - Students from LaJuana Cole's exceptional children class at Corry Middle were and students from Memphis City and DeSoto County schools took part in the Boy Scout's special needs jamboree at the Showplace Arena at the Agricenter Tuesday morning. The event , which was expected to draw 1500 youngsters, offered games, food, a chance to check out a Memphis Police Department helicopter and meet Ajax a member of the Memphis Police Department K-9 unit. The event was sponsored by the Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America. (Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal)
April 3, 2007 - Students from the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering are treated to an interactive 3D show during a visit by NASA's Exploration Exhibit Tuesday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
April 26, 2007 - Fifth-grader Tanishia Campbell, in pink and white, relaxes with other students at the end of a yoga demonstration at Newberry Elementary. Students there participate in yoga as part of their after school program. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
May 24, 2007 - Booker T Washington's Jerchell Harwel, right, keeps pace with the pack during the 100M dash finals during the Spring Fling Girls Track Meet at the MTSU Thursday evening. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
August 3, 2007 - Left to right, Joan Parker Payne, Patsy Joyner Carver, Yvonne Nunn Petty and Nancy Jones Beaman strike a pose similar to one they did in 1949 during lunchtime at Humes High School, now Humes Middle School. The four graduated from there in 1951 and have remained friends. Patsy Carver's son Phil Carver, holding 1949 photo, worked to get them together to recreate the special image. (A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal)
August 6, 2007 - Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson gets a hug from school board commissioner Tomeka Hart at Johnson's farewell party at the Teaching and Learning Academy/Telecommunications Center auditorium located at 2485 Union Avenue. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
September 14, 2007 - Hamilton Middle School teacher Shelby Rohrer works with student DaVonte Gray during a pre algebra class Friday afternoon. Rohrer is part of the Teach For America program a national program that brings top college graduates from around the country to teach in underperforming schools for two years. (Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal)
November 27, 2007 - Ridgeway Middle School 7th grader Kevin Potts with the RMS World Drum Squad waits for his cue while rehearsing Tuesday morning with some 400 other Memphis City School students for the MCS All-City Orchestra holiday concert at the Orpheum Theatre Tuesday evening. The concert includes musicians, choirs, dancers, and soloists performing traditional holiday music from all over the world. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
December 18, 2007 - The Carnes School Choir at Carnes Elementary School presented "Merry Christmas Ms. Crabtree" Tuesday. The play featured song and dance as seen here with 5th grader Briana Underwood in her routine Tuesday. After the play there was the "Books for Bikes" presentation by the Memphis Cook Convention Center. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
December 20, 2007 - Springdale Elementary School teacher Devora Bryson tries to clam down her excited first grade class who are showing off the gifts they got at school on Thursday. Each student at the school got a gift purchased specifically for them based on a list of items they asked for. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
April 2, 2008 - Whitehaven High School seniors line up by the hundreds to fill out voter registration forms following a speech by the Rev. Jesse Jackson marking 40 years of progress since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Jackson visited the school Wednesday morning. (Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal)
May 12, 2008 - Keystone Elementary fifth grader Naba Echols, 11, reads during Katherine Crosby's class. Keystone is one of four Memphis City Schools to receive a Title I Academic Achievement Award. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2008 - Students from Westhaven Elementary play with a parachute with instructor Lacy Hardaway of the University of Memphis during a field day event in which hundreds of students played with parachutes, moonwalks, hoola hoops as well as other athletic activities in honor of national physical education and sports month. The event was held near the Elma Roane Fieldhouse at the University of Memphis. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
July 17, 2008 - Mayor Willie Herenton shows Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash his cufflinks bearing the Memphis City seal after gifting Dr. Cash a set of the same links at a reception held in Dr. Cash's honor in the Hall of Mayors at City Hall. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
September 10, 2008 - Star Academy second graders (left to right) Dejeauna Smith, 7, Tiayia Bryant, 7, and Taylor McKenzie, 7, work on their reading skills during class Wednesday afternoon. Last spring students from the Frayser charter school scored higher in state math and reading tests than their Memphis City Schools counterparts. Last year, the K-5 charter school received about $7,000 per student in government funding, compared to the roughly $9,000 Memphis City Schools gets to educate each student. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama recently offered a proposal to double funding for charter schools. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
October 2, 2008 - Berclair Elementary students (l-r) Natalie Box, 4, and Andrea Rivera, 4, giggle with each other when they spot someone dress up as the children's book character Corduroy. All students pre-k through second grade at the school participate in the Nationwide Shared Reading Experience that has students all over the country reading the same book, Corduroy, to break a Guinness record for the most people reading the same book in one day. (Mike Brown//The Commercial Appeal)
November 11, 2008 - Central High School ROTC member Maurice Bryson prepares to join the 20th annual Veterans Day Parade downtown as a color guard. The parade, sponsored by American Legion Post 1, was lead by a group veterans that represented each branch of the military and featured marching bands and ROTC programs from more than a dozen area high schools. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
November 28, 2008 - The Central High School marching band brass section makes their way through the South Main Historic Arts District as part of the Memphis Holiday Parade Friday, November 28, 2008. Participants included marching bands, mascots, floats, dancers, twirlers, steppers, military personel, and vintage autos. Preceding the parade was on-street and instore kid fun with face painters, stilt walkers, balloon artists, magic shows and live music. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
December 11, 2008 - Vance Middle School language arts teacher Deidra Holliday, left, checks to see if Gabrielle Lewis, 12, is smiling as her girls class works on a character development project Thursday morning. Vance is one of several of the Memphis City Schools that offers gender separate classrooms. Test scores are up. So is school attendance, largely through a male-female rivalry administrators didn't expect. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
January 12, 2009 - Manassas High School football standout O.C. Brown with the extended family he stays with during weekdays, the Ray family, left, and the Courtney family, right. Brown, a junior offensive tackle at Manassas and one of Shelby Metro's top college prospects in the Class of 2010, has lived on weekdays with the Rays in their 7,000-square foot Germantown home since October, when Mike Ray and his friend, sixth-year Manassas offensive coordinator Bill Courtney, realized Brown's poor grades were jeopardizing his chances of going to college. Brown, Courtney and the Manassas team are featured in the documentary, "Undefeated", which is up for a 2012 Academy Award. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
February 23, 2009 - Haitian-American composer and violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain fills students in on what is going on while Carver High School band student Lashae Wright tries her hand at playing the violin. Roumain was in town for a performance Sunday at GPAC and stopped by Carver Monday afternoon to give the students a taste of his music and inspire them in their own music. Wright, a sophomore, normally plays the clarinet but took a chance at playing Roumain's violin in front of the class. (Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal)
March 12, 2009 - Winchester Elementary School Principal Flora Childres gets a hug from Debra Martin, her administrative assistant, Thursday morning. Winchester is one of the Memphis Schools where teachers and staff will receive monetary incentives due to improved standardized test scores at the school. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 21, 2009 - Manassas head coach Gerald Harris kisses the TSSAA basketball championship trophy held by DeAndre Fife (55) Saturday March 21, 2009 in Murfreesboro, TN. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
July 14, 2009 - Lachell Boyd, 5th grade optional teacher at Sherwood Elementary, smiles while talking to her former student Kristina White. White, a rising 6th grader at Colonial Middle School, sent a letter to Hewlett Packard for an assignment and now the company is sending $72,000 worth of computers to her former school. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
July 25, 2009 - A year ago, Markees Smith was sitting in a jail cell at Shelby Training Center for accidentally shooting his friend in honors English class at Manassas High School. He vowed not to get into any more trouble, complete high school and go to college. On Saturday, Markees accepted his diploma in Northside's summer graduation session. He plans to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge this fall. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
August 04, 2009 - Under the watchfull eyes of her kids, LaShonda Hampton registers Jaedon Hampton, left, and LaKarion Shegog, right, for school Tuesday morning at Cherokee Elementary. In an effort to get parents to register their kids early, Cherokee provided packs of free school supplies to the first 220 students compliments of Cherokee's Adopt-A-School sponsors. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
October 8, 2009 - Dr. Kriner Cash encourages children in Mozella Boyd's first grade class after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to them today at Gardenview Elementary. Today, children across the globe are reading Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar to break a world record for the largest shared reading experience. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
November 18, 2009 - Winchester Elementary third grade teacher Kimberly Hamilton cheers on her class after they presented rhymes to help them learn the multiplication table during a math lesson. Hamilton will benefit from the partnership between Memphis City Schools and the Gates Foundation as she works toward becoming a master teacher. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
November 19, 2009 - Kwan Edwards learns about inertia Thursday afternoon at American Way Middle School as J.J. Hopson presents the program FMA Live! About 1,045 American Way Middle School students learned about Sir Isaac Newton, force, mass and acceleration during the hip- hop science concert. The traveling FMA Live! show uses professional actors, original songs, music videos and interactive science demonstrations to teach middle school students Newton's three laws of motion and universal law of gravity. Some students from Getwell Elementary and Goodlett Elementary also watched the performance. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
December 16, 2009 - Carliss Carter, 16, a junior cheerleader from Whitehaven High School, works to get the crowd riled up at the "Celebration of Teaching" event at the Cook Convention Center. The event was held to celebrate the $90 million grant from the Gates Foundation. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
January 22, 2010 - Dunbar Elementary students (left to right) Ethan Vincent,8, Asya Miles, 9, and Niaya Mitchell, 8, sample pizza during a vendor showcase for potential school lunch foods at Airways Middle School on Thursday. More than 500 students from several schools gave their opinions on chicken tenders, beef sticks and colored apple sauce from some 30 vendors while nutritional experts made their own judgements about whether the foods are fit to be included in the students' daily diet. (Brandon Dill/The Commercial Appeal)
February 9, 2010 - Colonial Middle School eighth grader Julia Boggan, 13, with the school's dance ensemble, performs on the second floor balcony after a ribbon cutting ceremony for the school's new facility. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
February 22, 2010 - Hamilton Elementary third grader Gerrod Taylor, 9, listens intently to Dorothy Hampton during a reading intervention period at the school. Hampton retired from teaching after 32 years with Memphis City Schools but returned to Hamilton about five years ago to help with the intervention program. Scores in reading and math at the school are rising faster than the state average due in part to the intervention program. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
April 9, 2010 - Students learn some relaxation and breathing techniques to help them relax during TCAP testing. Peabody Elementary offered yoga in a TCAP rally event at the school on Friday. Several of the students, who were performing under their potential due to the stress of test taking, learned relaxation techniques through yoga. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal)
May 26, 2010 - Lauren Thomas gets herself psyched up for a serve during White Station's team tennis match up against Ravenwood at Spring Fling in Murfreesboro Wednesday. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
September 24, 2010 - The Central High School Homecoming Parade brightened the streets of mid-town Friday afternoon as the young and old marched celebrating the 100th year of the school. Dericka Sharp, 8, is Snow White, the 3rd grader is from the Creative and Performing Arts program at Rozelle Elementary School. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
October 21, 2010 - White Station High School student Taelee Kim performs on the traditional Korean standing drums with her twin sister Taehee Kim during the Muticultural Memphis Expo at City Hall Thursday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
November 2, 2010 - New Ballet Ensemble dancer and instructor Mandy Possel teaches a group of students at Egypt Elementary some her moves after performing as the bird in "Peter and the Wolf" for the school's pre-kindergarten through second grade students. The ensemble performs roughly 50 shows per school year for elementary students throughout the Memphis area. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
November 3, 2010 - Bill Gates tour and Kriner Cash tour Hamilton High School to mark the one-year anniversary of the announcement that the Gates Foundation would give Memphis City Schools more than $90 million to study how teachers are hired, placed, evaluated and retained. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
December 3, 2010 - Students and faculty at Sea Isle Elementary School move to the music during an assembly for "Healthy Habits Day" which concludes "Healthy Habits Week." Students learned to rap about healthy eating and the importance of exercise. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
December 9, 2010 - Spring Hill Elementary students Naterria White, 9, (front, from left) Olandra Irvy, 8, and Katerra Payne, 8, look over programs while waiting to take their seats for one of four special concerts of Handel's Messiah performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cannon Center. More than 5,000 students are expected to attend the two day event. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
December 20, 2010 - Beverly Davis listens with other parents to comments by student representative Drejean Cummings during a Memphis Schools Board meeting Monday night at the MCS offices. The board addressed issues concerning the county schools seeking special district status and the possibility of MCS surrendering it's charter. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
February 11, 2011 - Memphis Mayor AC Wharton addresses the media during a press conference to address Gov. Haslam signing a bill that would delay the merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools. (Nikki Boertman / The Commercial Appeal)
February 12, 2011 - Former school board member, Sara Lewis, voices some of her complaints about city-county school merger during protest rally hosted by opponents of the merger at Monumental Baptist Church. Shelby County school board chairman David Pickler is behind Lewis. (Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
February 18, 2011 - Pre- Algebra teacher Cynthia Law use a walkie talkie and ear piece as she is coached with one-word cues to help stay motivated and on track while teaching students during class at White Station Middle School. Memphis City Schools is one of a handful of school districts in the nation testing The Real-Time Coaching program for teachers. The project is funded and run by Gates Foundation. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 4, 2011 - MCS Board Commissioner Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum, Jr., leads a time of singing at his church, The New Olivet Baptist Church, to hold his second town hall meeting for MCS teachers, parents and students and to get people energized to go vote against the school merger. Several speakers presented talks against the surrender of the school charter and Whalum refuted the rumors of his retirement after walking out of a school board meeting on Friday. (Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
March 19, 2011- Craigmont's Robert Houston (21) celebrates their victory over Bearden to win the TSSAA Div. 1 Class AAA State Championship game in Murfreesboro. Houston led the scoring for Craigmont with 17 points. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
March 23, 2011 - Kingsbury Middle School student Demario Bratcher, 13, (right) receives help with his book report from volunteer Kevin Mori during a tutoring program set up through Teach for America and Deloitte at KMS. 35 college students from around the nation volunteered time during spring break to tutor children at the school. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
March 28, 2011 - Former First Lady Laura Bush is handed a violin as she sits to talk to kids in the Soulsville Charter School High School Orchestra during a visit to Stax Monday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2011 - Booker T. Washington seniors Christopher Dean and Cassandra Henderson pose for a picture taken by White House Pete Souza, with President Obama (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2011 - On stage at Booker T. Washington High School's graduation ceremony is Salutorian Vashti Taylor (center), with Valedictorian Alexis Wilson (left) and senior Christopher Dean (right). Principal Alisha Kiner and President Brack Obama are in the background. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2011 - Booker T. Washington High School seniors react to a surprise visit from President Obama as they wait in a holding area for their commencement to begin at the Cook Convention Center. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 16, 2011 - Booker T. Washington basketball players and graduates left to right Sandria Givance, 19, and Jasmine Malone, 17, play hoops in celebration of their early release from school as the two wait on barbecue to cook for a graduation meal in Foote Homes. They play Cali Newbern and Marcus White. President Barack Obama delivered the school's commencement address. (Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal)
May 18, 2011 - Ralph Sparks jokes with students while he helps them work problems on the board in his calculus class at Whitehaven High School. Sparks, who is retiring after 38 years of teaching, played a major role in the record-breaking $42 million in scholarships earned by the 2011 graduating class at WHS. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
May 27, 2011 - It was all mohawks and monkey sox as Craigmont's Jarque Chapman, right, Levy Kymer, and Ladarius Chapman put on a little attitude as they wait for their chance to compete in the AAA High Jump during the boys track field event finals at Middle Tennessee State University Friday morning at the 2011 TSSAA Spring Fling Championships in Murfreesboro. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
June 30, 2011 - Dressed as fruit trees and vines, Art for Life's Sake "Growing Healthy with the Arts" summer camp participants Christina McKinnie, 10, (from left) Jaz Williams, 10, Jordan Crutcher, 11, and Chastity Coleman, 8, wait in the hallway of Sherwood Middle School before taking the stage to perform in the musical finale to the camp. The month long camp was created for Memphis City Schools students who are diabetic or at risk of diabetes, and focused on learning about healthy eating and lifestyle choices as well as management of the disease. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
October 21, 2011 - Mikal Culp, 7, and fellow Promise Academy students in Christina Howard's second grade class sing and dance imitating the sun and different animals in an exercise designed to help students learn about the food chain. Promise Academy was recently ranked the top charter school in Tennessee in a Stanford University study. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
October 21, 2011 - Promise Academy is seen from the porch of an abandoned house across the street, one of several blighted properties the school will take over and demolish to build a new auditorium. Promise Academy was recently ranked the top charter school in Tennessee in a Stanford University study. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
November 22, 2011 - Facebook programmer Joel Seligstein is flooded with questions from 8th graders at White Station Middle School during a presentation on what it's like to work for Facebook for some 120 Clue students Tuesday afternoon. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
November 26, 2011 - Students and youth from the Binghamton community sing and dance in the stands during the second annual 'We Are Family' charity basketball game held at Lester School. Alumni, family and community members who support both Lester and East High School gather together for a time to honor former teachers and players and raise money for charity while enjoying the community's love for the game of basketball. (Kyle Kurlick/The Commercial Appeal)
November 11, 2011 - Members of the JROTC at Central High School including (from left) Amos Smith, 15, Allen Wyatt, 15, Destiny Wallace, 14, and Brittany Garlington, 15, march in the annual Veterans Day parade on 2nd Street. Veterans from every American conflict since World War II marched in the parade as well as support groups, ROTC members and numerous school marching bands. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
December 1, 2011 - East High School teacher Meah King reacts after the surprise announcement during an assembly that she is the recipient of a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for the state of Tennessee. The Milken Family Foundation chooses one teacher from each state to honor with the annual award. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
December 1, 2011 - Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman (right) holds up the final zero to reveal $25,000 as the amount to be awarded to a teacher at East High School by the Milken Family Foundation during an assembly at the school. Meah King was the recipient of the surprise Milken Educator Award, given annually to one teacher from each state. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
January 11, 2012 - Manassas High School 10th graders Marico Williams, and Jerneishia Polk peruse some of the titles on display in the school's library while picking a free book as part of a Reading is Fundamental rally held at Manassas Wednesday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
January 24, 2012 Sixth grader Kenyatta Davis, 11, rests her head on her guitar as she learns a new chord from Rhodes College music student Stephanie Milazzo during a meeting of the Cypress Guitar Club Tuesday afternoon at Cypress Middle School. The club has more than doubled in size since it started last year by Rhodes faculty member John Bass. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
February 7, 2012 - Memphis City Schools students, administrators, faculty and staff joined more than two million people across nine states to take part in the second Great Central U.S. ShakeOut on Tuesday in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the 1811/1812 New Madrid earthquakes. The school district teamed up with the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and other state and local partners to promote greater earthquake disaster preparedness of residents and organizations in the affected region. The ShakeOut is an annual, region-wide earthquake drill in which participants will simultaneously practice the recommended action during an earthquake, which is Drop, Cover and Hold-On. These second graders at Orleans Elementary School, like Antioneisha Jones, 7, left, and Jerry Williams, 8, get into the position Tuesday morning. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal)
February 18, 2012 - Jordan Sykes with the Newberry Elementary Tippin' Tigers dance group watches some of his competition at the first annual Memphis Black Expo at the Cook Convention Center. Hosted by the The Tri-State Defender and Comcast, the expo is targeted at connecting, celebrating and building the large African American population in the community. Vendors and dance teams gathered to promote young talent, entrepreneurship, cooperative economics among the African American population in Memphis. (Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal).
The Manassas High football team from the Spitfire Pictures documentary "Undefeated". The behind-the-scenes story of volunteer coach Bill Courtney and the underfunded inner-city Manassas High School Tigers football team won an academy award in 2012. (Courtesy Spitfire Pictures)
March 1, 2012 Decked out as the god Neptune from the opera "Enchanted Island," Colonial Middle School seventh grader Carter Hawkins performs with the rest of the school orchestra during a short concert Thursday morning at Colonial. Kids in the orchestra program dressed in either as a character from the opera or in formal finery to attend the opera as part of the school's annual ThinkShow program which encourages creativity through individual and group projects. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 14, 2012 - Booker T. Washington's Martavious Newby marches back to the bench after an amazing last second three pointer by Lake County High School's Derrick Swift to put their quarter final game in the Class A BlueCross Basketball Championships into overtime Thursday afternoon. Lake County went on to beat BTW to move onto the semifinal round. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 17, 2012 - East High School players celebrate after beating cross town rivals Central High School for the Class AAA state title during the BlueCross Basketball Championships at MTSU Saturday. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
March 29, 2012 - Kingsbury High School students Jason Doan (left), Thuyanh Phan, and Leonard Duarte listen to an live video lecture by Karen Taylor Davidson of the Royal Botanical Garden in Ontario, Canada during a "virtual field trip" in AP Biology and Environmental Science class Thursday morning. Memphis City Schools used the class to unveil the district's first Distance Learning Lab at Kingsbury. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
April 4, 2012 - Angela Blair learns the dangers of texting and driving drunk early Wednesday morning. Overton High School is offering a distracted driving and drunken driving education program, as a pre-Prom event for the students. The Arrive Alive Tour from UNITE visited Overton High School with their program which uses a high-tech simulator, impact video, and a number of other resources to educate students about the dangers of texting while driving. The simulator allows students to experience, in a controlled environment, the potential consequences of distracted or drunken driving. ( By Karen Pulfer Focht/ The Commercial Appeal)
April 11, 2012 - Hanley Elementary School teachers (clockwise from left) Revlon Robinson, Precious Hallman, Stacey Purdy, Merissa Ward, Pamela Drew and Connisha Bogard manage a laugh while filling out a "break-out session" questionaire during a meeting between MCS faculty and members of the Shelby County Transition Planning Commission in the East High School auditorium to discuss progress of the coming city/county school merger and exchange ideas between the two groups. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
April 16, 2012 - Students from Bruce Elementary and MCS physical education teachers wrap up a training session for BOKS (Build Our Kids Success) at at the Bellevue Middle School gym Tuesday afternoon. BOKS is a before school fitness program aimed at getting kids moving and educating them on healthy eating. Phys Ed teachers from 24 MCS elementary schools volunteered for the training, which MCS hopes to have in place for students in the fall. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)
April 20, 2012 - Fairley Elementary fourth grader Stacey Braxton (left) watches as classmates Jacobbii Hopson and Julia McKinney cheer out with enthusiasm during a rally, with faculty and staff, in anticipation of next week's state TCAP testing. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal)
May 2, 2012 - Memphis City Schools students including Jayla Kyle, 10, (center) from Georgian Hills Elementary dance on stage during rehearsals for the 43 Orff All-City Concert at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. This year's performance, titled "An American Journey," features hundreds of students from 70 MCS elementary schools singing, dancing, and performing music that explore the diverse heritage of different people across the nation. The performance is on May 3rd at 7 p.m. at the Cannon Center and is free and open to the public. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
May 14, 2012 A bit of stage fright sets in Monday afternoon as second grader Ashley Jackson from Germanshire Elementary gets ready to perform at Sherwood Elementary during an Art For Life's Sake music and literacy program. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 20, 2012 - Darreontae Martin shows of his diploma to his sister, Elishea Currie, aunt Wrochella Maxwell and cousin Imani Cooper outside the Orpheum Theatre following the graduation ceremony for Sheffield High School. Martin, a former football player at Sheffield who was struck by two drag-racing cars while crossing Knight Road in the Parkway Village area in May 2011, achieved his goal of walking across the stage to get his diploma without the use of a cane. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 25, 2012 Whitehaven's Justin Hunt (right) and Darius Simms celebrate with Daniel Mitchell (left) after winning the AAA 4X400M relay during the finals of the Spring Fling TSSAA State Tournament in Murfreesboro Thursday. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
August 31, 2012 - Manassas seniors Larrisha Christian, 17, (left) Kanafa Green, 17, (middle) and Kalesha Nelson, 18, (right) celebrate along with their classmates as Principal James Griffin (not pictured) sings "Get Ready" by The Temptations during the schools Keeping It 100 Campaign pep rally Friday afternoon. Last year Manassas had 81 percent of their graduating seniors receive a college acceptance letter. This years seniors' signed a pledge that they would graduate from college during the event and the school hopes to have every senior receive a letter. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 7, 2013 - Students hustle to beat the morning bell at Idlewild Elementary. The unified school district announced that the start times for school will change in the fall to accommodate the bus fleet in the merged district. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 8, 2013 - Westhaven Elementary School students including Michael Benton, 12, (left) ride along the street to school with help from a police escort as they participate in the second annual National Bike to School Day. The event is part of the effort of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. Westhaven students also participate in the program by joining a once-weekly walk to school led by physical education instructor Kyle Kuusisto MPH. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
May 20, 2013 - Knight Road Elementary Special Needs Teacher Josalyn Tresvant helps pass out concessions during the school's field day Monday afternoon. The special education instructor, was named as the TNTP Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice winner this year. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
May 22, 2013 - White Station Middle School boys choir students let out a loud rowdy cheer as the principal announces the official end of the 2012-2013 the school year following a concert in the school's auditorium. When the students return next year year they will no longer be Memphis City School students. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 22, 2013 - White Station Middle School 8th grader Allison Raney, 14, (right) gets emotional as she gives a hug to fellow 8th grader Eve Abraha, 14, outside the school on final day of the 2012-2013 the school year. When the students return next year year they will no longer be Memphis City Schools students. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
May 24, 2013 - Manassas High School seniors, each in the top ten percent of their class, (from left) Diera McGrew, D'Ana McGrew and MarTerrius Massie sit on stage at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts during a rehearsal for their graduation ceremony which takes place at the Cannon Center on Saturday. All the seniors in the 2013 graduating class at Manassas will attend college in the fall. The students will forgo the traditional symbolic moving of the tassle on their mortarboards and instead each graduate will don a baseball cap with the logo from the college or university they will attend. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)
June 3, 2013 - Freedom Preparatory Academy 6th grader Jermon White, 12, works on homework while waiting for his lunch during the final week of class at the South Memphis school. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)


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Chess Club @ Webb
The alumni and current students of Webb Institute thought it was unusual that in a school of architects and engineers there was no chess club, so they decided to make a change. With the help of current student Bryce Bartling '13, along with the determination and generosity of Dr. Matthew Tedesco '91, the Webb Institute Chess Club has officially been created. Dr. Tedesco has already donated five chess sets, which include tournament clocks and bags, as well as a giant lawn set for the terrace; and he is planning on donating books to start a chess library. The news of the giant chess lawn set has created quite a stir among the students who are eager to start practicing right away.
Currently there are 10 members in the club, and they are excited to learn and enhance their chess skills. The long-term goal for the club is to have alumni involvement, which would allow for student vs. alumni tournaments. The club is working on competing in a series of four-person round-robin tournaments (quads), which will hopefully prepare the students for a tournament with alumni during Homecoming Weekend.
Webb students and Dr. Tedesco have gone one step further and joined an online Chess community through chess.com that supports correspondence as well as real time chess. Being online will break the boundaries of distance, allowing correspondence between students, alumni and family members all over the country and even the world!
If you would like the opportunity to play against students and other alumni with Webb Institute's Chess Club, please feel free to register and request membership at http://www.chess.com/groups/home/webb-institute. We are looking forward to the competition - e4!
Black to move and win

subset: commoncrawl


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Ca$h Out, 'Cashin' Out' Remix: Akon, Fabolous, Young Jeezy and Yo Gotti Join
Evidently, rising Atlanta rhymer Ca$h Out faces a choice: jewelry or real estate. On his hit single "Cashin' Out," which has just been given the remix treatment by Akon, Young Jeezy, Fabolous and Yo Gotti, he seems to show a preference for the latter.
On the track he raps, "Got a condo on my wrist, girl/ I'm c


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Beginning together with rhymes, favorite books and action songs, families will learn about Early Literacy Skills for babies. Best for non-walkers.Every Monday* at 11:30 am & 1:30 pm, January 14 - March 11 and April 1 - March 20. *NOTE: Library closed on Monday, January 21.
Held upstairs in the Meeting Room


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Our Web Site Is Your Speediest Way To Get Tickets
If you love the intimate interaction of song and story, the incomparable depth and range of the human voice, and the sumptuous spectacle that only grand opera can provide, you won't want to miss the opportunity to attend a Florentine Opera performance.
Subscriptions for new and existing subscribers to the 2015-2016 Season are on-sale now.
Single tickets to the 2015-2016 @ The Center Series will go on-sale August 10, 2015.
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…or learn more about
Student Tickets
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All Mainstage performances take place at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water Street, in downtown Milwaukee.
Click here to learn more about our current season.


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Series: BioLogos Basics (8 entries)
So what is BioLogos? Well it all began with a scientist and a book.
The Resource Finder has powerful filtering features — check out the tutorial to learn more.
So what is BioLogos? Well it all began with a scientist and a book.
Written by BioLogos Fellow of Biology Dennis Venema, this series of posts is intended as a basic introduction to the science of evolution for non-specialists.
In this series, Ryan Pettey offers several clips from his powerful documentary "From the Dust". This feature-length film is divided up into various sections, each of which wrestles with the difficult problems that arise when reconciling Scripture with the theory of evolution. A light of hope dawns on the science-faith conversation, however, as scientists and theologians engage in honest dialogue about tough issues such as the interpretation of Genesis, the nature of the Fall, and the idea of random design. Their profound insights are sure to enlighten all minds, raise deeper questions, and provoke new thought.
The evidence suggests that God has chosen to work through a random process, one which involves the routine creation and destruction of millions of cells that never get used. This is the ordinary means by which God maintains our health. The miracles of healing recorded in the Bible are miraculous precisely because they don't occur by this normal, natural process.
In this video Conversation, Denis Alexander asserts that contemporary Christians are not taking the early chapters of Genesis seriously enough.
Congratulations to the 37 winners of the Evolution & Christian Faith (ECF) grants competition! ECF is a new BioLogos program designed to support projects and network-building among scholars, church leaders, and parachurch organizations.
The tension generated by our understanding of God's character, as revealed in the Bible, and by the reality of the natural world around us has been the focus of much debate within the Christian church since the first century. This series examines critically several of the proposed solutions to this problem, viewing them from the perspective of a geologist, paleontologist, and orthodox evangelical Christian.
In this talk, originally delivered at the BioLogos President's Circle meeting in October 2012, Dr. John Walton discusses the origin stories of Genesis 1-3, and why their focus on function and archetypes mean there is no Biblical narrative of material origins.
This ongoing series written by historian Ted Davis begins with a brief synopsis of his personal background, and then goes on to reveal his passion for debunking "the now-common view that the history of science and Christianity is one of ongoing, inevitable conflict."
It is one thing to say that death is primordial; it is another to view it as the central means of creation. The theological uneasiness about this issue ultimately rests not just on an understanding of God's creative activity, but also on a particular representation of evolution.
The BioLogos Forum is pleased to present this infographic about science and faith in America. The graphic uses data from Gallup Research, The New York Times, and the Pew Research Center to show what Americans currently believe about the origins of humans.
In science, we don't really know the true way things actually work. What we have are theories—broad explanatory frameworks supported by experimentation, which we can use to make testable predictions about the natural world.
A common challenge to evolutionary theory is that while life does indeed change over time (what is known as microevolution), no one has ever seen one species evolve into another species (macroevolution).
In today's video, Dr. Rick Colling states that evolution is not merely the imposition of death and destruction and survival of the fittest. Rather, it is about second chances.
One of the challenges for discussing evolution within evangelical Christian circles is that there is widespread confusion about how evolution actually works. In this installment on "junk DNA", we explore how genomics can be employed to test for non-functional sequences by comparing sequences between related organisms.
In addressing the subject of creation, William P. Brown contends that there is not one story but seven contained in the sacred texts of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The books of Genesis, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah each provide unique perspectives of the natural world.
With his standard panache, the late Harvard paleontologist Stephen J. Gould argued strenuously that evolution had no inherent directionality. We are mere accidents; a "tiny twig on an improbable branch of a contingent limb on a fortunate tree".
In this video, Aaron Daly offers his thoughts on theistic evolution, creation, and how Christians should handle disagreements over these issues. Most of all, Aaron highlights the need for love in our discussions with one another, especially when we disagree.
In this six part series, Brian Godawa takes a closer look at cosmography and its relationship to the Bible. After defining cosmography as a theory that describes features of the heavens and the earth, he relates how his own views about the universe have shifted. He then continues to talk about the Mesopotamian cosmography that is so consistently reflected in Scripture. This view of the universe includes aspects such as the firmament, the pillars, the underworld, the heavens above, the watery abyss. He then explains how one understands these concepts in terms of modern scientific thought.


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Is one player allowed to build the same building more than once in Puerto Rico? If so, do the bonuses stack, so that a player building both Large Markets would get +4 for trading? I wasn't able to find anything in the rulebook that specified this either way. My play group ruled that you can't build the same building multiple times, on the grounds that some of the bonuses seem overpowered if you can double up on them (e.g. Harbor), and other bonuses make no sense if applied more than once (e.g. Construction Hut). Is there any official rule on this?
Take the 2-minute tour ×
Board & Card Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who like playing board games, designing board games or modifying the rules of existing board games. It's 100% free, no registration required.
According to the rules for the online version on BrettspielWelt, "no player may build a building more than once."
And you can confirm this by looking at the official rules from Rio Grande, page 8:


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We know prescriptions can sometimes make up a large part of your overall health care spending. Prescription insurance can help you manage those costs. We have some helpful tools to get the most out of your prescription insurance.
Are you looking for prices for a specific medication? The Price a Drug tool can help you know the cost of your prescriptions.More
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Still have questions? View a list of commonly asked questions about prescription insurance.More
Find coupons for free diabetic supplies before your next trip to the pharmacy.View and Print Coupons
Log in for tools that help you stay healthy and ahead of the game.Health Management Tools


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Sigma Extended Core Stretch Film is a premium grade, cast co-extruded hand film wound on 1-1/4" cores with 5" application handles. Sigma Extended Core rolls are lightweight and easy to use in tight spaces. No dispensers are required. Loads get wrapped quicker with fewer trips around the pallet. Sigma Stretch Film is used for palletizing, wrapping, and bundling of boxes, furniture and carpeting. Industry use includes distribution, moving and storage, transportation and boxed products. Made in the U.S.A.
(1 to 3 rolls)
(4 to 19 rolls)
(20 to 39 rolls)
(>= 40 rolls)
* 1 caseminimum required
Offers the widest range of application flexibility available. Exhibits excellent processing performance whether manually or automatically applied. Has superior tensile strength, adhesion properties and holding force which ensures consistent, reliable seals. Hot melt adhesive will bond faster to a surface which is referred to as quick-grab or quick-stick. It typically has higher tack (will feel stickier to the touch), but is also softer. It has lower heat resistance, shear resistance, and sometimes UV resistance than an acrylic adhesive. NOTE: it is called hot melt because the adhesive is applied hot by the manufacturer and then hardens as it cools (you do not need to apply heat to the tape yourself).
Properties are similar to that of hot melt rubber, but natural rubber often holds where other adhesives won't (recycled fibers, dust, cold, heat and heavy loads). It provides good overall adhesion and moisture resistance.
Offer excellent performance, especially for applications in temperatures less than 40°F and greater then 120°F. It provides excellent clarity, has high shear strength, is usually more permanent/durable even when exposed to moisture, and it ages well over extended periods in fluorescent and sunlight. Since it remains clear for the life of the application and does not yellow over time it is ideal for applications such as sealing white cartons. While it has good initial adhesion it does take 24-48 hours to cure and to achieve its maximum bond strength (has gradual adhesion buildup). Another difference between hot melt rubber and acrylic adhesive is if you fold tape over making the two adhesive sides touch the acrylic adhesive will remain attached to the carrier (e.g. paper, film) while a hot melt adhesive will stick to itself and pull off of the carrier. It is the best choice for clarity, UV resistance and aging characteristics.
Is great for extreme temperature applications since silicone adhesive can work in continuous operating temperatures from -100°F to 500°F. They also exhibit good chemical resistance, retain electrical properties, and remove cleanly with little or no residue.
Zinc oxide based adhesive formula is a skin-friendly adhesive which is commonly used on sports medicine tapes.
Examples: 1/16 inch = 62.5 mils; 1/32 inch = 31.25 mils
Sign up today to be notified of upcoming deals and exclusive offers! Email Address:


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« Exit photo gallery
Celebrities at inaugural events
It's Inauguration weekend and these stars are in town for D.C.'s biggest party.
Fun performs during The Inaugural Ball at the Washignton convention center.(Photo: AP Photo)
More: See all POLITICO photo galleries
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Women are a driving force in our world - yet in Africa and the developing world, women spend nearly 40 billion hours collecting water and caring for those with water-related illnesses. RAIN is tackling these challenges. The Replenish Africa Initiative empowers women by providing clean water access, sanitation and hygiene education. It all starts with water.
Global Water Challenge and Women for Water salute RAIN for its support of women across Africa. To learn more, go to www.coca-colacompany.com/rain.


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Description:HP StorageWorks Ultra Density Optical Jukebox - 3800ux 4 drive 128 slot Manufacturer Part# AA969A
Note: Due to a weight greater than 100lbs Part# AA969A will be shipped via our "Ground" service.If you require faster shipping please call us during normal business hours for a shipping estimate.
Overview:At the high-end the HP StorageWorks Optical 3800ux and 7100ux Jukeboxes provide enterprise-level cost-effective removable storage of 3.8 TB to 7.1 TB in either WORM or rewritable format. Along with standard Low Voltage Differential SCSI (LVDS) interface these products can provide fibre connectivity when combined with the HP StorageWorks Network Storage Router N1200 or M2402. The HP StorageWorks Optical Jukeboxes with 30 GB Ultra Density Optical (UDO) drives provides more permanent nearline storage at a much reduced cost. HP StorageWorks magneto-optical jukeboxes keep vast amounts of data at your fingertips allowing to store and share information quickly safely and affordably year after year.
CategoryHP StorageWorks
Part NumberAA969A
Products ID457667
ManufacturerHP StorageWorks
Standard Connectivity68 pin LVD (HDTS)
Number of Expansion Slots128
Number of Drives4
Maximum Power Consumption560 W
Power Requirements100 to 240 VAC; 50 to 60 Hz
Data Transfer Rate8 mb/s (reads); 4 mb/s (writes)
Maximum Storage Capacity3840 GB
Maximum Temperature Range50 to 95°F (10 to 35°C)
Physical Dimensions (WxHxD)47.9 in x 80.0 in x 37.9 in
[ Manufacturers Specs ]