Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope you had a great week, and I hope you have some exciting things planned for this weekend!

Today was a wonderful day here at Trinity.  We started things off by honoring several of our best and brightest with the National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony.  I'll try to post a picture sometime next week.  However, here are the names of those inducted this morning:

Ashley Ann Adams, Austin Adams, Holly Bellenger, Abby Betts, Dow Birchfield, Josh Brooks, Melissa Chambers, Will Clements, Chris Colee, Nick Conversino, Tanner Cox, Blair Davis, Kristian Duraski, Cole Farris, Anna Fatzinger, Elizabeth Franklin, Win Grice, Francie Hogan, Dylan Ingram, Payne Jennings, Brinkley Jones, Lauren Kingry, Jacqueline Morris, Jacey Morrow, Hayden Payne, Stone Phillips, Kennon Pouncey, Bailey Richards, James Rinehart, Candler Reynolds, MaryAugusta Slawson, Nina Smith, Marley Sport, Thomas Stallings, Brock Stevens, Brady Taylor, Caroline Ward, and Emily Alston Wiatt.

Congratulations to each of these fine students for a job well done!

Please remember that exams are approaching quickly.  Students should be preparing for these tests even now.  Encourage your child to plan ahead, study "smart," and avoid cramming.

Watch How Much You Watch TV!

Being from the "Sesame Street" generation, I was floored when my parents told me that they did not own a television set until after they had graduated from high school.  Even then, they didn't get a color set until the late 1960s.  

Most of us grew up with TV.  We see shows from the past and they bring up a host of memories from our younger days.  My generation could especially identify with the likes of Rick Schroder, Kirk Cameron, Justine Bateman and other teen stars of the '80s.  It is interesting to see them as thirty-somethings (or maybe even forty-somethings!) today.

While TV is certainly not bad in and of itself, it can become quite time consuming.  Consider the following statistics provided by the A. C.  Nielsen Company:

Ninety-nine percent of all US households own at least one television set.  The average number of sets per household is 2.24, while 66% of homes include three or more sets.

A television set is turned on in the average household more than six hours every day, and this adds up to some 250 billion hours of television watched annually by Americans.  Sixty-six percent of families in the US watch TV while eating dinner, and the percentage of people in this country who pay for cable TV stands at 56.

Some of the numbers can become quite disturbing, especially when you consider that 54% of four-year-olds  who, when asked to choose between watching television and spending time with their fathers, chose television.  Or if you consider that the average child has seen some 8,000 murders on TV by the end of elementary school.  By the age of 18, that same young person will have seen over 200,000 violent acts on the tube.

As stated earlier, television is not necessarily a "bad" thing.  In fact, it can be quite wholesome and educational -- when utilized properly.  It is up to you, the parent, to set the boundaries.  Don't be afraid to do so.

Consider cutting off the TV during dinner time each night.  Use the time to enjoy one another's company and catch up on the events of the day.  As has been suggested in public service announcements, declare one night of the week to be "Family Game Night."  Reading books would also be a good substitute.

The idea is to strike a balance and make the most of the time you have with your kids.  The years have wings, and your little ones will be walking down an aisle with a cap and gown on before you know it.  Let's make sure we've made the most of our time with them!

Tests - Week of May 4:

6th Grade

Thursday - Social Studies

Friday - Math

7th Grade

Tuesday - Geography

Thursday - Math, Pre-Algebra

Friday - Science

8th Grade

Monday - History (Franklin), Treasure Hunt Day!

Tuesday - History (Weeks)

Wednesday - Science, History (McLemore)

Thursday - Algebra I

Have a Great Weekend!