Liberty Technology Magnet High School A Title I School-Wide Program

March 2020 Issue

Crusader Chronicles

Calendar

3/4 - Balfour Class Ring Orders (During Lunch)

3/10 - Natalie Wexler Litera-cy Author (4:30 - 6:30 pm)

3/13 - Quarter 3 Ends

3/16 - 3/20 - Spring Break (No School)

3/25 - Report Cards Go Out

3/31 - State ACT Adminis-tered

Inside this issue:

Principal’s Message 3

Basketball 3

FAFSA 4

Manufacturing 4

Wellness 5

Blood Drive 6

Students Of The Month 6

Black History Program 7

Art 8

Seniors 8

AFJROTC 9,10

Mayor’s Youth Council 10

Science 11

Spanish 11

Greenhouse 12

UCLA Summit 12

Band 13

Baseball 14

3470 Ridgecrest Road Ext. - Jackson, TN 38305

Phone: 731-423-9086 Fax: 731-424-3445

Website: www.jmcss.org/liberty

Liberty Counselor Experiences Marine Training On February 10th, Liberty Counselor, Mrs. Jaime Grammer, set out on a week-long adventure. She was selected to attend the Ma-rine Corps Educator Workshop aboard Parris Island, South Caroli-na. U.S. Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island is one of two loca-tions where the world’s finest fighting force is trained. The other location is in San Diego, California, but Parris Island is the only location that trains females. Parris Island has been training Ma-rines since 1915. After arriving by bus to Parris Island at 6am, Mrs. Grammer and the other 48 educators from throughout Tennessee and Kentucky, were greeted by a drill instructor. Mrs. Grammer said with a little smile, “I’m an early riser, but I’m not accustomed to rising early

and being yelled at! It was highly motivational!” The educators were instructed to get in line and place their feet on the yellow footprints where all Marine recruits have put their feet. They were then taken through the steps that all recruits go through as soon as they arrive, including their one phone call. “I had no idea the recruits only get one phone call the entire time they are there, and I certainly didn’t know it was so scripted”, Grammer said. Over the course of the next several days she and the educators received Martial arts training, shot an M16 rifle, and learned hand to hand combat techniques. However, the most fun for Mrs. Grammer was the confidence course and the rappel wall, where she got to try her hand at several obstacles that the recruits must complete and rappel down a 50 foot wall. “It was a little terrify-ing to lean out over the wall and trust the ropes to hold you, but after completing it, you feel like you could take on anything!”

(Continued on next page)

Marine Training (continued)

Page 2

Crusader Chronicles

Another highlight, this being an unpleasant one, was the gas chamber experience. Mrs. Grammer said, “The recruits go in with a mask, stay in for several minutes, and have to break the seal of their masks several times to let the gas come in, but we just went for a quick walk-through and stopped for 3 pushups. That limited amount of time had me coughing, eyes and throat burning, and nose running. I can’t imagine being in there any longer than I was!” After all the experiences of the week, it was time for the culminating event, gradua-tion. Mrs. Grammer remarked, “The graduation was amazing. From the F18 planes that flew overhead during the national anthem, to watching the Marines march in front of their proud family and friends that they’d been away from for 13 weeks, to the hugs and high fives they gave to one another when it was over, it brought a tear to my eye.”

Mrs. Grammer highly recommends the experience to other fellow educators. “The Marine Corps Educator Workshop was an experience far beyond what I expected. I was able to clear up some misconceptions I had and learn so many things about the Marine Corps that I will be able to share with my students, which will in turn give them a better understanding of the opportunities that are available to them through the Marine Corps. I’m grateful that Mr. Barnett al-lowed me to participate in this worthwhile workshop, and I encourage my fellow educators to participate.” To see more of Mrs. Grammer’s experience follow this link. https://youtu.be/OrO_NcgP4LY

Page 3

Crusader Chronicles

Greetings to our Liberty Tech Family and Community! I am so proud to report the GREAT things going on at Liberty Tech Mag-net High School these last few weeks! On February 13th, we held Parent/Teacher Conferences at Liberty Tech. Our turnout was great and we were happy to accommodate our guests as they met with their child's teachers. In recent weeks we have had events as varied as Senior Night at our Boy's and Girl's Basketball game (Class of 2020 got in FREE), 9-12th Grade Honors Assemblies where we recognized our All A's and A/B students, and our Black History Program, which was student led for two performances in our Auditorium.

Most recently, we had our Crusader Showcase where we invited the community to learn about and tour our CTE facilities. There, they learned about or Aquaculture and Hydroponic Greenhouses, our Crusader Cuts small animal care grooming program, Crusader Closet apparel and clothing store, and A Taste of Liberty res-taurant and Culinary Arts Program. Tours were also given highlighting our state of the art automotive repair shop, as well as our new Cybersecurity program. These are student centered enterprises taught by some of the finest instructors in JMCSS. We hope you will support Liberty now and in the future as we build a positive culture of achievement and opportunity for our students! We believe in Liberty, we believe in our students. Taking Every Challenge Head-on!! Here to Serve, Mr. James B. Barnett, M.Ed Principal Liberty Technology Magnet High School Jackson-Madison County Schools (731)-423-9086 (731)-506-3140 jbbarnett@jmcss.org

From the desk of...LTHS High School Principal Mr. James Barnett

Crusader Basketball Players Net District Honors

Congratulations to the following Crusader basketball team players for garnering awards from the recent District 13-AAA tournament! Richard Gill - All District Team Kendall Johnson - All District Team Devon Nappier-Smith - All Tournament Team Keveon Midgett - All District and All Tournament Team

Page 4

Crusader Chronicles

Manufacturing Students Attain OSHA Certification Nineteen of Mr. Beeler's manufacturing students recently completed the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry (Manufacturing) course. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Outreach Training Program for General Indus-try (Manufacturing) provides training for entry-level workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in workplaces in manufacturing industry. The pro-gram also provides information regarding workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a com-plaint. Through this training, OSHA helps insure that workers are more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights. Students who successfully complete the course receive an OSHA 10-Hour General Industry wal-let card and certificate from the OSHA Training Institute. Congratulations to the following students for completing the OSHA training: Front row (L to R) Khalid Springfield, Dylan Torres, Destiny Harris, Brooklyn Hardin 2nd row (L to R) Cameron Riley, William Ozier, Justin Grover, Amarion Batchelor, Skylar Claybrooks, Jonas Roberts, Mr. Robert Beeler Back row (L to R) Jason Henderson, Jakavis Sharpe, Allenton Thorpe, Terence Midgett, Peyton Rainey, James Crabby Not pictured - Seynabou Desouza, Kerterious Shaw, Kevontravius Weathers

AdviseTN Final FAFSA Numbers Of the thirty-three Advise High Schools in TN, Liberty Tech had a 12.65% gain in FAFSA applications for the 2019-2020 academic year, which was second only to the 13.17% gain of one of our Middle TN Advise high schools!!! Advise High Schools have a 90% FAFSA filing rate for the 2019-2020 FAFSA season which is far above the State average for FAFSA applications. Congratulations, Liberty Tech Seniors, Families, Faculty & Staff, and thank you Mrs. Karin Eason for your commitment in helping our students continue their education beyond high school!!!

Professor Rebecca Burrow and the LCON N2 students from the University of Memphis at Lambuth recently vis-ited Mr. Marko Jones’ wellness class to discuss the nursing program at the university. They also administered blood pressure checks and took height and weight measurements of the students. They group also gave the stu-dents a questionnaire about the main concerns that they and their peers face while at school. The student’s con-cerns included: Bullying/violence at school Alcohol/drug use Marijuana use Gang violence Depression/anxiety The LCON N2 students along with class members then came up with ways to address these issues. Ms. Judith Johns, representing MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) also addressed the class. MADD is a nonprofit organization in the U.S. and Canada that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired driving policy, whether that impairment is caused by alcohol or any other drug. Ms. Johns told each student that they have the power to take a stand against teen drinking. She informed them that their brain is still in a developmental stage, which means it’s more easily damaged by alcohol. She also shared that high school students suffer injuries and die from alcohol-related inci-dents more than from all other illegal drugs combined; and two-thirds of underage drinking teen deaths do not involve car crashes.

Lifetime Wellness Students Hear Guest Speakers

Page 5

Crusader Chronicles

Page 6

Crusader Chronicles

Liberty Tech held their second blood drive of the year on February 5th. This blood drive was planned and organized by DECA, an organization of marketing students at Liberty. This is the second of three blood drives held this year on campus. The February blood drive resulted in 45 stu-dents volunteering, with 27 units of blood donated to the local blood bank. Students who donate three times during the year will receive a red cord for graduation. The next blood drive will take place April 3rd.

DECA Completes 2nd Blood Drive

Students Of The Month

February Students Of The Month (L to R) - Christian Anderson(12th), Aaron Moody (11th), T’Anna Fuller (11th), Xochit Escober-Lopez (9th), Devon Nappier-Smith (9th), Principal Brad Barnett, Deny Vega (12th), Treasure Clark (10th) Not pictured - Pautez Freeman (10th)

Page 7

Crusader Chronicles

In recognition of Black History Month, Liberty Tech High School held an assembly on Tuesday morning, February 25, in the school’s auditori-um. The highly entertaining and thought provoking program celebrated and honored the contributions of many great Black Americans to our nation’s history. Liberty Tech’s choir opened the program with a moving rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” In addition, Liberty students also per-formed an interpretive dance to “Brown Skinned Girl.” Dance students from the Mona Lisa School of Dance also danced to the inspiring gospel classic, “Order My Steps.” Another highlight was our student’s playing the roles of several prominent Black Americans. Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Jackie Robinson, and Frederick Douglas were all brought to life by our talented students. To conclude the program, 17 students lined the stage representing individuals who made significant discover-ies that greatly impacted our country’s history in a skit entitled “What If There Were No Black People.”

Liberty Celebrates Black History With Assembly

Art Club Visits Austin Peay State University

Page 8

Crusader Chronicles

The Liberty Tech Art Club attended the Austin Peay State University Art & Design Day in Clarksville, TN, February 22, 2020. Nine students along with Mrs. Eblen and Mrs. Hurst attended a full day of art workshops and informational ses-sions. Our students were able to throw pots, experience an animation lesson, and work in real college drawing and painting studios instructed by current APSU Art & Design faculty. Two students, Jamaya George and Cionna Allen also participated in the Portfolio Review session to get feed-back on their artwork. These students are considering attending APSU and possibly majoring in Art & De-sign. This our second year to attend this amazing day and we certainly plan to make it an annual event!

Liberty Senior Recognized By Several Organizations Liberty Tech senior Allenton Glenn Thorpe, along with two other teens, represented the distinguished Top Teens of America chapter at their national conference under the leadership of the Jackson Chapter Top La-dies of Distinction Organization. His essay was also entered into their scholarship contest. In addition, he represented Liberty as Junior Rotarian for the month of February. Allenton also recently received recognition from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. for Academic Excellence at Liberty Tech. Congratulations Allenton!

Crusader Chronicles

A.F.J.R.O.T.C. Happenings

The AFJROTC cadets had a busy month in February! They performed several Color Guards at the home basketball games as well as several programs high-lighted below.

The Liberty AFJROTC cadets under the leadership of Major Honeycutt visited

Parkway Middle and Jackson Career Technology (JCT) middle schools on Feb-ruary 15, 2020. The purpose of the visits was to give AFJROTC informational presentations to the eighth graders who are most likely to be enrolling in Liberty High School next year. The cadets and Major Hon-eycutt presented information about the Air Force JROTC program benefits and requirements for partici-pation. The presentation generated much interest among the students.

Isabela Nolasco is the February 2020 Cadet of the Month. She is very involved in AFJROTC. She

participated in several of the February activities/projects highlighted in this month’s newsletter. She also serves as the Kitty Hawk Honor Society Commander. Isabela is an up and coming star in Liberty’s AFJROTC and an example of how the program can have a positive effect on students’ lives and prepare them to be better citizens. Give her a tech Life “High Five” when you see her around campus!

On February 22, 2020, the AFJROTC Cadets participated in the

Spring Sports Cleanup day at Liberty High School. They helped clean up the entire main campus with a more detailed focus around the field house area.

Page 9 (Continued on next page)

Orientation Leadership Team

Crusader Chronicles

A.F.J.R.O.T.C. Happenings (continued)

Several members of B Flight participated in a service project at the Jackson Humane Society on Satur-day, February 22, 2020. They were involved in helping with preparation and stocking of pet care supplies as well as with animal care. It was a fun day for those involved! The Humane Society is always in need of volunteers if any other groups from Liberty would like to volunteer.

The AFJROTC Cadets would like to thank everyone who has supported our

three major fundraisers this year. We were able to raise approximately $3000.00 to help fund the cadet’s educational spring field trip to Nashville and Pidgeon Forge. The delivery of the items from the frozen food sale will be before Easter, just after our spring break. Thank You!

UPCOMING EVENTS March 7, 2020 - Safe Harbor Day Mission Annual JROTC BBQ service project March 11, 2020 - Spring Formal Flag Retreat Ceremony March 12, 2020 - School Board Meeting Color Guard March 25, 2020 - Color Guard at Memphis Grizzlies game April 8-10, 2020 - Spring CIA trip to Nashville and Pidgeon Forge, TN May 1, 2020 - Military Ball and Awards Program

Page 10

Student Chosen To Represent Liberty

Liberty Tech junior Kenyatti Brooks has been selected to represent Liberty as a member of The City of Jackson Mayor’s Youth Council. This unique experience will let Kenyatti get a first hand look at how city government works and will help develop leadership skills. Congratulations Kenyatti! Congratulations Kenyatti!

Crusader Chronicles

Science In Action

Mrs. Weaver’s science students created models (of atoms or models of plant and animal cells) from eve-ryday household materials to demonstrate their structure. Once completed, they pre-graded themselves accord-ing to a rubric and then had to identify each part of the model to Mrs. Weaver. Models have become a very im-portant part of science.

Page 11

Students Work On Spanish Projects Mrs. Cook’s Spanish students recently worked in groups to trace their bodies. They then had to use adjectives and the Spanish verb “Ser” (be) to describe themselves. The students were re-quired to use at least 15 adjectives in Spanish, searching for the information on their own. In addition, Keadrian Fuller made a presentation on Peru and prepared Peruvian food for the class.

Crusader Chronicles

Page 12

Greenhouse Plants And KOI

Student To Attend Leadership Summit At UCLA

Liberty sophomore Madissen Mebane will take part in a 7-day Summit this sum-mer at UCLA. Madissen, and other motivated students from across the United States and as many as 140 countries around the world will take part in experien-tial leadership curriculum culminating in a community action plan addressing a local or global community need. The Summit, sponsored by Ambassador Leaders, will also include workshops, team-building activities, motivational speakers, and panel discussions. In addi-tion, attendees will also contribute to a day of hands-on service in partnership with United Way. The event is designed to help students build confidence, learn to lead effectively - both individually and in a team - and develop lifelong skills they can use to affect positive change. Congratulations Madissen!

Crusader Chronicles

Members of the Liberty Tech Crusader Band had an absolutely incredible time at The University of Mem-

phis last month. Eight of our wonderful musicians spent hours of hard work in rehearsal alongside some of

the best high school performers in the area to put on a fantastic show in just one and a half days.

Joy Henning, Trinity DeVore, Quinton Sykes, Jasmine Croom, Makayla Haith, A’Lana Walker, Kira

Cornick, Tretavious Marsh all returned charged up with positivity and were determined to better

themselves. Liberty band director Joshua Hayes added, “My own passion for what we do here in the band

hall has also been intensified. I am swelling with pride in my kids. Our students are outstanding individuals

and they deserve to be reminded of that!”

Congratulations Band!!

Page 13

Band Students Perform In U of M Honor Band

Crusader Chronicles

Page 14

Baseball Team Sets Schedule