Upcoming Events and Important Dates:

o December 8,

Algebra Gateway o December 9, English

Gateway o December 10,

Biology Gateway

o December 15, Graduation for Old Cockrill at Woodmont Hills Family of God Church, 6pm (Graduates be there at 5 pm)

o December 16,

Graduation for Opry Mills at Opry Mills

o December 18-

January 4, Winter Break. Students do not report

Inside the Numbers for December:

Total Graduates 15

Passed all GWs 50

Need…

Only Alg. GW 8

Only Eng. GW 3

Only Bio. BW 5

All GWs 5

Those students graduating in December will go through graduation ceremony on Tuesday, December 15 at 6 pm. Graduates, you need to be at the church at 5 pm. The ceremony will take place at Woodmont Hills Family Church of God. The church is located at 710 Franklin Rd., Nashville. (See the map on the back of the newsletter!) Graduation will take place in the Great Room.

Please feel free to invite your family members.

December Graduation at Woodmont Hills

Dr. Register and the School Board Visit The Academies

On Wednesday, December 2, 2009 the Metro School Board and others visited both of The Academies. The Board started their day at The Academy at Opry Mills and then came by Old Cockrill from 1:00-2:30 pm.

In attendance were Dr. Jesse Register, Superintendent of Metro Schools; Jay Steele, Associate Superintendent

In attendance will be the graduates and their families, the faculty of The Academy at Old Cockrill, and Superintendent Dr. Jesse Register.

We know how hard you have worked for this special event. We are so proud of each and every one of you for showing dedication and commitment to your education. Our world and community will be better places with you out there working hard to make positives changes through the knowledge and skills

you acquired through your schooling.

Please remember that we here at The Academy at Old Cockrill will be here waiting for you to visit us and share your lives with us. We will also fondly remember all you as your faces stare down on us from the Wall of Fame.

Best of luck graduates!

of High Schools; David Fox, Board Chair; Mark North, Board member; Jo Ann Brannon, Board member; Kay Simmons, Board member; and Bill Warren, Educational Consultant for MNPS.

During their stay, the visitors took a tour of the building, They were able to see instructional strategies in each class and interacted with a few students in those classes. They went on to observe Old Cockrill students discussing the reasons they attend Old Cockrill

and what Old Cockrill has to offer them in a “fishbowl” activity.

Ms. Fahrner was thrilled about their visit and said she thinks “the Board was excited to meet our students and see the progress we have made.” After the visit school board member Mark North said that “the feeling of drive and accomplishment [at The Academy at Old Cockrill] is palpable.”

We here at Old Cockrill anxiously await the return of these visitors

On October 30 Alignment Nashville, a non profit housed within the Mayor’s Office, hosted a half-day summit sponsored by America’s Promise Alliance and titled “On the Same Page” to create citywide action and reduce the number of students dropping out of school. Mayor Dean joined Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Jesse Register, and

Old Cockrill Students Participate in Drop Out Summit

Map to Graduation- Be There at 5 pm, Graduates!

Exceptional Student Work

representatives from schools, foundations, nonprofit service providers, neighborhood and faith-based organizations, businesses and government with the goal of ensuring that every child in Nashville has access to safe places and caring adults as they finish school and prepare for college or career.

Two Old Cockrill students were part of the panel:

Santiago Fuentes and Victoria Bell. Channel 4 did a short story on Victoria and even followed her to her house and filmed her at work dying a friend’s hair. To see the whole piece on Channel 4 go to the following link:

http://www.wsmv.com/video/21482136/index.html

Thanks for being such great participants Santiago and Victoria.

Student Spotlight

Jason Chalas

Where were you born?

I was born in Queens, NY, have lived in the Dominican Republic, and now reside in Nashville. What is your favorite

food? Too many to be listed. I like to eat! What is your favorite

thing to do? I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and my mother most of all.

Do you have a hobby?

I play and watch sports.

Tell us something interesting about

you. I am 21, going to graduate and make my family and myself proud. I will be a successful person.

The Attack of the Storm

The thunder played a rolling drum The clouds ran forward to block the sun

The sky cried tears of rain The thunder beat the drums so loud it would cause the ears pain The clouds threw lightening like they were mad at the ground

They were thrown every time the drums would pound The storm threatened when it was done with fury

Then ran out the sun in all of its glory. - Gabriel Custer