Clark-Shaw Magnet School

As a school of choice, our mission at Clark-Shaw Magnet School is to develop students into globally aware and productive citizens who excel academically and are responsible, courteous, life-long learners. This will be accomplished by providing a challenging curriculum in a safe and nurturing environment.

Greetings Eagle family,

December marks the end of another calendar year. Students have exactly 2 weeks to finish the 2nd Quarter strong. Every student should complete this quarter with high course averages and even higher expectations for 3rd Quarter. Make sure you contact teachers, counselors, and administrative staff members if you require assistance. Feel free to call the office or simply email us. If you have health questions regarding your child and school attendance, contact Nurse Walker in the front office prior to sending a sick child to school. Let us make sure everyone remains healthy this holiday season.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you! Enjoy time with family because those are the precious moments that will forever remain frozen in your memory.

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” -Eric Hoffer

Mrs. Taylor-Jackson

Principal

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) at Clark-Shaw is helping sponsor the Stuff the Bus toy drive. NJHS members are visiting each homeroom to encourage students to bring in new, unwrapped toys by Dec. 7th. When the MCPSS bus stops at our school, we want to help fill it up with toys for local children. Pictured above are Eli Weatherford, Avery Smith, Allie Armbrecht, Whisper Saunders, Stacy Santana, Leigha Newton, Sara Ussery, James Colleli, Will Jordan, Dexter Cox, and Grant Langham.

Our Scholars’ Bowl team had their second competition of the year against Alba Middle School on November 3. Students did an amazing job and extended their winning streak! Our A team defeated Alba’s A team 320 to 140, and our B team won 210 to 130. Congratulations to these students and keep up the great work! Team members are Max Norris, James Colleli, Garrett Langham, Grant Langham, Andres Gonzalez, Eli Weatherford, Will Jordan, Graham Langham, Logan Rigsby, and Chloe Seals, and their coaches are Mrs. Steiner and Mrs. Van den Bosch. Their next tournament will be at home vs. St. Pius Catholic School on Thursday, January 12th.

Our Scholars' Bowl competing against Alba Middle School in November.

Members of our Scholars' Bowl team practicing after school.

Our archers are on a roll! They participated in the Dodge Elementary "Soaring for Excellence" tournament in early November and placed #1 in all middle schools participating! With a team score of 3087, they defeated Semmes Middle School, Phillips Prep, Alba, and Grand Bay. Our top archers were Paden Roberts, who shot a 278 (with 14 perfect 10's), and finished 2nd in 7th grade boys and 3rd in all middle school boys; Evan Bonner, who shot a 270 (with 10 perfect 10's) and finished 3rd in 7th grade boys and 4th in middle school boys; Conner Reed, who shot a 265 (with 4 perfect 10's) and finished 4th in 7th grade boys and 8th in middle school boys; Isabella Meade, who shot a 263 (with 12 perfect 10's) and finished #1 in 7th grade girls and 9th in all middle school girls; and Nathan Williams, who shot a 256 (with 5 perfect 10's), and finished 4th in 8th grade boys and #12 in all middle school boys.

The archery team also shot at the Bright Academy Tournament on November 18th. Our team score was 3011, which placed us at #3 among all middle schools. Our top 5 individual archers were Evan Bonner, who shot a 265 with 11 perfect 10's and finished #5 in all 7th grade boys; Paden Roberts, who shot a 264 with 8 perfect 10's; Caleb Farnum, who shot a 260 with 9 perfect 10's; Sophia Piper, who shot a 259 with 7 perfect 10's and finished #3 in all 7th grade girls; and Brady Burkett, who shot a 259 with 7 perfect 10's and finished #3 in all 8th grade boys.

The archery team competes next at the Semmes Middle School tournament on Friday, Dec. 2nd at 7:00 and 8:00 pm and the Davidson High School tournament on Dec. 15th at 4:00 and 5:00 pm. Keep it up, archers!

The archery team competed at the St. Mark's Bright Academy tournament in November on the first night of Thanksgiving Break.

The Clark-Shaw Robotics Team competed at the BEST Robotics Competition at Troy University in November. Their hard work over many weekends and after school paid off, as they placed 1st among all schools in Critical Design Review, 2nd in Web Design, and 3rd in Spirit and Sportsmanship. During this year's game, Made 2 Order, they placed 3rd in the first round. Riley Lewis and Andres Gonzales scored 40 points to send the team to the semi-finals. During the first round of the semi-finals, Buddy the robot decided he was exhausted, and his arm fell off! Despite heroic measures, he was unable to continue on, but the team fought until the end. We are proud of the effort our robotics team put in for this competition! Check out their photos below.

Robotic students Andres Gonzales, Abby Faggard, and Allie Armbrecht were interviewed by reporter Brady Petree, who featured Davidson High School and Clark-Shaw's robotics teams in a Nov. 16, 2022 article in Lagniappe.

December 18th is National Twin Day. Even we were surprised to find out that we have a total of 9 sets of twins attending Clark-Shaw together this year! In honor of National Twin Day, say hello to our awesome Eagle twins who are bright, hard-working, and will always be the first to answer "Me!" when asked, "Who's smarter...you or your twin?!"

We are lucky to have these twins in our Eagle family: the Weedens, Shellenbergers, Rigsbys, Lynches, Taylor-Graysons, Knights, Phillipses, and Langhams. (Not pictured: the Gable twins)

Students are required to remain in uniform if you stay after school for athletic events. You cannot change clothes for safety and security reasons. Your school uniforms help us easily identify our CSMS students for supervision purposes and in case an emergency arises. However, if you are attending with a parent, this rule does not apply.

All students should be picked up promptly after each event or you will lose your attendance privileges.

Our basketball season is in full swing! And in case you haven't heard, our boys team is undefeated (8-0)! Meanwhile, our girls team is holding its own with a balanced win-loss record. With just a few more games left until the Christmas break, come out and support these student athletes!

Boys basketball team: Lemaris Alston, Harrison Boudreaux, Kendrick Brady, Khamyr Brown, Landyn Carson-Owens, Ryan Crawford-Miles, Ronald Davis, Ashton Dunklin, Kar’Moniy Gibbs, Myles Johnson, Levet Jones, Jermarion McNish, Kaleb Miles-Dallas, Aaron Morrissette, Sidney Sawyer, Leartist Williams; Managers Bryce Graham and Chaise Bolden. The team is coached by Coach July and Mr. Sikes.

During the last game before Thanksgiving Break, our boys faced off against an also undefeated Causey basketball team. In a thrilling finish, our boys pulled out the victory 45-43!

Girls basketball team: MacKynzie Tew, Taylor Jones, Jaia Turner, Ariel Stallworth, Diamond Robinson, Ariel Pate, Talia Portie, Taylor Dale, Ammarie Seals, Amayah Bracy; Team Manager Kiera Quiovers (not pictured). The team is coached by Coach Brooks and Mrs. Smith-Lofton.

Our dance team performs at all home games! Great job to dance team members Leigha Newton (Captain), Chyler McCutcheon (Co-Captain), Allie Armbrecht, Layla Roberts, Mei-Ling Rollman, Mila Rollman, and Auri Yelder. They are coached by Mrs. Burch and Mrs. Hester.

The 8th grade members of the cheer team are shown here at the home basketball game vs. Semmes. Our cheerleaders are doing a phenomenal job this year under Coach Tabitha Dallas. At the regional cheer competition in early November, our team ranked 3rd in their division. Keep up the hard work!

Our Clark-Shaw cheerleaders were invited to cheer at the Blount High School football game vs. Murphy on October 28th.

Boys Track Tryouts will be held December 5th and 6th from 2:50 - 4:30 pm. You must attend at least one day of tryouts but you may attend both. All students who are trying out must have a completed sports physical and insurance waiver completed on DragonFly. There is a $10 tryout fee (unless you have already paid to tryout for another sport this year). Please see Coach Winfield with questions.

Girls Track Tryouts will be held December 12-14, 2022. On Monday, December 12 tryouts will be held for SPRINTS (100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400 m Run) and 100m Hurdles. On Tuesday, December 13 tryouts will be held for DISTANCE (800m Run, 1600m Run) and Shot Put and make-up day if you missed tryouts on Monday. On Wednesday, December 14 tryouts will be held for JUMPS (Long and High Jump) and make-up day if you missed tryouts on Monday or Tuesday. You may come all 3 days.

Please plan to be picked up on time at 4:30pm each day of tryouts. There will be a make-up event if you missed a day due to basketball. Come to the locker room at the 2:50 bell and dress out. You must have all paperwork completed, including a current physical and insurance form, in DragonFly by December 8th. There is a $10 tryout fee due by the day of tryouts. Make checks out to Clark-Shaw. Please bring your own water bottle to each day of tryouts. See Coach Peabody with any questions or help with DragonFly or email her at llpeabody@mcpss.com.

Student Council had a successful food drive for its annual Thanksgiving Baskets project. They provided turkeys and all the fixings to 7 Clark-Shaw families and made a substantial donation to Feeding the Gulf Coast. The following homerooms recorded the most donations for their grade levels and will be rewarded with a donut party:

6th grade: Mrs. Fuller's homeroom

7th grade: Mr. Kloeckener's homeroom

8th grade: Mr. Mattern's homeroom

Thank you to all who contributed and supported this project!

Mr. Kloeckener's homeroom had the most donations in the school! They were awarded a donut party and a trophy, held here by 7th grader Zachary Cupp, who brought in over 100 donated cans.

Get to know.....Ms. Cathy Goren!

This month's faculty spotlight is Ms. Cathy Goren. She is a 6th grade language arts teacher and she has been teaching for a whopping 27 years! Ms. Goren was born in New Jersey and is a self-described "Army brat" who moved around a lot growing up. She has been teaching at Clark-Shaw for 11 years, yet even before that she was no stranger to campus, since she attended Shaw High School as a student.

A few fun facts about Ms. Goren: she has an adult son named Trevor, a husband named Arik, and 2 cats and 2 dogs. She has actually played and coached ice hockey! She also loves costuming and historic re-enacting with her husband.

Some of the many characters Ms. Goren has played include Betsy Ross, Bellatrix from Harry Potter, Annie Oakley, Black Canary (a DC character), pirate zombie, Viking shield maiden, Alva Smith Vanderbilt (a suffragette from Mobile), Stevie Nicks, Molly Pitcher, Mrs. Lovett (from Sweeney Todd), Anne Bonny, and many other pirates. She is a fixture at the Mobile International Festival, and you can check her out in the photos below.

Ms. Goren, you are a unique spirit with a passion for bringing characters to life! Thank you for brightening our world!

We are delighted to welcome Ms. Erika Agnew to our staff as our new attendance clerk! Ms. Agnew has been a salon owner and managing cosmetologist for 28 years. She has had a cosmetology instructor's license since 2003. She recently decided to scale down her business for an early retirement and bring her talents to the school system. She has enjoyed her time so far at Clark-Shaw and said, "Everyone has been very nice and welcoming. I think I have found my new home!"

Ms. Agnew is in the front office Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. If you have questions or concerns about attendance, email her at eagnew@mcpss.com. Please be sure to welcome her to the Clark-Shaw family!

Ambassadors, cheerleaders, and representatives of numerous student organizations helped welcome prospective students and their families during Open House in November. Although the first application window for applying to magnet school has closed, there will be another one in January. Please encourage any students you know to consider choosing Clark-Shaw for middle school! Openings are available for 6th - 8th grade.

Clark-Shaw has hosted numerous elementary schools whose students were treated to a pep rally with the cheerleaders, dance team, and Einstein the Eagle, as well as the opportunity to tour the school and participate in science labs. Above, students from Allentown Elementary and Dawes Intermediate Schools engage in scientific inquiry with Mrs. Kirksey, Mrs. Coumanis, Mrs. Burch, and Mrs. May. Thanks to all who participated and for our fabulous faculty and students for showing off what makes Clark-Shaw so special!

The deadlines for Science Fair are just around the corner! Make sure you are making adequate progress and will be ready on the following dates:

Monday, December 12 - 8th grade Display Board, Composition Log Book, & Abstract due (each component counts as a 3rd Quarter MAJOR GRADE)

Tuesday, December 13 - 7th grade Display Board, Composition Log Book, & Abstract due (each component counts as a 3rd Quarter MAJOR GRADE)

Wednesday, December 14 - 6th grade Display Board, Grade-Level Log Book, & Abstract due (each component counts as a 3rd Quarter MAJOR GRADE)

Parents and families of current 8th graders may purchase personal ads for their students for the 2022-2023 yearbook. The current cost is $30 for a 1/4 page ad, $50 for 1/2 page ad, and $100 for a full page ad, and the cost of the yearbook is $35. Submit your ad order by Jan. 13th to avoid a $10 late fee! Send payments (cash or check payable to Clark-Shaw) to Mrs. Van den Bosch, Room 209. Requests can also be sent to dvandenbosch@mcpss.com. Online sales for yearbooks only (no ads) can be done using a credit card at www.yearbookordercenter.com, using school code 21021.

WOW is a group led by our Fellowship of Christian Athletes that meets on select Wednesday mornings at 6:50am for a time of prayer, devotional, and worship songs. All 6th – 8th grade students are welcome! A yellow pass from Ms. Caz will allow you to be released from the cafeteria or gym on the mornings of our meetings to report to Room 207 on 7th grade hall. Our remaining date for the semester is Dec 14! Come join us as we start off the day with an encouraging word! For questions or passes, see Ms. Caz (Room 207).

Mrs. Burch and Mrs. Coumanis took a group of 7th grade students to the College of Engineering at the Univeristy of South Alabama on November 3rd. The students were exposed to a number of engineering career fields through engaging, hands-on activities. The students made Cartesian divers with mechanical engineers, designed bridges with civil engineers, learned about a satellite that USA students sent to space with computer engineers, and used catapults with 3D-printed objects with mechanical engineers.

For the first time in many years, Clark-Shaw students visited the Mobile International Festival. Here, 6th grade students Mattie Davis, Lydia Ramey, and Alice Jones pose with Ms. Goren.

6th graders Jamin Savage, Emerson Stuart, Caleb Farnum, and Jude Singleterry enjoying the Mobile International Festival on November 17th.

8th graders Whisper Saunders, Charlotte Milling, and Anna Cate Smith attended the Mobile International Festival with their French class.

'Tis the season for Giving and Sharing! Make an effort to help those that are less fortunate. This is also a time when those without family are lonely. Open your Heart to Help, and remember help does not always consist of money. Sometimes the most valuable thing to give is TIME. Time is precious, spending time helps to make lasting memories, help build relationships, and most importantly helps to put a smile on/in a lonely Heart. Make this Holiday a memorable one by giving the Gift of TIME...

Happy Holidays from your Clark-Shaw Counselors!

Tamara D. Woods & Ron Sayles

We are excited about our new partnership with the Junior League of Mobile. Its newest signature project, Adopt-a-School, provides food items and other basic necessities including clothing, uniform, hygiene supplies, and other items to any Clark-Shaw student in need due to financial setbacks or other hardships.

If you or someone you know at Clark-Shaw could benefit from our Care Closet, please complete this form to request assistance: [link].

Are you watching Eagle Eye News? Don't miss out on their daily newscast as well as their weekly survey. Bookmark their website link to have quick access: [click here]. In addition to important announcements, they also include interviews with students around the school. On Fridays, they feature a Pet of the Week, like the one below.

A recent Pet of the Week was 6th grader Ava McDaniel's adorable puppy Biscuit, a 1/2 weiner 1/2 chihuahua! Let the Eagle Eye News feature your pet. Check out their website!

Please consider joining or helping our PTA! Joining PTA does NOT require you to volunteer on campus. But for those who would like to help, several opportunities are available, including dance committee, awards committee, concessions and ticket sales, Spring Fling, and other events. We appreciate the efforts and support of our parents and families, and we hope you will consider joining! To join: [click here]

Have a question or interested in volunteering? Email them at clarkshawpta1@gmail.com.

December 16: last day of 2nd quarter

December 17: Christmas Break begins

January 2: Teacher work day (no school)

January 3-4: Teacher professional development (no school)

January 5: 3rd Quarter begins

January 16: Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Day (no school)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarkshawmagnet

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkshawmagnet_eagles @clarkshawmagnet_eagles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarkshaweagles @clarkshaweagles

Website: https://clarkshawmcpssal.schoolinsites.com/

Your child's teachers and the entire staff here at Clark-Shaw are committed to your child's success. Please let us know how we can serve you!

Timesha Taylor-Jackson, Principal

tltaylor@mcpss.com

Website: https://clarkshawmcpssal.schoolinsites.com/
Location: 5960 Arlberg Street, Mobile, AL, USA
Phone: 251-221-2106
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarkshawmagnet
Twitter: @clarkshaweagles

Newsletter compiled by Dena Van den Bosch, dvandenbosch@mcpss.com