Newspaper Page Text
The
Commerce News
Page 8B ^November 14, 2007
School News
New High School Construction
Set To Begin Late Next Spring
Construction of the new
Commerce High School is
expected to begin next spring or
early summer, Superintendent of
Schools James E. “Mac” McCoy
told the Commerce Kiwanis Club
last week.
The new facility, which will uti
lize the south and east wings of
the current CHS, will comprise
125,627 square feet — more than
double the current size. It will be
built to house 650 students, with
common areas to support 1,000.
“It is a big building; it will be a
grand building,” McCoy prom
ised. “We are building for the
future.”
For the sake of comparison, the
existing school is 59,000 square
feet and Commerce Middle
School is 75,000 square feet.
McCoy presented three draw
ings depicting the layout of the
school, which is to be built on top
of the current school footprint —
a significant challenge from both
design and construction stand
points.
The proposal is to have two
main entrances, one at the loca
tion of the current front driveway,
and the other in the vicinity of
the tennis courts, which will be
removed.
The project will encroach on
the current practice field, but a
new field will be built behind the
school, McCoy said, along with
new tennis courts. It also includes
a new concession stand and rest
rooms for the football stadium.
The east wing of the school
will be retained and rehabbed
for administrative persons, while
the south wing will be remodeled
?
Mac McCoy
and its seven
classrooms
retained.
Thirty-seven
new class
rooms will be
constructed.
The archi
tects have
created a
“box” design,
that McCoy
said “creates
a better envi
ronment, and easier flow and a
much better way to secure your
building.”
“The security of the building is
much easier in a situation like this
than what we now have with build
ings spread out over the entire
campus,” he explained. McCoy
said that after the morning bell,
all entrances to the school will
lock automatically, forcing people
arriving on campus to go through
the front office.
The school will have a perform
ing arts center that can seat 500
people.
“It is a good-sized auditorium
for a school of our size,” and “will
have all the bells and whistles
and buzzers our students need ...
to host plays and drama produc
tions,” McCoy said.
The superintendent noted
that the school’s literary team
had to use the East Jackson
Comprehensive High School for
its auditorium “because we don’t
have a place for them to practice”
for the region competition.
“Our kids deserve our own audi
torium. That will be theirs,” he
said.
The new “pit-style gym” will
feature a below-grade floor, and
McCoy said he’s asked the archi
tects to include space to stage
both wrestling and cheerleading
tournaments, neither of which
CHS can host at present.
“We’re looking at enough seats
in the gymnasium to be able to
host a double-A basketball tour
nament,” he said.
The basketball court will be 94
feet long — collegiate regulation
— rather than the current 84-foot
floor, McCoy noted.
The school will feature 46 class
rooms, including seven from the
current south wing.
Asked about the proposed
track, McCoy reported that it will
be located at Commerce Middle
School because of a lack of space
on the CHS site.
“We’ve still got some tweaking
to do” of the overall plan, said
McCoy, who predicted that the
project will come in for about $15
million, which is what the board
of education has budgeted for the
facility. McCoy he hopes to put
the project out for bid, a 90-day
process, in January and break
ground sometime between spring
break and the end of the school
year.
“Then we’ll know the exact cost,
but our architects are already work
ing with the (contractor). Every
time there’s a design done with the
architect, they send it to the con
struction company,” McCoy said.
“They’re getting an idea of the cost
per square foot. The construction
company will have a pretty good
idea of what our costs will be, even
before bids.”
A Lesson In Business
Students in the Entrepreneurship class of
Commerce High School recently completed
their start-up business project, Tiger Tees, Inc.
These students were responsible for orga
nizing the business, creating a product, and
marketing the product in the community to
earn dividends and commissions. This year’s
product was a Tiger T-shirt featuring a photo
graph of Tiger Stadium. Left to right are Drake
Bradberry, Adam Tomblin, Zack Purcell, Hunter
Ward, Jacob Denton, Katie Kujawa, Jessica
Ingram, Katlin Wilson and N’Dra Huff. Katlin
Wilson was the top seller. The Entrepreneurship
class is taught by Johnnie Blair.
Learn About Careers
Computer Applications students at Commerce
High School have been studying careers recent
ly and were able to job shadow area business
people to learn about their careers. Left to right
are Brandon Romans, Savannah Stancil, Carley
Barnett, Addison Davis, Cesar Garcia, Jacki
McMahan, Jami Jackson, Nikki Dotson and
Luke Hill. Taught by Johnnie Blair, these stu
dents are learning about their future careers in
the areas of medicine, dentistry, construction,
automotives, floral design, law enforcement
and banking.
Make All A's
These Commerce
Elementary School students
made all A’s for the second
six-week grading period.
Left to right are (front) Jacob
Irvine, Karen Merlos, Morgan
Partin, Knox Allen, Ryan
McConnell, (second row)
Hannah Shearer, Mary Young,
Madison Rodriguez, Matthew
Hegwood, Anna Caroline
Hardy, Alexia Rucker, (third
row) Kendell Moon, Holden
Herbert, Emily Hill, Elena
House, Garrett Ash, (back
row) Shelby Crane and Reece
Hill. Dalton Flint and Caelon
McDonald are not pictured.
Make All A's
These fourth graders at
Commerce Elementary
School made all A’s for
the second six-week
grading period. Left to
right are (front) Sydney
Massey, Lanna Morris,
Trevor Johnson, J’Varius
Wood, Donovan Morris,
Alex Vickery, (middle row)
Brooke Gravitt, Ashlynn
Harbin, Kaitlyn McDaniel,
Mallory Peek, Ashley
Harold, Akyn Trudnak,
(back row) Jordyn Smith,
Ansley Romans and Ally
King.
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Musical Tribute
Over 200 parents
and students attended
PTO Thursday night,
Nov. 8, at Benton
Elementary School.
Music teacher Michelle
Musgrove, along with
pre-k and first grad
ers, put on a program
called “Freedom of
Thanks! Proud to be an
American"
Red In Opposition To Drugs
Commerce Primary School celebrated Red Ribbon Week
during the week of Oct. 22-26. Students were encouraged
to learn a “drug free pledge" and participate in daily activi
ties such as wearing specific colors Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Thursday, dressing like a friend Monday, and show
ing “drug-free spirit" by wearing team spirit attire Friday.
Each of these students won a prize for wearing the most
red in their homeroom Wednesday, Oct. 24. Left to right are
(front) Hannah Lord, Haley Harrison, Blaze Watkins, Amy
Wioskowski, Sara Herrin, Savannah Moon, (middle row) Gabi
Wilson, T.J. Trudnak, Cade Tootle, Russ Johnson, Hunter
Spear, Matthew Collins, Kyle O’Dell, Kobe Usher, (back row)
Matthew Balaban, Tatiana Merlos, Haley Williams, Savannah
Marion, Kristen Green, Jessi Pritchett, Dylan Morris, Desiree
Green and Brandon Veal.
Local Students
Earn Honors At
Athens Christian
The following students from
Jackson and Banks counties
have been recognized recent
ly at Athens Christian School
for their academic achieve
ment during the first quarter
of the 2007-2008 school year.
Those making the head
master’s list (all A’s) are as
follows: Clara Heiss, second
grade; Marion Mealor and
Courtney Trust, both fourth
grade; Madison Mealor and
Ansley Warnell, both sixth
grade; and Caleb Wethington,
10th grade.
Those making the honor
roll (all A’s and B’s) are
as follows: Valeria Heiss,
Nicholas Hopper, Jake Long
and Drake Vickery, all first
grade; Katie Mealor and
Carter Phillips, both second
grade; Joshua Hutch, Carter
Sexton and Kaylee Skelton,
all fourth grade; Lucas
Reynolds and Salina Shanks,
both fifth grade; Lisey Grisel,
Zachary Hopper, Emily
Horton, Jordan Phillips and
Brittany Yeager, all seventh
grade; Ted Thurmond, eighth
grade; Anthony Cosby, Zach
Homontowski and Davis
Warnell, all ninth grade; Ben
Grisel and Seth Horton,
both 10th grade; Samantha
Crawford and Larry
Thurmond, both 11th grade;
and Kari Brust, Stephanie
Homontowski, Emily Nash,
Kelly Webb and Russell
Whitehead, all 12th grade.
NEED
PRINTING?
Visit Pumpkin Farm
Students in Robbin Brown’s pre-k class at Commerce
Primary School visited the Goldbrook Pumpkin Farm
Thursday, Oct. 25, where they learned about how pumpkins
are grown.
CALL
706-367-5233