Lexington City Schools Crowns Two State Champions in Writing Competition

Lexington High School hosted the state championship of the NCASA Quill writing competition this Saturday, March 2. Seventeen schools (10 high school and 7 middle school) convened in Lexington to compete in this state finals and in the end the Lexington City Schools system emerged with two individual state champions.

The Lexington High School writing team finished in 4th place, beating out six other schools, including some much larger and prestigious schools such as Atkins HS and Myers Park. Last year's Lexington team yielded two individual champions and a narrow 2nd-place finish. This year's finish was against a larger number of schools, and only the top ten of those schools this year made it to the state finals.  

LSHS senior Aliyah Wright won her state title in the Creative Writing category. Her innovative composition chose the the color of Red as its topic in a story narrated by a reminiscing murderer. Other writers rounding out the Lexington team were seniors Colin Beamer, Mary Caroline Sharpe, and Katelyn Dezego. Those three students were all taught this year by AP 12 teacher Dawn Poole; Coach Scott Plaster held the tryouts for the Creative Writing spot and chose Aliyah based on her writing samples. "At the regional competition, the judges did not totally agree on the merits of her paper, but I had confidence that her creative approach would be her best asset. I told her for the state finals -- don't change a thing and hopefully the judging will go our way," said Plaster.  

Poole was pleased with the team's performance, saying "We had much tougher competition this year compared to the quality of last year's papers. We were hoping for a top-five finish and we did even better than that. I'm very proud of all of our students for a job well done." 

The Quill is an on-demand writing competition created by NCASA in which each student team member from a school writes on a different prompt. For the high school the categories also include Literary Analysis, Problem-Solution, and Argumentation. Each paper receives at least two independent blind scores and the team score is derived from the combined team performance. 

The Middle School competition was held in conjunction with the high school's. The Lexington Middle School team finished admirably in sixth place, but also achieved an individual state champion. Simone-Elise Honeycutt's story about a shape-shifting creature earned her a state title in the Narrative category, which asked those students to write about three things they would change. Simone-Elise was not originally chosen for the middle school team, but was substituted when another student was not able to compete. Mother Therese Honeycutt explained, "I'm so glad that she was able to take part. A competition such as this one truly offers all types of students opportunities to show their talents and gives them a chance to shine outside the classroom. It's a joy to see how proud Elise and Aliyah were after the contest. They were beaming!"

Local author Barbara Presnell spoke to the students in the afternoon as the judging was completed, sharing and discussing poems from one of her latest books. Students were even treated to copies of her work and a special book signing. 

In other news from the Scholastic program at Lexington, the school's quiz bowl season continues into the spring with a number of other planned events. The statewide Art Showcase contest will begin Monday, March 4th, led by the school's art teacher Kim James. In another exciting opportunity, one of the Quill writers has advanced to the state championship of another competition called Poetry Out Loud. On March 16 in Greensboro, Mary Caroline Sharpe will present dramatic performances of famous poems in a chance to be crowned state champion and proceed to the nationals. Teacher Dawn Poole and Scholastic Director Scott Plaster have high hopes for her chances. "She is an extraordinarily talented young lady; we are wishing her the best of luck as she goes to the next level," said Plaster.  

For more information about the Quill competition or NCASA, see http://ncscholastic.org. 

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Additionally, Lexington High School and Lexington Middle School are both in fourth place in their respective Scholastic Cup points races, and the Lexington City Schools system is in second place in the state in the small system cup race:

The schools participating in The Quill State Competition were also awarded points towards the Cups.  The list below shows the current Cup standings:

NCASA Scholastic Cup

1 - Atkins A&T HS - 90 pts

2 - Myers Park HS - 75

3 - Hickory HS - 70

4t - Lexington Senior HS - 55

4t - Northwood HS - 55

6t - Ardrey Kell HS - 50

6t - Northwest Guilford HS - 50

8 - Thomas Jefferson Classical - 45

9t - Gates County HS - 35

9t - Jordan-Matthews HS - 35

Middle School Cup presented by Time Warner Cable

1 - Jay M Robinson MS - 110 pts

2 - Central MS - 95

3 - Mount Mourne School - 80

4 - Lexington MS - 60

5 - Elizabeth City MS - 55

6 - Rogers-Herr MS - 45

7 - JN Fries MS - 35

8 - Piedmont Community Charter School - 30

9 - Hickory Ridge MS - 20

10 - Alexander Graham MS - 5

We will also present the Unity School Cup to the best independent school or charter school in North Carolina. Currently Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy leads Piedmont Community Charter 45 points to 35 points. 

We will also present the School District Cup to the best overall small, medium, and large school district in North Carolina according to their schools' Cup points. To qualify, half or more of a school district's middle and high schools must be NCASA member schools and participate in one or more NCASA or partner competitions. Currently Gates County Schools leads Lexington City Schools in the Small School District Division 130 points to 115 points. No other school districts have qualified.

"Poetry Out Loud" at LSHS

Poetry Out Loud is a spoken word competition where students recite famous poems in front of an audience. The competition goes all the way to the National level, with state finalists getting an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC! What a great way to hone memory and public speaking skills! The spoken word tradition goes back at least 3,000 years when ancient epics were recited around a campfire, becoming the core stories of our culture. These days, our poetry comes to us through earbuds, alive and well as ever.

At LSHS we will give our entire student body the chance to compete, in their classes or by auditioning with one of the following teachers:

  - 9th Grade: Ms. Shirk (except for Mr. Plaster's students)
  - 10th Grade: Ms. Lyons
  - 11th Grade: Ms. Goodson
  - 12th Grade: Ms. Poole
  - JROTC: Col. Padial and Sgt. Dumas

Within the next few weeks, students should prepare for the competition. Finalists from each of the above categories will progress to the Our school-wide competition on December 13. At the school-level contest, students need to be ready to recite TWO poems.

An interest meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 1 after school in Ms. Shirk's room (for 9th and 10th graders), and Ms. Poole's room (for 11th and 12th graders). Other practice sessions will be held as we proceed.

Students pick poems from this approved list -- >> http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/find-poems. More information about the competition can also be found at this site.

Please see Mr. Plaster for more information.

Here is a study guide to assist with the project: CLICK HERE

Story About Racism

This is a true story it actually happened I was there. On British Airways flight FR112 from Johannesburg, a rich, middle-aged white woman from South Africa was on the plane. She was running up and down the aisles she was that rich, and if people said stop she would give them money and say "now do I have to stop?" and then she'd keep on doing it. When the plane was about to take off she sat down in her seat and was immediately disgusted because she was sitting next to a black man.

"Stewardess, bleeeuurrrgghh," she wailed to the stewardess. "Stewardess there's a black man, bleeeuuurgh I'm going to be sick, this is repulsive euuurrrggghhh." She kept making vomiting noises and pointing at the black man though she wasn't vomiting. The black man was getting a bit embarrassed. The stewardess came over to the woman and asked what was wrong.

"You put me next to a black man, bleeeuuuurrghhh, that is so euuurrrghhhhh. I can't believe this," she complained and complained.

"Oh, I'll see what I can do!" enthused the stewardess as she scurried up the plane and behind a curtain. After a moment she came back and said, "I'm soooooo sorry, but there are no more seats in economy, but there's a seat in first class." The rich woman's eyes lit up. First class was her kind of thing. The stewardess continued talking, "it's really rare that we allow this sort of thing, but we think it's completely unfair that you have to sit next to such an obnoxious human being."

"So that is why," the stewardess went on, "WE ARE GIVING THE SEAT TO THE BLACK MANbecause you (the woman) are the obnoxious human being I was talking about."

The black man stood up and bowed to the rest of the plane, who were now giving a standing ovation to the black man. "Three cheers!" they shouted. "Hip hip! Hooray! Hip hip! Hooray! Hip hip! Hooray!" And with that the black man went to first class, and on his seat there was a gift. He opened it. It was a letter. It said "SORRY ABOUT RACISM."

The End.

Intro. to English - Newsletter One

Hello Parents!

I am one of your child's teachers for "Introduction to English." This year, we are trying an innovative new approach for many of our freshmen. Our goal is to give them a dramatic, significant boost in their reading skills to make them more successful in high school and in their lives beyond.

For first and second periods, Ms. Poole and I have our students for half the period each day, and then we switch. During third period, Ms. Shirk and I do the same thing with our classes. As a result, I get to teach all 110 of the students who have yearlong English at our high school. That is an overwhelming responsibility, and I do not take it lightly.

I can hardly contain my excitement when I tell you that things are going extremely well so far! My "mantra" that is guiding my instruction is that every day, students in my class will Read, Write, Speak, and THINK!

Ms. Poole, Ms. Shirk and I are coordinating our efforts so that our lessons go hand-in-hand to give your child the best possible education in the area of language arts. This first 90-day semester is centered around foundational skills in reading and writing fluency, grammar instruction, vocabulary development, research and analysis, and study skills. Ms. Poole has lined up an array of guest speakers this unit to broaden our students' awareness of career opportunities. Our aim is that they set some goals to guide their education here at LSHS.

We want to keep communication lines open, so we are available if you should ever have any questions. You can email us at splaster@lexcs.org, dapoole@lexcs.org, or ashirk@lexcs.org, or call the school at 336-242-1574. If you're receiving this newsletter on paper and would like to get it directly in your "inbox," you can go to my website at http://mrplastersclass.com and sign up. Just find the box that says "Get Email Updates."

Again, let's all stand behind our children as they enter this new chapter in their lives. High school is a time for them to get and stay on the right track academically. We have a strong team of teachers and staff at our high school who are working together to help make that reality happen for our children.

Sincerely,

Scott Plaster
Reading Specialist
Lexington Senior High School

Tuesday's Lesson: All About You

Here are some resources that might be useful for our class on Tuesday:

1. 35 Things that make you Unique
2. Interesting: You are One in a Ten Billion!! READ

Our Vocabulary List One:

1) civ-ic A- Having to do with the city, like a public place;

(adjective) OR – having to do with our duties as citizens

B-We went to the civic center to watch the play.

C- It is a part of our __________ responsibility to vote.

2) mu-nic-i-pal A- similar to “civic”

(adjective) B- We played at the public, municipal golf course.

C- The ______________ building downtown is closed on holidays.

3) gov-ern-ment A- A group of people who make laws and control a place (country or city)

(adjective or noun) B- My brother has a government job for the city.

C- ____________________________________________________

4) e-lec-ted of-fi-cial A- a person we vote for, like the mayor, governor, or school board

B- It is the duty of our elected officials to serve the public.

C-

5-7) <---du-ty------------ob-lig-a-tion------------------re-spon-sib-il-i-ty--------->

A- A “duty” is something that you have naturally, like your duty as a citizen. An “obligation” is something “acquired,” like if you owe something because of a choice you made. You need to do a “duty” and it is usually something positive. An “obligation” is sometimes something someone TELLS you to do.

B- A responsibility is something that you may or may not do. A duty is something that you feel that you ALWAYS have to do. A person may have many responsibilities, and you usually do your best to fulfill them.

List some examples of “duties”: _________________________________________________

List some examples of “responsibilities”: _____________________________________________

8) en-tre-pre-neur (noun) A- someone who invests money in a business to make more money

entrepreneurial (adjective) B-One of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time is Donald Trump.

C- _______________________________________________________

9) bus-in-ess Uses: He is a successful business man.

The new store is now open for business.

That information is none of your business.

What do you think “business” means? ____________________________________________

10-23) hope, dream, goal, as-pir-a-tion, to “aspire to”,

What is the difference between a “dream” and a “goal” ?

___________________________________________________________

Synonym set A (nouns): aim, am-bit-ion, vo-ca-tion, en-deav-or, in-clin-a-tion, ob-jec-tive

Synonym set B (nouns): hope, dream, urge, yearn-ing, long-ing, pas-sion

Try some:

One ___________________ of mine is to become a ____________________.

What is the difference between Set A and Set B above?

___________________________________________________________

24-25) <<<---job----------car-eer-------------------vo-ca-tion------>>

What is the difference between these three?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Welcome, Students and Parents!

Welcome and Hello!

We're starting a brand new school year and I'm excited to be here for another year at Lexington Senior High School. So many things have changed for my school year: I just officially moved to the town of Lexington, I changed classrooms from the blue hall to the annex, I am now serving as the English department Chair, and Ms. Poole and I are starting a new program with Freshman English -- so many changes and all of them exciting!

Please check out the links above to learn about my Introduction to English classes, the Chess Club, and Scholastic competition at LSHS.

Let's have a great year this year at LSHS as we MAKE HISTORY!

---Mr. Plaster

Parent Letter for English I

Parents:

Your son or daughter is in my "English I" class this semester. I am excited about the new semester and I know that you are, too. I am proud to be teaching at Lexington Senior High School and have high expectations and goals for the class and for your child.

Most students in my classes were also selected to be in an Introduction to English class last semester based on their performance on the EOG and other tests and how they did in their past English classes. Students in Introduction to English had that first semester to prepare them for English I this Spring, and they should now be as ready as the rest of their classmates.

Please review the Course Syllabus with your child, which I have discussed with the class. I would like you to review it, particularly to note 1) class rules, 2) the types of assignments students will be given, and 3) the materials needed for class.

I have a class website that will be a very useful tool to help us communicate about class, post assignments and reminders, and use to link to learning resources.

I also wanted you to know that I believe in communicating regularly with the parents of my students. An easy way for me to do that is through e-mail, so if you are reading this online, please go to my home page and submit your email address on the right hand side under "Get Email Updates." That way, you will get automatic email updates when I add something to the website.

This is my eighth year as a public school teacher and my fourth at LSHS. You can read more about me and my background on my About page at http://mrplastersclass.blogspot.com/p/about-mr-plaster.html.

If there is anything I can do to be of assistance, please let me know. Don’t hesitate to contact me at school (336.242.1574) or e-mail at splaster@lexcs.org. Please sign and return this letter with your child by Monday, January 28. Alternately, you can email me to let me know that you have received this information.


Sincerely,

S. Plaster

Parent Email Address:

Parent Signature:

Student Name: