Mount Airy City Schools honored its middle school and high school this week for academic awards received.
The middle school earned one championship cup by itself and earned another with the high school.
The Board of Education recognized middle school principal Susan Bunch and high school principal Sandy George at its monthly meeting this week at Jones Intermediate School.
The middle school won the 2016 North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Challenge Cup.
The Challenge Cup is presented to the middle school that earns the most points through participation and excellence in middle school competitions. Teams accumulate points by participating in regional events and qualifying for state competitions.
The middle school began competing in these academic events in the 2013-2014 school year and experienced great success from the start, according to Carrie Venable, public information officer. In the first year of competition, the school placed fifth overall. Last year the school finished second overall.
The middle school boasts 21 Students With Ambitious Goals groups, and 16 of those compete on a state level.
This year the Dance Ensemble placed first in Jazz/Hip Hop and second in Lyrical/Contemporary in Regionals, which earned them a spot in the state competition where Jazz/Hip Hop finished sixth and Lyrical/Contemporary finished fourth.
Show Choir students also did well finishing second in Regionals and fifth overall in the state.
In addition, National History Day, The Quill (a writing competition), Forensics and Art Showcase all advanced from regional competition to the state finals.
• The middle school and Mount Airy High School have also taken the North Carolina Association for Scholastic Activities Small District Cup.
This is the second time that the district has won this annual honor.
Like the middle school challenge cup, schools earn points for excelling in several different areas, from the book-heavy Science Olympiad to the talent-laden chorus competitions.
“This avenue allows for all students at MAMS and MAHS to compete academically and show their excellence,” said Venable.
“I am so proud of MAMS and MAHS and their involvement with NCASA,” said Dr. Kim Morrison, chief academic and innovation officer. “This allows all students to shine as they work hard to excel in areas such as Math Counts, Science Olympiad, Show Choir, Robotics. … Our students are well rounded as many of them participate in both athletic and academic teams. The schools have set the bar high this year with this amazing achievement.”
Northwest Conference rival Atkins A&T in Winston-Salem won the small-district cup last year.
As the school board presented the two cups this week, the district also honored some individual achievements.
Eighth-grader Bridget Harris was honored as a finalist for Student of the Year, and Bunch was honored as runner-up for Principal of the Year.
Morrison received a plaque for being Administrator of the Year, and Patricia Combs received one as Scholastic Director of the Year.
“I am extremely proud of our students, teachers and Mrs. Combs, our scholastic director, for all of their hard work and dedication to this program,” said Bunch.
“There are many positive connections between NCASA, the Common Core, and both personal and academic growth. The program supports exploration, career choices, literacy and higher-order thinking skills, while building confidence and allowing their creativity to shine. While all of this is taking place, they are also learning the etiquette of teamwork and competition. Overall this has been a fabulous experience for our students.”
