Upcoming Events and Important Dates:

o March 22, Orientation

new semester. o March 28, Newroz-

Kurdish celebration o March 30,

Construction of the garden boxes during PM class.

How much lumber will you need to assemble the perimeter for two garden plots? How many square feet of gardening area will you create? What volume of topsoil will you need to fill each plot? Students in Ms. Van Loon’s Geometry class answered these questions and others as they presented their proposals for the design of two raised garden plots to be constructed on the Old Cockrill campus. Two teams of students used what they had learned in class about perimeter, area, and volume to come up with comprehensive designs. On Wednesday March 10th, the two groups presented their proposals to an audience of teachers and other students. Students Ismail Ahmed, Deborah Alderson, Salim Elyas, and Robby Glaus incorporated elements such as pressure-treated wood for the perimeter, PVC piping for the square foot cross-sections, OSB sheathing for the base, and even a watering system into their presentations. Each group came up with different dimensions for their plots, but both groups agreed that two plots be built near the southwest corner of the school and that construction should start during the week after

Math Students Present Garden Projects

spring break. Salim was excited about the project. “I think the garden will make our school look more beautiful, especially if we plant flowers,” he said. After the presentations, students and teachers participated in a discussion about other ideas for the garden. Students suggested vegetables that they are interested in and volunteered to help with building. Several other classes are also going to become involved with the garden process, including Mr. Carter’s Biology and Ecology classes, Mrs. Gibbs’ English classes, Mr. Hammond’s Spanish class, and Mr. Badili’s Social Studies classes. Students are invited and encouraged to participate

in all phases of the garden development, including construction, planting, design, maintenance, and harvesting. The construction for the garden boxes will take place on March 30 during afternoon classes. Please submit any ideas or suggestions you may have for the upcoming Old Cockrill garden to Ms. Van Loon or Mr. Flushman.

March, 2010

ACT Testing Dates

April 10, 2010 June 12, 2010 * See Dr. Eldridge for registration materials and deadlines.

Proposed Plans for Garden Boxes by Ismail and Robby

Sojourner Truth First student to tell Mr.

Flushman who Sojourner Truth was will get a prize.

Plot 1 6 x 3 x 1 ft. Perimeter= 18 ft.

Area= 18 ft.2 Total cubic ft.=

18 ft.3

Plot 2 8 x 4 x 1 ft. Perimeter= 24 ft.

Area= 32 ft.2 Total cubic ft.=

32 ft.3

Total Soil Needed= 1.83 yds.3

Student Spotlight

D’Juantez Ransom

Where were you

born? I was born in Nashville, Tennessee at Baptist. What is your favorite

food? I like baked chicken that my dad or grandma makes. What is your favorite

thing to do? I like to work- landscaping.

Do you have a hobby?

I like riding my motorcycle a Kawasaki 600.

Tell us something interesting about

you. I am a fun and outgoing person. I am a family man and I am outspoken. I will tell you how I feel. Riding motorcycles is a family tradition.

Maybe you’re wondering why we are starting a garden here at The Academy. Well, the answer is pretty simple… We’re starting a garden for you. Yes, you! We feel having a garden here at school will do many things, but most of all, make your educational experience here at this school better.

The following is a list of the benefits of school/community gardens. Education • By working in the garden you will learn standards that relate to all your subjects • By working in the garden you will be more prepared for the Gateway tests and jobs in the real world • You may learn basic business principles • You may learn the importance of community • You will learn about issues of environmental sustainability • You will gain job and life skills Health • Studies have shown that people that work in community gardens eat healthier diets than non-gardening families. • Being outside and working in a green

Why start a garden? space reduces stress and increases a

sense of wellness and belonging. • Working with your hands is great exercise. Green Space • Community gardens add beauty to the community and heighten people's awareness and appreciation for living things. • Community gardens filter rainwater, helping to keep lakes, rivers, and groundwater clean. • Community gardens restore oxygen to the air and help to reduce air pollution. • Community gardens recycle tree trimmings, leaves, grass clippings, and other organic wastes back into the soil. • Community gardens provide a place to retreat from the noise and commotion of urban environments. • Scientific studies show that crime decreases in neighborhoods as the amount of green space increases. • Community gardens have been shown to actually increase property values in the immediate vicinity where they are located. SOURCE: http://www.gardendallas.org/benefits.htm

To request an accommodation, please contact your building principal or department head. (Interpreters for the deaf or hard of hearing must be requested forty-eight [48] hours prior to the event.) Questions or concerns may be referred to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Customer Service Center, 615/259-4636. Si usted necesita información adicional o si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llame o contacte al director de su escuela. The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, color, age, and/or disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, or activities. MNPS does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices

What is organic gardening? Organic gardening is gardening that does

not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on plants. So what? Well, it turns out that pesticides and synthetic fertilizers can be quite hazardous to your health.

Eating organic and gardening organic can reduce your chances of getting cancer; can reduce reproductive problems like birth defects or miscarriage; and can reduce your chances of memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and anxiety.

Organic gardening has also proven to be much safer for the surrounding environment as harmful chemicals do not get put into the soil so the surrounding people and wildlife are not harmed.

People also say that organic food just tastes better.

Voters dip their index fingers into purple ink to vote.

Earlier this month Iraqis around the world voted in just the second democratic election since Sadam Hussein was put out of power. Iraqis voted for parliamentary seats (like congress) and the prime minister (like a president). Here in Nashville more than 10,000 Iraqis headed over to an abandoned social security office to vote. One voter said, “There’s nothing better than democracy. People have been fighting for a long, long time. We have been waiting, sacrificing for a long time (The City Paper, March 8, 2010, Nashville Iraqis say there's 'nothing better than democracy').”

You may ask why Iraqis that do not live in Iraq were allowed to vote in the elections. Iraqi law allows citizens living abroad to vote in their national and local elections. Since many displaced Iraqis live here in Nashville, this city became one of the few voting centers for the elections in the United States.

Do you think Florida is the hottest state in the U.S.? Well, Florida is not the hottest, but it is close. Once you visit there, you would believe that it is. I love to go to Florida because I can get a nice tan. If you do

not like not weather… I suggest you go somewhere else like Antarctica. If you love the sun, hot weather, and getting a tan, then Florida is for you. The parts of Florida I go to are mostly fun for teenagers. My favorite place is Panama City Beach (PBC). They have a road in PBC that is called “The Strip.” On Friday and Saturday nights everyone walks and drives their cars up and down to show off. It is fun to see and meet all the people. You can get lots of phone numbers. Destin,

Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Fort Lauderdale are also lots of fun. I hope to see you there.

Please note: If you would like to submit an article or write a letter to the editor, please email your submission to michael.flushman@mnps.org. Included with your submission must be your name and a title for your submission.

Elections occur in Iraq, and Iraqis in Nashville vote

Vacation… in Florida by Hope Renz