THE GIRLS UNITE CLUB
Jordyn Foster is the founder of the Girls Unite Club here at West Meck in October of this past year. Foster started the club by being inspired of the Civil Rights movement and how many people fought for equality. Foster wanted to reach out to girls in her community and expressed to them their worth and strength. Girls Unite discusses police brutality, women’s rights, society’s expectations, and having proper etiquette. The club adviser is Ms. Forbes in Mobile 11. They meet every Thursday from 2:30-4:00
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MEET THE NEW CHEERLEADING COACHES
by Ty Liscomb
New coaches have arrived to West Mecklenburg High School. As I interviewed them, I got to know a little more about their background. Ms. Clark ( pictured right ) is a Charlotte native who is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. and a graduate of Winston-Salem State. Ms. Roberson, (left) is from New Jersey. She is a middle child and her family is very athletic. She also went to college and got a scholarship for cheerleading. They became cheerleading coaches to connect with girls and influence a different set of students.
Ms. Clark stated, “I have a 6 year old son, I’m used to little boy stuff.” There are a lot of strengths about our new coaches. Mrs. Clark is good at being relatable and knows how to build good relationships by being a good listener. Ms. Roberson knows how to talk, and motivate people and "keep it real".
Ms. Clark wants it to be known that everything she does is for the kids, she works hard for them so they will have the opportunities and experiences that will last them a lifetime. Ms. Roberson is a fun-loving, new teacher, who also cheered at the collegiate level at Morgan State University. As our new cheerleading coaches, their intentions for the Hawk cheerleaders are for them to grow as a cohesive unit and represent WM to the best of their ability, to help structure the girls skills in cheerleading and other relationships. They hope to become one of the best known squads among the high schools.
Ms. Clark stated, “I have a 6 year old son, I’m used to little boy stuff.” There are a lot of strengths about our new coaches. Mrs. Clark is good at being relatable and knows how to build good relationships by being a good listener. Ms. Roberson knows how to talk, and motivate people and "keep it real".
Ms. Clark wants it to be known that everything she does is for the kids, she works hard for them so they will have the opportunities and experiences that will last them a lifetime. Ms. Roberson is a fun-loving, new teacher, who also cheered at the collegiate level at Morgan State University. As our new cheerleading coaches, their intentions for the Hawk cheerleaders are for them to grow as a cohesive unit and represent WM to the best of their ability, to help structure the girls skills in cheerleading and other relationships. They hope to become one of the best known squads among the high schools.
DO YOU KNOW AFJROTC ?
AFJROTC is all about the mission, the goals, and the objectives of the class or program. The mission is to “Build Better Citizens for America“ by developing the Cadets as citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community. The goals are to instill values of citizenship, give service to the United States, develop personal responsibility, and instill a sense of accomplishments in high school students .
The objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship ; promote community service and provide instruction in air and space fundamentals .
MSgt Saunders believes that AFJROTC is “is an opportunity to instill upon students the basic skills needed to be successful in school and life in general. If a student can Understand,accept & apply the basic skills/ideas of fellowship, leadership, dedication, teamwork, self discipline, accountability and responsibility, they will gain the valuable tools needed to navigate and be successful in life.
The objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship ; promote community service and provide instruction in air and space fundamentals .
MSgt Saunders believes that AFJROTC is “is an opportunity to instill upon students the basic skills needed to be successful in school and life in general. If a student can Understand,accept & apply the basic skills/ideas of fellowship, leadership, dedication, teamwork, self discipline, accountability and responsibility, they will gain the valuable tools needed to navigate and be successful in life.
WHO'S BEHIND OUR FOOD ?
by Keyahja Watson Nobody really gets the inside scoop on the cafeteria staff , but when meeting them I found they were very delightful and sweet people. Talking to the manager made my view on them very broad. For starters, our cafeteria manager Ms. Terry from Boston , Massachusetts ran a cooking institute for 27 years. She stated that her mom was a single parent raising her on her own and was based on low income. With that she came here to help the kids who don’t eat at home. She made sure they had a full stomach to go home to. Ever wonder what they put in the food? Well they don’t put anything in the food. The food comes already pre seasoned. She even stated that the foods have little to no season on them and are sometimes already cooked.It might look they use the same food from the previous lunch but Ms.Terry informed me they bring out new food every lunch. One disadvantage of working with her is being short on staff and help. This results in not being able to feed all the students properly. One thing Terry loves the most is the students and having connections with them and being able to help them. She supports the guidelines the school has because they come straight from the government.They also have no choice but to obey the rules. Ms.Terry said if her co workers talk to her if they get out of line or have a problem. She also stated that she tries to fix whatever problem they have. |
Meet our Head Custodian , Mr Beckham
by Sierra Williams Mr.Beckham is one of the custodians at West Meck. He started working as a custodian this year and has been in the school system for seventeen years. Before he became a custodian he worked with navy equipment and it was seasonal. The reason he came to work here at West Meck is because it was close to his home. Mr.Beckman makes sure the school is clean to keep us safe. He feels motivated when students appreciate his and his staffs hard work. He wishes students would pitch in and clean their mess up after they are done eating. He’s thinking about retiring in five years from now. “Without you There's no us” he states. |
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MEET PRINCIPAL JONES
Casey Jones, the principal of West Mecklenburg High School, graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he majored in Information Technology. After graduating, he had a job at Andersen Consult, where he did technology consulting. He felt that helping his clients make a lot of money wasn't necessarily his calling, so he decided to pursue Education. He began as a teacher, then built his way up to be a principal As a principal, his main objective is to prepare every student for after high school. When you're a principal, you're not the big guy who walks around hiring and firing people. “you're pretty much everything to everybody”, as Jones states. He adds, “You have to be adaptable and have a moral compass to drive you”.
Since 2007 West Meck has had four other principals. Mr. Jones has been at the helm since the graduating class of 2015. Even though he really doesn't know when he’s going to leave, he does know he’s not leaving right now because there is still more progress to be made. Jones admits that “the students at West Meck are not horrible people,” He goes out there telling people, that the students in West Meck are “phenomenal” and it’s true, because most outsiders who are saying West Meck is a bad school, probably haven’t stepped foot in West Meck.
Since 2007 West Meck has had four other principals. Mr. Jones has been at the helm since the graduating class of 2015. Even though he really doesn't know when he’s going to leave, he does know he’s not leaving right now because there is still more progress to be made. Jones admits that “the students at West Meck are not horrible people,” He goes out there telling people, that the students in West Meck are “phenomenal” and it’s true, because most outsiders who are saying West Meck is a bad school, probably haven’t stepped foot in West Meck.
Meet Ms. Doggett
Dean of Students in Freshmen Academy
written by Sierra Williams
Ms.Doggett is one of the administrators at West Meck. She’s from Rock Hill South Carolina. She attended Furman University and did her graduate work at Winthrop University. Her goals in life are to make a positive difference in people’s lives. She’s been working with West Meck for nine years. Ms.Doggett enjoys working here at West Meck because of the students and staff. What she likes most about her career is the students and helping and watching them grow. She helps students by listening to their concerns and try to provide opportunities and the tools needed to be successful. What makes her a great fit for this position is her education, experience, positivity, and ability to adapt. ”Hold fast to your dream and work each day to make it real.”
Meet Mr. Bundrick
written by Dalyn Hodges
Mr.Bundrick is an administrator at West Meck. He’s originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, but he was raised in upstate New York where he went to college. Bundrick wanted to become a teacher instead of an administrator. He was an administrator at other CMS schools like Harding and Garinger. Bundrick has been working here at West Meck for 3 years. Bundrick helps the counselors with the student scheduling problems. He honestly thinks that students might view him as rude but in reality if you talk to him, he’s a fair person to all students. Bundrick likes to work with students and help them solve problems. He sees himself in 10 years in hopefully still working at West Meck. Once Mr.Bundrick arrived at West Meck it has gotten a little better and organized.
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MEET MR. POTTS
written by Mica Dowdy Mr.Potts is the Dean of Students here at West Meck. His office is located near the college suites in the 100 building. Mr.Potts is also a product of West Meck. He graduated in ‘03 and returned to the school in ‘08. Mr.Potts obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree but is currently working toward his Ph.D. He hopes to be an assistant principal, but for now he's working on being the best dean of students for West Meck. Mr.Potts strives to help his students and educators by impacting them and focusing on the why. He believes in order to change West Meck you must shift the mindset of the students, there is no other way to change the student body unless they start with themselves. Mr.Potts believes in order to deflect on the negative backlash that our students and faculty must follow the leadership of principal Jones and to create as many positives as there are negatives. His current struggle is that he can't save everyone nor change some student’s home environment. Mr.Potts believes in order to stay grounded we as a community must stay centered around AVID and to incorporate student interest. He believes that newly effects like consistency, accountability, and growing mindset will put us in the right direction. His leadership and optimism will impact West Meck tremendously and start a revolution by shifting the mindset of those involved. |
MEET MRS. FRIDAY
written by Keyahja Watson Getting in touch with administration could be hard , but when meeting with Ms.Friday was very pretty easy. Friday stated that the philosophy of being in administration is to believe that students are “capable, achieving and great”. She thinks that you have to be skilled in bringing them out in order to be successful. The feels protected at the school and believes this is a community atmosphere. She states that she really “enjoys” working here. Friday states that the most difficult thing she deals with is the disrespectful students and cases where students are hurt. She has a Bachelor Degree and a Master’s Degree, in Organization Change in Leadership. In addition, she also holds a principal license. She has been a teacher for 5 years and been in the system for 22 years. Friday also stated that she wants to be a principal one day. What inspires her is seeing young people meeting their goals and being successful. |