Get Your Grades Up!

            End of the school year is a tough situation for a lot of high school students that are falling behind. Getting grades up is a really hard thing with EOCs and finals coming up fast. Teacher Hannah Wood gives advice for students to follow:

             “Well I would say two things: do the little assignments because they add up and the other is going to your teacher and talking to them,” said history teacher Ms. Wood. “Your teachers will help you if you ask for the help. They won’t know if you don’t say anything.”

            Never be embarrassed to ask your teacher for help because they won’t judge you. Passing school is important and essential to everyday life.  

            “I always go and get all my work from my teachers when I miss school,” junior Amanda Stout said. “I literally just sit down and focus on one subject at a time over the weekend.”

            Communication with your teachers is vital and a great way to letting them know you are trying to get caught up. With the new technology within the school you have multiply ways to get in touch with your teachers. There’s email, there’s Canvas, and even Twitter so don’t hesitate to ask for help.

            “My best advice for those students who are falling behind would be to cut down on extracurricular activates until you are caught up,” junior Amanda Doughty said. “When you try to do both you fall farther into that hole of despair. So therefore you should just cut down and focus for a couple of days to get caught back up and do whatever it takes and then go back to that activity.”

            Finding time and scheduling it so you have time for studying and catching up on work will make your school life easier. “School before sports” is a motto I try to apply to my life so that as a fellow student I am able to stay caught up with schoolwork.

            “Don’t mess around in class,” said sophomore Michael Parrott.

            Not paying attention in class is one of the easiest ways to fall behind. Making sure you’re listening to your teacher and following directions will help keep your grades up.

            Communicating with your teachers, asking for makeup work, and paying attention in classes will help improve your grades overall.

-Briana Griffin

Junior Reporter

Follow me on twitter! @perksofbriana

Franklin?

 Tennessee has been a state since 1796. However, not many people know that part of Tennessee had the possibility of being a completely different state with the name of Franklin.

If Franklin had become a state it would take up what is now Eastern Tennessee. Franklin owes its namesake to Benjamin Franklin. The name Franklin was chosen in the hopes of drawing in Benjamin’s support for statehood. It was given to congress by North Carolina to pay off war debt. It had its own government, including a constitution and an army to fend off Native Americans. North Carolina rescinded its gift of the Franklin territory when the hope of paying off war debts could not be realized. The people of Franklin restarted with their own government. John Sevier was elected governor. North Carolina was angered over the loss of this land and threatened to send in troops to forcefully put down secession. The Cherokee nation was laying claim to the area, and Franklin could not supply the manpower need to repulse them on their own. Neither Franklin nor North Carolina wanted bloodshed, so Franklin rejoined North Carolina without a fight.

A state in the backwaters of America almost existed due to the need for organization against the wilderness. Franklin couldn't have survived on its own or there might have been a state of Franklin to this day. John Sevier went on to become a Tennessee governor and a U.S. congressman. He was appointed to the first Board of Trustees of Blount College, which was the forerunner of the University of Tennessee.

How To: Transition Your Wardrobe for Summer and Stay in Dress Code

When the warm weather comes, shorts and tank tops come with it. While we are still in school, it is hard to stay in dress code when most stores don’t provide the option. Here are some ways to dress for the warm weather and still be in dress code.

1.      Tank tops and cardigans

As summer approaches, stores are starting to put out tank tops. The only problem is that these are not in dress code. So to avoid problems, try using cardigans. These serve a dual purpose as lightweight jackets and cover ups, allowing you to stay in dress code and still wear that cute tank top.

2.    Capris and light-weight jeans

Sometimes it can be cold in the morning, so if you don’t want to wear shorts, try capris or lightweight jeans. These are definitely in dress code, and keep you warm but not hot.

3.    Shorts with no holes

The first thing to do when it gets warm is to put on some shorts. However, this can create a problem when it comes to school. Some stores sell shorts that are barely even shorts because they have so little fabric and so many rips in them. So try to avoid these as much as possible. Some stores have started to put out longer shorts, or bermudas. Try wearing some of these to avoid the risks of short shorts.

4.   ¾ Sleeves

These shirts are for compromises. They are shorter than long sleeves, but longer than short sleeves. They also work really well in the transition periods of winter to spring and spring to summer. When it is cold in the morning, it keeps you warm enough, and when it is warm in the afternoon it keeps you cool.

5.    Shoes

The great thing about shoes is that none of them are against dress code. So, you have complete freedom of what you choose to put on your feet. Because of this, you can pick shoes that go with your outfit and the weather.

Ashlee Holtzclaw

@acoleslaw98 

5 Study Tips

1.  Go Over Notes: Try going over your notes, power points, and anything on canvas that the test will cover. I usually do this but write down the key terms from my notes or power points. This works for most people, but not all.

2.   Re-write: If just looking over power points does not work for you, you could try to re-write your notes to help learn it. This helps me, also. It is very simple but helps tremendously. If you do not want to re-write all your notes, you could read through them and then summarize your notes.  

3.   Computer: If you do not understand what is going to be on your test, use the Internet to look up the topics you do not know. Find a website that teaches it to you so you can learn it for the test. Some specific websites would be Sparknotes for English and Khan Academy for math and science. You could also email or group text people in your class to get help from them. This helps a lot especially if it is a specific question. Just make sure that you understand the question or topic and they do not just give you the answer.

4.   Quiz: Try quizzing yourself. You could ask yourself questions or use flash cards. There are great flash card apps for phones and iPads that will be with you wherever you go. If you cannot quiz yourself, make a study guide for someone else to quiz you with. You could, also, try to get a group together and quiz each other.

5.  Read for an Incentive: A great way to read through your textbook is to place your favorite candy or a snack in between each paragraph that you are going to read. I, personally, love this way because it gives you something to make you read to the end of each paragraph. You could, also, do this for math problems. Just put candy or a snack at the end of each problem.

Alex Warner