MacIntyre Park Middle School had the pleasure of showing Georgia’s School Superintendent Richard Woods around the campus and discussing the latest programs and achievements in the Thomasville City School System when he visited on Friday, January 13.

Woods arrived quietly without an entourage of staff members and was warmly greeted by Thomasville City Schools Superintendent Sabrina Boykins-Everett, MPMS Principal Tina McBride, Scholars Academy Director Dr. Dale Graham, and a group of middle school student ambassadors. Woods’ down-to-earth demeanor made the students feel immediately comfortable when they met the leader in the top position of the Georgia Department of Education.

Kevin Andrews was initially slightly afraid and overwhelmed to meet such an important person, but says that he will always remember this special experience. 

“When I shook his hand, I knew there was nothing to be afraid of,” said Andrews.

Andrews added that he was proud of his school and that he looks forward to representing his student body when other “big” people chose to visit MacIntyre Park Middle School.

After the students had the chance to meet with Woods, he toured classrooms in MacIntyre Park Middle School and Scholars Academy. 

Science teacher Meredith Crocker’s classroom was the first stop on the tour, and Woods was treated to the vision of students engaged with their teacher, individual Chrome books, and a large touch-screen television at the front of the room for interactive learning.

“I see the visit from the State School Superintendent as an opportunity to show off our students and the technology they are blessed to use daily, as they come to school to learn new concepts and apply their ideas,” said Crocker.

Eighth Grade Physical Science, AP Physics, and AP Environmental Science teacher Jonathan Ariail received a surprise visit from Superintendent Woods.

“It was wonderful to have a visit from Richard Woods on Friday. It was an excellent opportunity to exhibit our educational efforts and successes!” said Arial.

One student in Ariail’s class, senior Jacob Cone, recognized Woods immediately as he serves on the State Superintendent of School’s Student Advisory Council which is a select group of students in grades 7-12 who discuss how decisions made at the state level are affecting students throughout Georgia. 

“At the last meeting Student Advisory Council meeting, I mentioned to Superintendent Woods about coming down to South Georgia.  I was so glad that he took the time to allow us showcase our great school,” said Cone.

When Woods visited Dr. Artez Sims’s classroom they were able to discuss the school system’s activities as it relates to Sims being the coach for FIRST LEGO League and the beginning involvement in FIRST Technical Challenge (a high school extension of LEGO League).

​“Visiting the school provides a first-hand view of the interesting and exciting dynamics that our school system offers. He was able to see a blend of approaches used by various educators to teach their lessons,” said Dr. Sims.  

Congratulations to all the students who were selected as winners in the Daughters of the American Revolution

1st Place winners  6th Jon-Henry Ellis, 7th Carson Helen Cochran, 8th Ja`Miya JaQuan Choice

2nd Place 6th Daniel Louis Belvin, 7th Julia Adelyne Welch, 8th Carsyn Kelley

3rd Place 6th Elyse Bentley Giles, 7th none, 8th McKena Willis
​
6th Grade, Group 1

Poster                HM    Brantley Taylor        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                           1st    Timothy Cordista        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                
Stamp                1st    Joseph    Novak            Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                            2nd    Abbey Bennett        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                
Poem:                1st    Ella Grace Williams        Rinehart        Scholars Academy

Short Story:            1st    Jaidyn Wood            Rinehart        Scholars Academy
            
                
6th Grade, Group 2    
Poster:                1st    Jayden Singletary        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
            
Stamp:                1st    Carter Grace Crocker        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                             2nd    Leah Brady            Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                
                        
Poem:                3rd    Benjamin Bundrick        Rinehart        Scholars Academy

7th Grade, Group 1
Poster:                1st    Jocelyn Watson        Boykins-Rome        Scholars Academy

7th Grade, Group 2 
Banner:            1st    Ben Yentzer/Walt Moore    Cassels            Scholars Academy

Poster:                1st    Skyy Stanley            Boykins-Rome        Scholars Academy
                             2nd    Arlisha Madison        Cassels            Scholars Academy

Stamp:                1st     Nicholas Hall            Cassels            Scholars Academy         
                            2nd     Ethan Oberding        Cassels            Scholars Academy    
                
Poem:                2nd    Emma Butler            Boykins-Rome        Scholars Academy


8th Grade, Group 1
Poster:                1st    Julianne Watson        Rinehart        Scholars Academy

Stamp:                1st    David Lee Jordan         Rinehart        Scholars Academy

Short Story:            1st    Karli Icard                        Scholars Academy
                                 2nd    Lawson Brinkley        Rinehart        Scholars Academy

Poem:                1st    Clara Clifton            Rinehart        Scholars Academy


8th Grade, Group 2
Stamp:                1st    Margaret May            Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                            2nd    Max Nicholson        Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                            3rd    Malorie Turnbull        Rinehart        Scholars Academy    


Poem:                1st    Caroline Hiers            Rinehart        Scholars Academy
                            2nd    Jordan Bonar            Rinehart        Scholars Academy    

Short Story:            1st    Faith Ridley            Rinehart        Scholars Academy        
                                2nd    Thomas Wilson        Rinehart        Scholars Academy

Congratulations to the following 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for winning at the Science Fair on Friday. And to all the students who worked hard on their projects this year! 

​MacIntyre Park Middle School students Kelton Lewis and Tahj Brown, competing under the team name “Infinity and Beyond,” participated in the Zero Robotics summer program at the Thomasville Community Resource Center and placed 2nd out of six teams in the state of Georgia.
 
Zero Robotics is a five-week STEM curriculum that introduces students to computer programming, robotics, and space engineering, and provides hands-on experience programming SPHERES, which stands for Synchronized, Position, Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites.
 
Lewis and Brown were invited to the finals tournament at Georgia Tech where winning SPHERES teams from across the country competed aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Participants were able to see the SPHERES operate in space via a live feed from the ISS while NASA astronauts provide real-time commentary; and with the help of Lewis and Brown’s codes, Georgia placed 3rd overall. Georgia held 2nd place until the 4th round. 
 
Student participants compete to win a technically challenging game by programming their strategies into the SPHERES. Students’ programs control the satellites' speed, rotation, and direction of travel. The students program their satellites to complete competition objectives, for example navigating obstacles, while conserving resources such as fuel. The programs are autonomous - that is, the students are not able to directly control the satellites while they are running.
Each year’s game is motivated by a problem of interest to NASA and MIT.
Students create, edit, save, and simulate projects online. They use a graphical editor to write code, then simulate their programs immediately and see the results using a simulation. The programming interface and simulation are entirely web-based, so ZR does not require any software downloads or computer configuration. The system even allows teams to compete against themselves so that they can test different strategies before finalizing their competition submissions
Zero Robotics Middle School Summer Program is provided through a partnership between the MIT Space Systems Lab, the Innovation Learning Center, and Aurora Flight Sciences. The Zero Robotics Middle School Summer Program is sponsored by NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), and the Northrup Grumman Foundation.
Zero Robotics seeks to inspire our next generation of great minds by allowing them unprecedented access to space at the middle school level. By making the benefits and resources of the International Space Station tangible to students, Zero Robotics hopes to cultivate an appreciation of science, technology, engineering and math through healthy, immersive, collaborative competition.