Recognition

• Kim Ford, Cypress Librarian, serves as a member of the Orbis Pictus Award committee.  This program, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, evaluates current non-fiction in order to determine the most outstanding new work for children published in a calendar year.  As a result of her participation, she was a presenter at the national NCTE convention held in New York City, November 15-18.  At this conference, it was announced that she has been named the incoming chair of this book award committee.  This is quite an honor, as she is the first person from Tennessee, indeed the first person from a public school system, to head this national award committee.

• The Cypress faculty is participating in the International Reading Association’s Teacher's Choices book review project.  So far, our faculty has completed over 150 book reviews for the project, everything from biographies to picture books to the newest young adult fiction.  When we recommend books to students, we want to be ready with the latest and the greatest.

Cypress Middle Students Take Summer Chess Awards

Cypress Middle School principal Jeanna Brandon (left) congratulates Jessie Bady, Marcus McAdams, and Adam Coleman on awards garnered as they spent the summer making their mark in the world of chess.  All three students received scholarships to the sixth annual Mid-South Chess Camp, held in June at Rhodes College.  During the weeklong camp, they were taught by world-class chess instructors. After playing in a U.S. Chess Federation-rated tournament, they received trophies for their accomplishments.  Not content with just one tournament, they entered a second tournament organized by a New Orleans club, Cajun Chess.  They received medals in that tournament as well, and were recommended for membership in the U.S. Chess Federation by the tournament director.  The Cypress Chess Club is now in its third year.  The chess instructors are Paul Burmenko and Luke Archer, both students at Rhodes College.

• Cypress 8th grader, Jerrica Parker, was a $100 winner in the Memphis Education Association’s  My Favorite Educator essay contest.  Jerrica also won $100 for our school.

• Cypress was named MCS Reads School of the Month for November.  This award is given each month to a school that demonstrates outstanding efforts toward literacy during the previous month.  In October, Cypress students participated in The Big Read with Rhodes College, enjoyed Family Reading Night, received books in our first RIF (Reading is Fundamental) distribution, and celebrated the honor roll with Biscuits and Books. 

• Three Cypress 8th graders, Jaya’h Williams, Derrika Wiley, and Denesha Murray, were chosen as finalists to read their essays at a Rhodes College program to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.  At a luncheon event where they read their essays, Denesha won a $50 prize for the best essay.  All of the girls received certificates from Rhodes College for their efforts.

• Cypress was named the victor in the 2008 Grizzlies Stay-in-School Challenge kick-off, held at the FedEx Forum.  Competing against Vance Middle School, students participated in a variety of events, including a talent show, a free-throw contest, and races.  The schools were evenly matched, but Cypress was declared the winner!