Martin Luther King Transition Center

MLK Uses Tragedy to Teach Empathy

  

MLK Academy is using the tragic shooting of 17 year old Trayvon Martin, a young man from Florida who was shot while walking home from a convenience store. The shooting has sparked a strong response from the public, and MLK faculty and staff are responding as well by using this event to educate themselves and their students. Students will be writing letters to the family of Trayvon Martin. The letters are intended to bring comfort during this difficult time. Students are encouraged to write the letters from their own perspective in terms of what they would want their own parents to be told if they ever found themselves in a similar situation. This lesson will be integrated into the English class. In addition to teaching proper letter writing skills and grammar, the letters are intended to teach the students empathy toward others.

The staff also has invited Dr. Peggy Russell, from the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team at City Hall to share statistics on gun violence among youth ages 14-24 throughout the City of Memphis. This will be a mutual exchange of ideas, as Dr. Russell plans to tap into the knowledge the staff at MLK has regarding the age group with which they work. Dr. Russell is specifically seeking perspectives on what it would take to reduce gun violence throughout the city. Stay tuned for more updates on the outcome of this meeting!

Southwest Prep Academy

The following students served as hostesses for the Mayor's State of the City Address: 

Arnesia Banks, Kelsey Williams, Jasmine Tuggle. Trinies Bobo, Khadeeja Waller, Tierra Johnson, and Destiny Taylor .

Adolescent Parenting Program

MCS CONNECT Group Mentoring Series

“Achieving Academic Success Through Self Assessment  and Positive Thinking”

Curriculum Integration Workshops at the Adolescent Parenting Program

This school year, we decided to implement a series of group mentoring sessions intended to provide an opportunity for teen parents (participating in the MCS CONNECT mentoring program at Adolescent Parenting) to enhance their academic and personal skills through self examination and assessment, reading, critiquing and journaling.  These sessions focus on providing participants with strategies for setting academic and personal career goals for success. The students and mentors engage in discussions and activities pertaining to classroom achievement, personal conduct, career aspirations and preparation and other pertinent issues that affect their academic and personal successes, after becoming a teen parent.  They learn life skills for self motivation and gratification, through reading and analysis of situations.  Additionally, they learn to journal their feelings, experiences, concerns and challenges.  Their mentors share this experience with them and have follow up discussions during individual mentoring sessions. Summer Owens, CONNECT mentor and author of “Life After Birth: A Memoir of Survival and Success as a Teenage Mother” facilitates each session using “ Life After Birth….” curriculum.  The focus of these sessions include topics such as, “Who Am I?”, “Friends”, “How Do I Move on After a Mistake?”, and “Fulfilling Goals”.

Martin Luther King Transition Center

2012 Career Expo

The 2012 Career Expo, sponsored by the Memphis City School Division of Careers and Technology, was a huge success. Every high school in the district was represented and was provided the opportunity to explore post-secondary options. Students wore their best clothes and met with college recruiters and military recruiters. MLK was represented at this event, as well. The Professional School Counselor and teachers spent weeks prior to the Career Expo explaining the importance of obtaining information from recruiters and taking advantage of opportunities where multiple recruiters are in one location. The trip was chaperoned by Ms. Christie Jones and Dr. Jeffrey Taylor. The students did their job by taking full advantage of the event and speaking with variety of recruiters present. Recruiters represented colleges and universities throughout the Mid South and beyond. Military recruiters were also present. Other agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, representatives from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), ACT, and the College Board were present, as well. The students returned to MLK with bags full of information. We would like to thank Ms. Willie Slate and the Division of Careers and Technology for providing this wonderful opportunity!

Martin Luther King Transition Center

Breakfast with Local Church 

Saturday, January 28, 2012, ten students and their parents from MLK Academy had breakfast at the Marriott East with Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. The students in attendance included: Cadarius Head, Jordan Hardaway, Jamarius Strickland, Jamal Banks, Jacquay Dunlap, Jarvis Harris, and Antony Harris. Also in attendance were Casie Jones, Principal C. R. Daniel, Ron Davis, and Jeffrey Taylor. The invitation came from Mr. Melvin Burgess II. Everyone ate well and good information about life and good living was given. We thank you Mr. Burgess for once again thinking of MLK Academy. The food and information hit the spot!

Martin Luther King Transition Center

An Author is Born

Dr. Helen Harper, Assistant Principal of Westwood High School and mother of our own Ms. Yuselphia Thornton, is now an accomplished author. Her book, Tick-Tock: No Time to Lose, was recently released by Author House. This review will not divulge information about the content of the book, except for to say it is an excellent book that gives you a detailed account of the experiences transplant patients face. The book describes multiple miracles. It is easy to read and extremely interesting. Dr. Harper has conducted multiple book reviews, most recently with the South Memphis Neighborhood Outreach Ministry at New Zion M. B. Church. If you are interested in inviting Dr. Harper to speak with your group or if you are interested in ordering a copy of her book, you may contact her daughter, Ms. Yuselphia Thornton, at MLK Academy. You can also email Dr. Harper at helharp2@yahoo.com .

Hope Academy

HOPE Academy chose “Walking in Memphis”  as their theme for this year’s ThinkShow.  Mrs. Cumming’s English classes created glogsters, poems, posters, and drawings with the same theme.  Ms. Lewis’s math classes created 3-D posters that graphed the population of Memphis over several decades. Ms. Bonds’ students selected and researched using the Internet things about Memphis that they enjoyed most; they creatively displayed various “Hot Spots” of this great city as small posters using word applications.

The teens were very proud of their finished products and glad to see the efforts of their work displayed for others to view and judge. Throughout the Think Show, over 40 people including Juvenile Court employees and MCS’ Division of Alternative and Charter school personnel marveled at the wonderful work of the students.  

Mr. Michael Smith, the proud Program Administrator at HOPE Academy , contributed the success of “Walking in Memphis” to his TEAM HOPE and students.  Smith stated, “We outdo ourselves each year. We have a smorgasbord of talented and artistic young people.”  UP WITH HOPE!

Northwest Prep Academy

On February 15, 2012, Northwest Prep Academy’s honor students were treated to a viewing of the movie Red Tails as a reward for their academic achievement. Ms. Brisco, Ms. Herenton, and Mrs. Wyatt served as chaperones.  In addition to the movie, a barbeque luncheon was provided.  To coincide with the movie viewing, the entire student body celebrated Black history month with a program dedicated to the courageous acts and achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, for which the movie Red Tails was based. Our speaker was Pastor Tony Wade, President of the Alcy-Ball Community Action Organization. His message was motivating and uplifting.

The Student Government Association hosted a voter registration drive for students 18 years of age and older during the 2012 Think Show.