I am so proud that the Cedar Shoals boys cross country team is heading to the state championship in Carollton this Saturday! This is the first time the boys team has qualified for state in 30 years! This is certainly something to celebrate and it is all thanks to the hard work, competitive spirit, and dedication of our runners. As an assistant coach I could not be prouder of our team. 

The region meet was held in Conyers on a bitter cold and windy morning. Our team braved 20 mph winds and freezing temperatures. After spending so much time running in the severe heat and humidity of the South, this was definitely an adjustment. Despite the bitter cold, our runners gave their best and finished the season with pride. 

It was also a bittersweet moment for our senior girls as they participated in their final cross country meet. Many of them have dedicated four years to this sport and leaving their friends and coaches behind can't be easy. 

This was my first year working with the cross country team and it has been such a rewarding experience. I was able to work with some of our brightest and most dedicated students. I couldn't be prouder of the accomplishments of our team! Go Cedar! 

The Varsity Boys team came in first place at the September 20th Apalachee cross country meet! Our Varsity Girls team came in 2nd place. Cooler weather and an amazing group of runners made for a great day. We also had several students win individual medals for being in the top ten runners of their category. It was definitely a great day to be a Jag! 

Working with the cross country team is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I can't believe the season is already halfway over! I hope more great things are in store for our team. 

On the last Friday of each month, I like to recognize one student from each of my classes who is doing a great job. They are given my Student of the Month award and receive a certificate, congratulatory postcard home, a small prize, and the honor of having their name on the Wall of Fame! 

Here are the Students of the Month for August: 

1st Period: Kala D.

Kala always has a great attitude in class and comes to school each day with a smile. I love her energy, spirit, and contributions to classroom discussions. She always raises her hand to volunteer, even if she's not confident in her answers. I think that reveals a great deal about her character and I'm so glad to have her in my AP World History class this year!

2nd Period: Melissa I.

Melissa was absent for a few days the first two weeks of school. She returned to school with all of her work completed and was in contact with me via e-mail to receive her assignments. She did not allow these days to interrupt her studies and she has never fallen behind in her studies. She impressed me with her organization, maturity, and commitment to her studies. 

4th period: Najja D.

Najja is a great student who routinely volunteers to help around the classroom. She always asks for clarification and help if needed and contributes to classroom discussions. She has a positive and proactive attitude, one that I appreciate in a class that relies often on student feedback and discussion. I know she will accomplish great things this year! 

5th period: Pedarius R.

Pedarius has been on task in Economics every day. He completes all his work on time and accurately. He impressed me with his ability to stay focused and on-task, even on a day when I was absent! Other students would have used this as an excuse to slack off, but he used this time as an opportunity to complete all of his assignments. 

6th period: Ashley J. 

Ashley is an intelligent young woman who always has something to add to classroom discussion. I appreciate her willingness to share her opinions and information with the rest of the class, and she always does so with kindness and sincerity. She is highly motivated and always puts 100% into her classwork and homework! 

7th period: James B. 

James is a highly motivated and hardworking student, in addition to being an amazing artist. He impressed me the first few weeks of school with his positive, proactive attitude. He comes to school each day ready to engage in the learning process, which is often rare to find in a 12th grade student!


Congratulations to August's Students of the Month! Keep up the good work and remember to always strive for personal excellence! 

Wow, can you believe that it's already time to head back to school? Summer always disappears so quickly! But I am ready to start the new school year and get to know all of my amazing new students! It's going to be a great year, I can already feel it. 

The new school schedule is certainly presenting some lesson-planning challenges. It will be a huge adjustment for teachers, administrators, and students alike. But the great thing is that we have an entire year to teach the curriculum rather than cramming all of the material, reading, and homework into one semester. This is great news for Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Teaching AP World History in one semester last spring was a challenge, and placed a lot of unnecessary stress on myself (with grading and planning) and the students (in terms of amount of reading assigned). 

What did you do this summer? This summer I did some pretty awesome stuff, like get married! Yes, the famed economics teacher Mr. Matesich and I finally tied the knot, but I'll still be known as Ms. Adamson as I'm not changing my last name. I might have also force-choked my new husband shortly after our marriage. The force is strong with this one. Did you know that Mr. Matesich and I are both big dorks? Well, we are! 

Mr. Matesich and I also visited the Mediterranean island of Malta, located just below Sicily. It was an amazing adventure and full of historical sights. We visited several Neolithic ruins, including the Sal-Halifeni Hypogeum, the only known Neolithic subterranean temple in the world! It was used as a necropolis, a site that stored human remains. The remains are long gone, but the caverns beneath are still around today, all carved from the living rock with bone and stone tools. There were even ancient cave paintings created with red ochre pigments. 

We also visited Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Malta, which is known as home to the Knights of St. John -- crusader knights from all over Europe. So much history is crammed on to such a small island! 

If you did anything fun or interesting over the summer, let me know, even if it was just reading a good book! 

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on leisure reading. The school year doesn't often afford me the time to sit back with a good book, but I hope that changes a little for this school year as reading is a relaxing and educational way to spend my free time.  It is something I truly enjoy and have enjoyed since childhood.  Plus I usually learn so many new things that I can bring back and share with my students -- things that really help kids get passionate about economics or history (yes, you can get passionate about economics!)

Lately I've been on a nonfiction  reading lots of novels about European aristocracy, including a book about the final days of the Russian aristocracy called Former People. It's a little long, and drags in some places, but it was great to learn more about Russia's transition from monarchy to dictatorship (and communism). Unfortunately the aristocracy doesn't fare well in the transition, as you might imagine. 

I have a few other books on my list for this summer, but time is running out! The 2013-2014 school year will be here before I know it, and with it a great deal of my free time. My goal is to try to keep reading each night before bed, that way I can be sure to keep up the habit!