Hooray! School’s out!
We hope all students and families, and especially our teachers and administrators, enjoy a restful break - no matter how long (or short)!
Granted, several students at the high school level don’t get much of a break because they’re taking a summer course or attending one of our state’s colleges as a Governor’s Scholar. High school athletes continue working out as fall sports start official practices in July, when approximately 100 band students will also be putting in 12-hour days at band camp.
Our administrators don’t get much time off, and many teachers will participate in workshops or maybe even work a summer job. A few will be learning and/or traveling through grants, such as Thrasher’s Ricky McEvoy and Keely Dunavin, who are traveling to Ireland for an educational conference thanks to a Fund for Teacher Grant.
We just hope all our teachers take time for some “R and R” along the way and come back refreshed for a new school year in August!
The 2022-23 school year ended with lots of celebrations, with perhaps the biggest being the graduation of 171 seniors from Signal Mountain Middle/High School.
THANKS to all the teachers, counselors, staff, administrators, parents, and community for supporting these and all our students through the years!
Academics
Congratulations to our SMMHS Valedictorian Jeffery Lin, who will attend MIT in the fall, and Salutatorian Lydia Miller, who will attend Durham University in England.
Promotions for our fifth-graders at Nolan and Thrasher elementary schools and eighth-graders at SMMHS also were cause for celebrations. Best wishes to them as they transition to middle and high school!
Congrats to two of Signal’s National Merit Finalists, Jeffery Lin and Jack Gibby, for earning more scholarships in the first two rounds announced at time of printing.
And, we have another ACT Ace to celebrate! SMMHS Junior Logan Dapp received a perfect 36 composite score on the college-entrance exam earlier this year to become the school’s 11th student to achieve that.
Winners from a variety of contests were announced as the school year closed as well.
Juniors Jacob Holmes, Ethan Farr, and Logan Dapp were selected to attend the American Legion Boys State. Lauren Williams, Ellie Donen, and Ashlyn Rock were selected for the American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State.
Congratulations to Signal’s high school students who qualified for FBLA National Competition Conference in Atlanta with their placements in the state competition: first place for Job Interview, Kathryn Ditmars; second place for Intro to Business Procedures, Hanna Yang; fourth place for Economics, Erik Fowler; and kudos to Cambria Ginther for placing 10th overall in Tennessee in Political Science!
SMMHS had two winners in the fifth annual civics essay contest sponsored by the Chattanooga Federal Bar Association: sophomore Simon Lewis won first place in the high school division, and eighth-grader Seven Dapp placed second in the middle school division.
Kudos to Thrasher third-grader Leela Bell, who was awarded Hamilton County School’s Rock Point Student of the Month for academics!
Congrats to Nolan fourth-grader Cole Petty as a new recipient of the Carson Scholarship!
Congrats also to Nolan student Belou Anderson on being one of two Hamilton County students who were National level PTA winners in the Reflections Arts contest!
Fine Arts
Bravo to student thespians who won awards of excellence for work with SMMHS theatre arts and in particular the senior-directed short scenes at year-end.
Aaron Nielsen was recognized as Best Thespian. Best Director trophies were awarded to Tess Pope for Gold with Nielson and Ethan Bullock in a tie for Silver. Pope’s scene from “Waitress” also captured the Fan Fave award with its main actor Hyrum Gee recognized as Best Actor. Hanna Yang won Best Actress for her role in Bullock’s scene from “Anastasia.”
Congrats to Junior Collin McIntosh, an Art Honor Society student, who won first place in the Art for Pets contest sponsored by the Humane Educational Society and whose work was auctioned off for $3,200 at the Faux Fur Fest event in mid May.
Thrasher Elementary had 14 student recipients this year of the Young Southern Writer awards: Lucas Knowles, Emilia Day, Ella Splawn, Lina Barisik, Ella Silverman, Mason Wall, Hadley Burgess, Xyla Blizzard, Sam Dunkin, Olive Roach, Josiah Mondy, Trillium Lundy, Hannah Bohman, and Violet Bowen.
Athletics
Huge congrats go to the SMHS boys’ lacrosse team for making it to the state championship round for the first time in program history! The state final was scheduled after this column was submitted, so results will be shared next month, but WOW, what a great season!
Kudos also to our high school track and field athletes with both our girls’ and boys’ team as runners up in the TSSAA East Sectionals and prepping for the State championships in late May.
The high school girls’ tennis team reigned as both district and region champs, with the boys’ team as district runner up. Several individual players were competing in the region individual championships as this column was written.
Signal’s high school baseball team made it to a regional semifinal before ending its season.
Our softball team ended its season in district play. Kudos to All-District players Dillia Lowry, Abby Walker, and Carlee Lowry!
Signal’s middle school teams ended their spring seasons on a high note.
The MS girls’ track and field team members were crowned county champs, with Sara Jane Flowers recognized as girls’ Coach of the Year.
The girls’ and boys’ MS golf both finished as District champs! Tucker Cruise finished as district runner up by one stroke after a sudden death hole for first place. May May McGee finished runner up for the girls, with teammates Allison Horsman and Ella Kelley in third and fourth place, respectively.
Our Hamilton County Invitational medalists for middle school golf were May May McGee- second, Allison Horsman- fourth, Ella Kelley fifth for girls, and Tucker Cruise – third, and Robinson McGee - fifth for boys.
Signal’s middle school baseball team had a great season, making it to the third round of the Final Four in the district tournament.
As mentioned, many of our students will be engaged in summer activities at our school campus prepping for fall seasons. We enjoy seeing them working hard year round and look forward to welcoming all students back to school in August.
Don’t forget to remind students of their summer reading assignments!
We hope all students and families, and especially our teachers and administrators, enjoy a restful break - no matter how long (or short)!
Granted, several students at the high school level don’t get much of a break because they’re taking a summer course or attending one of our state’s colleges as a Governor’s Scholar. High school athletes continue working out as fall sports start official practices in July, when approximately 100 band students will also be putting in 12-hour days at band camp.
Our administrators don’t get much time off, and many teachers will participate in workshops or maybe even work a summer job. A few will be learning and/or traveling through grants, such as Thrasher’s Ricky McEvoy and Keely Dunavin, who are traveling to Ireland for an educational conference thanks to a Fund for Teacher Grant.
We just hope all our teachers take time for some “R and R” along the way and come back refreshed for a new school year in August!
The 2022-23 school year ended with lots of celebrations, with perhaps the biggest being the graduation of 171 seniors from Signal Mountain Middle/High School.
THANKS to all the teachers, counselors, staff, administrators, parents, and community for supporting these and all our students through the years!
Academics
Congratulations to our SMMHS Valedictorian Jeffery Lin, who will attend MIT in the fall, and Salutatorian Lydia Miller, who will attend Durham University in England.
Promotions for our fifth-graders at Nolan and Thrasher elementary schools and eighth-graders at SMMHS also were cause for celebrations. Best wishes to them as they transition to middle and high school!
Congrats to two of Signal’s National Merit Finalists, Jeffery Lin and Jack Gibby, for earning more scholarships in the first two rounds announced at time of printing.
And, we have another ACT Ace to celebrate! SMMHS Junior Logan Dapp received a perfect 36 composite score on the college-entrance exam earlier this year to become the school’s 11th student to achieve that.
Winners from a variety of contests were announced as the school year closed as well.
Juniors Jacob Holmes, Ethan Farr, and Logan Dapp were selected to attend the American Legion Boys State. Lauren Williams, Ellie Donen, and Ashlyn Rock were selected for the American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State.
Congratulations to Signal’s high school students who qualified for FBLA National Competition Conference in Atlanta with their placements in the state competition: first place for Job Interview, Kathryn Ditmars; second place for Intro to Business Procedures, Hanna Yang; fourth place for Economics, Erik Fowler; and kudos to Cambria Ginther for placing 10th overall in Tennessee in Political Science!
SMMHS had two winners in the fifth annual civics essay contest sponsored by the Chattanooga Federal Bar Association: sophomore Simon Lewis won first place in the high school division, and eighth-grader Seven Dapp placed second in the middle school division.
Kudos to Thrasher third-grader Leela Bell, who was awarded Hamilton County School’s Rock Point Student of the Month for academics!
Congrats to Nolan fourth-grader Cole Petty as a new recipient of the Carson Scholarship!
Congrats also to Nolan student Belou Anderson on being one of two Hamilton County students who were National level PTA winners in the Reflections Arts contest!
Fine Arts
Bravo to student thespians who won awards of excellence for work with SMMHS theatre arts and in particular the senior-directed short scenes at year-end.
Aaron Nielsen was recognized as Best Thespian. Best Director trophies were awarded to Tess Pope for Gold with Nielson and Ethan Bullock in a tie for Silver. Pope’s scene from “Waitress” also captured the Fan Fave award with its main actor Hyrum Gee recognized as Best Actor. Hanna Yang won Best Actress for her role in Bullock’s scene from “Anastasia.”
Congrats to Junior Collin McIntosh, an Art Honor Society student, who won first place in the Art for Pets contest sponsored by the Humane Educational Society and whose work was auctioned off for $3,200 at the Faux Fur Fest event in mid May.
Thrasher Elementary had 14 student recipients this year of the Young Southern Writer awards: Lucas Knowles, Emilia Day, Ella Splawn, Lina Barisik, Ella Silverman, Mason Wall, Hadley Burgess, Xyla Blizzard, Sam Dunkin, Olive Roach, Josiah Mondy, Trillium Lundy, Hannah Bohman, and Violet Bowen.
Athletics
Huge congrats go to the SMHS boys’ lacrosse team for making it to the state championship round for the first time in program history! The state final was scheduled after this column was submitted, so results will be shared next month, but WOW, what a great season!
Kudos also to our high school track and field athletes with both our girls’ and boys’ team as runners up in the TSSAA East Sectionals and prepping for the State championships in late May.
The high school girls’ tennis team reigned as both district and region champs, with the boys’ team as district runner up. Several individual players were competing in the region individual championships as this column was written.
Signal’s high school baseball team made it to a regional semifinal before ending its season.
Our softball team ended its season in district play. Kudos to All-District players Dillia Lowry, Abby Walker, and Carlee Lowry!
Signal’s middle school teams ended their spring seasons on a high note.
The MS girls’ track and field team members were crowned county champs, with Sara Jane Flowers recognized as girls’ Coach of the Year.
The girls’ and boys’ MS golf both finished as District champs! Tucker Cruise finished as district runner up by one stroke after a sudden death hole for first place. May May McGee finished runner up for the girls, with teammates Allison Horsman and Ella Kelley in third and fourth place, respectively.
Our Hamilton County Invitational medalists for middle school golf were May May McGee- second, Allison Horsman- fourth, Ella Kelley fifth for girls, and Tucker Cruise – third, and Robinson McGee - fifth for boys.
Signal’s middle school baseball team had a great season, making it to the third round of the Final Four in the district tournament.
As mentioned, many of our students will be engaged in summer activities at our school campus prepping for fall seasons. We enjoy seeing them working hard year round and look forward to welcoming all students back to school in August.
Don’t forget to remind students of their summer reading assignments!