As I write this column in early January, students are returning to school to start both a new semester and the countdown to summer break (yes, already!). Learning and extracurricular activities abound to fill in the time between now and then … along with some celebrations. Speaking of celebrations …

Congratulations to Erno Linder and Olivia Chemin as Signal Mountain’s High School and Middle School nominees for the Carson Scholars Program! They were selected from students who submitted essays in the local school competition.

The Carson Scholars Program recognizes and rewards outstanding students in the United States who exemplify academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. Notification letters will be mailed to applicants in March.

Scholarship winners named “Carson Scholars” will receive a $1,000 scholarship invested towards a four-year college or university. Good luck to both Erno and Olivia!

Thrasher Elementary
Next time you’re at an event at Thrasher Elementary School, check out those beautiful new stage curtains! Those were updated in December for the first time since 1961! Third-grader Lucy Benefield won an opportunity through the MEF Auction to serve as guest host and cut the ribbon at a special ceremony to present the new curtains.

While “new” is wonderful, Thrasher’s PTA also wanted to honor the past so it had the ‘WTT’ letters from the school’s original curtains preserved and framed. PTA co-presidents Jessica McCarthy and Caroline Wilson presented those to Principal Jeff Paulson to be displayed at the school.

MEF Celebration
We hope you were able to secure a ticket to the “Starry Night on Signal” at the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club on February 4. So many folks were thrilled the Mountain Education Foundation brought its MEF Celebration for Education event back to the mountain! This is such a wonderful event to both celebrate and raise more money for our local schools.

SMMHS Academics
Congrats to these Signal Mountain Middle School students on qualifying for Regionals in the International Academic Competition!

Eighth grade place winners were Connor Pogue, first; Ben Marsden, second; and Seven Dapp, third. Seventh grade winners were Olivia Chemin, first; Ethan Bhosale and Ryder Ratliff tied for second; and Ben Sapp, third. Sixth grade winners were Russell Green, first; Klien Boyd, second; and Robert Summerlin, third.

With so many students qualifying for state and national IAC events, SMMHS was selected to host the 2023 Tennessee Winter History Bee and Bowl in late January.

SMMHS Athletics
Just before winter break ended, Signal Mountain’s high school bowling teams competed in district tournaments where both boys and girls finished as runners up. Teams were preparing for regional competition as this column was being written.

Kudos to these bowlers for the following recognitions. All District regular season: Carson Gayton; Clay Cooper; Landyn Sanders; Georgia Bartlett; Siara Ellis; and Britton Williams. All District tournament team: Henry Nord; Sawyer Guffey; Georgia Bartlett; Siara Ellis; Landyn Sanders; and Britton Williams.
Our high school basketball teams competed in various tournaments over winter break, while our wrestling team had a couple of regular-season matches.

Congratulations to two of the Uhorchuk brothers for earning extra recognitions at a prestigious national tournament.

Freshman Joseph “JoJo” Uhorchuk (107 pounds) put together an incredible run, defeating multiple nationally ranked wrestlers en route to a second place finish at the Powerade Invitational in Pittsburgh. His lone loss came in a hard-fought match 5-3 in overtime to the No. 9 ranked wrestler in the country.

Senior Caleb Uhorchuk finished in fourth place in the 127-pound weight class at the same tournament. Caleb went an impressive 6-2 and wrestled seven matches that were decided by three points or less. Caleb, a three-time state champ and West Point commit, was also honored in December for becoming the all-time career wins leader for Signal Mountain wrestling. (He surpassed the record held by his older brother, Daniel, who is now wrestling for West Point.)

Congratulations to Emily Redman and Carlee Lowry, who were named to the 2022 All-State volleyball teams by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.

Congrats to the Signal Mountain Middle School’s boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, which had advanced to the district championship matches before those were cancelled by weather. With winter break just a day away and students moving on to other sports afterward, the final round was never played.

Kudos also to the Signal Mountain Middle School basketball teams; both finished in third place in a district tournament! Earning a place on the All-County team were Nick Harwood, Colton Johnston, Wil Flenniken for boys and Callie Cooper and Tess Roberson for girls. Roberson and Johnston also made the District All Tournament team.

Several SMMHS students continue to participate in climbing and robotics meets through interscholastic leagues. Lacrosse will kick off its season soon, followed by the spring sports of baseball, softball, track, boys’ soccer, and tennis for high school with middle school athletes competing in wrestling, volleyball, baseball, track, and golf.
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February brings the Signal Mountain Middle School drama club’s presentation of “The Music Man Jr.” that first weekend of the month, the Youth in Government high school conference in Nashville mid-month, and more intense Mock Trial rehearsals. These are just a few of a myriad of activities going on in all our schools. Be sure your school reps contact me with news and photos!

​Hope everyone enjoyed winter break!

Students return to Hamilton County Schools on Wednesday, January 4, with faculty attending the prior two days for professional development.

Hopefully you were able to enjoy at least one of the many holiday events sponsored by our schools.

The SMMHS Theatre Arts Boosters helped kick off the holiday season with its annual Mountain Madrigal Feast, where guests joined a Royal Court for an evening of great food and holiday entertainment. Concerts and other fun events were also enjoyed by students from all our schools.

Fall and spring are full of activities for our students in both academics and athletics.

Students at SMMHS were excited to return to an in-person Model UN conference. Although the huge regional event held in prior years went under during COVID-19, alumni in various colleges banded together to create an “AltMUN” to give high school students a similar experience.

Senior Kaitlyn Castellanet and junior Mark Nashi were among high school students in our region who served as vice chairs working with the collegiate group. Nearly 60 SMMHS students were among the approximate 800 attending the event at Chattanooga State.

Signal’s USA team was recognized for distinction in rhetoric. team Members were Adrian Andreescu, Jack Gibby, Josh Dulin, Jake Stubblefield, and Weston Livingood. Jeffery Lin, Adrian Andreescu, Jack Gibby, Josh Dulin won individual awards.

A small group from SMMHS also attended the state Beta Club convention in Nashville. Four students placed in the top five of their categories: Riley Goff, French; Ava Sabatini, poetry; Abbie Dungan, language arts; and Lydia Miller, math.

Signal Mountain had the most qualifiers of any high school in East Tennessee for the All East Jazz Clinic that will occur in late January. Congrats to Luke Robertson, first chair Red Band; JJ Massey, fourth chair Red Band; Nicholas Barrett, first chair White Band; Andrew Milz, first chair White Band; Wesley Graybeal, second chair White Band; and Fin Dodson, third chair White Band. These guys play saxophones, trumpets, and trombones.

Come hear our school’s own jazz band at the annual “Swing, Swang, Swung” event on Saturday evening, April 29.

Congrats also to Signal’s seventh through ninth grade band students who qualified to perform in the All Region Honor Band concerts in early December! Signal had seven Region Champs, four runners up, and several students who earned a chair in one of the four honor bands.

Recognized as champs on their instruments were seventh-graders Caroline Stone, Paul Corcoran, Hannah Harris, Ethan Bhosale; and eighth- and ninth-graders Ella Wu, Emily Campbell, and Carter Kent.

Kudos also to our runners up: seventh-graders Mason Edwards and Grayson Rock, as well as Ellie Bielcik and Barrett Cloud in the eighth/ninth grade category.

Eleven of Signal’s Strings students in grades seven through nine also earned the honor to participate in a junior orchestra clinic and concert in mid November. Seven were in the (Top) Blue Orchestra at the event sponsored by the East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association. Signal Mountain was honored to have more musicians in that top group than any other school other than Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts.

Congrats to Mia Sabatini, Ben Marsden, Zara Hossain, Naomi Hays, Billy Wooden, Hyrum Gree, and Finley Holmes for being in Blue Orchestra! Kudos also to Violet Garney, Mason Cabell, Emma Elser, and Seven Dapp for being in the Red Orchestra!


Sports News
Signal’s high school basketball teams opened their seasons with some wins to get that program off to a great start.

Defending state champs, the Signal Mountain wrestling team also opened its season with a double victory and was just starting its road to State as this issue was going to press.

High school bowling was entering the district tournament at press time, with our boys’ team seeded No. 2.
Our football Eagles continued to be recognized in post season. Congratulations to senior Ripley Hutcherson for being named Region 3-3A Defensive MVP and sophomore Cash Keene for being named Region 3-3A Newcomer of the Year!    
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Congrats also to these football players for being named to the Region 3-3A All-Region Team: Luke Alexander, Malik Aljack, Daniel Odom, Chance Townson, and Collins Payne.

Wow, what a busy and fun fall it’s been for students in our public schools!
Recognitions, sports both ending and kicking off, a high school homecoming complete with a parade and many other traditional activities were welcomed by students, families and faculty.

Nolan Elementary
Nolan Elementary students enjoyed activities related to its annual Arbor Day celebration. Poetry winners included Grace Haddock, Jack Sokohl, Indigo Harrison, and Gray Bearden. Poster winners were Sara Dowd, Gilley Jones, Elliana Wilke, and Madelyne Cronk.

Special thanks go to the Signal Mountain Tree Board and these sponsors who purchased trees for school playgrounds: Enterprise Holdings; Bussey Financial Group; and Southern Star Restaurant.

SMMHS
Congratulations go to Grace Williams as homecoming queen and Ajay Patel as the first homecoming king recognized at Signal Mountain Middle/High School.

Athletics
Congrats to Signal’s boys’ and girls’ high school cross country teams for both finishing as runners up at State! After winning state titles for several years, this was still a great feat because their division was reorganized to include some of the larger schools.

Kudos to our high school volleyball team, which won its region championship and sectional match to advance to the state tournament!

Hats off to the high school girls’ soccer team on a great season, finishing as region runner up, and winning the sectional tournament in a new, harder class this year before losing its quarterfinal game.

Kudos to our football team for making the playoffs at State, where it narrowly lost to Cannon County. This team had a winning record overall, and we look forward to a new season next fall.

Congratulations to our middle school tennis teams on their performances during the county tournament! Kudos to Brooke Martin, who placed first in singles; Savannah Cummins and Allie Smith who placed first in doubles; and Kate Gilbert, who placed second in singles!

As early fall sports programs ended, others started, including high school bowling and basketball, as well as middle school soccer and basketball, with wrestling just around the corner. Best wishes to all as they participate in holiday tournaments and resume regular season matches after the holidays.

Signal Mountain Band
Congratulations to the Signal Corps Marching Band on winning the Tennessee Division II State Marching Band Championship for the first time in school history!  It swept all categories in an incredible fashion, and Jake Stubblefield was also recognized as Best Soloist.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

by Melissa Barrett

Signal Mountain High School’s marching band introduced a musical train to football crowds this fall and kept chugging along, picking up more passengers (fans) as it added cars (props), and proudly pulled into the state roundhouse to prove one doesn’t have to be the biggest engine (aka band) to be the best.
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Signal Corps Marching Band captured the Governor’s Challenge Cup in early November to win the Tennessee Division II High School Marching Band State Championship for the first time ever in school history!

Our band has consistently placed among the top five teams at State in recent years and was ranked third two years ago in a tight finish where only a few points separated the top three bands. COVID-19 prevented the event from being held last year.

Head Director Drew Buckner noted that not only was this our first State championship in program history but also the first from any school in the Chattanooga area since the state competition was introduced 40 years ago.

“We try to never talk with our kids about accomplishments, trophies or winning, because of how negative pride can be to the fun of marching band and the family it creates,” he said. “That makes it even sweeter that these students got to experience a reward for their hard work.”

He reminded band members after the state trophy presentation that they stand on the shoulders of 13 years of hard work by their predecessors to build the legacy of our program that brought them to that moment.

“I know the many years of Signal Mountain Band alumni are smiling at this year’s students being able to take those many years of hard work to a climax,” Buckner said.

Several of those former band families, and a few alumni, were in the crowd that came out to see the show and help send off Signal Corps to the prestigious Bands of America Grand Nationals Championship in Indianapolis.

Few bands of our size, 104 total with instrumentalists and color guard, enter a BOA regional competition, much less the Grand Nationals. Signal was among only 27 from across the country in its class.

Buckner knew this was the year for Signal Corps, with its blend of musicians and staff, which included the return of visual designer Jordan Pitner.

“I left Signal Mountain (a few years earlier) because life called me in a different direction,” Pitner said. “But my heart stayed here the whole time I was gone. Being back has been a dream.

“In some ways, it’s like I never left: The staff and students still work relentlessly; there’s still that selfless attitude and teamwork everywhere you look. But the team got even better in the years since I left. That’s what I love about being here: Everyone is a student of the game, and we never settle for ‘good enough.’”

Pitner noted that band students sacrifice much for the chance to chase greatness. Their spare time is filled with practices, football games, and 18- to 20-hour show days spent on buses and in stadium parking lots. They stay up late finishing homework and are asked to practice extra on their own.

“It’s a tremendous demand for anybody,” he said, “but they trust in the process and give it their all week in and week out.”

Buckner noted that while many things fell apart with COVID-19 last year, band members kept a “somewhat normal season,” just without competitions.

“That helped put them in such a great place to start this year,” he said, “without skills and motivation lost. The students this year took that to the next level, with such a unique fervor for excellence and family.”

They were thrilled to be recognized for the first time ever as champion of A Bradley Classic regional competition, beating larger bands early in the season. That gave them momentum to keep chugging along, even better and faster.

Many have referred to this year’s group of students, parent volunteers, and staff as a “dream team,” which Buckner and Pitner embrace. Mr. Pitner said, “We have a big vision for the future of Signal Corps, and I’m so glad we could start it off with a state title.”

That team also includes Matt Broom, percussion director, who’s been with the program since inception; Cody Thompson, color guard director; Holly Paxton, color guard instructor; Ian McNeese, front ensemble instructor; Alfredo Smith, battery instructor; Tyler Edrington, show designer and coordinator; and Shelby Walker, associate band director.

Edrington came up with the train show theme of “Crossing Signal,” which evolved to include two tunnels, a train track tarp, several crossing signals that light up, and simulated steam from an engine. The fast-paced show also includes a train whistle, conductor yelling “All Aboard,” synthesized train sounds, and drills that have musicians simulating train wheels and gears, as well as show tops, drum wraps, and flags that provide a steam punk look of gears and smoke.

“As a native of Chattanooga, I thought there was no other appropriate way to represent our city on the national stage than to create a train-themed show concept that highlights the history of our community,” said Edrington, who also is color guard caption supervisor for the prestigious Carolina Crown in the Drum Corps International circuit.

It was obvious the band kids had fun doing the show, and our football game crowds looked forward each game to seeing what new had been added to the halftime show.

Buckner credits student captains Will Marsden, Emma Wu, Trevor McGhie, Kolsten Keene, Claire Smiley, Jake Stubblefield and Kalissa Luttrell, as well as great section leaders and seniors as being instrumental in creating “an amazing family this year, as well as being an inspiration for excellence to those around them.”

He also praised an extraordinary music booster board for being “such positive problem solvers the entire season. They have truly made this operation happen for our students this year.”

This year’s booster executive board consists of Melissa Barrett, Christine Stubblefield, Kate Campbell, Allison Gord, and Kristin Robertson with bookkeeper (and former band parent) Sue Menke and current band parents Katrina Keene, Mitch Stubblefield, Mika Dapp, Kitty Castellanet, Jackie Benkert, and Jennifer Innes providing additional support in lead positions.

The band appreciates the Mountain Education Foundation providing scholarships to assist several of our students in making the trip to Indianapolis. The group also appreciates what Buckner described as “a unique support for the arts” from our principal, Dr. Shane Harwood, and two fellow band dads, Dr. Robert Sharpe and Marco Perez, who also are a learning community superintendent and school board member, respectively.

“It’s so great to have these three men in our students’ lane,” he said.
“I’m so proud of our kids and leaders and so thankful for all of our parents and others who support them,” Harwood said.

Sharpe had the pleasure of transporting the band’s 13 state trophies, which included a large division cup and 5-foot tall championship trophy, in his car from Smryna to the school.

That trip home in the wee morning hours culminated with an escort from the Signal Mountain police that excited the kids, since they’d never experienced that recognition that our police so graciously provide our state champions.

Author’s Note: As president of this year’s music boosters board, I can attest to the hard work and dedication given by this group of students and staff. It has been AMAZING to watch this show evolve and students mature and achieve excellence. Thanks to all those in our community who support the Signal Corps Marching Band.

by Melissa Barrett

Huge congratulations go to Thrasher Elementary for being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2021 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona! Thrasher is one of the nation’s Exemplary High Performing Schools and one of only six schools in Tennessee to earn 2021 National Blue Ribbon status.
“This is a testament to the good work our teachers do, the involvement, trust, and dedication from our parents, and especially to how your children, our students, do their best work at school and at play,” said Principal Jeff Paulson.

Thrasher and Nolan Elementary
Kudos also are extended to both Thrasher and Nolan elementary staff and students on earning a Level 5 Reward status from the Tennessee Department of Education for the 2020-21 school year! Level 5 is the highest level of academic growth a school can earn. Level 5 schools are those with significant evidence that their students exceeded the state growth standard. Reward schools are those that receive an overall high rating when measuring multiple areas, including student achievement and growth, across all students and student groups. Reward designation is the highest honor for school accountability measures in Tennessee.

SMMHS
Hats off to Signal Mountain Middle/High School seniors Rainey Campbell, Seth Fisher, Grace Elliott, and Cade Miller as commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program! They are among the top 2.5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the College Board’s PSAT/NMSQT in the 2020-21 academic year. These students are being recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for potential of exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their performance on this standardized test.

Cheers to the Signal Mountain High School Theatre Arts students for their amazing production of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town” earlier this fall. Everyone is so glad to have live theatre back at school, even if it’s outside! The new stage in the school’s quad amphitheater provides a lovely setting.

Middle School Athletics
Congratulations to the Signal Mountain Middle School cross country teams on taking back the title of All County Champions.Kudos are also extended to our students who earned All County recognition among 18 teams composed of approximate 150 total students. These students claimed 11 of the top 15 places for boys and eight of the top 15 places for girls, including overall champions in both groups. Here’s the list of our medalists with their place listed first:

Boys Cross Country: Overall Champion, Murphy Self; third place, Luke Smiley; fourth place, Mitch Simmons; fifth place, Gavin McKenzie; sixth place, Dane McMillan; seventh place, Christian Davis; eighth place, Aaron Paul; ninth place, Will Campbell; 12th place, Reed Hampton; 14th place, David Glover; and 15th place, Sudan Rock.

Girls Cross Country: Overall Champion, Lilly Paxson; fourth place, Bess Innes; fifth place, Eliza Baker; seventh place, Naomi Malone; eighth place, Gillette Fisher; ninth place, Katie Brennan; 12th place, Marlo McMillan; and 13th place, Paige Hilvers.

Kudos also extended to the Signal Mountain Middle School boys tennis team, which placed first in its division and to the SMMS girls tennis team for being runner-up in its division! Our top players were scheduled to play in the county tournament as this column was submitted.

High School Athletics
Congrats to our Signal Mountain High School golf boys and girls team, which, after being recognized as District and Regional Champions, placed in the top five at State.

Our boys’ team came in third at State, while our girls’ team was fourth.

Cheers to Junior Peyton Ogle, who also placed third individually at State. In region play, Ogle was the top boys medalist, shooting a 5-under par (67) to tie the school record set by Ben Seay a few years ago. Kudos also got to Graham Barrett as regional runner up!

Cheers to Sally Hogue as top girls region medalist, Caroline Burns as regional runner up, and Lyla Adkins for placing third. Burns also was the top local girls golfer at State, placing 15th with Hogue close behind in 17th place.

Signal Mountain’s volleyball team was district runner up heading into regionals at press time.

The Signal Mountain girls’ soccer team went undefeated in the district and was hosting district games at press time in its quest to snag another state title.

Our Signal Mountain Eagles football team was enjoying an overall successful season by mid October and was eager to return to the field after fall break. Its last two games at home also celebrated Homecoming and Senior Night.

Thanks to our Signal Mountain community for helping making the Homecoming parade possible again this year!

SMMHS Band
Hats off to the Signal Mountain High School marching band, which scored a first when it defeated other larger bands to be recognized as Overall Champion at the regional Bradley Classic competition in September!
Directors were tweaking the “Crossing Signal” show to make it even more competitive participating in a big regional Bands of America contest at East Tennessee State University in late October. Hopefully the team will shine at the Grand Nationals competition in Indianapolis in early November. Good Luck, Signal Corps!

by Melissa Barrett

​We made it to winter break! Yay! Hopefully, our students were able to participate in some fun holiday activities, as well as takesemester exams!
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COVID-19 has definitely dampened the holidays, but gratitude and generosity have been plentiful.
A huge thanks to all families that donated items during various drives at our schools to fill Christmas baskets for families assisted by Signal Mountain Social Services!

Thanks to our Thrasher Elementary School students who made fall placemats again for Alexian Village residents! COVID-19 prevented hand-delivery this year, but residents appreciated those mats in their dining rooms.

Hats off to the 40-plus volunteers who came to Thrasher on a Saturday morning over Thanksgiving break to work on the school grounds! They finished the work on the outdoor tree stump classrooms by spreading mulch and adding landscape timbers as a boundary. These hardworking volunteers also repaired a gravel path near the vegetable garden by adding new landscape timbers and new gravel, built white boards in two outdoor pavilion classrooms, and cleaned the Rain Garden.

Thanks also to our parents and local businesses that provided outdoor holiday decorations at our public schools! We have a great community!

Academic Recognitions
Several Signal Mountain High School students participated in a virtual Model UN conference with a different group of schools than normal since the big regional conference that is usually held downtown was postponed until spring.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Castellanet for recognition as Outstanding Security Council Member. Kudos also go to Cambria Ginther, Emma Wu, Grace Elliott, Grace Farrimond, and Mark Nashi as Outstanding Delegates; Emma Wu, Hannah Morton, and Grace Elliott for Outstanding Resolution; and to Will Crowder, who was elected as the 2021 Digital Press Social Media Director for this conference.

Hats off to SMMHS eighth-grader Aoife Davis, who competed and earned top awards in the National Science Bee and the U.S. Academic Bee! She finished first in Tennessee and in the top 13 in the Eastern Region, qualifying her for the National Science Bee to be held in December. Aoife finished second in Tennessee and also qualified for the National U.S. Academic Bee in December.

Kudos to SMMHS seventh-graders Reed Hampton and Lee Greeson for their accomplishments in the National History Bee, for which they qualified in February! Reed was the top finisher from Tennessee in their age group and placed in the Top 50 nationally. Lee was second in Tennessee and placed 55th overall in their age group.

Athletics
Congrats to Signal Mountain’s Middle School soccer boys’ and girls’ teams as regular season and district champions!

Signal Mountain’s high school basketball season kicked off with pre-season games during Thanksgiving week, with both our boys’ and girls’ teams scoring wins. Our boys’ team was sidelined due to COVID-19 at the time, but it was looking forward to more games at press time.

Signal Mountain’s high school wrestling season experienced a delayed start due to COVID-19 on opponents’ teams, and most competitions were cancelled starting out. The boys appreciated finally hitting the mats and won their first matches, and hope to complete the season.

Congrats to Signal’s high school bowling team, which finished the season as District Champs!  This is the first time since the 2013-2014 season that Signal Mountain Bowlers finished with an undefeated regular season district record, 10-0, and only the second time in the school’s bowling history to be undefeated in the district schedule.

Hats off to all who assisted with the installation of Pixellot cameras in the high school gym and football stadium so that home games can now be streamed on the NFHS network. This is especially helpful during the pandemic when attendance has been restricted, and some people prefer not to join crowds of any size.
Looking forward to a new year in so many ways! Enjoy the holidays and stay safe!

by Melissa Barrett

Three tries were all it took for Chase Post to earn a perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT college entrance exam. With each attempt, he changed his focus.
Post scored a composite 25 when he first took the ACT as a seventh grade Gifted student at Signal Mountain Middle/High School. His score in science then was high enough to earn him recognition in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program.

In 10th grade, Post achieved a composite score of 34, with his highest scores in reading and English, which he thought misrepresented him. “I’ve always been a math and science type of person,” Post said.

So, when preparing to take the ACT again this past September, Post focused more on math because he wanted to score really well in that section to be competitive when applying to colleges for an engineering degree. He also studied reading a lot because he said, “I’ve never been really comfortable with it and didn’t want it to lower my grade.”

Post, who also is a National Merit Semi-Finalist, found online practice tests to be really helpful when studying for academic tests. He mainly practiced through Kahn Academy, which many math teachers use for homework assignments at all grade levels.

“Different people learn differently,” he said, so find what works best for you.

One tip he offered so others don’t get discouraged is rather than jumping right into timed practice tests, “Take one practice test, go through it completely and don’t time yourself. Go slow and make sure you understand the material well and know what you did wrong.”

“Be sure you understand how they’re asking the questions and the tricks they throw at you,” Post advised. “Then, once you’re comfortable with it, start adding the time pressure.”

The future engineer narrowed all that down to “quality over quantity.”

Teacher Influences
Post credits two SMMHS teachers for the greatest help preparing him for the ACT. He said math teacher Kathy McCormack made ACT practice a priority in her class. “She’s just a really great teacher,” he added, “and she makes math fun.”

McCormack said Post has “an excellent math mind and seeks to connect math to physics and business. He is a student who thinks outside the box. When Chase raises his hand, he often asks questions that challenge me to make more connections.”

English teacher Amanda Pettit-Shaheen was a huge help teaching basic mechanics and writing intricacies during AP Literature. He mentioned that writing essays and learning how to use semi colons to combine complex sentences was especially helpful.

“She really nailed down those basic mechanics,” he said, “and taught us how to read critically and how to write effectively.”

Pettit-Shaheen called Post “an amazing student.”

“Chase is thoughtful, inquisitive, and motivated, and he has a true desire to learn new things,” she said. “I look forward to seeing what great things he will accomplish in his future.”

Extracurriculars
Two extracurricular activities of which Post is proud are involvement in the school’s swimming and Leo clubs.
He started swimming at age 6 and has spent 10 years swimming competitively with the Signal Mountain Green Giants, Baylor Swim Club and Signal Mountain Swim and Dive Club.

After starting his freshman year of high school at the Baylor School because of its swimming program, Post transferred back to SMMHS.

Post says swimming requires a lot of focus because it’s not a sport that involves a lot of talking with others but instead mainly staring down at the bottom of a pool.

“It taught me how to focus and work really hard, even when you’re not really talented at something,” he said.

That paid off when Post qualified for Junior Nationals and made finals at State in the 100-yard breaststroke earlier in the year. He now serves as team captain of the Signal Mountain Swim Club and has received several awards relating to swimming talent, team spirit, and leadership.

In the Leo Club, Post is best known for leading the recycling program at home football games and organizing blood drives.

Post also helped program an Augmented Reality Sandbox for Nolan Elementary during fall break in 2019, continues to tutor other students in math, helped organize a talent show to raise money for the Mountain Education Foundation, he also has participated in the YMCA Youth in Government program, where he served as the white senate chief clerk and ran for governor back in the spring. He was also involved in TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science), Academic Quiz Bowl, the National Honor Society and Beta Club.

Leadership
Chase has two siblings. James attends UTC, and his sister, Hailey, is a junior at SMMHS. They are the children of Larry and Kathy Post, who are proud of their middle child’s recent achievement.
“It’s exciting to have all his hard work pay off,” mom said, “and especially to have it honored.”

SMMHS Principal Shane Harwood agreed. “Chase’s hard work and dedication have been instrumental in his recent ACT accomplishment and being recognized as a National Merit Semi-Finalist,” he said. “Chase serves as an example for other students in regards to academics, service, and character, and we are excited to see what his future holds!”

Post has explored several areas of interest in his quest for leadership skills to supplement studies in engineering.

Although he isn’t sure yet what specific area he plans to study, the top two contenders are electrical or industrial engineering.

Considering himself a natural leader, Post said he doesn’t want to just study design basics but wants to continue learning skills that he could apply to managing a factory or project team one day.

When interviewed after announcement as a National Merit Semifinalist, Post said, “I think the most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to make mistakes.

“When we make mistakes, we learn valuable lessons that may otherwise go unlearned,” he noted. “All you can do, no matter what happens, is keep working hard, pursue what makes you happy, and give to others whenever you can.”

by Melissa Barrett

Wow, it’s already November, and we’re quickly approaching the holiday season! As we get there, let’s take time to be thankful for some things in our Signal Mountain schools.

First, at the time of this writing, students were still able to attend school in person (as well as virtually at home) with masks, constant sanitizing and social distancing when possible. Schools were closed a day or two as needed to clean and disinfect when positive cases were identified, but they remained open.

Parents added more outdoor classrooms at Thrasher Elementary, and work on another outdoor learning pavilion has also begun, thanks to Charlie Spencer, who spearheaded creation of the first two with funding by TVA.

Thanks to former Thrasher student Zach Duncan for creating beautifully carved wooden signage for the school’s nature trail as his final work on updating and expanding (assisted by others) as his Eagle Scout project.

Nolan Kindergarten teacher Becky Cox is thankful to those who supported her Donors Choose grant project to provide flexible seating while allowing students to maintain social distance without table dividers and still keeping mask breaks. She still has a table for students to rotate for table time.

Congratulations to Senior Yoonie Yang for earning a perfect 36 composite score on the ACT college pre-entrance exam! She is the seventh student to achieve this at Signal Mountain Middle/High School. (see separate story on page 34)

Congrats also to seniors Madeline Bruce and Madeline Wyatt for being named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship program. This means they both had PSAT scores in the top 4 percentile of more than 1.5 million students who took the assessment nationwide.

Kudos to SMMHS for having the highest graduation rate for 2020 in Hamilton County among non-magnet public schools!

Athletics
Hats off to Signal Mountain’s high school boys’ golf team for securing its third straight State Title! Members include Beck Lewis, Peyton Ogle, Benjamin Burns, Carson Johnson, Benjamin Burns, Anderson Lusk, and Graham Barrett. Kudos are also extended to Beck Lewis for placing third overall in the TSSAA Small Class division!

Sally Hogue and Caroline Burns placed 12th and 14th overall, respectively, in the girls’ division.
At the time of this writing, Signal’s cross country teams had earned several top placements and had only one more big meet before going to State in their quest for more consecutive state titles. Girls’ soccer was racking up major wins, too, and looking toward another state title. And, Signal Mountain’s volleyball team had just won a district semifinals game and was headed to the District championship game at the Mirror deadline.
On the middle school level, Signal Mountain’s cross county boys’ team is the new All County Champion, with Tynan Borders placing third overall in the county. The girls’ team was runner-up in Hamilton County, with Ada Boyd and Aubrey Lynch placing third and fifth overall, respectively, in the county.

Signal’s Middle School football team ended up second in league, while the JV team ended its season undefeated.

Clearly there is lots of talent both academically and athletically in our public schools!

Special Presentations
Speaking of talent, COVID-19 has prevented the usual schoolwide, sit-down assemblies at our elementary schools, so Thrasher is hosting those virtually and inviting students to send short videos of themselves engaged in a talent or interest.

Through these online assemblies, Thrasher students have enjoyed seeing classmates perform a variety of activities. Charlie Wheeler shared a talent for riding horses. Phin Walker showed off monkey bar skills, and Amelie Wolbers showed what she learned in tae kwon do. Lucy Hallman performed a cartwheel, while Mena Pillai shared her handstand-walking abilities. Leah Burgess demonstrated her gymnastics prowess, while Patrick McMahon threw and caught a model plane, and Mathilda Koffron provided some impromptu storytelling.

Nolan third graders also got meet and hear a cool presentation by student Liam Badeaux’s father, Brent, who is a retired Marine meteorologist. He talked to students in one of the school’s outdoor classrooms so that at home learners could also enjoy the special lesson.

Badeaux not only shared super cool info about weather systems and how they are formed, but he also shared a story about a sandstorm he experienced in the Middle East while on tour there … a story quoted in the National Geographic magazine.

SMMHS Homecoming
Pandemic precautions canceled this fall’s annual Homecoming parade, but organizers hope to have a spring parade. A positive COVID-19 case on the Eagles’ football team also canceled the Homecoming game in mid September, so that and all related activities were postponed until the October 30 game.

Congratulations to these seniors who were voted by their peers as Homecoming Queen candidates: Audrey Coterel, Lila Edwards, Ella Gordon, Edie Hansen, Francie Hunt, Ellie Meyer, and Julia Stong.

Congrats are also in order for these grade-level representatives for Homecoming Court: ninth grade, Aida Abello; 10th grade, Winter Ervin; and 11th grade, Kelsey Hewitt.

Thrasher Staff Changes
A belated welcome to a few new staff members at Thrasher. Cindy Abello, a former educational assistant, replaced Teresa Bishop, who retired as school secretary. Lindsay Alsobrook, Mark Walker, Desi Driscoll and Karen Leonard are new educational assistants, and Lauren Ray is working in literacy education.

Long-time fourth grade teacher Raquel Newton also stepped into the role of assistant principal when Fannie Moore was tapped to lead CSAS. Heidi Mies, a previous STEM lab teacher, is now an instructional coach for the district but remains based at Thrasher.

Again, there are many blessings among our schools to be thankful for in this extended season of COVID-19.
Thanks to all of you who support our Signal Mountain schools!
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by Melissa Barrett