London School closes the books on first freshman year - Corpus Christi Caller
CORPUS CHRISTI — Moriah Baker's freshmen year of high school was filled with new experiences: basketball, math competitions, volleyball, student council and leading by example at London School.
The 16-year-old, who previously attended a local private school and was home schooled off and on, also got her driver's permit and made the A-B honor roll.
"I think this is probably the best year I've had," she said.
Moriah enrolled in public school this year as one of 28 ninth-graders who composed London Independent School District's first freshmen class at the year-round school.
Moriah, district parents and many other students said they like the 492-student London School in the 1300 block of Farm-to-Market Road 43 because it offers a small, close-knit and safe environment for students.
Students from pre-kindergarten to ninth grade shared the same building this year while officials renovated the district's 60-year-old, nine-classroom building across campus which will serve as the new elementary school.
Students and parents said this year presented some hurdles with high school students sharing hallways with many of the younger grade-level students and some students expressing interest in more course offerings.
But, they agreed the first year turned out well because the school lived up to its reputation as a positive setting with high academic standards.
That reputation is what led Moriah's parents to transfer their daughter to London's new high school.
"It's still a challenge, but it's a lot easier to grow (here), I guess," said Moriah, who plans to graduate from London.
Moriah's mother, Sarah, said her daughter looks forward to driving her younger sisters, Shiloh, 14, and Micaiah, 9, next year when all of her daughters plan to attend London.
Her mother said Moriah has tried new experiences this year and learned to navigate through her first year of high school, which for many can be an awkward time filled with physical and social changes.
But she has faced any challenges with compassion while also being mature about it, her mother said.
She added Moriah can receive a well-rounded education at the school.
"We're really proud," Sarah Baker said. "She's been a good student. She's been a good friend, and hopefully she'll be a good citizen."
During their awards assembly Wednesday, the last day of school, Superintendent Hal Roberts told the freshmen they helped make the high school's first year a success and they will blaze the trail for future grades.
"It's going to do nothing but get better," Roberts said.
To accommodate much of the district's anticipated growth at the elementary and high school levels, the district spent about $650,000 to renovate the old London School building built in 1952 so it can serve pre-kindergarten through fourth-graders next year. Fifth- through 10th-graders will remain in the newer school.
Many of the district's students spent much of Monday morning helping haul books, math models and files into the renovated school in preparation for next year.
Administrators thought the newer building, built in 2005 and expanded in 2008, would suffice for a few more years but the added growth of about 100 students this year proved that wasn't the case.
The district has eight portables used for classes and after school programs and more portables likely will be needed in the future, administrators said.
Next year, the district expects to have 40 ninth-graders compared with this year's 28.
Roberts said next year also will bring more student opportunities, such as the beginnings of a high school band and varsity level volleyball and basketball for University Interscholastic League competitive sports.
The school plans to have varsity football but the team won't compete in UIL because of its anticipated smaller size, Roberts said.
Freshman Kaitlyn Hoffman, 15, London's student council president, said she hopes to serve as a football team trainer through a course to be offered at the school.
"It's really a good environment," she said. "I think it's going to get a lot better next year."
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HOW TO APPLY
To learn more about how to apply to transfer into high school classes at London School, call 855-0092 or go to www.londonisd.net.
London 2012 Olympics: Race to stop human rights abusers attending games - Daily Telegraph
General Joumaa insisted his country should be allowed to compete in the games and that he should be allowed to lead its national delegation.
He said: “The British people should not be worried about Syrians coming to the UK. What happened in some cities like Homs is that people broke the law.”
Home and Foreign Office officials and the London 2012 organisers are now trying to avoid a shadow being cast over the games by the presence of individuals linked to repressive regimes.
The FCO would not comment on individual cases, but Whitehall sources have indicated that General Joumaa can expected to be barred from the UK as he is closely identified with troops loyal to President Assad who are estimated to have killed 10,000 people since the start of the 15-month insurgency.
Syria’s athletes could still be allowed to compete, as they were exempted from serving in the armed forces.
Locog, the games’ organisers, are in the process of receiving the names of all athletes, officials, guests and delegates being sent to London by each of the countries taking part.
The names are being passed on to the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office for checking against lists of individuals whose presence in this country is deemed undesirable, or who appear on the records of international bodies such the EU and International Criminal Court as being suspected of human rights abuses.
A London 2012 spokesman said: “All National Olympic Committees submit names of athletes, support staff, officials, media and guests to us. These then go through Home Office checks. This process has started but we do not comment on individual applications.”
However, the process faces the difficulty that the names of the “Olympic family members” are continuing to arrive and may not be finalised until just before the opening ceremony at the end of July.
Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office minister, said in a letter to Denis MacShane, the Labour MP and former Europe minister, last week: “Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK.”
That was interpreted as strong signal to a number of countries with a poor human rights records that Britain would not tolerate the inclusion in National Olympic Committee delegations of individuals linked to repressive measures against their own people.
It could also mean the banning of high-profile political leaders from the opening and closing ceremonies of the games, such as Islon Karimov, the Uzbekistan president, and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the Turkmen president.
Human Rights Watch has declared both regimes to be “in the category of the worst dictatorships in the world and the worst abusers of human rights”.
Other leaders, such as President Assad and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe are already banned from travelling to the EU.
However, with thousands of names to vet the possibility remains that a number of delegation members with close ties to their ruling regimes – often the very reason they are chosen to serve on National Olympic Committees – could still slip through the net.
There also appears to be no prospect at this stage of leaders such as Russia’s President Putin and the King of Bahrain being banned from the games, despite accusations that their treatment of political opponents and democracy activists breaches international standards.
Another leader who would cause embarrassment with his presence is Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Although he is not officially barred from the UK, President Ahmadinejad said he expected to be blocked from entering if he tries.
However, he could send an official from his regime to capitalise on the potential to cause embarrasment.
Mr Khodorkovsky, jailed on allegedly trumped up charges of fraud in 2003, stopped short of requesting an entry ban on Vladimir Putin, but urged Prime Minister David Cameron to tackle the Russian president over his autocratic leadership if he travels to London for the Games.
He said: “I understand it would be very difficult for the British government to ban any head of state from the Olympics, especially from a member-state of the G8 and Council of Europe.
“I also, however, understand that the values of the Olympics are about respect, excellence and friendship and it would do Putin no harm to be exposed to these ideals and think of applying them at home.”
London 2012 Olympic Village gets its "Mayor" - insidethegames.biz
London 2012 Olympic Village gets its "Mayor"
By David Owen
May 27 - Sir Charles Allen (pictured), a former television executive, has been appointed so-called "Mayor" of the London 2012 Olympic Village.
Sir Charles will act as a figurehead, welcoming and hosting dignitaries and maintaining a "visible and accessible" presence for residents throughout the Games period.
Once chief executive of ITV, Sir Charles, 55, cut his teeth in the specialised business of hosting sports mega-events when he acted as chair of the Organising Committee for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
He has been a key behind-the-scenes figure at London 2012, first as vice-chair of the victorious London bid and more recently as a director of the Games Organising Committee.
He says he is "thrilled" by his appointment and looking forward to delivering "an outstanding and memorable experience for residents and visitors during the Games this summer".
Lord Coe, the London 2012 chairman, said Sir Charles had "a thorough understanding of the Games environment and its complex delivery".
He was confident he would do a "fantastic" job.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, multi-Paralympic gold medallist and deputy chair of the London 2012 Athletes' Committee, said: "When an athlete arrives at the Village to prepare for the biggest moment in their sporting career it's important that the welcome they receive sets the tone for the days and sometimes weeks ahead".
Allen, she said, "understands this and will ensure it happens seamlessly".
Among other current roles, Sir Charles is a director of Virgin Media.
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