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Education

Byhalia High School offers free computer classes December 15-16

Byhalia High School will be offering an introductory computer class on the nights of December 15 and 16 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

There will be no charge for these classes; however, space will be limited to the first 30 registered participants. You may register by calling the school at 662-838-2206 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and submitting your name and phone number, and indicating your level of experience with computers.

Monday night’s lesson will be an introduction to Microsoft Office. Tuesday night’s lesson will be an introduction to the Internet and e-mail.

Any questions should be directed to Todd Sanderson at Byhalia High School.

Holly Springs Primary School will receive full accreditation

This October, the Holly Springs Primary School was audited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The visiting audit team was concerned with seven areas of the school. These areas were the school’s vision and purpose, the leadership of the school, the teaching done at the school, the documentation gained from testing, the school’s resources and support systems, the school’s relationship with the community, and the commitment to continuing improvement. They received the rating of “fully functional” on the first four of these standards and “operational” on numbers five, six, and seven. Both of these ratings count toward accreditation for the school.

One standard is vision and purpose. It states that the school has a stated purpose and a plan for improving the performance of the students. The SACS audit team noted the quality programs used at Holly Springs Primary that will help the students’ achievement. They also stated how the teachers work together to help each other and to help the students.

The second standard is governance and leadership. It concerns the leadership necessary to promote students’ performance. The team noted that there are policies for an effective operation of the school and stated that the students they interviewed felt safe at HSP. The report also noted that parents and members of the community are encouraged to come to the school during an activity called “chit-chat with the principal” for open lines of communication about the school.

The third standard is teaching and learning. It talks about the curriculum being based on research and that the school provides instructional methods that help students learn. The audit team discovered Holly Springs Primary is committed to growing and improving the level of education provided to their students. The teachers use research-based programs and various ways of teaching to increase the students’ learning. The small class sizes and the assistant teachers in each classroom help ensure one-on-one teaching for every child. The team also noted several things that deserved special recognition. One of these is that since the teachers are comfortable at the school and feel supported by the administration, there is little teacher turn- over each year. Also, the students know there are high expectations and there is a reward for accomplishments.

The fourth standard is documenting and using results. This concerns the school using recognized tests that check on the students’ progress and using the information to help all students improve. The team found that the teachers use data from tests to make all educational decisions. Also parents are informed about their children’s progress.

The fifth standard is resource and support systems. Holly Springs Primary School recruits new teachers, mentors them, and supports them in their careers. Technology also plays a vital role at the schools, both for teachers and students.

The sixth standard is stakeholder communications. Parents and community members are encouraged to support the students at HSP in a variety of ways. The team discovered an active PTO, a principal’s “chit-chat” luncheon, the principal’s open-door policy for communication, and student participation in various performances.

The last standard is commitment to continuous improvement. This means the school is continually working to improve student performance. The faculty uses several different ways of monitoring the students’ progress. If a student is not meeting the academic goals, the teachers and assistants are ready to help.

The audit team recognized that more parental support is needed. They noted that parents who are involved in their child’s school tend to have students who are successful in school. Parents can be involved in the school by coming to PTO and other activities, visiting their children’s classes, reading to the class, or asking the teacher what tasks are needed then coming to the school to help out a few hours each nine-week period.

The Holly Springs Primary School staff expresses its appreciation to the parents and community representatives for their support during the site visit.

Jones named one of top six liability attorneys in world

Christy Jones

Christy D. Jones, of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC in Jackson, has been named one of the top six product liability attorneys in the world by Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Top Product Liability Lawyers.

Jones, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Blanton Jones of Holly Springs, is a graduate of Marshall Academy.

Jones’ nomination was determined by the results of 3,000 questionnaires sent to senior in-house counsel, partners at pre-eminent law firms and other specialists in over 50 jurisdictions, as well as interviews with a select group of specialists in leading commercial centers worldwide.

Among other accolades, Jones is a regent for the American College of Trial Lawyers, served on the International Association of Defense Council and received honors as part of The Best Lawyers in America®, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation. Jones was also named by Chambers USA as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Product Liability (National) and Litigation: General Commercial.

Currently, Jones is chair of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Industry Group and an active member of its Product Liability Group.

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