Activities

ACTIVITY ALTERATIONS
This school year brings new changes in the activity schedule. Band and chorus will be offered as part of the schedule this year, as well as Read 180, a reading program designed to help our struggling readers. Physical education and technology are still offered, as well as, general music, eighth grade careers, and art.
We now have Ms. Gilmore as a full time librarian and she will have Mrs. Samantha Owens as her intern during the first nine weeks. Samantha graduated from UT in May 2006 with her BS in Early Childhood Education. She continued in school and will graduate this December with a Master’s degree in Information Science. She has previously worked in Knox County as a substitute teacher and teacher’s assistant. We welcome her and hope that her experience here will be beneficial to her future career as an information specialist.
Art is also offered as an activity this year and is taught by Mr. Carrell Ray. Mr. Ray graduated from UT in 1969 and began his art teaching career in Knoxville. Some of you may know that Mr. Ray recently retired from William Blount High School where he has taught for the past 28 years. He will now be our certified art teacher while he enjoys semi-retirement.
Mr. Ray will continue with his philosophy of art -- not only to teach the “doing” of art, but also to teach the who and why of art. He expects every student to become an appreciator of the visual arts, by introducing students to an “artist of the day” and having them become familiar with the five elements of design (line, color, form, texture, and shape). We welcome him to the AMS faculty.
Mrs. Donna Ruckert, our school diagnostician, will be helping the eighth graders with career interests and decisions during their activity time.
This year at Alcoa Middle School we seem to have more choices in activities than ever before. Students, enjoy the opportunities given to you this year.