Academics

Depending on whose press release you believe, Tennessee's new science law either promotes “academic freedom” or “allows creationism to be taught in public schools.” Enacted on April 10, the legislation instructs school officials not to prohibit teachers from informing students about the “scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses” of “scientific controversies” such as biological evolution. Science education groups are outraged, arguing that the law has nothing to do with academic freedom - and everything to do with finding new ways to undermine the teaching of evolution with trumped-up “controversies” and unscientific “weaknesses” disguised as science.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach John Calipari knows he'll continued to criticized for having players stay just one year in college and then head to the NBA, especially with his blessing. However, the Kentucky coach emphasized again Tuesday that he doesn't understand why the media pays little attention to his team's grade-point average when it is a respectable 2.73, as it was for the first semester, compared to the attention it gets when his team does not do well. “Because I have guys leaving after one year, if it is a question about academics, you're only going to promote when they do poorly?

SPRINGFIELD - Danville High School won the Section 5 Junior Varsity Challenge on Saturday. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the DHS academic team has won the event. Each year the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition sponsors the JV Challenge for ninth- and 10th-graders.  Teams compete in eight team regions across the state.  This year Danville defeated teams from Woodford County, Marion County, Bethlehem High School, Campbellsville High School, LaRue County, Washington County and Green County.

LEXINGTON - Trey Edwards is thankful he has a spot as a walk-on linebacker on the Kentucky football team, but that opportunity is not what made the former Lincoln County standout transfer from Eastern Kentucky to UK after a redshirt freshman season. “I went through a year of football at Eastern, but I decided about halfway through spring ball I would transfer. Basically my intentions of transferring were to get to a program that was better suited to do what I was going to do with my major and things like that.

The following are the academic awards from Woodlawn Elementary School for fourth and fifth grades. Reading: Fourth, Harrison Adams, Royce Blevins, TJ Southerland and Emma Stith. Fifth, Hailey Brogle, Hanna Harrison, Hannah Sharp and Madison Staed. Writing: Fourth, Ally Anderson, Elaina Fluty, Luci Marshall and Karina Schaffer. Fifth, Summer Allahham, Sarah Burns, Meredith Lyverse and Angela Ruben. Math: Fourth, Karan Desai, Elliott Dickinson, Elaina Fluty and Luke Morris. Fifth, Jarrett Boyd, Fisher Evans, Michael Larson and Owen Reid.

Hannah Grimes manages a three-way balancing act between school, athletics and employment by keeping her eye on the road ahead. “In the future, it’s going to help that I’ve worked hard all my life, not just in college or out of college,” she said. Grimes’ dedicated and demanding lifestyle has long included cheerleading and outstanding academics, but at 16, she added employee to her resume. “I’ve always said I want to work so I can make my own money,” Grimes said.

The Clark County Board of Education approved an academic calendar for the 2011-2012 school year Tuesday at its regular monthly meeting. The calendar, which was chosen over two other options, shows the first day of school for students will be Aug. 11, with May 18 the last day of school. The three options were similar other than the starting and ending dates. The calendar the board chose includes 176 instructional days, a three-day Thanksgiving break, five-day spring break, three non-student attendance days and a two-week Christmas break, beginning Wednesday, Dec. 21, and running through Wednesday, Jan. 4. The Christmas break begins in the middle of the week, said Administrator Barbara Disney, because both Christmas and New Year’s fall on Sunday this year, meaning the holiday must be observed on the following Monday.

East Jessamine soccer player Cameron Miller signed with Centre College on Feb. 16. Miller helped lead the Jaguars to an 18-5-2 record this season, the best in school history. “It came down to the overall athletics and academics that go on at Centre,” Miller said. “I couldn’t say no to a place that feeds off academics and with their soccer team being as good as they are and wanting for that national championship. I just want to be a part of it.” Centre is coming off an 11-6-2 record.

The Conkwright Middle School academic team placed second in the district Governor’s Cup competition Jan. 22 in Paris. Team members are: Keats Ripy, Annie McGrew, James Maddox, Isaiah Williams, Amy Horn, Carter Smith, Brooke Ramey, Wyatt Banks, coach Melissa McDaniel, Brianna Taulbee, Evan Wright, Sarah Kennedy, Stephen Skaggs, Austin Wills, Tyler Chamberlain, Sam Gilmore, Brittany Conn and Clay Fike. Individuals results were: Stephen Skaggs placed third in Math and fourth in science, Tyler Chamberlain placed first in science, Sarah Kennedy placed second in science, Amy Horn placed first in language arts and first in composition, Brooke Ramey placed fifth in composition, Isaiah Williams placed fourth in social studies, and Annie McGrew placed fifth in arts and humanities.

Max Meckes has shown he can get it done on any field he plays on. But he is also succeeding in the classroom as the Danville senior has been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-South Region Team, the fifth Danville player in the last four years to earn this honor. He was also named an outstanding senior by the NSCAA. “It’s just real exciting. It’s just a real nice honor,” said Meckes, who said it has been tough to juggle his five sports and a tough academic slate.