Capers Middle School

By Alvin Allen and Stephanie King

Time will tell . . .
Two friends, two different viewpoints, one crisis!
What has Meagan gotten herself into? Meanwhile, no one knows JJs whereabouts, and Meagan continues to struggle with the decision she made that changed everyones life, including hers. Does the community forgive and forget or retaliate on behalf of JJ?
The struggle to retain great teachers at The Triangle continues. Did Mr. Allen, Ms. Simpson, and Ms. Jennings lose faith in the system and abandon ship? Will the lack of resources, students behavior, or social issues outside of the school overtake their passion for teaching? Life has challenges and test, and the question lies to whether or not the teacher and students are willing to push through adversities or just throw in the towel and exist without a purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496944603

Alvin Allen

Alvin Allen, has 18 years of experience in the field of education. During his earlier educational travels, he was a middle school and high school teacher, a STEAM coordinator, and district math consultant. Currently, he serves as a Career and Technology Education Consultant for a school district in Columbia, SC. Other notable achievements of Alvin are his degree in Educational Technology from Webster University, serving as teacher of the year twice during his career, and recipient of the Instructional Technology Spotlight Award. Also, he had a 100% passing rate on the South Carolina Algebra 1 EOC for 7 years at three different inner city schools. In his spare time, Alvin has self-published a trilogy of books Capers Middle School, Capers Middle School II: The Saga Continues, and Capers Middle School III: Life Is Not a Fairytale. The trilogy focuses on building relationships with students and the pressures students are faced with in school. He is also the cofounder of an educational consulting company called iLEGACY (Integrating and Leading Educators in Grooming and Cultivating Youth). Alvin feels that all students deserve the opportunity to learn. He goes by the motto, “Hardwork is the Key to Success!!!!”. Alva White, has 24 years of experience in the field of education. She has served as a middle school teacher, curriculum resource teacher, and currently a math consultant for a school district in Columbia, SC. With a BS in Mathematics from Benedict College, a Masters of Education in Divergent Learning from Columbia College, and her experience with overseeing a youth program for girls, the Betty Shabazz Delta Academy Program, for her chapter, Columbia (SC) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she always finds herself living life’s lessons while impacting learning for others. Alva has also served the mathematics education profession as an officer and board member for SCCTM (South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and SCLME (South Carolina Leaders of Mathematics Education). Alva was the 2019 recipient of the SCCTM Outstanding Contribution to Mathematics Education Award. Her love is to share her knowledge of math with others, students and teachers alike. She truly believes that “Knowledge is POWER.”

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© 2014 ALVIN ALLEN AND STEPHANIE KING. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/07/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4461-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4460-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014917976

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

The Triangle

Introduction

Chapter 1 What is Awaiting Us?

Chapter 2 The First Day

Chapter 3 After School

Chapter 4 The Saga Continues

Chapter 5 Is Our Friend in Trouble?

Chapter 6 The Aftermath

Appendix

About the Authors

This book is dedicated to my little princess, Allison Allen.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I give thanks to God Almighty because through him all things are possible. I also thank iLegacy Consultants for providing many of the strategies in this book. Another thanks goes to my family, friends, loved ones, and coworkers who supported me through the entire book-writing process.

Giving honor to the MAN above for giving Alvin Allen (my fellow educator friend) a vision and allowing that vision to include me tapping into talents I realized weren’t being utilized to their fullest potential. I am thankful for the people in my life who continue to encourage me to explore the unknown. We must P.U.S.H. through all tests and remember at the end lies a beautiful testimony. Keep pushing my fellow educators. Our future needs us.

THE TRIANGLE

I walk up to the building that once was the best school in Atlanta. As I approach the chipped and broken brick steps, I hear my heart beating louder and louder and my mind saying, " No! Don’t go! The windows look gloomy, like a dark sky. They remind me of dungeon windows out of the Dark Ages.

I am here. My nightmare has come true. It’s time for me to enter another world. The door opens to the school, and the hallways look like pathways to dark quarters in a dungeon.

I finally have to face my greatest fear: being trapped in an unfamiliar place where no one can hear my screams and cries.

As I move through the halls, teachers are crying and students are laughing.

There is a loud screeching sound as the doors to the entrance slam shut. I can feel my heart pounding. It’s beating out of my chest. The bell rings, and I feel someone grab my shoulder. But I’m scared to turn around.

Ring ring ring. My alarm goes off. It’s just a dream.

INTRODUCTION

A s we all know, middle school can be a fun-filled, exciting, and interesting new start for both teachers and students. But it can also be difficult. This book explores the first nine weeks of life in a middle school year. It follows two young people who are transformed as they discover who they are. Friendships are tested, relationships are explored, and everyone learns who they are as individuals and internalizes it.

Through the experiences of Megan Hemingly, an eighth-grader and newcomer to Capers Middle School; Ernest Wilson, an athlete with brains; and their content-area teachers, who are dealing with their own experiences, we are reminded of the struggles of growing up and why teaching is a gift. We also are able to identify with the characters’ struggles and victories as they maneuver the triumphs and obstacles in their middle school years.

Throughout the book are several strategies for first-year teachers. Templates for some of the italicized strategies are in the appendix.

Capers Middle School, formerly known as one of the most prominent public schools in the Atlanta area, continues to face trials and tribulations. Once known for its