This week students are involved in Gateway and End-of-Course tests. As always, the importance of students’ being present and doing their best cannot be overemphasized.

After Gateway and End-of-Course tests, some students still face taking the final exams. The final exam schedule will be as follows: Friday, December 15, Block 1, 8:00-9:35; Block 2, 9:50-11:20; and Monday, December 18, Block 3, 8:00-9:35; Block 4, 9:50 - 11:20.

Students who are exempt from any of their exams do not have to be at school for those blocks of time. The exam exemption guidelines are on page 6 of the Lincoln County High Student Handbook. The teachers will notify students who are exempt. Students who are not exempt may leave after their exams. Bus riders and students who choose not to leave will be provided a place to stay at school.

Students will be given a parent memo explaining the exam schedule. This memo must be signed by parents and returned to school. Absences on December 13 and 14 will count in determining a student’s exam exemption status.

Scholarship information this week includes the following:

Three scholarships were announced for students who plan to attend career/technical schools. Guidelines and applications for a scholarship to Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville are available in guidance. The deadline is January 3, 2007. Nashville Auto-Diesel College (NADC) offers a $1,000 scholarship for each high school in Tennessee. Students who plan to attend to attend NADC can get an application in guidance. The deadline is January 5, 2007. A committee will choose the winner from the applicants. Imagine America Scholarships are available online at www.imagine-america.org. Requirements include a 2.5 grade-point average (GPA) and a definite commitment to a specific school and program of study at a career/technical school. Guidelines for applying are in guidance. Three will be awarded for Lincoln County High students.

The Ford Motor Company and our local Landers McLarty Ford dealership have teamed up to provide two $1,000 scholarships to be awarded to two local Future Farmers of America (FFA) members. Applications are available in guidance or may be downloaded at www.ffa.org/programs/scholarships. The deadline is February 15, 2007.

The Tullahoma Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers has announced its annual $1,500 scholarship for a senior who plans to enroll in an engineering program. Among the requirements are an overall ACT of 26 and an ACT of 28 in mathematics. The deadline is January 9, 2007.

The WHNT Channel Tools for Schools Scholarship is available in guidance. The deadline is December 18, 2006. The application must be mailed by the student to WHNT or carried to the station by that date.

The Tennessee Burglar and Fire Alarm Association Scholarship is available in guidance for seniors who have been accepted by an accredited college or university and who have a parent or guardian who is a full-time employee of a police, sheriff, or fire department in Tennessee. The deadline is March 1, 2007.

The Tennessee Manfactured Housing Association is providing the Stan and Thelma Plumlee Scholarship for students who live in a manufactured home or have a relative working in the industry. Applications are available in guidance or at www.tnmha.net. Deadline is March 15, 2007.

Austin Peay State University scholarship deadline is February 1. Scholarship information for Austin Peay is in guidance.

Applications for the Department of Defense sponsored summer Science and Engineering Program (SEAP) and its sequel, The College Apprentice Program (CAP-SQL), are available in guidance. Redstone Arsenal participates in the mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and engineering programs. The application must be postmarked by Wednesday, January 31, 2007.

The attendance review committee will meet on Wednesday, December 13, at 3:15 p.m. to discuss attendance appeals. This meeting is for any student who has missed 15 or more days this semester. The rule, as stated in the handbook on page 11, is that a student will not receive credit in a class with 15 or more absences without apppeal board approval. Students must provide proper excuses for absences and bring a parent or guardian. Students must sign up in Coach Thompson’s office by Friday, December 8, to be placed on the agenda for the meeting.