Turrentine Middle School
| Turrentine Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1710 Edgewood Avenue Burlington, North Carolina, 27215 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Established | 1961 |
| Principal | John Swijkowski (2007-present) |
| Grades | 6th grade - 8th grade |
| Number of students | approx. 1050 |
| Schedule type | block |
| Schedule | 4 block, 2 elective |
| Color(s) | Green and White |
| Athletics conference | ABSS |
| Mascot | Troy Trojan |
| Website | tum.abss.k12.nc.us |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Turrentine Middle School one of 6 middle schools in the Alamance-Burlington School System. The school was named after William Holt Turrentine who was the operator of the train that took Joe Johnston to Durham for his surrender to William Sherman in 1865. The school has approximately 900 students and around 75 faculty members. Currently, staff members including NC history teacher Allen Wolff are creating a book about the history of the school. The school is located on 1710 Edgewood Avenue in Burlington, NC.
[edit] Facilities
Turrentine is a unique 2-story building. The original building was built in 1961 and the newest wing was added in 2005. The gym is the smallest in the county and locker rooms are adjacent to the hall next to the gym. The opposite hall is the music hall containing the music classes. Unique ramps connect the outside of the structure to avoid traffic outside the front lobby and the office. The main hall houses the Guidance offices, the cafeteria, the teacher's lounge, the library, and the EC classes. Lockers are provided for students to keep materials in during school. The entire roof was replaced during the 06-07 school year.
[edit] Academics
Turrentine consists of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The grades are divided into 3 "teams" each and each team contains 3 or 4 teachers. The core classes are Math or Algebra 1, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies or NC History. The school day is divided into 4 1-hour blocks, 2 45-minute elective classes, and a half hour lunch period. The elective classes consists of Business Skills, Technology, Musical Appreciation, and Art. These courses last half for a whole semester. The year-long Fine Arts classes they offer are Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and Expanded Art. Expanded Art and Chorus are based through a selection process. the musical fine arts classes perform concerts and all of the fine arts classes compete in competitions. Turrentine also has NC's Academically Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program that puts students in advanced classes such as Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Some students every year get to accelerate their math classes and have the opportunity to take Geometry and Algebra 2 before they get out of Middle School. After 3 years at Turrentine, students go to high school at Walter M. Williams High School.
[edit] Traditions
Turrentine has many traditions that take place over the course of the school year. The 6th grade hosts an annual Greek Museum which complies with their Ancient Greece unit in language arts and social studies and News 14 Carolina came to feature the event in the evening news. Every 4 years the 8th grade has a candidate forum which invites candidates running for office in upcoming elections to come and speak to the students. Notable politicians that made an appearance where Elizabeth Dole and Howard Coble. This event was also featured in News 14 Carolina complete with student interviews. The 8th grade also has a career fair which displays the different jobs that are available to middle school students in the near future. Toward the end of the year, the 8th grade has the annual picnic which takes the students off campus for a day of activities and social time. Each grade has its awards ceremony which recognizes the student body's accomplishments throughout the year. The athletics department is one of the rising athletic middle schools in the state evidenced by an undefeated 2009 football season after going 4-14 the previous three years. The team was led by Quarterback Christian Miles Runninback/linebacker Rahiem Robinson- Jaffar fullback/linebacker Jaylin Jeffries Wide Receiver/Safety Jameion Harvey
[edit] Demographics
White: 49% Black: 34% Hispanics: 13% Asians: 4%
