Cuffe Student Creed
I AM a student seeking to be a scholar.
The standard is excellence, today and tomorrow.
I AM disciplined. focused, and on-time.
I AM organized, respectful and responsible.
I AM on a mission to elevate myself,
My community, and
Humanity.
By Chike Akua
drawing by Nathaniel McCoy from The Missing Tooth
Paul Cuffe MST Academy
Code of Affirmation
I am a student of Paul Cuffe MST Academy
I honor and respect my parents, my teachers,
my classmates and myself.
I accept responsibility for all my behavior;
I am learning to set goals for my life.
I come to school with a clean body and
appropriate uniform;
I come to school with an open mind and
willingness to learn;
I come to school to listen and participate
so that I may become a well-informed, well-read, well-rounded, learned citizen of the world.
Author Unknown
Click to watch video clips of By The People: The Election of Barack Obama
The President's Message to Students
President Obama spoke to students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, and all over America on the importance of taking responsibility for their success in school. In his remarks he spoke of difficulties in his own childhood, and recounted the stories of others who overcame hardships in their youth yet went on to graduate from high school, college, or become physicians. He said, "We can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed." Click here for Teacher Resources.
The Pledge of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The Pledge of Allegiance was first published in 1892 in The Youth's Companion magazine in Boston, Massachusetts to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It was first used in public schools to celebrate Columbus Day on October 12, 1892. The Pledge received official recognition by Congress as an Act approved on June 22, 1942. The phrase "under God" was added to the Pledge by a Congressional act approved on June 14, 1954.
A controversy arose concerning the authorship of the Pledge of 1892. Claims were made on behalf of both James B. Upham, one of the editors of The Youth's Companion, and Francis Bellamy, an assistant editor. In 1939, a committee of the U.S. Flag Association ruled in favor of Bellamy, and a detailed report issued by the U.S. Library of Congress in 1957 supported the committee's ruling.
The United States Code (4USC4) states that when delivering the Pledge of Allegiance, all must be standing at attention, facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. It also states that men not in uniform should remove any nonreligious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
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Lift Every Voice and Sing
Music: John R. Johnson (1873-1954)
Words: James Weldon Johnson, (1871-1938)
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Poet James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was written in 1900 for a Lincoln birthday celebration at the segregated Stanton School in Johnson's native Jacksonville, Florida. The song became immensely popular and was passed on among students throughout the South. About 20 years later, the NAACP adopted it as the "Negro National Hymn."
United States of America National Anthem:
Star Spangled Banner
Oh, say can you see,
By the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
O, say, does that
Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. Key, a 35-year-old amateur poet, wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry"[1] after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland by British ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.
The poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a London social club. "The Anacreontic Song" was already popular in the United States and set to various lyrics. Set to Key's poem and renamed, "The Star-Spangled Banner" would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O thus be it ever when free men shall stand ...") added on more formal occasions.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a Congressional resolution on March 3rd 1931.
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Student Responsibilities
Students should:
:: obey school rules.
:: respect the individual rights of fellow students, school personnel and others.
:: avoid abusive, threatening, and obscene language in verbal and written expression.
:: dress appropriately; practice habits of personal cleanliness.
:: be punctual and regular in attendance.
:: refrain from conduct or behavior that disrupts the educational process.
:: attain the best possible level of academic achievement.
:: respect the authority of school personnel both in the school and at school-sponsored
activities.
:: respect school property and the property of the community.
Students, don't forget to:
• Take down your assignments correctly.
• Bring your books, papers, worksheets and necessary materials home with you.
• Do all of the reading assigned.
• Find a quiet, well-lit place to study.
• Don't wait until the last minute to start homework or big school projects.
• Try your best.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• Always do your own work; that's the only way to gain knowledge and
understanding of all you need to know to do well in school.
You can do it! We are here to help.
Homework Assistance For assistance with homework questions, call "NBC - 5 Homework Hotline" at: 312-645-5555 between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. or watch the "CPS Homework Show" Chicago Television Station Channel 23 UHF (without cable) Monday-Friday 3:30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Countdown
COUNTDOWN (on CAN-TV, Channel 21, Thursdays 7pm) is a challenging interactive television math program. COUNTDOWN makes math “work”. Each week the program introduces a different math concept through direct instruction and reinforces lessons with literature, manipulatives, activities and related computer instruction. Student viewers are encouraged to call a televised phone number to participate in the show by responding to challenges presented by the on-air educators.
GEARUP CHICAGO
The Chicago GEAR UP Alliance was developed to ensure substantial improvement at the school level by providing service and assistance to students, teachers, parents and schools. Through the collaboration of the multiple partners, resources, activities and services are developed and shared across a network of schools.