Organic Garden + Research Paper + Birmingham Southern College + Birmingham Barons = A Thursday with H.A.S.S.

Ashley sneaks up on Mantricia with a tickling tool

Exposure. If we could summarize our mission by using only a few select words, exposure would undoubtedly be on the list. H.A.S.S. strives to expose its students to the wide array of opportunities they have during both their secondary and post-secondary education. Yesterday Indian Springs School (ISS) exposed our students to the world of sustainable agriculture by means of its organic garden. Mr. Pollard, a Biology teacher at ISS, led the H.A.S.S. students through the organic garden teaching them along the way. Students could not keep themselves from posing lots of questions about the garden and Mr. Pollard’s work at ISS. In fact, we now have a new activity for next week: a visit to the ISS lab to see the snakes, spiders, fish, and other critters Mr. Pollard might have crawling around the building.

H.A.S.S. students discussing the various beetles in the garden with Mr. Pollard

After our morning in the garden, the students headed to the computer lab to work on their research papers for the next hour and thirty minutes. In order to ensure the students remain interested in the paper, the scholars are independently picking their topics. For example, Va’Shondria Ward is researching the relationship between being sexual abused as a child and developing into a rapist in adulthood. The students will present their research next week at the closing of the summer school.

H.A.S.S. on a tour at Birmingham Southern College

The BSC tour had a great Q&A session for the students

In the afternoon, H.A.S.S. made a trip to Birmingham Southern College (BSC) where the students fulfilled the tour guide’s “must ask a minimum of 3 questions per tour” requirement before we even left the Admissions’ back yard. The tour was absolutely splendid, and the students were already comparing BSC to their previous tour at Samford. They are already thinking over the various factors that will determine their choice of college. Our students are without a doubt college bound!

Curtisha, Krisshandra, and Va'Shondria enjoy the Barons game

If you thought the day was over after the BSC tour, you were wrong. With the help of Julie Ellis at Christian & Small and Jonathan Nelson and Shawn Pharo of the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team, all 15 H.A.S.S. students were able to enjoy a SURPRISE evening at Regions Park to watch the Birmingham Barons defeat the Tennessee Smokies. For many of our students this was their first time attending a professional sporting event! Thank you so much to the individuals that made this outing happen. This summer school is a group effort; thank you to everyone who has provided us with support thus far.