Warren Central and Vicksburg junior high students gathered together to fly kites for the Scholastic Academy’s first project of the new school year Friday.
Holly Blackwell, an 8th-grade VJHS teacher, said that Scholastic Academy students are very driven to succeed. The teachers who head the Scholastic Academy had the students get together and split into groups of four to five students and work together to build a kite out of miscellaneous materials such as newspaper, plastic bags, magazines and string.
“The weather was great and it’s a good welcome-back for the kids to get together and converse,” Blackwell said.
Scholastic Academy is for students that like to be challenged and who want to work hard, Blackwell said.
“They want to succeed, they want to excel and refuse to give up,” Blackwell said. The Academy is available to 7th- and 8th-graders. April Green, an 8th-grade science teacher at VJHS said they are hoping to expand the program to high school students, 5th- and 6th-graders, and some elementary students. When the program was initially started, Green said that parents were worried the program would not do anything significant to enhance their children’s learning experience.
“The proof is in the numbers,” Green said. She said the student’s state test scores are higher, and they want to achieve success.

“I think Scholastic Academy is for people who score higher.” VJHS 8th-grader Peyton Martin, 13, said. “It gives people a chance to have a better education,” he said.
“We are a project based learning curriculum.” Blackwell said. “The students learn by doing.”
“I’m excited about doing the projects,” said WCJH 7th-grader Nicholas Raffield, 12,
However, he added, he is not looking forward to tests.
Martin said he likes the break from regular academic work that Scholastic Academy gives him.
“I get bored doing normal schoolwork, and then my grades drop,” Martin said. “And I think that’s true for everyone.”
Blackwell said that she expects to see students becoming more-well rounded, and “global-thinking” after participating in the Scholastic Academy.
“I hope to see very successful students,” Blackwell said.
She wants them to be able to understand that there is not just one way to achieve the right answer when facing a problem.
Green said, we are just ecstatic t have the opportunity to implement this program.”