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San Antonio School District's Harris Middle School selected national *Middle School of the Year*

Harris Middle School is being recognized for its students* efforts to improve their community's quality of life. This summer Harris Middle School has received the National Youth Crime Watch of America Casey Award presented during the international conference in Ogden, Utah. This award is given to those individuals or organizations that offer examples of leadership, allocation of resources, and support in student or youth crime prevention programs and plans. Harris Middle School, part of the San Antonio Schools, was the only middle school in the US to receive this honor. Harris Middle School was chosen for its students* tremendous efforts in improvement of its campus and community. This was accomplished by programs that focused on conflict resolution, theft prevention, street clean-ups, and smoking and drug awareness programs. This has resulted in the Harris Middle School being one of the safest, friendliest, and positive school environments in the state. Students are active participants in the Peer Assistance Leadership group and the Peer Mediators, these groups teach understanding and conflict resolution strategies. Harris Middle School was also a past recipient of the San Antonio Bar Foundation's Peacemaker Award, which chooses safe schools throughout the San Antonio School District.

Brackenridge High School Recognized in National Award

Brackenridge High School received honorable mention as one of nine finalists nationwide for the College Board's Inspiration Award, which recognizes the country's most improved high schools. A College Board representative facilitated a panel discussion with school administrators, staff, students, and parents. The representative was especially interested in hearing from students. Approximately 20 students were part of the discussion. The representative visited classrooms following the panel forum. The information that was collected at Brackenridge was taken to judges in New York, where they reviewed all nine finalists. The Award recognizes high schools that maintain AP or International Baccalaureate programs despite the difficulties at the school.

Special Functions in the San Antonio Schools this Summer

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) will hold a *Summer Academy CSI* from 8 a.m. to noon at eight high schools in the San Antonio School District. This program will focus on the application and value of science in forensic investigation. Students will be able to participate in solving mock crimes. The students will uses skills they learn in the program. Using their powers of observation, analytical skills and advanced scientific technology to uncover the most minuscule evidence, students will attempt to solve the crimes. Based on the popular CSI television programs, this adventure for 6th-graders combines science, math and language arts, resulting in a learning experience as fun as it is enlightening. *Summer Academy CSI* is part of, designed to help the class of 2012 be prepared for success in college and beyond.

The *Christopher Columbus and the Americas* program will be offered at two San Antonio School District middle schools from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students will discover all aspects of what the New World was like at the time the famed explorer first landed on its shores, including its culture, history, geography, and myths. By integrating social studies and language arts, the course also examines the impact of the resulting *Colombian Exchange* through which Native Americans and Europeans introduced to each other a variety of different animals, concepts, crops, foods, and materials.