Battle Ground Academy’s Monthly

By Anna Sgarbi

Dear Echo Reader,

As many of you may know, these past two months have been filled with activities, fun, and interesting things. If you are in any of Ms. Handelsman’s English classes, then you should know what “The Top 10 Things You Need to Know Today” by The Week is. For those who don’t know, it is a daily newsletter sent every morning letting you know what happened the previous day. Now, this newsletter sparked me to start Battle Ground Academy’s very own version. While it won’t be daily, it will still include important news or activities around campus. Without further ado, here’s the very first edition of Battle Ground Academy’s “Top 5 Things You Need to Know that Happened this Month”.

1. Snow Week

• That’s right, Tennessee for the second year in a row received its delayed “White Christmas.” In January, BGA students, like many other schools, received a blessing from Mother Nature–-school was canceled for almost a week. Aside from the Zoom day on Friday, BGA students enjoyed the week of relaxing or playing in the snow. While this was shocking, as it is the state of Tennessee, many students enjoyed the break. Icy roads making driving hazardous allowed students an excuse to remain in their houses all day without having to worry about school.

2. Stink Bomb

• It’s safe to say that I did not expect a stink bomb to fall on the very first edition of Battle Ground Academy’s Monthly. While I was personally not there for the event, the tale, as I was told, was very interesting. One afternoon, a student entered the boys’ bathroom in Bragg Hall and decided that it would be a funny idea to throw a stink bomb. For people who don’t know what a stink bomb is, it is a device that can be used to spread an unpleasant smell in an area. However, the device used was so pungent that by the end of class, every student was covering their noses from the unpleasant smell.

3. AP English Competition

• Stress levels of AP English juniors and seniors have finally been lowered as Ms. Handelsman’s book competition has come to an end. For a little over a month, all of Ms. Handelsman’s AP classes competed in a rigorous reading check competition over their assigned books. The winning class would win a dinner at her house. Therefore, stakes were high. All of the classes started strong; however, as weeks went by, some dropped in ranking, some rose in ranking, and some completely fell out of the competition. It all came down to the very last reading quiz. The seniors in A period were in the lead until the very last reading quiz when Ms. Handelsman’s junior class, E period, seized the chance to steal the entire competition. While the other classes were disappointed, everyone was happy that the stress had ended. To this day, E period is still celebrating their win as the invitations for Ms. Handelsman’s infamous dinner have been sent, and students can’t wait to celebrate their achievements all together over delicious food. 

4. Artist Guild

• So many talented students were showcased at Artist Guild Night at the very end of January. Students displayed art pieces and poems and performed music and plays in front of BGA faculty, family, and peers. If you did not get to see this year’s Artist Guild performance, I would recommend you go see next year’s. For example, some art pieces left me speechless, such as ones from Jimin Lee. Fine arts students contribute so much to our BGA community, and supporting Artist Guild is a wonderful way to support the students who have spectacular talents outside of sports in the BGA community. 

5. BGA Hires Bobby Bentley as Head Football Coach

• Football team members are ready to train, and this coaching change has sparked high hopes for next year. Having an abundance of experience in football, the new coaching staff will be welcomed with open arms. Football is a big part of BGA, especially in the fall, and although football season seems far away, many are counting down the days until the bright lights are turned on again and fans gather in Guffey-Brown Stadium to cheer the Wildcats on.