Barret Traditional Middle School

Barret Traditional Middle School (BTMS) is a magnet middle school in the Crescent Hill community of Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is located within the Jefferson County Public Schools district. It contains grades 6-8 and holds about 600 students. It has a distinguished band, orchestra, and choir program. The school has a strict dress code detailing color and style of clothing, jewelry, and hair length, color, and style.

Barret’s scores on the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) were the highest of all middle schools in the district and among the highest of all middle schools in Kentucky. It feeds into Louisville Male High School and Butler Traditional High School.

History

The school was originally Alex G. Barret Junior High School and built in 1930 by the Louisville Board of Education. In 1975, Louisville Public Schools and the Jefferson County Public Schools merged and the school was renovated and named Barret Middle School. Barret Middle School was officially closed in the summer of 1986 and re-opened as Barret Traditional Middle School.

Traditional school

According to BTMS, a "traditional school" is dedicated to scholarship, patriotism, courtesy, respect, responsibility, and citizenship. Some of the goals of a traditional school are for students to achieve "the highest possible competence in fundamental skills", in citizenship, and in moral and spiritual values; be responsible for personal behavior; and to embrace a spirit of individual achievement and competition. TTW

Extra-curricular activities

Students Are Involved Learners (SAIL): All Barret students are required to be members of SAIL and work to achieve their personal best. Upon assuming a leadership position or joining any of the following clubs, they become an active member of SAIL.

Clubs

*Technology Student Association (TSA): Students use computer graphics, speeches, and video presentations for demonstrating problem solving in engineering and compete at local state, and national levels in the technology areas they study in "Technology Education I". Students are selected based on demonstrated interest in this field.
*Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP)
*Quick Recall: Students are chosen to participate in the Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams and compete against other district schools in academic challenges.
*Written Assessment Team: Students are chosen for Science, Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies Written Assessment competitions from written tests and teacher recommendations and compete in various academic areas by writing exams.
*Future Problem Solvers: Students learn to work together in a team and brainstorm solutions to a given socio-economic problem and present their best one. Teams compete against other district schools for championship titles and trophies.
*Fellowship of Christians Athletes: All students may join even if they are neither Christian nor athletic and meet for discussions, motivational speakers, and films about teen issues.
*Beta Club: Beta Club is a national service club and members work volunteer hours and help with service projects. Eligibility for membership is based on grades.
*Environmental Team: Members work on various environment projects on campus and in the community and on a collaborative project with TSA/ STLP.
*Clothes Closet: This TSA/STLP, student-led project sells used school uniforms.
*School To Career: Students work in areas such as the Barret bookstore to gain career life skills.
*Book Club: Student-led club for literary conversation on chosen books.
*Chess Team: Members learn and practice chess skills and compete with other district teams.
*Yearbook: Members extend and use their technology skill to create the Barret yearbook.

Athletics

BTMS has teams and clinics in dance, cheerleading, girls' and boys' basketball, cross country running, track, tennis, junior varsity and varsity soccer, lacrosse, and bowling.

References

* Jefferson County Public Schools (2004). [http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Middle/barret.html Barret Traditional Middle School] . Retrieved July 2, 2005.
* Kentucky Department of Education (2004). [http://apps.kde.state.ky.us/secure_cats_reports_04/ 2004 Kentucky Performance Reports and No Child Left Behind Results] . Retrieved July 2, 2005.
* Barret Traditional Middle School. [http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Middle/Barret/index.html Barret Traditional Middle School] . Retrieved July 2, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Middle/Barret/index.html Barret Traditional Middle School]
* [http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us Jefferson County Public Schools]
* [http://www.betaclub.org The National Beta Club]