September/October 2017

Volume 1, Issue 1

SPIRIT WEEK AND HOMECOMING

October 16th20th marked this years Sprit Week and Homecoming celebrations.

Inside this issue

Butterfly Spotlight ....................... 2

Are You Stressed? ....................... 2

Parents Corner ........................... 3

Teen Marriage ............................ 3

Protecting Public Schools ............ 4

Teen Parents ............................... 4

Staying in School ......................... 5

Successful People5

Extra!

Quote of the Month

Baby of the Month

Mission and Vision

Journalism Staff
 THE BUTTERFLY SPOTLIGHT By Georia Bingham and Sharon Green
Mrs. Carter King is the new principal of our school. Read to learn more about that we have a lot of opportunities and that we can still do whatever we
her!! want to do in life.

Mrs. Sherita Carter-King was an instructional sup- Some of the things Mrs. Carter-King thought about
port leader at Phoenix Military Academy. Before Simpson was that it was a school that served its
being an instructional support leader she was an purpose. Looking at the data made her think that we
assistant principal at Collins Academy and Chicago needed a boost with our academics so that students
Academy; and before that she was a high school can be college ready.
math teacher.
Mrs. Carter-King enjoys getting to know the stu-
Mrs. Carter-King says she missed working with dents. So far she has been able to have lunches with
students. I really enjoyed being an instructional students, meetings with students about our school
support leader because it allowed me to work with data, and continue the healthy market.
teachers, but I didnt get to have many relation-
I want Simpson to become a level 1+ school, that
ships with the children. So I went back to admin-
graduates all of our young ladies. She wants to
istration. Shes been working for 16 years.
make sure we are successful as a mothers and stu-
She went to Whitney Young High School and Brad- dents.
ley University in Peoria, IL.
Personal Life:
The reason she wanted to become a Simpson principal was because she
Mrs. Carter-King is married with four children. She sings on the praise team,
missed being with the kids but also she wants to make sure we (young
and goes to church every Sunday. She is the churchs accountant, and has a
moms) know that life still goes on, even with a baby. She wants us to know
masters degree in accounting.

I want Simpson to be a Level 1+ school that graduates all of our young ladies.

De-Stressing
Is Stress Getting to You? By Kierionna Jeffries

I think stress is the main reason why many young people today are falling
apart in their lives. The definition of stress is the pressure or tension applies
over an object. There are many things that cause stress. Some of them are
failing a test, too much homework and projects, sports practices, deadlines of
projects, worrying about something.
Reasons for stress can be illness to themselves or the love ones , transferring
schools, deaths , moving a lot , peer pressure, change in different relation-
ships and friendships. Life situations happens everyday and all these can have
an affect on youth lives. The mind absorb some much negatively breakouts
What do you do to de-
occur which are lack of communication, poor focus , unhealthy ways.
stress? Let us know. I think the best way to deal with stress is to either to think positive thoughts
Send your comments or talk to a friend. Some people find meditation, or being out in nature to be
helpful stress-relievers. Sometimes just taking a walk can help. If stress is
to gatueros@cps.edu continuous, young people may also grow to face critical health problems such
and we may publish as heart disease, sleeping problems, depression and obesity. Young people
often deal with different things going on at home and it can be hard to cope
them in an upcoming with violence outside the home, domestic violence , and abuse. Many times,
issue. young people go through so much emotional feelings that build up, and this
can make them think of suicide or harming others. Students should be able to
relax, practice good management skills, and accomplish goals as being young
and learning about life. If youre feeling stressed, please find someone you
2 trust to talk to. While everyone gets stressed sometimes, we have to find
ways to deal with and manage stressful situations.
#MeToo Movement by Jakeria Clay

#Me Too
The #MeToo movement was launched over 10 years ago, by a black
activist, Tarana Burke. Tarana created the Me Too movement to en-
courage every woman who had been a victim of sexual harassment
or assault to step forward.

Recently, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted out, If all women who have
been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote me too as a status we
might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Since
then, millions of women around the world have come forward on
Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets using the #MeToo
hashtag. The hashtag became number three top trending in the
world and number one trending in France. The French government
are pushing to have fines for male offenders. If a man is caught Cat-
calling a female then he may have a fine to pay.

The Me Too movement is raising awareness of just how common

sexual harassment is in our society. How you ever been a victim of
sexual harassment or assault? How do you feel about the Me Too
movement?

Opinion: Teen Marriage by Jakiera Nelson

TEENS should not be able to get married. Marriage is a commitment that some adults
cannot even handle.

Studies have shown that teenage married couples are often less advantageous, may
come from broken homes, may have little education, and work low status jobs in com-
parison with those that marry after adolescence.[1]

48 percent of those who marry before 18 are likely to divorce within 10 years, com-
pared with 24 percent of those who marry after age 25.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can get married with written parental consent. If you
are 15 or younger, you will need both parental consent and the approval of the pro-
bate court depending on state.

Parents shouldn't allow their kids to get married because of the commitment. Mar-
riage is a commitment that unites 2 people and being at a young age you don't really
know who you're marrying that may not be the person you wish to be with the rest of
your life.

DIVORCE is not always an option for many people and religions. So you went and got
married and that's not the person you want to be with and you can't get divorced. You
are stuck with that person for the rest of your life. What happens if youre stuck in a
bad marriage for years and do finally meet the real love of your life? Marriage is a big
step in life. Yes I love the idea of being married, big ceremonies, inviting family and
friends. But just as much as I want to get married I want to wait.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_marriage
www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/teenage-marriage-drops-in_n_123846.html
3
https://www.thespruce.com/legal-age-marriage-laws-by-state-230097
 Protecting Our Public Schools
Fixing Our School System
In the recent past, many schools in Chicago
have been closed down in Chicago due to
poor school performance, and huge declines
in student enrollment. The school closings
were based on Chicago Public Schools being
broke, so they closed a lot of the neighbor-
hood public schools and rebuilt others.. I want
this problem to end. We must rebuild and
make it better.
Some schools in Chicago were closing down
quickly, and had many negative affects on the
neighborhood. Parents and community mem-
bers were angry, which led to protests. Many
students end up failing every year, but there
are many factors that affect student learn-
ing. Poverty, absent parents, ill-equipped
teachers, and lack of school funding are all
part of the problem. This can cause many
teens to end up on the streets, and others
might look up to them and follow in their
footsteps. When education fails to provide for
the students, it can bring them to a conclu-
sion to drop out, especially when they have
no parental support.
I believe we can improve our schools situa-
tions by providing the resources that the
schools and students need to have a better
and more successful learning experience. If
we have more technology in schools, we can
use that to guide and work better with the
students. Teachers and staff members can
make schools a more welcoming place for
those students who need to feel a sense of
belonging and home. Teachers need to build
healthy relationships with students in order
by Abriyonna Gidron-Moore
for students to feel safe. Unfortunately, for
some students, the adults in a school building
might be the only constants in a childs life.
Only when students feel safe and comfortable
can real, meaningful learning take place.
Schools have not been properly funded for
past few decades. Do you know what happens
to children who are not given the resources to
succeed? They drop out of school. They forget
about education. This causes many teens to
end up on the streets. With issues in educa-
tion, a kid can become negatively affected
when they dont have the resources to suc-
ceed.
To improve our schools, we need to invest in
them. First, state funding for schools needs to
be revamped. It is inexcusable to gamble with
our children's futures. Second, we should
include and bring back career and vocational
programs at all high schools. After school
programs that promote STEM and college
should be a focus for every child. Lastly,
teachers are not properly paid to do this job.
But if we offer more scholarships and higher
salaries for this career, This can be solved by
eliminating the whole concept of paying
teachers based off of how well the students
do and pay all teachers fairly.
So I think if we all work together we should
increase proper resources to schools that
need them most into the school, so more
students can become successful, and achieve
their dreams..

Do Children of Teen Parents Become Teen Parents?

by Tamyra Loggins
In my opinion the majority of teen parents have children who also become teen parents. BUT not all
teen parents have children who become teen parents. Studies support my answer. According to the
article, The Costs and Consequences of Teen Childbearing says that Compared to children born to
older mothers (20-21 years old), children born to teen moms are more likely to become teen parents.
According to Teenage Births: Outcomes for Young Parents and their Children The daughters of teen
parents are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves. Now don't get me wrong not all
teen parents have children who become teen parents , some kids don't want to be anything like their
parents. They want to be the total opposite or even better. Im a teen mother and I can take care of
my child just fine so some people are able to do it. Being a child of a teen mom comes with great risks
but we are not limited to any thing other people can do. Though studies support the idea that chil-
dren of teen parents also become teen parents, there are always exceptions, and the future is not
always as bleak as some might suggest.

4
 How to Prevent High School Drop-Out
by Jazmine Moore
Each year, more than a million kids will leave school without earning a high school diploma, that's approximately 7,000 students every
day of the academic year. I believe this situation occurs mostly because some teens my age struggle with a lot of personal things out-
side of school and have so much on their plates at home, which sometimes makes it hard for them to focus more in school. So they
start to think that dropping out will be one less thing to stress about. I also believe some kids drop out because they worry about their
safety to and from school due to all the violence that goes on in the community. In my opinion,

I believe the teenage dropout rate can decrease if teachers come together and try to better understand the reasons for them dropping
out and try to meet them halfway by coming up with solutions, such as, giving them bus fare so they wont have to worry about how
theyre going to make it to school everyday and also for the teens who sometimes dont feel safe walking through their community to
get to school, they should start a program which help kids get to school on time by coming to their home at a certain time to pick them
up for school and to drop them off after school gets out.

Another reason I believe teens have a difficult time finishing school is because some have a hard time understanding the class work so
they start to feel discouraged. Another solution I believe would be helpful to students and will also prevent high school dropouts is
providing each student with their personal tutor, someone who can help them during school and visit their homes twice a week to help
them better understand the work that is given. I feel that this would be a good idea because certain teens have a hard time keeping up
with the other students in their classrooms, and some students do much better in a smaller class than a huge class where the teacher
cant just focus on them. Therefore, If the students who are having a hard time in school can be provided with a tutor thatll make
them feel more comfortable and make them feel like they have someone to go to when they dont understand the work instead of just
taking the easy way which is dropping out.

In Conclusion, I believe every teenager deserves to get an education and be something in life even if they feel like they have a lot on
their plates or even if they feel like they have no one to turn to when theyre getting frustrated with school work. I honestly feel like it
just takes that one teacher/staff to go to the extreme with trying to meet the student halfway, instead of ignoring all the signs of need-
ing educational assistance. School can be hard sometimes but also can be fundamental. Just because youre having a hard time in
school doesnt mean you have to drop out. Theres people in your corner who actually want to see you graduate on time, and achieve
your goals, whether you notice it or not. Dont let one little mistake or the things you got going on at home stop you from being great!
Keep striving for greatness no matter how hard or frustrating some situations might seem, it will all pay off in the end.

Characteristics of Successful People by Annaenese

Haywood
Many people have their own defini-
tion of success. Many think success
is making lots of money or gaining
power and authority but real success
is found in the happiness of the indi-
vidual person. Some of the most
successful people such as Bill Gates,
Walt Disney and Steve Jobs have
their own opinions about success as
well. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Walt
Disney are known in the world as
some of the most successful peo-
ple. They all have different ideas on
what success really looks like. One of
Bill Gates quotes was If you are
born poor, its not your mistakes.
But if you die poor, its your mis-
take. Gates feels that being suc-
cessful means starting at a bottom
point in your life and taking steps to
become something you are proud of.
Steve Jobs also had something to
say. He said, Dont let the noise of
others opinions drown out your
inner voice. Basically, Jobs feels
that successful people are those who
push through everybodys negative
comments. Steve Jobs's and Bill
Gates opinions are somewhat like
the definition in the dictionary which
states that success is the accom-
plishment of an aim or purpose or
goal. I believe success is really meas-
ured by how much of a persons goal
is really completed. How do you de-
fine success?
5
 Quote of the Month Simpson Academy For Young Women
Our Mission: The mission of Simpson Academy is to educate and empower young mothers and
prepare them for success in college, career, and life. Our school offers a competitive academic
standards-based curriculum, as well as wrap-around services focused on parenting, health, and
life-skills education. We tailor our programs to guide students toward success in a 21st century
world.

Our Vision: Simpson Academy for Young Women will be a national model in educating, equip-
ping and empowering teen mothers. Our safe and nurturing environment will be a place where
young mothers, their families, teachers and the community are working collaboratively to bring
about high quality resources, parenting supports and relevant academic learning experiences
necessary in this global society. Our young women will graduate possessing Determination, Re-
spect, Integrity, Vision, and Empathy which will make them more than ready to successfully navi-
gate the requirements of motherhood while also recognizing and achieving their college, career
and life goals.

Visit us on the web at www.simpsonacademy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAYWHS

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimpsonAcadHS or @SimpsonAcadHS

Baby of the Month

If youd like to see your

baby featured in our
newsletter, please send
your childs photo along
with name, age and a
brief description to
Gatueros@cps.edu
Photos are posted on a
first come-first served
Simpson Academy Journalism Staff 2017-2018 basis, so if you dont see
your baby here right
away, dont worry, well
get to them. Thank
Journalism Staff: you!
Georia Bingham
Jakeria Clay
Sharon Green
Annaenese Haywood
Kierionna Jeffries
Tamyra Loggins
Nada McMullen
Jazmine Moore
This is Anthony, baby boy of Jakiera
Abriyonna Moore-Gidron
Jakiera Nelson Nelson. Anthony is 1 and 1/2 years old.
Jennifer Saucedo He loves to dance, take baths, and call
Precious Watts people a mommas boy.
Journalism Advisor: