• Don’t forget to send us photos showing off your “I voted” stickers. With only 15 days left in the election we’d like to highlight everyone in the Mac community who is getting out to vote, just like teachers Amy Smith and Nikki Northcutt. You can send your pics to us through an Instagram direct message @macjournalism or email them to macjournalism@yahoo.com. Photo courtesy of Smith and Northcutt
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    Don’t forget to send us photos showing off your “I voted” stickers. With only 15 days left in the election we’d like to highlight everyone in the Mac community who is getting out to vote, just like teachers Amy Smith and Nikki Northcutt. You can send your pics to us through an Instagram direct message @macjournalism or email them to macjournalism@yahoo.com. Photo courtesy of Smith and Northcutt
  • MacJournalism is proud to announce our partnership with PBS as an official Student Reporting Lab. Now in over 160 middle and high schools, Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is a national youth journalism program and public media initiative that trains teenagers across the country to produce stories that highlight the achievements, challenges, and reality of today’s youth. SRL creates transformative educational experiences through video journalism that inspire students to find their voice and engage in their communities. The first project our students were asked to complete was a Back to School video diary about returning to school during a pandemic. Four McCallum students, Francie Wilhem, Sophie Beardslee, Lily Hobbs, and Meredith Grotevan (pictured here) will be featured in a live virtual event tomorrow, Tuesday Oct. 20. PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs and WETA's Well Beings are pleased to present Teens, Covid, and Coping: a Youth Mental Health Town Hall, featuring Amna Nawaz, senior national correspondent and primary substitute anchor for the PBS NewsHour and student reporters.   The livestream will feature conversations with teens and health professionals on the most pressing mental health issues young people are struggling with right now. The event is free and open to the public.    LIVE VIRTUAL EVENT: Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. CT Link in bio. Photo by Meredith Grotevan
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    MacJournalism is proud to announce our partnership with PBS as an official Student Reporting Lab. Now in over 160 middle and high schools, Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is a national youth journalism program and public media initiative that trains teenagers across the country to produce stories that highlight the achievements, challenges, and reality of today’s youth. SRL creates transformative educational experiences through video journalism that inspire students to find their voice and engage in their communities. The first project our students were asked to complete was a Back to School video diary about returning to school during a pandemic. Four McCallum students, Francie Wilhem, Sophie Beardslee, Lily Hobbs, and Meredith Grotevan (pictured here) will be featured in a live virtual event tomorrow, Tuesday Oct. 20. PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs and WETA's Well Beings are pleased to present Teens, Covid, and Coping: a Youth Mental Health Town Hall, featuring Amna Nawaz, senior national correspondent and primary substitute anchor for the PBS NewsHour and student reporters.   The livestream will feature conversations with teens and health professionals on the most pressing mental health issues young people are struggling with right now. The event is free and open to the public.    LIVE VIRTUAL EVENT: Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. CT Link in bio. Photo by Meredith Grotevan
  • When @austinisd moved the student holiday to Nov. 3 from Oct. 12, it also caused changes to the Friday schedule for this month and next. This week, Friday is a B Day. Next week, Friday Oct. 30 is an A Day, and the first Friday in November is a B Day.
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    When @austinisd moved the student holiday to Nov. 3 from Oct. 12, it also caused changes to the Friday schedule for this month and next. This week, Friday is a B Day. Next week, Friday Oct. 30 is an A Day, and the first Friday in November is a B Day.
  • To celebrate @ZacEfron's birthday on Sunday, Megan Shieh gathered with her friends, Marley Angle, Matthew Kelly, Pearl Poss and Chance Green, at @amysicecreams, where Shieh also works, to celebrate. Shieh told MacJournalism that Efron was her very first celebrity crush and that the celebration with her friends was both fun and socially distant. #HappyBirthday #ZacEfron
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    To celebrate @ZacEfron's birthday on Sunday, Megan Shieh gathered with her friends, Marley Angle, Matthew Kelly, Pearl Poss and Chance Green, at @amysicecreams, where Shieh also works, to celebrate. Shieh told MacJournalism that Efron was her very first celebrity crush and that the celebration with her friends was both fun and socially distant. #HappyBirthday #ZacEfron
  • The Mac administration expressed its gratitude for the food service team with a celebratory breakfast and gift bags on Thursday morning. “Every day since students have returned, they have provided both a free breakfast as well as a free lunch to anyone who would like them,” @MacFineArts Academy director Heather Ramsay said. “In addition, during this summer, they were very active ensuring that our students were fed as part of the @AustinISD services provided to our community.” In her comments to cafeteria manager Todd Thornburgh and his team, Ramsay thanked the food staff not just for how hard they work but also for how friendly they are in doing it. #dayinthelifeatmac @aisdfoodservice
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    The Mac administration expressed its gratitude for the food service team with a celebratory breakfast and gift bags on Thursday morning. “Every day since students have returned, they have provided both a free breakfast as well as a free lunch to anyone who would like them,” @MacFineArts Academy director Heather Ramsay said. “In addition, during this summer, they were very active ensuring that our students were fed as part of the @AustinISD services provided to our community.” In her comments to cafeteria manager Todd Thornburgh and his team, Ramsay thanked the food staff not just for how hard they work but also for how friendly they are in doing it. #dayinthelifeatmac @aisdfoodservice
  • SPOOK, THERE IT IS: The annual National Art Society Mac Spooktacular costume contest will happen in 2020, but it is going online, which means you not only can win valuable prizes by competing but you just might have your costumed self go VIRAL, so masks ON (not COVID masks this but the masks that go with your costume). May the best Knight or werewolf or Power Girl goblin or Avenger or Ewok or wizard or whatever win. File photo from 2019 by Javier Vela. @mccallumartsociety #costumecontest #spooktacular
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    SPOOK, THERE IT IS: The annual National Art Society Mac Spooktacular costume contest will happen in 2020, but it is going online, which means you not only can win valuable prizes by competing but you just might have your costumed self go VIRAL, so masks ON (not COVID masks this but the masks that go with your costume). May the best Knight or werewolf or Power Girl goblin or Avenger or Ewok or wizard or whatever win. File photo from 2019 by Javier Vela. @mccallumartsociety #costumecontest #spooktacular
  • CROSS COUNTRY HITS ITS STRIDE: The cross country team had quite the outing last Saturday at Jerrell. Despite the heat, the team had its best meet of the year. The girls went out fast and came away with something to show for it. Sydney Safarik placed eighth with a speedy 22:36 and Helena Finos placed 10th, running a 23:10. They both received medals for their performance. Next the boys ran, and went out even faster. Chris Riley spent most of the race at the front and only dropped back towards the latter half of the race. Bodhi Tripathi kept a steady pace the whole race, slowly moving up and picking people off one by one, finally finishing at the front of the pack. Chris finished seventh with a 18:07, and Bodhi came in at fourth, running a 17:24, a personal best. Both the boys and girls teams came in fourth overall. The team originally had the AISD invitational next week, but because of COVID, it was cancelled. Coach Ashton was able to find an impromptu meet this Saturday at Zilker Park, where the team hopes to continue the tear they’ve been on recently. Reporting by Thomas Melina Raab. Photos by Elizabeth McGuire and Kaya Stone. #MACcrosscountry #txhscrosscountry #txhscc #txhsxc
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    CROSS COUNTRY HITS ITS STRIDE: The cross country team had quite the outing last Saturday at Jerrell. Despite the heat, the team had its best meet of the year. The girls went out fast and came away with something to show for it. Sydney Safarik placed eighth with a speedy 22:36 and Helena Finos placed 10th, running a 23:10. They both received medals for their performance. Next the boys ran, and went out even faster. Chris Riley spent most of the race at the front and only dropped back towards the latter half of the race. Bodhi Tripathi kept a steady pace the whole race, slowly moving up and picking people off one by one, finally finishing at the front of the pack. Chris finished seventh with a 18:07, and Bodhi came in at fourth, running a 17:24, a personal best. Both the boys and girls teams came in fourth overall. The team originally had the AISD invitational next week, but because of COVID, it was cancelled. Coach Ashton was able to find an impromptu meet this Saturday at Zilker Park, where the team hopes to continue the tear they’ve been on recently. Reporting by Thomas Melina Raab. Photos by Elizabeth McGuire and Kaya Stone. #MACcrosscountry #txhscrosscountry #txhscc #txhsxc
  • VARSITY KNIGHTS 3, RAPTORS 0 -- Senior outside hitter Sophia Olivares beats the Raptor block with a spike attempt during the varsity volleyball team's straight-set victory over LASA on Tuesday night. The Knights beat the Raptors in three sets, 25-23, 25-9, and 25-16. The game was a bit of history as it was the first varsity athletic contest between Mac and an independent LASA not affiliated with LBJ High School. “I think the game was iffy in the first set, but in the second and third set we really came out swinging and did a lot better,” setter Teasia Cooks said. Team leaders included Preslie Boswell with team highs with 10 kills, five aces, and eight digs. Seniors Bridget Russo and Brienna Martinez both got six digs. Sophia Henderson tallied 14 assists, while Cooks got nine.  The Knights will take on the Raptors again on Nov. 13, but there will be a lot more games until then. The Knights play next at home against Crockett on Friday. Photos by Jolie Gabriel and Kennedy Weatherby. Reporting by Jolie Gabriel. #macvolleyball #KnightTime @mccallumvball #txhsvb #txhsvball #txhsvolleyball
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    VARSITY KNIGHTS 3, RAPTORS 0 -- Senior outside hitter Sophia Olivares beats the Raptor block with a spike attempt during the varsity volleyball team's straight-set victory over LASA on Tuesday night. The Knights beat the Raptors in three sets, 25-23, 25-9, and 25-16. The game was a bit of history as it was the first varsity athletic contest between Mac and an independent LASA not affiliated with LBJ High School. “I think the game was iffy in the first set, but in the second and third set we really came out swinging and did a lot better,” setter Teasia Cooks said. Team leaders included Preslie Boswell with team highs with 10 kills, five aces, and eight digs. Seniors Bridget Russo and Brienna Martinez both got six digs. Sophia Henderson tallied 14 assists, while Cooks got nine.  The Knights will take on the Raptors again on Nov. 13, but there will be a lot more games until then. The Knights play next at home against Crockett on Friday. Photos by Jolie Gabriel and Kennedy Weatherby. Reporting by Jolie Gabriel. #macvolleyball #KnightTime @mccallumvball #txhsvb #txhsvball #txhsvolleyball
  • PETITION IN SUPPORT OF MYERS GOES VIRAL: Ever since AISD teachers were told they would have to return to school on Oct. 5, many teachers have resisted the mandate that they return to campus. The Statesman reported on Oct. 1 that about 850 district teachers pledged not to report to campus for in-person duties because they wished to continue teaching remotely. On Thursday afternoon, McCallum students Marina Garfield and Olivia Navarro started a petition on change.org asserting that teachers should be allowed to choose between in-person teaching and virtual teaching just as students are able to choose. “Our teachers and their families are NOT expendable,” the petition reads, “and they should be given the option to return just as students and their families are.” The petition specifically addresses Mac English teacher and Excalibur literary magazine adviser Daniel Myers who has not reported to campus but has continued to teach his classes remotely because, according to the petition, he wants to reduce the risk of his family contracting COVID-19. The petition, which asserts that Myers should be allowed to teach from home, attracted 700 signatures in its first two hours online. After four hours, it had attracted 2,000 signatures. As of 2 p.m. today, the petition had more than 4,300 signatures. The petition states that while “teachers are allowed to apply for accommodations for themselves … the district does not take into consideration the teacher’s families." Myers has a wife and young daughter at home, and has been using up his sick days so he doesn’t have to go in person and risk exposure to COVID-19. As evidence of the risk that teachers face on campus, the petition cites AISD COVID-19 tracker statistics that reveal that McCallum has had three cases and 93 exposures. In total, the tracker reports that the district has had 32 cases and 374 exposures. “Teachers deserve protection,” Myers wrote in a comment on the petition.  “I stand with teachers.”  He also said he was touched by the support from his current and former students. “You guys are my heart. I feel so strong after reading your words.” Reporting by Anna McClellan. File photo from April 24, 2018.
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    PETITION IN SUPPORT OF MYERS GOES VIRAL: Ever since AISD teachers were told they would have to return to school on Oct. 5, many teachers have resisted the mandate that they return to campus. The Statesman reported on Oct. 1 that about 850 district teachers pledged not to report to campus for in-person duties because they wished to continue teaching remotely. On Thursday afternoon, McCallum students Marina Garfield and Olivia Navarro started a petition on change.org asserting that teachers should be allowed to choose between in-person teaching and virtual teaching just as students are able to choose. “Our teachers and their families are NOT expendable,” the petition reads, “and they should be given the option to return just as students and their families are.” The petition specifically addresses Mac English teacher and Excalibur literary magazine adviser Daniel Myers who has not reported to campus but has continued to teach his classes remotely because, according to the petition, he wants to reduce the risk of his family contracting COVID-19. The petition, which asserts that Myers should be allowed to teach from home, attracted 700 signatures in its first two hours online. After four hours, it had attracted 2,000 signatures. As of 2 p.m. today, the petition had more than 4,300 signatures. The petition states that while “teachers are allowed to apply for accommodations for themselves … the district does not take into consideration the teacher’s families." Myers has a wife and young daughter at home, and has been using up his sick days so he doesn’t have to go in person and risk exposure to COVID-19. As evidence of the risk that teachers face on campus, the petition cites AISD COVID-19 tracker statistics that reveal that McCallum has had three cases and 93 exposures. In total, the tracker reports that the district has had 32 cases and 374 exposures. “Teachers deserve protection,” Myers wrote in a comment on the petition.  “I stand with teachers.”  He also said he was touched by the support from his current and former students. “You guys are my heart. I feel so strong after reading your words.” Reporting by Anna McClellan. File photo from April 24, 2018.