Senate Concurrent Resolution 697

(As Adopted by Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE MISSION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PINEY WOODS SCHOOL AND CONGRATULATING THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY.

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School, founded in 1909 by Laurence Clifton Jones, is one of only four historically African-American boarding schools left in the United States. Ranked as one of America's top ten boarding schools by U.S. News & World Report, Piney Woods is located 20 miles south of Jackson, Mississippi. A private boarding school, Piney Woods creates a living/learning environment where students are expected to excel. The school provides an atmosphere where academic performance and community service are highly regarded achievements; and

WHEREAS, with thousands of alumni who have come from all over the United States and world, The Piney Woods School has been a hallmark of excellence in its 100-year history. Its alumnae have attended Princeton, Smith, Morehouse, Harvard, Jackson State, Howard, Hampton, Tuskegee, Tougaloo, Spelman, Florida A&M, and many of the country's other outstanding public and private colleges and universities. They have pursued degrees in medicine, law, marketing, education, administration and the arts, and have become leaders in their respective fields; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School recognizes that throughout the United States there are students, especially African-American students, who have the capability to make their lives extraordinary through excellence in education and the development of moral and ethical attitudes but do not have the opportunity to do so for financial or other reasons. The school's mission is to provide that excellence in education within a Christian community through creation of an exceptional academic model which supports the tenet that all students can learn, develop a strong work ethic and lead extraordinary lives through academic achievement and responsible citizenship; and

WHEREAS, Piney Woods is a selective, college-preparatory institution located on 2,000 acres of rural forest land. The grounds are divided in a 60-acre main campus, a 500-acre demonstration farm and over 1,440 acres of managed timberland. Piney Woods was declared an "urban forest" by the Bureau of Land Management; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School accepts students in Grades 9-12 and has a maximum enrollment of 225 students. Roughly one-third of the student population comes from Mississippi. The school is open to students of all racial backgrounds and to both male and female students; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary and Middle Schools and by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. Piney Woods is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools; and

WHEREAS, Piney Woods employs 16 full-time teachers from diverse backgrounds. All are certified professionals, many of whom live on campus and provide additional hours of service to students. The student/teacher ratio is 16:1, allowing for individual guidance to support student learning styles; and

WHEREAS, students live on campus in five newly-renovated dormitories. An on-campus cafeteria provides three full meals each day. Students have access to all campus amenities such as: swimming pool, gymnasium, exercise room, health services, nature trails, 500-acre demonstration farm, computer laboratories, a low-power radio station and a $3 Million library addition; and

WHEREAS, academic activities include The Cotton Blossom Singers (which has received the Governor's Award for Excellence), The Piney Woods School Band, Magnolia Bar Association's Mock Trial Competition (in which Piney Woods' teams have placed 1st and 2nd), Youth Leadership Jackson, International Science & Engineering Fair and the FIRST Robotics Competition. Students may also participate in extracurricular activities that include SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps), Student Ambassadors, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), Student Government Association, 'Nadoes At Work (a community service organization), and FFA (Future Farmers of America). The Piney Woods School becomes the first high school in the nation to partner with AmeriCorps. All 50 seniors serve as AmeriCorps members, providing community service throughout the State of Mississippi in the form of tutoring, after-school programs, programs for the elderly and rebuilding in Katrina-devastated communities. Upon graduation, each senior will have completed 450 hours of service and will receive a $1,250.00 college scholarship; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School has a top-notch athletic program providing statewide competition for teams including basketball (ranked No. 1 in the state for ten weeks during the 2004-2005 school year), tennis, soccer, track-and-field, volleyball, softball and cheerleading; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School has hosted a number of celebrities over the years, including Helen Keller, Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, Melba Moore, Clifton Davis, Coretta Scott King, Tavis Smiley, Steve McNair, Astronauts Mae Jemison and Bernard Harris, Morley Safer, Ambassador Andrew Young, Governor William Winter, Authors Alex Haley and Bebe Moore Campbell, Senators Thad Cochran and John Stennis, and Representatives Carolyn Kilpatrick, Bennie Thompson and Chip Pickering; and

WHEREAS, Reginald T.W. Nichols, Ed.D., assumed the role as President on July 1, 2006, as only the fourth President in the school's illustrious 98-year history. The school's Board of Directors is made up of a diverse group of volunteer professionals from all walks of life and from all over the country. They are led by nationally-known scholar Robert L. Green, Ph.D., who has served as Education Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and is currently Dean and Professor Emeritus of Urban Affairs at Michigan State University. A former Governor, an Army Major General, a movie producer and a nationally-known entrepreneur help comprise the board. The Piney Woods School has an annual budget of $5.9 Million and an endowment of approximately $14.5 Million; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join the Board of Directors of this exceptional academic institution in recognizing the educational achievement and responsible citizenship of its graduates who bring honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the mission and achievements of The Piney Woods School and congratulate the students and faculty on the occasion of their 100th Anniversary, extending our best wishes at this landmark event.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Dr. Reginald Nichols and Kay Garrett, representing The Piney Woods School, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.