Changing “Shamrock Middle School” to “Druid Hills Middle School”
Decatur Metro | October 7, 2010From Ms. Lisa Gordon – Co President of Shamrock Middle Schools PTA (via Clairmont Heights Civic Association)…
There is a proposal to evaluate a name change for Shamrock Middle School (SMS) to change it to Druid Hills MS (DHMS) to acknowledge that in 2004 SMS became a single feeder to Druid Hills High School (DHHS) which significantly strengthened the relationship between the two schools in academics and athletics; that in 2008 SMS followed the lead of DHHS and became an International Baccalaureate school; that several SMS sports teams are already named after DHHS and wear red-and-black and part of the MS is already painted in DHHS colors such as the dugout behind the school; and that this follows the naming convention of 11 of the other 18 middle schools in the County which are named after their high schools. The proposed name change is expected to increase school spirit and enhance and clarify the relationship between the two schools .
More info about the proposed change can be found on the Clairmont Heights website.
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I can see the logic and if it helps school spirit, then great. However, it makes me so sad since I went to Shamrock High School. I suppose this is what getting older is all about. *sigh*
Yeah, I went to Shamrock too, and I started to be upset about this before realizing that I don’t actually care. The “Druid Hills” name does seem a little weird, though, since it’s nowhere near (and nothing like) the Druid Hills neighborhood. But hey, whatever.
Funny – that was my thought process, too. “Hey, they can’t….aw, who cares?” But this might be a good excuse for an all classes reunion. Hmmm….
Ok, I think Emily Post or Ms. Manners or someone has to put their foot down here. The building formerly known as Shamrock Middle is not in Druid Hills. Not even close. Renfroe is closer to Druid Hills than is Shamrock. Hence designating Shamrock as Druid Hills M.S. is somewhere between confusing, silly, and deceptive. Schools should be named after geographic entities IF and ONLY IF they actually exist within that geographic entity.
This would be like changing the name of Decatur High School to Oakhurst High School or the name of Fifth Avenue to Great Lakes. It just wouldn’t make sense.
I’m glad that CSD is sensible about its names.
I still think we should bid out naming rights of 5th Ave to the highest corporate bidder.
They did. This is where the name came from:
http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/fifthavenue.asp
Ha! Delicious!
Didn’t I see on this blog that CSD told you that the name was staying the same? I liked the idea of letting the new school community decide. In which case, if the kids’ vote counts, it would definitely be Bulldog Academy because “bulldogs” is what kids in Decatur always seem to vote for.
Indeed you did, but that can’t stop me from “thinking”!
But it is very close to North Druid Hills Road, right.
Excellent point. North Druid Hills M.S. would be an excellent and appropriate name. It would have the link to Druid Hills H.S. without being inaccurate.
Well (dusting off hands on apron), I guess I’ve solved that one for Dekalb County Schools.
Or, they could spend the money on other things, like, I don’t know, educating the students.
This is the DeKalb County BOE.
Ha! Good point!
Everybody knows that the Druids picked Shamrocks for good luck.
Market Square at North Dekalb Mall Middle School.
Jeff, that cracked me up. Thanks
Does anyone have an opinion of Shamrock? Is it a good school? Do a lot of people take their kids to private after Fernback or Oakhurst?
Shamrock is a fine school. Maybe I’m biased since I teach there, but we have very few problems and have made AYP all but one year a couple of years back.
As for the name change, it coincides with a planned renovation, so little extra cost will be involved. Most of the faculty that I have spoken with support the name change, as do I.
I do not like the North Druid Hills Middle idea. Too many people already call the high school “North Druid Hills”, which drives people nuts, and this would only add to the problem.
Oakhurst Elementary doesn’t feed into Shamrock Middle, it feeds into Decatur’s 4/5 Academy and the Renfroe Middle School.
Good one No Surprise. And Jeff.