Fall 2025 Academic Support Highlights at Calloway-Smith Middle School

This fall at Calloway-Smith Middle School, our Academic Support Program centered on celebrating student achievement, expanding exposure to the arts, and connecting students with future career pathways. From honor roll incentives to hands-on art lessons and immersive exploration of real-world professions, each experience was designed to build confidence, curiosity, and the practical skills students need to thrive during a pivotal stage of their educational journey.

Q1 Honor Roll & Perfect Attendance Celebration

In October, we celebrated Calloway-Smith students who demonstrated impressive academic commitment during the first quarter. Students who achieved A/B Honor Roll (18 students) or perfect attendance (47 students) were honored with a nacho party, certificates of achievement, and a $10 Walmart gift card as an added reward for their hard work. Special thanks to our Order of Fuse members—Cecily Harper, Mallory Sullivan, and Tamekia Cunningham-Abrams—for volunteering at this event and cheering students on.

Incentives like these hold real value for middle schoolers. Research consistently shows that recognizing academic achievement and attendance can significantly improve student motivation, self-esteem, and long-term performance. Celebrating perfect attendance is especially important. When students are present consistently, they are more connected to their school community, more engaged in classroom learning, and more likely to excel academically. For many students, these moments of positive recognition reinforce that their efforts matter and that their school and their community believes in their potential.

After-School Art with Mobile Arts Council & Amp Up Arts

After-School Art continued this semester under the guidance of teaching artist Mrs. CeCe, offered through our ongoing partnership with the Mobile Arts Council and the Amp Up Arts program. Mrs. CeCe brings an energetic, fun, and encouraging presence to the art room, creating a space where students feel comfortable to explore new techniques, take creative risks, build confidence, and express themselves in ways they may not have the opportunity to outside of school.

Art is especially impactful at the middle school level. It strengthens focus, patience, and fine motor skills, while also providing a healthy outlet for emotion and personal expression. It encourages creative problem-solving and gives students the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, and try again, skills that support academic and social-emotional growth.

In September, students explored graffiti-inspired design. They practiced bubble lettering, experimented with layering and color using paint pens, markers, and stickers, and created their own graffiti-style pieces on paper printed with a brick or tile wall background. Once their designs were complete, students sealed their work onto a canvas using Mod Podge. The project allowed them to blend creativity with style and intention, experiencing firsthand how lettering and design can work together to create a bold visual statement.

October shifted toward foundational drawing skills through a progressive sketching activity. Each student received a sketch pad, drawing pencil, and a special blending eraser used for shading and creating soft shadows. For each round of sketching, a single object was placed in the middle of the table, and students had 10 minutes to sketch it from their unique perspective, adding layers of challenge depending on where they were seated. They began with a skull, learning to divide the face into thirds to understand proportion. Next, they moved on to a bongo drum, which required more attention to lines and detail. Their final object was a trophy, adding text and more complex structure to the challenge.

What made this activity particularly special was watching students’ confidence unfold. Many began hesitant, unsure of their abilities, but with each sketch they grew more comfortable, more focused, and more proud of what they could produce. In the process, they learned about perspective, the rule of thirds, shading, and how to observe an object closely, an artistic discipline that strengthens patience and perseverance.

After School Art continues to be an anchor for students who crave creative exploration, offering skills, encouragement, and exposure that can shape their confidence well beyond middle school.

8th Grade Career Exploration at Mobile Launch Career Fair

One of the most exciting experiences this fall was the Mobile Launch Career Fair, hosted by the Career Academies of Mobile County Public Schools (MCPSS). Calloway-Smith’s 8th graders spent a day at the Abba Shrine Center exploring hands-on exhibits, trying interactive demos, and meeting industry professionals who are shaping Mobile’s workforce. Fuse Project’s Executive Director Ann-Brooks Morrissette and Development Director Mary Frances Clarke attended as chaperones. Students were able to meet representatives from several organizations, many of whom are longtime supporters or partners of Fuse Project, such as Airbus, MCG Workforce, Harvey and Thomas Orthodontics, Infirmary Health, Alabama Power, and American Equity Underwriters.

The Career Academies described the event as an opportunity for students to explore career clusters, connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities, build confidence in imagining their futures, and see themselves in roles they may not have known existed. Over two days, more than 2,200 MCPSS 8th graders attended Mobile Launch, making it one of the district’s largest career exploration events. This experience is especially meaningful for middle school students, who are beginning to make decisions about high school course pathways, electives, and long-term career interests. By giving them exposure to real industries, supportive professionals, and hands-on demonstrations, we help spark early curiosity and remove barriers to imagining what their future could look like.

See more from the event on the Career Academies Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/17Yu5Tfq4n/

https://www.facebook.com/share/1LjnijFsqm/

Looking Ahead

From celebrating academic excellence to building artistic confidence and exploring future careers, this fall was filled with growth, opportunity, and meaningful support for Calloway-Smith Middle School students. Fuse Project is committed to walking alongside students at every stage, from early exposure to the arts and skill-building activities to the motivation and encouragement that help them succeed academically.

If you’d like to help us continue bringing high-quality enrichment and academic support to middle school students in the Avenue community, please consider making a donation to Fuse Project. Your generosity ensures students have the opportunities and experiences they deserve.