2003 Year in Review

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Chicago Charter Game Preview

Morrison Mustangs second game is against the Chicago Chargers. Parents and students both wonder who the Chargers are. The name of the school is Chicago International Charter School-Longwood Campus. Created in 1999, Longwood is a K-12 school with around 1300 students.

The Edison Company, a private firm, goes into struggling public schools and rebuilds them as charter schools. There are around fifteen charter schools in Chicago, but only one that is an Edison School. In the state of Illinois there are six Edison Schools, but Longwood is the only high school. Parents are anxious to enroll their children into this school. In fact there is a waiting list to get enrolled.

Although Longwood has been around for four years, this is their first year for football. They are members of the Chicago Public School Conference, but because they are newly formed they could not get any conference games. According to Morrison Principal, Brian Kenney, all nine games will be non-conference, traveling by school bus. The team does not have there own football field and practices by being bussed to a grassy abandoned field. Only about 4-5 players have played football, ever. But the 60 member team is excited and looking forward to playing. They lost their first game 0-66 last week. Morrison is the closest of team to home they are playing and it will take them several hours travel each way. Longwood will also be sending a pep bus along.

Kenney hopes “this will be a different experience for the Morrison School and hopefully a positive one”. Erie schools played a Chicago team last year and said it was a “very positive experience”. This will be only time Morrison plays Longwood for football, but there is talk of playing a non-conference basketball game.

The Longwood coach is from Kansas and told Kenney this is the most fulfilling jobs he’s ever had. The students are very well behaved and great kids to work with.

The Morrison Athletic Boosters are providing lunches to the Charger team for their return ride.

For more information on Edison Charter Schools visit these web pages:
Chicago International

Edison Schools

by benson
2003-09-04 14:23:26