Rules
Method of Nomination:
1) Nominations must be submitted on the C SPIRE Academic All-Stars nomination form. Nomination forms can be found here and MUST be submitted online.
2) Each school may nominate only one student per category during each judging period. Judging takes place once a month. Please refer to the calendar for the categories and deadlines.
3) No student may be nominated in more than one category during the same judging period. However, a student may be moved to another category for a different judging period. Just fill out a new form for the category.
4) The nomination form should be filled out by the principal or his or her designated administrator, counselor or teacher at the school. The principal must approve the nomination. Nominations are not accepted from family or friends.
5) The school must determine the category. The Commercial Appeal will not move a student from one category to another.
6) The nomination form and a color photo of the nominee must be submitted at http://academicallstars.commercialappeal.com. Please note: A nomination will not be considered without a photo. Transcripts are requested but not required for monthly judging. Transcripts and ACT and/or SAT scores will be required for the final judging in April.
7) Entries must be received by the monthly deadline for the individual categories. Please note the category deadlines found in the calendar.
8) Having won a weekly Academic All-Star Award, a student cannot be nominated again during the 2011-2012 school year.
Eligibility: All 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school students currently enrolled in public, private and parochial schools in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette Counties in Tennessee; DeSoto and Tate Counties in Mississippi; and West Memphis and Marion High Schools in Crittenden County, Arkansas, are eligible. Ninth-graders are not eligible for this program.
Deadlines: See attached calendar for program deadlines.
Duration of Contest: The first weekly winners will run in the newspaper on Sunday, Oct. 2. The contest will run for 28 weeks with the last weekly winners appearing on Sunday, April 8, 2012.
Awards Luncheon: The awards luncheon will be held on Friday, May 4, 2012 at the Hilton Memphis. Invitations will be mailed to weekly winners and their parents. Invitations will be emailed to principals, administrators, counselors, and/or teachers.
Photo tips: Shoot photos outdoors, but out of direct sunlight. Use a flash, even if it's sunny. Use plain walls for your backgrounds. Choose a wall that contrasts with the student's hair color. (i.e., dark hair, light wall). For best picture quality, set your digital camera to a big file size. Take photos from about 5 feet away, focusing on the student's head and shoulder area. Smiles or relaxed, friendly expressions work best.
General Information:
1) The Commercial Appeal will accept entries only from administrators at the high school of the nominee.
2) Nomination forms and photos will not be returned. However, we suggest that you keep a copy of your nomination forms for personal records.
3) All information included in this brochure is available on the Academic All-Star website: http://academicallstars.commercialappeal.com
4) For additional information, call Mary Lou Brown, Promotions and Community Relations Manager, at 901-529-2508 or email her at brownmarylou@commercialappeal.com
