The calendar says the year is 2013 not 1963, but one Georgia high school is just now moving past segregation. Wilcox County high school in rural Georgia has always hosted two seperate proms. By having parents fund the dances the school avoided having to integrate the prom, but for this year's students, that wasn't going to work. Four female students, two black and two white, organized the prom so they could dance with all of their friends - no matter what race.

The four girls started a Facebook page where they generated interest and support from fellow students and other residents of the town. The page ended up getting over 30,000 "likes", far more than they had planned. Donors came forward to help the students carry out their dance and last weekend, roughly 100 students came out to dance, take pictures, listen to music and make memories at the Wilcox County High School first integrated prom.

"I feel like we are living Martin Luther King's dream," NBC station WMGT 41 quoted student Alexis Miller as saying. Miller, who is white, attended Saturday's event with her black boyfriend, according to an article in MSNBC.

As a student enrolled in online high school courses at James Madison High School, what do you think of this story?

Many dream of attending high school prom but it's not always a reality. Whether it's because they attend an online high school, like James Madison High School, or because of other circumstances, for some high school prom remains a dream. For one Tennessee teenager, going to prom became a life goal when she found out her cancer was terminal. Her school decided to make this wish become a reality and threw Katie Norman her very own prom.

"Katie In The Sky With Diamonds" was all set to happen, but on the way there Katie had trouble breathing and was sent back to the hospital. She encouraged her fellow students to continue with the dance even though she wouldn't be there. Not wanting her to miss out on her special night, the students moved the prom to Katie's hospital room where they danced and presented their prom queen with a corsage and sash.

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The tales of students getting bullied and feeling excluded in high school make headlines all across the country. The victims of bullying often become the poster-children for what's wrong with our education system, but what if they're not the only ones? While society as a whole takes a stand against bullying and sticks up for those who are picked on, the bullies themselves are often vilified and considered "trouble" by the public. One school in New York, however, thinks the bullies deserve a second chance.

Madison-Oneida BOCES high school in upstate New York is a last-chance school for students in 8-12th grades who have been kicked out of their district schools for getting into trouble and being bullies. The school works to control the student's anger and find out the root of their problems. For instance, 17-year-old sophomore Chris Standen says he became a bully because when he was younger and smaller,  he was the victim of bullying. Once he grew, he retaliated and began picking on those smaller than he.

The school works to uncover the root of why each child chooses to pick on others and help them work through that. By educating staff in crisis prevention, intervention and de-escalation techniques, and each stage of the conflict cycle, the teachers are better prepared for helping the child grow into a functioning and kind member of society.

And although these students went through many schools before finding Madison-Oneida BOCES, the school seems to be helping. Nearly 100% of the students enrolled at this high school graduate.

Because this school is located in New York, not everyone affected by bullying can attend. For those students who are bullied or for those expelled from school for being bullies, attending an accredited online  high school may be an option. Online high schools, like James Madison High School, can be a fresh start for everyone involved.

To learn more about attending an accredited online high school visit www.jmhs.com

Choosing to enroll in online high school is a difficult decision that requires a lot of thought. Deciding whether the self-paced structure is right for you, opting to study in an area that isn’t a classroom, and electing to be independent with your schoolwork are all options that you had to take into account before signing up for James Madison High School.

But for many students, deciding what to do after earning their high school diploma is yet another difficult decision that requires a lot of thought as well.  For some, entering the working world and jumping in to their career of choice is preferable whereas others opt to go to college.  By now, you have more than likely weighed the pros and cons of both options, but have you considered which type of college you’d like to attend?

By now, you’re accustomed to the pace of online schooling, but choosing to continue your education online is another decision you’ll have to make.  On the one hand, you already know how to balance your studying when it fits into your schedule.  You also are used to attending class in your home rather than on a campus. 

That being said, your reasons for attending high school online may have stayed behind in high school. For some, the bullying, illness, or frequent moving led them to choose attending high school online.  You may miss the interaction of a brick and mortar classroom or being able to talk to your teachers in person.  Whatever the case, there are pros and cons to both. 

Online Pros and Cons

• Study at your own pace
• Work where you feel comfortable
• You’re accustomed to the pace of online school

                              BUT

• Don’t see fellow students face to face
• No college football team

Brick-and-Mortar Pros and Cons

• Face to face interaction with peers
• Meet with professors in person
• Embrace campus life

                             BUT

• Take time out of your day to travel to campus
• More expensive than online college

Choosing which type of college to go to after you’ve completed your online high school courses are right for you.  Much like the process you went through when choosing James Madison High School, by weighing the pros and cons and thinking through all of your choices you can discover what option fits you best. 

For 13-year-old Talia Castellano, losing her hair due to cancer didn't make her feel ugly.  In fact, she had a bravery that most adult cancer victms have; she can go outside without her wig.  For the last six years, the teenager - who is battling two kinds of cancer - has been fascinated with makeup.  She has learned so many tricks with using makeup that she began putting out tutorials on youtube.  Her videos have gone viral and it's this popularity that led her to meet one of her favorite celebrities: Ellen DeGeneres.

Ellen, who is a spokeswoman for Cover Girl herself, interviewed Talia on her show and then presented her with her own Cover Girl portrait.  She also recieved a makeup table from the brand and $20,000. 

So what keeps this young girl happy?  “I’ve always been a really bubbly girl, and my mom always tells me to think about the positive,” she said. “Even though cancer is a negative, horrible thing, there are positives. For people to see that there are kids that get cancer … it’s just a true fact. Me putting a face on it makes a difference.”

As an online high school student, what do you think of this story?

As a high school graduate, you have so many more opportunities for college or career possibilities.  You have worked hard to obtain your diploma and now all you need is that small piece of paper.  But for one Oklahoma teen, getting that diploma proved harder than she thought.  Kaitlin Nootbaar was involved in extra curricular activities and always excelled in academics.  She became class valedictorian and at her graduation, gave a commencement speech that left an impression on the students and the staff.

The problem was, that because her speech contained the "H" word, the school officials decided to withhold Kaitlin's diploma until she apologized.  Kaitlin said, in her speech, something about what she and her fellow graduates would be when they grew up.  "Who the hell knows," was the offensive phrase she uttered that caused her to get in trouble. 

Kaitlin refuses to issue an apology despite the fact that the school requested one.  As a student in online high school, what do you think should be done?  Do you think her word was offensive?

I been thinking alot about going into the military and i wanted to know if anyone had any insight on whats up with the military? I'm thinking of going into the army, and I'm going for early enrollment and as soon as i graduate from this school, i'm going to have my dad sign an "ok" for me to go into the military early instead of waiting til i'm 18. I wanted to know some of the benefits and also some of the downfalls of going into the military. I would appreciate any responses Thanks!

When you're an online high school student you can study where and when you want, but for students in a traditional brick and mortar school, attendance is something to be concerned with.  For one honor student, attendance didn't just cost her a grade or an award, but it landed her a night in jail.  17-year-old Diane Tran got in trouble with the Texas school board for having 10 unexcused absences in a six month period.  The judge sentenced the teen to spend one night in jail. 

Although many people agree that this punishment would be fair had Diane been getting into trouble when she missed school, the truth is Diane was doing something much more productive.  After her parents divorced, Diane's mother moved out of her state and her father began working very long hours.  This situation made Diane responsible for supporting her older brother and younger sister.  After going to school from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m., Diane worked full time at a dry cleaners and helped plan weddings on the weekend. 

In a show of support, those around town who did not think Diane was punished fairly raised more than $100,000 to help support her.  Diane refused to take the money saying there were people who were a lot worse off than herself.

What do you think of this story?