On behalf of Antioch High School and other high schools involved, we want to thank everyone from the Hermitage and Nashville Deloitte offices who volunteered at last week’s Antioch High School FAFSA Drive. Thanks to all of the FAFSA volunteers from Deloitte, they reached two MNPS-FAFSA milestones:



Milestone #1 - 100 plus families in one night – On Thursday night January 17, volunteers provided assistance to 106 families at Antioch. This is the result of their hard work and a three year partnership with Antioch High School. The work with Antioch has included more than 100 volunteers assisting with Job Shadow Days, the Be the First Campaign, the JA Company Program, along with many other efforts.

Milestone #2 - More than 500 families impacted – On January 17, Deloitte provided assistance to the 500th FAFSA family! They ended the night with a three year total of 585 families served from their FAFSA Drives at McGavock High School, Antioch High School and Overton High School. This clearly puts them in a great position to reach the 600th family milestone at the Overton drive on January 24.

These numbers are incredible, but it is really about the individual families they have helped. Over the past three years, they have helped individual students on their pathway to college and made a meaningful and long-term impact on these students and their families. Thank you Deloitte for all you do!

Art on display right now at Cheekwood came straight from the minds of Antioch and Hillsboro High School students. They worked closely with professional and well-respected artists over a period of months to create pieces for display in one of the South's premiere art museums.

The Loop Project is a collaborative effort between Cheekwood, Antioch High School and Hillsboro High School. The program brought together eight art students from each school to work with Nashville-based artist Hans Schmitt Matzen and New York-based artist Gieves Anderson. Together they created collaborative pieces of work using a variety of media and methods.



When the students and artists met, they paired up to create collaborative pieces of art – sending the work back and forth to each other for several months, allowing each other to add to or build upon the work. The final pieces are on display at Cheekwood right now.

“It was a really great experience," said Antioch student Sarah W. "The Loop Project was interesting because we got to meet our project partners from Hillsboro High School. We would switch our artwork together so that they could do something to change or improve it, send it back and do that again. We would also communicate with each other to talk about our ideas. It was exciting in the end to see our final pieces hanging on the walls in the Great Hall at Cheekwood!”



A small reception was held at Cheekwood to celebrate the students who participated in The Loop Project and spotlight their work.



Here’s one from Tristan Higginbotham a student at Antioch High School “The Loop Project was an overall interesting experience," said Antioch student Tristan H. "It was kind of difficult to give my work to someone I had never met before, just because they may not understand why I made the choices I made and so on. Thankfully our styles didn't clash, and my partner and I were able to meet in the middle somewhat.



"It was really nerve-racking to try and meet the expectations that I imagined my partner had, but after awhile I just did my own thing and stopped being paranoid about it. I would definitely participate in this again, especially since I know more about it the whole process now. It was really awesome to have so much freedom and step away from the more technical work I had been working on. I feel really confident about the two pieces that came from this project.”



Thanks to Cheekwood’s Karen Kwarciak for the great information!

The McGavock Cluster Coalition helped more than 85 families during its Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Drive night yesterday.



Students and their parents received assistance filling out paper work, learning about college and university deadlines and how much federal aid students should ask for. The Donelson Hermitage Chamber volunteered for the evening as well as first –time volunteer Deloitte.



Deloitte will be hosting additional FAFSA Drives the month.

• Antioch High School, Thursday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m.


• Hillsboro High School, Thursday, Jan. 17


• Overton High School, Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 P.M.

We want to give a big thanks to Deloitte, the Donelson Chamber, the McGavock Cluster Coalition and every volunteer who helped students take their first steps in reaching the next level of education!

McGavock Seniors are committed to graduating!	Board Representative Anna Shepherd signs families in.
Principal Robbin Wall chats with Family Engagement Specialist Shonta Woodbury.	Families sign in for FAFSA Night.

Bank of America is looking for students who want to make a difference in their community. Applications are now available for the bank's "Student Leaders" program, which promises to show how non-profits, government and business can work together to change communities and connect citizens.



The program offers an eight-week, paid internship at a local non-profit and admission to a week long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.!



Applications are due by January 25 2012 and can be found on the Bank of America website: http://www.bankofamerica.com/neistudentleaders. Click below for the program flyer.

Cover courtesy of The Nashville Scene and photographer Michael W. Bunch

What a way to end 2012.



Two teachers in Metro Schools have been named Nashvillians of the Year by the Nashville Scene. Adam Taylor of Overton High School and Christina McDonald of Nashville Prep Charter School represent the teachers who "give Nashville's schoolchildren, no matter what their background, a fighting chance to reach their brightest future."



 In a lengthy and detailed article, reporter Steven Hale lays out the bare - and sometimes forgotten - fact in our city's current debate over education: whether charter school or district school, great teachers are at the center of great education.



It's a great piece, and I strongly recommend you take a few moments to read the full article so you can see how teachers like Christina and Adam can bring the focus of the education discussion back where it belongs.

The Scene would like to refocus the discussion of public education not on differences and squabbles, but on the enormous asset that charter and public schools have in common: the teachers who are the most active, direct agents of hope Nashville's children will face outside the home. As our 2012 Nashvillians of the Year, the Scene honors two such instructors: one from a charter school, Christina McDonald at Nashville Prep, and one from a traditional Metro district school, Adam Taylor at Overton High. They are hardly alone. Space does not permit us to list the many outstanding district and charter teachers who slug it out in Nashville's trenches throughout the school year, fighting the shared enemies of poverty, hunger, troubled home lives, behavioral problems, language barriers, bad outside influences and limited resources. But McDonald and Taylor are sterling examples of what can be accomplished by creative thinking, supportive administrators, and sheer determination. To look inside their classrooms is to see small miracles happen every day — and to see a brighter future for Nashville schoolchildren of all races and backgrounds than statistics sometimes let us hope.

Read the full article here.

Overton alumni keep on giving! The Class of 1975 recently donated nearly $5,000, $4,834.75 to be exact, to their alma mater. The money is earmarked for the school’s library and media center.

Pictured below are (L - R ) Connie Brown Kimbro, Amy Price Garrison, Lynn Stanfield Wilbanks, Cindy Hayden Dickens, Betty Price, JOHS Media Specialists: Gwin Hines and Misti Jenkins, Executive Principal: Dr. Shuler Pelham.

You’re invited!

 

Winter Festival of the Creative Arts

Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School

904 26th Avenue, North, Nashville 37208

December 4, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The Winter Festival of the Creative Arts will feature performances from students in band, chorus, and dance classes, as well as a gallery of artwork from the school’s Digital Design classes. Students are working every aspect of this event, including the marketing and promotion. Read the student-written press release for the Festival.



This is the culminating event of an interdisciplinary project-based learning unit focused on examining how the Pearl-Cohn community demonstrates individualism and aesthetic appreciation through the creative arts. Pearl-Cohn is currently serving as a district project-based learning demonstration school for its excellence in creating and implementing interdisciplinary units of study that revolve around a specific, hands-on learning project.

We’re halfway into the Optional School Application period. Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High and Stratford STEM Magnet High leaders are eager for you to see the challenging and engaging programs that are happening in their schools!

Thursday, Nov. 15, both schools will open their doors to the community with student showcases, classroom tours, and more. The Stratford program runs from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.; the Pearl-Cohn program runs from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Specific to Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, families will see a dynamic student performance; tour PCTV, the school television studio; watch project-based learning demonstrations; and be able to meet with image consultants!

Meanwhile, families interested in science, technology, engineering and math programs at Stratford STEM Magnet High will be able to tour the schools’ two Academies, The Academy of Science and Engineering and The Academy of National Safety and Securities Technology. Families will also get the first look the school’s state-of-the-art Biotechnology and Computer Gaming/Simulation Laboratory; the event will serve as the grand opening for this new learning laboratory.

Optional School enrollment is now available online. The deadline to apply is 5:30 p.m., Nov. 30 if you want to be included in the random selection process that will be held in early January.

The Academy of Public Service students at Whites Creek High and the Law Academy students at Cane Ridge High got a lesson from the top this week! The students had the privilege of hearing from Judge Alberto Gonzales, the former highest ranking law enforcement official in the U.S.

Judge Gonzales, the 80th Attorney General of the United States and the first Hispanic U.S. Attorney General, now practices law at Waller in Nashville. He also teaches and holds the position of Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law at the Belmont University College of Law. He spoke to the students about law and public service and possible careers in those fields.

Dr. Jesse Register, Judge Alberto Gonzales, former Attorney General of the U.S., Dr. James Bailey III, Executive Principal of Whites Creek High School, Dr. Michelle Wilcox, Lead Principal, and Bill Warren, education consultant

 

Photo courtesy of Rick Malkin

 

A call to artists is being issued for an Antioch High School art exhibition being developed as a project of Academies initiative of the Metro Nashville Public Schools.   The exhibition, entitled Frist Antioch Community Exhibition (F.A.C.E), invites artists of all ages, in all genres, from all areas of the city, to explore the theme IDENTITY from personal visual perspectives.  The exhibition will open at Antioch High School Jan. 31, 2013.

Nicholas W. represented Hillwood H.S. Culinary Arts at the annual SFT Awareness Chili Cookoff that took place on Saturday, Oct. 20, at Crieve Hall Church of Christ.  Nick took 1^st place in the spicy category. Congratulations Nick!

 

Four MNPS seniors who are enrolled in the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt are gaining national recognition. The students are semifinalists in the national Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

Congratulations to:

Zachary A., of Hume-Fogg. Zachary completed the project “Reflection and Transmission Measurements at Variable Incidence Angles of a Zero” under the supervision of mentor Jason Valentine, Ph. D. (Mechanical Engineering).

Abhinav G., of Hume-Fogg. Abhinav completed the project “Culturing of Neurons on Graphene Transistors for High Resolution Scanning of Processes” under the supervision of mentor Qi Zhang, Ph. D. (Pharmacology).

Jacob S., of Hume-Fogg. Jacob completed the project “Examining sequences that stimulate telomere addition following DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” under the supervision of mentor Katherine Friedman, Ph. D. (Biological Sciences).

Busra G., of Martin Luther King, Jr. Busra completed the project “Uncovering the Role of TGFβ and BMP in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells” under the supervision of mentor Hal Moses, M. D. (Cancer Biology).

Siemens named 322 semifinalists representing 32 states and an international school in South Korea. Tennessee has 10 semifinalists.

Maplewood High School is hosting a Latino Festival, Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event will be held on Maplewood’s football field. Guests will enjoy multi-cultural dancing, cuisine, arts, crafts, music, bouncy houses, face painting, informational booths, door prizes, and more. The festival will support the Maplewood Young Latino Leaders Program as well as offer the community a chance to learn about the Latino culture. Admission is $3.00 for adults; children are free. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School English teacher Christopher Dowlen is at the top of his class! Dowlen was recently awarded the Don Jenkins Award for Excellence in the Teaching of English/Language Arts. Up to three teachers from Tennessee are awarded this prestigious honor each year.

McGavock High School students in the CMT Academy of Digital Design & Communications will be making their television debut next week! The students recently produced a PSA promoting Metro Schools’ 1st Choice Festival, which will be running on Comcast Cable. If that isn’t cool enough, they will also appear in a special segment on More at Midday, Oct. 4, on Channel 4 News, who is the media sponsor of the 1st Choice Festival. Morning anchor Ian Reitz will be at the festival.

Earlier this week, WSMV sent a producer/photojournalist out to catch up with the students and see why families should make plans to attend the 1st Choice Festival. What students didn’t know was they would actually get to shadow the producer -- help run the camera, set up lights, and make sure audio checked out. Check out some behind the scenes footage from the shoot below as well as the PSA produced by McGavock. 

Like a shopping mall for higher education...



200 colleges and universities will pack the LP Field club level this Thursday, September 27, for College Night 2012! You can speak with representatives from schools, learn about applications, and even find out about financial aid.



It's never too early to start thinking about college, so students and families of all ages are welcome. It's completely FREE to attend and FREE to park!

SEE the list of participating colleges & universities.

Our students' voices will be heard loud and clear... on TV, in movie theaters, in the newspaper, wrapped around city buses and more.



They'll tell the whole city how the Academies of Nashville have impacted them and share their success stories. The ads are designed to encourage students and families to explore their high school options and find the right path for them.



It's an amazing outreach effort, fully paid for and produced by the Ford Motor Company Fund and other amazing Academy partners:

• The James Stephen Turner Family Foundation


• The Memorial Foundation


• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce


• HCA


• IBM


• Bridgestone Firestone


• Belmont University


• CMT


• Caterpillar Financial Services


• Trevecca Nazarene University


• The Southwestern Company


• Rogers Group, Inc.


• ESA


• ACE Mentor Program of Greater Nashville, Inc.


• Hiscall, Inc.


• LP Corp.


• Permanent General

We want to give a HUGE thanks to these partners for their generous donations of time and money. Because of them, we'll see these ads all over town!

The Nashville Public Library Foundation invites all Davidson County High School students (ages 13-18) to submit a very short story in honor of the 2012 Nashville Public Library Literary Award recipient, Margaret Atwood.



About the contest

Students are asked to write an original and creative story of no less than 5 and no more than 10 sentences inspired by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or this photo:

Three finalists and the winner will be honored at the Literary Award Public Reading on October 27. One winner will receive the grand prize of a Kindle and $50 Amazon gift card. Finalist stories will be published on the Nashville Public Library Foundation website.

 View complete rules and entry guidelines.



Entries will be accepted

September 20 – October 4, 2012



Entries may be submitted online

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P6JNHSF

OR

Mail one printed copy of submission to:

Nashville Public Library Foundation

Essay Contest

615 Church Street

Nashville, TN 37219

Handwritten entries will not be considered. Finalists will be notified beforehand. Winners will be announced at the NPLF Literary Award Public Reading on Saturday, October 27. Contact Stephanie.Koehler@nplf.org with questions.

Three MNPS high school students have been named the winners of this year’s Conexion Americas Hispanic Heritage Essage contest. Congratulations to first place winner Nerieda Z. of Glencliff, as well as honorable mentions winners Jacob M. also of Glencliff and Edith A. of Overton.

The theme of the essay was My Hispanic Roots, My America Dream. To read excerpts from their winning essays, click here.

September is shaping up to be a "big" month at Nashville Big Picture High School! Here's a snapshot of what's happening:




Friday, Sept. 7 - Southern Word Poetry Slam from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.


Saturday, Sept. 8 - Victoria G., senior, will hold a LIFE Walk at Centennial Park. This event is her Senior Capstone project and aims to raise awareness and celebrate premature birth survivors. The walk will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. It will start at the pavilion across from McDonald's.


Friday, Sept. 14 - Nashville Big Picture will host a student-organized Blood Drive with Red Cross from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.


Sept. 24 - Oct. 3 - Students will present what they've learned during the first quarter during Student Exhibitions.

Mark North, Sports Fan & President of The Fans, Inc.

Middle School Sports – Game Time

Middle School Fall Sports start this week. The North Sports Report Middle School game of the week is Haynes Middle Design Center at Bailey STEM Magnet Middle football game. Middle school student-athletes today = MNPS high school stars of the future. I’ll see you there.

Volleyball – These Girls Got Hops…or The Sky’s the Limit

The North Sports Report was amazed at the astonishing skill and leaping ability of the volleyball student-athletes as I cheered on the Overton and Cane Ridge volleyball teams. When you go to a volleyball game, be sure you arrive early enough to see the warm-ups. Amazing! The precision and teamwork of the digs and sets along with the grace and power of the high-flying monster spikes underscore the tremendous athletic ability of MNPS student-athletes. Volleyball – Can you dig it?

Alumni Alert

The North Sports Report bumped into Madison High fullback Greg Morgan Friday night. Greg serves as a TSSAA official and was the referee for the Hillwood vs. Antioch game last Friday. Greg famously scored a touchdown in Madison High’s 1979 Tobacco Bowl victory over Cumberland County. By famously, I mean… the North Sports Report vaguely remembers hearing about it.

Football Friday Night…Last Week’s Game

The North Sports Report is on a roll when it comes to picking the game of the week. Hillwood High School’s stadium, the fans, cheerleaders and band provided a great atmosphere to watch football, and the game went right down to the wire – another barn-burner for the game of the week. Antioch Bears quarterback Raekwon Hosey had a spectacular performance with 209 yards rushing including touchdown runs of 63, 58 and 15 yards plus a touchdown pass of 33 yards. Here’s an understatement…high school football is great family entertainment.

A beautiful pre-game National Anthem at Hillwood High School.

Friday Night’s Game of the Week – September 7, 2012

This week’s Game of the Week has the North Sports Report heading to Green Hills to witness the East Nashville Eagles visit the Hillsboro Burros in this week’s only game pitting two MNPS teams. It promises to be a tough battle to the very end.



In other action:

• Antioch Bears travel to Centennial;


• Cane Ridge Ravens head to Ravenwood;


• Glencliff Colts welcome Lebanon;


• Hillwood Hilltoppers host Father Ryan;


• Hunters Lane Warriors travel south to Brentwood;


• Maplewood Panthers go to Riverdale;


• McGavock Raiders are at home against Franklin;


• Overton Bobcats take a short trek over to Lipscomb;


• Pearl-Cohn Firebirds travel to BGA;


• Stratford Spartans play at Brentwood Academy; and


• Whites Creek Cobras host Davidson Academy.

The MNPS home games are at Hillsboro; at Glencliff; at Hillwood; at McGavock; and at Whites Creek. Games start at 7:00pm. Enjoy a game near you!





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for High-Flying Monster Spikes

Constitution Day is Sept. 17 and to celebrate the Baker Center is having a Constitution Day Essay Contest!



Attention all students – 9th grade to seniors in college! In an essay of no more than 500 words, respond to the following quote:

“I’m ready to wager my life’s meaning that what America will be remembered for in the centuries to come is the staggering achievement of taking different people from all over the world and building a great civilization.”



-- Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr.

Baker, H. (1980) No Margin for Error. New York, NY: New York Times Book Co.

Your written response may take any form you choose: agree, disagree, provide an example(s), propose an alternative viewpoint, expand upon this thought, or relate this in some way to our celebration of the Constitution.



To submit an essay, email your (.doc or .docx) file to:

bakeressaycontest@gmail.com 



Deadline for submission is September 10th, 2012, by 11:59 p.m.



Winners will be chosen in two categories (high school and college) and announced September 17, 2012.



1st Prize: $250

2nd Prize: $150

For more information on Senator Baker or the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, please visit: http://bakercenter.utk.edu



Rules for Essay Contest Participants

1. A cover page should be submitted with the essay which includes: author name, high school or college, grade/year in school, home address, daytime phone number and email address. Do not include your name within the body of the essay.


2. Essays must be the original work of student whose name accompanies the submission.


3. The contest is open to 9th – 12th graders in high school and freshman – seniors in college.


4. Limit one submission per person


5. Essays should be submitted online, preferably in doc or docx format and be 500 words or less


6. Essays received after the stated deadline will be not be considered for an award


7. Submission of essay constitutes author’s permission for publication on Baker Center/University of Tennessee websites or in other written materials.


8. Essays will be judged anonymously and the judges will be chosen by Baker Center staff and advisors. The decision of those judges is final. Employees of the Baker Center are not eligible.

The Academies of Nashville have named, and trained, the newest class of student Ambassadors. Dozens of high school students from the districts 12 zoned high schools attended a special Customer Care and Ambassador Training program at Martin Professional Development Center. The students will now serve as a voice for their Academy and their high school at various events throughout the community, and they will give guided school tours.



Congrats!

Have weekend plans? You do now.



The Academy at Hickory Hollow is hosting a benefit concert this Sunday night at the Crossings Event Center. Come listen to the music of the Laura Vida Band and bring a donation of $10 (or more!) to give to the school. 



The Academy at Hickory Hollow is one of three of our Academy schools, along with Old Cockrill and Opry Mills, where students aged 17-21 can earn their final few credits needed for a high school diploma. In the last three years, Academy schools have graduated more than 1,000 students!



Principal Billy Fellman and a few of his faculty will be there to meet you and answer any questions you might have about the Academy.



Come out and support a great school!

Antioch High School to begin International Baccalaureate Feasibility Study

Talk no more! Antioch High School leaders are diving into the IBO World pool, hoping to become Metro Nashville PublicSchools’ third International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Led by new Principal Adrienne Battle-Koger, the school is set to begin a feasibility study this fall.




According to Dr. Battle-Koger, “The Antioch community has long shown interest in IB. Since the Academies have taken off with such success, the leadership team at Antioch is now ready to make the IB dream areality. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but well worth it in the years to come.”




The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme offers high school juniors and seniors an internationally recognized education that is highly regarded by the world’s top colleges and universities, with some offering college credits to students with strong scores in IB courses. Antioch High School will host an information session for families this fall.




IB authorization takes roughly three years, start to finish. Schools must first conduct a feasibility study, which generally takes six months to a year andincludes identification of resources and show of support by key stakeholders. After completion of the feasibility study, Antioch will submit an application forcandidacy. During this time they will train teachers, visit other IB schools and study the program curriculum. The final phase will include submitting an application for authorization, which will include submitting syllabi, more teacher training, and observations by IBO evaluators.




“Our goal is to provide every student with the opportunity to experience a rigorous national or international college preparatory curriculum to complement our nationally recognized academies,” said Jay Steele, associate superintendent of high schools. “When Antioch is authorized, we will have IB Diploma Programmes on the north, west and south sides of the city. We are also expanding our Advanced Placement Scholars program and will soon announce plans for our first Cambridge AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) Diploma program.”




MNPS currently offers the Diploma Programme at Hillsboro High School and HuntersLane High School. The IB Middle Years Programme is offered at Bellevue Middle, Goodlettsville Middle, Neely’s Bend Middle, West End Middle, J.T. Moore Middle, Hunters Lane 9th/10th, and Hillsboro 9th/10th. Julia Green and Eakin elementary schools offer the IB Primary Years Programme.




For more information about the International Baccalaureate Programme, visit www.ibo.org.

Attention shoppers: Opry Mills will offer more than just great shopping this year; it will also help hundreds of students earn their high school diplomas. Forced to close after the devastating May 2010 flood, the Academy at Opry Mills, supported by the Simon Youth Foundation, is back in business and eager to help its new class of students get on track and graduate.



“The impact we have felt in the three short years that we have offered these non-traditional programs has been tremendous,” said Director of Schools Dr. Jesse Register. “Since 2009, we have watched 1,040 students graduate from our Academies -- located at Hickory Hollow, Old Cockrill and Opry Mills. These young men and women were at high-risk of dropping out but instead got back on track and earned high school diplomas.”

Led by new principal Carmon Brown, who previously served as an assistant principal at Hillsboro High School, the school will cater to each student’s unique needs and circumstances. In a statement issued earlier in the summer, Associate Superintendent of High Schools Jay Steele commended Brown’s 20 years of experience in high schools and said he will be a “strong leader for the Academy at Opry Mills who understands how the Academy can help students overcome obstacles and earn a high school diploma.”



The new, state-of-the-art facility features an open concept with identifiable learning centers that can be easily adapted to accommodate different instructional practices, projects and learning opportunities. The innovative space will promote collaborative and learning opportunities for the students. It also features a new exterior entrance that will make the school much easier to locate and access from the parking lot.

“For the students at the Academy, the traditional classroom setting did not work,” said SYF President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D. “Our Academy will create a non-traditional environment that will ignite hope in students, giving them the confidence to be successful and earn their high school diploma.”



The Academy at Opry Mills is one of three Metro Schools supported by SYF. The second is The Academy at Hickory Hollow, which opened to serve the students displaced by the closure of the school at Opry Mills after the historic flood in May 2010. The third is The Academy at Old Cockrill, which opened in 2009 and this year will begin receiving scholarship support from SYF. Between the three academies, SYF and MNPS will annually serve hundreds of at-risk Nashville youth.



About the Academies

These academies are for students who wish to pursue a high school diploma in a non-traditional high school setting. For admission, students must be 17-21 years of age and need eight or fewer credits in the content areas. Studies are highly individualized to each student’s needs and personal circumstances.



About SYF

Simon Youth Foundation, established in 1998, operates 23 academies in 13 U.S. states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom while offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require. Recipient of the Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention from the National Dropout Prevention Center, the foundation has helped more than 8,000 students earn their high school diploma and provided more than $10.7 million in college scholarships to 3,500 students in 42 states. The Education Commission of the United States has recognized the Foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

Chaney Mosley brings diverse background to academies

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools has chosen Dr. Chaney Mosley as director of the Academies of Nashville, the college and career prep program in the district’s 12 zoned high schools. Mosley will succeed Starr Herrman, who retired this year.



The Academies of Nashville provide students with small learning communities, each centered on an academic theme, while providing students all the credits required for college admission. Since the Academies launched, the district’s graduation rate, student engagement and school climate have improved. Seven Academies have earned national accreditation, including five that earned the highest designation as “model” academies. Hillwood High School is Nashville’s first high school to receive the model designation for all its academies.



Mosley has more than 10 years of education expertise under his belt. He began his educational career as an agricultural teacher for schools in Tennessee and Georgia, including Hendersonville, Cascade and Temple High Schools. He transitioned into higher education and worked as a graduate teaching assistant at Virginia Tech University. In 2011, Mosley joined the Tennessee Department of Education where he served as a career and technical education consultant for a year before assuming his current position.



During his time as a teacher and a graduate assistant, Mosley served in the United States Army Reserves 4203 USAH (United States Army Hospital) and served two tours of duty in Iraq. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.



Mosley has both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University. He earned the specialist in education distinction from the University of West Georgia and a doctorate in education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Three Hillsboro High School students have returned to school after the summer of a lifetime!



Adam Simmons, Noah Simmons, and Morgan Hyde just landed back in the States, having spent two weeks in China. They went over as part of the Confucius Institute Summer Bridge Program.



The Confucius Classroom at Hillsboro High gives students experience with Chinese language and culture, taught by teachers recruited from China. In fact, Hillsboro has two brand new Chinese teachers this year, including one shared with JT Moore Middle School!



These three East-West scholars met with representatives of the Confucius Institute Friday afternoon to talk about their experiences in China. 

 

Adam and Noah recently transferred to Hillsboro from a local private school because they were seeking a "better education" in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Morgan is in the Academy of International Business. All three of them have said they want to go back to China and spend more time learning Chinese.

Join Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Simon Youth Foundation and Opry Mills at a reception for the Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills.



The Academy is a non-traditional high school that serves at-risk students, and its return after the floods in 2010 will once again provide hope to students in need.

They're a piece of every child's imagination, and several of our Metro students learned to build and control them this summer at Robocamp 2012. But no need to fear: these robots are built for peace.



Bailey STEM Magnet Middle School held RoboCamp July 9-13. Teachers from Bailey, Litton Middle School and Stratford STEM High School led rising 5th-7th graders through the process of building a robotic arm to use in a competition at the end of the week. The students also learned to solder on a circuit board for an electronic siren. A trip to the Nissan factory in Smyrna provided students the opportunity to see robots in action. The students stopped at Home Depot on the way back to school for an “Inventor’s Tour” of the Home Depot in East Nashville where they explored alternative uses for different materials in the store. The competition on Friday put the students’ robotic arms to the test as they competed as teams and individuals.



Thanks to all the educators who made this free summer camp possible and to all the campers who had an amazing time building robots!

Metro students Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, Jevon and Jordan Donaldson, and Ariell Pryor had the opportunity to work with well-known Nashville musicians to cut artist demos in Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High’s studio. This comes on the heels of Music Makes Us and Warner Music Nashville providing two week summer internships for 20 Pearl-Cohn students, where they learned about the record business first-hand.



Dave Pomeroy, bassist and president of the American Federation of Musicians, along with drummer Craig Krampf, keyboardist Jim “Moose” Brown, and guitarist Gary Burnette provided tracks for the demos. Studio production services were provided by Bob McCracken, audio production teacher at Pearl-Cohn, assisted by Warner Music interns Mario Rosales, Deon’te Jones, Luis Trejo, and Vincent Zirker. At the end of the recording session, each of the students gets a mix of their song. This is the first effort of the new student-run record label at Pearl-Cohn to introduce itself to Metro students who dream of becoming recording artists.



A good time was had by all!

Seven Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Academies of Nashville programs have received national accreditation, including five that earned the highest designation as “model” academies by the National Career Academy Coalition. Hillwood High School, with a “Triple Crown “ of three model Academies, is Nashville’s first high school to receive the model designation for all academies in the school.



“When we launched the Academies of Nashville, we had high expectations for the program and for the effect on students’ academic performance,” said Jesse Register, director of schools. “We have seen an improvement in graduation rate, student engagement and school climate and now national experts in preparing students for college and career have named several academies as models for the nation.”



The National Career Academy Coalition will honor the five “model” academies at the National Career Academy Conference to be held in Nashville November 8-10, 2012. Each model academy will receive a $1000 check, listing on the national website, and a banner to display in the school.



The model academies to be honored are:

• Hillwood High School Model Academies **Triple Crown**
  
  Dr. Steve Chauncy, Executive Principal
  
  
  
  • The Academy of Art, Design and Communications
  
  
  • The Academy of Business and Hospitality
  
  
  • The Academy of Health Sciences
  
  
  
  


• McGavock High School Model Academies
  
  Robbin Wall, Executive Principal
  
  
  
  • The Gaylord Entertainment Academy of Hospitality/The U.S. Community Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
  
  
  • The CMT Academy of Digital Design & Communication
  
  
  
  

In addition, academies at two other zoned highs schools earned certification. The certified academies are:

• Glencliff High School Certified Academy
  
  Clint Wilson, Executive Principal
  
  
  
  • The Academy of Medical Science and Research
  
  
  
  


• Antioch High School Certified Academy
  
  Dr. Adrienne Battle-Koger, Executive Principal
  
  
  
  • The Tennessee Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
  
  
  
  

“This national recognition validates the work we are doing to make every student college- and career-ready,” said Jay Steele, associate superintendent of high schools. “We are grateful to our community partners who work with us and our students to ensure our programs are rigorous and relevant. We appreciate these accolades as we continue our work to make every Metro Nashville Public School an outstanding choice for parents.”



The NCAC’s meticulous evaluation process includes documenting success on 10 national standards. Teachers and business partners worked together to prepare for the national reviews with countless hours of preparation for the coveted recognition.

Four of the district's IB experts traveled to the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Conference not just to learn, but to teach others.



Dr. Terry Shrader, principal at Hillsboro High School; Emily Munn, IB Coach; Stephanie Knight, IB Coordinator at Hillsboro; and Dr. Sharon Chaney, the MNPS Director of Advanced Academics, gave a presentation detailing how the district was able to seamlessly integrate the International Baccalaureate program with the Academies of Nashville model that has transformed our high schools in the district.



Hillsboro has the Academy of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which has a 100% graduation rate and 97% post-secondary enrollment rate.



We are so proud to have these four represent the district and this program at an international conference!

Glencliff High School has named two new basketball coaches. John Filson has been named the new head girls basketball coach and Doug Kiel has been named the new head boys basketball coach.



Filson worked as a teacher and assistant basketball coach at Glencliff High before assuming his new position. Before coming to Metro Schools, Filson worked at LaVergne Middle School, Hunters Lane and Holloway High Schools. He also serves in the Tennessee Army National Guard. Filson is a graduate of Belmont University.



Kiel recently served as a mathematics teacher and boys assistant basketball coach at Mt. Juliet High School. He also worked for Lebanon and Warren County High Schools, where he was a teacher and head boys’ basketball coach. His coaching expertise has led 97% student-athletes to college, and he attended five region and three region semi-finals games. Kiel has a bachelor’s from Western Kentucky University and master’s from Tennessee Technological University.

Students, parents, faculty, alumni, neighbors, and more – everyone will be welcome at the Whites Creek High School community cookout!



“We are charting a new course – one leading to excellence – and we are excited about it,” said Dr. James Bailey, the school’s new Executive Principal.



Dr. Bailey particularly wants to see faces from the past: former teachers, administrators, coaches, and band members.



The celebration that will introduce his new administrative team and show parents and students the “new” Whites Creek High School. There will food, drinks, door prizes, and music at the celebration, as well as plenty of back to school information, elected officials, local dignitaries, and members of the Board of Education.



Dr. Bailey explains, “The theme for the afternoon is transforming teaching and learning while bringing back the glory days. When I was a Whites Creek High School student, we had fun! We learned! We worked hard! We excelled! Those were the glory days! The alumni have committed to work with us this year to bring back that spirit of distinction, and that is what this event is about.”



Come out and see for yourself!

WHEN:

Saturday, July 21

2:15 – 5:00 p.m.



WHERE:

Whites Creek High School

Want to help great students earn their high school diplomas?



A school that gives students their second chance to graduate is getting a second chance itself. The Academy at Opry Mills had to move across town after the historic flood of 2010. But it is being reborn with a lot of hard work and help from Metro Schools and our partners at the Simon Youth Foundation.



Now you can pitch in, too.



Simon Youth has set up a “gift registry” of sorts where you can make donations that will go directly to finishing The Academy’s space inside Opry Mills Mall. Have $50 to contribute? You just “bought” a lamp or other classroom support item for students to use. $100? That’s good for a set of group seating. Big spenders can sponsor high-tech items like interactive white boards, teacher workstations or even an entire media center that students will use directly.

Furnish the Future of The Academy at Opry Mills

“This is not about buying fixtures for classrooms; this is about furnishing the future of Nashville by keeping young people in school so that they can prosper to become active members of the community who secure well-paying jobs that positively impact the local economy,” says SYF President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D.



The donations all go toward a $350,000 grant from Simon Youth to Metro Schools. That grant is what will help The Academy at Opry Mills break new ground in classroom design. The school is being built using the principles set forth in The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching & Learning. It will be a collaborative and engaging environment far removed from the traditional high school classroom. Please take a moment to look at the donation page and make a contribution, no matter how small (or big!).

And look for a lot more bragging about The Academies at Old Cockrill, Hickory Hollow, and Opry Mills in 2012-13!



Full release from the Simon Youth Foundation:

“Furnish the Future” Public Giving Campaign Launches in Support of Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After being closed for more than two years following the historic Nashville flood in May of 2010, the Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills will reopen this August and once again serve Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) students who are at risk for dropping out. Now, Nashville area residents can help write the story of the school’s return by making a gift to Simon Youth Foundation, the nonprofit organization supporting the school’s reconstruction. In the style of a gift registry, a donation page has been established at SYF.org to allow the Nashville community and other supporters to directly contribute to the construction of the new school, including the purchase of student desks and seating and learning resources like white boards and monitors. “Gifts supporting the Academy at Opry Mills are a sound investment in the city’s future, and we are hopeful that Nashville residents will take ownership of this new school by contributing to the cause,” said SYF President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D. “This is not about furnishing classrooms; this is about securing the future of Nashville by keeping young people in school so that they can become active members of our community.” In a first for Metro Schools, the Academy at Opry Mills will utilize concepts from the book The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching & Learning. With innovative use of space and design, the Academy will promote collaborative and active learning while offering flexibility in the layout of learning spaces. The environment will engage students in new ways and benefit student-teacher interaction. “For the students at the Academy, the traditional classroom setting did not work,” Durnil says. “We will be creating a non-traditional environment that will ignite hope in students, giving them the confidence to be successful and earn their high school diploma.” Gifts made through the gift registry page at SYF.org will help fund a $350,000 grant from Simon Youth Foundation to Metro Schools for the Academy build out, and the school will operate in partnership between the two organizations with support from Opry Mills. To support the reopening of the Academy at Opry Mills, donors can log on to http://www.syf.org/support-syf/donate-in-support-of-the-simon-youth-academy-at-opry-mills. While suggested gift amounts are posted at the page, donations at any level are encouraged. SYF is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, and all gifts to the Academy construction are tax deductible. The Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills is one of two Metro Schools supported by SYF. The second is the Simon Youth Academy at Hickory Hollow, which opened to serve the students displaced by the flood-forced closure of the school at Opry Mills in 2010. Between the two Academies, SYF and MNPS will annually serve as many as 500 at-risk Nashville youth. The reopening of The Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills follows the recent return of Opry Mills as the largest outlet and value retail shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in Tennessee. With more than 200 popular stores, plus an unmatched selection of family-friendly dining options and entertainment venues, Opry Mills is a top destination and a vital economic force, providing jobs, impacting tourism, and generating revenue. About SYF Simon Youth Foundation, established in 1998, operates 23 academies in 13 U.S. states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom while offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require. Recipient of the Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention from the National Dropout Prevention Center, the foundation has helped more than 8,000 students earn their high school diploma and provided more than $10.7 million in college scholarships to 3,500 students in 42 states. The Education Commission of the United States has recognized the Foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

Latino high school juniors across America can apply to the Youth Awards program presented for the 15th year by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF). The 2012 Youth Awards applications are available at www.hispanicheritage.org and must be postmarked no later than Friday, July 6, 2012. William Levy, who is the official spokesperson for the 2012 Youth Awards, will be part of a national public awareness campaign in both English and Spanish.

Much more information available on the Hispanic Heritage website.

Three Hume-Fogg students are organizing a great benefit concert with all proceeds being donated to UNICEF.



There will be a wide range of performers including bands such as Peter and the Tinseys, Joey and the Indian Wonders, and HFA's Silver Jazz sax quartet; dancing, from traditional Indian dance to hip-hop dance; and covers like Celine Dion's Aun Existe Amor, Beatles songs, and Edward Sharpe's Home by extremely talented singers!



Come support these great artists and also donate to a great cause.

Friday, May 25th

Baha'i Center

1556 Bell Rd, Nashville, TN 37211



Dinner starts at 6:30 pm.

Performance starts at 7:30.

Tickets are $3; dinner not included.

There are a lot of reasons why students may not follow the traditional path to graduation. For Dylan Wright those reasons are deeply personal and tragic.



When Dylan was a sophomore in high school, his brother was murdered. The two of them were extremely close, even starting a lawn care business together. After his brother’s death, Dylan had trouble at his Williamson County high school. He couldn’t focus and would suffer from emotional breakdowns in the middle of the day. Sometimes he would just skip school entirely, putting him far behind in his classes. After three months out of school, Dylan decided to give it another try – but not in the usual fashion.



Dylan enrolled at The Academy at Hickory Hollow, which he heard about from a friend. At The Academy he was given the individual attention he needed to keep focused in class. He says he was treated like an adult, not “a little kid.” It was actually a lot like a college environment, where the faculty never gave up on him and pushed him to success.



Now Dylan is graduating, applying to college, and is even a featured speaker at The Academy’s graduation this morning.



Congratulations, Dylan. We’re so happy you found your place and your path to success at The Academy.

Lt Col Martha Shaffer has been selected as the 2012 Outstanding Instructor Award with Merit (OIAM) winner for AFJROTC!



Those selected represent the top 10% of all officer and NCO instructors. She was selected for her exemplary dedication to the corps, Maplewood High School, and the community, as well as her exemplification of the Core Values (Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence) each and every day. She was also selected for her continuing dedication to developing "Better Citizens for America", exceptional classroom management, outstanding instruction, and leadership to over 100 students, completing over 500 community hours for the 2011-2012 academic term. This dedication to the corps earned her unit the Distinguished Unit Award with Merit for the 2011-2012 school year.

We have just learned End of Course (EOC) exam scores will not be available as soon as expected. This makes it impossible for us to calculate final grades and to award diplomas to any student who took an EOC this spring.



Students who completed their EOC exams before this spring will not be affected by this delay.



We have all been looking forward to the excitement of graduation and we will do everything we can to allow students and families to enjoy the celebration, despite this delay.

• Students who are on track to graduate if they receive an appropriate score on an EOC may walk the stage at graduation and participate in any other graduation events.


• When we receive the EOC scores this summer, we will calculate final grades and call families when diplomas are available to be picked up at the school office. Please make sure we have a current phone number for you so we can reach you!


• Students may then pick up their diplomas at their high schools.


• If a student does not pass an EOC, the student may participate in the summer extended learning program. Upon successfully completing the work and exam, students will receive their diplomas in July as part of the class of 2012.
  
  
  
  • Summer extended learning will be offered Monday-Friday, June 4-June 29, 8 AM to Noon, using the A+ program.
  
  
  • Classes will take place at Glencliff, McGavock and Stratford High Schools. There will be approximately 100 students per site and first priority will be given to 12th grade students who need credits to graduate in July. For more information, contact your school counselor.
  
  
  
  

We know this is a disappointment to our families, as it is to us. We invite all our families to join in celebrating our graduates and look forward to awarding diplomas to affected students soon.

Do you know...

• What your child will do this summer? (Metro Parks/Others)


• What are your school options? (Student Assignment Office)


• How to keep your child safe in the community and in social media, including electronic resources for students and parents?


• What new standards your child will be required to master next year? (Information on new Standards)


• What school immunizations are required? (Metro Health/MNPS)


• What will be the Metro Planning updates for our community? (Metro’s Planning Dept)


• How to plan for your child’s education? (Katie Morgan, EdSouth)

If you are looking for answers to these questions and more, specialists will be available to give you answers.

Antioch Middle School

5050 Blue Hole Road

Thursday, May 17th

6:00 p.m.

In just a few days, the sounds of Pomp and Circumstance will be heard throughout Davidson County as more than 4,000 Metro seniors receive their high school diplomas. Thousands more families, friends, neighbors, and guests of Metro Schools will join in the celebration of that accomplishment at graduation ceremonies.



We want everyone to enjoy graduation, which is why we’ve developed a Graduation Etiquette Pledge (GEP) made up of four easy steps to an honorable, dignified, and civil ceremony.



Guests of graduation pledge to:

• leave air horns, whistles, fog horns and other noise makers at home;


• allow seatmates to see the entire ceremony by not holding balloons, signs, or banners of any kind;


• respect school and security staff present and follow requests made by them; and


• wear appropriate clothing and behave in a manner befitting guests of Metro Schools.

Our guests also understand that school staff may ask disruptive a guest to leave.



Following our simple GEP, everyone can have a grand graduation and see his or her baby walk across that stage. Air horns and ten-foot signs can wait until the after party in your own backyard.



Thank you to all of our guests and congratulations to all of our graduates!

CLICK HERE for a full schedule of all graduation ceremonies!

Hume-Fogg Magnet High School has been selected by the College Board and Cambridge International Examinations as one of only 20 schools in the world to pilot the new AP® | Cambridge Capstone Program and Credential program. This rigorous new program, which was designed to equip students with knowledge and skills that are increasingly valued by colleges and necessary for life in an interconnected world, combines the in-depth subject matter offered through AP courses and exams with the interdisciplinary global seminar curricula and the assessment of research projects and presentations offered by University of Cambridge International Examinations.



The pilot program, which will determine how the AP | Cambridge Capstone Program and Credential can best be implemented across the range of schools that AP serves, will begin this fall. Hume-Fogg Magnet was selected as a pilot school based on a number of factors including Advanced Placement® participation and performance, and a commitment to providing equitable access to AP for all academically prepared and motivated students.



The College Board and University of Cambridge International Examinations created the AP | Cambridge Capstone Program based on feedback from colleges and universities requesting that high school students develop stronger backgrounds in independent research, collaborative teamwork, and 21st-century knowledge and skills now essential for success on college campuses and in today’s global marketplace.



“The students from Hume-Fogg who participate in the AP | Cambridge Capstone Program will be engaged in some of the most challenging issues facing our world today,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of Advanced Placement and College Readiness for the College Board. “With its concentration on research methodology, global issues and challenges, and team collaboration, this program will enable motivated high school students to take their advanced studies to the next level.”

Adam Taylor, Biology teacher at Overton High School, has been busy chatting on twitter with other Metro teachers. Taylor has created the "#scistuchat" hashtag on Twitter, where he coordinates a technology conference in the summers to raise awareness for learning technologies. He also leads professional development in his school to help more teachers become comfortable with teaching with technology.



Taylor was recently featured in The Scientific Muse for his work with Twitter in the classroom. Check out his interview here.



Great job, Mr. Taylor!

Our very good friends at the Simon Youth Foundation want to give Nashville students a chance at $5,000 for college just for telling their own stories of perseverance.



Simon Youth is sponsoring the contest to mark the reopening of Opry Mills Mall after the historic flood of 2012 - and the upcoming relaunch of The Academy at Opry Mills.



All you have to do to win is write an essay with the theme "Back in a Big Way: My Personal Story of Perseverance." It's open to all current Metro students who are juniors in high school. You must also be in good academic standing and have plans to enroll in college full-time. The deadline is June 1, 2012.



Full details, including where to enter, are in the flyer below.

 

It’s not a science fair. It’s a STEM Fair, the first of its kind in our city, and it’s changing the face of Nashville.



Metro Nashville Public School students compete against one another individually and in teams using videos, presentations, and on-site demonstrations to see which of their projects has the best potential to improve the city.



Don’t come expecting to find science fair stand-bys like plaster volcanoes and three-panel display boards. The Metro Schools STEM Competition is a district-wide high school event. Students have worked with Nashville’s top STEM professionals to share their ideas, investigations and recommendations to “Change the Face of Nashville.” At the competition, individuals and teams will use videos, presentations, and on-site demonstrations to showcase the project with the best potential to improve the city in any of five categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, STEM Career.

Stratford STEM Magnet High School will host this inaugural competition on May 16.



More information about registering to compete and other contest details can be found here. The deadline to register is Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

It's one of the top national awards a high school student can receive, and Metro students earned three of them!



The National Merit Scholarship is given to students who have "the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies." Narrowed from a starting group of 1.5 million students (!) down to 15,000 finalists, just 2,500 Merit Scholars are chosen nationwide.



Three of our graduating seniors will receive honors and $2,500 to be used at the university of their choice.

• Hui C. of MLK Magnet


• Austin P. of Hume-Fogg Magnet


• Jaron R. of Hume-Fogg Magnet

What an honor!

The Stratford STEM Magnet High School baseball team played ball for the first time on its new baseball field Monday. The new field was made possible by Michael Holt, a volunteer in the Inglewood community who gave a generous donation to the school’s athletic department to renovate the baseball field. Now that it's updated the field is one of the nicest in Inglewood. To thank Holt for his contributions, the team invited him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch during the team’s last home game.



Great team effort in the Stratford High community!

 

 

Congratulations to students at McGavock High School, Nashville School of the Arts and Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School for winning four Student Emmys! The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), best known for the internationally recognized Emmy Award, held the 10th Annual Mid-south Student Television Award for Excellence student competition on Friday, April 20.



McGavock Academies was the winning clip in the area of Long Form - Non-Fiction for outstanding achievement in a long-form treatment of a single subject. Concept, content and execution were important elements in judging the entries. Judges also looked for well-organized material, clearly written narration and appropriate sound bites.



McGavock Student Winners:

• Gara Gaines


• Heather Satterfield


• Barrett Depies


• Courtney Dwyer


• Kathy Taylor

Teacher & Advisor:

• Barclay Randall

Cooking with Pauletta was the winning script in the area of Writing for outstanding achievement in writing in all forms, including both fiction and non-fiction. This award is designed to encourage clarity of thought as well as creativity. Style and substance both counted heavily in determining the winner. Scripts must be fair and accurate and must demonstrate logical organization of editorial content so that a viewer will easily understand the story that is being told.



McGavock Student Winners:

• Gregory


• Britanny Piercey


• Ryan Alexander

Teachers & Advisors:

• Barclay Randall


• Rick Foster

Mayflower was the winning clip in the area of Long Form - Fiction for outstanding achievement in a long-form treatment of a single subject. Concept, content and execution were important elements in judging the entries. Judges also looked for well-organized material, clearly written narration and appropriate sound bites.



Nashville School of the Arts Student Winners:

• Keaton Landis


• Wil Stiller

Teacher & Advisor:

• John Newsom

Pearl-Cohn Football Pre-Show and Basketball was the winning clip in the area of Sports (Broadcasting) for outstanding achievement in a regularly scheduled or special presentation of sports events, sports news or information. Judges particularly looked for well-organized material while paying close attention to clearly written narration and appropriate sound bites.



Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High Student Winners:

• Gerald Harris


• Jay Smith


• Jeremy Ward


• Lamonteze Pannell


• LaQuntay Reid


• Deonte J.

Teacher & Advisor:

• Todd Young

Founded in 1957, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), best known for the internationally recognized Emmy Award, is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to improving the quality of television at all levels. NATAS strives to raise industry standards, encourages those new to the profession, and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas on industry problems and concerns.

The Kiwanis Club of Madison awarded 15 scholarships to area high schoolers, including six from MNPS. The organization awarded the scholarships during its awards luncheon last Wednesday, April 11.



“There are a lot of things I do as a member of the school board,” said School Board member Mark North, “but none matches my being able to sit on stage during our May graduation ceremonies and watch students end one chapter to begin an even more exciting academic journey. Today, I wear three hats: one as a member of this great club, a second as a member of the board, and finally, the best hat of all, as the father of a scholarship recipient. It just doesn’t get any better than this.”



Following is a list of the 2012 Kiwanis Club of Madison, TN scholarship awardees from Metro Schools:



Cayce A., Hunters Lane Comprehensive High School: Cayce plans to major in Environmental Science at Tennessee Tech University in the fall. His student activities have included membership in the Distribution Education Clubs of America, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Staff, and the BETA club. During his high school years, Cayce was also a member of the Rifle Team, and he served as Color Guard Commander for three grades. In his spare time, Cayce has volunteered at the Explore Post, the Metro Health Department, and the American Red Cross.



Domique Elliott, Hunters Lane Comprehensive High School: Dominique will be attending Western Kentucky University, with her focus on Nursing. Dominique counts membership in the National Honors Society and the MYP Program among her many accomplishments. She has also participated in community activities including an MLD Youth Rally March, Salvation Army/Angel Tree, Oasis Center/Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, and the 3rd Annual Youth Activities and Job Readiness Fair. Dominique is already CPR certified, a real plus considering her interest in nursing.



Jianne McDonald, Martin Luther King Magnet: Jianne will be attending Lipscomb University, majoring in English in the fall. Her honors include membership in the National Beta Club and the National Honor Society, and she currently sits on the Mayor’s Youth Council. Jianne has also served as a member of the Director’s Student Advisory Council, Teens Making A Change, Top Teens of America (Inc.), and the YMC Young Black Achievers. Jianne’s community activities have positively impacted Feed the Children, Toys for Tots, the MLK Annual Canned Food Drive, Pennies for Patients, and the Samaritan House Ministries.



Lara North, Hume Fogg Academic High School: UT Knoxville is Lara’s destination this fall, where she will dig into studies for communication disorders (speech pathology/therapy). Lara’s extra-curricular activities have included Varsity Soccer, Key Club (presidency), Helping Hands, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Honor Society, the Red Cross Club, National Honor Society, and the HFA Step Club. Lara has been active throughout the community through her volunteerism efforts via Clara’s Closet, Ambassadors Formalwear by Gilda Social Graces, and Neely’s Bend Church of Christ puppet ministry.



Porsha Owens, Hunter’s Lane Comprehensive High School: Porsha, will be a student at UT Knoxville in Fall 2012. Porsha’s goal is to be a nurse, and she already has a solid foundation built through her community services with Hands on Nashville/LP Pencil Box, National Science Teachers Association, Race for the Cure Cancer (Walk), and the Kiwanis Club of Madison TN (Fund-raising Pancake Breakfast). Throughout her years in high school, Porsha has claimed honors as an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate and as a member of the National Honor Society.



Lamesha Wells, Hunters Lane Comprehensive High School: A soon-to-be Belmont University student in Business Administration, Lamesha has been an active volunteer within her community for the past four years: Kiwanis Club of Madison TN (pancake breakfast), Adventure Science Center, Salvation Army, LP Pencil Box, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, National Science Teachers Association, and Bellshire Element Pre-K Life Skills Program. Mom Catina Wells can also be proud of Lamesha’s academic accomplishments: National Honor Society, International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, International Baccalaureate MYP Program, Honor Roll, National Beta Club, Key Club, Bowling and Cheerleading Teams.



Congratulations to all the scholarship recipient and best of luck on your future endeavors!

Last Sunday Maplewood High School students Brien H. and Sengphachane P., parent volunteer Ms. Kizer, and Maplewood High teacher Chiquithia Fells, volunteered for the March of Dimes March for Babies representing Future Business Leaders of America. The volunteers committed more than three hours of their time to the information booth during the charity event.



Thanks for getting involved, Maplewood!

Anthony Sewell, biology teacher at Hunters Lane High School, began his teaching career 12 years ago. Inspired by the wonderful teachers he had growing up, Sewell knew he wanted to help guide and serve as a positive influence for young people.

According to Sewell, his favorite part of teaching is “witnessing the growth of our students intellectually.” He says, “It’s a good feeling knowing that we as educators are helping our students develop skills which will allow them to be successful in life.”

Sewell earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with an emphasis in biology. He also holds a master’s from UTK.

Of him nomination as Teacher of the Year Finalist, Sewell says he is honored to be in the running because there are so many wonderful teachers in our district who deserve this recognition. He says he appreciates the acknowledgement for the work he does as well as the hard recognition of the hard work all teachers do every day.

When he isn’t teaching, Sewell spends the majority of his free time with family and friends. He is also a life-long learner and always searching for opportunities to grow in his endeavors as an educator and coach.

End-of-Course exams start in just a few weeks, so it's time to study up!



If you need an extra push in preparing for that biology exam, you have several chances to take part in an online review conducted by teachers from Overton and McGavock High Schools.



Adam Taylor and Nae'Shara Neal will hold streaming video reviews and all students are invited to participate. Here are the dates (all sessions start at 7:00 p.m.):

• April 10


• April 12


• April 17


• April 19


• April 23


• April 24


• April 25


• April 26

If you miss one, don't worry; archive videos of each session will be posted online.



To learn more and to take part, visit their website. Embedded below is a replay of the April 10 review session.

Dr. Simyka Carlton, lifetime wellness teacher at Stratford STEM Magnet High School, has known teaching was in the cards for her since her pre-teen years.

“When I was ten years old, I can remember my mother saying that when she finished raising her children she was going back to school to become a math teacher,” Carlton says. “When I asked her why she wanted to teach, she stated the best gift you can give a child is an education. From that point, I knew I wanted to become an educator.”

Carlton began taking education courses in college. While she wasn’t sure what she wanted to teach in the beginning, she quickly realized that teaching was second nature to her. It wasn’t until later in her undergraduate studies that she decided health and physical education were her passions.

Having spent 12 years in the classroom, Carlton says the best part of her job is reaching all students and seeing them excel. “I love seeing the confused looks on my students’ faces as I give an assignment. Yet, once they figure out what needs to be done and they accomplish the task given to them, that look of success and ‘aha, I got it’ gives me more that any accolade.”

Carlton earned a bachelor’s degree, with an emphasis in physical education, from Bethel College. She later earned a masters from Cumberland University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Walden University. She says she is “extremely honored and proud to be in the running for teacher of the year.”

When she isn’t teaching, Carlton spends her time with her family and friends, traveling, reading and writing poetry, and painting.

Friday, learn why Anthony Sewell of Hunters Lane High School credits his own teachers for his chosen career path.

Congratulations are in order for five MLK students who were named National Achievement Scholarship recipients! Eriny H., Troie J., Jasmine K., Carmen O., and Shanna R. were among 700 students nationwide who received $2500 scholarships for outstanding academic achievements. More than 160,000 students nationwide entered the scholarship competition when they took the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of those, 1,600 were named semifinalists and only 800 students in the nation were named finalists and received scholarships.

According to a news release issued by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic competition established in 1964 specifically to honor scholastically talented Black American youth and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding participants in each annual competition. By the conclusion of the 2012 program, marking the 48th annual competition, about 31,800 participants will have received scholarships for undergraduate study worth more than $100 million. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance.

Students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High, Hillsboro High and Stratford STEM Magnet High represented the district well at the Tennessee WorldQuest Championships held earlier this month at Belmont University. The students competed with others from around the region, answering questions about international affairs. Read more and see photos here.

Congratulations to Amber M., a senior at Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, for being selected to receive one of 14 scholarships from the TMSDC (Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council) Education Foundation. Scholarship recipients were selected from nine schools from across the mid-state. 

Amber was honored during the TMSDC Education Foundation’s 20^th Annual Impact Awards in early April at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. This year’s scholars received a total of $98,000, internships, e-readers, laptops, software, Senior Year Collections, and backpacks. In addition to her scholarships from A+ Education & Training Services, SMS Holdings, and Saundra & Sidney Curry, and the other items mentioned, Amber received a stock certificate. 

Muna M., a junior in the Academy of National Safety and Security Technologies at Stratford STEM Magnet High Schools, has been selected to participate in the 2012 Bank of America Student Leaders program this summer! She will spend eight weeks alongside some of the nation’s brightest young men and women, learning leadership skills and serving as a paid intern with national charity. Muna will also participate in a week-long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., during which she will gain valuable civic, social and business leadership skills. All expenses of this trip are paid for by the Student Leaders Program. Muna is one of 225 student leaders nationwide selected for this outstanding opportunity. Congratulations!

Congrats to Jyotishka and Shalom, and a special thanks to the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt for sharing the following news release with us!

Students at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt land first publication Two members of the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt will be seeing their names in print as lead authors on their first scientific manuscript. Jyotishka Biswas and Shalom Rottman-Yang, seniors at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt have just reached a milestone that most scientists don’t achieve until they are well into graduate school. . . having chief authorship on their first publication in a scientific journal. In most universities, this accomplishment is a fundamental requirement in order to be awarded a PhD in a scientific discipline. But, as they are finishing up their senior years in high school, Jyotishka and Shalom have their sights set on a much more humble experience of starting their undergraduate education. Jyotishka has his sights set on Georgia Tech and Shalom is looking to head off to Princeton next fall. Both have stated that they would like to continue working in a lab during their undergraduate years. Their work which was recently published in the Journal of Electrochemical Society http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.095204jes represents a substantial contribution to the electrophoretic deposition research community on par with the contributions that have been made by other professional scientists in the community. Their findings could facilitate the production of intact, but ultra-thin carbon nanotube films at an industrial scale, which could have implications in applications, such as flexible electronics, ballistic protection, and ultra-light fabrics. In addition to their time spent at Hume-Fogg High School, Jyotiska and Shalom have been coming to Vanderbilt University for one day a week for the last four years. The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) is a joint venture between Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and offers high school students an interdisciplinary, research-centered learning experience that culminates with students entering laboratories of Vanderbilt Researchers for a year-long internship. Students write up these projects to submit to national competitions such as the Siemens Science Competition where Jyotiska and Shalom were recently named regional finalists. The SSMV has received funding from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health, and other generous donors.

Freshman at Overton High School pledged their commitment to graduate this spring. In a special C2G (Commitment to Graduate) ceremony, the students signed a huge banner promising they will stay in school and help their peers stay in school. Throughout the year, the Class of 2015 have devoted time to writing down goals that will help them stay on track and identifying at least three people who can help support them on their journey.

Spring has sprung, and so have the arts! March 23-26, Hillsboro High will present Little Shop of Horrors. Tuesday, March 27, Glencliff High will follow up with Our Greatest Need is to be Needed, a special production in which students with disabilities will present leading roles in life and show the challenges they face. More details on both below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2012

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2012

Several Metro high school students have been selected to attend an all expenses paid trip to the 2nd annual USA Science and Engineering Festival, which will feature more than 3,000 fun, interactive exhibits, stage shows and author presentations.  Alex C. and Emma R., sophomores at Hillsboro High, Andrew C. and Dorwin W., students at Stratford STEM Magnet High, Susanna P., a student at MLK and the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt, and Nhung H., a student at Overton High and the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt, were selected to present during the Final Expo.

The festival will be held in Washington D.C., April 28-29. Students were selected based on essays exploring the topic of banning water bottles on college campuses. The students were selected to attend the science festival based on essays, grades and behavior.

At the festival, the team of students will work together to provide hands-on activities at one of the Vanderbilt University booths. Students will assist participants in dissecting a sea bird bolus and identifying the plastics found inside. Students will also be able to visit the other booths and the college fair. 

And what would a trip to the Capitol be without a lesson on history! The students will have some free time to visit area attractions. Congratulations!

Can you spell "scholarship"? If so, this might be the perfect opportunity for you!

There's a new Burro in town, and he has quite a list of credits!
Craig Clayton has been named the new leader of Hillsboro High School’s football team. He will join the faculty for the 2012-2013 school year and assume the head coaching position of the Burros. Clayton brings 28 years of head coaching experience, with 26 winning seasons.

Clayton joins the Hillsboro Football Program with a coaching career that started as an assistant coach in Christian County High School in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Coach Clayton rose quickly through the coaching ranks serving as an offensive coordinator at both Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky and at Madisonville High School in Madisonville, Kent. Clayton’s first head coaching job was with Todd County High School in Elkton, Kent., followed by a long and successful stay at Hopkinsville High School in Hopkinsville, Kent. Clayton’s most recent coaching assignment was as Franklin High School Head Football Coach in Franklin, Tenn., where he served from 2005-2011.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to get the program back to the place it was just a few years ago,” says Coach Clayton. “I feel that everyone in the school wants to work together to make the Hillsboro football program a success.”

Dr. Terry Shrader, principal of Hillsboro is excited to have Coach Clayton joining the Burros and hopes the new leader will help propel the Burros back to the top. Hillsboro won State Championship titles twice in the past decade, in 2005 and 2008.

“It is great to find a coach with Coach Clayton’s level of experience and success,” says Shrader. “We had more than 70 applicants and feel sure that Craig Clayton will move our football team back to the top.”

Clayton’s teams have an overall record of 230-114. Clayton’s teams have made the playoffs for 21 straight years. In 28 seasons as a head coach, Clayton’s teams have had 26 winning seasons. Coach Clayton’s teams finished as state runner-ups in 1996, 1997, and 2008. His teams made it to their respective state semifinals in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. Clayton placed teams in the state quarter-finals in 1995, 2003, 2007, and 2009.

As a player Craig Clayton was selected to the 2nd team Associated Press Kentucky All State Team. He was also Honorable Mention All Ohio Valley Conference in 1972 and the Western Kentucky University Best Blocker in 1972.

Several Metro high schools have active HOSA chapters, and students have been busy this spring showing off their skills.

Twenty-four students from Glencliff High competed in the Middle Tennessee Regional competition. Of these, 11 advanced to the state competition: Lisa B., Lina B., Kimberly B., Isatu B., Saloni P., Soly N., Daniel M., Paulina V., Nancy L., Mario V., and Jose B.

Hillwood had a long list of students who placed at regionals: Tuyet L. - 2nd Dental Spelling; Jonathan D., - 2nd Place- Biotechnology; Musie Y., Ahbid Z., Kasey Mircea, and Jeriel J. - 2nd Place Biomedical Debate; Karla A. and Monica M. - 3rd Place Community Emergency Response Team; Stephanie A. and Joanna M. - 3rd Place Community Awareness; Shelby J. - 5th Place Concepts of Healthcare; Matthew T. and Courtney H. - 4th Place CPR and First Aid; Trinh L. - 2nd Place Dental Terminology; Bansri P. - 3rd Place Epidemiology; Christiana C. - 3rd Place Home Health Aide; Cong N. - 4th Place Human Growth and Development; David S. - 5th Place Extemporaneous Speaking; Glenda R., Katherina Z., Chau M. and Cody W. - 4th Place-= Creative Problem Solving; Jelena R. - 4th Place Job Seeking Skills; Nguyen L. - 3rd Place Healthcare Issues; James H. - 4th Place Life support skills; Hang N. - 3rd Place Medical Math; Chloe P., Lillie O., and Anna F.- 2nd place Medical Reading; Zahraa A. - 2nd Place Medical Terminology; Amber C. - 4th Place Nurse Assisting; Kristen H. - 4th Place Nutrition; Miriam H. - 1st Place Personal Care; Ariel C. - 5th Place Physical Therapy; and Luisa R., Miquel O., Brenda H., Cristie C., Maria O., and Bianca T. - 5th Place PSA

At Hunters Lane, 11 students competed in the regional competition. Of those, three advanced to the State Competition: Brian T., Alexandria C., and Makiya M.

McGavock High had three students participate in regionals, two of whom advanced to state. Delaney W., who won first in the regional Sports Medicine competition, and Jane S., who placed third in Medical Terminology, will now compete with others around the state.

Overton High took 10 students to regionals, four of whom will now advance to state. And Whites Creek High took 36 students to regionals, a whopping 31 of who advanced to state! The Whites Creek students headed to the next round include: Doresha B., Kennetha B., Johnny B., Jasmine B., Melba B., Kaitlyn C., Rodkia E., Mikeisha E., Morgan E.,  T.J. F., LaMondria G., Charmika H., Harvea H., Monique H., Micheal H., Marche J., Lakasha L, Devin M., Cresa M., Willie P., Prisha P., Jada P., Marcusia R., Breayant R., Gwendolyn S, Raven S., Ashley W.,  Arriona W,  Sabria W., Hailie W., and Valesia W.

Congrats to all and good luck at the State Competition this April.

Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School is hosting a Transition Fair to help students with disabilities explore their options post high school. Numerous community businesses and partners will be on hand to talk with students and share the many opportunities and services that are available.

The Academy at Opry Mills will have a new look and a new principal when it officially re-opens this fall. William Fellman has been tapped to lead the school that was forced to temporarily close after the May 2010 Flood.

Fellman, currently principal at Jere Baxter Alternative Learning Center, has been with the district for 22 years. During his time with Metro Schools, Fellman also served as assistant principal at Head Magnet Middle and resource teacher at Pearl-Cohn High, now an entertainment magnet high school.

“I am excited and honored to serve as the new principal of the Academy at Opry Mills,” says Fellman. “This is an opportunity for me to help students reach their high school graduation and go on to higher education. I look forward to the successes and challenges ahead and working with a great staff to help the students achieve their goals.”

Fellman is a native of Nashville where he graduated from DuPont High School. He later received his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee State University and master’s from Trevecca Nazarene University. For more than 26 years, Fellman has worked as a TSSAA official for football and basketball state games and championships. Beside his educational obligations, Fellman serves on the Waterford Homeowners Association Board of Directors, and the Middle Tennessee Football and Middle Tennessee Basketball Officials Associations. He has been married to his wife Nancy for 26 years and they have three daughters, Kayla, Kelly and Kathy.

When it re-opens, the Academy at Opry Mills will join the Academy at Old Cockrill and the Academy at Hickory Hollow as non-traditional schools that offer high school diplomas to people aged 17-21 with at least 14 high school credits. The schools provide a rigorous, accelerated curriculum to students who are serious about earning diplomas. The original Academy at Opry Mills was relocated to Hickory Hollow after the May 2010 flood inundated Opry Mills. The Academy at Hickory Hollow and the Academy at Opry Mills are Simon Youth Academies developed in concert with the Simon Youth Foundation.

Apply to the Academy at Opry Mills today!

Tylar Smith, a junior at Nashville School of the Arts, has been accepted to the highly acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Summer Intensive Program. She will spend six weeks in New York, training with the Professional Dance Division. While in New York, Tylar will have the opportunity to study under world-renowned choreographers and instructors.  She will be staying at Fordham University's McMahon Hall. Coincidentally, Fordham is one of Tylar’s top choices for universities, in which she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dance. According to those close to Tylar, the acceptance into the program is a dream come true. She has long been inspired by Alvin Ailey and is excited about this opportunity! Tylar is also very appreciative to the dance instructors at NSA.

The Alvin Ailey summer program is designed for students ages 16 - 25 who have had a minimum of three years of consistent training and is structured to advance the technical skills of dancers in a wide variety of techniques. 

Students at The Academy located at Hickory Hollow were among the first to voice their opinions of changes the area is likely to see over the next 10 years. The group was invited to meet with city planners. Check out a video of the first planning meeting here. The next meeting, and first open to the public, will be held Thursday, April 5, at 6 p.m., at Lakeshore Christian Church.

We told you before the winter break that Hillsboro theatre teacher and fine arts department chair Brad Brown had scored a spot on the 2nd Annual Teachers Tournament on Jeopardy. And now, we know when!



Monday, Feb. 20, Brown's first round in the trivia competition will air on MYTV 30 (Comcast Channel 14) at 6 p.m. Tune in to see him go head to head with other knowledgeable teachers from around the country.

Spring Gateway Testing is almost here. For high school students who will be taking Gateway Tests, the first opportunity to take them starts on Monday, February 20.



Students who started high school prior to the 2009-10 school year will take Gateway Tests. If you are unsure if you are supposed to take Gateway Tests, ask your school counselor.



Not all schools will give Gateway tests during this time. There are three possible times during the spring when a school may administer the Gateway Test.



To find out when your school will be giving Gateway Tests, ask your school counselor. A full schedule of all testing windows is available below.





February Test Administration Window:  February 20- 24

March Test Administration Window:  March 19-23

April Test Administration Window:  April 23-27

Tuesday, Feb 7, Rocky, a student at Hillsboro High, took the stage for the first time as a solo artist! Rocky performed at the 16-year anniversary celebration of the Billy Block Show. He was backed up by his brother Grady, on drums and keys; Jamie M., son of hit singer/songwriter Pat McLaughlin; and Anthony R.  

Rocky was born "live on the air" 15 years ago when the Billy Block show aired on Lightening 100.

Two MNPS students recently spent a week in Caen, France as Nashville Ambassadors for the city's International Week! Audrey Y., a sophomore at Nashville School of the Arts, and Milly B., a senior at Hume-Fogg High School, were chosen as ambassadors after writing an essay application and interviewing in French. During their trip, they had a chance to visit Paris, were interviewed by a video crew in Caen for International Week, and got to enhance their knowledge of the French language and culture.   

Sister Cities of Nashville is a not-for-profit whose mission is to connect the people of Nashville to people of the world, promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation. Caen has been an active sister city to Nashville since 1990 and invited all its sister city partners around the world to send two high school delegates for a four-day workshop and international fair. 

Richard W. Oliver, CEO of American Sentinel University, recently donated $1,000 to Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School. Half of the donation will be used to increase parental involvement; the other half will go toward the school’s scholarship program for the Taste of Nashville.

In addition to the monetary donation, Oliver also offered two scholarships per year to students enrolled in The Academy at Old Cockrill. The scholarship recipients will be able to earn two-year associates degrees from American Sentinel University.

Tuesday, Jan. 31, several members of the John Overton High School class of ’75 attended a faculty meeting at Overton High School to present a gift to the school. Lynn Stanfield Wilbanks, daughter of long-time Overton principal William J. Stanfield, Connie Brown Kimbro, and Cindy Haden Dickens presented Principal Dr. Andrew Shuler-Pelham and Library Media Specialist Gwen Hines with a check for $1975 in memory of deceased classmates. This money will be used to buy document readers for classroom use. The class of 1975 still appreciates the many opportunities John Overton High School offered them some 37 years ago. The group hopes that their donation will help the teachers in their day-to-day work with students. The presentation concluded with a thank you and a heartfelt reminder to the teachers that their time, energy and efforts given to their students every day is making a difference now and for many years to come.

The Fifth Third Financial Empowerment Bus (eBus) is rolling to a stop at Sam Levy Community Center Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The entire Nashville community is invited to drop by and receive financial tips and guidance. Sam Levy is located at 302 Foster Street. Check out the flyer below for more information.

NSA senior Maya A. has spent the past two weeks sharing the stage with no other than Eddie George! Maya is wrapping up her role of conspirator, citizen, soldier and Octavius' servant in the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of Julius Ceasar. And this isn't her first run with the production company. This past summer, Maya served as stage manager's intern for the production of Romeo & Juliet.



Maya and her cast mates will make their final curtain call this weekend. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays - Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. on Sundays; and a special encore performance has been added for Sunday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Click here for more details.

McGavock High School’s Academy of Digital Design and Communications will hold its Second Annual DDC Awards Show on Friday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m., in the school’s auditorium. The show is based on academy sponsor CMT’s CMT Music Awards, which are voted on by the public. Students had their talent recorded on video at Rocketown, another academy sponsor, and then it was uploaded to a private Facebook page where students in the academy voted. The results will be released at the awards show where students will host, emcee, and produce the event, which will include a red-carpet gala.

Maplewood High School and its Academy of Business and Consumer service have inked a deal with Fifth Third Bank. The financial company will serve as an official partner of the Academy, while continuing to provide services and assistance to all Maplewood students and the school's community members. Major goals of the partnership is to provide cutting-edge strategies and training opportunities for Academy students, as well as  job-shadowing opportunities with various bank representatives and departments. Also is the works is a college savings program for all freshmen. School administrators hope to help every freshmen open a college savings account by the end of their freshman year.

If you have dreams of attending a top-rated university and live in the Edgehill area, you may be eligible for an E.S. Rose Park scholarship! Here are the guidelines:

• Prospective freshmen must complete application by 1/31/12 deadline for merit scholarship consideration.


• Those who meet that deadline, are admitted and meet scholarship/residency criteria will be automatically considered for the award.  Notification to scholarship recipients begins in mid-February.


• Academic scholarships are competitive.  Rose Park Scholarship prospects will have completed a college prep curriculum with above-average grades/standardized test scores/class rank and demonstrate extracurricular activities.


• Students meeting scholarship criteria and permanently residing in districts 17, 19 and parts of 18 will be considered.  Highest consideration will be given to those students who live in closest proximity to E.S. Rose Park. If no qualified applicants meet residency requirements, graduating seniors at any Nashville Public School enrolled in free/reduced meal program will be considered for the E.S. Rose Park Scholarship if they are admitted to Belmont and meet the scholarship criteria).


• Two (2) full-tuition scholarships are awarded each year.  In some years, additional half-tuition scholarships will be awarded.  Recipients must maintain a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade point average to renew scholarships.


• In addition to merit scholarships, Belmont University offers a variety of need-based financial assistance.  Students should submit the FAFSA by the March 1 priority deadline for need-based aid consideration. Visit www.belmont.edu/sfs for more information.
  
  

For more information, call Belmont University at 615-460-6785.