May 9, 2008
In this edition: Earn While You Learn this Summer!
Percy Priest Gets a Dream Classroom
Overton Gets Hands On Help
Hull-Jackson Montessori School Celebrates Graduates
2008 Social Studies Projects Fair Winners
Air Force JROTC 2007-2008 Distinguished Unit Award
Miss Tennessee Graces MNPS
NSA Hosts MNPS Forensics 2008 Summer Camp
Reading World Series at Park Avenue
McGavock Student Wins Congressional Art Award
Fall-Hamilton Students Get Healthy
Julia Green Teacher Headed to China
Whites Creek High Opens Becca’s Closet
Middle College High Still Accepting Students for 2008-2009
Earn While You Learn this Summer!
This summer, MNPS students (those who will be in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades during the 2008-2009 school year) have a unique opportunity to enroll in a summer career institute at Nashville State Community College. Students will learn about 21st Century Careers and skills needed in those careers. In addition to learning, students will actually earn money for their work and expand their creativity.
Two sessions will be offered, June 9-13, “Designing for The Future” and June 16-20, “Entrepreneurship.” Each session will meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Sessions will be taught by an MNPS teacher, an NSCC professor, and a local business volunteer. For more information, visit http://www.mnps.org/Page37468.aspx.
Percy Priest Gets a Dream Classroom
Wednesday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m., Percy Priest Elementary will celebrate the debut of the school’s new outdoor classroom. Mayor Karl Dean and Interim Director of Schools Chris Henson will be on hand to celebrate and cut the ribbon.
The classroom was designed and voted on by students. It will include a large workspace table for hands-on activities; a round, open space for discussion and lecture, reading, thinking, and sharing activities; and benches for dedicated to people who have donated their time to the school.
Overton Gets Hands On Help
Friday, May 16, about 30 McGraw Hill employees will work with Hands on Nashville and Tools for Schools to make some improvements to Overton High. The goal of the project is to build new cabinets to store band instruments and build athletic lockers for school athletes. Additional projects, such as painting, will also be included based on site inspection at school and number of volunteer participants.
Hull-Jackson Montessori School Celebrates Graduates
Thursday, May 8, the 2008 Kindergarten class officially graduated from Hull-Jackson Montessori School. This event, known as "Fly-Up," lets the kindergarten students “fly" upstairs where they are greeted by the elementary teachers and students in anticipation of entering first grade in the fall. The ceremony was attended by a crowd of proud parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
Thursday May 15, the 4th graders at Hull-Jackson will participate in their graduation ceremony known as "Fly Out." This celebration is in anticipation of leaving Hull-Jackson for various middle schools. The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. in the gym. Both ceremonies are traditions at Hull-Jackson following the Montessori philosophy to recognize these milestones in the academic careers of students. Congratulations to all the graduating kindergartners and 4th graders of Hull-Jackson.
H.G. Hill Students Accepted by Vanderbilt
Two H. G. Hill 8th graders, Laura Moribe and Ahbid Zein-Sabatto, have been selected to attend the Vanderbilt School for Science & Math. More than 300 students applied and only 25 were selected. Laura and Ahbid will attend classes at Vanderbilt one day a week and work in Vanderbilt science labs during the summers for the next four years, leading to research opportunities and scholarships.
2008 Social Studies Projects Fair Winners
MNPS held its annual Social Studies Projects Fair Saturday, May 3, at McGavock High School. This year’s fair included nearly 300 entries from 3rd through 5th grades from across the district. The judges had a tough time deciding this year as the overall quality of projects has improved greatly.
Congratulations to all students who participated and thank you to all teachers and principals who supported and encouraged students’ efforts. From organizing historical research to writing process papers and bibliographies, a lot of time and effort went into preparing students for the competition. This year’s winners are:
Best Overall Tennessee Project: Emmanuel Redmond, 3rd grade, James K. Polk and U.S. Expansion; Emily Short, 4th grade, Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal; and Victoria Slifka, 5th grade, Battle of Stones River.
Best Overall Geography Project: Julia Scott, 3rd grade, Indian Reservations of Minnesota; Kennedy Wilson, 4th grade, California Gold Rush; and Stan Kennedy, 5th grade, Fort Morgan.
Best Overall Multimedia Project: Max Crow, 5th grade, The Freedom Riders.
3rd Grade Scrapbook Winners: 1st place - Paige Capps, Dodson Elementary, Conflict of the Declaration of Independence; 2nd place - Patrick Hampton Jr., Eakin Elementary, Conflict or Compromise: The Civil War; and 3rd place - Keyonna Davis, Dodson Elementary, The Civil Rights Movement.
4th Grade Scrapbook Winners: 1st place - Braxton McCord, Eakin Elementary, Sojourner Truth; 2nd place - Cannon Coe, Maxwell Elementary, Marbury vs. Madison; and 3rd place - Vinamratha Rao, Eakin Elementary, Treaty of New Echota.
5th Grade Scrapbook Winners: 1st place - Hadley McCammon, Meigs, Gloria Steinem; 2nd place - BreAnna Anderson, Croft Middle, Property of Anya Androfsky--Russian Immigrant; and 3rd place - Katie Palmer, Croft Middle, Great Depression.
3rd Grade Exhibit Winners: 1st place - Elizabeth Gregory, Dodson Elementary, Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas; 2nd place - Emmanuel Redmond, Dodson Elementary, James K. Polk and U.S. Expansion; and 3rd place - Lawrence Shelton, Dodson Elementary, The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.
4th Grade Exhibit Winners: 1st place - Morgan Holder, Eakin Elementary, Trail of Tears; 2nd place - Ryan Elemerick, Julia Green, The Missouri Compromise; 3rd place - Jackie Leander, Granbery, Tea Time in Boston.
5th Grade Exhibit Winners: 1st place - Jacob Gholson, Meigs, Barbed Wire Causes Conflict; 2nd place - Riley Elliot, Meigs, Battle of Gettysburg; and 3rd place - Annette Law, The Three Compromises that Doomed the Titanic.
3rd Grade Large Group Winners : 1st place - Warner Wildcats, Warner Elementary, Avoiding Conflict with Money.
4th Grade Large Group Winners: 1st place - Miss Boone's Class, Inglewood Elementary, Boston Tea Party.
5th Grade Large Group Winners: 1st place - Morgan Langos & Rachel Hambridge, Croft Middle, JaBlues.
3rd Grade Multimedia Winners: 1st place - James Michael Lopez, Dodson Elementary, Interview with James Madison; 2nd place - Daniel Nijinmbam, Dodson Elementary; Barter vs. Cash Economy; and 3rd place - Jake Hutchins, Dodson Elementary, Needs vs. Wants.
4th Grade Multimedia Winners: 1st place - Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, Charlotte Park Elementary, The Great Triangle: Conflict and Compromise; 2nd place - Mitt Ohlenbusch, Granbery Elementary, The Conflict After the Compromise; and 3rd place - Xiuya Yao, Julia Green, Compromise/Conflict in the American Revolution.
5th Grade Multimedia Winners: 1st place - Max Crow, Croft Middle, Freedom Riders; 2nd place - Emily Ellis, Meigs, Losing Our Religion; and 3rd place - Zachary Bapty, Meigs, Cuban Missile Crisis.
3rd Grade Performance Winners: 1st place - Julia Adams, Dodson Elementary, How the United States Was Born: Declaration of Independence.
4th Grade Performance Winners: 1st place - Andrew Halloran, Julia Green, War of 1812: Star Spangled Banner; 2nd place - Wes Richardson, Julia Green, Battle of Bunker Hill; and 3rd place - Imani Pean, Dodson Elementary, Declaration of Independence.
5th Grade Performance Winners: 1st place - Daniel Mehus, Croft Middle, Great Depression; 2nd place - Allyssa Ollis, Meigs, Labor Union; and 3rd place - Karissa Wheeler, Croft Middle, Jane Addams.
Air Force JROTC 2007-2008 Distinguished Unit Award
Congratulations to Unit TN-933 at Maplewood High School which has been selected as one of 328 units to receive the 2007-2008 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award. This award recognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performed above and beyond normal expectations, and that have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force Junior ROTC mission of producing better citizens for America.
The objectives of the Junior ROTC program are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill responsibility, character, and self-discipline through character education, and to provide instruction in air and space fundamentals. Enrollment is open to all young people who are in the 9th grade or higher, physically fit, and are citizens or nationals of the United States.
Miss Tennessee Graces MNPS
Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16, Miss Tennessee 2007 Grace Gore will be visiting Metro Nashville Public Schools as a representative of the State Department of Education’s Tennessee Character Education Partnership to make presentations to elementary schools. Ms. Gore will speak with students about the importance of building a strong character and staying drug-free. Thursday, she will visit with students at Fall-Hamilton, Norman Binkley, Ruby Major and Hermitage. Friday, her visits will include Inglewood, Gateway, Lakeview and Gower. Both days’ visits begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 2:30, with 30 minute visits scheduled for each school.
NSA Hosts MNPS Forensics 2008 Summer Camp
This summer, 7-12th grade Metro students are invited to attend the 2008 Forensics Camp at Nashville School of the Arts. The camp will be held Monday, July 14 – Friday, July 18, from 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. daily. Students attending the camp will learn the fundamentals of debate, oral interpretation, speech arts, and radio, television and film arts. Guest presenters, artists and demonstrators will enhance the daily instruction. The cost of the camp is $100. For more details and a registration form, visit www.mnps.org.
Reading World Series at Park Avenue
The children at Park Avenue Elementary have been working toward reading goals for the last eight weeks. To celebrate their accomplishments, the school held a Reading World Series, May 9, in which the students enjoyed an all American lunch, a baseball game between the teachers and the 4th grade and a carnival complete with dunking booth, moonwalk, karaoke, and other fun activities. Students also enjoyed ice cream, donated by Purity Dairies, and popcorn donated by Wal-Mart. The Reading World Series is sponsored by the school’s PENCIL Partner, The Rogers Group, who provided entertainment, t-shirts for students and support for the event.
McGavock Student Wins Congressional Art Award
Congratulations to the following McGavock High art students who
participated in Congressman Jim Cooper’s Art Contest: Madonna Fahmy,
Domanick Libretti, Kelly Smith, Kelly Williams and a special
congratulations to Whitney Hinds for winning Congressman Cooper’s
award for 11th grade.
This is the same art competition that Francis Torres, a senior at
Antioch High, won. Torres will travel to Washington, D.C. to display
his winning artwork alongside other high school artists’ award winning
artwork from around the nation. This is part of a yearlong public
exhibit in the corridor leading from the House office buildings to the
U.S. Capitol in Washington. Francis won "Best of 12th Grade as well
as "Best of Show." Congratulations, Francis.
Fall-Hamilton Students Get Healthy
Congratulations to Fall-Hamilton for being awarded a $10,000 grant from the Love Your Veggies Nationwide School Lunch Campaign sponsored by Hidden Valley Salad Dressings. The grant is designed to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables and live a healthier lifestyle. Fifty-one grants were awarded, with only one grant awarded per state.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley, wife of country star Brad Paisley, is a major contributor to the campaign. She recently wrote her first book, Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden, in support of this nationwide movement.
For more information about the grant program tips to get your child eating more fruits and vegetables, visit www.loveyourveggiesgrant.org.
Julia Green Teacher Headed to China
Julia Green Chinese teacher, Caitlin Harris, was awarded admission and a scholarship to attend the K-12 Chinese Language Teacher’s Institute in Beijing and Chengdu, China this summer. The six week course is a result of collaboration between American Colleges in China (ACC) and the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Secondary Schools (CLASS). The scholarship is funded by a grant from the Fulbright-Hays GPA program. The six week course will include intensive language instruction, cultural lectures, teaching practicum and lesson planning. It will also offer bi-weekly pedagogical workshops on National Foreign Language Standards, K-12 curriculum design, best practices, classroom process, teaching needs of non-native Chinese teachers and assessments. Congratulations, Ms. Harris.
Whites Creek High Opens Becca’s Closet
The Leadership students at Whites Creek High recently opened a branch of Becca’s Closet, a dress bank providing gowns and tuxedos for less fortunate students. The group takes formal wear donations from around the community and shares them with students who might not otherwise have been able to afford prom.
Becca’s Closet was created by a 16-year old cheerleader and honors student from Nova High in Florida, Rebecca “Becca” Kirtman. Becca truly cared about the less fortunate students and saw this as a way to help everyone enjoy their high school prom. In 2003, Becca was killed in a car crash, and since then, her family, friends and community members have kept her dream alive, even spreading Becca’s Closet to other communities around the nation.
If you are interested in donating formal wear, contact Mrs. Lyons at Whites Creek High.
Middle College High Still Accepting Students for 2008-2009
MNPS Middle College High, located on the campus of Nashville State Community College, has a few slots remaining for the 2008-2009 school year. Middle College serves motivated students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades who are interested in earning college credit while working toward their high school diploma. For more information, visit www.mchs.mnps.orgor call 353-3742.