Give a round of applause to this year's winner and runner up in the Kathryn C. Mitchell Spelling Bee.



The Bee was held last week and Jeremy G. of DuPont Hadley Middle School came out on top. Christine L. from Meigs Middle Magnet followed closely behind as runner-up.

(L-R) Tracy Hardin, President of The Links, INC. presenting our Spelling Bee winner with a $500.00 Check from Dr. and Mrs. Carver G. Wilcox, daughter and son-in-law of Dr. Kathryn C. Mitchell; Jeremy G., Spelling Bee Winner-DuPont Hadley MS; Dr. Lora Hall, MNPS; Christine L., Spelling Bee Runner up- Meigs Magnet Middle School; Toni Davis, Representing The Links, INC and the Charles Davis Foundation that donated a $250 check to the runner up

Oh, and by the way - the winning word was VENTILATE. VENTILATE. Shall I use it in a sentence?

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

Hoops Night Out

The North Sports Report enjoyed a fabulous mid-week hoops experience at Glencliff this week as the Colts hosted the Hillwood Hilltoppers. The gym and new floor design at Glencliff are gorgeous. The floor was recently dedicated to Coach Glenn Falls, Glencliff’s longtime great basketball and volleyball coach. The North Sports Report had the honor of watching the games, played on Glenn Falls Court, sitting next to Glenn Falls. He spoke glowingly about the past and present Glencliff players with stories of outstanding defensive performances in state tournament games of the past to the college and career plans of present players. That was a treat! By the way, the hot dogs at the Glencliff concessions stand were out of this world! You should go to a game this week, catch-up with old friends, enjoy a good dog, and support our student-athletes.



Also spotted in the crowd was Hillwood Football Coach Bubba Spears cheering on the Hilltopper hoopsters.

Glenn Falls Court at Glencliff High School

Bowling State Tournament…Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’

The State Bowling Championship Tournament starts Thursday January 24 and runs through Saturday at the Smyrna Bowling Center. The schedule and brackets are available at www.tssaa.org.



MNPS student-athletes qualifying for the boys’ state tournament (along with their season average) are:



Matt Holland, McGavock (196.06); Aaron Ruiz, Cane Ridge (244.33-the top qualifier in the state); Andre Rucker, MLK (188.0); Steven Smith, Hillsboro (180.58); Jonathon Davis, East Nashville (202.60); Louis Dunn, Hillsboro (178.22);



MNPS student-athletes qualifying for the girls’ state tournament (along with their season average) are: Kaitlin Cashion, MLK (156.0); Summer Earnest, Hume-Fogg (139.86); Reanna Evans, Hunters Lane (119.0); Eunicia Turner, East Nashville (127.29); Kelsie Holland, McGavock (125.70);



Congratulations on a great season and good luck in Smyrna this week!

Hancock-Nipper Award Winner

Congratulations to Cane Ridge Ravens’ Raymond Caruthers who earned a prestigious Hancock-Nipper Award. Presented by the Nashville Civitan Club, the Hancock-Nipper Awards are presented to football players who “displayed outstanding sportsmanship for Nashville teams that won region or state championships” according to the venerable sportswriter Harold Huggins of The Nashville City Paper.



Congratulations to Raymond and all our MNPS student-athletes.





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for Outstanding Sportsmanship

Want to meet students who are a lot smarter than you and I? Then meet these semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search.



Four students from Hume-Fogg Magnet High and three from Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High won the distinction for their work done through the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt.

Zach Anderson (Hume-Fogg) completed his project with Jason Valentine, Ph. D. in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His project was "Reflection and Transmission Measurements at Variable Incidence Angles of a Zero Index Metamaterial." Zach was also recognized as a Siemens Semifinalist for this research. Abhinav Goyal (Hume-Fogg) completed his project with Qi Zhang, Ph. D. in the Department of Pharmacology. His project was “Culturing of Neurons on Graphene Transistors for High Resolution Scanning of Processes.” Abhi was also recently recognized as a Siemens Semifinalist for this research. Aditya Gudibanda (Hume-Fogg) completed his project with Jens Meiler in the Department of Chemistry. His project was “The implementation of paired descriptor functions to improve quantitative structure activity relationship models from drug discovery.” Busra Gungor (Martin Luther King Jr.) completed her project with Hal Moses, M.D. in the Department of Cancer Biology. Her project was “Uncovering the Role of TGFβ and BMP in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells.” Busra was also recently recognized as a Siemens Semifinalist for this research. Melissa Guo (Martin Luther King Jr.) completed her project with Nilanjan Sarkar, Ph. D. in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her project was “Interfacing of Kinect Motion sensor and NAO Humanoid Robot.” Meera Patel (Hume-Fogg) completed her project with Richard Peek, M. D. in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology. Her project was “Helicobacter pylori alters the tight junction-regulating adhesion protein BVES and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a nontumorigenic murine gastric epithelial cell line (MGEC).” Jenny Zheng (Martin Luther King Jr.) completed her project with David Wasserman, Ph. D. in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. Her project was “Interaction of integrin and insulin actions in the insulin resistant liver."

Each student won a $1,000 prize with a matching prize given to their schools.

Read more about the award.



Apply for the School for Science & Math at Vanderbilt

Cheryl Mayes, chair of Metro Nashville Board of Education, will take her passion for education and service statewide. Mayes was recently named an At-Large member of the Tennessee School Board Association. She will serve throughout 2013. Congrats!

The holidays came a little early for the students and staff at Old Center Elementary this year when Zagg, a mobile device accessories company, zealously handed over 56 brand new iPads, covers for all, three digital cameras, and new earbuds for every child and teacher!

Principal Dr. Betsy Potts has big plans for the iPads. She says the teachers will use them for professional development and to enhance classroom learning. The students will get to test educational software and programs, as well as get a little practice working with technology.

ZAGG, which stands for Zealous About Great Gadgets, is based in Utah. Earlier this year, the company decided they wanted to do a bit to give back, particularly to schools. They launched an online promotion in which consumers could enter to win a free home computer and $25,000 in technology for their favorite school. Marveya Gooch, proud parent of two Old Center students, logged on and entered…38 times! And it’s a good thing she did. Gooch was selected out of nearly a million entries!

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

Hume Award – Spotlight on Scholar-Athletes

The Hume Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious awards any student-athlete can receive, will be awarded next week to a scholar-athlete/football player “on the basis of scholarship, sportsmanship, individual performance and value to the team.” The Hume Award, named for local civic leader, attorney and Chair of the Nashville City Board of Education William Hume, was first awarded in 1944 to Eddie Lawrence of West High School. Last year’s winner was Maplewood Panther Dustin Binkley.



This year’s five Hume Award finalists are: Christian Molina, Antioch; Michael Collins, East Nashville; Joseph Occhipinti, Hillsboro; Tracey Bowler, McGavock; and Brandon Orr, Overton. Congratulations to all our scholar-athletes.

Hume Award Trivia

Which High School Principal’s stellar athletic and academic career made him a Hume Award finalist? Answer: Overton’s Dr. Andrew Shuler Pelham.

All-Star Game Features MNPS Gridders

The Toyota East/West All-Star Football game will be played Saturday December 8 at 1:00pm on the campus of Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. Rosters for this game may be updated to add players, but my last check of the roster shows that the West team includes DeAnthony Patrick and DeQuan Mays of McGavock; and Michael Cain of Whites Creek. The game will be televised across the state on local PBS stations.

Grapple with This – Pre-season Recognition

The Tennessean’s high school wrestling preview highlighted Glencliff Colts wrestler Garang Madut as one of the mid-state’s “Wrestlers to Watch” this season. Good luck to all our wrestlers who will go to the mat for their schools this season!

Hoop Dreams

High school basketball games are scheduled several nights every week, and you should check the paper each week for a game near you. The North Sports Report will keep you abreast of the games scheduled on Fridays.

Basketball Games November 30, 2012

This week’s North Sports Report Game of the week has the high flying East Nashville Eagles visiting the mighty Maplewood Panthers. Tip-off at 6:30.



In other action:

• Whites Creek Cobras travel to nearby rival Hunters Lane Warriors;


• Hillwood Hilltoppers host Glencliff Colts;


• Hillsboro Burros host Mt. Juliet;


• McGavock Raiders welcome visiting Cane Ridge Ravens;


• MLK Royals travel down the road to Pearl-Cohn Firebirds;


• Overton Bobcats host Brentwood;


• Hume-Fogg Blue Knights visit CPA; and


• Stratford Spartans hit the home hardwood against Lipscomb.

The MNPS home games this Friday are: at Maplewood; at Hunters Lane; at Hillwood; at Hillsboro; at McGavock; at Pearl-Cohn; at Overton; and at Stratford. Oh, and Antioch Bears play at home on Thursday night November 29. There is a game near you – go support the schools and students this week!





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for the Incomparable Flair of School Spirit

Engineering students in Stratford STEM Magnet High School’s Academy of Science and Engineering participated in the Engineers Day competitions on Thursday, Oct. 25.  The group of 10 teams took a special field trip to Knoxville and held their own in the state competition that consisted of more than 100 teams. Of the 10 Stratford teams, two placed in the top 10!

Congratulations to:
8^th Place – Joshua H., Micah H.


10^th Place – Austin F., Benton M., Blake S., Ohaige W.


21^st Place – Christian M., Andre J., Casey S.


25^th Place – Tristen F., Jonathan S., Karalyn C., Hallie C.


45^th Place – Melanie H., Michael I., Quang N., Joseph U.

Also during the Engineers Day competions, Stratford aspiring engineers Logan A. and Dustin P. received honorable mentions for their performance in the Balsa Wood Bridge Competition. The contestants were asked to construct two bridges that could hold the greatest amount of sand.  Logan’s bridge was able to hold a mass of 11.2 kilograms before failing while Dustin’s bridge held 25 kilograms before failure.

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!

 

Whether it’s blowing a bullhorn or helping secure internships, Elaine Fahrner sends daily reminders to her students that she will do whatever it takes to help them graduate. Since the Academy at Old Cockrill first opened in 2009, Fahrner has recruited hundreds of students to her school and given them the knowledge and skills they need to graduate and succeed. Oct. 16, in recognition of her efforts, Fahrner received the Crystal Star Award at the National Dropout Prevention Center national conference.

 

"Every student who walks through our doors has potential and deserves a chance,” said Fahrner. “That's what our Academies do. We give them another chance to learn, and we give them a chance to succeed."

 

The Crystal Star Award identifies and recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the mission of the National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN). Individuals and programs are recognized for outstanding work each year.

 

In addition to receiving the national honor, Fahrner was also a key presenter at the conference. She, along with colleagues Carmon Brown and Billy Fellman, shared best practices and strategies with other educators from around the nation. Their presentation focused on the successes of The Academy at Hickory Hollow, Old Cockrill and Opry Mills - Fellman is principal at Hickory Hollow, Brown at Opry Mills. The three schools have collectively graduated more than 1,000 students since they opened in 2009.

Rose Park Magnet Middle School is up for quite an honor; the school is one of three middle schools in Tennessee in the running for the second annual SCORE Prize. Winners will be announced Monday, Oct. 8, at the Ryman Auditorium. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m.



The award recognizes one school at each tier, as well as one school district that have shown dramatic improvements in student achievement. If selected, Rose Park will receive $10,000.

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.

Congratulations to the outstanding Croft Orchestra and director Anna Maria Miller on being selected to perform at the 2013 Tennessee Music Educators Association State Conference in Chattanooga. Many superior ensembles applied, and Croft was chosen to perform at the April 2013 conference.

The Hillwood High School faculty and Academy business partners celebrated as one big happy familiy this week, recognizing the schools’ successful Academies and the national honors they've won.



Hillwood High was recognized as a "Triple Crown" school for having three Academies awarded ‘model’ program status, the highest level, by the National Career Academy Council. Academy coach Emily Hughes received a stating ovation for her hard work and dedication to help mold and shape each academy.



The Academy of Art, Design and Communications, the Academy of Business and Hospitality and the Academy of Health Sciences were all recognized as model programs. Each model academy will received a $1000 check, listing on the national website, and a banner to display in the school.



Congratulations, Hillwood!

The Hillwood family celebrates together.

Academy Coach Emily Hughes receives her award... and a standing ovation.

Several Metro students have been working on math class work during the summer, even winning awards!



Thirteen Metro Schools participated in the Metro Nashville Summer Math-a-lon and earned Apangea Math Points for their school.



Apangea Math provides one-student-to-one-teacher differentiated math instruction through a unique integration of proprietary tutoring technology and live, online certified teachers. As a web-based solution, Apangea Math can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection – ensuring students can learn math anytime, anywhere.



Here are the Metro Summer Math-a-lon schools and scores:

• Margaret Allen MS – 11,507 Apangea Math School Points


• East Literature Magnet – 10,608 Apangea Math School Points


• John F. Kennedy MS – 4,322 Apangea Math School Points


• John T. Moore MS – 4,547 Apangea Math School Points


• Madison MS – 2,408 Apangea Math School Points


• Gra-Mar MS – 1,124 Apangea Math School Points


• Thurgood Marshall MS – 736 Apangea Math School Points


• Rose Park MS – 237 Apangea Math School Points


• Wright MS – 95 Apangea Math School Points


• Haynes MS - 42 Apangea Math School Points


• Bellevue MS - 25 Apangea Math School Points


• Apollo MS - 46 Apangea Math School Points


• DuPont Tyler MS - 18 Apangea Math School Points

Students had several options to choose from after collecting the points. Fifty-seven percent of the Apangea Points earned were donated to a charity of the student’s choice. Charities included:

• A Soldier’s Child Foundation


• Big Brothers Big Sisters


• United Way


• Wounded Warrior Project


• The Boys and Girls Club


• Make-A-Wish Foundation


• Special Olympics


• Habitat for Humanity

Dr. Antoinette Williams, principal of Gra-Mar Middle School, has been named Tennessee Association of Middle Schools Middle Tennessee Administrator of the Year. Dr. Williams was awarded this honor during the Tennessee Association Middle School Conference this summer. She was given the honor for her accomplishments in providing Sustainable and Relevant Teacher Professional Development, Success in Transforming Low Achieving Schools, and Improving Student Achievement.



Congratulations, Dr. Williams!

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools is now a three-time winner of the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) presented by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) for excellence in budget presentation. This award is conferred only to school districts that have met or exceeded the Meritorious Budget Award criteria. In 2010, Metro Nashville Public Schools made history when it became the first Tennessee school district to earn the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association.



To earn this award, Metro Schools submitted its 2011-2012 budget for a rigorous review based on demanding criteria. Developed by ASBO for school districts, the MBA criteria guide school business officials toward a quality school budget presentation by enhancing the school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing, and presenting a school system budget.



The award recognizes excellence in school system budget presentation and is given to districts with budgets that



• use sound fiscal management practices,

• promote effective use of educational resources,

• provide clear budget presentations,

• use up-to-date budget practices and

• meet several other criteria.



Congratulations to Chief Financial Officer Chris Henson, Director of Business Services Glenda Gregory, Communications Specialist Noelle Mashburn, and the Metro Office of Management and Budget for their award-winning work on the district’s budget.



Featured in photograph (l to r) is Chris Henson, Chief Financial Officer; Gracie Porter, Metro School Board Chair; Glenda Gregory, Director of Business Services and Dr. Jesse Register, Superintendent of Metro Schools.

The Cole Elementary 4th Grade Chorus received Superior ratings and the Highest overall score in the Elementary Division at the 3rd Annual Beech Bend Band and Choral Festival held in Bowling Green, KY.



The 25 member chorus, chaperones, and director Bill Laarz enjoyed many hours playing in the park together, traveling and finally bringing home 2 trophies to celebrate with the entire school. Principal Chad High and Vice Principal Dr. Natalyn Gibbs were both excited with how well the Chorus represented the school, the community and MNPS.

Maplewood High School Unit TN-933 was one of 80 units to receive the 2011-2012 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award with Merit. This award recognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performed above normal expectations and 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.



Cadets completed more than 500 hours of community service including “The Get Motivated” Seminar, Veteran’s Wreath Laying Ceremony, Veterans’ Day Parade, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Congressman Cooper’s Academy Day, GNASBE, United Way’s McGruder Playground Groundbreaking Ceremony, the Mayor’s Field Day, and most recently, the Department of Defense Small Business Conference.



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.

Three students from the Academy at Hickory Hollow have racked up big scholarship dollars from the Simon Youth Foundation, to the tune of $28,000 each!



Lance Dowling, Clinton Ekwuazi, and Simone Ross-Thompson were awarded the scholarships during the Opry Mills Mall grand re-opening celebration on Saturday, May 5.



SYF established the Community Scholarship to meet the financial needs of students in communities that host Simon® shopping centers. The goal of the Foundation is to apply a holistic approach to the educational experiences of our youth. Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of financial need, academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, statement of goals and aspirations, and an outside appraisal. The Academy at Hickory Hollow relocated from Opry Mills after the May 2010 floods that submerged the Opryland area, but still receives great support from SYF. The Academy at Opry Mills, will re-open this fall.



Lance Dowling is a May 2012 graduate, who will be attending Middle Tennessee State University to study sports medicine. Clinton Ekwuazi, also a May 2012 graduate, has been accepted to Middle Tennessee State University and waiting on a response from Austin Peay State University. Simone Ross-Thompson, a December 2011 graduate, has been accepted to Tennessee State University.

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!

Bottle rockets may be child’s play to some, but to NASA and students at Bailey Middle Magnet, Cora Howe Middle and Wright Middle schools, they are serious business. The space agency has awarded its 2012 Educational Engagement Award to a combined team of Vanderbilt University engineering and education students for their work with about 500 students in the three Metro schools.



Nine mechanical engineering students in the Aerospace Club worked with six students in Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development to develop lesson plans for the middle schoolers. The Peabody students teach in Metro Schools as part of their teacher licensure requirements.



Together, the Vanderbilt students taught teams of Metro students scientific and engineering concepts and then worked to design, construct and launch the rockets. Metro students calculated their rockets’ altitudes based on the rockets’ time aloft and the group from each school with the highest-flying rocket earned a visit to Vanderbilt, including a tour of engineering laboratories, workshops, project demonstrations and lunch.



Bailey STEM Magnet Middle School is part of a K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) continuum that includes Hattie Cotton STEM Magnet Elementary, Isaac Litton Middle, and Stratford STEM Magnet High School.



This post is based on an online article “Engineering, Peabody effort lands NASA STEM outreach award” www.news.vanderbilt.edu. Posted with appreciation to Brenda Ellis and Vanderbilt University.

Board Member & Sports Fan Mark North

Tee Time in Elementary School –K through Fore

The North Sports Report peeked in on the PE class at Sylvan Park Paideia Design Center last week to witness the First Tee golf curriculum in action. MNPS youngsters are starting early and receiving lessons in a sport to enjoy for a lifetime. For interscholastic high school golf … I saw the future, and it looked a lot like total golf world domination for MNPS! Easy as 1…2…3…Fore!

Moss-Oliver Award

Hume Fogg hoops star Sam Smith took home the coveted Moss-Oliver Award for excellence on and off the court. Other MNPS finalists included Nick Drake from East Literature and Kovona Harris from Hunters Lane.



Sam will be taking his talents to the blustery shores of Lake Michigan in the fall to attend Northwestern University. According to Principal Dr. Paul Fleming, Sam is the first Hume Fogg student to receive the Moss Oliver Award since before the turn of the century.



Congratulations to all MNPS student-athletes who excel in the classroom!

Soccer Superstar

Did you catch the article in Wednesday’s Tennessean about Overton Bobcat soccer sensation Shpend Rexpehi? His all-around game has earned the respect of coaches around Middle Tennessee and the attention of sports writer Chip Cirillo. Shpend’s quiet leadership skills motivate the Bobcats toward another trip to the state tournament.



In one week, the pressure packed soccer district tournaments begin. They’ll be kickin’ it!

Senior Nights – Spring Season

Senior Nights have an extra sense of finality in Spring. It’s not just the end of a sport season and high school career…it’s THE end. The North Sports Report attended a Senior Night this week, and came away with an even deeper appreciation for the camaraderie that develops among the parents through a season. I’ll stop there … the North Sports Report refuses to get teary-eyed before graduation.





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for Excellence On and Off the Court

Congratulations to two Croft Middle School eighth grade language arts students for winning the Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Associations Essay contest!



Zoe M. and Naba A. both received one hundred dollars for their essays on Tennessee Law Enforcement, with both students writing in the subject on “Why I will say No to Alcohol and Drugs.” Zoe and Naba were two among six Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County student winners. Croft Middle Principal Juana Grandberry surprised to the students with their checks during the morning announcements live on WCMS television broadcast.

Frank L., 11th grader at Hume-Fogg Magnet High School, was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to attend the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journal Conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. this summer!



The scholarship is given to rising seniors interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate qualities of a “free spirit.” Frank and other students will take an all-expense paid trip the conference where they will learn the vital role of the First Amendment as a cornerstone of democracy and how to inspire students to pursue journalism careers.



Frank earned the honor for strong writing in both his essays and collected works from the school newspaper, The Knightly News.



Congratulations, Frank!

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.

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.

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.

The Academy at Old Cockrill is gaining national attention for it’s outstanding academic achievements! The school has been named the recipient of the 2012 “Key to Success in Educational Excellence Award” from the National Alternative Education Association. Principal Elaine Fahrner will officially receive the award during an all-expense paid trip to San Diego this May for the Excellence in Urban Education National Symposium. At the national gathering, Fahrner will share the secrets to success at The Academy at Old Cockrill with other educators from around the nation.

This award, and the May Symposium hosted by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, recognize high-performing urban schools and help districts across the nation share best practices.  

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!

Kimberly Woodard, eighth grade science teacher at Apollo Middle, is among the top in her class, and for good reason! The district Teacher of the Year finalist says she feels “overwhelmed and truly honored to be considered” for the award.

Woodard was inspired to teach by her fifth grade teacher, Robert Mitchell, who showed the class how to be an adult advocate for students. Woodard says he taught them life lessons beyond the academic setting.

Now in her 14th year of teaching, Woodard says the parts she enjoys most are developing relationships with the students and the creativity she is able to employ daily.

“When a teacher has established relationships with his/her students it cultivates an atmosphere of trust,” Woodard says. “I have found that when students know that you genuinely care about them as individuals, they are not only more compliant, but more motivated to learn. On the other hand, my ability to be autonomous and creative as a teacher is just as rewarding. I really enjoy creating authentic and interesting science lessons for my students.”

Woodard attended Tennessee State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology as well as a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She received a second master’s in educational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University.

When she isn’t teaching, Woodard is generally found giving back to her community. She frequently volunteers at the Sexual Assault Center, Nashville Rescue Mission and Hickory Hollow Towers, an assisted living facility in Antioch. She also works monthly with the ladies of the Nashville Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., to feed homeless women.

Next Friday, find out why Stratford teacher Simyka Carlton feels she was born to teach!   

The Percy Priest Elementary School Chess Team placed 2nd in the State Tournament on Saturday, March 24, at Tennessee Tech University.

The PPE Tigers won the first round against A. L. Lotts Elementary from Knoxville 4-0. Then, they played the defending State Champs, Grahamwood Elementary of Memphis, in round ftwo and lost 0-4, but bounced back in rounds three and four to defeat Harding Academy and Ensworth, both matches were 3-1 in PPE’s favor. PPE had three match wins, with the only loss coming against Grahamwood, who finished first with four match wins. Third place went to St. George Independent School and fourth place was the Lester School, both from Memphis. PPE made it to the State Finals by finishing third in the Region III Team Tournament at BGA. The only team to beat PPE in the Regional was Ensworth, but evened the score with them by beating them in round 4 at State.

Members of the PPE  team are Jonah B., Garrett S., Drew B. (State Finalist for the Individual Championship), Zachary R., and alternates, Owen S. and Luke R.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the MNPS Middle School Science and Engineering Fair this year! The year's big winners are posted below.

Eighty students at Brick Church Middle School have been inducted into the second installment of Team Terminator, a group of students who are recognized for being proficient or advanced on school assessments!  That brings the school's total number of Team Terminator members up to 219 for the school year!

The students work hard to make the necessary gains to become a member of this elite team of students. For their efforts, they are rewarded with a t-Shirt and get to participate in a special induction ceremony. They will also receive extra privileges throughout the school such as dances, movies, first in the lunch lines, and first dismissal. The goal is to keep the students striving to make those gains.

Dr. Jesse Register, Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, is the newest recipient of the esteemed PRSA Apollo Award. The Apollo Award recognizes outstanding communications’ skills for mid-state executives who “demonstrate and exemplify the public relations and communications functions within his or her organization.” Previous recipients include Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, former Mayor Bill Purcell, Belmont University President Bob Fisher, and founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt John Seigenthaler.

Pictured is Dr. Register alongside PRSA Nashville President Todd Smith. Smith is president of Dean, Smith & Partners a local public relations consulting firm.

“My mom always said I would be a teacher and it made me so mad!  When I was 16, a fortune-telling machine spat out a ticket that said I would be a teacher, and my face turned bright red as my mom laughed with knowing.  I never wanted to be a teacher . . . . I wanted to change the world. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized those two were one and the same.”

Fortunately for the third graders at Julia Green Elementary, 11-year veteran educator Julie Hasfjord did make that ever-important realization and redirected her professional career from environmental studies to public education. Prior to teaching, Hasfjord worked alongside major players in the environmental field, including Dr. Jane Goodall. During this time, she developed a successful curriculum and delivery model for environmental education that is still being used around the southeastern U.S. While she loved working on this type of project, Hasfjord realized that the most enjoyable and meaningful parts of her work were when she was teaching the lessons to third graders.

After more than a decade in education, Hasfjord says her favorite part about teaching is teaching at an International Baccalaureate School because of the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum. She loves inspiring students to become lifelong learners and to make a difference in the world. Mostly, she loves when everything comes together for a student and you can see the pride in his or her eyes.

“I really can’t describe how surprised I am to be in the running for Teacher of the Year,” Hasfjord says. “I have been teaching for 11 years, and I still feel like I am improving each year. I also know that most teachers are giving 110% of their time and energy on a daily basis, and I am just one of them. I hope to use the “Teacher of the Year” platform to express the many ways that all teachers make a difference every second of every day.  It is truly the most challenging and rewarding work in the world.

Hasfjord attended Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.Car., and received a bachelors degree in environmental students with a concentration in environmental education. She later earned a master’s degree from Peabody College of Vanderbilt. When she isn’t teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children. She volunteers for the Nashville School Garden Coalition as curriculum chairperson and is an active member of the Tennessee Environmental Education Association. She loves finding ways for teachers to meet academic standards while using school gardens and outdoor spaces.

Next Friday, the “perfect storm” that catapulted Vanessa Lutton, library media specialist at Bellevue Middle, into an educational career spanning nearly three decades!  

View the Complete List of 2012-13 Teachers of the Year

Metro Nashville Board of Education Member Dr. Sharon Dixon Gentry will be honored for her leadership at tonight’s Women of Legend and Merit Awards dinner hosted by Tennessee State University. Dixon Gentry currently serves as the representative for District 1.

The annual celebration salutes dynamic women leaders, as well as expose TSU’s female students to positive role models, networking opportunities and resources to assist in their academic, personal and professional growth.

The ceremony will be held tonight, March 15, at 7 p.m., at the Millenium Maxwell House Hotel. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) will serve as the keynote speaker.

Antioch High School students enrolled in the Academy of Teaching and Service participated in district-level Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competitions March 6, at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. Collectively, the Antioch team did an amazing job and represented their school well. Many were awarded 1st and 2nd place in various competitions and will advance to the state competitions at Opryland Hotel in April. They are:

• Jerica J. - 1st Place, Teach and Train


• Madonna B. - 1st Place, Leadership


• Mariama D. - 1st Place, Job Interview


• Eboni C. and Evelyn C. - 1st Place, Environmental Ambassador


• Natasha G. and Jazmine R. - 1st Place, Advocacy


• Brandi Coates - 2nd Place, Nutrition and Wellness


• Danielle Palmer - 2nd Place, Promote and Publicize FCCLA


• Chelsea Dancy- 3rd Place, Illustrated Talk


• Patrice M., Imani B, and Anyika H. - 3rd Place, Life Event Planning

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the co-curricular career and technical education student organization, provides students with opportunities for leadership development, personal growth, and school/community involvement. Patricia Deas and Tiffiney Anderson advise the Antioch chapter.

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.

Apollo Middle School received a Recognition Award at the Tennessee State Special Education Convention, held Feb. 17.  The school was awarded for outstanding efforts with Inclusion in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.  According to Principal Jon Hubble, "We are very proud of our efforts to be a fully inclusive school." 

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. 

Board Member & Sports Fan Mark North

Tournament Basketball

Few things can compare to the excitement of basketball tournaments. The tension and emotion is amplified knowing that every game is one team’s last. The seniors on both teams take the court knowing that this could be their last game, and thus the end to an important chapter in their young lives. The effort is extraordinary from tip-off to the final buzzer in every game….Fantastic!



MNPS schools hosting tournaments this week include: Stratford High School, Antioch High School, Antioch Middle School, and McKissack Middle School (played at Pearl-Cohn).

Extraordinary Hoops Venue … The Creek

Every high school gym has its own personality – its own character. The North Sports Report had the privilege of attending a couple of games at Whites Creek recently, and the production value of “Basketball Night at the Creek” is off the charts.



The atmosphere is electric with the championship banners, the Cobra painted at mid-court and on the wall, and the framed jerseys of bygone sports heroes like Vanderbilt star and Super Bowl champion Shelton Quarles. The Whites Creek marching band rocking in the bleachers, the top-notch cheerleading squad, a regal Coming Home ceremony (like homecoming except for basketball), the expert public address announcer, and exciting basketball all add up to a superior spectator experience. Sitting in the stands, I had a flashback to my youth and could vividly picture Cobra great Jackie Cowan, one of the all-time great women’s basketball players in MNPS and Vanderbilt history, running the floor and dominating play. Basketball Night at the Creek is one of those must see experiences for all sports fans.

Shout Out

Last week, I ran into longtime Hume Fogg girls basketball coach Angela Hubbard who mentioned that she enjoyed reading the Sports Report each week … Result: The North Sports Report made it a point to attend her next game (which they won in overtime) and gives a shout out here. Woop Woop for Coach Hubbard!

Keeping up with the Firebirds

Mike Strasinger of www.sportsnashville.net wrote a tremendous tribute to Pearl-Cohn’s football program and Coach Tony Brunetti for his untiring efforts to encourage opportunities for Pearl-Cohn student-athletes to obtain college scholarships. It takes more than X’s and O’s to be a successful coach…it takes undying dedication to and love for your players. Coach Brunetti’s efforts for his players display that dedication and love to the nth degree.

Every Day I’m Grapplin’…Update from the Mat

The State Wrestling Championships will feature several MNPS grapplers this week in Franklin. According to the TSSAA website, the wrestling championships will include:

• Salih Musa (Overton);


• Breon Blackwell (Antioch);


• Hamadi Hassan (McGavock);


• Adrian Whitworth (Overton);


• Chris Ocon (Overton);


• Clarence Mathis (Antioch);


• Carlos Garcia (McGavock);


• Kevin Braziel (McGavock);


• Roland Bituli (Hillwood);


• Ronquai Love (MLK);


• Trenton Bell (Hunters Lane);


• Carlos Harrison (McGavock);


• Trevion James (Antioch);


• Shad Haji (Glencliff)


• Garang Madut (Glencliff)


• Keith Harris (MLK); and


• Nolan Sexton (McGavock).

Congratulations and good luck to all MNPS wrestlers!

TSSAA Honors MNPS Great

Legendary Coach and administrator James Armstrong has been named to the 2012 class of the TSSAA Hall of Fame. Coach Armstrong’s influence on countless student-athletes, on high school athletics in Middle Tennessee and on the entire Nashville community cannot be overstated. Congratulations to Coach Armstrong for this well-deserved and long overdue honor.

Spring Sports

It’s still cold, but practice for Spring Sports started this week. From now until graduation, MNPS student-athletes will be taking it to the track, diamond, court, and pitch (i.e. soccer field) as they look to dominate again this year in Track, Softball, Baseball, Tennis, and Boys’ Soccer. Spring Sports Fever…Catch it!





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for Extraordinary Effort

 

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.

Board Member & Sports Fan Mark North

Update from the Alley…Bowling Alley that is

Aaron Ruiz, a sophomore at Cane Ridge, enters the state Bowling Championships this week with the highest average in the state – an average of 227.00. What? That’s right, a state leading average of 227!



Darius Holland of Maplewood bowled one of the all-time greatest games in TSSAA high school bowling history in the district tournament. His almost perfect 288 assures his place in the TSSAA record books.



Several MNPS bowlers will be knocking them down at this week’s state championships in Smyrna. The state qualifiers include: Aisha Lee (East Lit); Summer Earnest (Hume Fogg); Chasity Towns (Hunters Lane); Raven Gore (Maplewood); Brandi Caruso (Overton); I’eshia Davis (Stratford); Aaron Ruiz (Cane Ridge); Canaan Morse (Hillsboro); Trevor Owen (Maplewood); Colin Beason (MLK); Andre Rucker (MLK); Matt Holland (McGavock); Brent Morphis (McGavock); Anh Nguyen (Overton); and Andrew Sawyer (Overton).



Good luck to all MNPS bowlers.

College Choices … Seniors Begin the Next Chapter

When The City Paper reported this week that Maplewood’s Ladarius Vanlier chose to attend Tennessee Tech this fall and return to play on the field of his final high school game, it reminded me that we have many young adults in our schools completing college applications, receiving acceptance letters, earning scholarships of all types, and preparing to leave the nest to take what they have cultivated through their life in our schools toward greater and higher accomplishments.



We are proud of the Class of 2012!

Spelling Test

Have you ever noticed how many cheers involve spelling? It’s true – some of the greatest cheers at high school and middle school sporting events require a working knowledge of how to spell certain key words.



Quiz: Which of these “spelling” cheers is the North Sports Report’s favorite?

1. The ever popular free throw cheer: “R-E…R-E-B… R-E-B-O-U-N-D…Rebound”


2. The edgier and more controversial: “M-I-S-S…M-I-S-S…Miss it”


3. The rough and tumble: “Let’s get a little bit rowdy: R-O-W-D-Y”


4. The long word spelling: “Be aggressive: B-E…A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E”


5. Tri-word spelling: “Go…G-O; Fight…F-I-G-H-T; Win…W-I-N: Go, Fight, Win”


6. Or, simply: “V-I-C-T-O-R-Y”

The correct answer is: All of the above.

Sportsmanship Award

The prestigious Hancock-Nipper Football Sportsmanship Awards were presented by the Nashville Civitan Club last week and included Maplewood Panthers Football Coach Arcentae Broome; Antioch Bears star Eric Miles; and Maplewood Panthers hero Wagner Serrano. Congratulations to all MNPS student-athletes who exemplify the high standards of sportsmanship.



To read all about it and find a great picture of the recipients, check out www.sportsnashville.net.

Alumni News

University of Georgia basketball star and MLK alumnus Gerald Robinson not only leads the basketball team at Georgia, he is also pursuing his master’s in Adult Education after earning his undergraduate degree in Speech Communication last Summer. MNPS alumni are awesome!





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

 

Mylayla S., an 8th grade student at Goodlettsville Middle School, was chosen out of thousands of participants across the country to win the Apangea Math Holiday Math-a-Thon. She will receive a Barnes & Noble e-Reader (color) and a $50 Barnes and Noble Gift Card to get her library started. Mylayla’s math teacher is Mr. David Brooks. Congratulations!

Three MNPS students are gaining national attention for their mad science skills! Emily Alsentzer, a student at Hume-Fogg, and Jasmine Kelly and Ben Gu, students at MLK, entered the competition through their enrollment with the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt. All are now seniors in the four-year research-based program. Check out the news release below.

Lacie Pendley, a Digital Design student at McGavock High School, won an award for a photo she submitted to SkillsUSA. It was a competition showing what students are doing in local CTE programs. She received a cash prize and her photo is featured in the Winter Issue of “SkillsUSA  Champions”.

Edwin Santiago, music teacher at McKissack Middle School, has been named the 2012 Edwina Hefner Community Leadership Award winner. The award is given each year by the Nashville Symphony in conjunction with the Regions "Let Freedom Sing" concert that honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Santiago is the fifth recipient of the annual award. His passion for music education was the root of his nomination and selection. To read more about Santiago and his new title, click here.

Edwin Santiago - Picture courtesy of NashvilleSymphony.org

Cathy Forester, a teacher at East Literature Magnet High, was named the Tennessee Council of Teachers of English 2011 High School English Teacher of the Year. The award was presented at the National Council of Teachers of English annual convention in Chicago, November 19. Congratulations!

Hannibal Myers, chief development officer of Shoney's; Oskar Groitzsch; Magdalene Kennedy; Angel Puryear; and Catherine Hite, general counsel of Shoney's.

Students from Hume-Fogg, McGavock and Stratford High Schools took home free iPads after winning big in the "My Future, My Way" essay contest from MNPS, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Shoney's.

The three's essays were among thousands turned in after the Career Exploration Fair in October. Of those thousands, one winner was chosen from each school, with three grand prize winners chosen by a panel of judges. Magdalene Kennedy, Angel Puryear, and Oskar Groitzsch wrote the three winning essays and each received an iPad as reward.

A full release from the Chamber of Commerce, including the list of all seventeen school-level winners, is below.

Nashville's business recognize leaders Metro Nashville Public Schools freshmen ssay contest winners receive prizes NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 7, 2011) – Seventeen ninth-grade Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) students were recognized by leaders in Nashville’s business community today as winners of the inaugural "My Future, My Way" Career Exploration Fair essay contest. More than 4,500 freshmen from 17 different MNPS schools attended the career exploration fair at the Nashville Convention Center on Oct. 27. As part of Shoney’s five-year sponsorship of the "My Future, My Way" Career Exploration Fair, students later wrote an essay about how the experience impacted their thoughts about school, college and an eventual career. Each of the 17 schools selected an essay winner, and a panel composed of judges from MNPS, Shoney’s and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce selected three grand prize winners. The three grand prize winners read their essays at today’s CEO Champions meeting, and each received a new iPad. The remaining 14 winners will each receive a $100 Shoney’s gift card. “These students are already ahead, because they are exploring their interests and thinking about college and what they might want to do in life,” said David Davoudpour, chairman & CEO of Shoney’s. “Shoney’s Restaurants is investing in Nashville’s young people, because we feel it’s important to help develop America’s future leaders.” “This year’s fair was not only bigger than in the past, it was even more engaging and inspiring for our students,” said Dr. Jesse Register, director of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. “It is important for young people to broaden their horizons about the many careers that could be in their futures. The career fair not only introduces students to new career possibilities, it also helps them understand how they can prepare for those careers during high school and through higher education. We appreciate Shoney’s for making this experience possible.” "My Future, My Way" Career Exploration Fair essay contest winners Magdalene Kennedy, Hume Fogg Academic Magnet School (grand prize) Angel Puryear, McGavock High School (grand prize) Oskar Groitzsch, Stratford High School (grand prize) Kelcie Walden, Antioch High School Austin Hayes, Big Picture School Sandra Watson, Cane Ridge High School Stephanie Webb, East Literature Magnet School Aaron Davis, Glencliff High School Efrain Salazar, Hillsboro High School Matcie Sitze, Hillwood High School Cory Nelson, Hunters Lane High School Destiny Anderson, Maplewood High School Dheeraj Namburu, Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet School Iris Engel, Nashville School for the Arts Niesha Everson, Pearl-Cohn High School Lilly Quach, Overton High School Tovia Williams, Whites Creek High School The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing more than 2,000 member companies. Belong, engage, lead, prosper embodies what the Chamber focuses on for its members. Together with its affiliates, the Nashville Chamber works to strengthen the region’s business climate and to enhance Nashville’s position as a desirable place to live, work and visit. For more information, visit www.nashvillechamber.com.

Dustin Binkley of Maplewood High School is this year’s Hume Award recipient! In a special ceremony, Metro Schools recognized the brightest and best football players off the 2011 season. Binkley impressed both on and off the field with stellar game stats and grades. He has been accepted to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Austin Peay State University, but has not made his final decision.

The Hume Award began in 1944 and is given to a football player who has exemplified outstanding sportsmanship athletically and academically. These student-athletes are chosen by their principals and coaches based on scholarship, sportsmanship, individual performance and value to the team.

Penny S., a student at Glencliff High School, was the winner of a laptop from Bridgestone through a drawing at the Career Fair. Penny says she appreciates Bridgestone for partnering with MNPS and she will use her new laptop wisely to conduct research.

Jenny Sinard from Bridgestone presented the laptop during a Freshman Academy assembly.

Emily Cathcart, a sixth grade Science teacher at East Literature Magnet School, has her artwork on display in newly published book! Prior to joining MNPS, Cathcart worked under Dr. David Pitts as a faculty associate for the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Her illustrations are now shown around the world in his book, Studying Eastern Bluebirds:  A Biologist’s Report and Reflections.  

Cathcart, who was trained as an artist, has previously served as a free-lance artist, illustrating everything from cartoons to graphic designs, and even some sign painting. Congratulations!

Jessica Oliver of I.T. Creswell Middle Arts Magnet School has been named the News2 Educator of the Week! Jessica was featured on the evening and morning news. To see what makes her stand out in the classroom, check out the News2 Educator of the Week site.

Ping Whittaker, Chinese teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet, has been named Tennessee's Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.  According to Dr. Schunn Turner, principal at MLK, “Whittaker has brought much honor to the school and students who receive her high quality instruction every day.”

Congratulations, Mrs. Whittaker! 

Congratulations to Ted Edinger, art educator at Tulip Grove Elementary, who was named the Tennessee Art Education Association’s Elementary Art Educator for 2012.  He received the award on Oct. 29 at the TAEA Fall Conference in Memphis.

Ted has been part of the state committee to develop the new art standards, the MNPS committee for developing the new art curriculum and recently served at the state level on the textbook adoption committee.

Michael Murray, a 2009 graduate of Pearl-Cohn High School and son of an MNPS teacher, recently competed in Track and Field at the Global Games in Liguria, Italy. Next up, he competes in November at the Pan Am games in Guadalajara and hopes to represent the USA at the 2012 Olympic Games! Good luck!

Hillsboro High School Marching Band recently competed in the Trousdale County Yellow Jacket Invitational. There, the band won Best in Class for Field Commander and Percussion, 2nd in Class for Color Guard, and 3rd in Class, Overall.

This past weekend, the band traveled to the Lebanon Blue Devil Marching Invitational, where they claimed Best in Class, Overall! They also placed for Field Commander and Percussion.

Way to go!

Adam Taylor, a science teacher at Overton High, has been awarded a $2000 grant from ING's Unsung Heroes Award Program. The program awards teachers for innovation and creativity, both of which Taylor has shown time and time again.

During the 2010-11 school year, when snow kept students and teacher out of the classroom, Taylor flew onto radars district-wide by offering numerous online opportunities for his fellow teachers to grow. He also hosted classes for his students online. He regularly uses social media as an instructional tool to engage students and is always looking for new tools to keep his classroom active and engaged.

Congratulations, Mr. Taylor!

MNPS Middle College High School and Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School have been named the 2nd and 3rd place winners (respectively) in the Best School category of the 2011 Toast of Music City . Congratulations!

She is a true "pioneer" when it comes to helping students overcome obstacles and achieve success, and Saturday, August 13, 2011, Dr. Susan Kessler was honored for her efforts. At the 8th annual Educational Equal Opportunity Group (EEOG) Fundraising Gala, the Hunters Lane High School Principal received the Pioneer Award for her service in education and her visionary leadership. Congratulations, Dr. Kessler!

Glencliff High School representatives were recognized at the U.S. Capitol today for their outstanding efforts in creating a community school. The school was awarded the 2011 Community Schools Award for Excellence. Only two other schools, an elementary and middle, received this award. It was presented by the Coalition for Community Schools in Washington, D.C. 

Unit TN-933 at Maplewood High School has been selected as one of 80 units to receive the 2010-2011 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award. This award recognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performed above 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.

Four MNPS middle schools -- Goodlettsville, Cameron, John Early Magnet, and Meigs Magnet – piloted a new Battle of the Books competition this year. Each school convened teams of four to five students each, who voluntarily read 20 books. Each school then held individual competitions to find a school-level winning team. These teams met Tuesday, May 17, at the Downtown Public Library for the first ever MNPS Battle of the Books! Check out the video.

MNPS is proud to announce Teachers of the Year. This annual program seeks to recognize outstanding educators and administrators. Winners in each division were announced Monday, April 11th at Annual MNPS Teacher of the Year Celebration. The 2012 Teachers of the Year winners will go on to represent the district in the state competition for their division.

Four Metro students have qualified to compete in the 2011 Tennessee Geogrphic Bee! Students in grades four through eight competed at the school level in order to qualify. These four winners had to not only best their fellow students in a school geography bee, they also had to take a written geography test from the National Geographic Society and score highly enough to qualify for the state competition.

Ms. Weaver, French teacher at Martin Luther King Jr., Academic Magnet School, has been accepted into the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Future Leaders Fellowship Program in Montreal, Canada, which will be held in July and takes place immediately prior to the AATF’s annual convention. Weaver, who was nominated to the program by the Tennessee Chapter of the AATF, will work with future leaders from other chapters throughout the United States on ways in which to provide effective leadership on both a regional and national level. Weaver has been a member of the AATF since 2004 and is currently President Elect of the Tennessee Chapter.

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools’ Associate Superintendent of High Schools Jay Steele has been named to the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) Board of Directors. Steele will assist NCAC in communicating with the states, districts and schools within the region about efforts to build and sustain career academies. Steele will serve a two-year term on the board of directors in region one, which includes 22 states. He will represent the region at annual board meetings, serve as the main contact for the region and contribute to publications released by NCAC. Steele’s appointment comes after years of high school redesign both here in Nashville and in his former district, St. John’s County, Fla. In June of 2010, Steele’s team successfully unveiled The Academies of Nashville, a set of academies within MNPS’ 12 zoned high schools. Read the full release below. Open publication - Free publishing - More steele

A big shout out to Hume-Fogg Magnet Academic High School for being nominated for the presitgious 2011 Blue Ribbon Award. Hume-Fogg was nominated as a High Performing School. It currently ranks among Tennessee's Top 10% in academic achievement. Hume-Fogg is one of six schools in Tennessee nominated for the national recognition. Only one other was nominated as a High Performing School. Winners will be announced in the fall of 2011.

Nashville's Public Library system has been awarded the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service! The library is one of only five in the nation to win this award, which comes with a $10,000 prize and a visit from StoryCorps.