After several snow days in a short period of time, many people are curious about how the district makes the decision to close schools. So here goes.

It starts with the same first step as everyone else: looking at the forecast. MNPS officials closely examine what is expected and work with local meteorologists to get a frank and honest assessment of the chances for significant precipitation.

Once the snow or ice has fallen, a group of dedicated employees within the Transportation Department fan out across the city to examine the road conditions. They drive on snow and ice covered roads, looking at potential trouble spots, which include difficult hills, winding back roads, heavily shaded areas and every other factor that could affect bus and car travel on the way to or from school. It is important to note that this group examines the city's roads as a whole. The decision is not based on a single street or a single neighborhood, but rather the 500+ square miles that constitute Davidson County.

Members of this "snow patrol" then meet to discuss their assessments. In some cases they take photographs of what they found in the areas that they examined. You can see this morning's photos by clicking on the picture at the bottom of this story. The team may repeat this process 2-3 times per day, to see if road conditions have improved or worsened as the day goes on.

Once all reports have been made, all areas of town have been accounted for and all voices have been heard, the decision is made. As soon as that happens, the Communications Department makes a district-wide callout, alerts the media, and posts the information online. We know our families have decisions to make regarding childcare, work and other arrangements, so there is no delay or dawdling in between making the decision and announcing it.

We hope that this gives you a better understanding of just how much goes into making the decision to close schools. Losing an instructional day is not something to be taken lightly. If students and teachers are able to get to school safely, we want them there. But safety has always and will always come first. We appreciate the patience that everyone shows in waiting for a decision to be made, and thank you for supporting Metro Schools!

Click here for photos taken by the "snow patrol" on Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Click here for photos taken by the "snow patrol" on Thursday, January 20, 2011

Click here for photos taken on Thursday, January 13, 2011.

Click here for photos taken on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

Click here for photos taken on the morning of January 11, 2011.

According to sources at Antioch, Jeremy Buchannan, an Antioch graduate in 2007, has been picked up by the Houston Texans! And like any pro would do, he has been spotted working out at Antioch High during the lock out. Congratulations and good luck Jeremy!

Metro Nashville Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Ralph M. Thompson has announced plans to retire at the end of June. Thompson has been with MNPS since 1976.

“Mr. Thompson has poured a tremendous amount of energy and work into our public schools,” said Director of Schools Dr. Jesse Register. “His leadership skills, character, and passion for public education have touched the lives of thousands of individuals in our community, young and old. While we want what is best for him, he will be greatly missed here in the district.”

Thompson, a graduate of Metro Nashville Public Schools (North High School), joined MNPS in 1976 as a physical education teacher. In 1991, he moved into administration as assistant principal at Jere Baxter Middle School, followed by nine years as principal of Glenview Elementary, Isaac Litton Middle, and Pearl-Cohn High schools, respectively. In 2001, he joined the central office administrative staff as middle school tier director and later as assistant superintendent.

“This district has been my professional home for 35 years,” Thompson said, “so I will to miss it, and the people within it, very much. I have met so many wonderful people and have so many wonderful memories that I will carry into the next chapter of my life.”

From coaching little league baseball and football to serving as the first president of the Howard United Church Youth Group, his passion has long been working with youth in the Nashville community. Thompson also has served on the boards for the Boy Scout Council, Bridge Program, STARS, Backfield in Motion, and the Oasis House. He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., as well as a deacon and the church liturgist for Howard United Church.

While he has no immediate plans, other than to get some much needed “R&R”, Thompson does plan to continue working in and around the Nashville youth community.

You can find the full meeting agenda here .

Due to a special meeting of the Metro Council, this week's Board meeting will not be shown live on Metro3. However, it will be recorded for later broadcast.

CLICK HERE to view the calendars and give your feedback.


 

Students in the new Teaching as a Profession course offered through The Academy of Leadership and Service at Antioch High School learned by doing during the 2010-11 school year. The class recently received Certificates of Recognition for their engagement in peer mentoring and tutoring activities with classmates who are enrolled in exceptional education. Students gained valuable experience while working under the supervision of Dr. Cecilia Dumlao, Jill Stenwall, Anne Schultz, and Natalie Sickles, who are exceptional education teachers.

Teaching as a Profession is a dual credit course (can be taken for college credit) designed to capture the interest of secondary students as potential teachers, introduce students to teaching as a profession, and foster respect for the teaching profession. Students gained knowledge and skills that will enable them to establish a foundation for a successful pathway to a teaching career. The course at Antioch High School is taught by Patricia A. Deas and is also offered at Cane Ridge and Whites Creek High Schools.

Students pictured from left to right: Amber Victory, Heather Prieto, Tomisha Polk, and Mariama Diabate. Those not shown are: Keanna Banks, De’Shauna Campbell, Arionna Parker, Nhelsy Maya Guerra, Rebecca Richburg, Demetria Robinson, Thalia Rodriguez, Ebonee Sherrod, Dominique Summers, Jasmine Walker, and Alexandria Williams.

Metro Schools’ student-athletes are setting records and taking top places in Track & Field competition.

This spring, J.T. Moore Middle School won the Girls City Track Championship! This was the third win for Coach Steve Butzer, who was also named 2011 Track Coach of the Year.

An individual standout for J.T. Moore was Janel Pate who placed first in the Girls High Jump and Long Jump. She won the 100- 200-meter races and set a new record for the 400-meter race. Pate was voted City Female Field Athlete of the Year and City Female Track Athlete of the Year. 

Stratford Boys' Track Team took the TSSAA Track Championship A-AA title, while MLK Girls' Team took the A-AA State title!

Johnathan Shuler, a senior at Stratford High School, (pictured left) is the 2011 TSSAA Decathlon State Champion for Division I A/AA. Shuler participated in 10 events in two days, helping him earn first place.

Antioch High School girls’ 4x100 meter relay took home first place at the TSSAA State Championship Meet. The track team ran a personal best of 48.06. Congratulations to relay members De’Airis Weakley, Rashida Edmondson, Rylee Thompson, and Keirra Jackson.

Antioch girls’ 4X400 meter relay team earned second place at the state championship meet.

Individual honors for Antioch Girls Track included Quamel Prince’s first place victory in the 800-meter race. Prince broke the previous record with a time of 1:52:60. Kierra Jackson took fourth place in the 200-meter race, and Shaina Johnson took third place in the 400-meter race.

Mychele Cumings of Hunters Lane finished her high school career as a seven-time State Champion in Track and Field. She won the state title in the shot put all four years and won the state title in discus three years. As a freshman, Cumings finished state runner up.  After receiving numerous scholarship offers, she will attend Liberty University in the fall.

Congratulations to all MNPS student-athletes on a fantastic job! 

Stand for Children wants your input. The organization that is a key supporter of Metro Nashville Public Schools has launched a survey which will collect information on your feelings and experiences with school choice options in Nashville. The survey will inform Stand for Children and Metro Nashville Public Schools on how to make Nashville public schools a first choice for families.

Please click here and take the quick survey. Once completed, you can also enter to win a Target gift card!

The survey closes June 3.

Talk about a show of support! According to a news release from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Shoney's CEO David Davoudpour has donated $125,000 to support MNPS's annual Career Exploration Fair for Freshman Academy students. The full release is below.

Lockeland Design Center students know their Tennessee history! The students were recently named the 2011 Academic Quiz Bowl champions.

Fourth grade students from Inglewood Elementary, Julia Green Elementary, Lakeview Design Center, Lockeland Design Center, Paragon Mills Elementary, and Warner Enhanced Option School spent much of their free-time this semester studying a list of 100 questions that focused on Tennessee history, government, people, geography, and trivia. The students researched the answers and then studied hard to earn a spot on their school’s team.

This was the district’s 4^th event, made possible by the collaborative efforts of teachers and librarians at the schools. The event was held at Warner Enhanced Option School in mid-May. Todd Wiggington, Coordinator of Social Studies; Rebecca Verner, Instructional Designer John Early Museum Magnet Middle School; and Jeff Sellers, Tennessee State Museum helped with the event. Channel 2 News anchor, John Dwyer was on hand to pass out the awards. 

Students in the 9th Grade Academy at Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School recently logged in to Skype for an international discussion with students in Soweto, South Africa. They talked about everything from pop culture to geography. The session was made possible by the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE) at Tennessee State University and facilitated by CSLCE Program Coordinator Neyka Young. .

According to Pearl-Cohn Library Media Specialist Jeannette Lambert, the students were astonished to learn how much they had in common with the students from South Africa. When asked the names of their favorite singers, students from South Africa replied, “Chris Brown! Rhianna! Jay-Z! and Lil Wayne!”  Students from South Africa, on the other hand, wanted to know things like: Are U.S. parents strict? Are school uniforms required?  What sports do you like?   

The Nashville to Soweto Experience dialogue was made possible by a grant to CSLCE, which devoted $15,000 of its funds to the 9^th Grade Academy during this school year. Mr. Glenn Paschall, lead administrator at the school, was excited about the opportunity that his students had to broaden their knowledge of a different country beyond textbook information. The class had recently finished a unit on Africa.

Glencliff High School, one of the most state’s most diverse high schools, has earned a spot as a national model of excellence. The school has been named the 2011 Community Schools Awards for Excellence by the Coalition for Community Schools in Washington, D.C. Only three schools in the U.S. received this award:  One from elementary grades, one from middle grades, and one at the high school level.

The Coalition for Community Schools, housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership, is an alliance of national, state and local organizations in K-16 education, youth development, community planning and development, family support, health and human services, government and philanthropy as well as national, state and local community school networks. The award, given to Glencliff High School in acknowledgement of their unique and grassroots community school initiative, will raise the profile of Glencliff as a national community school model. 

“Glencliff High School was selected to receive this award because of its dedication to engaging the school with families and the community, its success in educating all young people to high standards and the commitment and innovative thinking of its staff,” said Martin J. Blank, President, Institute for Educational Leadership, and Director, Coalition for Community Schools.  “Glencliff integrates academics with supports and opportunities for its young people in unique ways from which others can learn.”

“This award is a culmination of four years of hard work on the part of staff, students, partners, and community members,” said Tony Majors, Executive Principal of Glencliff High School. “Our community school began as a small health initiative in 2008, and has grown to into a complex and far-reaching model that includes partners from across the city. We are thankful for the support of the Glencliff community and recognize that this award would not have happened without the dedication of our staff and partners.”

June 16, Glencliff will accept the award in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Capitol. The team attending will include administrators and staff from Glencliff, as well as staff from three different organizations that partner with Glencliff, including the YMCA, Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital, and United Neighborhood Health Service. After the award ceremony, the Glencliff team will visit Tennessee’s legislative representatives in the House and the Senate in celebration of Community School Advocacy Day.

JT Moore Middle School won 23 of the 64 awards given at the annual Pencil Foundation Writer’s Showcase celebration. Matadors from all grade levels, 5 – 8 were represented among the finalists.  These honors reflect a dedication to expressive writing as part of a balanced Language Arts curriculum. Credit is extended to all of the teachers who took the time to encourage record student participation and recognition. Way to go Matadors!

LaTonya White, Principal at Tom Joy Elementary isn't afraid of a challenge. She recently challenged the students that if they could sell all 400 cases of fundraiser candy, she would KISS a SNAKE!!!  When the students surpassed the challenge, Mrs. White kept her end of the deal and, you guessed it, she KISSED the snake! Twice. For the record, it wasn't just any old snake. It aso happens to be her pet. What a good sport, Mrs. White, and congratulations to Tom Joy students on a job well done.

Glencliff High School is ending the year on a particularly high note. The school won one of just 27 Grammy Enterprise Signature School Awards for excellence in music education. Making the award even more special, Glencliff was one of just three award-recipients to also receive a special Grammy Career Day featuring a panel of music industry experts.

The Grammy Enterprise Signature School Award is one of four categories in the Grammy Signature Schools program, made possible in part through the support of Best Buy, Campbell’s Labels for Education, Gibson Foundation, the Hot Topic Foundation, and Ford Motor Company which has given $7 million to Nashville over the past seven years and sponsors Glencliff’s Ford Academy of Business. Glencliff, as well as the other 26 Enterprise Award winners, received a custom award as well as a $5,500 grant for music education. Glencliff will use the funding to enhance its strings program, specifically through the purchase of 15 amplifiers, 12 electric guitars, music stands, a jam hub, and two base amps. The remaining funds will be used to pay for field trips, guest speakers and other special events.

A handful of Hillsboro High School French students have been selected to participate in the Sister Cities exchange to Caen, France this summer. For two weeks, the students will stay in a French home, attend a French school, assist in teaching English classes in the schools, explore the sites of Normandy, and commemorate D-Day on the Normandy beaches. 

And while they are in France studying, another group of Hillsboro students will participate in the Summer Bridge Program to China through the Confucius Institute.

Congratulations to Hillsboro's international-bound students!