News
Siegel Students Honored for Invention
An inventor team of three 5th graders from Erma Siegel Elementary School were recently honored for their invention at the 4th Annual Invention Convention U.S. Nationals. They were among more than 500 award-winning K-12 inventors from across the nation and around the world who gathered inside Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan to compete for top awards.
The team of Seth Nobles, Trence Houston and Parker Robinson won an Industry Innovation Award in Education for their invention, “The Texture Ball”.
The Texture Ball is a large, stuffed ball with sequins on one side and a soft material on another made for students with autism or anxiety. It opens to reveal an interior with several additional textures. It is portable and can be made in different sizes for small or large hands. The soft material helps to sooth and the rougher textures helps with excitement.
The three team members each won a Google Home Hub device.
Hobgood Teacher Wins Miss Tennessee
Brianna Mason spent the last four years working to reach her goal of becoming the first African American crowned Miss Tennessee.
Mason, a first-grade school teacher at Hobgood Elementary, won the pageant in her fourth attempt. She was last year’s second runner-up competing as Miss Knoxville.
“I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t matter what your skin color is, it doesn’t matter what your religion is, you can do anything that you want,” says Mason.
Mason joined the Murfreesboro City Schools family in 2018.
Discovery School Wins National Beta Award
Chumney selected as finalist
The Tennessee Department of Education is pleased to announce the nine finalists for the 2019-20 Tennessee Teacher of the Year award. The finalists represent each of the six Center of Regional Excellence (CORE) area in the state, with three finalists in each Grand Division (West, Middle, and East). Grand Division winners including the Teacher of the Year will be selected from this group and announced during an honorary banquet this fall, following a panel interview with each finalist.
Murfreesboro City Schools teacher, Sarah Chumney, has been selected as the Teacher of the Year state finalist for the Mid-Cumberland region. Chumney joined Murfreesboro City Schools in 2011 and most recently served as an English as Second Language (ESL) teacher at Cason Lane Academy. Chumney is a military veteran with thirteen years of classroom experience serving in ESL and Intervention.
“I have visited classrooms in every region, and we have so many passionate and highly effective educators in Tennessee,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said. “Kids never forget their best teachers; they carry the lessons with them for the rest of their lives. These teachers are changing the trajectory of their students’ lives.”
In addition to Chumney, the finalists include: Amanda Tutor with Bartlett Municipal School District, Holly cooper with Lexington City School System, Tina Greenlee with Dyer County Schools, Mary Pack with Lawrence County Schools, Mary Lindsay Spain with Putnam County School System, Kristin Robertson with Hamilton County Schools, Cristina Hasha with Jefferson County Schools and Brian McLaughlin with Hamblen County Schools.
The final winner will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year competition and serve as an ambassador for education in the state throughout the 2019-20 school year. To qualify, candidates must have been teaching full-time for at least three years, have a track record of exceptional gains in student learning, and be effective school and community leaders.
Finalists have the opportunity to serve on Commissioner Schwinn’s Teacher Advisory Council for the duration of the 2019-20 school year. This council acts as a working group of expert teachers to provide feedback and inform the work of the department throughout the school year.
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Looking Forward to Kindergarten
MCS is excited to welcome our newest students to kindergarten.
Kindergarten phase in dates include:
- August 6th – half day for kindergarten students with last names beginning with A-L
- August 7th – half day for kindergarten students with last names beginning with M-Z
- August 8th – half day for all kindergarten students
- August 9th – first full day for kindergarten students
To register, please bring:
- Your child’s Official Birth Certificate
- Tennessee Dept. of Health Certification of Immunization
- Proof of Physical within the last year
- Verification of Your Address. This must be a current utility bill with your name and address on it. (Example: Water, Electric, Gas).
For more information, take a look at our Kindergarten newsletters below!
MCS Announces New Administrator Hires
Dr. Linda Gilbert, Director of Murfreesboro City Schools, is proud to announce the appointment of key individuals for the upcoming school year.
Raeshon Torres has been named principal at Bradley Academy. Mr. Torres served as Assistant Principal at Overall Creek Elementary from 2016-2019. He was also assistant principal at Reeves-Rogers Elementary from 2014-2016. Additionally, Mr. Torres taught 4th grade at Scales Elementary from 2005-2014. He has worked with the students of Murfreesboro City Schools for over 15 years, first in the extended school program, and then as a teacher and an administrator. Torres is a native of Jackson, TN. He received his Bachelor’s Degree at MTSU in 2005 and his Masters in Administration from Lipscomb University.
Caitlin Bullard has been appointed as principal for Cason Lane Academy. Bullard most recently served as a RTI2 coach for Rutherford County Schools. Additionally, Bullard has served as a seventh and eighth grade teacher in Robertson County and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Bullard is a native of Franklin, TN. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from MTSU, her Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University, and her Ed.S. in Accountability and Instructional Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University.
Quinena Bell will serve as principal at Hobgood Elementary. Bell has fourteen years of experience with Murfreesboro City Schools and has held numerous positions at Hobgood including assistant principal, academic interventionist and teacher. Additionally, Bell served as an academic coach for Murfreesboro City Schools. Bell is a native of Murfreesboro. She received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ed.S in Curriculum and Instruction from MTSU.
Dr. Tammy Garrett has been named executive principal at Mitchell-Neilson School. Garrett has served as principal for Hobgood Elementary since 2012. Previously, Garrett served as coordinator of teaching and learning for Murfreesboro City Schools. She also taught 6th grade at Hobgood Elementary and served as team leader. Before joining Murfreesboro City Schools, Garrett served as assistant superintendent of instruction at Franklin County Schools.
Robin Newell will assume the position as principal at Mitchell-Neilson Primary, Jenny Ortiz will serve as assistant principal at Overall Creek, and Sia Phillips has been appointed assistant principal of Salem Elementary.
Additionally, Jamara DeBerry will assume the role of assistant principal at Mitchell-Neilson Elementary. Kennye Holt will join the Bradley Academy team as assistant principal. Sonya Cox joins Cason Lane Academy as assistant principal and Stephanie McIntyre joins MCS as assistant principal at Hobgood Elementary.
CHOW Bus Rolls in 2019
Murfreesboro City Schools’ Nutrition Department will sponsor the free Summer Food Service Program at twenty eight locations from May 28-July 26, 2019.
Designated school cafeterias, Patterson Park, McFadden Center, Discovery Center and Olive Branch Church will serve as summer feeding sites for breakfast and lunch. Additionally, four buses will distribute food to nearly twenty feeding sites over the summer months.
The Combating Hunger on Wheels Bus (CHOW Bus), CHOW XL, Sprout and CHOW TOO buses will be hitting the pavement in an effort to provide easier access to free healthy and nutritious meals for students age 18 and under during the summer break.
The CHOW buses will act as mobile dining rooms and serve meals to areas of Murfreesboro that are not in walking distance of a permanent site.
“The summer food service program allows us to effectively reach our students all year,” says Sandy Scheele, MCS Nutrition Supervisor. “Children are still hungry in the summer when the schools are closed. The CHOW buses allow us to go to the neighborhoods and feed the children.”
This will be the sixth year meals are provided via the CHOW Buses and the eighteenth year for the MCS Summer Food Service Program. The program will run May 28 through July 26. For a complete list of participating locations, dates and times of meals, visit the MCS website.
Children do not have to register in advance, simply stop by one of the locations at the designated times to enjoy a healthy meal. Murfreesboro City Schools is a district of thirteen schools committed to the academic and personal success of each child.
The Tennessee Department of Human Services administers the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Free meals will be available to children 18 years of age and under without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age or handicap.
Book Bus Begins in June
Murfreesboro City Schools will once again take reading on the road this summer with BOB the Book Bus. The Book Bus encourages reading during the summer months and throughout the year.
“Summer reading loss can be a big issue in the success of a student,” says Caresa Dodson, Reading and Intervention Coordinator. “Bringing a mobile library to neighborhoods will help children and families have easier access to books and the power of reading.”
Through the mobile library, children can receive books weekly during the summer. The bus will contain an array of children’s favorite books. Children from age two through sixth grade and their families can check out books, read and keep them in their home library or return them to the bus for other families to enjoy.
“We want children to be outside and playing during the summer but nothing is better than a great book to cultivate a child’s natural curiosity,” says Joe Marlin, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction.
BOB the Book Bus is an out-of-service school bus that was repurposed to house the mobile library. The air-conditioned bus includes shelves and seating. This literacy initiative aims to help children discover a passion for reading.
Research shows that students who read for more than 20 minutes a day score 90% better than their peers on reading tests. Twenty minutes per day exposes children to 1.8 million words a year.
The MCS Book Bus is funded in part through The Christy-Houston and Richard Siegel Foundations. Books have been donated by many individuals and are being accepted at the MCS Central Office this summer.
Camp Boro for Special Education Students
Murfreesboro City Schools fourth annual camp for students with special needs, Camp Boro, begins June 3 through June 6 at Scales Elementary. Fifty elementary student campers will participate in a week filled with camp events.
The four day camp includes pony rides, a petting zoo, archery, karate and bounce houses. Additionally student campers will travel to off-site field trips including the Miracle Field Park and Smyrna Bowling Center. Thursday is water day courtesy of the Murfreesboro Fire Department.
The student campers enjoy the full experience of being at camp and gain hands-on lessons that help prepare them for future tasks. By enhancing fine motor and communication skills, the children at Camp BORO will gain more than good times and laughter. Interactive activities going on during the week allow campers to participate in a variety of arts and crafts as well as competitions and team building events.
Students will be assisted by more than fifty volunteers including high school students, business partners, educators and administrators. The camp is coordinated by the MCS Special Education Department.
This free camp is funded through the help of sponsors and private donors allowing children with special needs to experience a week designed for their enjoyment. With the individual student needs in mind, campers are given the opportunity that other camps may not be able to provide. With the help of the volunteers, the children grow, engage and produce memories that will last a lifetime.
ESP Summer Camps 2019
The MCS Extended School Program (ESP) has planned a summer filled with fun and learning including science, art and technology camps. These programs enable students to continue their learning adventures as they work with certified teachers to conduct science experiments, create art projects and experience a variety of technology tasks. All Murfreesboro City School (MCS) students can enroll in any ESP Summer Camps.
Camps include:
- KinderCamp (July 15-19) is open to children pre-registered for kindergarten at MCS and focuses on preparing upcoming kindergarteners for the transition to elementary school. Students attending KinderCamp will get the full ESP experience during the week of camp.
- Archery Camp (June 24-28) will be hosted at Black Fox and features two certified archery instructors. Students enrolled will learn the basics of archery including how to handle a bow and arrow and shooting techniques.
- Edible Education (July 8-12 at Mitchell-Neilson) (July 15-19 at Northfield) focuses on providing age appropriate hands-on cooking instruction for students.
- Makerspace Camp (June 24-28) hosted at Discovery School allows students to use their imagination to build, design and create. This camp includes a trip to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville.
- Soccer Camp in conjunction with Murfreesboro Soccer Club (June 3-7 and June 10-14) is a unique opportunity for students to learn the fundamentals of soccer while actively improving foot skills, speed and agility. This camp is hosted at Overall Creek.
- Camp Big Shots (June 10-21) is a two-week summer camp organized specifically for active adventures. Certified teachers are involved with the two-week camp and teach a variety of skills including archery, woodworking, coding, and robotics. Campers also enjoy field trips to Nashville Shores and canoeing the Harpeth River. Mitchell-Neilson will serve as the host site.
- Drone Coding and Aerial Photography (June 24-28) hosted at Overall Creek will teach students to write the code that controls a drone and the fundamentals of drone photography.
- Girl Scout Camp with the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee (July 15-19) features outdoor activities and teaches students how to earn badges while learning about the origin of Girl Scouts. Girl Scout Camp will be hosted at Discovery School.
For detailed information about the summer camps including appropriate ages and grade levels associated with individual camps and costs per program, please visit www.cityschoolsesp.net or contact the School-based ESP Site Director or Central Office ESP at 615 893-2313.
Transportation to and from camp is not provided. However, payment plans are available for all camps.
The ESP program is open from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. during summer months. During the 2018-19 school year, over 2,000 MCS students were enrolled in ESP. The Extended School Program (ESP) provides a safe, educationally enriching, fun and rewarding experience for all students of Murfreesboro City Schools. ESP offers a wide range of classes including sports, music, arts and crafts, woodworking, ballet, hip hop dance, cheerleading, cooking, journalism, science, technology, foreign languages, robotics, and many more. The program also provides homework assistance and tutoring in specific subjects.