School Snippets – April 17, 2015

Published April 17, 2015

The information below is provided by each school. Schools are listed in alphabetical order according to grade level.

Elementary Schools

Crockett Elementary

At Crockett Elementary School, Mrs. Brasel’s second grade class attended a field trip to Boiling Spring Academy at Primm Historic Park in Brentwood. The children learned about the Native American Mound Builders that lived there from 900-1400. They were able to see the remaining mound and the locations of the other four mounds that were built and discuss what kinds of food the Native Americans hunted and ate. As part of the field trip, the children attended a school session in 1845 fashion. Practicing penmanship, vocabulary and cursive on the individual slate boards was a new experience for most of them. The children also practiced math, learned about discipline and even participated in a spelling bee. The immersion experience truly gave the children a taste of what it was like to be in school in 1845. In other news, there will be an internet safety workshop on Friday, April 24 at 8:30 in the cafeteria. The workshop will focus on internet safety for students, as well as the present crimes and convictions occurring in Williamson County.

Edmondson Elementary

Edmondson Elementary School is holding our Scholastic Spring Book Fair this week. The theme is Under the Sea. Each class has an opportunity to visit the fair and shop for books. Parents are welcome to come too. A favorite event of book fair is the “Donuts with Dad or Other Special Person.” Children can bring a parent for early morning purchases and to enjoy coffee and donuts together.

Fairview Elementary

FES had a fantastic turn out for the school lunch and auction on April 12. Lots of great trips and prizes were sold and some lucky students bid on getting the privilege to be principal for the day! Second graders are diving into their science work this week by spending time learning about soil! They are going to be doing experiments with it and getting their hands dirty. The Fairview Elementary Destination Imagination team is going to Global competition! After placing first in the state completion last weekend, the students will gear up to take their acts to Knoxville in May to compete for the global prize. We are so proud of them!

Grassland Elementary

Mark your calendars for a spring musical you won’t want to miss! The GES Chorus and Drama Club will present “Back to the 60’s” on Thursday, April 23. A dress rehearsal will take place at 9:30 a.m. and the evening performance will be at 6:30 p.m.

Heritage Elementary

Heritage Elementary will be postponing it’s Spring Fling that was scheduled for this Friday, April 17 due to the weather. The new rained out date is set for Friday, April 24 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at HES. In other Heritage news, first grade students had a fun lesson on weather this week. Channel 4 meteorologist Heggen visited the students and discussed the weather.

Hunters Bend Elementary

Many thanks to all the students, faculty and parents at Hunters Bend for all their hard work during Boosterthon. Students ran to raise money for technology! The Book Fair is coming! Book Fair will be April 20-24. We could still use some volunteers. Please contact Natalie Gotwals for more information at ngottwals@yahoo.com. The next All Pro Dads will be April 24. April 28 is Hunters Bend Night at Supercuts. Please make plans for Field Day on May 11. We need many volunteers to make the day possible. Information for volunteering will be coming home soon. Fifth grade recognition will be May 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Kenrose Elementary

Kenrose Elementary students participated in Walk Across Williamson County and placed second! Also, next week Kenrose PE teachers are inviting parents to bowl with their children in PE class. Students in grades K-2 will bowl for bucks and grades 3-5 will score their games.

Longview Elementary

Destination Imagination team manager and third grade teacher at Longview Elementary School, Mrs. Crystal James, along with third grader Tyler McGrath, left Longview in a stretch white limo to surprise the rest of their team at Allendale Elementary by picking them up at dismissal and going to celebrate the team’s success. This team of third graders from both schools did amazing at the tournament and their parents are very proud of their accomplishment!

Nolensville Elementary

Nolensville Elementary students, parents, faculty and staff recently participated in Walk Across Williamson. Participants logged physical activity during the month of March. Physical Education teachers Deborah Russell, David Hockenberry and Richard Herzog rallied the community to reach our goal of one million minutes. NES place fourth in the county and will receive a $900 grant. Celebrating the outcome, Coaches Herzog and Hockenberry agreed to have their heads buzzed and Mrs. Russell agreed to kiss a pig. Our goal next year is to be in first place.

Oak View Elementary

Recently Oak View students enjoyed Mornings with Mom. This PTA-sponsored breakfast in the school cafeteria was a huge success. Doughnuts, juice, milk and coffee were a delicious way for both moms and children to start their morning! Speaking of coffee, the library recently became a “poetry café” in celebration of National Poetry Month. Students discussed different types of poems, different authors, and the location of poetry books in the library. The lights were dimmed and students chose various poems to read at the microphone. Fellow students snapped (instead of clapped) their appreciation of the poems in true poetry café tradition.

Pearre Creek Elementary

The students in Mrs. Frank’s fourth grade class were told to create a cardboard house with working electricity. They were given specific materials to complete this task. The students received a battery and a battery holder, four miniature light bulbs and light bulb holders, and unlimited wire. With these supplies, they had to power four rooms using either a parallel or series circuits. Before creating these houses they had to learn and complete four different units of electricity in science. The first day the children created a blueprint of the house and it included how they were going to power their house. The second day they created the cardboard form of their house and wired the electricity. Later, the students brought items from home and decorated their houses. On the last day, the parents came for the “Open House” and viewed the student’s hard work. The students had tons of fun!

Scales Elementary

It has been a busy week in and around Scales Elementary School in Brentwood. The first grade Daisy Troop recently cleaned up the outdoor classroom and nature trail for their service project. Meanwhile, students and parents had a blast at the school’s first Mother/Son Kickball Tournament.

Walnut Grove Elementary

Fourth Grade students at Walnut Grove are learning about the properties of electricity. This hands-on unit involves the use of cooperative learning activities that allow students to fully understand the abstract concept of electricity and recognize its importance in their daily lives. Students learned that a circuit is a path for electricity. If a circuit is open, electricity will not flow and an electrical device will not work. Switches are used to open and close circuits. Electrical power can do things such as make light, sound, and movement. Students will build a model light bulb, test different materials for conductivity, troubleshoot circuit issues and light a house focusing on complete circuits.

Westwood Elementary

Pre-K students had a visit from Mrs. Jenny from Bowie Park. They learned about pond animals the their habitat. Pre-K students were able to explore and examine the animals and insects.

Winstead Elementary

Second grade students in Mrs. Clayton’s class have been reading biographies; researching individual’s contributions to the United States; and sharing their information with classmates. Students created biography posters and displayed them in the hallway to share with their fellow second graders.

Middle Schools

Brentwood Middle

For the ninth year in a row, the Brentwood Middle School Student Council was recognized as a 4 star council at this weekend’s Tennessee Association of Student Councils annual convention. The following students received individual awards: Emily Arnholt second place in the speech contest; and Paige Russell first place in the essay competition. Bella White did a great job presenting a round table discussion on communication, and Corina Angell, Emily Arnholt, Karra Bailey, Abbie Cate, Paige Russell and Megan Young were recognized as rising stars for their contributions to student leadership.

Fairview Middle

Students in Nancy Gilbert’s eighth grade science class recently completed their adaptation projects. Those projects were displayed in the library and students and staff voted for “Best in Show.”

Hillsboro K-8

Hillsboro’s National Blue Ribbon Achievement was celebrated April 10 at the Tennessee State Board of Education ceremony. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private schools whose students attain and maintain high academic goals that work toward closing achievement gaps. Way to go, HEMS!

Sunset Middle

Ms. Francis’ sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choirs presented their Spring Concert April 14. They have been working diligently over the past semester to prepare for this performance, learning to rehearse with good vocal technique and expanding their repertoire of choral literature. The sixth grade choirs began the show with a South African folk song and their own arrangement of Bastille’s “Pompeii”, followed by the 7th and 8th grade choirs with the French piece “Hymne à La Nuit”, 7th grade’s arrangement of “Don’t Stop Believing”, and 8th grade’s goodbye song. They ended with a mass choir performance of “I Dream a World”, set to text by Langston Hughes.

Woodland Middle

Congratulations to our Algebra Mathletes who competed at Lipscomb University. All three team members placed in the top 10 at the State Competition. Ankush Dhar won first place with a perfect score; Stewart Moore came in second; and James Thomas placed tenth. Congratulations are also in order for the Woodland Band as they were awarded the prestigious Tennessee Bandmasters Sweepstakes Award this past weekend at the TMEA convention in Memphis. Woodland was one of only six middle school bands in the state of Tennessee who received this award! Way to go band!

High Schools

Brentwood High

The artwork of two Brentwood High students will appear on the 2015-16 Williamson County Schools district calendar. Lisa Qu won Best in Show in the Realtor Good Works Foundation Art Competition for her oil painting “Blue Piano.” This honor also won the senior $1,000 and the BHS Art Department $1,000. Megan Stanley’s work will also be featured on the district calendar, and will be on display at Williamson County Medical Center for one year. For more information, contact art teacher Emily Martinez at emilym3@wcs.edu.

Centennial High

Be sure to mark your calendars to attend the CHS Spring Choral Concert on Tuesday April 21 at the new Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. The Centennial High School Class of 2015 is proud to present the Victorian Era Wedding. This is an interdisciplinary project that integrates both core and elective subjects. The project is developed and implemented by senior students currently enrolled in the various courses utilized for the culmination of the project. The interdisciplinary project is designed to be a historically accurate Victorian Era wedding reenactment. The activity combined content standards from 14 core and elective courses in an effort to demonstrate the relationship and relevance of each course.

Fairview High

Local athletes from across the county participated in the annual Special Olympic Games April 15. The event was held on the Fairview High School football field. The JROTC provided food and concessions and the student body as well as people from the community cheered on athletes as they competed. As part of the school’s annual prom promise week, 15 students dressed up as zombies to symbolize people who have been killed in a drunk driving accident. They wore signs stating this, and they were instructed not to talk to anyone except for teachers all day. We also had 130 prom promise pledges signed by students pledging that they would not drink and drive on prom night. Lastly, Ms. Hansen’s theater 3 and 4 classes are getting ready for their Spring production of the classic Louisa May Alcott story, “Little Women.” Performances are will take place at through Saturday at 7 p.m.

Franklin High

The debate branch of the forensics team competed in the District III National Congress Qualifier. Abdul Aleryani earned top six honors in the House while Musa Subramaniam brought home second place in the Senate and qualified for the National Tourney in Dallas this summer. Meanwhile, Destination Imagination teams placed second in the outreach project and performance category on Saturday. Members of the team are Abby Glover, Garrison Glover, Amelia Mitchell and Jason Davidson who now qualify for the Global DI Tourney in May.

Independence High

Registration has begun for the 5th annual YAY (Young Actors Yearly) Summer Camp at Independence High. This year’s camp will take place July 13-17 for students who will be in grades 1-8 next year.

Page High

Monday, April 20 will be a Power Monday and senior announcements will be made during lunch. On Tuesday, April 21, the National Honor Society will meet in the library at 6:30 a.m. The school will host a blood drive on Thursday, April 23.

Summit High

Summit’s Clay Target Team is having its best year yet! We have brought home numerous first, second and third place awards for squads in Amateur Trap Association (ATA) competitions. At the ATA competitions March 21 and April 8, the following students received individual awards for their classes: Jeremiah Daniels won first (B class); Tucker Glenn placed second and Ethan Flatt finished thirrd ( both D class); Rylan Meares won third in Junior Overall, and Aleyna Davis placed second in the Ladies Division. The team also competes in Scholastic Clay Target Competitions (SCTP) as well. Although shooting is a lot of fun, it also requires a great deal of work and commitment. The team practices three times a week beginning in February and they begin competing on Saturdays in March through June as well. In addition to practice, they also have to keep their grades up to our standards. The students on this team can definitely fit the definition of athletes.