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Vena Stuart Elementary Student Selected as "Tenn Under 10, Powered by PNC"
Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) announces Tenn Under 10, powered by PNC, an initiative to celebrate and incentivize Tennessee’s youngest learners who have overcome challenges to their literacy development.
GELF is awarding 10 Tennessee children under age 10 with a $1,500 post-secondary education scholarship through a TNStars 529 account and Vena Stuart third grade student, Raylee McKeen was selected for the honor! She was given a backpack, a bag full of goodies and a check this morning at a special reception hosted at her school.
Last month Gov. Bill Lee introduced the inaugural Tenn Under 10 class at GELF’s annual Literacy Alliance dinner and McKeen was in attendance for the dinner.
Tennessee public school districts and elementary schools nominated a student for Tenn Under 10 by submitting an online application on their behalf. The Tenn Under 10 “Little Literacy Leaders” are third grade students from communities across the state who have faced and overcome an obstacle impeding their literacy development, such as lack of access to learning resources, low-income, transitional family environments, language barriers and visual impairments.
Educators from 37 counties, 42 school districts and 90 schools from across the state submitted 143 applications. The final 10 honorees were selected based on criteria evaluating how they exhibit the four values of Tenn Under 10: tenaciously driven, eager to read, noticeably growing and nonstop learner. In addition to the post-secondary education scholarship, each honoree will receive books and resources to support their reading journey as well as recognition as one of GELF’s “Little Literacy Leaders” in their local community. To celebrate locally, representatives from GELF and PNC Bank plan to visit each child’s school this month.
“We are honored to introduce Tenn Under 10 and announce the inaugural class of Little Literacy Leaders,” said James Pond, GELF president. “These children represent what being a Tennessean means. Their stories inspire, motivate, and remind us how important it is to support Tennessee’s youngest learners on their journey from cradle to career, from a third grader to a future teacher, police officer, artist, author or business leader. Our mission to strengthen early literacy is more than books. It’s the future of Tennessee, and we are privileged to celebrate the next generation through the Tenn Under 10 initiative.”
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission reports only 52% of Tennessee's high school graduates are pursuing post¬secondary education upon graduation, a 17% decline since 2017. However, nearly 70% of high school graduates report that they want to attend college or a technical college.
Research shows students with college savings are approximately six times more likely to pursue post-secondary education, three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate than those without any college savings.
“As a national main street bank, PNC is committed to the communities we serve,” said Mike D. Johnson, PNC regional president for Tennessee. “We know that supporting Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation helps students overcome obstacles to gain access to rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering and math. It’s part of our promise to help everyone move forward financially. We are excited to collaborate with GELF to celebrate the success of our little literacy leaders to help build strong, vibrant communities.”
Tenn Under 10 celebrates resilient students from diverse communities, ethnicities and backgrounds across Tennessee.
Tenn Under 10 is presented by PNC Bank. This will be an annual initiative with nomination applications opening each fall. To learn more or donate to this cause, visit GovernorsFoundation.org.
About PNC Bank
PNC Bank is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.(NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
About GELF
Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) equips Tennessee's children with books and innovative literacy tools that encourage lifelong learning for a brighter future. GELF is a nonpartisan 501c3 driven by a mission to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee by acting as a thought leader, advisor, and catalyst for programs across the state. These programs include Birth-5 Book Delivery through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, K-3 Home Library, Caregiver Engagement, Book Buses, and Storybook Trails. For more information, visit GovernorsFoundation.org.
Merrol Hyde Magnet Graduates Gearing Up For The Future
From Dartmouth to Yale to West Point, Merrol Hyde Magnet seniors are gearing up to take their next big step toward their future! The school is hosting College Week where each day a group of students are honored. Every senior will receive a goody bag tailored to individual students. The gifts include childhood favorites like macaroni and cheese and SpaghettiOs, items they can use in college like laundry detergent and school supplies, and every bag includes a handwritten note from one of their teachers.
In addition, students are featured in a slideshow presentation with their name and where they will be attending school in the fall. We're so proud of each and every one of them, and we can't wait to see where they end up. Some will be heading to local universities, while others will be venturing out of state to explore new places and opportunities. Wherever they go, we know they'll make us proud.
For more pictures, click HERE.
Sumner County VEX IQ Robotics Championships
The Sumner County VEX IQ Championships, sponsored by Meta, were held on April 22, 2023 at Hendersonville High School. The event was a great experience for 33 teams from 10 middle schools, who were able to compete and showcase their skills and innovation.
After several rounds of intense competition, the Teamwork Champions were announced, and the top spot was taken by an alliance of Westmoreland Middle School and Portland East Middle School, who had worked together seamlessly, showcasing great teamwork and cooperation, winning by 1 point.
Westmoreland Middle School earned the top spot in the Skills category. The title was based on the total points earned in the driver skills and autonomous programming rounds. WMS demonstrated exceptional robot driving skills and programming, which involved navigating their robot through a course to complete various tasks. Their impressive performance earned them the Skills Champions title.
Finally, the Top School Award was announced, and it went to Ellis Middle School. This award recognizes the school with the highest overall performance across all the different categories of the competition. Ellis Middle School had multiple teams competing, and all of them performed exceptionally well, making them the winners of the Top School Award.
Overall, the Sumner County VEX IQ Championships was a great success, with all the participating teams showcasing their passion for robotics and their impressive skills. Meta's sponsorship has been instrumental in promoting robotics education in Sumner County, and the success of the teams at this event is a testament to the quality of education in the county. Congratulations to the Skills Champions, Westmoreland Middle School, the Teamwork Champions, an alliance of Westmoreland Middle School and Portland East Middle School, and the Top School Award winners, Ellis Middle School, on their outstanding achievements.
Gallatin High School Unveils New Sensory Garden
Gallatin High School students have a new way to stimulate their emotions and help them manage stress with the creation of an outdoor sensory garden. The garden came as an idea presented by Mariah Beddingfield, a student member of the GHS Student Council. It came to fruition when Comprehensive Development Class (CDC) Teacher, Tabithia Graves, won two different grants - one from the Gallatin Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and another from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Graves credits the community support for the development of the West Jamel Sensory Garden. The garden is named after two former Gallatin High School Students - Tabitha West and Josh Jamel, who recently passed away.
During the dedication of the garden, Graves fought back tears as she recalled the memory of her former students.
"Tabitha West was a strong young lady that needed no words to get her points, her wants and her needs met. She put a smile on everyone's face. When her smile came across her face that was her power. She would light up this world," Gallatin High School Teacher, Tabithia Graves said. "Josh was a student that could turn your worst day into the brightest. There were many times I would walk into the classroom to hear him say WOOO Tabithia. He knew what he wanted, and he didn't let his disability hold him back from making friends, or from what he wanted to be. Thanks to the great teachers at this school, he was even able to perform in the school play."
Tabitha West's parents Micheal and Karen West were on hand for the unveiling of the garden. Karen West spoke to the crowd of students, teachers, community supporters and Gallatin Mayor, Paige Brown about her daughter's time at GHS.
"If you know me, you know that when I talk about Tabitha her time spent at this school was the happiest, I've seen her. I think that's a testament to the staff here and the resources they provided and how they care for these kids. I know for a fact that you take them home with you every night and your job doesn't end at 2:45 and I want to say thank you. I hope you all enjoy this as much as Josh and Tabitha would."
The sensory garden includes a wishing well, wind chimes, water fountains, and a garden for students to water and maintain plants.
"Though they are not here with us physically they are here with us through projects just like these," Graves said. "Every time the wind blows and the windmills go, I know that's Tabitha smiling."
Sumner County Schools would like to thank all of the community members who helped the garden come to fruition. Mrs. Graves said it best, "Without you, the dreams stay dreams and never become the reality that we see."
For more pictures, click HERE.
Teacher of the Year and Support Staff Banquet
Sumner County Schools held its annual Teacher of the Year and Support Staff Banquet on May 2nd at Liberty Creek High School. The banquet was a celebration of the district's dedicated and hardworking teachers and support staff who go above and beyond for their students and colleagues. In addition to the Teacher of the Year award, the district also honored its exceptional support staff members. These individuals play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the district and the success of its students.
The evening was a celebration of the tireless efforts of the district's teachers and support staff, and a reminder of the invaluable contributions they make to the education of the community's children.
"The Teacher of the Year and Support Staff banquet is always a special event for us," Director of Schools, Dr. Del Phillips said. "It's an opportunity to recognize the incredible work that our teachers and support staff do every day, and to show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication to our students."
State and local representatives handed out the awards including Senator Ferrell Haile, former Representative Van Hilary from Congressman John Rose's office; William Slater - State Representative; State Representative Johnny C. Garrett and State Representative William Lamberth.
Liberty Creek High School's culinary students prepared the food for the banquet.
For more photos of the event, click HERE.
Not pictured:
- Bobby Bell and Jan Cornwell (Westmoreland Elem)
- Windy Robinson and Michele Summers (Merrol Hyde Magnet)
- Donna Dyer and Emily Edmison (Beech High School)