Sumner County Schools

SCS Hosts Annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Day

Click HERE for photos of the event.

Sumner County Schools continues to smash records while setting new goals for the future. Currently, SCS leads the state in the number of STEM / STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) certified schools. In addition, SCS also leads the state with the most Tennessee Pathways Certifications which range from coding to culinary arts. The CTE pathways recognize a strong alignment between Sumner County high school programs, postsecondary partners and high-quality employment opportunities in the region. The goal of CTE education is to ensure students have a clear and guided pathway to move seamlessly into the workforce. On Tuesday, April 11th SCS teachers and staff, community partners and community leaders gathered at Bagsby Ranch to discuss where the district is headed.

“Sumner County Schools works hard to prepare students for life after graduation,” Sumner County Schools Supervisor of CTE and STEM, Chase Moore said. “We continue to work really hard to develop programs that allow students to earn certifications and credentials in a variety of fields before they even graduate, as well as partner with local employers to provide a variety of work-based learning experiences. The CTE department is truly a team effort between administrators, teachers, and community partners including TCAT and Volunteer State Community College.”

The goal is to give SCS students a competitive advantage by giving them the academic knowledge, technical competencies, and professional skills they need to succeed. By offering multiple career pathways Sumner County can help align student's career choice with their skills and abilities.

"Being number one in the state is not a reason to slow down," Moore said. "We will continue to push, grow, and add more programs of study for our children."

Industry credentials have grown from 610 in 2020-21 to 922 in 2021-22. Dual credit has also increased with 183 credits earned, up from 163.

More than 4,000 Sumner County students competed in national, state, and district competitions last year, or were a member of a local club chapter.

Sumner County Schools seeks to identify what career pathway opportunities exist for students in our area, along with postsecondary partners which include Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) and Volunteer State Community College and develop programs that prepare our students for in-demand jobs in the community.

“It’s a win-win for students and our community,” Director of Schools Dr. Del Phillips said. “Ensuring our students have access to high-quality career and technical education is essential to preparing them for career opportunities that come their way. We are always looking to identify new and innovative careers that put students on a pathway to success."

Special thanks to Meta - Gallatin Data Center for sponsoring CTE Day.

Lunch was provided by Gallatin High School and Liberty Creek High School culinary students.

HHS Receives $2.500 from HolidayFest

Hendersonville High School received $2,500 from HolidayFest after an evening of frolic and fancy. In December, HHS Select Choir treated audiences to a full evening of food, music, and theatrical entertainment with a madrigal dinner. The dinner was renaissance themed with costumes and music. The singers portrayed a sixteenth-century king, queen, and court who invited the audience to a Christmas feast. The event benefited the Hendersonville High School Select Choir and ARCHERS on International Mission. Today, HolidayFest Founding Member, Lynda Evjen, and HolidayFest Treasurer, Renee Rainey presented HHS Choral Program Director, Dr. Gary Wilson with a check for $2,500. The HHS Choral Program is set to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City next spring.

HolidayFest is a 501C3 Nonprofit. It is the umbrella organization for an annual celebration of activities and events from October thru December designed to unite the entire community – people, businesses, government, the arts, and service organizations. Since 2016, HoildayFest has raised more than 3.6 million dollars for the community.

Hendersonville High School students used the skills they learned to create a prosthetic hand for the new kid in school. The students started developing the hand in mid-November after their teacher, Mr. Jeff Wilkins introduced them. Senior, Leslie Jaramillo; Junior, Matthew Jackson; and Junior, Ella Holtermann developed the hand for Sophomore, Sergio Peralta. Recently, the group of students appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show.

"Everyone should have an opportunity to do something like this," Hendersonville High School Junior, Ella Holtermann said. "It's so rewarding and feels awesome to help someone and make them genuinely happy."

Wilkins started the engineering program at the school in 2018 so students could take on projects to improve their community. This is a phenomenal achievement, and we can't wait to see what the future has in store for them.

Sumner County Skills Competition

Click HERE for pictures from the event.

The Sumner County Schools Career and Technical Education department hosted its third annual Skills Competition today. High School students competed in multiple divisions including AutoCAD, Automotive, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Machining, and Welding competitions. More than 20 teachers were involved to make this a successful event for our children.

We are proud to recognize the essential role that Career and Technical Education plays in Sumner County. Thank you to Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Gallatin Police Department and Sumner County Sheriff's Office for today's help.

CTE, formerly known as vocational education, helps students gain work experience through job shadowing, on-the-job training, internships, and industry certifications. Sumner County Schools leads the state in pathways for our students! Thank you to all of our CTE teachers and Supervisor of CTE and STEM, Chase Moore! Lunch was provided by FWE Food Warming Equipment.

Congratulations to today's winners:

AutoCAD

• 1st - James Stubblefield (Portland HS)
• 2nd - Kaden Street (Westmoreland HS)
• 3rd - Charles Laux (Portland HS)

Automotive

• 1st - Luke Pitt (White House HS)
• 2nd - Tony Jeffery (White House HS)
• 3rd - Aidan Richardson (White House HS)

Cosmetology

• 1st - Alexis Grim (Portland HS)
• 2nd - Jordan Curtis (Portland HS)
• 3rd - Emily Finn (White House HS)

Criminal Justice (CSI)

• 1st - Gallatin HS
• 2nd - Beech HS
• 3rd - Hendersonville HS

Felony Stops

• 1st - Gallatin HS
• 2nd - Hendersonville HS
• 3rd - Beech HS

Field Sobriety

• 1st - Gallatin HS
• 2nd - Hendersonville HS
• 3rd - Portland HS

Overall Criminal Justice

• 1st - Gallatin HS
• 2nd - Hendersonville HS
• 3rd - Beech HS

Machining

• 1st - Grace Sutton (Portland HS)
• 2nd - Gordon Russell (Portland HS)
• 3rd - Wyatt Harrison (Westmoreland HS)

Welding (Stick Welding)

• 1st - Dylan Dionne (Portland HS)
• 2nd - Brady Williams (Westmoreland HS)
• 3rd - Logan Arnold (Portland HS)

Welding (TIG Welding)

• 1st - Rachel Nelson (Portland HS)
• 2nd - Garrett Bruce (Gallatin HS)
• 3rd - Jared Courtney (Portland HS)