Superintendent’s Office Dr. Kirk Kelly

2017 Chattanooga Special Education Transition Academy East Ridge High School hosted the Special Education Transition Academy event “Planning for Life After High School” this past weekend. Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke was on hand to greet attendees. The goal of the free HCDE, STEP, and Lifeline event was for students, parents, teachers, and service providers to network and receive tools designed to help students with disabilities leave high school ready to live, work and participate fully in their community. STEP, Inc. stands for Support and Training for Exceptional Parents. Lifeline, Inc. is a Chattanooga-based ministry program with a goal of meeting the unique needs of families with special needs. The day-long conference included information on college and training, self-advocacy, systems navigation, employment, independent living, success stories, an information fair with state and local agencies, as well as success stories.

Engage Every Child. Every Day.

Department Head News and Updates

March 17, 2017

Important Dates March 20-24 Spring Break

Superintendent’s Office Dr. Kirk Kelly

Campus Support Dr. Lee McDade

Chief Academic Officer Jill Levine

Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Justin Robertson

Asst. Supt. of School Operations Zac Brown

Elementary Operations Director

Karen Hollis

Elementary Operations Director

Neelie Parker

iZone Operations Director

Sheryl Randolph

Secondary Operations Director

Robert Sharpe

Secondary Operations Director

Leandrea Ware

Innovation Keri Randolph

Finance Christie Jordan

Human Resources Stacy Stewart

Thrasher Elementary Fifth Grader Headed to Washington, DC for National Spelling Bee

After more than 20 rounds of competition, one Thrasher Elementary School fifth grader was left standing at the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee this past weekend at UTC. Lisa Lin defeated 65 other competitors in the grueling competition, many of whom were middle schoolers. Her winning word was moldier. Lin will now go on to represent the Chattanooga area in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC this May. This year marks nine decades of the National Spelling Bee as the first took place in 1925 when nine newspapers joined together to host a spelling bee. Now, 11 million students take part in the literacy effort every year. Congratulations and good luck Lisa Lin!

(photos courtesy Doug Strickland, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Orchard Knob Elementary Students Learn Financial Literacy with Creative Discovery Museum

Science Sparks! for Daisy Elementary Students at the Tennessee Aquarium

Daisy Elementary School fourth graders recently got to visit the South Pole, a butterfly garden and a tropical tidal pool. After that they got the chance to Dream Big.

It was all due to a free trip to the Tennessee Aquarium as part of the Science Sparks! nine-week long, hands-on science curriculum developed by HCDE educators.

In addition to the real-life lessons in flora and fauna provided by the Tennessee Aquarium, they also saw the new Dream Big film at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX Theater. Dream Big: Engineering Out World is billed as a movie that will change the way we think about engineering with closer looks at everything from the Great Wall of China to small underwater robots.

Looks like a great time was had by all the Daisy Elementary students!

Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council Nominates New Officers

The March SSAC meeting kicked off with members making nominations for next year’s officers. After watching a slideshow from February’s Student SPEAK-Out and last week’s SCOPE conference, the students shared some of their experiences from the events.

One of the biggest takeaways for many of the students who traveled to Murfreesboro last week was just how different school systems across the state can be.

SSAC members were also reminded the collections from their school supply drive are due by next month’s meeting.

Learning Brain Safety at North Hamilton County Elementary School

The Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association visited North Hamilton County Elementary to discuss “Brain Safety” this week. During a school wide assembly, Lisa Morgan, Executive Director of CABIA compared our brains to computers. She pointed out that we would not throw an iPad or laptop on the ground because it would break. She also said our brains are our computers and deserve protection.

Volunteers and board members from CABIA measured and custom fit 381 children at North Hamilton with brand new bike helmets. The kids took her warning seriously and wore their helmets ALL DAY LONG!

District Four School Board/Commission Education Forum Monday Night

HCDE Board member Tiffanie Robinson and Hamilton County Commissioner Warren Mackey hosted the event at Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church Monday evening.

Hixson High School Senior Spring Service Project with Widows Harvest Ministries

Hixson High School Class of 2017 members took part in the annual Senior service project with Chattanooga's Widows Harvest Ministries.

For more than 15 years now, Hixson High seniors have given to the community through Widows Harvest Ministries. Students have done many projects through the organization, including taken off and put on roofs, taken up and put down floors, painted, built a porch addition, even built a wheel chair ramp.

After a quick orientation at the Widows Harvest warehouse, the students headed to a home in St. Elmo in need of a fresh coat of paint, where the students got to work scraping Tuesday morning.

CSAS Wind Ensemble to Perform at Carnegie Hall The Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences Wind Ensemble, under the direction of David Butler, will be performing in Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall on Monday, March 20.

The band is one of seven ensembles from all over the country selected to perform in the annual Symphonic Series at Carnegie, and one of the only high school bands from the state of Tennessee to ever perform in Carnegie Hall. Music to be performed will include works by Dello Joio, Dukas, Goto, Sousa, and Verdi.

Joint HCDE and Commission Meeting Tuesday Covers Several Topics HCDE School Board members and Hamilton County Commissioners met Tuesday night for a special work session called by District 7 Commissioner Sabrena Smedley. The two-plus hour long meeting covered topics including new school construction, capital maintenance and the East Brainerd sale proceeds. The two government entities spoke about meeting again as a group to create a strategic plan for funding.

CSAS Hamilton County Teacher of the Year Chosen for Code.org Computer Science Pilot

Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences teacher of the year Kristin Burrus has been chosen to take part in a Code.org pilot program for computer science. Computer Science Discoveries is a full-year introductory

computer science survey course for upper middle school and lower high school students.

Code.org describes the pilot program as taking a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS, and data. The goal is to empower students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communications, problem solving and fun.

Ms. Burrus will act as pilot coordinator for the school and will participate in the five-day Code.org summer institute in Houston, as well as the four local Saturday

professional learning workshops throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Code.org is providing the funding.

East Ridge Elementary School’s 2nd Annual Leadership Day

East Ridge Elementary School celebrated great leaders and learners Wednesday at the second annual Leadership Day and Partners in Education Luncheon. The invitees, including HCDE Interim Superintendent Dr. Kirk Kelly, attended a school-wide assembly and tour of the school before lunch was served in the school’s library.

BowTies and Pearls at Clifton Hills Elementary Student interviews were held this week for Clifton Hills Elementary School’s BowTies and Pearls program. BowTies and Pearls is a weekly program that focuses on proper speaking and listening skills, leadership skills, table manners, and budgeting. The six week long course ends with a luncheon where students present what they learned during BowTies and Pearls, and how they will use that knowledge in the future. Interested students had to complete an application, submit a parent/guardian agreement form, and complete an interview with a panel of judges. Ten boys and ten girls were then chosen to take part. The 20 chosen students must also maintain their schoolwork and exhibit good behavior at all times to stay in the program. Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State Students Receive $3,000 Scholarships

Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State students, Isabel Huisman and Emily Thomas, each received a $3,000 scholarship from ACE: Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. The ACE Mentor Program mentors high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design,

construction, and engineering. Huisman plans to pursue a degree Interior Design. Thomas plans pursue a degree in Computer Engineering this fall at UTC. Congratulations to both students!

Machine Shop Open House at Sequoyah High School Sequoyah High School machine tool teacher Kirk Johnson knows his students should be celebrated. Now, Chattanooga and North Georgia area machine shops know it, too. Johnson held an open house Wednesday to show off the school’s progress to area industry leaders. Representatives from area businesses like Card-Monroe Corporation came to see what Sequoyah has to offer. Card-Monroe is a Hixson tufting business that works with the textile and carpet industries. A former Sequoyah High student who took machining at the school a few decades back was also on hand to check out the freshly painted shop and brand new equipment. Right now the students are working on making metal playing dice, first cutting the perfect cubes and then drilling the number dots (called pips) on each side.

Firsthand State Government Experience for Hixson High School Juniors

Hixson High School juniors recently got a firsthand civics lesson as they traveled to Nashville and toured the Tennessee State Capitol, Legislative Plaza, State Archives, and the State Museum.

The students sat in on a House/Senate Committee meeting and observed the proceedings in both Houses from the gallery area. The students also met with State Senator Bo Watson and were addressed by the first female Speaker of the House, Beth Harwell.

HCDE Girls Prove they are Mad, Bad, and Dangerous

Congratulations to all HCDE ladies who competed in this past weekend’s Mad, Bad and Dangerous 24 Hour Generator! Some MBD alumnae even returned to help out with this year’s competition (their names are noted in bold.)

Brainerd High School: Ashanti Deshaun Bell, Shania McConnell, and Amareh Monae’ Robinson Center for Creative Arts: Dasena Motley Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy: Catalina Francisco, Kiara McCroskey, Wendy Reynoso, and Frida Uwimana Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences: Sarah Boyd, Dawson Brown-Ezell, Ryan Brown-Ezell, Gussie Gaston, and Jamie Pouncey East Ridge High School: Ayanna Thomas Hamilton County High School: Genevra Bolden and Emma Rhodes Hixson High School: Marly Fitzpatrick The Howard School: Hayle’ Mack and Sade Strawter Lookout Valley High School: Liberty Johnson Red Bank High School: Robyn Colson Signal Mountain High School: Maggie Meller Tyner Academy: Neuntee Appleberry, Jada Beckett, Shanice Garner, Taylor Jefferson, RaeShaun Holloway, and Ke’Shay Sampson

More Hamilton County Graduates Now Attend 4-Year Colleges

Hamilton County students are seeing big dividends due to Hamilton County Department of Education’s focus on preparing students for careers or college. Seventy-six per cent of all HCDE graduates enrolled in a two- or four-year college, or other post-secondary career option after graduation. That’s a five per cent increase from 2015.

HCDE Interim Superintendent Dr. Kirk Kelly is thrilled to share the news. “Not only are we seeing an increase in students attending college, but we are seeing an across the board increase in the number of students attending traditional four-year colleges.

More than 1,000 students who graduated in 2016 enrolled in a four-year college this past fall semester. During 2015, that number was 885. “This is further proof that HCDE’s strategic focus area of creating pathways and opportunities for students as they prepare for post-secondary education and careers is working in a tangible way,” said HCDE Chief Academic Officer Jill Levine.

A deeper dive into the data also shows HCDE students are attending several different institutions of higher learning. Chattanooga’s Public Education Foundation worked with Hamilton County career counselors to track students after graduation, and they determined the Class of 2016 enrolled in colleges or training programs across the United States. “The students who graduated from our public schools in May enrolled this fall in 186 post-secondary institutions in 38 states and the United Kingdom at 143 different four year institutions, 39 different two year institutions, and 4 different career training programs,” said PEF President Dan Challener. “This is strong evidence that our students and their families and Hamilton County’s counselors, college advisors, and teachers are working hard to find the college that is the “right fit” for each student.”

HCDE Administrators will visit each high school to delve into the numbers during the first week of April.

SMMHS Student Earns Perfect Score on ACT

A junior at Signal Mountain Middle High School has earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Tamjeed Azad is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme student at SMHS with a 4.0 GPA.

He is the Captain of the SMMHS Science Bowl Team and helped the team place in Top 3 at the State Competition for the first time in school history. He is also a 3-time participant in the National Competition.

Under the direction of Dr. Hope Klug at UTC, Tamjeed is currently researching the Fitness of Evolution of Parental Care with Respect to Certain Life-History Traits using Mathematical Models of Evolutionary Ecology. He presented this research at the 2017 Chattanooga Regional Science and Engineering Fair. He has competed in science fairs since 3rd grade. Tamjeed has taken part in American Mathematic Competitions since 8th grade and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination. He's also been a bronze medalist and won an honorable mention in the USA Mathematic Talent Search. He is member of many clubs at SMMHS including Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Beta Club and Leo Club. Tamjeed is also the USA Biology Olympiad Student Coordinator at SMMHS as well as a member of the

Robotics Team, Student Technology Association and Model UN Delegation.

East Lake Academy of Fine Arts Teacher is TCSS Middle School

Teacher of the Year

Erin Glenn, eighth grade American History Teacher at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, was named winner of the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies Middle School Teacher of the Year Award. She was honored at a luncheon during the annual TCSS Conference held March 10 at the Park Vista Hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She was presented with a plaque and a check for $500 from the Association.

Ms. Glenn was chosen for the award based on excellence in the areas of classroom instruction, creativity, knowledge of students, social studies content knowledge, leadership in the teaching profession, and professional development.

The Tennessee Council for the Social Studies is an association devoted to providing information, resources, and support for all those involved in social studies education. This includes k-12 teachers, supervisors of instruction, and college professors in the various disciplines interested in and involved in the social studies.

CPR/Stroke/Heart Attack Training for Bess T. Shepherd Elementary Staff Teachers and staff from Bess T. Shepherd Elementary attended an education opportunity at Parkridge Hospital earlier this week. The staff participated in education and performed:

• Adult / Child CPR • Infant CPR • Use of AED • Use of Bag-Valve-Mask • Adult / Child Choking • Infant choking • Signs and Symptoms of a

Heart Attack • Signs and Symptoms of a

Stroke • Use of 911 Call System • Code Blue in the Schools

The group worked together in mock scenarios to prepare for any unforeseen events that could actually happen while on the school campus. Not only was the training vitally important, but a good time was had by all.

Hamilton Place Mall’s 7th Annual Student Art Competition for HCDE Students

Some very talented HCDE students kicked off their spring break by ‘Spinnin’ Through the 80s’ at Hamilton Place Mall Friday morning. Hamilton County students were asked to design an 1980s album cover to create a piece of art that combines their love of music with a shopping tie in. The winners were announced at a Hamilton Place Student Art Competition reception. Each student received a certificate and got to enjoy goodies provided by sponsor Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

Your ‘2017 Spinnin’ Through the 80s’ winners are: Grades K-5 High School 1st Place- Cameryn Akins 1st Place- Kristian Bowman CSAS Sequoyah High School Art Teacher: Stacey Alverson Art Teacher: Liz Kimball 2nd Place- Skylar Huskey 2nd Place- Darian Bradley, Jr. CSAS The Howard School Art Teacher: Stacey Alverson Art Teacher: Sherry Heinz 3rd Place- Kennedi Barnett 3rd Place- Roshel Abubo CSAS Sale Creek Middle High Art Teacher: Stacey Alverson Art Teacher: Tim Smith

Grades 6-8 Honorable Mention- Whitney Baugh 1st Place- Breanna Scoggins Sequoyah High School East Lake Academy of Fine Arts Art Teacher: Liz Kimball Art Teacher: Katherine Coblentz Honorable Mention- Hannah Diamond East Hamilton High School Art Teacher: Jin Copp

The students and their artwork will be featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Sunday Mar. 26. You can check out the art for yourself in the center court of Hamilton Place Mall through September.

HCDE in the News this week: http://wdef.com/2017/03/13/chattanooga-non-profit-brings-books-home-students-need/ http://newschannel9.com/features/educator-of-the-week/jenneatte-omarkhail-educator-of-the-week-for-march-13th http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/community-signal-mountain/story/2017/mar/08/signal-team-places-third-state-science-bowl/416210/ http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/34936511/rate-of-hamilton-county-grads-going-to-college-is-up http://wdef.com/2017/03/13/howards-baseball-field/