Education

Measured comparatively with its peers on spring testing, Bedford County is slowly climbing Tennessee Department of Education's accountability ladder, receiving a recent "Satisfactory" for academic growth, according to the yearly accountability report released Thursday...

Jeff Mitchell, with 14 years as a math teacher and coach at The Webb School, was recognized by The Webb School Parents' Association with the 2019 WSPA Faculty Enrichment Award. Denise Ledbetter, WSPA president, presented the award at the opening of school recognition dinner on Aug. 7...

During Shelbyville Central High School's assembly Thursday, the number "5" was common denominator in announcements. Students experienced an Aha! moment when principal Tim Harwell informed them "cinco" is also SCHS's new state academic progress score...

TNReady scores released today by the Tennessee Department of Education show that more than half the schools in Tennessee – 56 percent – improved their growth scores through Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) from the previous year, with 41 percent of all schools earning a level 4 or 5 TVAAS rating which measures year-to-year growth...

Motlow State Community College will hold the first annual Think Sepsis First Conference Sept. 13, beginning at 8:15 a.m. on the Moore County campus. The conference will focus on educating caregivers and healthcare providers concerning the seriousness and the warning signs and symptoms of sepsis, an often-fatal medical condition...

Shelbyville Central High School seniors participating in the new Work Ethic Distinction program could have a little more bling added to their graduation regalia next spring. More than just decoration, this distinction signifies a senior's commitment to fully preparing themselves to enter the workforce, Kelly North, Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce's workplace development director, told them Friday...

My name is Meg McKee, and I am a senior at Cascade High School located in Wartrace. Cascade has been my home for about four years now, and I can whole-heartedly say that I have loved every bit. Each person I met at Cascade has molded me into the person I am today. From marching on the football field on Friday nights, to struggling to stay awake in classes, every experience has influenced me one way or another...

Motlow State Community College is celebrating 50 years of being one of the south's foremost community colleges, one of Tennessee's top higher education institutions, and a leader of educational, economic, and community development in middle Tennessee...

Martin Methodist College in Pulaski has announced that 100 percent of its nursing graduates, including Anna Pryor of Wartrace, passed their National Council Licensure Examination. This marks the second consecutive year that the school's May cohorts of nursing graduates have achieved a 100 percent pass rate...

iberty Lions Club held its mid-year banquet July 9 at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. An appreciation dinner was provided for all Liberty Lions Club Horse Show volunteers with 42 guests in attendance. Lions made a $500 donation to Liberty School cheerleaders for helping as ribbon presenters during the June horse show. From left: Lion Paul Gambill; Liberty cheerleaders Katelyn Casson, Caitlin Cooper and Addie Harris; and Lion Larry Hames.

Liberty Lions Club held its mid-year banquet July 9 at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. An appreciation dinner was provided for all Liberty Lions Club Horse Show volunteers with 42 guests in attendance. Lions made a $500 donation to Liberty School cheerleaders for helping as ribbon presenters during the June horse show. From left: Lion Paul Gambill; Liberty cheerleaders Katelyn Casson, Caitlin Cooper and Addie Harris; and Lion Larry Hames.

During Sunday's dedication ceremony for the new Cascade High School, former school board member, the late Dixie Parker, was recognized posthumously for being pivotal in the building of the new facility. The Cascade building is approximately 125,600 square feet filled with Cascade Champion spirit...

Southside Elementary School first grade teacher Caron Lovvorn-Burr and some of her students pose with all their new school supplies. From left: Dalia Camarillo, Jenny Bivvins, Diego Cancino Ortiz, Brayden Jolley and Colton Pope.

The marquee in front of the former Cascade High School contained these words Sunday: “Old school, New beginning.” In keeping with those sentiments, principal Josh Young told attendees at Sunday’s new site dedication to soak up every moment of the excitement. The new school, on Fairfield Pike past the old site, was filled with members of the community and educators...

Newlyweds and Cascade alumni Cameron and Trent Sutton were among those attending the opening house and dedication of the new Cascade High School today. They couldn't resist this view, which the Cascade High students will get to enjoy everyday. (T-G Photo by Dawn Hankins)

The Webb School in Bell Buckle will kick off its school-year-long 150th anniversary celebration on Aug. 12, the first day of classes at the private preparatory academy. The anniversary, being marketed under the name "Webb 150," will include special events not only on the Webb campus but in cities in the U.S. and abroad where Webb alumni are now located. There will be a "Coast-To-Coast Toast" on Nov. 11 to celebrate the birthday of the school's founder, W.R. "Sawney" Webb...

After obtaining his master's degree in criminal justice from MTSU, Kenneth Weathers plans to continue being in the hiring process to become a Murfreesboro police officer. Weathers, 39, of Murfreesboro, has been attending college off and on since 2000. ...

The dean of residential life and the associate instructor of academic support at The Webb School will share the 2018-2019 grant from the Jon Frere Fund for Faculty Development. Elyse Jensen, a 2011 Webb graduate, will use a portion of the grant to add a special education endorsement on her teaching license. Bloom will use his portion of the grant to help complete his master's degree...

Fifth grader Kalin Alcorta will celebrate his last year as a student at Eakin Elementary with school events and physical education classes on a new gym floor. Hundreds of students and parents attended Eakin Elementary’s open house on Wednesday. School will open for an abbreviated day Friday morning, so drivers are urged to proceed with caution as little people will be excited and running about in anticipation for the start of school.

Following an eventful four years of planning and construction for the new Cascade High School, Bedford County Board of Education and the community will dedicate the site 2 p.m. Sunday in the gym. The school's open house will be conducted from 1 to 4 p.m. Several local dignitaries are expected to speak...

Community High School's Smokestack Theatre will present Arthur Miller's classic drama, "All My Sons," 7 p.m. Aug. 9-10 and 2 p.m. Aug. 11, in an intimate theatre-in-the-round setting. A theatre-in-the round stage is always in the center of the performance venue with the audience arranged on all sides. The design typically allows actors to enter and exit through the audience from different directions or sometimes from below the stage...

Members of Venture Crew 371 went whitewater rafting July 20 on the Ocoee River. ...

The 2019-2020 Cascade FFA officer team held a retreat July 8-9. On Monday, July 8, the officer team along with advisor Mike Swafford and alumni members Christy Swafford and Barbie Parker travelled to Murfreesboro for some team building activities. The team visited an escape room where they were divided into two groups to compete against each other. ...

Cascade FFA attended Tennessee FFA Leadership Camp at Camp Clements the week of June 24-28. The chapter had 17 current and future members attend, along with advisor Mike Swafford, chaperones Samantha Newman, Tami Lee and Sheila Jo McBryant. In total there were 196 FFA members, advisors and guests during the fifth week of camp. ...

Welcome to McConnellville. “I call my classroom “McConnellville” to help give it a little bit of personality,” Harris Middle School sixth grade social studies teacher Phillip McConnell said recently. “It feels better to say ‘Welcome to McConnellville’ than saying ‘Welcome to my classroom.’”...

Tickets are still on sale for River Music Fest Live, an all-day music festival Aug. 3 to benefit Arrowhead Ranch near Normandy. Jeff Sweeney of Arrowhead Ranch said sales have picked up noticeably in the past two weeks and tickets are being bought by customers from all over Middle Tennessee and as far away as Knoxville...

The annual Back to School Bash, sponsored by the Center for Family Development and Johnson Residential Group, was held Friday under the large pavilion at H.V. Griffin Park. A highlight to the morning’s events included a dance-a-thon. Kids and adults seemed to enjoy their day in the park with the music...

So what do local teachers and Bedford County Complete Census Count officials have in common that they would be sharing an inservice? Free training for a new online resource, "Statistics in Schools." The site was created by the U.S. Census Bureau, in tandem with educators, so that teachers might access vital statistics collected by the bureau every 10 years...

With less than two weeks before schools open, school superintendent Don Embry informed Bedford County Board of Education Tuesday that he still has a shortage of about 27 certified teachers. “We’ve been saying this for months now,” Embry explained during the board’s monthly business meeting. “Everybody in the state is in the same boat.”...

Daughters of Shelby Chapter Daughter of the American Revolution recently assisted Shelbyville Bedford County Public Library with the Summer Reading Finale. Each participant in the reading program was presented with an American flag on a stick and a Pledge of Allegiance bookmark. Participants were also invited to enjoy artistic face paintings by Sarah Beth and Leah Cunningham. In the background, from left, are DAR members Marilyn Lewis, Ardis Caffey and Gay Mixon. (Submitted photo)

Learning Way first grader Ashton Freeman (left) and Eli Keuhl, 5, a rising Learning Way kindergartener, said they were happy with their school supplies, which were organized and distributed Thursday by volunteers at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. If you’d like to donate school supplies for children in need, United Way of Bedford County’s “Stuff The School Bus” drive is taking place today at Walmart and through the end of the month at various collection points around Shelbyville. (T-G Photos by Dawn Hankins)

Carina Vazquez Nunez, a recent Motlow State graduate from Shelbyville, sees the world differently from most Motlow students. She is the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico. “I have been blessed to view life through the lens of a minority immigrant family,” said Nunez. ...

Bedford County commissioner Gregory Vick told the county commission's rules and legislative committee Tuesday night that plans are moving forward for a new campus for Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville at 231 North Business Park on Frank Martin Road...

If pictures are really worth a thousand words, there was very little left for Bedford County Board of Education to discuss Tuesday night regarding the new Cascade High School project except, “When do we get the keys?” Board member Glenn Forsee has asked architects with Davis Stokes Collaborative that same question consistently for months. He asked again Tuesday when the board would officially become the new owners...

United Way of Bedford County's "Stuff The School Bus" drive continues through July 31, but its namesake event will be 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday at Walmart. The annual drive collects school supplies, and/or money to buy school supplies, from donors. The school supplies are then distributed by the local school system...

Carina Vazquez Nunez, a recent Motlow State graduate from Shelbyville, sees the world differently from most Motlow students. She is the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico. “I have been blessed to view life through the lens of a minority immigrant family,” said Nunez. ...

Bedford County Board of Education is expected to address several school issues when it meets in regular session 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Central Office. Though East Side cafeteria is quiet at this time, it will only be a few weeks before students are again filling the lunch line. Student meals remain free this year to Bedford County students.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) has named Dr. Michael Torrence, president of Motlow State Community College, to its Presidential Advisory Board. Torrence joins 38 other college presidents from across the nation on the board and will provide input into the organization’s strategic plan, priorities, and direction. ...

Now that Gov. Bill Lee has signed into law a bill requiring high school graduates pass a civics exit exam, Tennessee should have greater assurance its students will be able to answer historically significant questions -- like, "Who wrote the U.S. Declaration of Independence?...

While allowing students to bring personal cell phones and other electronic devices to school currently remains a privilege, Bedford County Board of Education recently attached a stronger usage policy. The same policy, which in previous years has required a couple of pages, was condensed into one, as approved by BCBE at its May meeting. The document was a complete re-write, said superintendent Don Embry...

Anna Brown of Cascade High School and Kera Reynolds of Community High School joined more than 185 students, teachers and co-op chaperones for a week-long trip to our nation's capital. The annual event, sponsored by the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and the state's 23 electric co-ops, provides young leaders with an opportunity to explore the nation's capital, learn about government and cooperatives and develop their leadership skills. ...

School won't start for another month, but the time to Stuff The School Bus has arrived. United Way of Bedford County is placing collection boxes at various local businesses and organizations this week for its annual Stuff The School Bus campaign. Either school supplies or money are accepted. Money can be used to buy backpacks, a more-expensive item which isn't donated very often and which United Way, due to its status as a non-profit, can purchase more cheaply than individual consumers...

Sharon Kay Edwards and Paige Hendrickson are branch librarians at Motlow State's McMinnville and Smyrna campuses respectively. While they provide critical service and support daily to patrons who need to access information through the library, they also have become literary advocates who are leaders in moving Tennessee forward in library awareness with elected officials and state organizations...

Gov. Bill Lee, during a meet-and-greet in Shelbyville on Friday, said he was trying to fulfill his campaign promise of good schools, good jobs and safe neighborhoods. Lee made a swing through Southern Middle Tennessee, with meet-and-greet events in Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Fayetteville, Pulaski and Lawrenceburg. In Shelbyville, he was joined by State Sen. Shane Reeves and State Rep. Pat Marsh...

Bedford County Board of Education extended superintendent Don Embry's contract another four years Tuesday night, despite some members expressing beforehand they did not feel they had substantial time to discuss the state-required document in depth...

Arcadia Publishing and The History Press have released "The Webb School of Bell Buckle," by Susan Coop Howell and Hannah Byrd Little, a photo book telling the story of the private prep school through hundereds of black-and-white photographs and documents...

On May 4, Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville celebrated its 118th Commencement Convocation. The University conferred more than 1,140 degrees during the Saturday morning ceremony. Local graduates include: l Colleen Beth Bradford of Wartrace, who earned a Master of Business Administration...

On June 14, the Bedford County FFA of Shelbyville Central High School traveled to Middle Tennessee State University to compete in the Middle Tennessee FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation CDE and the Middle Tennessee FFA Dairy Handling Invitational Event. The Dairy Cattle Evaluation team placed seventh in the Middle Tennessee Region. The team members were Ian Alcox, Nick Moore, Dorothy Brandon and Nancy Diaz. Allison Davis participated in the Middle Tennessee FFA Dairy Handling Invitational that took place during the Dairy Judging event. Allison placed second in the event and will take part in the Tennessee FFA Dairy Handling Event to be held in September at the Tennessee State Fair. From left are Diaz, Davis, Moore, Brandon and Alcox.

Makenzie Thomas is part of the Read to be Ready summer camp being held at East Side School for rising third graders. She has attended several tours with other campers, including a visit to the Bedford County courthouse. Learn more about the program in today’s Honor Roll section.

This year's theme for the Read to be Ready program, which continues through June 20 at East Side Elementary, is "Building a Community of Thinkers." Books recently purchased for this three-week program allow rising third graders to ponder such thinking topics as, "What if you woke up one morning and your eyes weren't yours? That was a question recently explored when students were read the book by Sandra Markle called, "What If You Had Animal Eyes?"...