Education

First of two parts Bedford County Board of Education followed assistant superintendent Karen Scoggins around a race track Tuesday night. The instructional supervisor used a race track model to explain a recent report by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE...

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville held a local observance of National CTE Letter Of Intent Signing Day on Thursday. The event, sponsored nationally by the National Coalition of Certification Centers, aspires to draw attention to career and technical education (CTE) programs through a “signing day” ceremony similar to the ones held by colleges when they recruit star high school athletes...

Last week at Cascade, everyone seemed dull and sleepy from the long weekend, but things seemed to liven up the more the week went on. News reached the students Friday morning that National FFA Week would take place Feb. 22-29. National FFA Week is celebrated around the country as a time to call attention to the crucial roles that FFA takes part in. ...

Bedford County School Superintendent Don Embry, right, was the speaker for Wednesday’s meeting of Shelbyville Rotary Club. He’s welcomed by Rotarian Ivan Jones.

Celebration City Car Club donates to several organizations each year, including Shelbyville Central High School’s National Honor Society. Roger Huffman of the car club presented a check to NHS representatives Fritzi Solis, Chris Hernandez, Karley Simmons and Cindy Solis.

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has announced that Jason Sparks has been promoted to serve as Fire Program Director for the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) on Unionville Deason Road which is part of the State Fire Marshal's Office...

Area residents who attended an informational event organized by Middle Tennessee State University's University College are a few steps closer to finishing their degree. At the Finish Your Degree Q&A on Feb. 6 in Tullahoma, adults could talk to degree counselors, advisors and other representatives from both MTSU and Motlow State Community College about getting readmitted, registered for classes, and what options are available to them so they can finish faster and get a degree that will advance their careers.. ...

Adelia Stanley and Tiger Wang, seniors at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, were recently named National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Stanley, of McMinnville, and Wang, of Bell Buckle, were among the top 1 percent of 2020 U.S. high school seniors to achieve semifinalist distinction in September 2019. ...

Have you ever walked into your child’s school office and suddenly felt like someone opened the cafeteria freezer door? Or, perhaps you walked into your child’s school one morning and office personnel immediately greeted you with open arms? Whether they ignore you, love you or disrespect you, Tennessee Department of Education wants to know about school climates — which is why an optional survey is available for the taking through this month. ...

Last week at Cascade, the students were overwhelmed with the number of fundraisers and support-based events crowding the week. A few fundraisers were the previously introduced HOSA shirt and bracelet sale to support the American Heart Association, and the NEHS bake sale for the school library. Both were highly successful as students strode around the halls with their lovely shirts and delicious goods...

Arrowhead Boys Ranch will hold its annual 5K Run for the Ranch fundraiser. The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 14, beginning at 8 a.m. at 239 Cortner Mill Road in Normandy. Runners can register online at arrowheadranchtn.net. The registration fee is $20 through March 9 and $25 after that. ...

The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club Inc. will accept applications from local high school seniors through March 31 for its annual scholarship program. Scholarship candidates must possess a GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, be a U.S. citizen and complete the application process, which includes a 300 word typed essay on the topic “Making An I.M.P.A.C.T. In Our Communities.”...

The Motlow College Foundation will host the 28th annual Motlow Gala on Saturday, Mar. 7, at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center. Festivities will begin with a champagne social hour at 5:30 p.m., during which guests can peruse donated silent auction items; dinner will be served at 6:30...

Bedford County Schools federal projects supervisor Chad Fletcher recently advised school board members while there's a good deal of quality intervention in place for local students performing below grade level, the community also has within the transient sector a fair share enrolling with academic challenges...

Last week was cut short at Cascade and not for anything pleasant either. Nearly a quarter of Cascade had been out of school due to various types of sickness. Fevers, flu, nausea, and running noses flowed to numerous students, causing them to drop like flies. Thursday and Friday were generously given by administration to allow students to recover over a four-day weekend. However, it has affected other things besides studies...

A total of 12,050 students enrolled during the 2019 fall semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean's List with an academic record of 3.5 or above or the President's List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). The UA Dean's and President's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or to undergraduate students who take less than a full course load...

Liberty School counselor Jordan Tatom was selected as the 2020 Tennessee Counselor of the Year. He was recently recognized in Washington, D.C. The Times-Gazette ran an article on Tatom in 2018, when he also won the honor. Jordan said he believes one of the largest contributing factors to him being chosen as top public school counselor is his student advocacy methods. He’s been counselor for Liberty the last five years; he previously worked at Richland School in Lynnville and in the Columbia and Nashville areas.

The Shelbyville Central High School Criminal Justice Student Organization competed last weekend in Gatlinburg Tennessee at Winterfest. The students competed in numerous events such as rappelling, tactical fitness, unknown call response, conducting field sobriety, moot court and others. This was the organization’s second year to compete at the event. “I am extremely proud of these students,” said sponsor Chris Hobbs.

MURFREESBORO – Most people fear to go where few, or no one, has gone before. J.W. Harper is not most people. When the former Shelbyville athlete chose to attend Middle Tennessee State in 1968, he became the first African American football player at the school...

An automobile tariffs study from MTSU's Business and Economic Research Center shows that the Volunteer State's largest manufacturing sector would take a noticeable hit if President Donald Trump moves forward with threats to impose such sanctions on trade partners...

Bedford County Schools, including the School-Age Care Program, will be closed Thursday due to illness, the school system announced this morning.

While it might not be one of the new year's most discussed education topics, classroom job sharing has seemingly found its place in Bedford County, having filled local teaching needs at Cascade Elementary, according to principal Sherry Crawford. "Of course, all of this has happened with the approval of Don Embry, director of schools. I really appreciate his willingness to think outside the box to meet the needs of the students of Bedford County," Crawford said...

Last week at Cascade, the week seemed to slug along as routine after routine dragged students to Friday. Each day sort of blurred into the next and students begged for the weekend to start. However, Friday night was set apart from the previous days...

From retrieving birds and kittens from backpacks to giving high-fives for test scores, five retired teachers say they've pretty much seen, and heard, it all. Now into their jubilee years, they're still imparting knowledge, but this time around, they have a classroom partner with which to share the workload...

Principal's List 5th Grade: Valentino A. Albino, Junxi Cao, Adriana B. Cates, Brinlie J. Collet, Paizley J. Hodges, Emma C. Pope, Elizabeth A. Weldon, Taylor M. Wilson 4th Grade: Slade M. Austin, Anne M. Beard, Corrin I. Carothers, Madison J. Cleek, Alexis M. Comstock, Micah S. Jones, Elizabeth A. Keele, Timothy R. Lucich, Judah L. Maddox, Tate M. Parker, Lauren A. Parsley, Addison J. Riddle, Ashton J. Riddle, Peyton B. Sutter, Emily J. Williams...

The Webb School recently announced its A and B honor rolls for the second quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. An independent college preparatory day/boarding school for grades 6-12, The Webb School is the oldest continuously operating school of its kind in the South. The school has a dual emphasis on academic excellence and character development...

Cascade FFA member Sarina Richards, a sophomore, competed in the FFA Employment Skills contest. She placed first at the district contest on Jan. 16 and third in sectionals on Jan. 23. The contest consists of submitting a resume and cover letter, completing a job application and writing a follow-up letter. The major part of the contest is the actual interview for a job that she could realistically apply for.

On Jan. 18, Connor Prim, a junior at Cascade High School, performed with the 2020 All Middle Tennessee Mid State Jazz Band at Middle Tennessee State University. Connor, middle, is seen with Cascade band director David Lucich, left, and others who came out to support him.

On Jan. 27, the Bedford County FFA of Shelbyville Central High School traveled to attend Agriculture Night at the Nashville Predators NHL game. Students were able to participate in a pre-game discussion with business leaders in the agriculture industry and watch the Predators take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sam Davis was a chaperone for the event. Back row, from left: Brooke Minnick, Alex Ochoa, Ian Alcox, Alissa Cobble, David Carben, Zoe Spence, Savannah Martineau, Elizabeth Atonsa, Nick Moore, Allison Davis. Front row: Bella Reed, Abigail Betancourt, Jonathan Carbolloso, Amber Jernigan, Kalcee Ward, Emma Ashworth, Allison McCarty, Khloe Davis, Dorothy Brandon, Cali Mason, Cameron Waller.

On Jan. 24, the Bedford County FFA Chapter of Shelbyville Central High School traveled to Blackman High School in Murfreesboro to attend the 2020 FFA Tennessee Leadership Conference. The members were able to work with former state FFA officers on different aspects of FFA and how building their leadership skills can help them to achieve the highest levels of accomplishment in their lives and FFA. ...

Bedford County Financial Management Committee discussed its policy for hiring professional services Tuesday night, enacting into formal policy the procedure that was followed last year in hiring a new architectural firm. That hiring process has been the subject of bitter contention between Bedford County Board of Education and the county over the past few months. ...

To the Editor: Bedford County Schools have joined with other school districts in saluting our local education leaders during Tennessee's annual School Board Appreciation Week -- January 27-31, 2020. The week is designed to recognize the contributions made by our school board members, who are given the tremendous responsibility of ensuring the education of Tennessee's youth...

The Hamilton Brothers and nephew Issac Eady, Tullahoma natives, will perform a free concert on the Moore County campus of Motlow State Community College in celebration of African American History Month on Feb. 11 at 12:30 p.m. in Eoff Hall, Powers Auditorium...

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville is now an official third-party testing center for individuals seeking to obtain a Commercial Driver's License for both class A and B. Jeff Carroll, instructor for the truck driving program, will administer the test by appointment only. ...

Motlow State Community College's business programs were recently reaffirmed accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The accreditation verifies the programs offer a rigorous educational experience and demonstrate continuous quality improvement...

Senior Kaylee Adams was recently named Shelbyville Central basketball homecoming queen. She is escorted by he father Kris Adams. She is a member of the Golden Eaglette basketball team.

Bedford County Board of Education learned Tuesday night how, for the second year in a row, several schools were called out in the annual audit of internal school funds for matters of legal compliance and financial reporting. Bedford County Finance Director Robert Daniel told the school board, “You’ve got some legal compliance [issues], actually the most serious of the findings. They all need to be corrected.”...

Last week at Cascade High school, the week began with dress up days. Since Monday was MLK day, the students had an extra long weekend to get rested up for the exciting week to come. Tuesday was Jersey Day. Students and teachers wore jerseys representing well-known basketball players, football plyers, and various Cascade sports to show their team spirit. This was also an easy way to convince people to show up the basketball game that was to be held that night...

Jake Ozburn of Bedford County was one of 30 youth members recognized for their success in the second year of the Tennessee's Top Tier points program. The winners were recognized by Tennessee Cattlemen's Association and Tennessee Cattlemen's Youth Association at the Alltech/Kubota Youth Awards Banquet during the 35th Annual Tennessee Cattlemen's Convention and Trade Show in Murfreesboro on Jan. 10...

Bedford County Board of Education approved several business items Tuesday night, including an $80,000 anonymous donation, which will be placed in a restricted account and used as a salary supplement for Shelbyville Central High School football coaches...

Tennessee Department of Human Services is seeking rural communities as it opens the application process for organizations to participate in this year's Summer Food Service Program. The goal of the SFSP is to ensure that children 18 and younger who benefit from meal programs during the school year continue to have that same access to nutritious meals during the summer. ...

Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate has announced the Dean's List for the Fall semester of 2019. To be placed on the Dean's List, the student must be a full-time undergraduate and have a 3.5 or higher grade point average for the semester. Included on the list were:...

This year's National Engineers Week, or EWeek, runs Feb. 16-22. As part of the event, founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers, many Arnold Engineering Development Complex engineers and other volunteers from Arnold Air Force Base assist with local science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities -- during EWeek, and throughout the entire month of February...

Motlow State Community College is now a Registered Apprenticeship Program provider as approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. The College can now quickly design apprenticeship programs based on the needs of area employers, providing them access to larger talent pools. RAPs also help to reduce unemployment...

Motlow State recently received the prestigious Minuteman Award in recognition of the College's support of Tennessee National Guard members. The award was presented to Dr. Michael Torrence, Motlow president, at a ceremony held on the Motlow Smyrna Campus...

Due to a water main break, school has been cancelled at Community Elementary and Community Middle schools today. Students who were already on buses have been taken to Community High School, where they may be picked up.

On January 15, Community High School's Smokestack Theater Group hosted Community alumnus and member of Murfreesboro Little Theater's board of directors, Dalton Reeves. Reeves came to speak with each of Tony Davis' classes about theater and acting techniques. ...

Last week at Cascade, things seemed pretty mellow. The students have returned to their previous routines and teachers back on their groove. While things appeared calm, there was excitement in the air. Students diligently practiced in preparation for the 5-on-5 game that is to take place January 23rd and are ready to bring the heat...

Middle Tennessee State University now has a noticeable presence inside the Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee's newest contribution to teaching Middle Tennessee secondary school students about financial literacy. Junior Achievement, a volunteer-driven organization that provides programs focused on work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, hosted a grand opening Tuesday afternoon of the JA Finance Park, a state-of-the-art program that will serve seventh- through 12th-grade students across Middle Tennessee and is the organization's first such venture in the state.. ...

Southside Elementary faculty, staff and students wore their Tennessee Titans gear on Friday to support the team, which is playing in the AFC championship this weekend in hopes of making it to the Super Bowl.