What's new at Southeast Davidson schools?

By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD sblackwood@tennessean.com 259-8268 • August 1, 2008 New principal takes over at Apollo Middle As the new principal of Apollo Middle School, Ron Woodard has three main items on his agenda. "We're hoping to increase student achievement, parental involvement and community support," he said. The school did not meet average yearly progress in reading or math under the federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks. Woodard, who was previously an assistant principal at Maplewood High School, said he would be focusing on ways to make sure that doesn't happen again. "We hope to use a variety of methods to meet our goals," he said. "The first step is to build a sense of pride and continue in the great tradition this school was founded upon." At Thomas Edison and Mt. View elementary schools, Principals Ronald Powe and Kim Fowler are hoping to raise the bar for their students. First, said Powe, following in the tradition of the school's namesake, "I want to highlight the fact that we have a science and math fair." This year, though, "we want to enhance our emphasis on science and math," he said. "We want to take it to another level, not just within the school, but to competition at the district and state levels." Powe said there would be interventions, not only for students who are not meeting the benchmarks in reading, language arts and math, but also for students who are exceeding them. "We want to bring the floor up, but we also want to raise the ceiling," he said. Powe said the school would be using TCAP and other test scores "to validate our teaching, but also to help us hone in on areas where we might not perform as effectively as we would like to." A change for both Edison and Mt. View this year is Mt. View lost some of its English Language Learners to Edison. Previously, ELL students were assigned to certain schools that served as ELL centers. Now, they go to the schools for which they are zoned. Powe said some faculty members are being trained to work with ELL students. "We want to welcome parents and students who traditionally have gone to an ELL center," he said. Apollo Middle School Address: 631 Richards Road Phone: 333-5025 Web site: www.apolloms.mnps.org Principal: Ron Woodard Enrollment: 450-500 students What's new for 2008-09: Apollo has a new principal and three new faculty members for science, art and language arts. Mascot: Astros School colors: Red, white and blue Optional shirt colors: Red, blue and green Orientation: 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Aug. 4 Thomas Edison Elementary School Address: 6130 Mt. View Road Phone: 501-8800 Web site: www.thomasedisones.mnps.org Principal: Ronald Powe Enrollment: 600-625 students What's new for 2008-09: Edison has a new assistant principal, Rebecca Welch, because former assistant principal, Robin Shumate, is now principal at Lakeview Elementary. The school also has a new reading specialist, ELL teacher, music teacher, band teacher, second-grade teacher and first-grade teacher. Mascot: Lightbulb Motto: "Where Bright Futures Grow" School colors: Red and yellow Optional shirt colors: Red, yellow, black and pink Mt. View Elementary School Address: 3820 Murfreesboro Road Phone: 641-9393 Principal: Kim Fowler Enrollment: about 850 students What's new for 2008-09: Mt. View has a new math specialist; three new fourth-grade teachers; a new PTA president; and a new PENCIL partner, Vastland Realty. The school offered the SMART program for kindergartners last year but will expand it this year to include first-graders. The program, which is based on the multiple intelligences theory, uses different learning stations that require kids to use their motor and sensory skills. The school will offer BrainPop, an online animated educational site in English and Spanish that helps students with science, reading, writing, social studies and health. Parents will be able to access the program from home. The school also has a new computer lab, and all classrooms will have LCD projectors. Mascot: Mountain lions School colors: Green and white Optional shirt colors: Green, red, yellow and pink Preview night: 5:30-7 p.m., Aug. 7

Shoppers line up for tax-free sales

State's weak economy endangers holiday By HARRIET VAUGHAN • Staff Writer • August 2, 2008 Shopper Michelle Crouthamel has a one-track mind: load the kids and shopping bags in the car and hit the next store to finish out her tax-free weekend shopping before the big crowds come out. This run-and-gun style of shopping is common for thousands of well-rehearsed shopperstaking advantage of Tennessee's third August holiday, whichallows shoppers to skip the sales tax on most clothing, school supplies, computers and other back-to-school necessities. "It's fabulous," Crouthamel said. While shoppers save millions of dollars during the August tax-free weekend, the state economy takes an $8 million-$10 million hit. The state takes the brunt of sales tax exemptions, since local governments are reimbursed for all losses accrued during the tax-free break. August is the more successful of the state's twotax-free holiday weekends; the othertax-exempt weekend is in April. The financial hit wasn't a problem until this fiscal year, when Tennessee's economy has taken a turn for the worse. "Tennessee is not unique in the slowing of the national economy, and there is a decline in the amount of sales tax, franchise and excise tax being collected," said Sophie Moery, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Revenue. As a result of the tight economy, legislators did not approve an April 2009 tax-free weekend. Unlike the August shopping holiday, which was mandated to occur every August in time for back-to-school, the April holiday must be approved by legislators the year before. Now, the outlook for the August tax break is also uncertain. Gov. Phil Bredesen, who introduced the law in 2005, recently expressed reservations over the sales tax holiday. Amid a scurry to trim 2,300 employees from the state's payroll, every dollar coming into the state helps. Bredesen told reporters last week that if he had the ability to call it off to save jobs, he would. To make that happen, the Legislature would have to pass a law reversing the August tax-free weekend. The uncertainty of the sales-tax holiday is bad news for teacher Annette Campbell, who has 19 years of teaching under her belt. "It needs to stay. Whatever measures need to be taken to ensure that the holiday stays need to happen," she said. "Once a year is wonderful, but if we can keep it as often as we can, then that's a blessing." Like other Metro teachers, Campbell, a special education teacher at Whites Creek High, receives $200 to spend on classroom and teaching supplies. Each year she spends an additional $300 out of pocket, an act common to teachers. Campbell and a fellow teacher buy additional school supplies, books and uniforms for students whose parents can't afford their basic school essentials. She and other teachers at Whites Creek take advantage of both shopping holidays to help stagger their spending. "Any time that we as teachers and parents have an opportunity to save money to help educate our children, we do it," said Campbell. News of the canceled spring tax-free weekend is hitting Tennessee Target stores hard. Store manager Jason Gordon says the August tax-free weekend is the store's biggest shopping time next to Christmas. Managers at the Charlotte Pike location doubled their staff and spent additional hours preparing the store for shoppers. "We see an increase in sales compared to any normal weekend," said Gordon

State issues sales tax holiday in time for back to school

Just in time for back to school, the state has issued a Sales Tax Holiday for the weekend of Aug. 1-3. Tax exempt items are: * School and school art supplies with a price of $100 or less per item; * Clothing with a price of $100 or less per item; and * Computers with a price of $1,500 or less. For more information about the Sales Tax Holiday, visit www.tntaxholiday.com.This Web site lists exempt items, a retailer’s guide and frequently asked questions. MNPS Customer Service Center Taking Your Calls The start of school is right around the corner, and it is never too early for families to find information that will help students begin the school year on a good foot. Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools provides a Customer Service Center so families can get assistance for any back to school questions, including school assignment and transportation.Families are strongly encouraged to start asking questions now to avoid any last minute worries or confusion. Contact the Center any day from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at 259-INFO (4636).The week of Monday, Aug. 4, the Customer Service Center will be open extended hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for last minute calling. The Customer Service Center opened in August of 2005. Since its inception, the CSC has taken nearly 600,000 calls. The center is equipped to take calls in English, Spanish and any special needs calls.For more information, visit www.mnps.org.